A Dinner in the Zone: Hearty Paleo-Zone Chili on Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps with Crunchy Slaw

Those of you Zoning with me may be a little sick of the piecemeal, thrown together meals we often fall back on.  The ease of just finding a Protein source from the list, Carb source from the list, and Fat source from the list and combining odd choices just to get the balanced blocks can take it's toll on your meal-time satisfaction.

But I am here to offer another option: cooking a Zone meal that will make many dinners to come as easy as portioning and reheating.  And did I mention that it's filling AND delicious?  Sometimes with the calorie reduction inherent in the Zone Diet and the emphasis on fruit and starchier carbs for easier blockage, people feel hungry all the time and starved.  This meal utilizes lower glycemic ingredients (vegetables) to satisfy you at the end of a long day of weighing and measuring. And it's filling whether you're eating only a two-block portion or a five-blocker.  Yes, eating well CAN actually happen on the Zone!

THE MEAL

I began my Paleo-Zone challenge last Saturday and will post my food log soon, but for now, let me share with you this amazing meal I've had for dinner this week.  And with the amount my husband and I made, we'll probably still be having this meal well into next week :)  This meal is Hearty Paleo-Zone Chili on Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps with Crunchy Slaw spooned on top (all recipes follow).  It's delicious and hearty--which is no simple task when cooking and eating on the Zone.  At two blocks or five, this meal will fill you!

The chili is a rich and spicy mix of vegetables and grass-fed beef.  It is FILLING, which is the perfect quench for end-of-day hunger, and it's warming to combat chilly evenings.  I was inspired by paleo chilis that hold the beans, Alton Brown's amazing Pressure Cooker Chili (sans the pressure cooker for us) that turned us on to using chopped beef instead of ground beef, and the Chan's Chili recently posted in the CrossFit Journal, which helped us Zone proportion our chili. Whether you Zone or not, this chili is amazing and you definitely won't miss the beans. 

Instead of straying off the Paleo Diet for rice or tortillas, I serve the chili on Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps that add a meaty base.  SO much more filling than rice or tortilla, these mushrooms are a great base for any meaty sauce.  The chunky, silky texture of the chili is complemented perfectly by crunchy, lime and onion slaw I call Crunchy Slaw.  It is SO easy to make and adds that taste and crunch that definitely kicks the chili up another notch. 

For the recipes below, I used P, F, C to stand for Protein, Fat, and Carb, which the Zone Diet uses to balance food.  A block of Protein = 7g protein, a block of Fat = 1.5-3g depending on the fattiness of the Protein, and a block of Carb = 9g after fiber is subtracted.  For Zone Block charts, check out this compiled list: http://www.mitymous.net/weights/zoneblox.htm

NOTE: there is definitely some flexibility to these measurements as some of the foods I used below have different measurements based on different Zone block lists.  Since this meal is mostly veggies, I am not going to fuss about which count is correct and whether I have measured it precisely.  The Zone is enough effort just to weigh and measure everything.  In this case, allow yourself some leeway on the veggie counting and err on the side of MORE.  :)

Without further ado, here are the recipes!

Hearty Paleo-Zone Chili--this is only one of three containers we filled to the brim!

Hearty Paleo-Zone Chili

Definitely not for a quick meal, this endeavor will provide you with chili to feed an army or yourselves for a week (maybe two?) on the Zone.  The medley of grass-fed beef, assorted vegetables, and spices will heartily fill and warm your belly. 

Prep Time: 1hr give or take your mad knife skills and helpers

Cook Time: 2-3+hrs, slow cooker for the day/night or stovetop for a few hours until tender and delicious.

Quantity: see Our Totals below.  You can use the ingredients in your own proportions to make the quantity you desire.  We're going for a 2P:1C:1F ratio so you can serve this on Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps with Crunchy Slaw on top.

Ingredients:

NOTE: I'll give what makes a block and how much we used, but you have to be your own guide for making this Zoned to meet your desired quantity and taste.

• yellow onions, chopped (1.5c = 1C, 10 onions gave us 10c = ~6C)
• mushrooms, chopped (3c = 1C, one container of sliced mushrooms = 3C and we used 4 = 4C)
• can of crushed tomatoes (with Basil) (check your label, ours was 1/2c = 1C and we used (2) 28oz. cans or 10C)
• zucchini, chopped (2c = 2C, we used 6 small ones and got 8 cups or 4C)
• grass-fed chuck roast, chopped (1oz = 1P and we used 56oz = 56P)
• container of salsa (check your label, ours was 1/2c = 1C and we used 2c = 4C)
• cumin
• chili powder
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• olive oil (1T = 9B and we used 3T = 27F)
• optional: chili peppers or other heat multipliers (NOTE: the chili powder and cumin made this pretty spicy on their own, so play around with it to your taste)
• a writing instrument and sheet of paper to record your amounts and calculations

Our Totals: 56P, 28C, and 28F is a 2:1:1 ratio, so we need to add a Carb and Fat to every portion of chili.  That is perfect for a serving with Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps (1/2C, 1F) and Crunchy Slaw (1/2C) (see recipes that follow).  Our finished batch was 187oz. and dividing by the 56P that went into the pot gives us 3.33oz for 1P, 1/2C, 1/2F.  Your batch will vary on your ingredients and finished thickness and weight, so do your own math on this one.  Sorry, Zone cooking isn't a piece of cake, but it is well worth the effort to not stress about dinner for a week (or more)! :)

Method:

Chop till you are blue in the face.  You should start on the onions and add them to a large stock pot set over medium high heat and coated with olive oil (1T worked) and a little salt.  I like to season as I add new ingredients into the pot, a lesson learned from years of watching Emeril as he bammed the crap out of his dishes.  Stir the onions every time you add more to the pot and add more oil if they start to stick.  Record how many cups of onions you use and keep a running tally of the oil.  Remember to try to be frugal with the oil if you want to stick to plain Jane Zone. Those of you lean enough to be using Fat multipliers can have more flexibility--damn you ;).

Meanwhile, a second pair of hands can chop the chuck roast into tiny bits, cutting out any really awful sinewy parts if desired.  Once that's cut, weigh it to use your desired amount and write that number down so you can figure out total blocks later on.  Using another skillet, coat with olive oil (1T worked) and brown the beef (use multiple batches so you only have one layer of meat in the pan, add more oil for each batch--it took us two batches using a big skillet).

Next, to the onions in the stockpot, add the sliced mushrooms (I bought them already sliced, so no prep there!--measure them out if you want to be precise, but for each styrofoam-like container it was about 3c).  Stir and cook them down.  We're looking for translucent if not browning onions and reduced size in the mushrooms as they cook.

