Category Archives: Vegetables

Braised Pork Belly

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Ok so I want to brag for a second.  I upped my 1RM Deadlift by 2 lbs…and it’s my new 3RM.  NBD.  Especially since it was only LAST WEEK that I set the 1RM, so instead of skipping to conclusions and assuming I was just having a sucky day last week I’m just assuming that the massive amounts of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks I’ve consumed in the last week have been making me exponentially stronger!  Win.

Oh…speaking of which, my new favorite end to a hard day isn’t just the chocolate chunks.  It’s chocolate chunks in heavy whipping cream.  Like chocolate cereal in whipped cream instead of milk.  Go ahead and judge but it’s the most amazing thing ever.

Know what else is amazing?  A man who cooks for you.  Ross made bison burgers again tonight.  Oh yeah.  Be jealous.

And oh, by the way, braised pork belly is pretty damn good, too.  But only if you put some veggies in there too to soak up the fat.  Yes.  Super Veggies.

Ingredients

2 lbs Pork Belly

2 t Sea Salt

2 t Black Pepper

2 t Chinese Five-Spice

5 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1/4 c Coconut Aminos

1/4 c Rice Vinegar

2 T Seasame Oil (Olive Oil would be fine, too)

1 lb Brussles Sprouts

Instructions

Place the pork belly in a plastic bag and add the spices, oil, vinegar, and coconut aminos.  Squeeze out all the air and marinate for 6 hours or over night.

Heat a heavy skillet to high heat and add about 1-2 T oil.  Sear the pork belly on each side for about a minute and remove.

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a baking dish or Dutch Oven, drizzle some oil on the bottom and cover evenly with Brussels Sprouts.  Lay the pork belly on top of the Sprouts, fat side up.

Cover and roast for 2.5-3 hours, basting with the juices every 30 minutes or so.

Cauliflower “Mac” & Cheese + Metcon Monday

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Guess what?  I’m moving in 3 weeks!  And I have packed exactly zero of my stuff…I mean, I’ve actually never moved before (leaving college with a Kia Rio-full of crap doesn’t count) so maybe this is normal?

Anyway, instead of moving this weekend was rife with new good eats.  And yes, there was mac & cheese.  Because you’re just not an American if you don’t love mac & cheese.

Know what else?  There is cheese in my mac & cheese.  Good, high quality cheese.  Do not make this with crap cheese and say you got the idea from me.  I don’t tolerate milk very well, but I’m certainly blessed enough not to have a problem with cheese.  If you’re not OK with the Dairy Thang, I will not judge…just point out that this was really, really delicious.  Sorry.  You can do my Monday Metcon instead. See what I did there?  TGIPaleo [HEART]‘s Paleo/Primal Equal Opportunity!

Ingredients

4 Thick Slices Bacon

1 Can Coconut Milk

1 T Arrowroot Powder, dissolved in 1 T Water

4 oz Gruyere Cheese, grated

4 oz Raw Milk Cheddar, grated

1 t Black Pepper

1/8 t Nutmeg

1 Head Cauliflower

1/2 c Almond Meal

1/2 c Parmigiano Reggiano

Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop the cauliflower into florets, then set aside.

Fry the bacon until crisp, then chop into bits.  Set aside.

Over medium heat, heat the coconut milk almost to a boil in a large saucepan or stockpot.  Whisk in the arrowroot powder and continue stirring until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and whisk in Gruyere and Cheddar, then the pepper and nutmeg, and then the diced bacon.

Add the cauliflower and stir well to coat with the cheese sauce.  Pour everything into a baking dish.

Blend the almond meal and Parmigiano together and sprinkle over the mac & cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

And now, Metcon Monday…these weights are what Ross and I did, respectively, so feel free to tweak as needed.  For time:

Row 1000m

30 Back Squats (95/45#)

30 Box Jumps (24/20″)

30 Back Squats (95/45#)

30 Box Jumps (24/20″)

1000m Row

Have fun!

