Shredded Mexican Chicken

This dish was inspired when I was looking for a quick and easy meal that could feed a lot of people - my current go to dish if I'm having a party or going to one is to make a crock pot of Paleo friendly pulled pork.  If you're going to a non-paleo place you can bring along some small rolls and you can eat your pork and know that it's 100% Paleo and everyone is content.  I've been on a Mexican kick lately, had just bought a family pack of chicken and decided that I would tackle creating a slow cooked shredded chicken dish.



What I put in the crock pot (other than the chicken)



 Ingredients:

• 8 chicken breasts
• 1 large onion
• 1 large red pepper
• 2 large green peppers
• 1 jar of Trader Joe's Salsa Verde
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (no sugar added!)
• 1/2 - 1 cup of chicken broth
• 2 - 3 tsp Mexican chili powder
• 2 - 3 tsp Cumin
• 2-3 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• Sprinkle of red pepper falkes (optional)
• Salt & Pepper

Add everything into a crockpot or slow cooker (chop the veggies please!) and then cook on low for 6 hours.  The result = some delicious shredded chicken!  It has a bit of heat, if you're not a cayenne pepper person you can sub a mild hot pepper or some red pepper flakes instead.  I'm sensitive to cayenne and felt like this packed a little heat, but others that ate it thought it was delicious!

What dinner looked like the first night

I ate it along with a plate full of sauteed kale, but you could also eat these in lettuce wraps.  If you do dairy, some cheese on top would have been delicious, also a bit of guacamole or diced avocado on top would be a nice cooling complement to the slight heat of the Mexican chicken.

Paleo Spaghetti

Autumn is officially here and so are all of the yummy winter squashes.  Here is a great and easy recipe for those of you that are missing pasta - you can get spaghetti squash almost everywhere right now, I got a great deal at the farmers market a few weeks ago where each squash was only 75 cents!  This is a dish that is great to reheat, take to work for lunch, or have for breakfast if you're so inclined.  It's easy to do so give it a try - no excuses!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash - Paleo Spaghetti


Heat oven to 400 degrees and put a halved, seeded spaghetti squash in a baking dish or baking pan, lightly coated with coconut oil. I always put mine face down, so that the inside of the squash is on the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, remove and let cool. Once cool, use a fork to scrape the squash out from the shell, it will have a "spaghetti" like consistency.

To save time you can also half and seed the squash, and cook in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes. Follow the same process to scrape the squash out.  For this recipe where I took the pictures we cooked the squash on the plate in the microwave instead of in the oven.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs

What's for dinner?  I ask myself that question often, almost everyday actually.  This weekend we decided to make the most of the summer weather (hitting 80 in October is definitely summer weather when you live in the north east) and make some grilled chicken kabobs.  It was really easy and turned out delicious.

What you need:

• 1 - 2 pounds of chicken thighs
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• Minced garlic
• Olive Oil
• Oregano
• Salt and Pepper
• Kabob Skewers - wooden or metal

Interview with Philadelphia CowShare

I've had many great experiences with Philadelphia CowShare, in fact they have been providing me with my supply of grassfed meat for the past 6 months thanks to a 1/8th share and a 1/16th - I shared 1/8th with someone else!

Eating higher quality foods and especially ones that are local is high on my list of things to do to be healthier. I love the variety of what you get with the CowShare program and it's affordability. To learn more about this awesome company that connects people with locally raised grassfed beef, I reached out to Jessica Moore, owner of Philadelphia CowShare.

 What is Philly CowShare?
Jessica Moore (JM): Philadelphia CowShare is a business that specializes in locally, sustainably raised animal proteins. We support great farms by buying their meat and delivering it to the people who want the benefits of buying directly from farms and the convenience of home delivery.


What areas do you serve?
JM: We deliver to the larger Philadelphia Metro Area including roughly 25 miles from City Hall and 75 miles from Lancaster County. We can deliver to areas slightly outside this boundary for an extra charge.


Are you at farmer’s markets?
JM: Philadelphia CowShare isn’t currently operating at any farmer’s markets; most Philadelphia-area markets prefer to have farmers selling directly to consumers. Since we partner with farmers who would rather farm than market and sell, we don’t get the chance to sell at most markets. You can sample a selection of our cuts at some neighborhood markets including Milk and Honey, Fu-Wah, and Mariposa in West Philly and Green Aisle Market in South Philly.