The first pair of hands can move on to chopping the zucchini or you can get to it after the meat is done.  Measure out how much you use by the cupful.

Once the meat is done, add it to the stock pot (batch by batch is fine), then add the zucchini, tomatoes, salsa, and spices.  For the spices, be your own judge based on how much you are making at once.  Remember, it's always easier to add more heat later than find Zoneable ways to reduce it after the fact. Unfortunately sour cream and guacamole are Fats that will easily devour your blocks unless you allot them.  Let your chili reduce over Medium heat until you like the thickness, then Low for as long as you like to meld the flavors and tenderize the beef and veggies.

Once done, you have one more fun task: measuring the result of your labor of love.  We tried to be sneaky and weigh the empty pot, then the full pot, but the pot was too heavy for the scale :(  So we weighed storage containers and then filled them, took their weight and got the whole picture the hard way.  You could also measure by Pyrex liquid measure as you remove the chili from the pot and place in storage containers.  Either way, from that number of total weight, divide it into total blocks of Protein and figure out ounces or cups per block of Protein.  From our ingredients, we came up with a 2:1:1 ratio and found that 3.3oz. gives us 1P, 1/2C, 1/2F.  Yours will vary based on the quantities and thickening of your chili.

We served ours over Simple Roasted Cauliflower (3c =1C, plus a little fat) or Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps (1/2C) (recipe follows) with Crunchy Slaw (1/2C) (last recipe) on top.  

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps

For a meaty base perfect to hold chili, burgers, ragout, or anything else you desire, try better-than-bread roasted portobello mushrooms!

Cooking Time: 15min+, really as long as you like to get them tender and juicy

Quantity: 2-3 roasted caps, depending upon size, is about 1/2C if 3 cups = 1C

Ingredients:

• Silpat

or parchment paper and baking sheet

• portobello mushroom caps (rinsed and stems removed) (3c = 1C, so 2-3 caps after roasting seemed like 1/2C)--NOTE: make extra so that you have meals for a few nights.  The mushrooms will keep well sealed up in the refrigerator.
• olive oil (1/3t = 1F), optional
• salt 
• pepper

Method:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper so you don't have to use fat to grease the pan.  Place mushrooms on the sheet, gills up.  Sprinkle caps with salt and pepper and drizzle on the olive oil you need to accumulate your desired fat blocks.  If you don't have any fat to spare, the caps are fine without any oil.  The liner is our insurance :) Place the sheet in the oven and bake until juicy and tender.  These are perfect to make in bulk while you are preparing and cooking the chili!  Afterwords, you'll have a delicious base to your chili that is spoon tender, meaty, and filling!

Crunchy Slaw

The perfect crunchy slaw for your spicy dish!

Prep Time: 5-10min tops

Quantity: Made enough for at least 4-6 plates, so about 1/2C for each serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of cabbage (4c = 1C)
• 1/2 onion (1.5c = 1C)
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro (unless you are using a bucketful, it's unlikely you'll come close to a block)
• 1 lime, juiced (1C)

Total Blocks = 3C

Method:

Chop the cabbage, onion, and cilantro as finely as desired and mix well.  Add lime juice and mix again.  There you have it!  This is a perfect, crunchy, tasty accompaniment to tacos/chili/anything Mexican inspired!

So there is your meal: Hearty Paleo-Zone Chili served on Roasted Portobello Mushroom Caps with Crunchy Slaw on top!  Here's to enjoying what you eat on the Paleo-Zone Diet!

Roasted Garlic Pesto

So you have dutifully read Sunshine of Your Love Part 1: Safely Getting What You Need and Sunshine of Your Love Part 2: The D Factor AND Sunshine of Your Love Part 3: What is e-D-ible?

And your bonus for being such a good listener?  A recipe!  

Today's treat is a recipe (Finally!  I know, I talk/write way too much, but you should see me in person--I'm quiet, really!).  I made the most awesomely delicious pesto known to man.  I know, you are groaning, "Not another pesto recipe!  Dude, everybody has their own pesto recipe!"  Well, that is what you might think and if you leave now, your loss.  Seriously.  THIS pesto is worth the read and try.  And why is pesto related to our vitamin D post?  Just Because.  No, actually I'll serve it on shrimp and salmon, which if you remember, are good animals sources of vitamin D (although they will NEVER meet your vitamin D needs alone).

Method to the Madness: Roasting

The Garlic:  From America's Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated, I learned that roasted garlic tastes yummier than raw garlic in pesto.  It just adds a nuttier, richer, and less sharp, strong taste.  Since I have been buying the pre-peeled, packaged garlic (yes, convenience has done me in, just shoot me now!), I used that and roasted it in aluminum foil as I have seen other cooks do.  Don't worry, I'll go over this in the recipe.  If you have unpeeled garlic, try the America's Test Kitchen method of toasting it in a naked skillet over medium or low heat til just browning, not burning, on the outside.  If you have chopped/minced garlic, perhaps you can toast it in a skillet with some olive oil.  Whatever your method, we are after roasted garlic.  That makes all the difference here.

The Nuts:  I roast my nuts ALL the time ;)  So this application is no different.  It makes them more digestible than raw, but if you still have trouble with nuts (not an allergy, just upset digestion), try soaking and then roasting your nuts.  If you have an allergy, well, it sucks to be you.

The Basil:  Okay, this isn't roasted, but it has a method too.  I have read that bruised basil releases more flavorful oils than simply cutting it because more cells are ruptured to release their aromatic oils.  I suspect, but have yet to confirm, that cell processes are at work recruiting more liquid to the areas under duress, so more oil is released than during a quick chop.  Bruising herbs and letting them sit for a few minutes until you use them seems like it would lend itself to more flavor.  So I tried that with success.  Just be sure to use your bruised basil because it will not store this way.

Roasted Garlic Pesto

What can be more versatile than a rich, roasted garlic-infused pesto spreadable on any flat surface, pair-able with any meat, and dip-able by an array of veggies?  This classic pesto is a refrigerator staple!

Cooking Time: zero to pesto in 15 minutes or less

Quantity Achieved: about 1 to 1.5 cups (more is possible if you use more greens or oil)

Storage: air-tight in the refrigerator for about a week or measure out and freeze in muffin tins, then empty frozen pesto hockey pucks into a freezer-safe container and they'll keep for months.  Simply defrost and serve! 

You can make this with different greens and oils.  Here are two divine variations using the same basic recipe.

