Beef Bone Broth for Better Health

Bone Broth

If you ever told me that I would be slamming mugs of bone broth I would laugh in your face. I don't eat much meat, and I have always been grossed out by bones. But desperate times call for desperate measures...and I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I have heard from countless resources, doctors and nutritionists that I should be consuming beef bone broth. I assure you, it is much tastier than it sounds. Well, now that i am finally settled (for two whole weeks!!), i decided to give it a go. As with anything (juicing, broth, smoothies, etc), you absolutely must be buying organic. This is no different....organic, grass-fed. So, I headed to WHOLE FOODS. To my delight, when I asked the butcher about the ingredients for beef bone broth, he walked me over the freezer aisle which had prepackaged organic grass fed beef bones, as well as a broth that was already made, which he said they make every day! I bought both...one for instant gratification and the bones so that I can slow cook them all day tomorrow. I was even told today by Alana Bray (the owner of Yoga Bound studio in Carlsbad....an amazing chick, who's mother suffered from horrible candida overgrowth), that her mother cooks the bones all day, and then uses her vitamix to blend the bones with a bit of the broth, making an "Alfredo" sauce to put over veggies. It sounds gnarly, but it's delicious....and for any of you Paleo fanatics out there, this is what's up. So, here I sit, at my friend Grays house, all alone (he's in Mexico, surfing big big waves), sipping beef bone broth, and enjoying every single glorious second of this solitude! I am listening to"yoga music" (Benjy werthimer + john de kadt) and lounging in my pjs. I have been going nonstop and it feels amazing to take a moment to nourish myself. I added a touch of salt to my broth, and with every sip I can feel it healing my gut, my whole body, and even my Spirit.

So, for those of you who want to know WHY BONE BROTH?????........

"Simply put, bone broth is homemade stock made from animal bones such as fish heads or oxtails. You can use whole turkey or fish carcasses or parts of lamb, pig, venison – or any other animal of your choosing. The point is to simmer the bones (typically from one animal) in water for hours or days. The longer you cook it, the more nutritious it gets and the bette the product breaks down and pulls out all the nutrients.

Bone broth is known as a super food. The cooking process breaks down bones and connective tissues – including proteins, minerals and fat – that heal the body in various ways. And because bone broth comes from pure nature, it's sometimes more beneficial than taking supplements, especially for people with severe digestive problems.

When you ingest bone broth, it feeds the body with collagen, which is the building block of cells to bones, ligaments, cartilage and the brain. Gelatin, a form of collagen used in food, is used (among other benefits) to help digestion because the liquid gets absorbed into the body quickly and without much effort. Making bone broth excellent for people with food sensitivities and gastrointestinal disorders because it is usually very safe and tolerable for the body.

There are other virtues of bone broth. Bone marrow helps the immune system by carrying oxygen to cells in the body. Minerals such as calcium and phosphorus are essential for maintaining healthy bones and generating energy. And using cartilage-rich bones such as knuckles and chicken feet is said to be effective in treating arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases."



RECOMMENDED OILS FOR COOKING:
-Coconut oil has been used by many cultures over the centuries for its broad spectrum of anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial abilities. It contains a lipid called Lauric acid, which is used by the body to make Monolaurin, a compound found in mothers' milk that protects the infant from viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. I use it primarily when making bone broth to enhance the medicinal properties of the broth.
-Other oils that can be substituted are palm kernel oil, grape seed oil, or animal fat, such as lard.

