Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 113

Use Up That Turkey!

Good morning, and happy Black Friday!

In order to get in a good day’s shopping, on the busiest day for it of the year, you’ll want to be sure and start off right with a nice balance of protein, veg and fat.

Feeling a little tired of roast turkey?

Whip up a batch of one of my fave uses for the leftover meat- curried turkey salad.

Combine dark and white meat, chopped coarsely, with olive oil, freshly ground pepper and a curry powder blend, to taste.  Throw in some slivered almonds and a few naturally dried cranberries, or fresh grapes, if available, and either stir with a fork, or whiz it all together in your mini prep if you prefer a more uniform consistency.

Served on a bed of fresh mixed greens, this tastes like anything but tired old leftovers and will give you the morning boost you need to power through those shops!

Now, go hit those sales!

Thank You, Thank You and Happy Thanksgiving

To no one in particular, I often say ‘thank you’ after an awesome run, a lovely, Paleo meal or a cozy afternoon spent at home with my husband and dogs.

We all have stress in our lives, and good days and bad, but really, if you think about it, there’s an awful lot to be thankful for.

It’s all about perspective.

Of course, it’s probably human nature to get caught up in the day to day grind of it all.  If we stop and think the next time we catch ourselves spinning out about something and see if we can put it in check long enough to settle back down,  then we can analyze the situation and deal with it accordingly.  A much better course of action than losing it over something trivial!

Head out for a hike this morning, take your dog on a walk or take the kids to the park, before the days festivities ensue.  Let time stand still for a second in order to look around and smell those proverbial roses…

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether you’re spending it with family, dear friends, work colleagues or going solo, and enjoy a bountiful Paleo meal!

Tofurky? Really?

I really don’t get tofurky, and I really didn’t get it when I was vegan for two years, either.

If you’re vegan for ethical reasons and don’t believe in eating animals, why would it make sense to eat a fake version of an animal?

Besides that, the taste leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion.  

Add to that the way one feels after eating this product, a turkey-breast shaped conglomeration of soy, vital wheat gluten, canola oil, rice, bread and assorted bean flours is pretty much the epitome of everything we as humans are meant not to be eating!

Here are the actual ingredients for the ‘roast’ and stuffing:

ROAST:Water, vital wheat gluten, organic tofu (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), shoyu soy sauce (water, non-genetically engineered soybeans, wheat, salt, culture), expeller pressed non-genetically engineered canola oil, natural vegetarian flavors, non-genetically engineered corn starch, garbanzo bean flour, white bean flour,lemon juice from concentrate, onion, carrot, celery, sugar, calcium lactate from beets, sea salt.

STUFFING:Organic brown rice, whole wheat bread cubes (enriched wheat flour, water, organic dried cane syrup, sea salt, yeast), onion, celery, water, organic wild rice, expeller pressed non-genetically engineered canola oil, natural vegetarian flavors, garlic, salt, sugar, spices and turmeric (added for color).

I find balance by making sure my bird comes from a reliable ranch where it lived in a pasture, ate what it would it in the wild and was killed humanely.

You can be sure there will be a big one gracing my table this year, a twenty-two pounder, to be exact, amongst a plethora of veggies and other paleo bounty.

A soy, bean, gluten and canola mixture 

Some Crust!

OK, I get it.

You’re just not digging my suggestion to go for the naked (as in crust-less) apple, pumpkin or pecan pie?  

Feeling like without the pastry it’s just not the same.

This may be a time for the ‘substitute flours’, like almond or coconut, for example.

Once in a while, when something more decadent is in order, like a holiday, it not such a big deal to use one of these flours to make a psuedo cake, cookies or other concoction using Paleo ingredients.

Not so much the case for making every day ‘treats’, that you plan to snack on in place of veg with protein and fat; that’s completely missing the point of living the Paleo lifestyle.

So if you’re feeling crusty (that didn’t come out sounding the way I meant it), go ahead and grab the nut flours and bake away, knowing that you’ll have an end product closer to the original than one with no crust at all!

 

Turkey Trials

Perhaps you’re hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year.  Or maybe you’ve done the side dishes before, but someone else prepped the bird.

If you’re scared of botching the Pièce de résistance this Thursday, fear not!  You have time on your side.

Why not procure a smaller bird and cook it tonight to test your methodology and give yourself a sense of confidence that the meal on the big day will be a home run?

You may be thinking that the last thing you want is to pre-inundate yourself with poultry, or wondering what on Earth you’d do with too much meat.   Actually, this is exactly the point I’m getting at, and something to be considered year round:  buying in bulk.

Consider that a package of paleo-friendly (sodium-nitrite & nitrate-free, gluten-free, no sugar added and so on) turkey breast may be about $6.99 for three two-ounce servings (using figures from a local Whole Foods), while the raw, free-range, pastured turkey is only $3.99 per pound, it’s a no-brainer from an economical standpoint.

Roast your turkey (or steam it, or barbeque it, or prep it however you’re planning on doing it on Thanksgiving), give yourself a pat on the back for a successful execution and then break down the bird and use up those leftovers.  Turkey soups, turkey salads and frozen turkey for later are all ways to stretch the dollar and not let any of the bird go to waste.

One less thing to stress about while you’re getting everything else ready for your guests!

Apple Pie Alternative

Apple pie is one of the easiest things to re-create, Paleo style.

