Although I love to cook, and would gladly spend an hour in the kitchen preparing a meal, the reality is that I don’t always have that kind of time.  I use several strategies to tackle this dilemma, two of which include:  planning ahead (I often cook large meals on Sunday that will last throughout the week), and creating simple recipes–an easy task when you use high-quality, fresh ingredients. I also try to keep homemade sauces/dips/chutneys in the fridge that can be used spice up any meal.

Emeril Lagasse’s Remoulade Sauce

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/4 cup walnut oil, 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic
• 2 Tbs prepared horseradish
• 3 Tbs creole whole grain mustard
• 3 Tbs prepared yellow mustard
• 3 Tbs ketchup
• 3 Tbs chopped parsley leaves
• Sea salt to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and process until combined.  Use immediately or store. Will keep for several days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Baked Salmon

• 4-6 oz. salmon filet/person
• Fresh dill, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• Butter, or oil of choice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place salmon filets on baking dish or sheet, skin side down.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh dill.  Place a small tab of butter on each salmon filet.  Bake at 425 degrees, for 8-10 minutes or until fish is flaky when tested with fork.  Serve alone, or with remoulade sauce.  See Ryon’s post on fish.

Boiled Kale

• 1 bunch kale, stems removed
• Butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes

Once fish is in the oven, bring a pot of water (with sea salt added) to a boil.  Once boiling, place kale leaves in water, making sure to submerge all leaves.  Boil in water 1-2 minutes, or until tender.  Once tender, remove from heat and pour kale into colander to remove water.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  If you so choose, stir in a tab of butter.  Serve.

Without further adieu, below you’ll find a recipe for my most favoritest (yes, I know that’s a double superlative and ‘favoritest’ isn’t a real word) hors d’oevure/snack/small meal:

Smoked Salmon Tartines

• 1 recipe All-Purpose Primal Crackers
• Smoked Salmon/Lox (Costco carries an excellent-tasting, wild option)
• Cream Cheese
• Red Onion, sliced thinly
• Fresh Dill
• Capers
• Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper

Take a cracker, layer with cream cheese (you can simply skip this step if you’re avoiding dairy), salmon, red onions, capers, fresh dill, and sprinkle with salt/pepper.  Enjoy!

Just click the “Forum” link in the upper navigation, or go there now.

After the 1.1. Run, I was talking to a friend who told me that she’s going gluten-free this year.  This Ironman athlete made an intriguing find during her 2009 season: she planned gluten-free meals in the weeks leading up to her races, and she performed and felt better than she ever had before.  Through the season, she killed her age groups, and is looking at making a more permanent diet change.  While her training is of course key to her success, her diet is more important, as we only perform as well as the fuel with which we race.  Why did the move to gluten-free work?  Read on…

The Paleo Food Pyramid (from The Paleo Diet)

There’s been a ton of press lately around a “new” kind of diet. The Caveman Diet, Paleo Diet, Primal Diet – they’re all used to describe similar diets, yet none of them are particularly new. Instead, these diets take an evolutionary perspective, and look back in time to see what we ate before modern agriculture came around. The theory is simple: genetically-speaking, modern-day humans are not much different from pre-agricultural humans, and since agriculture really hasn’t been around too long, we should eat like we’re genetically built to.

Researchers around the world have found the following: in modern-day hunter-gatherer societies, people are healthy. There is very little evidence of obesity, heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disorders, or any of the several other health issues plaguing industrialized societies.  These societies eat meat, the entire animal (seriously, just about the whole thing); vegetables as they can find; berries are a treat; nuts and seeds are around.  What’s missing from this list? Any kind of processed food: bread, protein bars, bagels, oats, refined sugars.  In other words, they eat what man has always eaten, before the advent of grains and processed foods.

What about science and medicine, you say? This flies in the face of the Food Pyramid, of almost everything we’re taught, and certainly contradicts the endurance athlete’s carb-loading traditions.  Look no further than your waistline to see what’s going on.

Extra fat around the waistline, the kind that you just can’t seem to get rid of, is a sign of insulin resistance. Processed carbs and sugars, particularly those found in gluten-bearing foods like breads, are known to spike your insulin levels, leading to systemic inflammation and resultant chronic disease.  For those of you not only looking out for your health, but also your figure:  wild fluctuation in insulin levels leads to the storage of excess energy as fat (the culprit of those extra inches around your waistline.