Why should I use Philly CowShare?
JM: There are many reasons our customers buy our CowShares. It is a convenient way to get great tasting, healthy and lean, grassfed beef. The beef goes from the farm to the butcher and is then delivered directly to you. The bundle of beef, called a “CowShare”, is designed for seasonal cooking. Eaten 2 lbs per week, an Eighth CowShare will last roughly 6 months. Our method of packaging the beef also uses the entire animal, reduces waste, and promotes conscious eating. In addition, the money you pay for your beef stays in our region and supports the local economy.

How are your cows raised?
JM: All our cows are raised on pasture and do not receive growth hormones, steroids, or antibiotics. The farms use grazing techniques such as rotational or intensive grazing to promote healthy weight gain from the cow’s natural diet. In the winter months, cows eat hay that is often produced right on the farm. Just as we must manage our health, a beef cattle farmer must manage the health of the soil, promoting rich, nutritious grass growth and the health of the animals grazing the land. The location of the farm and the weather have a lot of influence on the techniques a farmer uses to raise cattle.

How to Go Paleo Workshop

Come out to Crossfit King of Prussia this Wednesday September 14th at 7:30pm and attend the "How to Go Paleo" workshop.

If you've decided to give Paleo a try, learn how to set yourself up for success.  Do you have questions about how to convert your lifestyle to be Paleo friendly?  Unsure of everything that can be included in a Paleo lifestyle?  Need some tips and tricks for eating out and planning food so that you're prepared?

Get a lot of information for a minimal investment - $10 for Crossfit KoP members and $15 for Non Memebers.

I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

You've Got Questions....I've Got Answers

Thank you all for the questions that you submitted, here is the first round of answers - please feel free to continue to post more and I'll pull them through into a future post.

Laura - Hey, I've got a question for ya! I have been doing a 21 day challenge of strict paleo and while it's been going really well, I have found that I am craving gum. I can't seem to shake this and have been giving in to it. I am chewing like 6 to 8 pieces of gum a day. I am assuming it's because I am craving sugar? Thoughts?? -- Melinda

My New Favorite Paleo Stuff!

All of you that are part of the Paleo community know how important it is to support it, in one of my posts a few weeks ago I talked about how Paleo is becoming more and more mainsteam.  A few weeks ago was the first Ancestral Health Symposium, AHS, which was a Paleo/Primal focused gathering of all of the amazing minds that are helping to push the movement forward and share all of the benefits of a Paleo life. 

The great news is that the AHS was a success and they are already planning the next one for 2012, and the even better news for me is that instead of it being out in California again, 2012 is going to be on the east coast.  There was so much amazing information shared in AHS and I wanted to share with you how you can go and watch the recorded lectures here.  I am working on watching them all, but take a look and see what's interesting to you.  I'm already a huge a fan of Robb Wolf, Mark Sission, the Whole 9, and Nell Stephenson (who have videos that you can watch from the AHS as well as their own blogs and books) but I also learned about a lot of other bloggers that are out there in Paleo land that are doing great work.  I wanted to share some of these new resources with you, they'll be added to my list of blogs as well.

The Food Lover's Pirmal Palate - is written by an amazing couple that is 100% (well basically) Paleo, and they are based in PA!  They are on the other end of the state, but reading their blog and learning more about their cookbook that is currently on Pre-Release at Amazon.com has left me feeling instantly connected with them.  Take a look at their blog and what they are doing, and definitely reserve a copy of their cookbook today - the images and recipes look amazing and staying true to the Paleo theme should be easy to make.  I pre-ordered my copy already, grab yours too.

CaveGirl Eats - another close to home blogger who works out at Crossfit Tribe, which for those who don't know is right over the bridge in NJ and is the home gym of Steve's Club.  She's got a great perspective, sense of humor, and takes Paleo beyond just food and also addresses how you can be more Paleo with your body care!  I've added CaveGril Eats to my regular blog roll and am hoping to run into her at one of the many Crossfit events coming up this fall.

A few more blogs that landed on my radar from the AHS are Nom Nom Paleo and FitBomb, add these guys to your reading list and let me know what you like!  What else do you read that you think I should be checking out?

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

I love Mexican food, trouble is when you eat Mexican out a lot of times its loaded with corn, beans, rice, and cheese.  You can make delicious Paleo friendly Mexican food as well, and you won't even miss the rice and beans or the cheese and sour cream that would come along with this dish in a traditional Mexican restaurant.  I made this on a Friday night and it was delicious, it was great as leftovers the next day as well. 

