Whole30 Day 4: Hot Dogs

This is a re-post from earlier in the year but it is worth a second look!  Just be sure to use whole30 approved hot dogs and toppings.

My dear friend, Kindra at Bon Appetit Paleo, is brilliantly creative.

We're no strangers to organic, grass-fed, beef hot dogs.  We've been buying the Applegate hot dogs for a couple of years and eating them bunless.  We love them!  But when Kindra told me her idea for a bun, I HAD to make it.

It was perfect!  PERFECT!  I barely had to convince myself I was not eating a hot dog bun.

Ingredients:

• organic, grass-fed, beef hot dogs
• small organic sweet potato or yam (about the size of your hot dog)
• condiments

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Scrub potatoes and slather with ghee or bacon fat.
3. Bake sweet potatoes for about 20 - 30 minutes, until soft and skins are starting to crisp.
4. Grill hot dogs.
5. Remove potatoes and allow to cool, to handle.
6. Scoop out flesh.  This is your side dish.
7. Add hot dog to potato skin and top with condiments.

Love, love, love this dish!

Butternut Squash Risotto

My husband and I are of the paleo and bulletproof thinking that white rice is ok, as long as you can tolerate it.  For more info than you really want about rice you can check out FitBomb.  Fitbomb says,

If you stick with white rice (which doesn’t contain the phytate and trypsin inhibitor content of the less-milled brown rice) and you cook it properly (which neutralizes the haemagglutinin-lectin), you don’t have much to worry about from an anti-nutrient perspective... It is essentially a blank slate, nothing all that bad about it, but nothing all that great, either.

Chris Kresser, whom my husband and I both highly respect, shares his idea of a paleo template and the optimal diet for modern day humans.

If we are indeed asking what the optimal diet is for modern humans (rather than simply speculating about what our Paleolithic ancestors ate), there’s no way to answer that question definitively. Why? Because just as there is tremendous variation amongst populations with diet, there is also tremendous individual variation. Some people clearly do better with no dairy products. Yet others seem to thrive on them. Some feel better with a low-carb approach, while others feel better eating more carbohydrate. Some seem to require a higher protein intake (up to 20-25% of calories), but others do well when they eat a smaller amount (10-15%).

The only way to figure out what an optimal diet is for you is to experiment and observe. The best way to do that is to remove the “grey area” foods you suspect you might have trouble with, like dairy, nightshades, eggs, etc. for a period of time (usually 30 days is sufficient), and add them back in one at a time and observe your reactions. This “30-day challenge” or elimination diet is what folks like Robb Wolf have recommended for a long time.

As I try to figure out what my optimal diet is, I've begun to "experiment and observe" with a fodmap free template.  Cauliflower is a high fodmap food and so we've had to cut out the cauliflower rice recipes that have become so popular.  Fine with me.  I like rice and can tolerate it well.

With all that in mind here is a fodmap free, very yummy recipe for risotto.  Of course, if you would rather stick with cauliflower, substitute the arborio rice for a head of cauliflower (about 1 1/2 lbs).

Photo: The Italian Chef

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into chunks
• 4T ghee or bacon fat, divided
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1 teaspoon asafoetida
• 1T fresh sage, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 1/2 cups grass-fed bone broth or organic, grass-fed beef or pastured chicken stock
• about 3 slices bacon, cooked, chopped, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Place the butternut squash on a foil-lined baking sheet and coat with 2T bacon fat and sprinkle with salt.
3. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
4. Blend squash with 1/2 cup broth in a blender.  Set aside.
5. Heat broth in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat.
6. While squash is roasting melt 2T bacon fat in a large skillet.
7. Add rice, asafoetida, sage, and nutmeg, stir about 2 minutes.
8. Add 1/2 cup heated broth to rice.  Stir together until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
9. Repeat with remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until all liquid is absorbed.  Rice should be cooked through and creamy.
10. Fold blended squash into rice.
11. Season to taste with salt.
12. Top with bacon.