Want to look better, perform better, and feel better?  Regulate your insulin levels by eliminating processed foods and focusing on high-quality foods that we were meant to eat: meat, vegetables, some fruit, nuts and seeds.  Try it for a month.  Replace the missing carbs with high-quality vegetables and fats.  The first two or three weeks may be tough, but your body will adjust, leaving you with more energy, a slimmer waistline, and better biological markers like the following: reduced inflammation (recover from your workouts faster!), improved cholesterol readings (healthier hearts!), reduced body fat (look good in those cycling kits!), and improve the immune system (no swine flu for you!).

When TLSP took on “strict paleo” back in November, I spent a good deal of time reading mayonnaise labels at every grocery store I stopped in. I will save you the trouble of doing the same: Paleo mayo does not come in a jar. Most storebought mayo is made from a base of either soybean oil or canola oil, and nearly all varieties contain either sugar, cane juice, or HFCS.

Fortunately, you do not have to give up mayo altogether. Homemade mayo is simple, quick, and a great source of healthy fat. Here is the basic recipe I have been using:

Paleo Mayo

• 1 pastured egg (works best if egg is allowed to come to room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed works best)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup walnut oil (or another nut oil, or grapeseed- otherwise the EVOO flavor is very strong!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Combine egg, mustard powder, and lemon juice in a food processor until it reaches a thick, creamy consistency.
• Slowly blend oil into egg mixture.
• Add salt and pepper as desired.
• Store in a glass jar (perfect way to reuse a jar!) in the fridge. Mayo will thicken over the next few hours.

Variations

• Lemon-Dill: Add lemon zest and a generous amount of fresh dill. This is FANTASTIC with salmon.
• Chipotle: Use chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Add to desired level of spice. Great for dipping baked sweet potato fries.
• Roasted Garlic: Add 1-2 cloves of roasted garlic and freshly ground black pepper.
• Herb: Experiment with your favorite fresh herbs! This is an easy change that will make a world of flavor difference. Two of my favorites are fresh basil leaves and fresh cilantro (NOT together!)

Post to comments if you have a mayo recipe or variation to share!

Atlantic Monthly writer Corby Kummer shopped for ingredients from both Wal-Mart and Whole Foods in order for Austin’s FINO (who, btw, often but not always have local, free range meat) to create a four-course dinner. They made two versions of each dish, one with Wal Mart ingredients and one with ingredients purchased at Whole Foods. The blind tasting with 16 invited guests utilized dishes on the FINO menu prepared by chef Jason Donoho.

I’ve long shopped at Wal-Mart: my mom took us there as kids to get cheap toys, as summer camp counselors, it was our lone diversion on nights off. I haven’t spent much time there recently, but when I have stopped in for something, I’ve noticed that their food sections appear to be getting better and better. And according to Kummer’s research and taste-test, they actually are. Now, I still love Whole Foods, but the more healthy food available to more people (read: cheaper), the better off we all are.

On a congruent note, check out this poorly-made video from yours truly on how to find paleo and free-range foods at Randall’s, the neighborhood grocery store known less for its cheapness (though their Remarkable Deals are) and more for its convenience:

To focus particularly on cancer prevention, two recent meta-analyses (in which data from multiple studies is combined) conducted by the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California at San Diego and colleagues suggested that raising blood levels of vitamin D could prevent one-half of the cases of breast cancer and two-thirds of the cases of colorectal cancer in the U.S. Discussing the breast cancer analysis, study author Cedric Garland, Dr.P.H., stated that “The serum level associated with a 50 percent reduction in risk could be maintained by taking 2,000 international units of vitamin D3 daily plus, when the weather permits, spending 10 to 15 minutes a day in the sun.”

I do not like taking pills, and for a long time I resisted supplementation because I figured that if I was eating a varied and healthy diet my body would get the nutrition that I need. But this is not the case with Vitamin D. Our bodies are equipped to generate enough vitamin D, but the fact is that most of us just don’t spend enough time outside (without sunscreen, eek!) to get to the vitamin D levels for optimum health. For this reason, vitamin D is joining my daily regimen of fish oil and probiotics.

I think it’s also worth noting that Dr. Weil recommends taking vitamin D with fat to promote absorption. With that in mind, I’m off to enjoy my breakfast of eggs scrambled in coconut oil!

