Monthly Archives: September 2012

Eating Out & Gluten Free Bakeries

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Updated 11/28/12

Gluten-Free Treats:  These items are NOT Paleo. However, if you need a sugary treat and want to avoid gluten here are some suggestions: Starry Night Bakery (330 One Forty Village Road  Westminster, MD) sells gluten free cupcakes (chocolate or vanilla). They don’t have them in the case, you have to ask for them.  CUP Tea Bar & Cafe (7 East Main Street, Westminster, MD) usually has at least one gluten-free treat each day. CUP is owned by Gypsy’s Tearoom (111 Stoner Avenue, Wesminster, MD) which now has a gluten-free menu. Gypsy’s is a cool little Tearoom and is a fun place to bring guests or go to when you’re playing hookey from work.  One last recommendation is Patti Cakes Bakery. They set up at the farmer’s market at the Westminster Ag center (706 Agriculture Center, Westminster, MD) quite frequently and every week during the holiday season.  She’s brings different things from week to week and accepts orders in advance for pick-up.  Just drop her an email for more information at patticakesgf@gmail.com.

Fast Food Chains: Five guys (596 Jermor Lane, Westminster, MD): the burgers are 100% beef with no fillers and you get any toppings you want free (Paleo ones would include grilled mushrooms, grilled or raw onions, lettuce, tomato, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, and maybe mustard or mayo depending on how strict you are).  Order the burger without the bun for $5.89 and enjoy! Add the bacon for a little more cash and it’s extra delicious! Chipotle (631 Baltimore Boulevard #102, Westminster, MD): the carnitas are “naturally raised pork seasoned with thyme, bay, juniper berries and cracked black pepper” and contain no gluten or soybean ingredients. So, get the romaine lettuce topped with double meat carnitas, throw in a serving of the guacamole, and add your choice of the green tomatillo salsa or the fresh tomato salsa for a seriously Paleo meal that costs about $10. [Note: most all of the other items on their menu are not Paleo because they are cooked in soybean oil.]

Local and Fast: Giulianova Groceria (11 E. Main St, Westminster, MD): this place has excellent italian sausage, and during the spring & summer has pit beef that’s cheap and delicious.

Not on my list for Paleo Friendly: Paradiso’s: the food itself is tasty, but there is so little that I was starving after I ate. In general, most of the menu items have bread, potatoes, or pasta as the sides; so the selection is really limited. Another downside was that they had no caffeine-free hot beverages.

Where to Shop

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Updated 11/18/2012

Before you judge the prices below, keep in mind that buying quality food costs more. This is because cheap food prices are a result of diluting quality items with lower quality substitutes, or by adding preservatives that will increase the shelf life and profit margin of the item.  However, I think of it like this – I may pay more for my food now, but I will pay less later in healthcare costs, so in the end it’s a bargain. So, when you are trying to decide whether or not to buy an exotic fruit as a treat, think to yourself  “I could spend $9.00 to try that dragon fruit as my dessert tonight, or I could spend $10.00 on a co-pay down the road to see my doctor about a health problem that could be prevented by eating well.  In the end, I save $1.00, I get a treat, and I don’t have to waste time to see the doctor.  What a deal!”

The items listed below are in alphabetical order, followed by the brand that has either no additives or the least additives, where to buy it, and the cost. I’ll update this list as I find better and cheaper places to buy these items.

Almond Meal /Flour, Trader Joe’s $3.99/1lb (0.25/oz). This has a coarser grain that almond flour, but it’s really inexpensive in comparison to the refined almond flours. Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour $12.19/16oz (0.76/oz) at Harvestin. NOW Real Food Almond Flour $7.39/10oz (0.74/oz) at Harvestin.

Almond Butter, Trader Joe’s $4.99/16oz (0.31/oz), Woodstock brand $12.99/16oz (0.81/oz) at Harvestin. If you need packets of almond butter to take on the go, you can buy Justin’s Almond Butter in 1.15oz packets for $0.99 at Wegmans (0.86/oz) or $0.89 at MOM’s (0.77/oz) .

Almond Butter Cocao Truffle (agave), Two Moms brand, Roots $3.99/3oz.

Aloha Annas, Wegman’s $3.99 per 1/2 pint. www.KiwiBerry.com  See “Interesting things post”

Applesauce, Nature’s Promise at Giant $2.59 for 4x4oz cups

Avocados, Organic, Trader Joe’s $3.99 for four.

Bananas, Trader Joe’s $0.19 each

Banana Chips, Trader Joe’s $1.99/4.2oz

Boar, wild– Blackwing meats brand, Roots $8.99/1lb.

Brazil Nuts, shelled, Roots $10.49/lb.

Broth, beef – Health Valley brand at ???

Butternut squash puree canned, Farmer’s Market brand at MOM’s $2.79/15oz or Wegmans $3.19 /15oz.