Mini "Corn" Dogs

Cooper's favorite food is mini corn dogs.  Bummer.  It's been a long time since I've made the kid corn dogs.  But thanks to Gluten Free Fix we can add it back into our "can haves".  Too bad Cooper didn't like them. :(

Carly and I did like them and I will make them again.  They are a perfect snack or you can make a few batches and serve them with a nice salad to make an quick and easy main dish.

If you're feeling ambitious, serve them with California Cavegirl Kindra's Spicy as @$%* Paleo Honey Mustard or her whole30 compliant Honey Mustard.

Photo: Gluten Free Fix

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup grass-fed butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1T honey, optional
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2T coconut flour
• 1/4t baking soda
• 1/4t sea salt
• organic, grass-fed beef hot dogs, we use Applegate, 1 hot dog per 5 mini muffins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F
2. Butter a mini muffin pan, set aside
3. Whisk together butter, eggs, honey
4. Stir in dry ingredients
5. Scoop about a tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup
6. Cut hot dog into 1/2" pieces, 5 per hot dog
7. Place one hot dog slice into each muffin cup
8. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown
9. Serve warm

Makes about 15 minis

Bone Broth

Photo: NomNomPaleo

One crucial super-food I'm trying to get more of is bone broth.  Homemade, gelatin, collagen, mineral rich yummy goodness!  Learn more about why bone broth is a super food at one of our favorite sites, Balanced Bites.

My main reason for having bone broth everyday is the gelatin helps your system digest more effectively which evidently I need help with.  Bone broth is a gut healing super food!

Aids Digestion
Yet another benefit of gelatin, bone broth helps your system digest more efficiently, especially milk, meat, beans, and grains. That’s likely why it’s used in GAPS and other gut healing diets. Who doesn’t need a little help digesting everything in our day and age?

Read more at http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2013/02/21/10-reasons-i-drink-bone-broth/#OKdVJyHD2MtOC4yy.99

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10 Reasons I Drink Bone Broth

February 21st, 2013 · 56 Comments · Food for Thought, Frugality, Natural Health

Welcome! If you wish you could eat more whole foods without breaking your budget, you're in the right place. Start here for my top 10 baby steps to better Kitchen Stewardship.

You might also be interested in family-friendly, delicious and nutritious recipes or one of my popular eBooks to help you on your journey.

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485
Would you drink a mug of chicken bone broth? I never drank it before last week.
In that week, my toddler got pneumonia, my second grader threw up, my preschooler coughed for days on end, my husband coughed…and I would get a tickle of a sore throat now and then. It always went away.
Let me also explain that I do not have the perfect diet – I eat too much late at night while blogging and get into the Halloween candy and random Costco chocolates far too often.
I do not get enough sleep. Some nights I only get three hours of sleep, and even that is interrupted at least once by my nursling. The day before Thanksgiving I was up until 3:30 a.m. baking pies and writing a post for Attune, and then I saw my little guy once or twice (maybe three times), my daughter had a nightmare and cuddled in my bed for a few minutes, and by 6 or 6:30, my oldest son was throwing up.

My husband, who slept through me getting out of bed at least six times plus Leah getting into our bed, received the “state of the family’ address at 7:30 a.m., otherwise known as, “Honey, let me catch you up on what has happened while you were sleeping.”
That part has nothing to do with my story except that it’s amazing the man slept through all that, and woefully ironic that he pops out of bed the second his alarm goes off while I have no idea anything happened. He’ll wake me up for a third time and I think it’s only the first.
I digress.
I never promised to be right in mind, just able to fend off illness with a mighty hand…I mean, cup of bone broth.
I wrote the intro to this post in December, hence the Thanksgiving reference, but ironically, in the last two weeks we’ve had two kids with ear infections, three kids with fever, one toddler with pneumonia (again!), lots of coughing, (all of which we fended off without antibiotics) and no bone broth in the house for the last month. Coincidence? Maybe. But I bought a chicken not-on-sale yesterday and have been drinking mugs of it this morning. It’s broth week at Kitchen Stewardship, after all!