MIREPOIX
3 onions, quartered
3 carrots, peeled and quartered
3 ribs of celery, halved
1 white part of leek, washed and halved
• BOUQUET GARNI - Wrap herbs within the green part of the leek. Tie with a string. 6 sprigs celery leaves
6 sprigs thyme
6 sprigs parsley, including stems
2 bay leaves
1 green part of leek (about 5 inches long)
WHITE CHICKEN OR BEEF BONE BROTH (Yield: 7-8 quarts)
INGREDIENTS:
• 5 lbs. chicken bones and/or parts OR 5 lbs. beef bones and/or parts • 1.5 gallons water
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Mirepoix
• Bouquet Garni
• 20 peppercorns (optional)
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Place all ingredients into a 12-quart stockpot.
2. Pour water into stockpot until ingredients are covered.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low, and simmer.
4. Let simmer for 6-24 hours (chicken) or 12-72 hours (beef).
5. Skim any impurities / scum from broth.
6. When stock is finished, let cool and strain with a chinois/fine mesh strainer. Store in heatproof and freezer proof containers. Stocks can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
7. A tip for cooling stock down quickly is to fill your sink, or another large stockpot, with ice water, and then place the stockpot into the ice water. Stir with a large ladle to speed up the cooling process.

Resources: www.doctorauer.com

Eggs.

I love eggs.
Love Love Love.
As my dear friend Kelly says, "If you have an egg, you have a meal." Amen sister.

My favorite way to eat them changes about once a month. My new favorite combo is

-kale
-summer squash
-Vidalia onion
-fresh garlic
-quinoa
-salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin

Boom.
I tried to take a picture of it but the photo doesn't do it justice.

This combo was inspired by a bulb of garlic given to me by my student Michael. He brings me the most delicious apples along with other goodies and this head of garlic is exceptionally delicious as well. They say garlic is best for you when eaten raw, so I don't add it in until the last minute.

Sauté diced onion, kale and summer squash (SEEDS REMOVED!). Add in chopped fresh garlic and immediately crack eggs into pan, turn heat on low, and when eggs are nearly finished add in cooked quinoa (which I have usually seasoned with curry, turmeric, cumin, garlic, lemon).

This is so plate-licking good, so prepare yourself!

Almond Bread

This candida friendly, paleo friendly, gluten free bread is to-fucking-die-for! It's nothing crazy exciting for those of you who can eat bread and pastries, but I am over the moon! One of my students made it for me last night and I have eaten the whole loaf...enjoying the slices with everything from almond butter, smashed strawberries, and ghee! It's amazing. And apparently quite easy to make!! I can't wait to bake my own...and perhaps enjoy a bit more slowly next time!

Zoodles!!

This recipe is from a paleo cookbook called Well Fed. It's also candida friendly (yay!) and not to mention TOTALLY FREAKING AMAZING.

Zucchini
Almond meal
Shrimp (optional)
Ghee (make your own! See acorn squash post...)
Salt

Run lots of zucchinis over a julienne-ing tool (be careful not to cut your finger like I did!). After prepping the zucchini you want to suck the moisture out of it, so put it on a towel and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 20minute. Pat, rinse, pat, let dry. In a skillet cook shrimp in some ghee or maybe some coconut oil. Season with garlic, salt and pep. Toss in your "Zoodles" and season to taste (make sure you don't get too salt heavy!!).

As a "Parmesan" toast almond meal in a skillet and hit with a touch of salt. Sprinkle on top your "shrimp scampi".

Celery Root Purée

Boom.
So good.
Kelly and I made this last week when I was visiting.

2 celery roots, peeled and diced
Tossed into a pot and covered with vegtable broth
Boil until soft
Strain and reserve liquid
Purée in a food processor or vitamix with salt, pepper and 1/2 cup organic sour cream (so this is candida friendly). Add in reserved broth as needed for desired consistency.

So. Good. So. Easy.

Acorn Squash and Pepitas

This recipe is my interpretation of a recipe I saw in a magazine. I love squash, but the Acorn variety is one that hasn't wow'ed me yet...so I decided to give it another go. Last night was our "Friendsgiving" (thanksgiving with friends), and my contribution was this and the pumpkin pies. My recipe goes....

-2 Acorn squash
-One cup toasted, salted pepitas
-Ghee
-Smoked paprika, cayenne, salt

Preheat oven to 415.

Slice the acorn squash in half, and then slice half moons using the squashes natural lines as a guide. Lay in baking dish and season generously with smoked paprika, cayenne (just a bit), and salt (being mindful that the pepitas are salted).