Yes, there are those who absolutely love the crust, but if you really think about it, the crust doesn’t do much to bring out the flavors of the apples or the spices that are such an important part of the dished that grace the holiday table.

I have a sentimental connection to apple pie, and even despite that I don’t miss the crust one iota.  (My very first job, at age thirteen, was baking pies at a local apple orchard close to the home I grew up in, in New York State.)

I loved baking pies, and I even loved my pastry class at culinary school, but even then, I viewed all the baking I did as more of an art project and creative outlet, compared to something I wanted to eat.

Anyway, it’s simple to make a crustless apple dessert that will appeal not only to those who are Paleo, but anyone trying not to pack on more holiday pounds.

Click HERE for my recipe!

Sweet Potato Casserole?

Oh, dear.  

There’s always that one dish that our dear old auntie had to bring to the Thanksgiving table:   the sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows.

Can it be saved?

Or better, replaced?

Absolutely.

Using mashed yam (just bake in water until soft, cool and the skin will slide right off, then mash with a fork), a bit nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove & allspice, then topping with lightly toasted pecans, you’ll create a paleo – friendly starch that will pair perfectly with the turkey and all the other fixin’s!

Stay tuned for another version using the method above, adding apples and rosemary!

Tradition…versus Health

“To me, the holidays aren’t about the newest trend, but rather going back to the old favorites that you’ve always loved.”

 That quote struck a real chord with me, and not it a good way.  It was part of an article I received on my google alert for Paleo.

Following was a recipe for a cheese and pastry-laden Thanksgiving side dish.

OK, I get it.  No one’s saying that rather than hosting traditional Thanksgiving dinner, it would be great fun to serve your guests a plate of celery and boiled chicken (yes, that would be Paleo, but a very poor,  unbalanced representation of it!).

Here’s the issue: it’s as though the implication is to go ahead, enjoy those old fashioned treats, it’s a holiday… but it goes so much deeper than that.  Following the Paleo diet is not akin to other diets whereby one restricts calories for a period of time, loses weight in what may be an unhealthy manner and then binges on anything and everything they can get their hands on.

Paleo living is proactively avoiding items (I hesitate to call them foods) that we are genetically not meant to be eating.  If, for example, you’ve discovered you have an intolerance to gluten, have omitted it and are feeling better than you have in years, why would you throw it all out the window just for the sake of being traditional and eating stuffing and pie?

There is simply no good reason why one cannot stay healthy and feeling great by incorporating Paleo friendly dishes on the Thanksgiving table, and opting not to ingest the ones that have grains, dairy and legumes.

Is it really worth it to risk not feeling great for even one day by eating those things that we know make us feel ill?

Not for me!  Pass the Brussells sprouts (and the turkey, and the yam casserole, the salad and the cranberries…just to name a few of the Paleo-ized dishes to be served on our annual Paleo Thanksgiving fete!).

Is Cranberry Sauce Paleo?

Here’s my dilemma.  My mom claims we all need to eat cranberry sauce because it’s ‘good for us’; specifically, because her doc told  her ages ago it was helpful to drink cranberry juice to support bladder health, she’s always on a cranberry trip during the holidays. (It’s actually really embarrassing when she feels the need to discuss it at the dinner table; but that’s another topic!).  Anyway, what is the deal? Are cranberries really a healthy thing to eat and if so, is the canned sauce my mom serves Paleo?  

Thanks,

Sara, Boston

First of all, yes, cranberries, fresh cranberries, that is, are Paleo.  A recent post on MSN reviewed some of their most significant health benefits:

Cranberries are full of antioxidants, which protects cells from damage by unstable molecules called free radicals.
Drinking cranberry juice can block urinary infections by binding to bacteria so they can’t adhere to cell walls. While women often drink unsweetened cranberry juice to treat an infection, there’s no hard evidence that works.
A compound discovered in cranberries, proanthocyanidine, prevents plaque formation on teeth.
In some people, regular cranberry consumption for months can kill the H. pylori bacteria, which can cause stomach cancer and ulcers.
Cranberries may prevent tumors from growing rapidly or starting in the first place.

So, your mom is right; partly right!  The canned cranberry sauce, however, is not so healthy.  More often than not, it contains corn syrup, and sometimes other unfavorable stabilizers.
 
It’s easy enough to make your own by boiling fresh cranberries and adding some orange essence;  check the recipe in The Paleo Diet Cookbook for more details!

 

 

Paleo Mex

Before the big day next week (Thanksgiving), I have another dinner party to host first, and this one is only for six. 

A good friend of ours, whose family hails from Mexico, and I had a chat recently about Paleo and regional cuisine and, long story short, I’m up for the challenge of making his suggested dish, Cochinita Pibil, Paleo style.

(He doesn’t know I’ve already made this before and it was extremely to execute; no one missed the rice or beans I didn’t serve!).

Using the traditional recipe I received from a chef during a stay in Playa del Carmen a few years ago, the achiote, sour orange, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and garlic serve to create a delicious flavor profile for the pastured pork shoulder; the banana leaves and habaneros will add the finishing touch and, a mere three days later, the dish will be nailed!

Yes, Paleo can be a simple, day to day means of eating healthy balanced food, but I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t love a challenge of preparing a more elaborate meal, too!

(Several recipes of Julia Child have already been a big success!  Yes, this is my idea of fun!)

Prep begins today for the meal on Friday!