A renewed spirit and a delicious dinner

This whole paleo challenge has been tough for a variety of reasons. Its expensive, the change in diet has made me a grumpy biotch. But the worst is I've  become wary of my kitchen, feeling like I no longer know what to do with those crazy spirals that get really hot.

I am pretty handy in the kitchen, preparing vegetarian  cuisine for the masses (or just me... ), but I have been really thrown, mentally, by the simultaneous addition of eggs and fish and subtraction of grain, tofu and tempeh-- staples in my diet.

So the internet has been my savior for the past week or so. But I got bored (see egg post. )

Nothing tasted like "me" if that makes sense? My kitchen looked like a foreign land.

But tonight, somehow, everything clicked. Ginger is still ginger even if its on fish instead of tempeh. Almond butter probably makes a delicious sauce when paired with tamari, just like peanut butter and soy sauce used to in other dishes I've made.

So tonight I experimented, with a little inspiration from the internets. Spaghetti squash with sesame oil and almond butter sauce and a spicy sesame coconut salmon graced my coffee table dining room table.

Tasted amazing, really reknewed my spirit in this endeavor. That probably sounds dramatic, but it is true!

Recipes below!

breakfast of champions. vom.

I am so tired of eggs.


Seriously.
I've poached, scrambled, fried, killed, fritta-ed and omeletted....

The thought of eating another egg makes me want....to... bleeeehhhhhh. not eating eggy things for almost three years and then consuming them EVERYDAY is a big turn around.

My body is giving me the universal  "whaaaaat the helll" motion (like when someone cuts you off and you throw your arms in the air and go WHAT THE WHAAAAT? And they do the same thing, like its your fault for being your own lane)

I know I know. I'm making things harder on myself by not giving into whatever deep-seeded bacon cravings I supposedly have within.
Whatever.
I've never been a huge egg fan...
Example: The  only acceptable thing to do with a hard boiled egg is dye it and leave it for the Easter bunny.
Great.
Now I'm craving cadbury  eggs... I don't even like those.

But really anything with simple sugars would be nice. 

Ah the fun of sugar withdrawals.

I didn't realize how much sugar my body is accustomed to consuming until cutting it out entirely. I'm not really a big sweets person. Sure I love my juju fish (ghetto Swedish fish), the occasional trip to staccato gelato, but I'm not the I MUST HAVE CHOCOLATE EVERYDAY OR I WILL DIE  kind of gal.

But those sneaky bastards food processors sneak that sugar shite and loads of other additives into everything. What do you mean my canned diced tomatoes have HFC? Why is it necessary to add sugar, carageenan and other 'fun' things to balsamic vinaigrette?

Balsamic vinaigrette= balsamic vinegar + oil + emulsifier (I like mustard seed).

I'll slow my rant... Looking forward to finding some more interesting and less egg-tastic things to consume for breakfast... I found some cool Zucchini frittery pancake-y things that I may doctor to my liking... Who knows.

EggDrop Soup and Curry Tuna

Talk about uncharted territory...

I managed to get creative for dinner tonight....

I made my own version of Paleo Plan's Egg Drop Soup . I wasn't too jazzed about just having soup for dinner, so I threw together a green curry tuna wrap. I'm pretty happy with myself...

recipes below:)


Egg Drop Soup

This is a super comforting, delicious soup. The recipe makes A LOT, so pack for lunches or feed your fam! 

• 1 Tbsp butter substitute (i used earth balance flax seed spread)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced  (optional)
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 1 Tbsp butter substitute (i used earth balance flax seed spread)
• 1/2 head of cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 8 cups of vegetable stock (or chicken broth)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
• 1 tsp wheat free tamari sauce, low sodium.  
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
•  salt to taste
• 6 eggs, whisked

In a large 4 qt soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and celery. Saute over medium heat, until onions are translucent and carrots begin to soften. Pour in veggie stock and mix in cabbage and sesame oil. Cover pan and bring to a boil.  Let soup continue to simmer, until thickened. In small bowl, whisk together eggs. Once soup is thickened, slowly pour egg mixture into soup. You'll see white egg ribbons throughout the soup. I let mine cook for another ten minutes or so, because I panic about eating raw egg business.