Ghee: you can but it, or you can make it. Yesterday, I made it from scratch for the first time. Ghee is simply butter with the moisture and fat milk solids removed. I did one stick of butter in a skillet over medium/medium low heat (you want to cook the butter down but not burn it). It takes about 10minutes for the "crackling" sound to stop and that means that you can take it off the heat. Let it sit and cool a bit for about 10/15minutes. Then pour through a very fine strainer or cheesecloth...which leaves you with clarified butter, or ghee. It's delicious, healthier and has so much flavor!! Also, it's candida friendly! Drizzle this over the squash.

Roast at 415 for 45minutes covered with tin foil. Then uncover and put under broiler for 10minutes to brown it off. Sprinkle pepitas over top and salt to taste.

This got RAVE reviews at dinner. Also, you can eat the skin of the squash because it's so tender, but you can also scrape the squash out and leave the skin be. Diners choice.

The Best Pumpkin Pie Ever.

Okay, maybe not the best in the world, but it's pretty freaking amazing...and WAY healthier than any pumpkin pie you all are eating. This is candida friendly, paleo friendly, and gluten free. I made up the recipe and am happy to stamp my name on it :) I was going for a crunchy, creamy - salty, sweet pie...and I got it.

Here is a recipe that'll make two pies...

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust:
-One cup almond meal
-Two cups raw walnuts
(Soak them and wash them a half dozen times...nuts are filthy. Then rub them with a towel. If you skip these steps you'll have bitter tasting walnuts, instead of sweet and delicious. Don't skip! Put the walnuts in a pan and toast for a few minutes on a medium low heat, seasoning with a touch of cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Let cool)
-Pulse walnuts in food processor until they are a bit chunkier than the almond meal
-In a bowl mix almond meal and pulverized walnuts, add a tablespoon of good chunky sea salt or kosher salt, drizzle with a tablespoon of coconut oil and mix together.
-Press this mixture down into a pie dish...there's no crust up the sides of this pie, just the bottom, so just keep packing it down.
-Bake in the oven on 350 for ten minutes

Filling:
-Two cans pumpkin purée
-One can (unsweetened) coconut cream
-1/2 can (unsweetened) coconut milk
-1 cup Xylitol
-4 eggs
-Lots of cinnamon and "pumpkin" spice, some nutmeg and a pinch of ground ginger
Mix, mix, mix and then pour overtop of your crusts, filling to the brim.
Bake in oven on 350 for 50minutes

Remove from oven and ALLOW THE PIE TO SIT FOR 3 HOURS before you slice it. It needs to set.

This pie is freaking delicious.
Boom.

Autumn Stuffed Squash

A friend posted a picture of a squash stuffed with wild rice on Facebook, and it sparked my interest. I headed to Santoris, picked up some Acorn squash and meditated on it for a bit. I ended up with the following creation....a first attempt that was actually a super success!

Autumn Stuffed Squash (for 4)

-2 acorn squash
-1 cup quinoa (soaked and rinsed)
-2 cups chicken broth or veg broth
-5 spring onions
-1 small zucchini, diced small
-fresh sage
-large handful kale (sliced fine)
-sundried tomatoes
-cashews
-salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes
-tahini
-lemon juice

1. Slice the acorn squash in half. Scoop out any seeds. Place in a roasting dish, face up. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and a touch of nutmeg. Drizzle with oil (coconut or olive) and pour 1/2 cup of chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting dish. Cover with tin foil and roast at 250 for about 2 hours. You want the squash to be tender, but not mushy.

2. After soaking (best if soaked overnight, but a few hours will do) and rinsing the quinoa, pour 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into pot with quinoa and bring to a boil. Hit it with salt and garlic. Boil for a few minutes then put it on simmer for 15 minutes with a lid covering it. Take it off the heat, cover the top of the pot with a papertowel, put the lid back on and let it sit for five minutes. Fluff with a fork. Season with some red pepper flakes.

