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Thanksgiving Frittata (Bacon, Red Pepper, Spinach and Black Olive)

December 3, 2012 in Breakfast

My oldest daughter and I had the flu this Thanksgiving.  I did not have the energy to cook and both of us were still on thin ice when it came to solid food.  I ended up whipping up this frittata for the three healthy members of the household (my mother-in-law who was visiting, my husband, and my youngest daughter) and it was a hit!  It was also beautiful, with colors that make me think this would be a delightful Christmas morning breakfast or brunch.  We also laughed because my daughter’s class learned the Albuquerque The Turkey song for their Thanksgiving Feast at school and the punchline of the song is that they ate scrambled eggs for Thanksgiving dinner instead of turkey (because Albuquerque is such a great pet).  We weren’t that far off!

I have taken to keeping my freezer well stocked with US Wellness Meats sugar-free nitrate/nitrite-free uncured pastured pork bacon.  This bacon is so ridiculously flavorful and, because it’s pastured and uncured, it’s very healthy!  It’s also very handy for food emergencies.

Ingredients:

  • ½ medium yellow onion (or 1 small onion), finely diced
  • 1 ½ cups red bell pepper, diced (about 1 large pepper)
  • 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • 6oz bacon (about 6-7 thick slices)
  • 1 cup sliced black olives(equivalent to a 3.8oz-can)
  • 8 eggs, beaten

 

  1. Heat an oven proof skillet (I like to use my 12” cast iron frying pan) over medium high heat and turn on broiler (on high) to preheat oven.
  2. Cut bacon into small pieces (I like to use scissors for this job).  Add bacon and onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and onion is fully cooked and caramlized (8-10 minutes).
  3. Add pepper and olives to pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until pepper is cooked (4-5 minutes).  Add spinach and stir to wilt, about 1 minute.
  4. Add beaten eggs.  Let cook on stove top 1-2 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
  5. Place skillet in oven and broil until eggs are completely cooked, puffed up and starting to brown on top (about 7-10 minutes, varies oven to oven so watch carefully).
  6. Serve and enjoy!

 

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Celebrating Thanksgiving with Influenza A

November 22, 2012 in 2012

I am pleased to have the energy to write a little this morning.  I am through the “acute phase” of the flu and find myself feeling very thankful to be on the other side.  That one was not fun.

My oldest daughter started it all Monday morning.  A moderate fever, cough, runny nose and headache that gradually got worse.  By overnight Monday, her fever was 104F and I had broken out the Tylenol which was barely touching it.  She had severe body aches and stomach cramps. She threw up Tuesday morning in the pediatrician’s parking lot.  We spent five hours between the pediatrician’s office and the children’s hospital on Tuesday, ruling out more serious possibilities and finally getting a positive diagnosis of influenza A.

Overnight Tuesday night, my daughter’s fever lowered to 102 and her need for Tylenol stopped.  She was barely drinking and refusing to eat, but now that we knew it was the flu, we could feel somewhat confident that we had another day at most like this.

Yesterday morning, I woke up with a cough and scratchy throat.   And a sense of foreboding.  I was ravenous at breakfast but shortly after my temperature started to go up and my energy level started to plummet.  Then the joint aches set in.  I do not remember ever having such intense joint aches with any flu ever.  My spine, hips, and sacroiliac joints were so painful that it was difficult to sleep, even though I was exhausted and barely able to stay awake.  I went to bed with my oldest mid-morning and basically didn’t get out of bed until this morning (except for potty trips, a bath with epsom salts, eucalyptus and peppermint oil in the afternoon, and getting up twice to reheat some bone broth).  I remember feeling intensely angry with myself for getting dressed because it took so much effort to get back into my pajamas.  By evening, I was experiencing intense stomach pain that I can only liken to pitocin transition contractions without pain meds (yes, I know how those feel too) but without the predictability and without the joy of a baby at the end.  I did take prescription anti-nauseants that were in our medicine cabinet, but I successfully avoided taking Tylenol or NSAIDS.  I would have taken a pain-killer if I knew it wouldn’t reduce my fever (or increase gut permeability), but I so wanted my fever to stay up so I could get better as quickly as possible (and it was only 101.5F), that I suffered through the pain for the greater good.

Both my fever and my daughter’s fever broke around 3am.  She had some paleo toast this morning, but I’ve only had some bone broth and some tea since my stomach is still sore (although more like a dull ache now and I may try some solid food soon).  I still have a headache and cough and feel weak, but the joint aches are just an echo of what I experienced last night, and I’ve been upright for over an hour already, which is pretty darned impressive, if you ask me.