Cacao Goji, Roots market brand, Roots $8.49/lb – these are a chocolatey dessert like snack (see interesting things entry for full description).

Cactus Paddles, AKA Nopales, Lily’s $1.50 / lb, so two paddles cost about $0.70.

Capers, wild mountain capers in sea salt, Les Moulins brand at Roots $7.99/3.5oz.

Carob Powder, NOW brand dry roased $10.49/12oz at Harvestin

Cashew Butter, Once Again, MOM’s $8.99/16oz

Chewing Gum replacement – Gujrati mukhtar masala (kalustyans.com $9.99/ 14 oz) is an Indian mouth freshener. It contains a mixture of aromatic seeds that you chew to freshen your breath. You can swallow the seeds once chewed, or spit them out.

Chicken, whole cooked – Wegmans is the only place that I know of that sells just plain rotisserie whole chickens with no sugar or other additives.  $4.99 per chicken.

Chicory, roasted, this is a naturally caffeine-free drink that has a boldness similar to coffee. Amazon.com sells 6x12oz bags of Community coffee brand 100% chicory for $18.37 ($0.25/oz) or a 1lb Frontier organic chicory for $15.25 ($0.95/oz).

Coconut, shredded, Let’s Do Organic brand – Wegmans $2.99/8.8oz (0.34/oz), Roots $2.69/8oz (0.34/oz), or amazon.com $1.98/8.8oz (0.23/oz) but you have to buy 12 bags on amazon, NOW brand $5.39/10oz (0.54/oz) at Harvestin.

Coconut aminos, RAW brand, MOM’s $6.29/8oz, Wegmans $5.69/8oz, Roots $5.69/8oz – this is a tasty soy sauce substitute that is Paleo

Coconut Flour, Bobs Red Mill Organic  brand $9.79/16oz at Harvestin. You can also buy this at a lot of other stores, prices to be posted later.

Coconut Milk, Trader Joe’s brand has no additives  $0.99 per can.

Coconut Milk, Trader Joe’s brand has no additives. Wegmans also sells Organic creamed coconut by Let’s do organic which can be diluted as desired and used as coconut milk $2.49/7oz.

Coconut Oil, Spectrum Organic $7.99/14oz (0.57/oz) at Giant. Dr. Bronners organic fresh-pressed virgin fair trade $22.59/30oz (0.75/oz) at Harvestin

Coconut Wraps, made by Pure Wraps, MOM’s $5.79/4 wraps or buy it online at http://www.improveat.com/ for $4.99/4 wraps + shipping (order 12 packages and shipping is free) . These are soooo delicious and totally paelo. Comes in just coconut or with added curry.

Coffee, decaf – Wegmans sells Baltimore Coffee and you can get the Swiss water Decaff for $9.99/lb.

Coffee, caffeine-free replacement – see Chicory.

Cookies
Caveman Alpine cookies (honey) – MOM’s $4.49/3oz

Curry Paste, red or green, Thai Kitchen brand, Roots $3.19/4oz.

Dried fruits – Cherries Trader Joe’s  $4.49/6oz or Roots $13.99/lb. Mango organic Roots $11.99/lb, Papaya Roots  $6.39/lb, Pineapple Roots  $13.49/lb.  MOM’s also has a good selection of dried fruits without added sugar.

Dried fruits, soft – fruit bliss brand at Roots $3.99/6oz.

Eggs, Land O Lakes All natural at BJ’s $3.69/18count – we get these because we eat a LOT of eggs!

Elk Burgers AKA Elf bugers ;-), Blackwing meats brand, Roots $12.99/1lb. These are free range without added hormones or antibiotics. This a good source of protein, leaner that beef.

Energy Bar type things

Bearded Brothers
*Colossal coconut mango energy bar (chia seeds), MOM’s $3.49/2.3oz

Gopal’s
*Rawma bar Pumpkin & Date, MOM’s $1.89/1.9oz
*Rawma bar Pineapple & nut; Roots, $1.99/1.9oz
*Nature’s Gift Almond Raisin cookie, MOM’s $2.89/2oz
*Nori Wrapped Power Wraps, Roots $2.29/1.15oz.

Lara Bars, some are Paleo but not all.  A number of the varieties have peanuts, sugar, or concentrated fruit juice (ie sugar).  However, I will be soon reviewing the Paleo ones in the sweet snacks section so I thought I’d price them at a few places. Wegmans $1.29 each, Giant $1.25 each, Roots $1.20 each, Harvestin $1.89 each.

Raw Revolution Bars
*Coconut Delight (agave), Roots $1.59/1.8oz.

Two Moms in the RAW
*Gojiberry Nut Bar (agave), Roots $3.29/2oz.

Flackers (flax), Dr. Kitchen brand, Cinnamon&currant flavor, Roots $4.99/5oz.

