Bone broth for bounce in step

Well here we are with just 6 days left till surgery day. Times fun why you’re having flies now isn’t it? I have finally come to harmony with the surgery… or is it denial? Who knows, but for now, I’ll take it. It is much more peaceful. I have come this far in this journey and now time to forge forward to the next step and have joyous movement back in my life. I have been working on drinking lots of bone broth to beef (pun intended) up my joints.

My grandmother was famous for her pot of beans. She would take a big fat ham bone with lots of meat on it and simmer it all night long. The next morning she would add the beans and onions then cook all day long. The scent would snake its way all over the neighborhood. She would simply seasoned it with salt and pepper and serve it up in large steaming bowls with freshly baked cornbread. I will never forget that humble yet soul satisfying meal that so conjures up her essence. Grandma lived to be 98 years old, active and witty till the very end. We all considered the beans as her fountain of youth but now I understand it was the ham bone.

Science validates what our grandmother’s knew; rich homemade broth from bones cures whatever ails you. Bone broth contains minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur that are hard to get in a form that the body can easily absorb (which is also hard to get). And that is just the thing that is so amazing about bone stocks is that everything is broken down where the body can easily absorb all the lovely things contained in it. Of course, your bones will love this stuff.

Stock made from bones also contains the stuff joints are made of like cartilage and tendons which break down into very valuable chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine. We pay a lot of money to buy these supplements in tablet form where our elders just got them from those magical bone broths. There is insult to injury here; those expensive tablets are not very absorbable so we aren’t even getting the good stuff that we paid for. If you want your joints to be healthier and pain free toss the pills and build a broth. One cup a day will keep the doctor away.

Homemade broths are so much different than the store-bought ones. The most profound difference you will notice is that the store-bought broth is easy to pour out of those neat little containers. Homemade broths take on an interesting metamorphous and are jelly like, no pouring these broths! (I’m not sure how they get the gelatin out of the store bought broth. Another great processed food mystery!) That is because they are chocked full of gelatin that was extracted from the bones. Gelatin is another super-food that has been found to help treat many health problems such as peptic ulcers, diabetes, digestive issues, muscle and infectious diseases. Yes! Granny was right on serving you chicken soup to cure that dreadful cold.

Not only is broth nutritionally dense, it is also a magic elixir for cooks and chefs alike to add deeper flavor to all their dishes. Sauté your veggies in it or add a dab of broth to any dish and you will be amazed at the complexities of flavor it will add. Most cultures have a stock pot simmering on the stove all the time, making the most out of the nutrition of all animal or vegetable scraps. Today we buy individual filets and boneless chicken breasts, or grab fast food on the run, and stock with its many benefits has practically disappeared from our culture.

Reverse this trend in your home by bringing back an old tradition and make your own bone broth. It is easy to get soup bones from our local meat growers or from your butcher. Soup bones are also very easy on the budget. It is a win win scenario, great nutrition and fantastic flavor for pennies on the dollar. Here is a great stew recipe to make bone broth!

Elk stew made with bone broth

Basic Beef or Venison broth
This recipe is great with poultry too. To make poultry stock, first roast the bird, eat and then make the stock from the carcass. The apple cider vinegar helps to extract more nutrients form the bones and cartilage. Instead of using whole veggies you can just toss in scraps. I have a friend that keeps a bag of bones and veggie scraps in the freezer, then when it gets full she makes a luscious broth.

About 4-5 pounds of bones with marrow and joints
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
A few sprigs of rosemary or other herbs
4 or more quarts of cold filtered water

If you have a big crock pot you are set. Add everything to the pot of the slow cooker and cover the bones with the cold water. Turn your slow cooker on low, cover and walk away for 12-24 hours checking in occasionally to make sure there is enough water to keep the bones covered. (If you are using a cooking pot on the stove, toss everything in a large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, then cover and let simmer for 12-24 hours checking occasionally to make sure there is still plenty of water in there.)
Let the magic elixir cool for an hour or two then remove the bones with tongs or a large slotted spoon. Now you will have a pot full of a rather repulsive looking brown liquid that has globs of fat floating around in it. Do not despair! It will be amazing, have faith! Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into heat proof bowl and let cool a few more hours. Pour into wide mouth quart jars and place in the fridge overnight. Remove the fat that will congeal on the top and give that and the bones to your or your neighbor’s dog. Use the bone broth liberally in soups and cooking. Freeze any broth that you aren’t going to use soon in plastic containers. Some people re-use the bones for two to three broths in a constantly simmering crock pot.

Chocolate coconut dream pie

Countdown to surgery, three weeks, eek!
This week has been a crazy week filled with the ups and downs of a roller coaster ride in a hurricane. The enormity of the undertaking of getting a knee replacement has been compounded by the fact that sense I have lost 15 pounds and eat 99% primal, my knee pain has diminished dramatically. So it has my wee brain smoking away wondering if I should postpone the surgery.

It is wonderful to feel this great! I can work long hours and still have energy left to spare where they use to tire me. I swear I’m going to turn into a Mark Sisson success story, it feels that real and powerful. Never in my life has feeling good overruled the need for chocolate.

