Black and Blue Burger

1.5 pounds grass fed ground beef

1 t fresh ground black pepper
2 t granulated onion
1/4 t cayenne
1 t granulated garlic
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t rubbed thyme or 1 t fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine ingredients in a bowl, adjusting seasonings to taste.  Mix together, but if you're like me and enjoy a little streak of flavor, leave it slightly undermixed and season in the skillet with additional salt and ground pepper.  Form patties and fry over medium to medium high (depending on thickness) until juices run pink/clear.

Top with blue cheese the last 1-2 minutes of cooking and then a strip of bacon or crumbles.  You can even press the cheese into the middle and/or the bacon, but I like the presentation.  A dry red wine is also a nice complement and a delicious way to get your polyphenols!

How German Potato Salad will make you healthier and thinner

When I read about potatoes as a beneficial food, I was all ears.  As a staple of every holiday meal,  they fit most people's description of comfort food, and, well, BACON!  They fit in the Paleo gray area, but for all but a few of my athletes, I encourage most to work them back in about weekly once they've weeded out the useless processed carbs.  One of the biggest reasons being something called resistant starch

Chris Kresser has an excellent article on the finer points of why this is a fantastic thing to have in your diet, helps us with insulin sensitivity and why having the right gut flora help you maintain a healthy weight, but the gist of it comes down to foods like cooked,  cooled potatoes have the ability to provide food to some very important gut flora.  Lots of fiber provide food for these happy little bacteria to eat,  but not all can make it the distance that resistant starch can.  For example according to the Sonnenburgs from their book The Good Gut , sugar and processed foods (which act like sugars) barely make it further than the large intestine, leaving the bacteria we want and need for our health to snack on our intestinal mucosal layer or die.  Here is where resistant starch comes in... in the cooked and cooled potatoes of a potato salad.   My German potato salad is more often cooled and slightly reheated so it suits this nutritional lesson perfectly.  It also contains onions, a great source of inulin... another food for our microbial friends, plus a dab of pectin from the unpasteurized cider vinegar and you have a feast for both tongue and tummy!

German Potato Salad

6 c cubed unpeeled potatoes
1/2 lb bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/3 c unpasteurized cider vinegar
1/4 c water  (from the cooked potatoes)
3 T cane sugar
3 T chopped parsley

Boil the cubed potatoes in cold lightly salted water until tender.  Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crisp, crumble the bacon, and reserve the drippings.  Fry the onions until tender and lightly browned.  Add salt, pepper, vinegar, and water and set asside.

Drain the cooked potatoes,  add the crumbled bacon, and the vinegar mixture.

If you're like me, this is a favorite take-along for potlucks.  So refrigerate overnight and bring up to temp in your crockpot and top with parsley before serving.

Why REAL chicken soup is for sick days

Ah, a warm steamy broth, fragrant with aromatic flavors and herbs can be music to even the tenderest of tummies not to mention the stuffiest of heads.  Even before formalized hospitals broths were used as the first foods to welcome weary patients back to the conscious world.  Not to mention in modern hospitals, patients will still be offered a form of this.  Sadly, convenience and cost has eclipsed even the highest of hospital standards and even they have forgone what is most healthy for patients.  I'm talking about bouillon.  No, not the french preparation, but the handy little beef and chicken flavored "soup starters".  I'm not opposed to a non-msg form to add flavor here and there, but it is offering you nothing else.

If you keep your hipster ear to the ground, you will already know the Paleo buzz words "Bone Broth".  But keep your scarf on sister, it's really not that new.  In the culinary world, it's referred to as a stock.

A simple stock or bone broth consists of lots of bones, joints, and cartilage roasted or not, thrown into a pot often with veggies like celery, onion, garlic, carrots, brought to a boil then simmered for hours even days until all their good things are extracted.  Some choose to add a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar to help release minerals.  Either way it should give you a lovely flavorful soup base or even something to sip straight!