Guacamole, Calavo Brand, Weis $3.99 /12oz.

Harissa Spread, Les Moulins brand at Roots $7.99/7oz.

Macademia Nuts, Mauna Loa at BJ’s $9.39/11oz. Roots $15.99/lb.

Mahlab, kalustyans.com, $3.99/1oz – this is ground black cherry pits and is used as a flavoring in baking tasty treats.  See “Interesting things” post for an awesome cookie recipe.

Medjool Dates, Caramel Naturel at BJ’s $8.99/ 2lb

Pecans, Roots halves $17.49/lb or pieces $15.99/lb.

Pesto, Basil Olive, www.omvfs.com, this is an awesome pesto made with black olives.  $12.00/jar.

Pineapple Chips, vacuum fried, Trader Joe’s $1.99/2.8oz

Plaintains, Weis 3 for $1.00, ALDIs and Wegmans 2 for $1.00

Plaintain Chips, Trader Joe’s $1.69/6 oz (sunflower oil), BJ’s Wellsley Farms brand $4.59/11oz (palm oil), Lily’s Mayte Brand Platanitos Maduritos $1.60/3oz (palm oil)

Pumpkin puree canned, Trader Joe’s brand $1.99/15oz, Farmer’s Market brand at MOM’s $2.99/15oz or Roots $1.99/15oz.

Pumpkin seeds, Gopal’s sprouties, Roots $2.29/2oz. Roots plain $5.99/lb.

Salsa, organic chipotle salsa (lime juice), Roots $2.99/16oz.

Salt, Field Day Salt $1.99/26.5oz at Mom’s, Redmond Real Salt $8.99/26oz at Harvestin,

Sea Vegetables, Eden Foods makes a variety (Kombu, Nori, Wakame, Arame, etc) but I haven’t tried them yet.  You can buy them at Harvestin’ or online www.edenfoods.com.  Some prices are higher at Harvestin some higher online.

Sesame Seeds, Roots $2.99/lb.

Soy sauce replacement, see coconut aminos.

Stevia – the actual green herb, MOM’s $2.79/bunch

Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade, another original recipe from Old Mountain Valley Farms, www.omvfs.com, $12.00/jar.

Sunflower Seeds, shelled, Roots $3.89/lb.

Sweet pepper spread, Vava brand $4.49/10oz or Les Moulins $7.99/7oz at Roots .

Sweet potato chips, plain or with salt (all other varieties contain sugar or additives), Food Should Taste Good Brand (sunflower oil) ~$3 or $4 /4.5oz at Wegmans (these are my favorite!), Terra brand regular or crinkle cut (safflower oil) Wegmans or Roots $3.29/ 6oz bag.

Sweet potato flour, kalustyans.com $6.99/12 oz cheaper in larger packages, MOM’s in the gluten free section

Sweet potato puree canned, Farmer’s Market brand a  MOM’s $2.79/15oz or Wegmans $3.19 /15oz.

Tomato Paste, Contadina brand at Giant

Tomatoes, canned, Rienzi Italian cherry tomatoes at Giant $1.29/14 oz. Woodstock organic diced tomatoes at Roots $2.49/28oz or $1.69/14.5oz.

Umeboshi paste, Eden foods, MOM’s $8.99/7oz – This is a pickled plum puree (www.edenfoods.com) which can be used to make an awesome dressing (see “Interesting things” post). You can also buy the whole plums at MOM’s as well.

Vinegar, apple cider, Bragg organic Raw -Harvestin’ $4.69/16oz

 

Questionable Items

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Vinegar. Vinegar is made by the fermentation of alcohol (i.e. ethanol) into acetic acid by bacteria. This sounds Paleo, but it depends on the source of the alcohol and whether or not there are other additives.  Distilled or white vinegar is derived from a process in which corn (or potato) is used to produce alcohol, the alcohol is distilled, diluted, and finally fermented into acetic acid. In the end it is gluten free, not very tasty, and highly processed. A lot of vinegars are derived from grains (e.g. rice/mirin/malt), excluding them from the Paleo pantry.  The more grain-free varieties would include apple cider/red wine/sherry/balsamic/kombucha, but a number of these have a significant amount of sugar in them and/or other additives. By the way, if the label reads just “vinegar” then it is apple cider vinegar. Try to pick one that is aged because that typically means they’ve added less garbage to try to speed up the process. Eden Organic makes an aged apple cider vinegar that has no sugar – seems a decent Paleo option to me until I can find something better.

