Sauteed Red Cabbage & Criminis

Have you heard of Diane Sanfilippo' 21-day sugar detox? I have recommended it to multiple health coaching clients of mine as a way to take a break from sugar (even fruit!) and let their bodies recalibrate without the distractions of junky food. The results are pretty astounding. I have completed a 21DSD myself, and it was incredible how sweet tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables became when they were the only sources of "sweet" food I ate. After the detox/cleanse ended, I did reintroduce many foods into my diet including fruit, but it certainly opened my eyes as to how much certain foods impact my mood, cravings, and overall health. I took one of the interesting recipes I came across during my research and tweaked it for tonight's blogpost. 

On an unrelated note, I have to shamelessly give one final push... my kickstarter campaign for Bowls of Love is ending in 27 hours!! I have raised almost $15,000 in under a month, and I am floored by the responses I have received. I have learned at least a dozen crucial life lessons throughout this process, and I am so proud to have accomplished the first step in fulfilling my dream. It is pretty amazing what happens in life when you fully dedicate yourself to something, and I am so incredibly motivated to keep pushing. If you love my recipes and have a soft spot for soups and sharing amazing food with the people you love (who doesn't?!) please take a minute to watch my video and consider contributing to the campaign so you can get a copy of Bowls of Love!

Sauteed Red Cabbage: Serves 3-4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients:
- 1 small head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 3 small onions, sliced
- 8 crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. rosemary
- Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Head the coconut oil over medium heat
2. Sautee the onions and mushrooms until soft (about 10 minutes)
3. Add the cabbage and cook for 10 minutes
4. Add the vinegar, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook until totally soft (about 10-15 minutes)

Note: You can always add some water if this becomes too dry. Serve warm or cold (I prefer cold!)

  

  

Crockpot Moroccan Lamb Tagine

I'm back! It has been a while, but I am back in the U.S. and ready to share all of my culinary adventures from Dubai. I was over in Dubai for the past three weeks and had an unbelievable time. I had some great adventures on the weekends and spent some quality time at my company's Dubai office during the week. Grocery shopping in Dubai is a bit different from Boston, but I did pretty well. I even went to the Dubai farmer's market which was an experience. It was just a fraction of the size of the markets here but was still great to support the local food movement in the Middle East. I had the opportunity to try some amazing restaurants, but my favorite (by a mile) was Pierchic. The restaurant is at the end of a 250-yard pier in the middle of the ocean. It is part of the Madinat Jumeirah resort, and was hands down the most gorgeous place I have ever been in my life. We had a four-course meal with the freshest seafood imaginable as we overlooked the Burj Al Arab and the entire Madinat Jumeirah. I was 99% sure that I was on an episode of The Bachelor while I was there because it just seemed too good to be true. I am quite certain that the meal, the ambience, and the company will never be beat, and it was absolutely a major highlight of the trip.

Separate from all of the restaurants, I cooked some really exciting meals using new spices and flavors I had never experienced with. I will share my recipes over the next few days and catch you up on my paleo adventures from the other side of the world. The first recipe to share is a crockpot moroccan lamb tagine. This cooked all day while I was at the office, and it was amazing to come home to. I experimented with the spices, fresh rosemary from the garden, and prunes. Many people are scared of prunes because they remind them of 90-year-olds, but prunes are simply sweet and delicious dried plums - don't be afraid!

Crockpot Moroccan Lamb Tagine: Serves 6, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 8-10 hours

Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 carrots, peeled & chopped
- 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- 8 1-inch pieces of ginger
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
- Dried apricots (100g)
- Prunes (250g)
- 2 pound lamb shoulder
- 2 Tbsp. lamb spice mix (rosemary, rose petals, cumin, paprika, onion, garlic, mint, etc.)
- 1-2 cups water

Instructions:
1. Put onions and carrots at the bottom of the crockpot
2. Cover with water (just enough to barely cover)
3. Spice both sides of the lamb, and lay it on top of the onions/carrots
4. Slice a few slits in the lamb and stuff with chopped garlic and rosemary
5. Add prunes, apricots, and ginger 
6. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours
7. Shred the lamb, remove the ginger, and serve!

    

Lemon Rosemary Salmon

Madness: I leave for my Dubai trip 3 weeks from tomorrow. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I feel pretty sorry for whoever has to sit next to me on the flight over. The longest flight I've ever taken was 7 hours, so I think 14 will be interesting to say the least. I'll try to keep busy with movies, airplane yoga, paleo snacks, and hopefully some solid sleep. I watched Sex and the City 2 this past weekend, and I learned exactly what not to do while I'm there thanks to the shenanigans the girls had in Abu Dhabi. I will be full of stories (and new recipes) when I return, so get excited!

I had to share this picture on my blog. The other morning I woke up for yoga and the sun was rising and shining into my living room. That statue on the end table was my grandmother's, and it is the one thing in my apartment that I have of hers. The gorgeous sunrise created such a beautiful picture with the shadow of the statue. I felt like a little piece of my grandma was there that morning, and it was a perfect way to start the day.