Classic Basil Roasted Garlic Pesto (pictured above)

Ingredients:

• about 2 cups (4oz before de-stemmed) fresh basil (I used the packaged variety since it isn't in season here yet)
• about 10-12 cloves of garlic (fits in 2T, packed), peeled (if unpeeled or minced/chopped already, read The Garlic section above) (For the peeled, sealed garlic, I used half a garlic packet per batch of pesto)
• 1/2 cup almonds or another nut of your choice (no, not peanuts, silly)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (the good stuff), more if you desire a creamier consistency, + a little drizzle for the roasted garlic
• 2T freshly squeezed lemon juice (one pithy lemon or half a juicy one--or use more to taste)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

NOTE: No cheese here and you will NOT miss it!

Method:

First, dump your almonds onto one half of a baking sheet and grab a large-ish square of aluminum foil.  Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in the center of the foil, drizzle on a little olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and grind a little pepper on top.  Mix to coat evenly.  Now, take two opposite sides of foil, connect them and bend over the edge.  Continue folding the edge over itself until you have reached the garlic.  Then, take one long side and fold it up and do the same to the other side to form a nice little garlic pouch.  Isn't that cute?  Place the pouch on the other side of the baking sheet from the nuts and place the sheet in a 350 degree oven, preheating doesn't matter.  Set a timer for 5 minutes and check the nuts.

In the meantime, prepare the basil by rinsing, drying, tearing leaves from large stems (some small stems and buds are fine), and squashing the leaves between your fingers.  Nothing too violent, just enough to bruise it.  Yeah, bruise that basil!  Bruise it good!  Isn't that a nice stress reliever?  Okay, now I am feeling mean.  Respectfully bruise that basil and tell it you'll relish every bite of its gracious contribution to your plate.  There.  Better.  

Have you checked your nuts?  If your nuts aren't done after 5 minutes, leave them in for another five or less if you feel they're close.  Done for those almonds means slightly more brown and some looking closer to burn, but not there yet.  It is difficult to tell; they never really look all that different to me (brown to more brown isn't very obvious), but I usually wind up getting anxious about burning and notice a fragrant, nutty smell.  They should be hot and start crackling when you take them out of the oven.  I love the sound effects!  So cute!  I err on the side of perhaps not all the way roasted brown, rather than risking burnage, because I too often become it's prey.

So once your nuts are done, put the foil pouch back in on the rack by itself, it shouldn't fall through unless you were really crazy with your folding.  Let it roast for at least 20 minutes total (don't forget the time it took the nuts to roast or the oven to preheat).  One time I let it go for 45min to an hour,  and that was an utter disaster.  So, now I err on the side of caution and say just roast until soft (you can mash them with a fork).  That varies depending upon your oven, how many times you checked your nuts, and other such unseen variables, so check the pouch (carefully unfold to look inside) after about 20 minutes and see if they are squashable.  If not, seal it back up and continue roasting another five minutes.  Watch the bottoms for browning or burning.  They are tricksy.

Okay, now we have roasted nuts and roasted garlic.  Awesome.  Your basil is bruised and bleeding, ready to get pulverized.  Let's get this party started!  Add basil, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, and 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil to the food processor and pulse to chop a few times, then let 'er whirl.  Scrape down the sides periodically and see how it's going in there.  The sides will probably be a green blur.  Once it is pretty well incorporated, add the remaining 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil, process for a good few minutes uninterrupted, then add more oil if desired to make your ideal consistency--for me, I like a thicker, paste-like pesto I can spread, more like hummus.  Others like theirs like soup.  Your choice!

When you are finished, add salt and pepper to taste.  Go easy with the salt--just a 1/8t to start.  One time I added a whole teaspoon and regretted it instantly.  If you don't use salt all that much, you grow much more sensitive to it!  If you do add too much salt, don't cry.  Just make another batch and now you have enough seasoning for both, or starting adding to the batch you already have.  Try some sun dried tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, more leafy greens, or if you want to be decadent, make Alton Brown's skillet mushrooms and add that.  Never heard of them?  Oh, that is a treat for another day, then!

Variation:  Arugula Roasted Garlic Pesto (pictured on the salmon below)
The peppery bite of the arugula pairs really well with the sweet roasted garlic, rich walnut oil, and lemon juice kick.  Delicious!

Ingredients and Method:
Same as above except use walnut oil instead of olive oil and 2 cups, packed, fresh baby arugula instead of basil (or in combination).

Pesto Serving Suggestions:

Damn near impossible to serve pesto wrong--it goes well on any meat I can think of (pesto bacon would be a neat one to try) and any veggie delivery device like celery or romaine.  Additionally, here are some great ways to make pesto a part of your main dish:

Classic Basil Roasted Garlic Pesto coated Shrimp

Pesto Shrimp

Want to get some vitamin D in the process?  Make a pound of shrimp and add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pesto to them  (right after cooking so it is easier to coat them).  Serve warm or cold.  OMG delicious!

If you don't know how to cook shrimp, here is a little primer for basic shrimp prep.  You can also grill them or saute in garlic, oil, and ginger (fan-freakin'-tastic, but perhaps not best for mixing with this pesto).

1. Keep the tails on for more flavor, but devein them before cooking.  Rinse them and try to pat dry so they're not sopping wet.
2. Get a skillet hot, add oil of your choice (for the pesto shrimp, I used olive oil, but I don't cook with it that often--avocado or coconut oil are better for high heat).  Then, add the shrimp.
3. Here is the tricky part: You have to move FAST.  Get turning those little shrimps as soon as they start to turn pink and curl, which is nearly immediately.  Seriously, move FAST!  Use tongs or a fast-flipping spatula that you don't have to fuss with.  I love to cook shrimp because they are the cook's dream--they have a color changing doneness indicator! They're like little reverse Freezy Freakies (remember those? We'd store ours in the freezer).  Nice to have a clear signal for doneness visible across the room.  But you shouldn't be across the room, should you?  Get flipping!
4. Once both sides have turned pink, immediately evacuate to a bowl or plate.  Don't wait for them to curl up into a nice little ball--just get them the hell out!  They'll continue cooking out of the pan.  I just make sure I don't see any obvious blue, see-through parts that show they're underdone.  The tails should be pink to red.  Err on underdone; they'll cook more on the plate. 
5. Once they are out, now's your time to add the pesto.  Mix well to incorporate.
6. Feast!

Pesto Salmon with Arugula Roasted Garlic Pesto

Pesto Salmon

Want more vitamin D for your buck, how about salmon?  There are a couple ways to do this: 1) broil with pesto on top (might make the pesto a little crunchy on top--could be good or bad), 2) broil halfway, then add pesto for the remainder, or 3) add pesto after the fish is done (you might not want to use cold pesto though).  Either way, broil until just done (it turns opaque from translucent, here is a good description--flaking is too long), then let it rest before serving.  I usually use the toaster oven and it's done in less than 10 minutes.  Great lunch!  If you want to get fancy, you can cook your salmon in a parchment or aluminum foil pouch with pesto on top, like this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen that should be DELICIOUS with my pesto.  Give it a try!