There’s nothing like illness to change your mindset about things and draw into focus what really matters.  This is definitely not the same list as what I would have written a couple of days ago, but this is what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

  • that my freezer was filled with bone broth and bones for making more
  • that my daughter waited until we arrived at the pediatrician’s office and was out of the car to throw up
  • the incubation period of the flu, which means that I didn’t get sick until my daughter was starting to do better
  • for my wonderful mother-in-law, who happens to be visiting and watched both kids while I slept all afternoon yesterday and made supper last night when I couldn’t
  • Tinkerbell and The Great Fairy Rescue, which my kids never seem to tire of
  • that all of this happened after the birthday weekend so my youngest was finally able to have a birthday party (her first was cancelled due to a stomach bug and her second was cancelled due to a leak in the kitchen that meant our floors were completely ripped up)
  • that I didn’t have a turkey thawing in the fridge so it’s very easy to postpone our Thanksgiving dinner until I have the energy to make it, but that my fridge and freezer are still well-stocked with food so no one needs to go to the store
  • that my medicine cabinet was well stocked with prescription anti-nauseants
  • that my yoga class was cancelled yesterday so I wasn’t tempted to go to yoga and see if that might make me feel better
  • my wonderful husband, who was able to come home from work early, put the kids to bed without me, and run out to the pet store for cat food (which I was supposed to do yesterday)
  • that my mother-in-law and husband got  flu shots and seems to be fighting this off very well so far.  I think this is what my youngest probably had a week and a half ago that only lasted 24 hours with her, but I’m still on “flu watch”.
  • for all the well wishes that I received on Facebook for you lovely people.

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving free of illness, stress, and catastrophe and instead filled with joy, relaxation, celebration, appreciation, goof food, family and friends.

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Nightshade-Free Paleo Lamb Curry

November 21, 2012 in Soups and Stews, Stir Fries and One-Pot Meals

I have been experimenting with nightshade-free spice blends lately.  Because my family all enjoys anything seasoned with curry powder, it became and important priority to recreate the curry flavor without the nightshades that are typically included in curry spices.  This curry, while milk, is absolutely delicious.  If you buy lamb stew meat pre-butchered into cubes, this also makes this meal quite easy to put together.  The longer you cook this curry, the more tender the meat will be, so you can easily extend the cooking time if you wish.  This would also work in a slow cooker.

This is delicious served with plain cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash.  You could also substitute another meat very easily into this meal (dare I suggest leftover turkey since Thanksgiving is tomorrow?).  Serves 5-6.

Ingredients:

  1. If you are using any whole seeds (anise and caraway would be typical), grind in a food processor or spice grinder to a powder.
  2. In a large stock pot, heat 2 Tbsp red palm oil over medium-high heat.  Brown meat in 2-3 batches, setting browned meat aside in a large bowl.
  3. Add 1 Tbsp of red palm oil to the pot.  Cook onion and carrot until onion is starting to turn translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
  4. Add meat back to the pot and all of the spices.
  5. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to the pot.  Cover, reduce temperature to medium and simmer for 1 hour (or more).
  6. Remove lid and continue to simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
  7. Stir in coconut cream and spinach.  Once spinach has wilted (about 1 minute), serve.
  8. Enjoy!

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The Paleo Mom’s Thanksgiving Side Dish and Dessert Recipe Round-Up

November 19, 2012 in 2012

The Best Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I know that many of you are frantically preparing paleo-friendly feasts for your friends and families!  I will be continuing to post all week, but I thought today would be a good day to take a moment and share with you some of my favorite paleofied side dishes and desserts for you to include in your meal preparations (wanted to give you enough time to shop for ingredients!).

Last year, I made a completely paleo turkey dinner for Thanksgiving (see this post) and I will be doing the same this year.  I completely dropped the ball on ordering a free range turkey on time for the holiday, so I am now planning on cooking a leg of lamb with most of the traditional side dishes that I would typically serve with turkey (lamb and cranberry sauce is a pretty great combination!).

Eggplant and Wild Mushroom Stuffing

For me, the trick to any big meal is planning dishes that can either be made in advance or don’t require much tending.  I try to limit the number of dishes where I have to actively stir something on the stovetop to two (this keeps my stress level much lower).  I love casseroles and roasted veggies because I can prepare most if not all beforehand and then just pop into the oven while the turkey (or in this year’s case, lamb) is resting.

Below are some of my favorite dishes, both of my own and some from other blogs or books that I think are worth checking out.

Stuffing.