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients (makes 4 - 6 servings):

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into thin even strips
• 1 large onion, cut into thin slices
• 1 yellow or orange pepper, 1 red pepper, and 2 green pepper, cut into thin slices
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 large ripe avocado
• Romaine or bib lettuce
• Olive oil
• 4 tsp chili powder
• 4 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper

Cooking / Grilling Directions:

Mix 2 tsp of chili powder, 2 tsp of cumin, and 1 tsp of paprika along with a little bit of olive oil in a bowl. Add a little salt and pepper along with the spices and mix until the chicken is evenly coated.

Cut the onion and peppers into slices and mix in a separate bowl with some olive oil and salt and pepper. mix the vegetables until they are evenly coated. Put the vegetables into the grill basket for easier grilling.

Wash the lettuce and wash and cut the tomato and avocado into slices. Arrange the lettuce, avocado, and tomatoes on a plate.

On the grill, first add the grill basket with the veggies you’ll want to grill the veggies for about 10 to 15 minutes. After the veggies have been on for a few minutes, place the chicken strips directly on the grill and grill approximately 3 – 4 minutes each side depending on the thickness of the chicken. When you flip the chicken, stir the veggies in the grill basket as well.

Remove the chicken and the veggies and place on top of the pile of lettuce, tomato, and avocado and enjoy!

Paleo is reaching its Tipping Point

The Paleo Diet is reaching its tipping point. You know that critical point that Malcom Gladwell talks about in his book? The movement started to gain momentum last year when I realized that a few of my co-workers were in a transformational program addressing workouts and nutrition - and guess what their nutrition plan was...yup basically Paleo. Next thing I knew 10 or more people I worked with were changing their diet to Paleo, Robb Wolf released his book The Paleo Solution and it made the New York Times Best Seller List, Art DeVaney and Robb Wolf were featured on Nightline, Paleo is listed on the US News report about diets, and this week Yahoo featured an article titled "Paleo Diet: Smart eating or latest fad?" "Paleo Diet: Smart eating or latest fad?"*

Image used in the Paleo article by Getty Images - Please note: baby corn = not Paleo and the sauce that is covering the ribs is probably not Paleo either

 

Why is Paleo on the tipping point? Simple answer: because it works and people are seeing results. They are feeling better, experiencing more energy, improving their body compesition, but most importantly they are noticing that they are getting clincially healthier too. Paleo practitioners are reducing inflammation in their body and noticing that they don't have headaches anymore. They are healing their gut which has been damaged by the constant onslaught of anti-nutrients that are found in grains, legumes, and dairy, and they are reducing their risk of lifestyle diseases (or syndrome X as it's also called) like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

The 2011 Crossfit Games

This weekend kicks off the 2011 Crossfit Games - starting this weekend on July 29th - 31st.  The Games are held in Carson, CA at the Home Depot Center - the same place that they were held in 2010 when I was in attendance along with 5 other members of the Crossfit King of Prussia team.  Going to the Games last year to COMPETE was an amazing experience, one that for me was probably once in a life-time, so it's bittersweet that this year that Games are coming into a new level of legitimacy and this year I'm not a part of it.

What has elevated Crossfit to the next level - in a word Sponsorship.  Forbes magazine featured an article on Crossfit, CrossFit’s Relationship with Reebok Enhances Its Financial and Commercial Credibility by Patrick Rishe.  Reebok's sponsorship has gotten the Crossfit name out there, and the Games are now not something that is only on a Crossfitter's radar since Reebok is sponsoring the Games and offering the winner $250K with a total prize purse of $1 Million...yes, you read that correctly.  Last year the winners took home $25K...Kristan Clever and Graham Holmberg were the top woman and man from last year who are probably hoping to repeat that experience since they are both competitors for the 2011 Games and this year would be able to win ten times more money for the same title.  To date there hasn't been a repeat winner of the Games, but it is the Crossfit Games, where you are supposed to prepare the the unknown and the unknowable you never know what will happen at the Games.

Paleo in US News Report

Ok I'm a little late to the table on this, but I still wanted to share some of my thoughts.  US News released a report ranking the Best Overall Diets and the good news is that the Paleo diet is included on the list.  The bad news is that it's last...my blink reaction to the list is that I want to see the ranking criteria.  Any study or report that includes the Slim Fast Diet and Medi Fast Diet (which feature consuming fortified supplements instead of eating actual food) on the list of the best diets automatically raises a flag for me. 