Green Curry Tuna Wrap with Avocado 

Makes a delightful snack or lunch or whatever you desire.
Makes 2 wraps

• 1 can albacore tuna, packed in water, drained
• 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp green thai curry paste (most are paleo friendly, but read those ingredients!)
• 1 tbls coconut milk (not beverage, but the stuff in the can)
• 1/2 tsp lime juice
• 2 green chard leafs (or if leafy greens arent your thing, ya weirdo , you could use a romaine lettuce leafs.
• 1 avocado, diced

In a small bowl mix together tuna, curry paste, coconut milk and lime. Set aside. Remove stalks from chard.  Spoon half the tuna mixture into one of the chard leafs and top with half the avocado. Repeat process (duh...) Roll up mixture like a burrito? and eat!

Upside Down or Paleowaht?

Well, I feel as if my kitchen  whole world has been turned upside down.

As I announced earlier, I started incorporating less-than-vegan options into my diet for health reasons, which to some may seem backassward, but such is life.

I've done some egg experimentation (or eggpermentation... badum psh) , ate some chat-fish (that's for you suz), mingled with some shrimp and taken on a fairly lactose intolerant pescatarian approach to dining. Admittedly (and I'm sorry hard-core vegs), I've enjoyed it. I feel better. A LOT better.

BUT NOW, of course. Its going to get more complicated. Why, you ask? Because, it is me. And I am complicated.  Enjoy it.

For the next 44 days, my writing will take a detour from the typical vegan delights and will chronicle a new crazy journey....

My fantastic workout family at Portland Fitbody Bootcamp  kicking 2012 off with a New Year's Revolution, a six-week fitness transformation challenge. Not like I'm competitive or anything... I just want to say I plan on winning ;)
Not only does the challenge encompass the booty kickin workout five days a week I've learned to love, but also a whole-food diet challenge i.e. PALEO.

---Quick breakdown for those unaware check out Paleo Plan. They outline what to and what not to eat. There is some debate around coffee, booze, and dairy. But basically, from what I understand. Meat, veggies, fruit = good. Everything else (processed foods, beans, grains, sugar) =bad. ----



Now, I have to say. I am SUPER skeptical of paleo. But in my defense its the same skepticism I have of strict vegan diets. Villanizing food groups, grains in the case of Paleo or all animal products in the case of veganism, seems to be detrimental.

I'm a big fan of moderation in all things

Do I think the American diet is FAR too reliant on grain and processed crap? YES ABSOLUTELY
Do I think we eat too much mass produced, factory farmed meat? UHM DUH

Should we completely cut out grain, beans and all meat products? mmmm NO.

Just one girls opinion..

Now, as I've mentioned before, I don't believe there is an end all be all diet (and I don't mean "I need to lose 60 pound by tomorrow diet" but rather lifestyle diet). Different things work for different people. My awesome sister-in-law and I have been debating/discussing the merits and detriments of the paleo diet, as she and my brother have been experimenting.

The one thing I can get behind in paleo (and in most lifestyle diets, for that matter), is the incorporation of more vegetables, fruit and elimination of processed items with ingredients you can't even pronounce. I figure if one of my little nephews can't read it, I shouldn't eat it.

But, I'm sorry the point of all this (there is one I promise), is that I will be putting most of my skepticism aside and challenging myself to eat a mostly paleo diet for the six week challenge. I say mostly because, I sure as hell am not eating cows or pigs or chickens, just fish (Please make a fish face at this point like I did) and eggs. Things may get boring, but I'm a creative type.

I'll be posting recipes (I will mark veg friendly ones with a V), thoughts, rants, raves and anything else I may feel like sharing.