The Subterranean

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I used to be the biggest Texas Hater.  I mean, really…it might have been my only memory of Texas until the age of 23 was visiting my Dad at the Galveston shipyard, swimming in the Gulf and coming out of the water covered in oil, and then falling onto a catus.  Or it might have been because I dated not one, not two, but three guys from Texas in college who all turned out not-so-great and smashed my poor little heart into a bazillion pieces.  Who knows?  All I know now is that as soon as I moved to Austin, that all changed.  I love it here and the fact that I’m leaving has me feeling a little bummed lately.

I’m sure Colorado is going to be awesome, too, don’t get me wrong.  Everyone I know who’s been to Carson loves it and I’m sure I will, too.  But Austin is such a unique place with some of the best food, music, people, and atmosphere I’ve ever seen.  Like my Dad exclaimed the first time he visited, “There’s more yoga studios per block than in San Francisco!”

OK back to the food.  Right after we moved here, Ross found House Pizzaria tucked back off of Airport Boulevard.  What originally caught our interest was the beer selection but they also had a very unique pizza menu.  The Subterranean is a succulent combo of rosemary roasted red potatoes, mushrooms, onion, basil, and fontina.  We were hooked.

Although the beer is no longer and option, last night we cracked open a bottle of red and paid homage to one of our Austin staples.

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef

1 lb Ground Chicken

2 Eggs

1 Large Sweet Potato

2 c Sliced Mushrooms

1 Medium Onion, sliced

1/4 c Fresh Basil

8 oz Shredded Fontina Cheese (optional)

2 t Rosemary

2 t Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil for cooking

Instructions

Thinly slice the sweet potato (about 1/8-inch slices) with a knife or mandolin.  Lightly oil a baking sheet and arrange the slices, brushing the tops with oil sprinkle with rosemary.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until slightly browned.

In olive oil over medium-high heat, carmelize the onions.

Combine the meat with eggs, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Press onto a second baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.  Drain off excess liquid and blot the surface with a paper towel.

Cover the crust with the roasted potatoes, onion, mushrooms, basil, more rosemary, and cheese if desired.  Place under the broiler for 5-7 minutes.

Sweet Potato Tots

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“Sonic has Sweet Potato Tots!  THEY’RE SO GOOD!!”

I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen The Man so excited.  It’s adorable.  Except that any violation of my no-fast-food rule results in two things…1) Shunning and Constant Ridicule, and 2) The Obsessive Need to One-Up This Madness.

I was not to be outdone by a nasty-ass drive-in deep fryer and what I sincerely doubt are real sweet potatoes.

ZOMG THEY’RE SO GOOD!!

You’re Welcome.

I had a little boo-boo and spent the better part of Sunday at the ER.  For the last 3 days I’ve been completely out of it, aka, had the perfect excuse to lay around and do nothing.  Yay for blessings in disguise!

Until you wreck your car at 5:30am.  Stupid Karma.

It’s OK, though, ‘cuz I got me some Sweet Potato Tots.

Ingredients

2 Large Yams or Sweet Potatoes

2 Eggs

1 t Salt

2 T Arrowroot Powder

1/4 c Olive Oil, for frying (more as needed)

Instructions

Cut the yams into large chunks, place in a stockpot, and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until soft but not mushy (think soft but still not soft enough to be edible…if that even makes sense…)

Drain the yams and place into a food processor.  Pulse until they are grated but be careful not to make a puree.  Transfer to a bowl and add the salt, eggs, and arrowroot powder.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.  Form quarter-sized balls from the yam mixture and drop into the oil.  Cook for about 1.5-2 minutes on each side and turn.  Transfer to a baking sheet.  When all of your mixture is done frying, bake the tots at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Bacon-Wrapped Brats w/ Apple-Sweet Potato Hash

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Thanks to not one but two Carnitas-Stuffed Chickens and a pork butt I slow-cooker’d earlier in the week, we’ve been feeding off of leftovers pretty much all week.  I spent a good hour this morning jotting down some recipes I had swirling around in my head for the weekend and then texted Ross with some exciting news.

“Hey babe, I have something I think is going to be good tonight…how bout I wrap some brats in bacon?”

“Oh wow that sounds AMAZING!”

“I know!  It won’t leave too many leftovers and I’m sick of pork.”

“Um…so…you’re making bacon-wrapped brats?”

“Touche.”