3. In a skillet, sautée diced green onions, zucchini, kale, sundried tomatoes, sage and chopped cashews. Salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes.

4. Toss quinoa and diced veggies together and then use this to stuff the squash.

5. Place this under the broiler or in the oven to warm and bring it all together.

6. The dressing: tahini, lemon juice, hot water (to thin it to right consistency), garlic, and salt.

Hit it with a dash of salt and serve a little salad alongside. Boom.

So damn delicious. Enjoy.

Coconut Kefir

Coconut water with kefir starter....

Cover em up with a towel and let them sit...

Coconut water kefir. It is a super important part of your diet if you are suffering from Candida, but even if you aren't - it is an amazing addition to your health regime. Instead of buying the very expensive coconut water kefirs you can find online, I decided to make it myself (thanks to Lorie Rice for the inspiration!). I bought 9 thai coconuts from the asian supermarket for $17, sterilized some mason jars, and busted out my cleaver. All in all, it was a pretty simple process.

Coconut Water Kefir

Ingredients:

• 1 quart Coconut Water
• 3 tablespoons Water Kefir Grains or 1 packet of kefir starter (this is what I used)

Place the Water Kefir Grains in the coconut water.  Cover the jar loosely and allow the Kefir Grains to culture the coconut water for 24-48 hours.  Once the culturing process is complete, remove the Kefir Grains (or if you used kefir starter then this is not necessary). 


Here is an easy peezy way to open your thai coconuts (trust me, its really that easy...)
 

Why coconut water kefir?
 Coconut Water Kefir is a whole food probiotic, rich in vitamins, minerals and natural electrolytes.

This product is brisling with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, which creates awesome intestinal flora, digestion and production of B-6, B12, K, niacin and folic acid. This is a fermented beverage that hydrates, and gently cleanses the intestinal tract, and liver. Throughout time and place, living culture foods have been a sacred key to unlocking the secret of abundant health and longevity.

Cultured Coconut Pudding

Tools

• Blender
• Glass or ceramic container with lid

Ingredients

• Meat from 3-4 young coconuts 
• 1/2 kefir packet (I used yogourmet kefir starter)
• Purified water
• cinnamon or cardamom

Directions

1. Open the young coconuts and conserve most of the the water for Coconut Water Kefir (recipe above). The meat should be white. If it is pink or gray, it should be discarded.
2. Scoop the meat out with a strong spoon or spatula.
3. Rinse any brown skin off the meat.
4. Put the coconut meat in a blender and purée with just enough water to create a pudding-like consistency.
5. Add half a packet of kefir starter culture or a teaspoon of kefir grains. Pulse to incorporate.
6. Transfer the pudding to a glass or ceramic container, making sure there are a few inches of room on the top for the pudding to expand.
7. Cover the container and let it ferment on your countertop or on top of your fridge at about 72-75 degrees for 7-10 hours.
8. After fermentation, add cardamom or cinnamon and nutmeg and stir in.
9. Refrigerate. It will last about 3 days.

In Sanskrit the coconut palm is referred to as “kalpa vriksha” meaning “the tree that supplies all that is needed to live”.

Thai Attack

Thai in the NYC with JamieD @ East Village Thai. SOOOO GOOD.

My sweet love and foodie partner in crime, Ro-Bare.

Venison Larp + Massam Curry.

Boom. I love Thai food...and after spending a fair bit of time in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, I got a good handle on how to prepare it. While in the city, JamD and I hit up the spectacular-slightly-dirty-hole-in-the-wall-of-a-gem East Village Thai. We had some epic chicken larb (which is actually a Lao dish) as well as a vegetable massam curry. After spending my morning coffee time with Rob back in OC, I declared a recreation - so he headed over to be my taste tester later that evening. I made the larb with ground venison from a friend, and I made the massam curry with shrimp. I'll be posting the recipes later today!

Candida Crunch Salad

Candida friendly COCONUT AMINOS (soy sauce substitute)

Carrot, cucumber, green apple, clover sprouts, cilantro, red cabbage, celery, and sprouted pumpkin seeds.