Now with that said….. let’s talk about chocolate. I haven’t been eating much of it, obviously, but sense this is a lifestyle change and sense Valentine’s day is coming up, it is time to take the chocolate out of the closet. (That is literally where I have it!) We all love chocolate but what it the big deal about it and why is it paleo approved?

First let’s just start with the basics. There are many varieties of chocolate to get captivated by and it is all determined by their chocolate to sugar ratio. The more chocolate present the less sugar so consequently the stronger the chocolate flavor and the happier the caveperson. Super dark chocolate has very little sugar and 70-90% chocolate. It has a deep and sexy flavor to it that is not that sweet but very rich. It is the chocolate that has the most nutritional qualities in it and is primally approved.

Dark chocolate is loaded with so many antioxidants that blueberries don’t even hold a candle to it. The fat content of chocolate is made up from cocoa butter which is a friendly fat that is cholesterol neutral. It is also mineral rich with potassium, magnesium and many others. If you needed more reasons to eat chocolate, there they are. On the opposite spectrum is milk chocolate, which most of us grew up with. It has the highest sugar and the least amount of chocolate, 20- 25%. Not good.

Now the question we all have been waiting for, why does chocolate make us so happy? It seems that it contains a substance called theobromine that stimulates the body to release endorphins, which are our natural opiates. (Oddly enough, it is the theobromine that also makes chocolate toxic to dogs and cats.)

A recent discovered about chocolate is that it has its own “terrior”. Which means the chocolate is imbued with the flavor of the land it is grown on, like wine. If you look, fine chocolates are beginning to be labeled with where they are grown. There are also many chocolate companies that are beginning to buy “fair trade” chocolate, which means they are paying the people who grow it fair wages. No matter what form chocolate comes in, it has a special place in all of our souls.

I buy my chocolate from this great Oregon based website called chocosphere. Not only do they have chocolate drops over 85% (which I’m sure you’ve noticed is hard to find in stores) but they also have a nice selection of fair trade and single origin chocolates. I recommend the República del Cacao 85% chocolate drops. Excellent single origin chocolate that is worth of the fantastic recipe adapted from Elana’s pantry. Happy Valentine’s day and enjoy!

Chocolate coconut dream pie

Dark chocolate pie crust

Makes one large pie or many lovely tarts. 12 servings all together.

1 1/4 cups of almond flour
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
2 Tablespoons of coconut oil or a high quality oil
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips, melted

Turn on the oven to 350 degrees with a rack right in the middle of the oven. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt and baking soda and whisk it together till it is blended. In a smaller bowl combine the oil, honey, and melted chocolate. (yum) Stir the chocolate mix into the dry mix and stir till everything is well combined. (Here is the fun part) Press the crust into a 9 ½ inch deep-dish pie pan. This takes a wee bit of patience and love to get it all in there evenly and pretty.

Pop the crust into the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, until the surface of the crust loses its sheen and starts to look dry. Be careful here, it is easy to overcook this nugget. Take out of the oven and let cool for at least an hour before you fill it up with yumminess.

The luscious filling

2 (13.5oz) cans of coconut milk (not light!)
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 cup of arrowroot powder
1/2 cup of honey or agave nectar
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of super dark chocolate chips

After making this pie many times, I have learned you get out everything you are going to need on the counter by the stove, BEFORE you start to cook. This pie requires a strong arm and conviction but the rewards are awe inspiring. Now, on with the action.

Pour all but 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and salt into a medium to large saucepan. Measure out your arrowroot powder and place in a small bowl. Pour the 1/4 cup of coconut milk in with the arrowroot powder and whip it up with a whisk till it is a nicely blended paste. Measure your chocolate chips, honey and vanilla and set aside. Now you get to turn on the stove under the coconut milk to medium high heat. Bring the coconut milk to a simmer, almost a boil, whisking frequently. When it comes to a simmer get to whisking all the time, for a few minutes.

Add the arrowroot powder paste and keep on whisking like mad till the coconut milk starts to thicken, about 2-3 minutes, then whisk in the honey and vanilla. Stir like a crazy chef for about 1 more minute then remove from heat and keep whisking for another minute or two. Let it cool for a few minutes then whisk in the chocolate chips till they are melted. (Love this part! One could save all the whisking if you used an immersion blender or handheld blender but I like the tactile feel of doing it by hand.) Continue to let it cool for about 15-20 minutes while whisking it here and there and try not to drink it all, but spoon tasting is definitely required. Pour into the awaiting cooled pie crust, toss some nuts on top if you so please, and refrigerate for 2 hours or better yet, overnight till you serve it.

I have found a new weight loss tool online that I am jubilant about! It is “My Fitness Pal” (known as MFP). It is a little like facebook rolled up into a fitness /food tracker. I’ve been using “Fit Day” for the last year, (on and off), due to a recommendation by Mark Sisson, but I found it to be stale, sterile and lonely. A friend turned me onto MFP last week and I have been enjoying it and the people there immensely.

It works a little like facebook where you find yourself “friends” of like mind. There is a wonderful paleo/primal group that you can join and that the cavepeople there are very supportive and helpful. When I was a bit bummed about not losing any weight one day, the encouragement bolstered my spirits and kept me on track.