Classic Basil Roasted Garlic Pesto smothered Roasted Turkey Breast

Pesto Roasted Turkey Breast
Yeah, I know, not really a great vitamin D-giver, but roasted turkey is a staple in this household.  It's super easy to prepare and gives us lunchmeat for a week when I make two at a time.  I buy the split breasts with bone in and skin on and prepare them using pesto rubbed under the skin, over the skin, inside the cavity along the tenderloin, even in slits cut into thick parts.  Basically, I want this turkey to be a pesto delivery system :)  Roast at 425, uncovered for 35-45 minutes (less if small), then check the temperature for 150 degrees (big double batches take up to an hour) and let it rest before diving in.  Makes a great meal or can be refrigerated for a week and served as lunchmeat alone or in salads.  Yum!  Here's my original Roasted Turkey Breast recipe.

Inspired?  I hope so!  Tell me about your pesto adventures!

Adventures with Grass-Fed Beef Part I

Happy cows come from California (and Hawaii for those in this pic)!

As I make my way through the last of my second half a cow of grass-fed beef *sniff* *sniff*, I have found the need to catalog what I can do with the different cuts.  So this series will serve as a resource for us to find great ways to cook grass-fed beef.

Through trial and error, I've wandered the relatively uncharted territories of cooking different cuts of grass-fed beef (a very different meat than conventional beef).  One difference between grass-fed and conventional grain-fed beef (ubiquitous in the US) is that grass-fed is healthier.  It's packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, CLA, vitamins, and minerals instead of chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, omega-6 fatty acids, and remnants of their dietary grain (they are what they eat).  Grass-fed is also leaner, which fatphobes jump on as reason enough to partake, but to the less naive, fat is not really the issue since fat is good for us, especially saturated fat.  However, bad fat like that which is high in omega-6 isn't good for us, another tic against grain-fed beef.  The fat of grain-fed cattle is also toxic since fat is the storage site of many of those chemicals pumped into grain-fed cattle to get them to survive their deadly diet and abhorrent feedlot conditions.  For more about why we should eat meat and why it should be grass-fed, pastured, or wild-caught read my Starter Series: 1. Eat meat and if you are still confused about fat, read my Starter Series: 3. Eat fat.  UPDATE 4/15/2010: Fitness Spotlight just posted a great reference for why grass-fed trumps grain-fed: Advantages of Grass Fed Beef and Dairy.

Think it is okay to keep eating grain-fed beef because grass-fed is SO expensive?  Not sure it really matters all that much anyway?  Read this: "'Growing Concern' over marketing tainted beef" recently from USA Today.  Choice bits:

Beef containing harmful pesticides, veterinary antibiotics and heavy metals is being sold to the public because federal agencies have failed to set limits for the contaminants or adequately test for them, a federal audit finds.

Sound yummy?

Some contamination is inadvertent, such as pesticide residues in cows that drink water fouled by crop runoff. Other contaminants, such as antibiotics, often are linked to the use of those chemicals in farming. For example, the audit says, veal calves often have higher levels of antibiotic residue because ranchers feed them milk from cows treated with the drugs. Overuse of the antibiotics help create antibiotic-resistant strains of diseases.

This story is not alone.  Look into it and you'll be nauseated.  Read The Omnivore's Dilemma and you'll be in tears.  Now are you convinced grass-fed beef is worth every penny?  If not for the sake of the animals, then for the sake of your health.  I think it pays to know your meat and follow your common sense: eat food that nourishes, not harms.

It also saves to buy in bulk and invest in a large freezer.  For roughly the price per pound of grass-fed ground beef (just over $6), I get roasts, ribeyes, NYs, ribs, filets, flat irons, and all the less expensive cuts (stew meat, ground beef, skirt steak, tenderized round, etc.) and 160lbs of it if I buy half a cow.  I buy from a local source: Morris Grassfed located in North-Central California.   The cattle graze on coastal grasslands like those in the picture above.  They are slaughtered humanely--check out the FAQ (definitely one of my considerations).  They are never fed grain or given hormones or sub-therapeudic antibiotics.  Morris Grassfed also has a cute video series about how their food production is helping to recreate grasslands as a holistic management system.  Here is the first part:



You can find your own sources for grass-fed beef at Eat Wild, a great resource for finding local, sustainable, pastured meat.

So here are past recipes with my grass-fed beef:

The Easiest Meat Preparation Known To Man: Seared Steak
--usable with nearly any steak cut from jewel of the cow ribeye to filet to skirt steak and even that dreaded tenderized round (still haven't figured out the optimal preparation for that yet)

Not Your Mama's Pot Roast
--great with chuck roasts and briskets

Basic Meat Sauce
--one of the myriad of uses for grass-fed ground beef

(updated 1/11/11) And newer recipes:

Noodle Nosh
--an easy, Asian-inspired kelp noodle stir fry

Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Pot Roast
--saves you time with an easy prep and unattended cooking time and creates a DELICIOUS meal to feed  the whole family with leftovers

Today's recipe is for that lunch meat staple: roast beef.  It is useful to have enough meat in the house to get you through the week without running into emergency situations where limited options might jeopardize your paleo-style eating.  Of course, I have a grocery store meal ideas post and a dining out post, but the more meat we can stock the fridge with, the better our chances of success.

I came upon this recipe through trial and error with the lean sirloin roast.  When I tried using it for my pot roast, it came out so dry I couldn't eat it.  Even soaking it and serving it in broth couldn't save it.  Dry as dust.  Okay, the lack of intramuscular fat did me in.  Nothing to melt into the meat to give it a buttery deliciousness.  Second try: dry roasting using this recipe from allrecipes.com.  Success!  While I overcooked the meat, it was still tender and juicy and the seasonings gave great flavor.  I put a little too much cayenne in the mix and set my mouth on fire eating it, but it was good...so good.  So trying again, I mixed up the seasonings to something I like even better than the first attempt and pulled the meat out while on the rare side.  Damn near perfection, and reached it once I served it with raw, grass-fed butter on top :)

So in addition to the Roasted Turkey Breast recipe of yesteryear giving you lunchmeat for a week, try this easy-prep, couple-of-hour-no-fussing roasting of grass-fed sirloin roast.

Roast Beast: Dry-roasted Grass-fed Sirloin
Easy, homemade deli-style roast beef that is just as good for dinner as leftovers and lunch meat for the week.  
Cooking Time: 1-2hrs depending on size of roast and desired doneness

Ingredients:
1 sirloin tip roast, tied with twine, 2-4lbs (more of less, just adjust cooking time as needed)
1T kosher salt (or 1/2T would be fine if your roast is on the smaller side)
1T garlic powder
1T dried oregano
1T dried thyme
1/4t cayenne pepper
1t or about 25 grinds of black pepper
3T extra virgin olive oil (or enough to make a thick paste)
optional: dried basil and onion powder or anything else you like--feel free to experiment!