Seared Duck Breast

Lunch of Champions.

This salad is amazing! Not only is it tasty, delicious, and Candida-friendly...but it can be made ahead of time and it doesn't get soggy.

The Salad...

• Red Cabbage
• Carrot
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Green Apple
• Clover Sprouts
• Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds
• Cilantro

The Dressing...

• Coconut Aminos
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Lime Juice

Pep It Up by Adding....

• Crushed Red Pepper
• Ginger
• Kimchi

Candida Kale Caesar Salad

This is so easy and delicious. It is Paleo, Candida, and Vegan friendly!! There are a few variations that can take this salad different places, so here are your options:

Kale Caesar Salad (for 4)

• 1 Head of Kale, de-stemmed, washed, and cut
• 3 tablespoons Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (or Lemon Juice...if you are on the Candida or Body Ecology Diet though the ACV is better because it has live cultures)
• 1 clove of garlic, pushed through a press or run over the grater
• *good quality* organic unrefined oil, drizzled generously overtop
• Shake, Shake, Shake and Shake some more of Braggs Nutritional Yeast (this is fine for people on Candida or B.E.D. because it is not live active yeast) *the more cheese that you want on your salad, the more nutritional yeast that you'd want...
• Hard boiled egg (optional): to take this salad to the next level you can dice up a hard boiled egg on top. Make sure you do so before you massage it with your hands, so that the cooked egg yolk can act as a thickener for the 'dressing'. 

Massage it with your hands for about 5 minutes, softening up the tough kale and integrating all of the flavors together. Warning: this salad is freaking delicious. And crazy insane healthy. 

Farm Fresh

A huge bag of spinach cooked down with some garlic, cayenne and salt, topped with a venison burger and a farm fresh egg. Side of yummy garlicky zucchini. Boom. (Candida-friendly) Dinner of Champions. Who needs a burger bun? Not this girl.

Fresh Fish Perfection.

I have FINALLY learned how to cook fish like my Dad. He not only was a Captain (he had a hundred mile hundred ton captains license), but he was also a Cook! My mom and I have tried to replicate how he had cooked fish for many years....without success. This is shocking actually because both my mom and I are kickass in the kitchen. Whenever my dad would cook the fish in a skillet, I'd be yelling at him that he's burning it (he would walk away and putz outside or watch tv), but he always told me to leave it alone, don't touch it, and it always turned out perfect. So last night, I practiced "patience"... I left it alone and didn't touch it. And goddamn, it was perfect and delicious!

• Flounder Filets
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cayenne
• Red pepper flakes
• Garlic powder
• Lemon
• Coconut Oil Spray

Spray the skillet and turn it to a med/med high heat. Rinse your fish and *pat it dry*. Sprinkle with seasonings. Place the fish seasoned side down into the pan. Season the bare side that's facing up. Walk away. For like atleast 5 minutes. Walk outside or into the other room so that you aren't tempted to fuss with it. Then come back and the fish is ready to flip...and it won't fall apart. Again- walk away. Voila. Finish it off with some lemon juice and chopped flat leaf parsley. Bête Avon.

(Candida) Coconut Cream of Broccoli

This soup is freaking delicious...but it didn't start out like that, that's for sure! I love soup, and I've been experimenting with some candida friendly recipes. I'm trying to figure out Almond/Coconut milk, and thought that a broccoli combo could be good. In retrospect I think it would work best with cauliflower but this soup is bowl-licking good, so I'm happy. I served it to my friends tonight and they agree...so give it a go! 

Steam broccoli 

Drain

Add one bunch of scallions 

Salt and pepper (lots of cracked black pepper)

1 cup chicken stock (I used some of my homemade stock!! Yay! So easy and totally delicious!)

1 cup almond/coconut milk

Bring to a boil then simmer

Purée

Season with:

One handful cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons crushed cumin seeds

Juice of one small lemon

*cayenne and salt to taste 

Garnish with sliced scallions

This soup is Vegan, Vegetarian, Candida and Paleo friendly!