485

10 Reasons to Drink Bone Broth

1. Immunity Boosting Fat
The yellow fat from pastured chickens holds immune boosting powers that are only the tip of the iceberg in the power of a properly prepared chicken stock to keep you from getting the next cold or other bug that flies through your house.
2. Warm Liquid is Soothing
It’s okay to mention the obvious. There are plenty of other immune-boosting strategies, like apple cider vinegar water, using lots of raw garlic, and taking fermented cod liver oil, but the soothing feel of a warm liquid on a cold day can’t be beat. (You’ll still want FCLO from Green Pasture for the Vitamins A and D and omega 3s, but you might not want to sip it as you sit at the computer!)
3. Super Mineral Boost
Bone broth contains minerals from the bones that are not only abundant but easy to assimilate into our bodies (unlike the whole mess with whole grains and phytic acid and such – see the soaking grains series for more info on that). Minerals that will help you stay in optimal health include:

• calcium
• magnesium
• phosphorus
• other trace minerals
• (source)

4. Better Carrier for Garlic and Cayenne than Tea
Fresh garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper are great immunity boosting foods to eat as well, and while ginger makes a decent tea, it’s just weird to sip tea with garlic and cayenne. They taste awesome in broth though…

5. Gelatin for Joint Health
One of the incredible benefits of real bone broth made with the vinegar soak, all the cartilage from the animal and the actual bones is that your finished stock should have a good amount of gelatin. Gelatin is the cooked form of collagen, which makes up about half the protein in our bodies, so you’re truly “body building” when you consume it.
Gelatin provide glycine, an amino acid that promotes healthy cartilage and ultimately aids in avoiding joint pain. Could a cup a day keep the acetaminophen away?
6. Improves Bone Density
The calcium that leaches out of the bones into the stock is ready to be absorbed into your body, the perfect weapon against osteoporosis or weak bones in any way. (source)
7. Aids Digestion
Yet another benefit of gelatin, bone broth helps your system digest more efficiently, especially milk, meat, beans, and grains. That’s likely why it’s used in GAPS and other gut healing diets. Who doesn’t need a little help digesting everything in our day and age?

Read more at http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2013/02/21/10-reasons-i-drink-bone-broth/#OKdVJyHD2MtOC4yy.99

Here's my husband Brad's recipe:
Note: There are many recipes and a lot of them add in veggies.  We've kept it simple here to keep in line with the low-fodmap diet.

Ingredients:

• bag of bones from grass-fed beef, lamb or organic pastured poultry
• a splash of apple cider vinegar to help leach minerals from the bones
• filtered water to cover

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to your slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 12-24 hours.
3. Skim the fat off the top before drinking.
4. Add salt to taste.
5. Remaining broth can be poured off and refrigerated. Lift off hardened fat before heating and drinking.
6. If freezing, cool to room temperature in a glass, bpa-free container.  Put in freezer and leave top off until frozen to avoid cracking jar.  Replace lid.

You can drink the stock any time and you can use it as a base for soups and add it to recipes calling for water or broth.

OK, so what can I eat on a 30-day FODMAP free journey?  Easier to say what I can't eat.  Depending on whose list you are looking at some things may vary.  I've decided to go with Chris Kresser's list:

FODMAP rich foods to avoid:

Vegetables

·      Artichokes

·      Asparagus

·      Beets

·      Broccoli

·      Brussels Sprouts

·      Cabbage

·      Cauliflower

·      Dandelion Greens

·      Fennel

·      Garlic

·      Green Bell Peppers

·      Green Onions

·      Leeks

·      Mushrooms

·      Okra

·      Onions

·      Shallots

Fruits

·      Apples

·      Apricots

·      Avocados

·      Blackberries

·      Cherries

·      Lychees

·      Mangoes

·      Nectarines

·      Peaches

·      Pears

·      Persimmons

·      Plums

·      Prune

·      Watermelon

Herbs & Spices

·      Chicory

·      Fennel

·      Horseradish

·      Wasabi

Nuts & Seeds

·      Pistachios

Why am I doing this?  My stomach has been hurting with almost everything I eat.  Even a strict Paleo diet wasn't helping.  So, I'm trying to cut out more foods that may be exacerbating my problems.  I just need to clean out a little and see what happens.