The Top 20 Best Diets....according to US News:
1. DASH Diet
2. Mediterranean Diet
2. TLC Diet
2. Weight Watchers Diet
5. Mayo Clinic Diet
5. Volumetric Diet
7. Jenny Craig Diet
8. Ornish Diet
9. Vegetarian Diet
10. Slim Fast Diet
11. Nutrisystem Diet
12. Vegan Diet
13. South Beach Diet
14. Eco Atkins Diet
14. Zone Diet
16. Glycemic-Index Diet
16. Medifast Diet
18. Raw Foods Diet
19. Atkins Diet
20. Paleo Diet

Seafood Medley Recipe

Following a Paleo lifestyle involves a big committment to taking the time to cook and prepare your food.  Cooking should be fun, but I often find myself in a rut, making the same things over and over again.  I recently discovered a seafood medley at Trader Joe's which was under $8 and contained shrimp, scallops, and calamari.  I made this dinner that felt gourmet but without any of the fuss or price.  Try it out from your local TJ's, I served it with sauteed spinach but you could also serve over spaghetti squash to stretch it a little farther.  It served 2, but with more substantial sides you could stretch this to serve 4.



What's for dinner at your house?

Seafood Medley

• 1 bag of Trader Joe’s Seafood Medley (shrimp, scallops, and calamari)
• 1 Shallot, sliced
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced or finely chopped
• Splash of white wine and/or chicken broth
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Sautéed Spinach

•   Bag of baby spinach
• 1 pound of cremini mushrooms (baby portabellas)
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic
• Salt and Pepper to Taste 

In a shallow pan, add about olive oil, minced garlic, and sliced shallots. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic become fragrant and then shallots start to become translucent. Add the defrosted seafood medley, white wine, and chicken broth (depending on how much ‘sauce’ you want) and stir constantly. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes until the seafood is fully cooked. Turn off heat and cover until spinach is ready.

In a second pan, heat olive oil and garlic, and add sliced cremini mushrooms. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add spinach, salt, pepper, and cherry tomatoes halved. Cook until all of the spinach is wilted.

Plate, serve, and enjoy!

Balancing Paleo

How long have you been eating a Paleo or Primal Diet?  How strict do you adhere to it?  Lately many people around me - friends, colleagues, and family - are experimenting with "going Paleo." I think its awesome that they are trying to Paleo and are changing to eating more whole foods, vegetables, high quality meats, seafood, nuts, and seeds.   

One thing that people need to be careful of when they change their diet and "go Paleo" is eating too much fruit and Paleo-friendly treats.  Paleo treats are a crutch that help you to get you through your Paleo experiment.  Things like larabars are good when you have no other options or for an occasional snack, but they shouldn't be added to your diet as a new food group.  Enjoy Paleo friendly treats occasionally too, but realize that most of them are still high in natural sugar (dried fruits) or contain a large amount of nuts (which are Paleo but again, shouldn't make up a large part of your food every day).  The key here is to find balance with your Paleo foods, your chosen "cheats", and Paleo treats.  It's ok to eat Paleo treats, but be careful NOT to overdo it - like Cookie Monster says, Paleo treats are a sometimes food.

 A strict Paleo lifestyle is not for everyone long term.  After you do a Paleo challenge, and see how good you feel eating that way, you'll integrate Paleo food choices into your normal routine.  When you experiment with adding things back into your diet, you'll start to decide what is sustainable for you, what foods you will continue to exclude and what foods you will allow once in awhile. One thing that I need to work on is balancing and not being so strict all the time.  I like being strict because I feel better when I eat that way.  Large amounts of sugar give me a headache, and not for a few hours but for days!  As referenced in my last post, after going Paleo I've confirmed that I am senstive to gluten.  When I eat things that contain gluten, I can feel it, and it doesn't make me feel good.  Every once in awhile it is a good idea to kick up your heels and have a treat, espeically if it was made specifically for you, and even if you lead a Paleo life.  This is something I'm working on incorporating into my food choices and need to experiment with having a bite of something - remembering that a small amount won't impact me too much and it could go a long way with others.

Those of you that are doing a Paleo or Primal diet, how are you doing, what are your challenges, where do you need help or need to learn how to flex?