Some nice features about it are you can re-set the calorie, fat, carbs to whatever you want to, which is very nice. (It is under the tab “my goals”) Another nice feature that I like is that you do not have to log in every. single. time. you go there, like Fit Day. (So annoying) Your food dairy can be made public to your friends, if you like, so that they can take a peek and help you figure out what you are doing wrong or right. Pop on over and check it out. If you do, “befriend” me! My user name is cavewomancafe, of course.

So I lost 2 pounds this week. Happy? Yes! I do wish I could get the scale to move just a wee bit faster but I am happy it is moving at all after my 10 day stall at the beginning of January. This week I changed eating all my major carbs to before 3 pm. Night time I eat light and lots of vegetables and protein. I have also upped my exercise and am really enjoying water aerobics.

I am honestly enjoying eating hungry now, where in the past it frightened me to be that hungry. Eating hungry makes each bite so wonderful that I find I am satisfied with eating less. I actually couldn’t finish my breakfast the other day, when that size of breakfast would usually be a slam dunk. (shock and awe!)

This week I went out of my way to make interesting and delicious meals to spark things up a bit as well. Our favorite meals were Mark Sisson’s “Coconut Curry Meatballs” (minus the liver) and a recipe of my own invention, that was so good that Caveman Hubby said it called to him all night long. Here it is for you to enjoy. Thanks for the support and interest.

Spicy Tuna Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Spicy Grilled Tuna Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Any fish will do here. Salmon is spectacular and halibut is magnificent! Omit the honey in the salad dressing if you are doing Whole 30 or no sugar. You can find smoked paprika in health food store in the bulk spices section or at specialty gourmet shops. It really is worth the effort!

For the tuna
1 pound of fresh-frozen albacore tuna loin(s)
3 – 6 cloves of garlic pressed
¼ cup of olive oil
2 tsp of fennel, slightly crushed
2 tsp of smoked paprika or regular paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix up your marinade and rub all over the tuna and let rest for about ½ hour in the fridge. When you are ready, heat up your grill and get it good and hot. Sear the tuna 5 to 7 minutes on each side, depending on the size of the loin, till it is just barely cooked through. Set on a plate, sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little more paprika, then let it cool to room temp while you prepare the salad. (Smoked salt is really splendid on this!)

For the salad;
2 boiled eggs, peeled and cubed
1 avocado, cubed and sprinkled with lemon juice
Enough mixed salad greens for 4 (about 2 cups each)
Green onion, minced
2 carrots, grated
1 cucumber, cubed
1 apple, cubed

While the tuna is resting, awaiting it’s grand moment, peel and prep your boiled eggs and avocado then set aside. Prepare your salad and toss together. Divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle with the boiled eggs and avocado. Divide the tuna into four pieces and set right in the middle of each bowl of salad. Drizzle the dressing equally over the tuna and salad and serve immediately with a wedge of lemon.

The dressing,
4 pieces of bacon, cut up into little pieces
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp of fennel, slightly crushed
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1 tsp of honey (optional)
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Make the dressing right before you put the tuna on the grill so it is nice a warm to serve up. Fry up the bacon in a big heavy skillet, When it is cooked through add the shallot through the paprika to the bacon dripping and fry over medium heat just a bit longer till fragrant and you are drooling. (It happens!) Add the coconut oil and honey then continued to sauté till melted and blended well. Stir in the vinegar and keep stirring to de-glaze the skillet and you have scraped up all the bacon bits from the bottom of the pan, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reduce skillet to low to keep warm while you grill the tuna.

Drunken Beef or venison stew

Well, I finally moved through my sticking point and lost two pounds this week! Yippee! I did something I didn’t think I would ever have to again with this lifestyle; I started to count calories. I know I know, I wish I did not have to but my body is so used to this weight I really had to do something to let it know I was serious. Very serious. I allow myself between 1200 to 1500 calories a day, 50-75 carbs a day and about 60 grams of fat. It seems to be working. I think I have to limit my calories as such since I can not really work out that hard. Someday in the future I will, but until then I just plain need. to. lose. weight.

I also re-introduced myself to listening to Jon Gabriel’s cd evening meditation for weight loss. If you have not heard of Jon Gabriel yet and you would like to lose some weight, he rocks.  He lost 225 pounds through visualization and eating fairly primal. I think he likes flax seeds for omega 3s but other than that, he is really primal. His overall presentation is very inspiring. Jon’s book, “The Gabriel Method” is informative and an easy read. I highly recommend it. After you get his book you can download his visualization cd and load it onto you iPod. (I listen to it every night as I go to sleep and love it.)

This week with all the rain, rain and wind (did I mention rain?) I wanted comfort foods. Potatoes are out of the question but ohhhhh did I want them. My venison stew is such a wonderful cozy food to eat on these long winter’s night, but how could I make it without potatoes? Enter, stage left, parsnips!

I don’t know about you, but parsnips and I have never really gotten to know each other. I bought two giant organic parsnips at Mother Nature’s (our local health food store) and brought them home with high hopes. I replaced the potatoes in the recipe with them and lo and behold they were wonderful! I have a new love. ♥ Beets are also wonderful in stew even though I was out of them for the pictures I took here. So here is the recipe for you to enjoy on one of your long, dark and stormy nights.

