Spring Break Eats

Leftover leg of lamb with raspberry vinaigrette, carrots roasted with maple syrup and ginger, and a sweet potato with orange garlic sauce and butter. I don't have a recipe because my mom had made it from scratch and it was sitting in the fridge, because life at my parents' house is good like that. 

Omelette with Asian-inspired mix of microgreens, smoked salmon, beets with balsamic, and roasted asparagus. 

Cooked chicken pulled off the carcass, a small handful of raisins, baby chard, and mayonnaise. 

A Huge Ass Salad with Asian microgreens, baby Swiss chard, some sprouts, spinach, carrots, and cucumbers with canned salmon and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Must be something about the longer days and not warmer temperatures that makes me crave big salads.

This is my second round of that dessert recipe I tried a week or two ago–the Meyer lemon fluff. This time, however, I turned it into blood orange chocolate! I doubled the recipe, but somehow it ended up less fluffy and more like a panna cotta. But it was still delicious.

In the past 2+ years, I can count on one (maybe two) hands how many times I've "paleo baked." No matter what, it doesn't make me feel good. That doesn't stop me from trying once and a while, and these sure did taste good. I used this cupcake recipe and for the frosting, I just mixed a package of unsalted Kerrygold butter, a half cup of honey, a teaspoon of vanilla, a half cup of coconut milk, and two tablespoons of chocolate. Not bad for winging it! 

On my last night at home, I made pork spareribs with carrots, yellow squash, and onions. This was quite a big meal, especially since I didn't photograph the purple sweet potato. 

On my last morning, I had a ham, asparagus, and spinach omelette with duck prosciutto on the side. Served with some hibiscus kombucha. 

Not too attractive but on my first night back in my apartment, I made spaghetti squash and topped it with smoked clams and had a side of cumin-roasted cauliflower. 

A super fast lunch after 4pm on Saturday was two grass-fed hotdogs, dill sauerkraut, and horseradish mustard. I've never really noticed nightshade spices in hotdogs to bother me (since I eat them only a few times a year), but this time they may be causing some pain. I'm not too sure. I also tried to trial white potatoes early in the week. They were twice-baked, organic, and peeled. Unfortunately, the next day, the dogs did something stupid while I was holding on to them, and my shoulder luxated. Who's to say it wouldn't have if I hadn't eaten the potatoes? Although I'm having a hard time remembering the last time that happened and it may actually have been before my diet upheaval. So there's a strike against white potatoes. It'll have to be a while before I try again, because my shoulder still doesn't feel right. 

Saturday was spent doing lots of cooking and not enough school work. For dinner, I made this tiny chicken with Niter Kebbeh Ghee. I also made braised endives, which I used to make a lot my senior year of college when I was very strictly low FODMAPs. I couldn't find that recipe again (it involved lemons and was kind of involved), but this time I found this recipe. 

Dinner is served.

And the batch cooking recommences.... Beef spareribs with lots of garlic, rosemary, and carrots. They got a little dry but I was trying to do too much with the one oven. 

Lots of cinnamon-y butternut squash with lard for breakfasts this week. 

A simple Sunday morning affair: pork jowl bacon cooked with spinach, topped with scrambled eggs cooked with herbs de Provence and garlic.

Food Fit for Kings

I'm off on spring break this week. Luckily we have very little work to do -- just a certification for emerging and infectious diseases and a little research project.

I'm staying at my parents' house while they go to Florida so I have all the animals in my charges. Taking them all on a walk is like taking a bunch of athletic and violent three year olds on a field trip, but we're working on it. 

But being home means the best food, so here are two GAPS-friendly meals so far. 

A chicken liver and duck prosciutto omelette with baby chard cooked in butter. 

Fresh from the Hamptons whiting and cod roe over local microgreens and sautéed Brussels sprouts and onions.

I am a genius!

WARNING: This recipe is not for the faint of heart. 

Up until last night, my go-to ice cream recipe was the Paleo Mom's olive oil ice cream. I've made it as is, with chocolate (amazing), and as a base for fruit flavors. Sometimes the fruit flavors worked and other times it was just too much olive oil. And sometimes I just wanted a true vanilla flavor. I have used avocado and avocado oil, but avocados also impart a flavor and the oil gets expensive. So how to make a truly dreamy creamy neutral ice cream?

Well, recently it came to me..... Butter!!!

What's the closest thing to cream that doesn't bother my lactose and casein intolerance? Butter. What's no different from fats like avocado or olive oil? Butter. What's cheaper than those fats? Butter. It seemed too good to be true. 

On the first night of spring break, I had a chance to give it a try. 

I started gently melting 2 sticks of non-salted of butter on the stove. 

I blended one can of TJ's coconut milk (it was low fat, but I'd prefer full fat), one cup of cooked cherries I had in the freezer, a quarter cup each of maple syrup and raw honey, a dash of salt, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, three tablespoons of non-gelling gelatin/collagen, and one tablespoon of l-glutamine powder.  If I'd had eggs, I would have added a few yolks. 

Once the butter was melted, I slowly poured that in the blended mixture with the blender on low. Then I put the blender in the fridge for a couple of hours. 

Later I put a half cup of water in a small saucepan and sprinkled three tablespoons of gelling gelatin on top. I walked away for about ten minutes (good time to clean the litterbox). I came back and gently heated the mixture until it was liquidy and the gelatin dissolved. 

While it was heating, I took the blender out from the fridge and readied it again. I took the gelatin mixture and poured it into the blender with the blender running on low. 

Then I set up my ice cream maker and turned it on. I poured the contents of the blender into the ice cream maker and went to put a bowl and glass storage container in the freezer (keeps it from melting as you serve). 

I went to my amazingly proliferative mint plant and got a small handful of leaves. After the ice cream thickened a bit, I tore all but two of the leaves and tossed them in the machine. 

Once it stopped churning, I started scooping. I started with the bowl I want to eat it out of first, then put it back in the freezer to get harder. I scooped the rest out to store and served mine with the extra mint. 

Creamy deliciousness ensued! The butter was a great fatty addition. I did end up with a film of cold fat on the spoon, but the texture of the ice cream is the closest I've gotten to the real deal using a little machine and a coconut milk base. 

Disclaimer: I take digestive enzymes when I eat this ;) 

Ugly Lunches and a Delivery

Not at all appetizing, but a quick lunch (at 4:30?!?) amid neuro slides: a can of tuna, a can of cod livers, a dollop of Sir Kennsington's mayonnaise, kelp, and dill sauerkraut. 

I received these packages in the mail  yesterday. Heading to a book signing tonight! 

A Sunny Breakfast

A rare occasion, but I got in 8+ hours last and got up late to make this brunch (and take the dog for a walk on the [mostly] melted sidewalk!). Pulled pork with garlic and onions out of the freezer and "extra crispy" 😉 plantains sprinkled with coconut sugar, maple syrup, and nutmeg, fried in lard.

Dinner 3/8/15

Sautéed John Dory fish in lard with chives, salt, and kelp with dill pickle sauerkraut. Not pictured was a sweet potato with lots of butter!

My Favorite Colors

A breakfast of beef tongue, purple cabbage, and spinach seasoned with salt and cumin. I actually didn't think twice about bringing this for breakfast to class earlier this week. I don't think anyone noticed I was eating tongue. 😜

Wednesday Lunch

Shrimp and spaghetti squash drizzled with olive oil and smoked sea salt and beet & butternut marrow soup. Served alongside cardio and plans for a dessert study break.