Before anyone really thought about the glorious flavor stocks impart into all sorts of cooking, hungry folks... very hungry folks... learned to get every last bit out of every scrap God graciously gave them.  In so doing, they reaped extra benefits they likely didn't even realize they were getting:  tons of minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, to name just a few and some really interesting proteins we'll discuss here. 
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Collagen, found in bone, skin, and cartilage, is a big reason to have real "bone broth".  It is broken down in smaller pieces so it is easier for you to absorb.  When you are ill, your body is trying to repair damaged tissues and as we age our ability to repair our connective tissue decreases. This is just one way of giving it those needed building blocks. 

Gelatin is another aspect of "bone broth".  It is the stuff that looks like meat jelly when you pull out your leftover meats out of the fridge.   Gelatin provides glycine and proline, two amino acids that help you make your own collagen and rebuild more of these connective tissues, not to mention it supports joint health, and healthy skin.  All of these proteins not only heal your gut, but are very low-inflammatory for very sensitive tummies.

By the time you add some other goodies to your soup, like carrots, parsley, celery, onion, you'll be getting beta-carotene, true vitamin C (not ascorbic acid) that initiates tissue repair, pre-biotic fiber and inulin to build up your gut flora for prevention of that next nasty virus that heads your way. 

And here's a yummy recipe from Nourished Kitchen for gluten-free dumplings made with spouted grains (we'll blog more on that another day).  I normally opt for all grain-free, but the nut-based flours, I find, tend to fall apart with cooking.  Enjoy!

Paleo Warm Cranberry Sauce

Nothing balances all the beautifully rich and savory foods of Thanksgiving like a naturally sweet and tangy cranberry sauce.   Not only are they rich in anthocyanadins (a type of anti-oxidant), vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, and even vitamin E, but they are praised for their association with supporting cardiovascular health by reducing LDL cholesterol, and preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) and maybe even kidney stones.  Recent research has shown that it's not the acidity of the cranberries, but the unusual nature of their proanthocyanidins (PACs) that is related to prevention of UTIs. The special structure of these PACs acts as a barrier to bacteria that might otherwise latch on to the urinary tract lining.   But enough of that aspect.

I am most interested in the anti-oxidant/vitamin C aspect.  We do a lot of talking about anti-oxidants because they fight inflammation, but isn't it curious that God packaged it with an inflammation promoter:  Vitamin C.  Now don't wave that carving knife at me just yet, hear me out!  We love to encourage anti-inflammatory foods because our modern diet has led us to so much chronic inflammation which translates to chronic joint pain, gut pain, auto-immune type diseases and so on.  But if you want to heal injuries, build muscle, repair damage internal tissues, etc. normal inflammation is part of that process and rather than getting it from high doses of processed food, I recommend vitamin C.  


Think of it like how both heat and ice on sore muscles pump blood, fluids, and lymph in and out of tissue, so both anti-oxidants and vitamin C are needed.  Please keep in mind that true vitamin C that is prized for its tissue repair is not the ascorbic acid you get from your typical vitamin tablet... the real stuff is what will actually heal you. 

So go enjoy your cranberries!

Warm Cranberry Sauce

15 oz fresh cranberries
Zest and juice of 2 large oranges 
1/2 c raw local honey

In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients, cook on medium heat until cranberries begin to pop continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.  Refrigerating will thicken further, but we enjoy this warm at the table. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

To Kombucha or Not to Kombucha

You know when something has hit critical mass when it has reached the Mid-West.  Kombucha is one of those things.  I had not sooner posted that Aldi was carrying it, than they had sold out of their limited supply.  Last spring I set out to try my hand at this probiotic drink.

 

 Kombucha is a type of probiotic tea, usually black or green, that is fermented using a SCOBY or "symbiotic 'colony' of bacteria and yeast".  It feeds of the sugar that is added to the tea and forms many of the lovely beneficial bacteria we look for to nurse our tummies to their optimal health.   It can be an acquired taste at first, considering it is the same acidity as cider vinegar, which in it's unpasteurized form is used to help "start" the growth.  You can learn how to make it here.