Wonderful yumminess and comfort

Drunken Beef Stew
I used a commercial mustard for this but you can make your own easily enough over here. Add a wee bit more water an hour or so before it is done if you think it needs more broth. I used a venison rump roast. If you aren’t doing wine substitute beef broth or bone broth.

2 tablespoons of coconut oil, divided
2 pounds of bottom round, or any good grass fed stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound of mushrooms, white or cremini, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of powdered arrowroot
2 cups of red wine
4 -5 large carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large parsnip cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large beet, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small can of pureed tomatoes, no salt
1 ½ tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (Slightly crushed in a mortar and pestle)
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
A few cranks of black pepper
1 bay leaf

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and add half the meat. Brown on all sides turning frequently, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a 6 quart slow cooker. Cook the second half of the meat in the remaining tablespoon of oil till brown on all sides and add to the party going on in the slow cooker.

Return the skillet to medium heat and melt the other tablespoon of coconut oil then add the mushrooms, garlic and onions and sauté till they get fragrant and translucent, about 5 – 7 minutes. Sprinkle the arrowroot powder over the mix and stir and cook for a few more minutes. Now the fun part, take a swig of the wine, just to make sure it is the right brand, then add to the mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil while whisking constantly to keep from foaming too much, for about more 3 minutes, till it makes you drool. Transfer to the party mix in the slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients to the drunken slow cooker and mix it up. Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours, while you chase dreams. (Discard the bay leaf before eating.) Enjoy!

Week two of the countdown to surgery.

This week has been harder. I’ve been eating about 98% on plan but my weight leveled off and then I actually gained a pound over two days! ACK! I kept telling myself this is a science experiment and not to be so attached but after losing 8 pounds last week it was a bit of a letdown. (To say the least!) One person advised me that this is natural and to keep my perspective. I had a very stressful week with low sleep, and then I got my cycle, so there you go. Amazing how everything affects us huh?

The big win I got out of this week is I DID NOT give in and start eating the SAD (Standard American Diet) diet again, even though the scale did not recognize this. I did feel great all week! In fact I had so much energy it was unreal! Even after working long days, I wasn’t wiped out like I usually am.

So Cubby Bear, (paleo son) has been encouraging me to eat about 125 grams of protein a day. This is a really big stretch for the once vegetarian. I’m lucky to get 50 grams a day. But Cubby Bear says that eating a lot of protein satisfies and lowers the chance of doing bad things. Ya know like eating chocolate, lots of chocolate. It is time to explore, what is 125 grams of protein look like in one day?

To find out how much protein that is and how to get it, I took a stroll over to primal god among mortal men, Mark Sisson’s site to examine this.  He has an excellent article on this topic, as I would expect him to have, ya know, sense he is a god. So it looks like a 6 oz beef steak has 52 grams of protein in it. Hum, not bad.

(All the following meats are for 6 oz, except the egg of course.)Then a can of tuna has 40 grams which is close to the same amount for a chicken breast of the same size. Turkey on the other hand has 48 grams. Interesting. One egg is only 6.3 grams. Well that is disappointing; seeming that is one of my favorite foods. Venison one of our favorite meats to eat, thanks to caveman husband, is about 39 grams. Well I can see this is going to be a challenge but I am up to it! Bring on the venison!

My caveman hubby, affectionately known as “Stag”, is such a great cook. One of my favorite meals he creates is pan seared venison with onions and mushrooms. We have it for breakfast sometimes. (I’m drooling just writing about it.) Remember when cooking wild game that it has more connective tissue in it so if you over cook it, it will be really dry and liver tasting. Stag makes his steaks out of rump roast after the backstrap and tenderloins are gone. You can hardly tell the difference. Feel free to use grass fed bison or beef for this as well. This is a great site to get your bison from. Sustainably raised and happy buffalo meat.

Salad made with the perfect venison

Stag’s perfect seared venison steak

5-6 cloves of sliced garlic
4-6 Venison steaks, about 1 ¼ inches thick
A couple tablespoons of coconut oil
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 large onion sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice your garlic and wrap them in a paper towel and squeeze them dry. Cut your steaks into portion sizes and then take a paper towel and dab off all the moisture on both sizes. I know this sounds weird but you must get the moisture off the steaks to get the right sear on them. (Stag puts his steaks or roast in a colander on a plate, in the fridge for a few hours before hand to drip dry a bit.) Then heat up a heavy bottomed skillet and melt the coconut oil in there. (We use a cast iron skillet big and heavy enough to knock out a bear.) Put the garlic in the pan on medium heat and sauté the garlic until it is a nice golden brown color. Fish out the garlic and put aside. Turn up the heat to medium high and lay the steaks in the hot oil.