For the Brats:

4 Brats

4 Thick Slices of Bacon

1 t Dried Parsley

1 t Dried Oregano

1 t Black Pepper

Dijon Mustard, for dipping

For the Hash:

1 Large Sweet Potatoe or Yam

2-3 Granny Smith Apples

3 Large Stalks Celery, diced

1 Small Onion, finely diced

1 t Parsley

1 t Oregano

1 t Black Pepper

2 T Olive Oil

Instructions

Brats:  Wrap each Brat with a strip of bacon and lay them down on a greased baking sheet (I know, real complicated, right?)  DO NOT secure with a toothpick or puncture the sausages…this will only result in a flavor that is mediocre at best.  Combine all the seasonings in a small dish and sprinkle evenly over the brats.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping carefully half way through.

Hash:  Dice the sweet potatoes and apples into small cubes, about a half-inch or so.  Toss into a bowl with the oil and spices.  Spread in a baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes (along with the brats after the first 15 mins…obvi).

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

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I should’t really call these Sweet and “Spicy,” because the “spice” I added to them isn’t “hot.”  Does that make sense?  I really don’t care if it does or not because these are damn good.  Especially because I made them on the fly.

You see, today was a not-so-good-day.  I’m frankly impressed with myself that I made it home when I did and that I had the energy to make dinner at all.  I think the effort was driven by my incredibly obsessive desire to not waste food…a few of these items–and I will not tell you which–have been sitting around for weeks days.  Bonus points, though, for hiding veggies in these delightful meatballs…which means nothing to me but if you have a picky Man/Kid it could go a long way!

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef

1 lb Ground Pork

1 c Cooked Spaghetti Squash

2 Large Carrots, grated

1 T Coconut Aminos

1 t Sea Salt

1 t Black Pepper

1/2 t Chili Powder

1 t Cumin

2 Eggs

Organic, Sugar-Free, Crap-Free Tomato Sauce (Optional)

Instructions

Combine all ingredients well.  Form into balls…mine were somewhere between golf and tennis balls.  Arrange in a greased pan.

Bake for 45 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  OPTIONAL: Top or garnish with tomato sauce.  The acidity really complements the sweet/spiciness.  I will say, however, that they’re delightful on their own.

While they are baking, enjoy a stiff drink.  You deserve it!

Cream of Mushroom Chops

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Seriously, whose Mom didn’t rely on the old Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom tossed over some pork chops?  (Well, I guess mine preferred chicken breast) When I first moved in with Ross it became a standby of ours, too…perfect after a long day when you’d rather jump off a tall building than slave over dinner.

It’s been on my list of meals I’d wanted to re-create for a while, but unfortunately it’s like a lot of Paleo-ified versions of classic comfort foods because we have to take a meal that’s mostly appealing because it’s so easy and make it…well, not easy at all.  I mean, I had make my own soup, then dump it on the chops rather than just crack open a can of something pre-made.  Oh, well…can’t win ‘em all.

Either way, this was pretty damn good if I should say so myself.

Ingredients

(Serves 2-4)

2-4 Large Pork Chops

2 T Olive Oil

2 c Fresh Mushrooms, sliced

1 can Coconut Milk

1/2 t Rosemary

1/4 t Thyme

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 T Arrowroot Powder

Season chops with salt and pepper.  Over medium-high heat, brown pork chops in olive oil (don’t cook all the way through).  Remove, cover with foil, and set aside.

Sautee garlic, onion, and mushrooms in pork drippings until mushrooms are soft.  Add coconut milk and reduce heat to medium.  Whisk in arrowroot powder.  Stir occasionally, making sure the sauce does not boil over, until thickened slightly.

Add pork chops back into sauce, reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

She liked it, too :)

A Date With Michael

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Today’s workout was “Michael,” a super simple one I could bring to the hotel gym:

3 Rounds for Time:
800m Run
50 Supermen
50 Sit-ups

It was perfect not just because of it’s portability, but because it’s a down and dirty combo of my two favorite kinds of exercise–running and abs.  However, like any good Crossfit WOD, it’s simplicity is inversely related to it’s suck-factor.  I was already a little sore around the middle from yesterday’s hotel room Tabata session, so the supermans almost broke me off.  My runs were strong, though, which is encouraging because I’ve got less than a month before the half marathon…I ran each of them at 7min/mi pace.  I forgot my phone so I couldn’t time the WOD, but watching the wall clock I’m guessing I came in around 14 minutes.