Braised Short Ribs

So amazing!

Photo: Primal Palate

Here's my slight variation on Primal Palate's recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 pieces bacon, crumbled, reserve grease
• 1 1/2 Tbsp bacon fat
• ¾ cup beef broth or bone broth
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 3/4 lb beef short ribs, about 8 ribs
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste

Directions

1.    Cook bacon in a heavy skillet on medium heat until crispy.

2.    Remove bacon from skillet and set aside.

3.    Turn heat up to medium high and sear short ribs in the remaining bacon grease, about 1-2 minutes a side, adding more bacon grease as needed.

4.    Place the first four ribs in the bottom of the crockpot, season with salt and smoked paprika.

5.    Top with 4 garlic cloves and repeat with the remaining short ribs.

6.    Top all the ribs with the crumbled bacon and pour in the beef stock.

7.    Cover and cook in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.

Bison and Sweet Potato Chili

I love chili.  It really hits the spot when I'm craving comfort foods.  This is an amazing recipe from Paleo Girl that my whole family loves.  You don't have to use Bison but grass-fed bison is a great, low-fat meat option.  Tonight I'm using lamb because I have it on hand.  Any ground meat will work but I hope it's grass-fed...

If you want your chili to be more spicy, follow Paleo Girl's recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground buffalo (or ground meat of choice)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled & cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 8oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Brown your ground meat in a stock pot. Once browned remove it with a slotted spoon leaving any drippings in the pot.
2. Add the coconut oil and cook the sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add the onion and continue cooking until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
3. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Next add remaining ingredients except for cilantro.
5. Let simmer for about 10 minutes so that the flavors can meld together.
6. Stir in the cilantro right before serving.

• Skill Level: Easy

What Are You Doing?

Rib eye, roasted zucchini, and steamed spinach with 100% grass fed butter

My husband started it.  He came across the Bulletproof Executive and began a modified paleo journey.  I thought he was a heart attack waiting to happen.  After he had lost about 20 lbs, I had to follow him.   After a month of following my husband and dragging my kids through a modified paleo diet I dropped 3 sizes.

Our friends began asking, "What are you doing?  You look so great and healthy!"  Then the next question was, "What do I eat?" It was time to start a blog.  Butter in my coffee is from the Bulletproof Executive's intermittent fast.  It takes some getting used to but the rewards are amazing.

We pretty much follow Dave Asprey's (the Bulletproof Executive) food outline.  This is from his website:

"Common dietary mistakes will sap your energy, lower your immunity, and make you cranky. Basic unsuspected foods can make you weak, soft, and fat. Replace them with Bulletproof foods that fill you up, keep you strong, and even make you smarter."

Dave and my husband are way more high-tech than I am.  I just want to know what to make for after school snacks and dinner.  Oh, and what are we feeding the kids for breakfast?  Eggs again?

My hope is to show you there are limitless possibilities and even after working all day you can come home and cook nutritious, healthy, life changing meals for you and your family - even you, Alison!

When I first began my journey I was quickly bored and overwhelmed, rib eye and veggies, again?  What helped me gain perspective was this rule of thumb:

When I get up I have bulletproof coffee and don't eat anything or take any supplements until I'm hungry.

When I'm hungry (usually around "lunch") I have protein and fat - good, healthy protein and fats: avocados, raw almonds, raw cashews, bacon, a 100% grass-fed beef or lamb burger patty, fish, protein drink, etc.  I also take my supplements now.

When I'm hungry next (usually around "dinner") I have protein, fats, and veggies.

In keeping with this theme I can easily provide meals that my family enjoys and  are good for them.