**THIS SOUP TASTES BEST WHEN EATEN THE DAY AFTER ITS MADE! 

Cailin Callahan

www.cailincallahan.blogspot.com

Feasts with Friends and Food Restrictions

I have been sticking to my candida cleanse and have been super strict. I'm really proud of myself and despite the discomfort I'm in now (major detoxing going on...it gets worse before you get better), I am super excited for feeling 100% down the line. Ultimately every year that you've lived with Candida you'll need a month on the cleanse. So I'm looking at two years of this, which I'm okay with. I know my way around the kitchen so I can still keep it fun, interesting and tasty. Unfortunately my desire to stay vegetarian was proving near impossible considering the dietary restrictions of the cleanse combined with my superduper active lifestyle. Last night after yoga Ro and I cooked up a feast, Thai lettuce wraps and Thai summer squash soup. Both candida friendly and outstandingly delicious. 

Thai Lettuce Wraps

-Shredded carrot (leave out if on candida...but let your friends enjoy it)

-Sliced scallions
-Diced cucumber

-Peanuts (again, not for candida, but for everyone else at the dinner table)

Sautéed ground meat (turkey or venison) in a skillet, seasoning with freshly ground ginger (2" piece) and garlic (1 clove). Salt and pepper, zest of one lime, some lime juice and a red chili pepper diced. 

Wash your lettuce.

Wrap it all up in the lettuce and enjoy!! For non-Candida-cleansers you can use soy sauce, sriracha and whatever else youd like for an added kick!

Thai Summer Squash Soup

- 4 squash (2 green zucchini and 2 summer yellow zucchini), thinly diced
- 4 shallots, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, diced
Sautee it all in a soup pot with coconut oil until its cooked about half way through. Then...

Add one can of (Thai Kitchen) Unsweetened Coconut Milk. Add one box of chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want this to be vegan). Add three large spoonfuls of thai red curry paste (Thai Kitchen makes the best one and for people with Candida, it's the only one that's candida friendly). To the pot add a pinch of salt, a few generous shakes of ground cinnamon and a few shakes of curry powder. Bring to a boil and then let simmer. Right before serving add the juice of two limes. HOLY SHIT, best soup ever.

Spent the night at Ro's and woke up to this....love their house!

Cailin Callahan

www.cailincallahan.blogspot.com

Summer Salad Deliciousness

EDAMAME SALAD

mmm dinner.

jenny and her man

I freestyled a salad for tonight's dinner and it was ammmmazing. Mom and I cooked for my awesome cousin Jenny and her kickass boyfriend. We made scallops and moms fresh-caught flounder (which she pulled from the sea just a few hours earlier!). The salad was...

1 bag steamed and shelled edamame
1 red bell pepper diced
1 small zucchini diced
*toss in coconut oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic and roast in oven for 15minutes on 350

In a bowl mix...
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes (halved)
Small handful basil
Fresh chives
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

When the edamame mixture is done roasting, toss it with the tomatoes and herbs. It might need to be finished off with a touch of EVOO. This salad was not only easy but it was also delicious. Boom.

No Meat Athlete Candida Cleanse

I have had issues with Candida yeast since I was young, and I have really suffered and struggled throughout the years because of it. As soon as I think that things are under control, there will be yet another flare up. I'm just tired of it. Tired of feeling like shit. I had experimented with a Candida diet years back, but my boyfriend at the time told me that I was a raving bitch when I didn't eat the food that I loved - so it was the diet or him! Haha poor guy, deprive me of booze, ice cream and bread and I'm sure I wasn't a happy camper. Anywho- I'm older, wiser, stronger, and particularly fed up with how I'm (physically) feeling- so I think it's time to try this again. Abiding by any type of dietary restrictions when you are abroad or traveling is near impossible so being home and settled is my chance to give this diet a second go. Oddly enough, the Candida diet closely resembles Paleo (which all my CrossFitters do), so I'm going to create my own hybrid feel-amazing-kick-ass-complete-lifestyle-change. To make this yet more complicated, add into the mix that I'm not crazy about eating meat (and Paleo is predominantly meat, as is the Candida diet) Matt Frazier writes on the No Meat Athlete blog a paragraph that really sums up how I feel about it:

"...But let's not forget that by the same argument, males are "built" to impregnate as many women as possible.  That's what would maximize the chances of having ones genes propagate, and probably still would today.