Tonight's recipe is a quick and easy dish - beautifully cooked salmon in 10 minutes. You can buy some tasty wild-caught salmon frozen from Trader Joes for half the price of the fresh alternative from Whole Foods. It only takes a few extra minutes to cook, so give it a try!

Lemon Rosemary Salmon: Serves 3, Prep Time: 5 min, Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. fresh wild-caught salmon
- Olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 1 sprig of rosemary

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to broil
2. Place salmon filets on a foil-lined cookie sheet
3. Brush very lightly with olive oil
4. Cover filets with juice from the lemon and then cover in rosemary
5. Broil for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes with a fork

  

Spiced Meatballs w/ Balsamic Fig Reduction

Happy Saturday! I had a great week in Stamford and am Back in Boston. I realized that I haven't been home for a full week since before Thanksgiving, so it is nice to be back. I have had quite the whirlwind with friends, family, holidays, vacation, and work trips, and now it is time to get back in the swing of things. I checked out the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market today with Chris which was awesome. It's closer than the one in Somerville and just as big. We made friends with some of the farmers and got great stuff. I bought a couple new things that I haven't tried (anyone tried kohlrabi before?), so I will be experimenting with some new recipes this week.

I am off to Bikram yoga for a 10-day trial at Bikram Yoga Boston. I have had some wonderful experiences with Bikram in the past, but I have also had a few nightmare classes. When I went in Naples with mom, I think she almost punched the teacher in the face at one point. Between the instructor, the damp smelly carpet, and the atmosphere, it wasn't pretty. Fingers crossed for this studio!

Today's recipe is a slight variation of an amazing recipe from Practical Paleo. You can check out information on the book here. I got the cookbook as a holiday gift from Evan & Catherine, and it is amazing. These meatballs smell great thanks to all of the spices, and the fig compote is absolutely delicious. I have never made a reduction before (seemed a little intimidating), but it was actually one of the more simple recipes to make. Try this out as an appetizer at your next dinner party to wow your guests!

Spiced Meatballs w/ Balsamic Fig Reduction: Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 25 min

Ingredients:
- 1lb. ground lamb or grass-fed beef
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. dried minced onion
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- Sea salt & pepper
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 6-8 dried figs, sliced (I used organic extra large Turkish figs)
- 2 sprigs of fresh organic rosemary

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix the meat and all spices together in a mixing bowl
3. Form into 16 small meatballs, and lightly brown the edges in a pan over medium heat (about 15-30 seconds per side)
4. Bake on a foil-lined sheet for 20-25 minutes until cooked through
5. While baking, add vinegar, water, figs, and rosemary to your pan on the stove
6. Simmer (I cooked on a level 3 of 10) for about 15 minutes or until the compote reduces. It will seem very watery at first, but over time, it will turn into a thick sweet compote.
7. Serve the meatballs fresh out of the oven on top of the compote

  

P.S. I swear the meatballs weren't hot pink... the camera got crazy!

Roasted Chicken w/ Sweets & Beets

So if you're wondering, I am still upset about my poop sneaker. I am trying to pretend it never happened, but it isn't working. I don't have a padded mat under my standing desk yet, so I really need to wear sneakers in the house while I work. After yesterday's incident, I think my days of wearing sneakers in the apartment are over. The good news is that I will have a padded mat delivered and ready to go by the time I'm back from Stamford this week AND I found out that my sneakers are on sale on Zappos. I need another pair anyway, so this may just work out perfectly. I realize that if you are here for a delicious recipe, you probably don't want to hear about my dirty sneaker, but I just really needed to share!

I had a wonderful visit from my Dad today, and I wanted to make him a special meal before he headed out to London for business. I channeled my Grandma and went with my first ever roasted chicken. While I mastered the turkey back in November, I was still nervous about roasting the whole chicken. I threw it together with some roasted sweet potatoes and beets from the Siena Farm farmstore, and it was amazing! The one issue with beets is that their juice gets everywhere. The color is gorgeous, but I'd recommend wearing an apron (and a poncho) to avoid getting beet juice all over your clothes. Don't say you weren't warned!

Roasted Chicken w/ Sweets & Beets: Serves 4, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

- 4-5lb. free-range organic chicken

- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled

- 2 beets, peeled

- Olive oil

- 1 lemon, halved

- 2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, & sage

- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried onion

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Chop sweets & beets into 1-inch cubes and arrange in a baking dish. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried onion (or onion powder).

3. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Make sure you clean out the inside (luckily this one didn't have any surprises inside)

4. Coat the chicken with a little olive oil, the juice from the two lemon halves, and some of the spices.

5. Stuff the chicken with all of the herbs and the leftover lemon halves

6. Bake for 75 minutes, basting every 15-20 minutes

7. Flip over the chicken and cook for another 15 minutes

8. Let the pan sit for 5-10 minutes and then carve and enjoy!

  

Chunky Hunky Man Soup

Does your hunky man hate soup? If so, I have created the perfect recipe that will make you both happy! To me, a fresh soup every week is the best part of winter, and it is even better if you can share it with others. I even eat soup for breakfast these days as an alternative to my old favorite oatmeal. Some of the soup haters out there think that it doesn't count as a real meal and is too watery, so I created this recipe that is chunky, full of flavor, and guaranteed to please your biggest critics. 