My ideal way to get Vitamin D

First, let’s address that “worst” moniker. You’re at a restaurant, YOU are putting the food into YOUR body, and most of the time, YOU are paying for it. Order what you want, how you want it. Get over trying to be “easy.” Get what you want.

To help you visualize this concept, here’s a story:

The other night, Lisa and I met up at Hula Hut for some patio fun time and margaritas. I was hungry, but we quickly found out that they wouldn’t serve the full menu on the patio (no fajitas?!), so we had to choose from only appetizers.

So we ordered this:

“What did THEY order?!” exclaimed the next table over when we received our meal. Our waiter finally stammered out something along these lines: The Palm Tree Hugger Nachos without nachos, without beans, without sour cream, plus chicken (free-range!).

And a guacamole salad, of course:

Which makes for one amazing, totally Paleo meal.

We also ordered margaritas without sweet-and-sour, which made for some very tart ‘ritas. I digress.

Now, how can you creatively order at ANY restaurant to make eating out totally Paleo?

7 Tips for Paleo Eating in a Restaurant*

1. Meat or chicken. Order it without sauces, or with sauces on the side.

2. Sides: replace potatoes/rice/beans/etc. with extra veggies. If they won’t do it, ask for no sides.
(Story time! I recently tried to order a pasta dish at a really nice restaurant without pasta and with extra vegetables. The waiter indicated it wouldn’t be enough food without the pasta but I insisted that I wouldn’t eat the pasta, so he said, ‘I really don’t think this will be enough food for you. Why don’t you order this other fish dish, which comes with vegetables, and I can remove the potatoes for you?’ The new dish was amazing, and I was very grateful that the man worked with me.)

3. Seafood often comes in creamy sauces, often dairy-based. Order them on the side, or ask for your prepared way of cooking–grilled, seared, or baked.

4. Mexican food is actually really easy. Order the tacos/burrito with the best ingredients. Then MAN UP AND DON’T EAT THE TORTILLA. Even better, order it without the tortilla–they might even give you more filling. At Hula Hut, I order the Tubular Taco without the tortilla and get a HUGE pile of veggies and protein. Add in guacamole and you’re totally set with fat, protein, and good carbs!

5. Italian food got you down? They ALWAYS have a high-quality steak or chicken dish and I nicely-done fish on the menu. Think of all the crap you would have put in your body with pasta, then get really excited that you’re getting the intense Italian flavorings on a tasty protein canvas.

6. Sushi is always a win, just order without rice. Some places (Sushi Zushi, Kenichi) will even make you some cool rolls (or at least hand rolls) without rice, using thinly-sliced cucumber to fill the wrapper. JUST ASK.

7. My go-to eating out option? Ahi tuna. It’s widely available as an appetizer, salad, or entree, even at sports bars.

*I’m going to go ahead and assume you KNOW not to eat the bread or chips and salsa beforehand; you KNOW not to order anything fried; you KNOW butter is dairy and eggs and mayo aren’t. If you don’t, you should probably start HERE or HERE. Also, visit a Farmer’s Market. Don’t eat anything you can’t buy there (which is NOT the same as saying that you can eat anything you can buy there).

Post to the comments below if you have any Paleo ordering tips I forgot!

What did I do with that chicken after it was all roasted up? Well, the first day I just had it as it was. Day Two I chowed down on a drumstick as a snack. I let it sit in my fridge until Day 4 (maybe pushing it? Even in a tightly sealed container?) and then realized I needed to get that bad boy eaten. I was running late in my evening plans after an extended evening at the dog park. I was hungry. I also wanted something a little sweet but with enough fat and flavor that I would really feel satisfied. My dad was the master of our kitchen when I was growing up. His most memorable meals were the ones where he was forced to get creative with leftovers. With that in mind, I took inventory of my fridge, asked Dad to watch over me from above and provide a little inspiration, and off I went with a pot and no plan.