Method:
Allow your roast to come to room temperature (I'll leave it out while I prepare breakfast and it's ready to go after).  While waiting, prepare a sheet pan with foil or parchment on its surface (easy cleanup!).  Place roast in the middle of the sheet pan.  Mix the spices with the olive oil in a small bowl.  Rub them on the roast (all over and under the twine) and let sit as long as the oven takes to preheat to 350 degrees (make sure you have a rack set in the middle of the oven).

After preheating, whack 'er in and let 'er roast for about 45min-1hr before checking with the meat thermometer.  You are looking for 120-125 degrees for rare, but I would take it out at 115 to 120 to allow for carry-over of 5-10 degrees during resting.  The first time I made the roast, I let it go until 145 degrees, and that was overdone and dry.  You be the judge and remember, you can always whack slices in the microwave or heat in a skillet (say, with some butter?) if you feel it is underdone.  Better to err on the side of underdone rather than overdone, since only a thick sauce can really hide overdone meat.  The taste of meat is exceptional and something most of us have lost; so be wild and try it rarer than you normally would to get the most flavor and juiciness.

Okay, after you find the temperature you want, take it out and let the roast sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Serving Suggestions:
Dare I say it...with a pat of raw, grass-fed butter melted on top?  OMG, heaven!

You can also slice this up and wrap around avocado or mango or fill with guacamole for a delicious anti-sandwich.  Works well sliced into a salad too.  Experiment and let me know what you like best!

Chips are back on the menu!

Yes, I have been a bit too into putting the old reliables back into my diet in a paleo way.  In one day I made three paleo pumpkin pies and muffins and don't even like pumpkin pie!  I tried to make a pecan fig tart over and over without success and have some good bar cookies and freezer bars (they don't stay together at room temperature) for our munching, but nothing really shines yet as THE recipe to submit to the world.  Still working, tinkering...  Since I have a husband trying to stay on the zone and am trying to preserve my own sanity, my baking is going to be more limited in the future.  Baking within paleo and fruit sugar source restrictions is difficult to say the least.  There have been many delicious failures...

Today, I would like to promote veggies.  Plain and simple.  I have made two awesomely delicious veggie chips that I have to share.

Being a skeptic with any recipe that says it can replicate chips (yes, I have tried baked apple chips and they DID NOT warrant the name of chips; they were more like chewy apple jerky), you can imagine how thrilled I was to find I can make crispy chips out of my own oven!  Using nutritious non-tuber veggies!  Without frying!  And I can make them easily all by myself!  How awesome is that?!  Now you can too!


Kale Creations


I already spouted about how nutritious kale is in Kale Salad.  For example, it is labeled as a superfood for being so nutritious, so check it out.  One caveat: cooking veggies leads to some nutrient loss, so keep that in mind.  On the other hand, heat breaks cell walls making many nutrients more bioavailable to us during digestion.  So the take away message: eat your veggies both raw and cooked!

Kale Chippies (yes, you have to say it in your squeaky, high-pitched GIR voice)
Basically, I tried this recipe I found at Girl Gone Primal and just converted the oven temperature to Fahrenheit and added my go-to spice: garlic powder!  Never underestimate the power of garlic to take something good to the next level of deliciousness!


Cooking Time: Start to finish, less than a half an hour!

ingredients:
1 bunch of kale per diner (I used dinosaur kale because it has such great texture--like dinosaur skin!)
olive oil
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
any other spices your heart desires

Preheat your oven to 355.  Meanwhile, wash the crap out of your kale (unfortunately, farmers market kale is often teaming with life, so wash thoroughly!).  Tear the kale leaves off the thick part of the stalk in big chunks.  There is some shrinkage in the oven, so don't make them too small or they'll shrivel up and burn.  Discard the thick stalks (I have to find a recipe using them, I feel bad throwing them away!).  Dry your kale in a salad spinner or with paper towels.  Dinosaur kale is pretty awesome in that it repels water, so there isn't much water to wick away after washing.  Now, put your kale on a sheet pan or pans (preferably lined with Silpat, parchment, or foil) so that they aren't overly crowded (ideally one layer).  I was living on the edge and neglected to line my sheet pan or use two pans for two bunches of kale--such a rebel!--but since the other recipes mention these preventative measures, I should too even though mine was successful and without excessive cleanup.  Next, drizzle on the olive oil (don't glug, but try to get enough on there to coat once you toss it--remember fat is GOOD) and then sprinkle on the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other spices you desire.  Toss the leaves around with your hands to coat everybody equally.  Now, whack 'er in the oven for 10 minutes and check.  Remove to a plate any browned ones or firm ones that are chips.  Yes, they are actually chips!  Leave in any floppy, moist ones for another 5 minutes in the oven.  Repeat until all of your kale has magically transformed into CHIPS!

Crunch away on one of the most awesome and nutritious chips out there!

Eggplant?  Seriously?

Alton Brown from the epicly nerdlicious Food Network show Good Eats helped inspire this eggplant application.  His brilliant pressing strategy lets the eggplant soak in taste rather than become a mushy mess.  Eggplant is delicious and nutritious, so don't shy away from this purple peculiarity.

Eggplant is a nightshade (NOTE: I will discuss at more length in a future post), which means it isn't the best if you are avoiding inflammation and is not quite tasty if you are a cat indulging upon human dinner left out on the counter momentarily unattended (yes, she threw up--but no, it didn't deter her from another counter scavenger hunt later that night, damn cat).  Nutrition wise, eggplant has a good amount of fiber, potassium, manganese, and B vitamins.  It is filled with antioxidants that provide a protective role in our bodies from damaging oxidative reactions.  One such phytonutrient antioxidant in eggplant protects the lipids in our brain cell membranes.  Another one in high quantity is chlorogenic acid which has been found to have anti-cancer, antiviral, anti-microbial, and anti-LDL cholesterol functions.  Bottom line: surprise, surprise, veggies are good for you!

Here is a great method of preparation which serves as a stepping stone to other inventive culinary creations!

Eggplant Chippies
Eggplant takes a little more preparation than kale, but there is a delicious reward for your diligence.  