Decaffeinated Drinks. Decaffeination is usually done to remove the natural caffeine in coffee and teas. It is not an issue with soft drinks because soda is a totally synthetic product and, in that case, they just don’t add the caffeine to the final product.  Decaffeination can be performed using a variety of chemical processes, some less savory than others. If you cannot find out how a product was decaffeinated, the chances are good that it involved one of the harsher methods. The Swiss Water process is probably the best of the decaffeination procedures, but moving to naturally caffeine-free beverages would be even better.  For coffee drinkers, a nice caffeine-free alternative is chickory root.  It has a bold flavor and you can make it stronger or weaker depending on your preference.  As for teas, there are a variety of caffeine-free options out there, but be aware that many teas contain additives. I was very sad to learn that one of my favorite teas contains barley, so it’s not Paleo and it has gluten to boot! As another example, we just bought the Celestial Seasonings caffeine-free sampler and two of the five teas contain soy lecithin. The lesson here is to enjoy your teas, but always check the ingredients. My favorite supplier of  high-quality tea is Davidson’s Organic  (www.davidsonstea.com), but not all of their products are Paleo.

Coming soon… alcohol.


Replacing the Potatoes and Grains

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One struggle in Paleo cooking is finding good substitutes for what you would usually have as the starch part of the meal. So, here are some easy ideas:

  • See bread-like and cracker-like items post
  • Sweet Potatoes or Yams
  • Carrots or Parsnips
  • Cactus paddles (can buy at Lily’s) – look for future posts on cooking with these
  • Winter squashes – pumpkin, spaghetti squash, acorn, butternut. There are a variety of others and you can find them at the farmer’s markets or Wegman’s.
  • Summer squashes – yellow squash, zucchini
  • Cabbage
  • Kohlrabi
  • Cauliflower (my least favorite)
  • Non-potato starchy tubers that may/may not fit your idea of Paleo – cassava, arrowroot, jicama, turnips, beets,

Out-of-the Box Ideas:

Coming in a future post.


Fast Snacks – Savory

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Updated 11/17/12

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Almond Butter and Flackers, I like to keep snacks in my office that I don’t really like but also aren’t awful.  The reasoning is that if I really like it, then I’ll eat it because it’s there and tasty.  If it’s just “ho-hum”, then it will sit in my office and will be there when I realize I’ve had to stay late at work and am starving and have no other Paleo food around. Get the cinnamon & currant Flackers (flax) at Roots and the small portable packets of Justin’s Almond Butter at Wegmans  or MOM’s. They will keep forever and require no refrigeration.  Rating = 5 as an office food item, Rating = 3 for taste.

Nori Wrapped Power Wraps, Gopal’s brand. These contain all ingredients that I like individually – sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, coconut, nori (fish free), and salt. However, when combined the result  is absolutely terrible.  I first tried the Italian flavor and thought maybe it was just the seasoning.  Then I tried the Masala flavor and realized it wasn’t the seasoning, they were just awful. Rating = 1 (FYI – the cat actually liked it).

Sweet potato chips with Sea Salt, Terra brand crinkle cut or regular cut or Food Should Taste Good Brand Kettle Cooked. These chips have sweet potatoes, sea salt and oil (canola and/or safflower and/or sunflower). They are both good, but the Food Should Taste Good Brand are better. Rating = 5.

Pumpkin seeds, Gopal’s sprouties, Savory seasoning includes tumeric, lemon, ginger, cayenne, and salt The seasoning is okay but nothing special and certinly not worth the pricetag. Rating = 3.

Sacha Inchi seeds, AKA Savi seeds, sold at MOM’s for $2.79/1oz.  Rating = 0 (seriously, the cat wouldn’t eat it).  These taste like bitter grass that has been compacted into a ball and then coated in a slightly rancid oil. The main claim to fame of the seeds is that they have a lot of Omega 3, but how do they stack up to fish oil supplements?  I use Carlson Fish Oil supplements (orange flavor, soft gels) which have 320mg omega-3’s per soft gel, and you can buy them for $33.90/ 240 soft gels. After doing some math, it turns out that you get 2500mg of omega-3 per dollar from the Savi seeds and 2300mg per dollar from the fish oil capsules. Since the cat ended up with the seeds, the capsules are a much better value. On the topic of supplements – I recently bought some Barlean’s Organic Fish Oil supplements and later realized that they contain soy, so be sure to check all the ingredients!

Plantain Chips. You can get them at BJ’s, Marshall’s, and Lily’s Mexican market. BJ’s are made in palm oil and Trader Joe’s in sunflower oil; to me they tast very similar except BJ’s are saltier and, therefore, more addictive. Marshall’s occasionally also carries Sweet Plantain chips as does Lily’s.  Rating = 5.

Vegetables. We cut up a bunch of carrots, celery, and peppers and take them into work as a snack. I also keep a huge bowl of cherry tomatoes in my office. We buy the cherry tomatoes at the farmers market or BJs because they are good and cheap.