Baked Spiced Yams

If you are looking for a breadless stuffing recipe that feels like traditional stuffing and tastes amazingly good, my eggplant and wild mushroom stuffing is the recipe for you.  The eggplant and mushrooms absorb the flavors of the herbs and the turkey juices as the turkey bakes (very analogous to bread).  The texture and taste are very similar to the stuffing my mom made every year while I was growing up.  This recipe has the benefit of being egg-free, nut-free, and meat-free (for those who don’t care for sausage-based stuffing recipes, which are very common in the paleo community).  I was planning on making an all mushroom version of this stuffing this year, since I can’t eat nightshades, but I guess now, I’ll save that for Christmas.

Savory Roasted Taro

While I hope you try my stuffing recipe, there’s a few other recipes that look so good to me, and I felt like I would be remiss if I didn’t

point you to them as options.  I’m a big fan of chestnut as a stuffing ingredient, so I have two different chestnut-based stuffing recipes to point you to.  Eat Live Grow Paleo has a chestnut and sausage version that you might find tempting.  Not Just a Man’s World has a chestnut and bacon version which looks awesome too.  Wellness Mama has a root vegetable based-stuffing which can also double as a root vegetable side dish.  A fun twist on traditional stuffing is the Thanksgiving Stuffing Meatballs from Practical Paleo (which I baked as part of my book review).  You’ve lucked out because Diane Sanfilippo has published both her meatball and her cranberry sauce recipes on her blog Balanced Bites. I will be making Diane’s cranberry sauce this year.

Bacon-Braised Brussels Sprouts

A quick note on gravy, which seems to fit in here.  I have always made pan gravey with broth made from boiling the giblets.  Last year, I thickened with coconut flour, but this year, my plan is to make a pan gravy and thicken with arrowroot powder.  Use arrowroot powder the same way you would any thickener.  First, mix with some cold water, then pour into your pan or pot on the stove, bring to a simmer and let thicken a few minutes while stirring constantly.

Starchy Sides.

Root vegetables in all different forms are traditional at Thanksgiving Dinner.  My family’s favorite is my baked spiced yams (which are really sweet potatoes).  They taste amazing, the kids love them (my youngest calls them yam circles), and they are very easy.  This year, I also plan to make some savory roasted taro root (most of the work can be done in advance, and this tastes the most like roasted potato of any root vegetable I’ve tried) in lieu of mashed cauliflower.  For those who want to keep the starch to a minimum, I recommend my roasted butternut squash recipe.  Another favorite of mine is the roasted carrot recipe from Eat Like A Dinosaur (which I made for my review).

Hot Cranberry Spinach Salad

Mixed roasted root vegetables are a classic side dish too (one that I often make and never measure anything). Autoimmune Paleo has a simple recipe that you could customize for your own tastes. Thyme, rosemary and garlic would all be good seasoning additions to this basic recipe.  For those who miss their scalloped potatoes, this recipe from The Whole Kitchen looks awesome.  If you allow some dairy into your diet (including cheese), you might also consider this recipe from Jes’ CrossFit Blog or the scalloped sweet potato recipe in Sweet Potato Power.

Non-Starchy Sides.

Hands down, my favorite decadent side dish is bacon-braised Brussels sprouts.  I don’t think I could ever get tired of it.  I am also planning on making my hot cranberry spinach salad, which has the benefit of cooking very quickly. Whole Family Strong has a recipe for roasted broccoli and cauliflower, which would be a great side dish.  A more casserole-esque recipe is the roasted cashew covered broccoli from The Paleo Project.  If green bean casserole is a tradition in your house, then you have to check out this recipe from And Love It Too.

Paleo Apple Crisp

I will probably make a salad too.  In the olden days, salad was always the side dish that I made that nobody ate.  I make fewer side dishes now so that we can all save room for salad.  I’m on a big pomegranate kick these days since they’re just coming into season.  I will probably make a variation of Against All Grain’s arugula salad with pomegranate seeds and blueberries (I’m on an arugula kick too)

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie Squares

If you are thinking of making a paleo pumpkin pie, then you need to try my version.  It is creamy, tasty goodness and a recipe that I am extremely proud of.  I also have a recipe for pumpkin pie squares, which have all the flavor of pumpkin pie, but are very quick to make.  This year, I’m going to be experimenting with paleo apple pie recipes.  If you like the idea of apple pie as a dessert, you might also try my paleo apple crisp.

I hope you found a recipe or two to inspire you above.  There are so many great paleo recipe blogs now, that there certainly is no shortage of great recipes to try.  I hope that whatever you cook on Thanksgiving turns out perfectly and I wish you and your families a relaxing, safe and fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend.

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