But most of us don't do that anymore, because as a species we're beyond that.  And that's how I feel about eating animals.  Even if it's what we're built to do because eating them helped us survive and thrive in the past, it's something most of us are now capable of making a choice not to do, thanks to our advancement as a civilization."

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy to eat a piece of meat every now and again- but it's usually from an animal that my Dad had killed- not one purchased off the shelf, wrapped in cellophane, from the supermarket. On this new plan ill be eating mostly eggs, with the occasional bit of free range organic animal protein now and again. 

So, here I go. To be rid of joint pain, "lady" problems and general fatigue I am going to give my Quasi-Vegetarian/Paleo/Candida fusion a go! I have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and after reading Matt Fraziers article I am inspired that I can do Paleo without eating half a cow for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eating with awareness. Boom. 

Matt's article : http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-paleo-diet/

Cailin Callahan

www.cailincallahan.blogspot.com

T-Day Top Secret Recipes

We have been surrounded by family and friends constantly for the past 3 years, so this Thanksgiving when my Mom asked me what I wanted to do, I replied "Nothing. You and Me, I want to cook, and I want to be at our house". So...that's what we did. I made a dish that was inspired by a meal that my friend Emily and I had at SALT in Boulder, Colorado...but the recipe is 100% original. 

Roast Duck Breast over Goat Cheese Lentils 

with a Blueberry Vinegar reduction and Creamy Kale. (P)

Blueberry Apple Cider Vinegar Reduction: (P, V, VG)

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1/2 pint of blueberrys
• fresh sage, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary...two sprigs each.

When you reduce vinegars, you get rid of a lot of the acidity and you heighten the sweetness....so reduced vinegars are great on everything from salads, to fruit, cheeses, meats, and even ice cream! I usually do balsamic reductions, but I felt that apple cider vinegar would be the best fit for the Mallard duck breasts. I infused the vinegar with fresh herbs, which simply means that I added a bit of fresh sage, thyme and rosemary to the pot. You cook the vinegar down over a medium heat for about 30minutes or so (you want it to reduce to less than half). I also added a half pint of blueberries to the mixture, and the end result was a bright purple reduction that was out of this world. Be sure to remove the herbs from the pot before serving. 

*********

Creamy Goat Cheese Lentils: (VG)

• 1 small log of goat cheese
• 1 cup French Lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 clove
• vegetable broth

Cook the lentils as you would....and if you're new to lentils, don't be intimidated. Simple rinse them and then put them in a skillet and cover them with water and bring to a mid-high to high heat. In about 5minutes you will have pre-cooked the lentils and the water will be gone. Add to the skillet the bay leaf, clove of garlic (whole, unchopped!), and the clove. Cover the lentils again, with vegetable broth, and bring back to med-high heat so it's simmering for about 25minutes. Depending upon how creamy you'd like the lentils you'll use anywhere from 1/2 the log to the full log of cheese. Simple crumble it over the warm lentils and it will start to melt into them. 