 

MAKE YOURSELF

Fried Plantains. Cut the plantain into circular slices ( you may want to cut it while still in the skin if it’s extremely ripe to prevent squishing),  and fry in coconut oil until brown on both sides. Add whatever you like for seasoning. I like cinnamon or cayenne pepper; poppy seeds give them a little extra crunch, salt is always good, and for variation try ginger, cardamom, or curry powder. The longer you let them ripen, the sweeter they will be (if they are black then they will be deliciously sweet). Rating = 5.

Hard-boiled eggs.  Boil up a dozen or so, peel them all at once so they are quick to snack on; Rating = 3.5. You can also devil them by mixing mashed yolks with a tablespoon or two of guacamole, salt, mustard, and lime juice (evolved campfire recipe); Rating = 3.5. Or you can do 6 eggs plus 1/2 C olive oil, 1/16 C vinegar, 1.5 tsp lemon juice, and seasonings of choice (yahoo answers); Rating = TBD.

 

 

Fast Snacks – Sweet

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Updated 11/25/2012

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Note:  Most of the items below, including things like Lara bars, have enough sugar that they really should be considered a dessert or more akin to a candy bar.  Remember, Paleo does not always mean healthy!  So, if you’re just trying to satisfy that sweet tooth, then let me recommend the tastiest candy bar I’ve had in ages: Justin’s Almond Candy Bar.  This bar is not Paleo, but has high-quality ingredients which you can check out here http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/productsCandy.php. The taste is similar to a snickers or a Mar’s bar, but much less sweet and with higher quality ingredients. You can order them from the website above, but I’m trying to find a place to get them in town.

Dessert-type Things:

Almond Butter Cocao Truffle (agave), Two Moms brand, Roots $3.99/3oz. Rating = 3. I was very optimistic about these treats, but they were just okay. They tasted kinda like the Chocoalate coconut chew Lara bar, but with a substantially higher pricetag.

Caveman Alpine cookies (honey) – To me, these are really sweet. The texture is a bit like a Lara bar, but the tiny cookies didn’t have much of a taste aside from the honey. Rating = 3.

Gopal’s Nature’s Gift Almond Raisin cookie – (5g sugar per 1 g protein) -This has a firmer texture than a Lara bar, which is nice.  However, the flavors don’t quite work for me.  The almond and raisin combo is okay, but they’ve added a heavy dash of cardamom (which I generally like) that seems to not mesh with the rest of the ingredients. Rating = 3.

Raweo! Live Cookies (honey) – Alive & Radiant Foods brand, Mom’s $7.47/7oz  (4g sugar per 1 g protein) – These are cute looking cookies that taste amazingly bad.  I don’t know how you can put together such tasty ingredients (almonds, honey, cashews carob, coconut, cinnamon, and vanilla) and come up with this product. They smell odd (maybe from the carob?), have a Lara bar texture, and a non-descript flavor.  Rating = 0.

Energy Bars:

Bearded Brothers
Colossal coconut mango energy bar (chia seeds) – (3g sugar per 1g protein, 9g protein total)- This has a texture similar to a Lara bar.  It’s a little on the sweet side, but a tasty way to eat 9g of protein. Rating = 4.

Gopal’s Rawma bars.
Pumpkin & date (less than 2g sugar per 1g protein, 9g protein total) – If you like figs, this is a great alternative to all the date-based energy bars.  It contains dates, but you don’t taste them and there is no pumpkin flavor to it, just pumpkin seeds. It has the texture of lots of seeds packed into a Fig Newton. Rating = 4.
Pineapple & nut (6g sugar per 1g protein, 3g protein total) – This sounds like it would taste awesome, but you’ll be disappointed. It’s bland and nothing to write home about  Rating = 3.

Lara Bars.
Banana bread (3g sugar per 1 g protein, 6g protein total ) Rating = 2.
Carrot cake (8g sugar per 1 g protein, 3g protein total ) Rating = 2.
Cashew cookie (3g sugar per 1 g protein, 6g protein total ) Rating = 3.
Cherry pie (5g sugar per 1 g protein, 5g protein total) Rating = 4 (on taste alone it would    be a 5, but the sugar/protein ratio is pathetic).
Chocolate coconut chew (4.5g sugar per 1 g protein, 5g protein total) Rating = 3.
Coconut cream pie (8g sugar per 1 g protein, 3g protein total) Rating = 3.
Ginger snap (4g sugar per 1 g protein, 5g protein total) Rating = 2.
Pecan pie (6g sugar per 1 g protein, 3g protein total) Rating = 3.

Two Moms in the RAW
Gojiberry Nut Bar (agave), (~2g sugar per 1 g protein, 4g protein total ). This has a firmer texture with whole nuts and seeds. Rating = 4.

Banana Chips, vacuum fried from Trader Joe’s. These are a lot like the astronaut food – it’s an interesting novelty but doesn’t really taste very good.  Rating = 3

Pineapple Chips, vacuum fried from Trader Joe’s. These get points for novelty but that’s it. Rating = 2.