It is important to note here that you do not want to crowd the steaks. They need to be at least an inch a part to sear correctly or they end up boiling. Scouch the steaks around with your spatula so they do not stick as they are searing and cook 3 – 5 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook another 3 minutes or so. (We like our meat done medium rare) Pull out your steaks and put them on a plate a least an inch apart so they do not keep cooking. If you think they are overdone quickly cut them into slices to stop the cooking all together. Don’t be bashful to cut into the smallest runt steak and test the doneness. If that steak is cooked perfectly to your liking, remove and let the other bigger steaks cook about 30 seconds more.

After you have pulled the steaks out, drop another tablespoon of coconut oil in the skillet and dump in the mushrooms and onions. Sauté for about 5-10 minutes or so while the meat rests. When your mushrooms and onions are just perfect, pour them and all the pan drippings over the steaks and serve immediately with the sautéed garlic. Ug, very good.

Look at all the lovely onions to make soup with

Hello everyone out there in caveland! I have an announcement to make; I am getting a total knee replacement at the end of February due to an skiing accident that I was in at 17 . Yup, I am finally pulling the trigger and getting it done. My world has become smaller and smaller over the last few years and it is at the point that even walking on the beach with the dog is painful. Now the rubber meets the pavement.

I have been eating primal, more or less for 1 ½ years now. I say more or less because even though I eat really healthy and adhere to most of the principals, I’m still 4o pounds overweight. Obviously I don’t follow it to the letter of the law. I lose a few then gain a few. I know it is due to my great love of chocolate, nuts and cheese. I thought primal was the perfect thing for me since I could still eat those wonderful things. But I have proven that too much of anything can sure add up.

My goal is to lose 45 pounds in the next 6 months. My orthopedic surgeon has given me a directive that sense I am having this knee replacement at such a young age I have got to lose some weight. No wiggle room or maybe nots here. I have painted myself into a corner. Time to learn to fly.

I will be working with my nutrition geek, paleo son who has introduced this all to me to achieve my goal. He is mapping out a plan for me full of new tricks for this old(ish) dog. The old adage that I must keep remembering through all this is “Life begins where the comfort zone ends.” Keep my mind open. It is where I feel it closing down that I become lost to old ways.

One of the new tricks he is suggesting is weighing myself every day. Every day! Wow I barely get on the scale for months at a time so this is where my comfort zone ends. (Update on this, I have lost 7 pound this week by weighing myself daily. It is an interesting game that keeps me engaged. So far so good.) My first deadline is February 13th, preop day and I have to weigh in. Second deadline is two weeks later for the surgery. I would love to of lost 20 pounds by then!

One thing I love to eat in the winter is soups. I have been so conditioned to make soups with legumes of all sorts that making primal soups has been difficult for me. But that has been one of the fun things about getting serious; I have really enjoyed playing with my cookbooks and getting creative. Here is one of my new favorite creative soups that I think you will enjoy.

Chinese 5 spice onion soup

Kombu is a type of kelp that you can get at any health food store. Its nutritional value is outstanding and delicious in this soup. All of the spices in this recipe are available from a health food store, as well, in their bulk spices.

2 boneless chicken breasts or a bunch prawns (about 10)
3 nice fat yellow onions
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of coconut oil or butter
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 32 oz container of low sodium chicken broth
1 quart of water
1 tablespoon of finely grated fresh ginger
4, 1/4 inch slices of fresh ginger
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
1/4 cup of dried kombu, cut into small pieces (optional)
2 cups of sliced shitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon or more of no wheat soy sauce, tamari
Hot sauce to taste, preferably Sriracha

Skin and chop the onions up and let them sit for 5 minutes to let all those health-promoting properties to condense. Meanwhile chop the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. Take out your favorite heavy bottomed soup pot and melt the oil on medium heat. Toss the onions and minced garlic into the pot and stir till the oil has been distributed among them. Then cook slowly over the medium heat. Resist the temptation to turn it up, we want the onions to get caramelized. Stir every few minutes with a heat resistant rubber spatula making sure to get all the goodies off the bottom of the pan. The onions will start to get toast colored and very fragrant after about 15 minutes. Add the chicken plus a bit more oil if you need, and cook about 5 minutes. Then add the fennel bulb through the mushrooms to the mix.

Bring the soup to a gentle boil over the medium heat then let simmer over a medium low heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes to concentrate the flavors. (The smell of the soup will fill the kitchen with faraway places.) Fish out the star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves and ginger if you can find them. If not, no big deal, just warn people you serve to not bite into them or they will get quite the flavor punch. Season the soup with tamari and serve immediately in beautiful soup bowls.

Pork out with this lovely stuffed pork loin

No matter how many years that have gone by, it still amazes me when we come to the end of yet another year. The year always seems to end so abruptly after all the pomp and circumstance of the holidays. I really like to stop and breathe, then take inventory for the following year. As you can imagine, the way I like to celebrate the changing of the tides is with an elegant and easy meal.

One of the wonders I have discovered this year is pork. It is interesting to admit that I have always given pork the evil eye. We all know why we shy away from pork; high in fat and cholesterol. I am here to break that myth. The truth to the story is that there is as much fat and calories in 3 oz of pork loin as in 3 oz of skinless chicken breast. Also pound per pound pork has more nutrients and protein than chicken. Wow.