While I love to incorporate lots of fermented foods into our diet, I've sadly had to say good-bye to this fizzy, tart drink... today's topic is about a few things you should consider before you embark on your home brew.

1) Acidity.  While there are plenty of naturopaths that recommend a shot of unpasteurized cider vinegar daily for its health benefits especially toward digestion, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  Since we flavor these so nicely we tend to ingest much more than 2 ounces.  High oral consumption of acidic foods can lead to gastric reflux, esophageal erosion, stomach ulcers and/or stomach pain.  Continued consumption over time can alter your systemic pH in many people and while a low (acidic pH) does help you fight bacterial infections, it is a beneficial environment for fungi and yeast.   Which leads me to my second warning.

2) Wild cultures.  A SCOBY, unlike many purchased cultures, is growing as it's fermenting your tea.  It is acquiring bacteria, yeasts, and fungi from the air and your kitchen environment.  While this is not always bad, many people have great sensitivities to yeasts such as Candida albicans which is notorious for overgrowth in the intestines and other mucus membranes.  If you shuddered at that word, you know this baddy is to be avoided.

So, that said, if these two things are not a problem for you, then brew away, but monitor your consumption and the good outcomes we always look for with probiotic foods.

Pumpkin Molasses Custards

I initially thought of doing a paleo pumpkin pancake recipe for a nice fall recipe, but frankly, my recipe is a type of a custard-in-a-pan and not what you might think you're getting.  So to keep it in its purest form, I'm going with it's unashamed version today:  a fall treat, not too sweet, nutrient dense with a luxury feel.

Pumpkin itself is high in the carotenoids and when combined with the fat of the heavy cream, according to some studies, you'll absorb more of them.  The star of the show for my purposes today is going to be molasses.

Molasses is a little used powerhouse of minerals like much-needed magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese.  Oh, and it's also a tasty sweetener.  Its potent taste is a better inhibitor of over-consumption so I'll go with Mark Sisson's take of a worth-it-for-paleo stance and according to Rhonda Patrick sites data that shows that 54% of Americans are deficient in magnesium.  Magnesium is important for proper sleep, proper blood sugar control, and mitochodrial function (think metabolism).  A chronic deficiency can lead to elevated c-reactive protein, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, headaches, muscle aches, asthma, and pre-eclampsia-eclampsia.

The final color of the custard shows how much the dark tones of the molasses overtakes even the original pumpkin color... and it's as rich and decadent as it looks! 

I topped the final product with pecans I toasted in some grass-fed butter.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Pumpkin Molasses Custards

2 eggs
2 t cinnamon (or more)
1/4 t ginger
1/4 t clove
2-3 T molasses
stevia to taste
15 oz pumpkin
1 c heavy cream

Beat eggs with spices, add molasses and stevia.  Wisk in pumpkin and heavy cream until blended.  Add more cinnamon and sweeteners to taste. 
Bake at 350 with a hot water bath for 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean

Top with toasted pecans and/or heavy cream

Here's the video!

Processed, processed, everything is processed!

I don't know about you, but I get a little nauseated over the buzz-words that flood the internet and media for years on end.  In the fitness world, the word is "core".  Enough with the planking already!  Unless you have to hold up a dam, your deltoids will never need that much static strength!  But that's really my husband's department... I'll let him get to that one on his own blog.  In my world of nutritional reading, that word is "processed".

What this word intended to describe are foods that are overly processed and in so-doing they were stripped of their nutrients or their very chemical bonds were distorted or oxidized.  This is a valid concern because the grocery store shelves are lined with such items. There are flours that have had so much of the nutrients stripped from them, they have to add vitamins just to call them food. Not to mention the oils that are often chemically altered to extend their shelf-life or add some texture to the lifeless things.

But let's be honest, almost all food, from the moment you cut it off it's stalk, tree, plant, etc.  is processed.  When you process something you change or preserve it so that you can eat it. So...Churning butter:  processed.  Took a cow to market:  processed.   Chopping broccoli:  processed.  But, remember kids, never eat any processed foods. Lean down and eat foods directly from the bush.