I’m going to give you the “recipe” in just a second but let me get this out first. Some of your best meals will come out of thin air and you may never be able to reproduce them again. Accept it. Reproduction isn’t really the point, anyway. Feeding yourself and your family is the goal. Adding some personal style to that is just coconut “buttercream icing” on the paleo cake. What I’m trying to say is, don’t be afraid to throw a bunch of paleo goodness together and see what happens. Keep your ingredients the same but play around with different spices.  Get crazy at a comfortable pace. But in the end remember to KISS…Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Today's Last Minute Lunch

One Pot Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Curry

(for one, multiple for multiple people)

• Heat medium sized pot on medium to m/high heat
• Throw in some coconut oil
• Take a couple spoonfuls of spaghetti squash & throw in pot – I cooked mine when I was cooking the chicken
• Grab some of the chicken & pull off in bite-sized pieces. Throw in pot.
• Throw some broccoli in the pot
• Cut up half a bell pepper — mine was orange & I actually used kitchen shears to cut it up because I didn’t want to dirty a cutting board. Lazy or genius, you decide.
• Toss in a couple baby bella mushrooms. Again, cut into pieces with the shears.
• Stir.
• Add some coconut milk. I decided I wanted a soupier curry so I added enough to meet my soupy liking.
• Here’s where the flavor really comes into play: plop in some curry paste (brand recommendation below). However much you want to suit your own personal taste & tolerance for spice. I’m a 5th+ generation Texan. Therefore, bring on the heat!
• Simmer for a few minutes so everything is nice and hot and the flavor has time to seep into the food. If you’re really starving, just get the curry paste melted into the coconut milk. Have more time? Lower the temp a little and let simmer for 10 minutes. Bored waiting? Just eat when you’re ready!

How easy was that?

I did the same basic recipe for lunch today. (See image above.) Only, instead of the spaghetti squash I used chopped up cabbage. Oh, and this time my bell pepper was yellow. After it was all cooked I realize I should have used a red bell pepper so that I had some extra color to my dish. Easy lesson learned for next time!

My favorite red curry paste, Mae Ploy.

As for the curry paste, my favorite brand is Mae Ploy red curry paste from Thailand. The ingredients are: Dried red chili, garlic, lemongrass, salt, shallot, galangal, shrimp paste (shrimp), kaffir lime peel, pepper. No preservatives or colorant added. No sugar either. The 14oz container has lasted me about 5 months and it cost around maybe $5 or less? It’s available at HEB…well, the one at Parmer & McNeil anyway.

The Paleo Food Pyramid (from The Paleo Diet)

I hate the word diet.  I know even saying that is cliche in and of itself… everyone claims their diet is not, in fact, a diet… it’s a lifestyle.  But let’s face it, Zone, Skinny Bitch, Nutrisystem, South Beach, Atkins, the list can go on… those are diets.  No one ever ate like that.  There are not cultures of people who do this regularly.

Paleo is different.  We, as a species, used to eat like this.

In thinking a little more about this Paleo diet, and see its popularity beginning to rise, I hear people’s concerns about how boring it may be, or how hard it may be.  This site, and all of us, are here to tell you the otherwise.  If you’re willing to accept the simple fact that the Standard American Diet (based on the Food Pyramid) is not the best for you, then you’re most of the way to mentally accepting Paleo.

What it comes down to is shedding the notion that you’re eating for weight loss, nourishment, or performance, and instead eating because you like good food.  Seriously, you can’t tell me the Paleo diet is bad, or boring food.

To show that, let’s outline what I’ve eaten so far this week:

• Breakfast: omelet muffins. use a muffin tin and create muffin-shaped turkey, pepper, onion omelets.
• Lunches: Bison meatloaf, using almond milk as a binder instead of bread.  Almond milk, cabbage, onion, garlic.
• Dinners: grass-fed flank steak salad, more bison meatloaf, almond meal crusted pork chops, carmelized broccoli.
• Dessert: coconut milk ice cream, dark chocolate with sunflower seed butter.

Tell me this list does not sound good.  None of these meals took me more than 30 minutes to prepare.  For most of them, I made enough so I can use them as leftovers for lunch.

Eating like this is not only good, it’s good for you.  I have more energy, I don’t crash after my meals, I’m shedding body fat and setting PR’s in the gym.  In the words of Robb Wolf, I look better, feel better, and perform better.

When I eat tons of processed carbs, breads, lots of sugar, I get an instant headache.  I crash within an hour of eating.  We were not meant for this.

I like what Dutch has to say about cheating, and more importantly, about eating in general.

First of all lets talk about why I do the things i do.
I drink Coffee black for the caffeine.
I drink Tequila on the rocks for the alcohol.
I eat beef, barely cooked and with little seasoning for the nourishment.
I lift heavy weights so i can be strong.

Why do you do the things you do?  Why do you eat what you eat?