Dried fruits, soft – fruit bliss brand at Roots – these are dried in a way that it preserves the moisture of the fruit and makes it very soft and delicious.  You can get figs, plums, apricots, or a variety pack.  Very tasty with no preservatives but has to be stored in the fridge after opening. Rating = 3.5.


MAKE YOURSELF

Paleo PBJ – Spread some almond or any other nut butter into a Coconut wrap (see bread items), chop up a banana, add some cocoa nibs, and roll into a tasty snack. Rating = 5. There is a similar snack where you halve a banana, put on nut butter and add toppings, but this wrap is much tastier.

 

 

Bread-Like or Cracker-Like Items

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Coconut Wraps. You can buy these at MOM’s ($5.79/4 wraps) or order them a little cheaper in bulk on-line.  They are small and thin with a fairly strong coconut flavor.  It is a perfect match for a chicken salad, shrimp, or veggie wrap. You can also use the curry ones for a breakfast burrito with some scrambled eggs and something like cilantro to cut the sweet of the coconut. Perhaps they could be used for a dessert; maybe saute some bananas or berries as a filling?  Rating = 4 (it would be a 5 if they weren’t so expensive!).

Flackers (flax), Dr. Kitchen brand, Roots $4.99/5oz. Two of the flavors are Paleo – the cinnamon & currant, and sun ripened tomato & basil.  These have a crunchy texture similar to a cracker, but are made from highly compressed flax seeds. They are not awesome, but if you need a little cracker crunch to go with your soup or salad, they will do the job.  Rating = 3.

MAKE YOURSELF

Pizza Crust. Whisk together 2 eggs until frothy, add 2 Tbl olive oil, salt and herbs of choice, then slowly add 2 C of flour (use all almond flour or cut it with sweet potato or other paleo-ish flour). Roll onto greased cookie sheet to 12x12inch circle, prick with fork, put in preheated 350C oven for 20-25 minutes.  Add pizza toppings and cook until done. (http://www.cookingmycsa.com).  Rating = 4.

Sweet Potato Crepes.  Whisk together 2 eggs, 1C coconut milk, and 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Then add 1/4 tsp salt and 1C sweet potato flour. Whisk until smooth and put 1/8 C batter onto a very hot  griddle, cook for 2 minutes, flip, 2 more minutes and you’re done. Fill with something tasty. Rating = 3. The flavor is very neutral, but the texture can be slightly gelatinous which I don’t like. You can buy sweet potato flour at MOM’s or online from Zocalo gourmet.

Note: there are a lot of examples posted on http://pinterest.com/denisecripps/paleo-recipes-breads-crusts-tortillas-mostly-non-s/ , but I haven’t had a chance to make and explore a lot of these.

Interesting Things I’ve Had Recently

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Updated 11/25/2012

Italian Cardones – Cardones (or Cardoons) are a vegetable. The plant is native to Europe, but when Italian immigrants came to the US they found a similar plant (some people call this plant burdock) which most Italians call Cardoons.You can pick burdock plants while they are young, clean the stalks, and eat them. They have a more pronounced flavor than the Cardones you buy at Wegmans. To cook them, it is best to first boil them in water to get the stalks soft. Next, pat them dry with a paper towel, dip into a scrambled egg to wet, then coat with a mixture of almond flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Fry the coated Cardones in oil on the stove top until brown and crispy. Delicious! Rating = 5.

Thanksgiving Pie Paleo-Style – This recipe can be made using pumpkin, butternut, squash, sweet potato, etc.  Basically, any sweet-ish squash-like thing will work.  You can  use fresh or canned squash/potato (see shopping page on where to buy canned pumpkin/sweetpotato/butternut squash).  Crust: Grease pie pan with some coconut oil and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put into food processor or blender – 4 pitted medjool dates, 1C almond meal OR 1.5 C almonds, and 1 Tbl coconut oil. Puree until almost nut butter consistency. Smash into pie pan and bake for 6-8 minutes (adapted from http://stevepaleo.blogspot.com).  While baking, you can start on the filling.  Filling: Puree together the following (No, I didn’t bother to clean out the food processor after making the crust):  2 cups fresh, cooked and cubed squash OR 1 x 15oz can of pureed squash, 2 eggs, 3 Medjool dates (more if you like sweet pie), 1/4 tsp salt, and spices that you like (such as 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp orange zest, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, etc; I don’t like the traditional pumpkin pie spices (clove, nutmeg, etc) so I just added vanilla / cinnamon/ orange zest). After everything is well-mixed, I stirred in about a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut to add some texture. This is totally optional.  Add your filling to your pie crust (adapted from UC Berkeley Simply Healthy Cookbook). Topping (optional): I topped the pie with some chopped, roasted pecans.  Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes until the filling is firm. Rating = 5. 