Time Required: at least 2 hours of pressing, then it is fast and done in 15 minutes.  You can also prepare the eggplant ahead of time and use them for dinner that night--especially if you can give those babies a flip and change their towels half way through the day.  

ingredients:
one regular-sized eggplant per diner
salt
olive oil

Slice the eggplant into half inch thick...slices (I hate repeating myself) and lay one layer on sheet pans lined with pet hair-free tea towels or doubled paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt (don't coat).  Then, top with a tea towel or another doubled paper towel sheet.  Place another sheet pan on top and weigh it down using whatever you have handy that is heavy (i.e. cast iron pans, cans, your cat).  Let them press for 1 hour.  Afterwards, come back and replace the now damp towels, flip the eggplant, sprinkle with salt, and replace the heavies for more pressing.  Repeat as many times as desired/you have the patience for.  Once ready to cook, rinse the eggplant to get off the salt (don't worry, there is still some inside, but not too much, hence the "don't coat" warning above--believe me, I have been there).  Dry with paper towels/pet hair-free tea towels and lay in one layer on the bare sheet pan (use two pans if you can't fit them all).  Don't line the sheet pan this time because we are headed for the broiler and lining can't take the heat, baby.  Drizzle olive oil on your eggplant and you're going to have to be a little liberal since those suckers are sponges.  Turn your broiler on to Low and place the sheet pan on the highest rack.  Prop the door open at its broiler location (why is that again? perhaps for morons like me who like to close the door and forgetaboutit to the point of burnage?).  Check in five minutes for browning, and if you have it, flip.  If not, wait til you do.  Once both sides are browned, you are done!  Salt or spice to taste.

Serving Suggestions:

Neapolitan with Meat Sauce: One incredibly tasty way to serve these is as little Neapolitans with Basic Meat Sauce.  Just assemble your little Leaning Tower and create a tasty moat surrounding with the excess (mine was not suitable for pictures--even the sauce in my pic looks more bloody than tomatoey, unfortunately).   NOTE: this serving style will lose the crispiness of the eggplant, but their roasted sweetness really hits the meat sauce out of the park!

Dunkin' Style: You can avoid the mushiness of the first application if you serve the chips on the side of the meat sauce and use them to dip, as my husband did during our feast.  Yes, my husband is brilliant, but mine was more architecturally pleasing ;)

Neapolitan with Roasted Portobellos, Roasted Red Peppers, Pesto, Fresh Basil, and Fresh Mozzarella (sorry, I am off the cheese for awhile, so no pics of this one): When I used to indulge more on cheese, I replicated a layered deli item from Whole Foods.  After paying over $10 for this tasty dish, I decided to make it myself instead.  Just broil the eggplant using my recipe, broil portobellos the same way (no need to salt and press them first, just follow the broiling method after drizzling in olive oil and sprinkling with salt), then create a tasty stack of layered mushroom slathered in pesto, topped with roasted red pepper (roast yourself or buy in the jar, but check to make sure it is paleo--no citric acid, soy, wheat, or grain products allowed!), topped with fresh basil, topped with eggplant, and finally topped with fresh mozzarella cheese.  Broil or microwave the Neapolitan to melt the cheese before serving/gorging upon.  Um, yum!

Other suggestions:
The sky is the limit.  You have a great base for many flavors and applications.  For instance, try them as Eggplant Parmesan if you eat cheese or want to indulge.  I bet they would be damn tasty sprinkled with parmesan before broiling!  You can also just snack on them as chips.  I know I have, and I didn't feel once ounce of guilt!

Kale Chips
Easy and Addictive Eggplant "Chips"

Given Up Bread--Think Again!

No, you have not entered the Twilight Zone.  Bread can be had paleo-style with such simplicity and omg results that perhaps we are in another dimension!  I call this dimension Dangerously Delicious Delectables!

What's the danger?  Well, gluttony for one.  It is hard not to over-indulge with something so hard-wired into our brains as bread (dude--it was an essential part of my every meal growing up in New Jersey suburbia).  When I first made a loaf, I totally sat down and ate half of it.  No kidding.  I was just crazy with glee that bread could be had while not breaking the tenets of no sugar, no grains, and no dairy.

Here is my inspiration: Elana's Pantry's Gluten Free Sandwich Bread.  Her recipe creates a great bread, but to me, I wanted more flavor and rise since mine came out more biscotti-shaped than loaf-like.  I don't have a mini loaf pan or her mail-order almond meal, so perhaps that led to a good, but not great loaf.

I wanted to create a bread the masses could enjoy (paleo and non-paleo alike) with store bought almond flour/meal (I use Trader Joe's since it is the cheapest and that stuff can get quite pricey!) and a flavor profile I have been dying for.  Onion Bread.  Oh yeah, it is just like, nay, BETTER than that onion bagel you probably haven't had in years or that soft onion bread that makes a to-die-for sandwich bread.  And ready in 45 minutes with minimal prep and cleanup--doesn't get much better than this!  Sink your canines into:

(shown toasted and crunchy!)

Paleolicious Onion Bread
Dare you to try this and not close your eyes and revel in its soft, moist onion-breadiness!
Cooking Time: about 45 minutes start to finish!

The Dry
2 c almond flour/meal (I used Trader Joe's)
1 c arrowroot powder (you can find this at New Leaf and perhaps Whole Foods in the bulk bins)
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 t cream of tartar
1 T dried onion
1/4 t (or 10 fine grinds) of black pepper

The Wet
4 eggs (room temperature or place in lukewarm water while you prepare so they come to room temp)
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c or 4 stalks of scallions/green onions, chopped thinly

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grab your loaf pan and cut two pieces of parchment paper to line the pan: one should span the narrow sides and extend past the lip and the second should do the same on the wide sides.  Why?  No mess!  No worry about stickage!  You can just pull the tabs to remove the loaf when finished without playing pop out the loaf onto the floor as you shake it or jimmy it out of there.  Definitely a time and effort saver!  I just cut two pieces of parchment to accomplish this, but here is another way that creates a pattern out of the parchment.  I will have to try this next time!

Ready for the action?  It is so easy it is embarrassing.  Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl (Note: to avoid the use of a sifter with the cream of tartar that likes to clump, just break it up between your fingers as you add it).  Mix well.  Add the wet ingredients to a second bowl.  Mix well and get some air into those eggs by whisking with a whisk or fork to create some bubbles.  Hey, since we can't use baking powder (contains corn) and don't want to bother with whipping egg whites, we'll take all the leavening we can get!  Now for the hard part.  Just kidding!  Dump the wet into the dry and mix to incorporate.  Now scoop into your loaf pan being careful to keep your parchment liners in place, and whack it in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  I turned my oven up to 355 upon adding the loaf so that it would kick on.  Check at 30 minutes (or 25 if your oven errs on the hot side).  You are looking for a hard top crust and a skewer that comes out mostly if not completely clean.  There should be NO wiggle to the loaf.  Once done, remove from the loaf pan and set on a wire rack to cool for a good hour or so.  Slice and enjoy once you can wait no longer!  Store in the refrigerator wrapped in paper towels and placed in a plastic bag.  It'll last a week (or more?) if you can ;)

Endless Serving Suggestions:

Yeah, go ahead and have that sandwich you have been dying for.  Now you don't have to feel guilty!