Warm Asian Pork Salad

During these unseasonably warm days of fall, the shipped that sound so fantastic are put on hold.  My family tends to want a happy medium.  So a fall salad is perfect!  If the weather permits I have even done a grilled variation of this.

While not strictly Paleo, the addition of blue cheese has lots of nutritional benefits according to this studyhttp://bottomlinehealth.com/why-cheese-is-surprisingly-good-for-your-heart/ which mentions the French Paradox  (which may not be that paradoxical...but more on that later).  The interesting findings were that blue veined cheeses seemed to do several things, like:

1) Lower blood pressure
2) Increase cholesterol synthesis
3) Combat bacteria
4) Offer heart healthy nutrients like vitamins A, D, B6, and B9.

If you like this recipe,  and weather permits,  a completely grilled version also includes blue cheese.  I'm including it at the end of this blog.  For now,  this recipe:

Warm Asian Pork Salad
2 Romaine Hearts, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
6-8 oz diced, pre-cooked pork (leftovers are perfect!)
1 sliced pear
3 T sliced green onions
2 T sesame-ginger dressing (homemade would be healthiest-my recipe below)
3 T cashews
3 T blue cheese

Prep your romaine in 2 large salad bowls.  Heat the oil (don't worry, this won't be long enough to oxidize the oil) with the garlic to infuse its flavor, toss in the pork and let it lightly brown, then the pear, green onions, and dressing until everything is hot.  Pour over your greens and top with cashews and blue cheese.  The greens will wilt slightly under the hot dressing, but you'll get a mix of hot and cools, it is very nice! 

My variation on this was published in Penzeys Spices Catalog 2013 and includes chicken instead of the pork and almonds.  The trick is to grill everything (okay, not the cheese and nuts) on a very hot grill (chicken breasts, peaches, red onion slices).  Two minutes for each ingredient including the romaine.  Slice it long ways and brush it with olive oil.  The smokey flavors from the grill play wonderfully with the blue cheese--oh my!  Sorry for the emotional reaction, but I do hope you find it as fabulous!

If you need a Sesame-Ginger dressing, here was mine from the same issue:
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 T olive oil
1 T honey and/or stevia to taste
1/4-1/2 t powdered ginger
1/2 t freshly grated ginger (a blend of fresh and powdered is best)
1 T soy sauce or coconut aminos
1/2 c pineapple juice

Are fat-germs the reason you are overweight? Maybe!

For those of you who follow the research I post, you'll remember a study about a poor gal who gained 30 pounds after a fecal transplant from an overweight friend. The doctors apologized with a "sorry, that can happen" and studies support it. So I wasn't surprised to see this latest article from The Atlantic explaining why today's younger generation is more likely to burn less calories. The article sites 3 primary reasons:
1) Exposure to pesticides, flame retardants, and food packaging affecting our hormones.
2) Prescription drugs like Prozac and other antidepressants. and
3) Our "microbiome" (natural intestinal bacteria) have changed. If that's not horrifying enough, the article doesn't even mention other research that shows junk food we eat can actually influence us to eat more of the same!

 But before you go googling poo-pills from skinny people (yes, that's a thing) let's tell you a few things you can do to make that gut a happier place for hard-working bacteria.
1) Eat foods naturally high in health-promoting bacteria... a.k.a.-fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir (a drinkable, amped-up yogurt, and sauerkraut-not from canned) and take a quality probiotic with many different strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.

2) Feed your new friends by eating their food: oligosaccharides which are found in foods like onions, garlic, and asparagus and resistant starch found in bananas and potatoes
 3) Get lots of diverse, high-fiber foods... which is going to likely happen from getting some of the foods above, but generally, just eat lots of plants.
 4) Avoid toxins and unnecessary drugs like antibiotics (which are like a bazooka to the ecosystem in your gut) unless you absolutely must.
Keep following for more on gut flora and even recipes for probiotic foods!