Grilled Cactus Paddles – Clean off all the spines with a sharp knife, rinse, and pat dry. Brush both sides with olive oil and grill approximately 10 minutes each side. These have a slimey consistency that makes okra seem dry.  The flavor is fine, but the texture was not good.  I also coated some small chunks in almond flour and tried to fry them thinking this would reduce the liquid a little. Instead it tasted like slimey green beans coated with almonds. Now, I haven’t yet given up as I have found some recipes where the paddles are purees and used in a salsa or other mixture and this might be okay.  Also, I can imagine they would bee good if you needed to thicken a sauce.  So far, however, I wouldn’t recommend them. Rating = 1.

Beasty BBQ sauce – http://civilizedcavemancooking.com – I made it with some substitutions to eliminate the additives. In a saucepan throw together the following: 3 diced tomatoes, 1 diced onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 6oz can tomato paste, 1C chicken or beef stock, 2 Tbl apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbl olive oil, 2 Tbl paprika, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 peeled lemon or lime deseeded, 1tsp ground mustard seeds (you can just grind them in a coffee grinder), and for sweetness you can add a couple of chopped apples and/ or some dried fruit (I used dried figs). Heat to a boil, cover, let simmer for about an hour. Let it cool a little and then puree it in a blender or food processor.  It can be stored in the fridge or frozen if you make a lot. Rating = 4.

Paleo Chocolate Cake – I’m still experimenting with this recipe but so far, so good. The original recipe came from http://paleospirit.com/2011/chocolate-paleo-snack-cake/. The cake has a very moist texture, almost akin to cheesecake. I think by cutting down on the liquids and maybe adding more oil I’ll be able to get it to a brownie-like texture. Ingredients: 10 medjool dates, 1 ripe banana (or 1C applesauce), 1/2C coconut oil (NOT melted), 2 tsp vanilla extract,1/2 tsp salt, 1/2C strong brewed coffee, 1/2C unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 egg yolks, 1/2C coconut flour, 3 egg whites .  Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and brew your coffee. In a blender or food processor, puree the dates and then add all the subsequent ingredients one at a time (except the egg whites) in the order listed.  In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff and then fold in the first mixture with the egg whites.  Do not overmix and do not let the batter sit around – get it into a greased pan (8 in diameter-ish) and right into the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Notes: The steps here are important because you are not using any regular leavening agent (notice no baking powder/ soda/etc!); you are getting the lift from the egg whites and by creaming together the coconut oil and sugar sources (dates/banana). I suspect you could easily substitute any liquid for the coffee – water or coconut milk would be obvious choices. Rating = 5.

Wild Boar Burgers – These are a cheaper alternative to Elk Burgers and provide an great source of lean protein (29g protein per 4oz burger).  The flavor, however, is stronger than Elk or Veneson.  If you pair it with some strong spices, it’s not bad for something a bit different. Rating = 3.5.

Elk Burgers – these are a typical red meat with a flavor that is slightly stronger than bison.  I ate mine with Harrisa sauce on them to cut the flavor a bit, but a red wine sauce would do the same thing.  Tasty and good for something different. An excellent source of lean protein.  Rating = 4.

Cacao Goji, MOM’s, These are cubes make up of dates, sunflower seeds, raisins, apricots, cacao powder, sesame seeds, coconut, and goji powder. They have a firmer texture than a Lara bar, are not too sweet, and have a nice combination of flavors.  This is an ideal treat because it’s tasty enough to make you feel like you had something a little special, but not so tasty that you’ll eat the entire container in one sitting.  Another perk is that all the ingredients are organic.  Rating = 5.

Umeboshi Salad Dressing – (adapted from edenfoods.com recipe) – 3-4 tsp of Umeboshi plum paste, 4 Tbl roasted Tahini, 2 Tbl scallions chopped, 2 Tbl parsley chopped, 3/4 C water, 1 tsp Sherry vinegar, lemon juice to taste. Blend it all together in a blender or food processor and enjoy!  Rating = 4.  PS -You can get the Umeboshi plum paste at MOM’s and the Tahini at Giant.

Almond Date Cookies – (adapted from http://helenaounxoxo.com) – Preheat oven to 400C. Lightly grease cookie sheet with coconut oil. Beat 4 egg whites until stiff. Mix 2C almond meal (not packed),18 chopped dates, and 1/4 tsp salt. Fold egg whites into dry ingredients.  Flavor as desired – the original recipe calls for 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon. You can leave these out and just roll the cookies in cocoa nibs or coconut (or both). My favorite so far is to add 1 tsp Mahlab (ground black cherry pits – order from kalustyans.com) and then roll in coconut. If you make quarter-sized balls, they will cook in about 15 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen small cookies. Rating =  5.

Chokecherry Tea –This is a tea that was used by a Lakota people and is reported to contain a lot of vitamins, antioxidants, etc. It has a a really nice light cherry flavor, and is a great way to wind down the evening with a caffeine-free cuppa. You can order it at http://www.siouxtrading.com/chokecherry-tea/ Rating =  4.