Pork loin or pork loin chops are a wonderful, healthy way to enjoy this decadent meat. Knowing that loin is low in fat it is important to cook it like all low fat meats. Either slow and low or hot and fast, so not to dry it out. Moist heat, such as braising, poaching, simmering, and crockpot cooking, also works well. It is a good idea to lightly oil the top of your pork loin to keep it from drying out while cooking.

Another myth to dispel about pork is that you don’t have to overcook it to kill bad unspeakable things. This was a problem a long time ago, not now. Cook your pork till it is still the lightest shade of pink. If you cook it till it is white, you have over cooked it. Brining the loin, such as in the following recipe, is a nice way to keep it from drying out.

It is important however, to carefully pick where your meat comes from. Pork from big factory farms is not a good choice. Just look it on the web to convince yourself. Choose pork from small caring farms. We are lucky to have some around here. The pigs have been raised in big happy enclosures and slaughtered humanely.

Here are a few of our local farmers to buy pork from;
Lance’s Farm Vittles; 503-322-2226
Okay Ranch; 503-322-3546

This dish is a solid winner. It is easy, relatively fast and very showy. You can mix up what you stuff the loin with. The other night I stuffed one with feta, sundried tomatoes, garlic and pesto. Delizioso! Use your imagination and have fun. I hope your new year brings you health, happiness and many a good belly rubbing meal! Oh, and enjoy some pork this year.

Stuffed pork loin

Cranberry stuffed pork loin
If you can not find pure cranberry juice use apple juice instead. If you are dairy free, use the nuts instead of the chevre.

2 pound pork loin
1 cup of pure cranberry juice or water
2 tablespoon of fresh minced rosemary
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons of kosher salt

1 large pear, chopped fine
1 tablespoon of fresh minced rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup of chevre, (goat cheese)
OR 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of dried cranberries
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Few cranks of pepper
Little olive oil

Cranberry sauce for pork
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup of fresh cranberries
½ cup of pure cranberry juice or apple juice
1 -3 tablespoons of coconut sugar

To stuff the pork loin, you first need to flatten the thing, which can be a feat. Lay it on a nice solid cutting board and cut it horizontally through the center of the loin, but not through it. Open it flat like a book. Cover the loin with plastic wrap and pound the loin with a small heavy frying pan or a meat mallet. Pound it till it is as thin as you can get it. (Or ½ inch thick.)

Combine the cranberry juice, water, rosemary, oil and salt in a large bowl and stir till mixed. Add the pork loin into the marinade and tuck into the fridge for 4 hours or so to marinate, turning occasionally.

When the time has come, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and drain the pork loin in a colander. While it is draining, combine the pear, garlic, chevre, cranberries, salt and pepper. Open up the loin and smear it with the chevre mixture. Roll up the roast, jelly roll style, and lay in a lightly oiled baking pan seam side down. (Some people like to tie it with kitchen string) Oil the top of the loin with a wee bit of olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes or so (20 minutes per pound) till it is succulent and cooked through. Let stand for 15 minutes before you slice it.

While the loin is waiting for the great cutting, add the onion to a slightly oiled skillet and sauté till fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the fresh cranberries, juice, and the sugar to pan and cook over medium heat scrapping up the browned bits. Reduce to simmer and cook for 5 more minutes or until the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens. Serve up the loin slices with the cranberry sauce on the side. Happy New year!

Ah, nothing like tea and biscotti on a cold winter's night

Tea is one of the oldest and most revered of drinks in the world. It dates back at least 5,000 years. The legend has it that when a Chinese emperor was out traveling around the country side, the party stopped to have a bite to eat. This very clever fellow had decreed earlier in his reign that all water be boiled before drinking, so the royal party set about boiling their water. Some leaves from a nearby tree fell into the water and voila! Tea was born. It soon spread around the east like a warm blanket and was eventually elevated to an art form by the Japanese. Those globe trotting Europeans got a hold of it in the 14 century the rest is history.

Any culture you look at, tea has made its loving foot print. It represents slowing down, enjoying the moment and breathing. Tea is a sanctuary in itself, warm, inviting and soul fostering. Making your own tea raises the ritual to another level. Tea is also a good way to drink your recommended 8 glasses of water. You can get all the ingredients for these teas at your local health food store. Remember there is no exact science here, just your imagination limits you.

Making tea mixes and giving them as gifts is an easy and comforting gift that will be received by anyone on any food plan. I have compile some of my very favorite tea recipes for you to mix together for yourselves or others. You can get all the ingredients for these teas in the bulk section of your favorite health food store.  Gift the teas in mason jars with the directions and adorned with ribbons. I have also included a fabulous biscotti recipe that I simply adore with tea.  The combination gift is unbeatable! I hope you have a warm and comfortable holiday season!

This first tea was created by my sister-in-law. It stimulates the chi in one’s system and is great for colds or whatever ails you!

Arctic Aggie’s Chi Tea
¼ cup mint preferably wintergreen
¼ cup chamomile
¼ cup rosehips
¼ cup lemongrass
¼ cup alfalfa

Mix well in an air tight jar and use 1 heaping tablespoon per cup of tea. Steep 10 minutes in very hot water, strain, then cozy into drinking the warmth.