After my date with “Michael,” I also got in a couple quickies:

(Get your mind out of the gutter)

3 Rounds:
10 Air Squats
10 Dumbbell Deadlifts
Followed by 3 Rounds:
10 Hanging L-sits
10 Shoulder Flyes

I’m sufficiently pooped.

Speaking of favorite things, I finally got around to bringing my toaster oven up to the room…I’ve had Old Faithful ever since college when he was my go-to for midnight Pop Tarts and butter-soaked toast.  Ah, memories…



Instead of Pop-Tarts, I made some sweet potato fries…one of my most favorite things ever.  And if they’re not one of yours, too, you’re just not an American.

Easy Sweet Potato Fries
(Serves 1-2)

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 T Coarse Sea Salt

Cut the sweet potato into strips (I had a hell of a time doing this with my Gerber, btw).  Toss into a plastic bag or tupperware with oil and salt.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.  I like mine a little crispy around the edges, so I had them in there for about 35 mins.

I enjoyed mine with a side of organic marinara and some leftover roast chicken.

My room still smells like baking sweet potatoes…it’s safe to say that I’ll be sleeping easy tonight.  But before that happens I’ll be watching The Bachelor.  Don’t judge.  Shit’s going down, you guys…See you tomorrow!

Chorizo Breakfast Casserole

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Nothing says Sunday morning like a hot breakfast.  Especially when all I had to do was roll out of bed, about 90% still asleep, throw the pre-made casserole in the oven, turn on the coffeemaker, and stagger back to bed until I was roused from my second slumber by the tantalizingly spicy scent of chorizo.

I’m a huge fan of breakfast casseroles, both because of their simplicity–they’re incredibly easy to tweak and personalize and the ingredients are usually stuff you have on hand or leftover–and because I can prep them ahead of time and enjoy a lazy Sunday morning like a normal person.  While I was cooking dinner last night, I also browned the chorizo and chopped the veggies, tossed it all in a casserole dish, poured the eggs over it, and left it all in the fridge overnight.  Voila!

Oh, it tastes really, really good, too.  This one is so good (and good looking) people will think you’re a culinary genius.

1/2 lb Beef Chorizo
1/2 large Eggplant, sliced
1/2 Onion, sliced
1 c Veggies of Choice (I used leftover roasted Brussels sprouts)
12 Eggs
1/3 c Almond Meal
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the chorizo.  Cool and drain excess drippings.  In a greased 2QT baking dish, arrange eggplant slices along the bottom.  Top eggplant with cooled chorizo and vegetables.  Beat eggs together with almond meal, salt, and pepper.  Pour over the filling.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to allow eggs to settle and soak into the eggplant.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Baingan Bharta

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I don’t know about you, but I’m an Indian food freak.  Going to college so close to New York City definitely spoiled me because I’m super picky and can tell good from sh*tty Indian from a mile away…no big deal.A little while ago I came across PaleOMG’s recipe for Aloo Gobi and it was a smash hit…so much so that I made it again (after waaay too long) after we passed by an Indian place in town and realized we were both craving Indian cuisine.

I made the Baingan Bharta as more of a side dish, but it can totally stand on its own.  I used to eat this stuff by the ton and it was the only thing I’d order in restaurants for the longest time because I was so calorie and fat conscious, though since then I still think it’s one of my favorite ethnic dishes.  You can even add some beef stew meat or chicken to it for a heartier version.

3 Large Eggplants
Oil for cooking
1 t Cumin
1 Large Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 t Ginger
2 Large Tomatoes, diced (I’ve also used 1 c canned)
1/2 t Coriander
1/2 t Garam Masala
1 t Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice each eggplant lengthwise and roast on a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Peel off charred skin and coarsely mash the innards.

Over medium heat, add oil to a skillet and sautee garlic and onions until translucent, then add remaining ingredients and seasoning.  Stir well for about 5 minutes, then add the eggplant, stirring to combine all ingredients well.