Oh, imagine it dipped in Basic Meat Sauce (perhaps with the addition of some veggies to make the sauce a meal)!

Or, if you are indulging on dairy, slather it in raw, grass fed butter!

How I have been indulging lately:

Yes, those are farmer's market eggs and Aidell's chicken apple sausage (processed yes, but still fits the requirements and is really good) atop toasted slices of Paleolicious Onion Bread.  Oh yeah!

Simply Cauliflower

Cauliflower is great as rice, but those annoying tiny bits get EVERYWHERE.  It seems like just cutting a head of cauliflower in half spells more cleanup than it is worth for a busy night.  So here is another preparation that requires very little prep and just some time in the oven for the cauliflower to caramelize into golden deliciousness.

Don't be a Gaseous Mass

But first, a word about gas.  You heard me: burps, farts, and general flatulence.  Unpleasant?  Yes, it is.  Cauliflower is a vegetable of the cruciferous variety (including brussel sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli) that is highly associated with intestinal gas.  Why?  Each of us has gut bacteria that sit in our intestines and colon and feast upon the foods we eat.  Undigested portions of our food create a great meal for these bacteria, who release hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane gas as their own digestive by-products.  The parts of food that are indigestible to us include some sugars [lactose (dairy sugar), fructose (fruit-sugar), sorbitol (a sugar substitute), and raffinose (the indigestible sugar in cauliflower)] and starches, which are a component of fiber (indigestible starches are usually polysaccharides, which means long chains of sugars like fructose or another common one is cellulose, a component of all plant cells).  Cellulose itself isn't enough to cause excessive gas since the bacteria feast upon it very slowly, but combined with indigestible sugars and starches, it can create unpleasantness.  Besides cruciferous vegetables, foods with these gassy reactions include beans (which we avoid for their lectins); grains and other starches (which we also avoid for a slew of reasons); onions, artichokes, and pears for their fructose;  carbonated beverages (duh); many fruits for their soluble fiber that creates a gel only broken down in the intestines; and dairy [which we also avoid since it is highly concentrated grain (what most cows eat)].

Other bacteria in the intestines actually utilize the gas these bacteria produce, so the system is in balance.  However, when you eat foods that overwhelm this system, bloating and flatulence is the outcome.  How much gas is too much?  People differ in the amount of gas-producing bacteria and how gassy those bacteria are.  We all have our own unique digestive flora, like alien worlds within us.  Some people have less efficient digestive tracts, so more food makes it down into the intestines and colon (for example, those that eat grains and have already put their digestive systems in crisis mode).  Celiacs (those with gluten intolerance) and those who are lactose intolerant (can't eat dairy) fall into this category.  Finally, those little gassy bacteria can overrun the place and get out of hand.  Usually they reside only in the colon, but overpopulation can lead to expansion into the small intestine.  There is more food in the small intestine being broken down and absorbed, so more bacterial feasting can occur.  

What can we do about it?

Well, some sites say to avoid cruciferous vegetables entirely--which knocks out broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.  To forgo a whole category of vegetable is crazy, especially since they are so tasty and nutritious!  Naysayers, I fart in your general direction.

Others sites suggest less extreme remedies.  Here are some that don't include regular supplementation or drugs:

1. Exercise more.  Exercise gets your body moving so that gas can pass through your system easier and not get holed up inside, creating bloating.  What exercise do I recommend?  CROSSFIT!!!! (Note: try the main site if you aren't in Santa Cruz).  Find a gym and workout regularly.  The proof is in the results. 
2. Eat a carminative, an herb or preparation to fight intestinal problems by either reducing gas formation or aiding its expulsion.  Carminatives include: anise seeds, basil, nutmeg, peppermint, ginger, caraway seeds, cardamon seeds, cinnamon, coriander, dill, cumin, fennel, marjoram, onion, oregano, rosemary, saffron, spearmint, and thyme.  Examples include: 
1. Drinking peppermint tea.  Peppermint is a carminative that relaxes intestinal muscles to help ease the passing of gas.  
2. Eating ginger soaked in lemon juice after a meal.  Ginger and lemon juice are also carminatives.  You can suck on a piece of ginger soaked in lemon juice or grate it into hot water and add lemon juice. 
3. Chewing fennel or anise seeds after a meal.  Same deal with these: carminatives.  You can also crush them and make them into tea. 
4. Drinking water spiked with lemon juice, another carminative, with meals.  
3. Drink water.  Some recommend lukewarm water with lime juice and honey in the morning on an empty stomach as a remedy. 
4. Eat foods containing probiotics such as fermented foods.  Probiotics might aid in the elimination of gas.  Probiotics are usually bacteria or yeasts similar to healthy gut bacteria that you need to digest food.  They can aid digestion by contributing reinforcements to your own bacteria.  Check back for more on them in another post, since they are a big can of worms.      
5. Avoid high fat quantity with gas producing foods since fat slows digestion and can lead to gas build-up in the stomach.  Remember, balanced meals are best, so always eat some fat, just don't go overboard when eating foods that make you gassy.  
6. Use an over the counter remedy such as Bean-o.  Bean-o contains a plant-derrived enzyme that breaks down raffinose (the indigestible sugar in cauliflower) before it enters the colon.  
7. Try to buildup your tolerance to gas-producing foods if you have a little every day.  

Main Sources:
Medicine Net

Web MD

Okay, now that everyone is feeling a little intestinal discomfort, on to our recipe which might give you a chance to try out this new knowledge!

Simple Roasted Cauliflower

What is better than caramelized, GB and D (golden brown and delicious) cauliflower?  Takes awhile, but well worth the wait and simplicity!

Zone Blocks: 4 cups of cauliflower is one block of carbohydrate.  

1 head of cauliflower per diner

garlic powder

salt

olive oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Wash the cauliflower head and cut in half (I know a little mess, but not nearly as much as with the rice!).  You might want to trim off the leaves since those aren't as tasty even when roasted.  Place head halves on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (I totally destroyed a sheet pan when I didn't use it, so you are hereby warned) and sprinkle with olive oil.  Toss to coat all sides and parchment.  Then, dust liberally with garlic powder (the smell of this roasting will fill the house with garlicky goodness!) and sprinkle on some salt.  Whack it in the oven for about 30 minutes and check for browning (could take up to an hour).  If you don't have it yet or feel like chancing the carbon gods and going for a darker shade of brown at the cusp of burning, be my guest.  If you have acceptable brownage, flip and let 'er go another half an hour or so until you see similar browning on this side.  Once you are happy with your caramelized cauliflower, enjoy the feast--and go ahead, eat as much as want!