I made this soup on New Years Day for my own special hunk and our friends. It was the perfect mix of sweet and savory, and it was a wonderful way to start out 2013!

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 large leek, chopped (whites & greens)
- 2+ Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch of celery, chopped
- 5-7 large carrots, peeled & chopped
- 12 mushrooms, chopped
- 6 parsnips, peeled & chopped
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
- 2 cups of chopped steak (I used leftovers from a garlic roasted bottom round roast)
- 3 sprigs of fresh, organic rosemary
- 2 quarts of organic chicken (or beef) broth/stock (no sugar or preservatives added)
- pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. CHOP EVERYTHING! (I've warned you about this before.. it takes a while but is totally worth it!)
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions, leek, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes until soft
4. Add all other veggies and cook for another 10 minutes
5. Add steak, rosemary, and broth and bring to a boil
6. Cover pot, turn heat to low, and cook for 45-60 minutes until everything is soft
7. Eat this soup with your hunky man - mine likes his grains, so I threw some farro in there for a little extra chunk

  

Purple Soup!

Hello from Florida! When I arrived in Naples, Mom took me to Trader Joes and Whole Foods to stock up so I would have all of my paleo staples. While it was 80 degrees when I arrived, I still thought it would be a great idea to make a big pot of soup so there would always be a good serving of veggies on hand. If you haven't noticed yet, I care about the colors of my food almost as much as the taste! A colorful plate tends to be a healthier plate, so I decided we needed to make purple soup. The purple cauliflower (which I've never had before) looked awesome, so we grabbed two heads of it and a bunch of other white or lightly colored veggies so we could keep the color going. The soup came out great, and it was beautiful to watch! Try to eat a different color fruit and vegetable every day of the week - you will nourish your body and enjoy the view along the way. 

Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 2-3 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 bunch celery, chopped
- 2 yellow squash, chopped
- 1 bunch white asparagus, chopped
- 2 heads purple cauliflower, chopped 
- 2 quarts organic, gluten-free chicken stock (or veggie broth)
- Black pepper & fresh rosemary

Instructions:
1. Chop all of your veggies! You can use a food processor to save time if you want - roughly chopped is fine since we will be blending this soup.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat
3. Saute the garlic, onion, and leek about 10 minutes until soft
4. Add celery, squash, and asparagus and cook another 5 minutes
5. Add the purple cauliflower and the chicken stock and bring to a boil
6. When soup boils, cover the pot, turn heat down to low, and cook for 40 minutes
7. Let soup cool for a few minutes and then puree with the immersion blender until smooth
8. Serve with black pepper and fresh rosemary

  

Paleo Thanksgiving Turkey

OK, so I know Thanksgiving is almost a week behind us, but I have pounds and pounds of leftover turkey to eat, and I needed to post this recipe. This was my first attempt at making a full turkey, and I was blown away with the result! There is quite a lot to share...

If I focused on the positives, I would tell you that:

• It tasted amazing
• It wasn't dry at all
• I carved it like a pro
• My dinner guests raved about it
• The house smelled amazing all day

If I focused on the negatives, I would explain that:

• I dropped a huge glass bottle of olive oil on the floor when I was elbow-deep in turkey
• I probably need 5 years of therapy to offset my discovery of the 7 inch neck inside the turkey
• I sweat as much carving this turkey as I do in my hardest WOD

Clearly the positives outweigh the negatives, and I will definitely be excited (and more prepared) to make another turkey next year! Best of luck to all the first-timers out there!

Ingredients:
- 16 lb. defrosted turkey (get a pastured turkey from your local farm if possible!)
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- 1 bunch rosemary
- 4 lemons, cut into wedges
- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, and basil

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Make sure your turkey is fully defrosted, and then remove it from the package 
3. Time to clean the turkey - if you have disposable rubber gloves, put them on! (wish I could say that I had some...)
4. Thoroughly rinse the turkey (inside and out) with water. You may find a bag of giblets, a 7+ inch neck, and other surprises, so remain calm, and save those pieces for later (soup, gravy, etc.) or immediately throw them out so you don't have to think about it (my choice)

5. When the turkey is cleaned, empty, and trimmed of any strange things (veins, excess skin, etc.), put the turkey in a roasting pan. I highly recommend buying a disposable foil pan to save with post-turkey cleanup. 

6. Generously rub the whole turkey with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and then cover it with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, and basil.

7. Put all of the lemon wedges and the bunch of rosemary into the center of the turkey.

8. Bake for 4 hours (15 minutes/pound), basting every 30 minutes. Flip the turkey after two hours so both sides get a nice golden brown color.

9. Take the turkey out of the oven, cover tightly with foil, and then let it sit for 30 minutes.

10. Carve like your uncle taught you!

Note: Since there was no real sauce or heavy marinade, there was next to no juice to baste the turkey with after the first 30 minutes. I re-brushed some oil and vinegar on the outside to keep it moist. By the second round of basting, there was plenty of liquid from the lemons and the natural juices from the turkey.