I really love this last one for its spicy flavor and stimulating effects.

Spiced Orange Tea

½ cup of lemon balm leaves
½ cup of spearmint leaves
2 tablespoons of orange peel, dried
2 teaspoons of whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in an air tight jar and shake until well blended. Use 1 heaping tablespoon per mug of boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes or so, then strain and float a slice of orange in each cup, for fun and flavor!

Tom Bender, who is a dear friend of mine has created this next tea many years ago and shares it here with us.

Bender Brew

1/3 part mint (both peppermint and spearmint in no particular
proportions)
1/3 part chamomile
1/3 part rose hips

Place mixed ingredients in an air tight jar and use 1 heaping tablespoon per cupa of love.

Mulled Tea

For two mugs of hot tea. Great on a cold and freezing winter’s night. Not bad with a bit of brandy either!

2 ½ Tablespoons of tea of your choice
3 cloves
3 allspice berries
2 teaspoons of coarsely crushed cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon of grated orange rind
1-2 teaspoons of honey
Two slices of an orange

Steep spices and tea for 10 minutes then strain. Add the honey then float a slice of orange in your mug for beauty and taste.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Biscotti

1/2 cup of agave or honey
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla
3 cups of blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips, chopped
1/2 cup of dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In your favorite mixing bowl, blend together the agave or honey and the eggs and vanilla till fluffy. In a separate bowl add the flour, salt, and soda and whisk till well blended. Then slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet till just barely mixed. Fold in the chips and cranberries.

Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet and make a nice fat log. Now this is easier said than done! the dough is very sticky! I wet my hands alot to keep from sticking. Bake for about 30 minutes then take out of the oven and let the log cool for an half hour or so. Transfer the log to a cutting board and cut into slices, about a 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the slices back on the baking sheet and bake another 15 to 20 minutes. (I like to bake on the lighter side so they don’t break my teeth!) Take out of the oven and do a little biscotti dance as you eat one. Serve with tea.

Turkey salad with cranberry vinaigrette

Leftovers. I once heard that if Thanksgiving is the biggest eating day of the year then the day after is the second biggest eating day of the year. I completely agree with this! Now I’m one of those people that is very content to eat the exact same thing I ate for dinner the next day, and maybe the day after that. But by the fourth day I have to have something different!

To compound that, Stag, caveman hubby, left the day after to go visit family in a faraway cave, and the kids flew the cave too! So here I am with MUCHO leftovers. As I looked at these tired left overs an idea formed in my head. “Hey I think I know what to do with this! Make a salad!” And lo and behold it turned out fantastic.

One of the things I have been amazed at since I have turned primal is how tasteless “boneless skinless” poultry is. I mean, it used to be my staple! Now I can hardly choke it down. So right away I decided to add some fat to the turkey breast meat, since that was all there was left. You know what I’m going to say right? BACON! Oh yeah. Then I made a cranberry vinaigrette out of the cranberry sauce and oh my gosh. I’m sold. Enjoy my friends!

Turkey and bacon salad with cranberry vinaigrette.
Serves two

Salad greens enough to fill two big salad bowls
Turkey or chicken meat enough for two salads
Four pieces of bacon fried and crumbled, reserve the fat
½ apple diced
1 tablespoon of minced red onion
2 sticks of celery chopped
2 tablespoons of chopped hazelnuts
2 tablespoon of blue cheese crumbled (optional but amazing)
Finely minced fresh rosemary (optional but amazing)

For the vinaigrette
Pan drippings of from the bacon
1 shallot minced
Or 2 tablespoons of onion minced
1 -2 cloves of garlic minced
½ cup of cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the vinaigrette; after you fry up the bacon, in the reserved bacon grease sauté over medium heat, the shallot and garlic till just barley fragrant, then add the cranberry sauce. Stir constantly because it is going to want to stick to the pan. Add the vinegar and stir some more. If the vinaigrette seems to thick add the olive oil at the last minute. I did not. Adjust the seasonings and voila!

Fill up your salad bowls with greens and add the turkey, apples, onion, celery and hazelnuts evenly between the bowls. Crumble the rosemary, bacon and blue cheese on top. Drizzle on the cranberry vinaigrette and get ready for a mouth explosion!

Hertiage breeds like this beautiful narragansett make the best eating

Let’s talk turkey. Admit it, this time of year our minds just turn towards that turkey dinner promised on our horizon. I’ve probably been thinking about it for 2 weeks already and I’m not alone. There will be over 200 million turkeys being roasted for Thanksgiving this year.

Even though most people will be roasting a turkey it is actually the most intimidating part of preparing thanksgiving dinner for most cooks. Partly because we do not roast turkeys often during the year and partly due to those perfectly cooked bronzed birds we see on the covers of foodie magazines. I mean, how many of us have food stylists at home to paint and blow torch the turkey to that perfect color? Even though our home cooked turkeys will not look like that, (nor do most of us serve it whole on the table) you can still cook up a succulent bird that is awe inspiring.