Serving Suggestions:

This makes an excellent side dish for any meat.  Try to avoid going overly fatty in the other foods you are serving with cauliflower to help prevent our friend flatulence.

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

(a la Monty Python and the Holy Grail in case you mistakenly thought I was being rude :) )

Cauliflower

Troubling Tubers

Tubers are a point of contention in the paleo community.  The paleo diet as prescribed by Loren Cordain says tubers of all sorts are out.  They require processing (cooking) and are too nutrient dense and high on the glycemic index.  If anyone can find me more data on why Cordain rules them out when they were clearly eaten by many hunter-gatherers, please point me to a source.

Complex carbohydrates like tubers are quick energy, breaking down into glucose easily, starting with your saliva.  In saliva is amylase, a digestive enzyme designed to break down complex carbohydrates like starch into simpler ones for digestion and absorption.  The enzymes follow the food through your digestive system, breaking it down.  Amylase is interesting because there is a gene for it that has more copies on the chromosomes of starch-eaters (on average) than those that don't have starch as a large part of their diet, according to researchers.  Some speculate that amylase copying is a critical point in human evolution, the divergence between humans with more copies of the gene for improved starch digestion and other great apes with fewer copies.

Starches would be beneficial for human evolution because they are such a concentrated energy source.  Reliance on nutrient-dense tubers could fuel our brain growth and change our social interactions.  One article discusses the evidence and arguments surrounding this hypothesis.

One caveat discussed: tubers are not readily digestible until cooked, so human ancestors would have needed fire.  Evidence of cooking hearths and consistent use of fire doesn't show up in the archaeological record until later in human evolution.  Of course, just because we haven't found it doesn't rule it out, but more data is needed.  However, there is evidence in the teeth of our oldest ancestors, the Australopithecines, that show a diet of soft-tough food items, which could mean a diet of underground storage organs, namely bulbs and roasted tubers that are rendered soft and digestible.

Another caveat from my physical anthropology background: savanna-dwelling primates dig up roots and tubers, notably baboons and some chimpanzees.  Why haven't they become larger-brained? 

Perhaps it is not just the starch that fueled our evolutionary path.  Perhaps it was the combination of eating high energy sources like tubers, adding meat to our diet, cooking our food, and creating organized food redistribution that led our ancestors on a different path than our closest relatives.  While chimpanzees exhibit hunting and root acquisition, they lack cooking and food redistribution akin to hunter-gatherer groups.  

In my opinion, there is never going to be one thing to pinpoint and say "aha! that is what makes us human!"  My argument is that perhaps our reliance on roots and tubers is something that evolved with us and has been with us for millions of years.

You make up your own decision, but here are some pros and cons for eating tubers, namely the sweet potato:

Pros:

1.  They are great energy sources for quick refueling after intense activity.

2.  They contain high concentrations of vitamins like B6, and especially vitamins A (beta-carotene) and C.  Carotenoids help stabilize blood sugar levels and play a role in many bodily systems, such as skin growth and repair.

3. They are high in potassium, essential to our bodies, namely cell function.   

4.  They are also high in fiber, so they promote digestive health and satiate your hunger.

5.  They are chock full of antioxidants, which are linked with reduced risk of cancer and disease. 

Cons:

1.  They are relatively high glycemic foods (compared to other vegetables), which is great for getting energy fast, say after exercise, but not that great at more sedentary times.

2.  They are often fried and/or over-processed (i.e. those that come in bags and boxes).

3.  They require cooking to promote digestibility.

4.  They don't digest well when eaten in conjunction with protein.  Proteins require a more acidic stomach environment to digest them, while starches require a more alkaline environment.  This means that your stomach plays tug of war with its acid-base balance and thereby can't digest either efficiently.  The combining of these foods can lead to bloating, gas, indigestion, and heartburn, among other problems, described more here.   Starches are best with easily digested protein sources, such as whey, eggs, and milk (eggs being the most suitable on a paleo-style diet).

More on Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes can be orange or white and most supermarket "yams" are really just orange sweet potatoes.  Yams have a lower glycemic load and glycemic index (more on those values in another post!), so they are preferable if you can find true yams.

There are a multitude of ways to prepare sweet potatoes, and I will definitely return to them in future posts.  I love them best in savory applications since their inherent sweetness needs no accentuation, at least to me.

The Most Basic Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Cooking Time: 1/2 hour start to finish

Zone Blocks: each medium sweet potato is 3 blocks, 1/2 T of olive oil is about 4-5 blocks.  Use less if desired, but beware of stickage.  

1 sweet potato per diner (each is 3 blocks on the zone diet)

1/2 T olive oil per sweet potato

garlic

salt

pepper

Start heating your broiler on Low and remember to keep the oven door open a crack (I know, this has always weirded me out--if the oven can clean at ungodly temperatures, why am I cracking it and losing all this heat for broiling?).  Make sure one of your oven racks is in a high enough position to get right below the upper heating elements. 

Peel your sweet potatoes and slice lengthwise into thin wedges (say 1/4 inch), no need for a mandolin (unless you have one you really like to use), just a heavy chef's knife will do.  I am awful with anything sharp; I almost always grate part of my hand whenever using the grater, so I am especially careful with knives for my inherent idiot factor.  To make this easy: after peeling, cut your first 1/4 wedge off the sweet potato side furthest from your hand (smart, huh?).  Then, lay the rest of the sweet potato on the cutting board with the cut side down, making it steady and now a little thinner to slice.  Of course, this will leave you with wedges that aren't perfect ovals--they'll have a straight side, but really, do you care?  Slice them more if desired, but the wedges work fine for me. 

Once cut, pile them on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle garlic, salt, and pepper (your discretion about how much to use--I like mine garlicy and salty).  Then, get your hands dirty by tossing the potatoes to evenly coat every one with oil, salt, garlic, and pepper--both sides.  Then, arrange in rows to allow for the most surface area exposure to the heat.  Whack in the oven (but leave the door open a crack!), and give them 10 minutes--more or less.  Look frequently for browning and remove to flip once you see any evidence of burning.  This is a fun game of how far can you let them go to get crunchy without going over the line to burnage.  Fun!  Flip and repeat on the second side noting that this side always takes less time.  Once done, remove and try not to burn yourself devouring them!  They are yummy!

Serving Suggestion:

I am naughty and still eat starches with beef and poultry, but perhaps eggs would be a better choice now that I have looked into it more.  Let me know what combinations work best!

Sweet Potatoes