*********

Creamy Kale : (VG, P)

• 1 very large head of Kale
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• heavy cream (1/2cup to 1 1/2 cup)

First you'll de-rib the kale (simply pulling the greens off the dense bitter ribs of the kale). Wash it and then bring a pot of salted water to a boil, a ROLLING boil. You blanch the kale first, so a few minutes in the pot in the boiling water. Then drain it and in a skillet put your blanched kale and heavy cream and let it cook down for about 15minutes over med-high heat as the cream starts to thicken. I only used half a cup of heavy cream but if you want really creamy kale then obviously just add more! Season with a touch of salt and pepper (you really wont need much salt since you blanched the kale in salted water) and a generous sprinkling of *NUTMEG* <<< it sounds weird, but it's the finishing touch for sure. **This can be PALEO if you use coconut milk**

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Roast Duck:

• duck breast (we used Mallard)
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Season with a touch of salt and pepp. Sear the duck breast on each side in a hot skillet...this seals in the juices. You only sear it for about two minutes or so on each side, so don't walk away from the stove. To finish off the duck put it in a pan in the oven for about 8minutes. Boom. LET IT REST for at least 5 minutes and then thinly slice it on an angle. 

This is thanksgiving recipe is PALEO if you leave out the lentils and cook the kale with coconut milk instead of heavy creamy*. This would be just as delicious if served over the creamed kale and was topped with the reduction.

Great Friends Great Meals.

Homemade Pepper Jelly and Pickeled String Beans from Adenas garden and kitchen. I told her the other day that if I played for the other team, and if she didn't have an amazzzzing boyfriend, that I'd marry the shit outta her. Such a generous person, amazing gardener and chef and just and all around amazing human being.

We had a little girls get-together the other night at Pam Traceys house for {CrossFit} Sams birthday. I made the food: curried cauliflower soup, spicy sesame string beans, brussel sprout salad with dates and pepitas, and sauteed greens. Oh yeah, I also juiced pomegranates and made a cardamom simply syrup for some kick ass antioxidant-packed-Pom-Martinis.

Tuesday night has become Family Dinner Night with Brad + Ro and Me + Mom. We alternate, one Tuesday I cook at our house, Ro cooks the following at their house. Last night we started dinner with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot(!!!!) and an amazing plum tomato tart with basil.

Everything we ate was home-grown or killed by a friend. The yukon gold potatoes, shittake mushrooms and plum tomatoes were from Rochelles fathers garden. The venison roast was killed by Ro's cousin. And the swiss chard that I made was from our garden. The wine...from Spain! haha.

Brad and Ro, our epic hosts.

Holy Shitballs. I have been eating some AMAZING meals this past week: cooked by me, cooked by friends, grown from our very own gardens. Last night at our Tuesday Night Supper Club it was Rochelles turn to cook and she really outdid herself. The venison roast was cooked to perfection....and for any of you cringing right now, saying that you "dont like venison" or "venison tastes too gamey", then you just haven't had it cooked properly. Often people OVERCOOK it because it's "Wild Game!", don't do that.

Rochelle's Venison Roast: (P)

• venison roast
• fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper
• a few cloves of garlic
• evoo

Generously dress the roast with chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. First you drizzle some EVOO into a skillet and sear the venison steak at a fairly high heat. Throw in a few unpeeled cloves of garlic. You want to kind of caramelize the outside so that you are sealing in the juices. With meat - the rule is HOT and FAST or LOW and SLOW. Obviously this was Hot and Fast. So you sear the meat and then just transfer the skillet into the oven (400degrees f) for about 10minutes and let the meat finish off cooking. When you pull the roast out of the oven you MUST let it "rest". For about 5-10minutes. Cover it with some tin foil and walk.away.  The roast was served alongside sauteed shiitake mushrooms which were just done in evoo, salt and pepper and were unnnnnbelieveable.


Cailins Greens with Garlic, Ginger and Cumin: (P, V, VG)

• one bunch of Kale
• one bunch of Swiss Chard
• one clove of garlic
• a tablespoon or two of fresh minced ginger
• one jalapeno
• cumin
• salt
• evoo or coconut oil

Begin by washing your greens, obviously. With the swiss chard you want all of it, stems included. Kale - discard the stems, keeping only the leafy greens. In a skillet drizzle some oil in (I recommend coconut oil) and sautee your diced jalapeno, garlic, and ginger for a minute or two. Then throw in your greens and sprinkle with some salt and cumin. It'll take about 5 minutes for the greens to cook down. Enjoy.