There are a few wonderful tips to roasting up a fantastic turkey:

Choose your turkey wisely; Conventional turkeys called “double breasted whites” are the variety that 99% of our turkeys are. They are generally raised in confined environments on factory farms and fed antibiotics and inferior food. Since they are raised in such poor conditions they tend to be tasteless and dry. Consequently they are injected with saline solution and vegetable oils in an attempt to help improve the taste and texture of the meat. Yum.

If you choose to by a supermarket turkey, make sure and choose one that is antibiotic free and free range. Ya know, a happy turkey. Fortunately in our small Oregon Coast  community we actually have choices of a few farmers who grow happy turkeys. Lance’s Farm Vittles and Okay Ranch both grow happy turkeys and also heritage breeds. (Lance’s turkeys are all sold out but Okay Ranch still has some available for purchase. Their number is 503-322-3546.)

Buy a pastured turkey for the best in taste and nutrition

Now heritage breeds are the older turkey breeds that almost disappeared when the commercial double breasted turkeys were introduced. (By the way, the double breasted whites are such a freak of nature that they cannot reproduce naturally; they have to be artificially inseminated.) The heritage turkeys are the beautiful birds that are used on all the Thanksgiving turkey ads. Like homegrown tomatoes, their flavor is superior and the meat is tender and delicious. Once you have eaten a heritage breed turkey, you’ll never go back. Heritage turkeys are more expensive but that is because they take almost twice as long to raise to harvest size as the commercial birds. Most Heritage breeds are also raised in pastures with lots of grass and bugs to eat like their wild cousins, so they have better taste and nutrition.

Brine and season your turkey 12- 24 hours before you roast it. If you haven’t brined a turkey before, you are in for a treat! (If you have a conventional bird that was injected with salt solution, do not brine it, just season it with poultry spices gently rubbed under the skin 12-24 hours before you bake it.)

Cooking it; Bring your turkey up to room temperature before you roast it. (About one hour) That way it will cook more evenly from skin to bone. Do not stuff it just tuck an onion quartered and some rosemary sprigs in the cavity. Make your stuffing in the crock pot. (Recipe is on my blog with a full recipe for the cider brined turkey at http://danazia.wordpress.com/ )

Start your turkey out in a hot oven, 425 degrees for 20 minutes, to get a crisp on. Then cover the bird with foil and roast the remaining time at 350. Don’t over baste the turkey because opening and closing the door will affect the heat of the oven and dry out your bird. (A heritage turkey cooks faster than a regular turkey so beware and don’t overcook it. Okay Ranch recommends you start checking the heritage turkey’s temperature, 90 minutes to 1 hour before you think it should be done.)

I also recommend that you take the turkey out at when the thermometer reads about 160 degrees, opposed to 165 degrees. Let it set for a ½ hour to finish cooking without drying it out. Letting it sit will also allow the juices to return to the meat before you carve it. You might have to stand guard over it but it will be worth the vigilance!

Buy a good thermometer; I have been using the same ancient thermometer that I think my mom gave me when I left home till last year. When I bought a digital instant read thermometer I was blown away at how much easier it was to take my turkey’s temperature! Do yourself a favor a buy one for around 12 bucks. Well worth the investment and you might find yourself actually using it!

I do love this holiday and the real reason for it, gratitude for all we have. I feel so lucky to have you dear readers to write for. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful turkey day with a perfectly roasted turkey!

You want to eat me? Really?

Cider Brined Turkey with spices
If you have a big turkey, double the brine and use a cooler to brine it in. Keep blocks of ice in the brine to keep the turkey cold. You will need a turkey roasting pan with a rack for this recipe. Adapted from Bon Appetit.

1 12-14 pound turkey
2 quarts plus one cup of apple cider
1 1/2 gallons of water
1 cup of kosher salt
1/2 cup of maple syrup, (optional)
16 whole black peppercorns
10-12 whole star anise pods
6-10 garlic cloves smashed
2 onions, quartered
6 thick slices of unpeeled ginger
2-3 cinnamon sticks
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
2 apples, cut into sixths
2 onions, quartered
2 tablespoons of butter, coconut oil or olive oil (for basting)

The night before, get out a VERY large pot, like 16 quarts size, and bring the 2 quarts of cider and salt up to a boil over medium high heat. Add the all the rest of the ingredients except for the apple to the brine then let it cool to room temp. Submerge the turkey in there and put in the fridge overnight. (Skip this step if you have an injected turkey.)

The next morning, remove the turkey from the brine and dump the brine down the sink. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Season the turkey lightly with salt and pepper, stuff the cavity with a quartered onion and some apple slices. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine then let the bird stand at room temp for one hour in your turkey roasting pan.

Heat up your oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 cup of apple cider and 3 cups of water in the roasting pan and scatter the rest of the apples and onion around the pan. Brush the turkey with butter and tuck in that nice warm oven for 20 minutes. Lower the heat on the oven to 350, baste the turkey one more time with butter, then cover with foil and continue roasting till done. About 2-3 more hours till your thermometer reads 160 degrees in the deepest part of the breast.

Pull the turkey out and let it rest about a half hour while you make a reduction sauce for the turkey from the pan juices, by gently simmering the juices for 5 minute or more till the sauce thickens. (Strain out the apples) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Carve the turkey and enjoy a bountiful thanksgiving!