Aloha Annas -These are an awesome fruit that tastes like a cross between a kiwi, a grape, and deliciousness.  You eat them skin and all – just like a grape. I opened the package and within a few minutes all the awesome goodness was gone.  They have a very short season, so get some now at Wegmans! Rating =  5!!!!

Fruit Leather – I had a bunch of apples that were looking pretty sad, so I cored them and put them in the food processor (skins and all). Once mushy, I put them in my dehydrator and let the magic happen over about 6 hours.  The result was a pretty tasty dried fruit snack with no additives or preservatives.  I tossed it in the refrigerator and it kept for a few days. Rating =  3.5.

 

How to use this blog

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Updated 11/17/12

This blog is meant to be a repository of practical information for people who want to eat a Paleo diet. So, I am not going to explain the diet or it’s nutritional benefits; there are already tons of resources on that topic. The posts are labelled by topic, and I will add to each topic on a weekly basis.

Also, all of my writing is focused on things you can eat, not things that you can’t.  It is much easier to build a menu or plan your diet if you focus on the options available. However, since there are a variety of versions of eating Paleo, I have noted ingredients in parenthesis that may or may not fit your definition.

Before you start cruising the blog pages, let me orient you to a few things. As for the grocery stores mentioned: MOM’s is My Organic Market in Frederick, MD and they have free coffee and tea as you shop! Lily’s is the Mexican Market on Main St in Westminster, MD; it’s got a lot of unique items but be sure to check the ‘best by’ dates on the items and they are often out of date. Harvestin’ is on Main St in Westminster, MD; but I find that everything in the store is at a higher price than the other stores listed. Wegmans is in Hunt Valley MD and another, smaller one, is in Frederick, MD. Kalustyans is in New York City, but you can buy the items online. Trader Joe’s is in Pikesville or Towson. Roots is in Clarksville or Olney, MD. Unless otherwise noted, all the other grocery stores are chains that are in Westminster, MD.

My Rating System for food items and recipes in this blog: 
5 = awesome; it’s a continual favorite
4 = good; I eat it because it’s tasty and gives some variety
3 = okay; If you bought it for me and I was hungry, I’d eat it
2 = pretty bad; definitely wouldn’t buy it again
1 = gave it to the cat
0 = cat wouldn’t eat it either

If you have thoughts or ideas of things to add to the blog or you know of a cheaper place to buy something, let me know.  This is meant to be a community resource and will get better by the knowledge of our entire community.

Finally, if you are a member of CFR in Westminster, MD and you’d like me to bring in a sample of an ingredient for you to try – just let me (or Mona) know.  If you’re really interested in a product and would like me to test and rate it first, just ask.

 

About Me

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I first started to actually think about what I ate when I was a graduate student (so sometime around 1995-ish).  I had been diagnosed with endometriosis, which is a disease that affects women and is chronic, unpleasant, and for which there are a limited number of treatment options.  The problems flare up during normal hormonal cycling, but could potentially be exacerbated by molecules that mimic natural hormones. In the early 1990’s, research was just beginning on these hormone mimics, called endocrine disruptors, which include a variety of  environmental pollutants such as pesticides.  Despite the limited amount of information available at that time, I understood the arguments clearly and decided to change my lifestyle to avoid these endocrine disruptors. The first step along this journey was to start to eat organic food.  This was a tremendous sacrifice because organic food was outrageously expensive, and I was making a miniscule salary.  However, I’d rather be healthy than rich, so I invested my money in my diet.  It was the right decision for me, and despite some further problems with the endometriosis, I do think that the altered diet helped stave off some complications and alleviate symptoms.

More recently, I’ve started to focus on eating a Paleo diet (with organic food incorporated when feasible). People often ask me why I think a Paleo diet is good. I am a biochemist, but it doesn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out that fruits, vegetables, and lean meats are a good starting point for a healthy diet, and a diet of sugar and carbs is not. Also, I have become increasingly concerned with the additives in food that are not, in fact, food. They are chemicals that have been synthesized in labs and then marketed to the public (a bit like Willie Wonka but less altruistic). Many scientific studies have now shown that a variety of the chemicals added to (or used as) foods can have detrimental side effects. So, it also makes sense to me that we need to get back to eating ‘actual’ food as opposed to ‘synthetic’ food. For me this encapsulates the core of the Paleo diet – lots of good meat, fruit and veggies without all the sugar and synthetic garbage. Simple.

There is a lot of debate as to what foods should be allowed on a Paleo diet. In some cases it’s very clear, but in others the jury is still out and it depends on who you ask. So, in this blog, when I post something that has an ingredient that is debatable, I’ll list it in parenthesis and then you can decide if that falls within your idea of Paleo.