eimilebear

[eimilebear]

My big cooking day this week turned out to be a snowy day up here in VT.  When the snow falls, all I want to do is cozy up in bed and watch movies and read all day.  Unfortunately, if I had done that my husband and I would have starved for the rest of the week.  So I did the next best thing.  Comfort food.

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals to eat out.  I love to sip coffee while I sit in the bright morning sunlight streaming through a diner window.  That is my idea of luxury.  Because I love to cook so much, I always try to order something when I eat out that I never make at home, for breakfast that's Eggs Benedict.  Making a hollandaise sauce is just so INTIMIDATING.  But this morning, I decided to take on the challenge.  I wanted something more special that my regular hash and eggs.  The recipe I ended going with is here; http://www.againstallgrain.com/2012/02/21/paleo-coconut-oil-hollandaise-sauce/ I decided to construct the sauce in the traditional double boiler method and whisked everything by hand, I just didn't feel like messing with the blender and that much boiling water I accidentally added one too many yolks, that's what I get for reading too many recipes at once.  The final result turned out to be quite thick and not the creamy, smooth deliciousness that I was dreaming of.  I think that everything was too cold, so I added a few teaspoons of hot water from the double boiler and it ended just about perfect.  While we were eating I was fantasizing about the next time that I dare to make hollandaise again.  I really want to try laying the egg over a grilled portabella with tomato and spinach and then smother it with sauce. YUM.

I wasn't done yet though.  For dinner I had the urge to make a roast chicken .  This was one of the first dished I ever made my husband, and although I only make it once or twice a year, I've reached a point where I don't use a recipe, I have an amalgamation of recipes that I have stolen all my favorite parts.  First, I create a bed of root veggies to cook the chicken over instead of a roasting rack. I always use a fennel bulb and decided to add a turnip and a few small sweet potatoes.  I toss them all with some olive oil, salt and pepper and create a mound in the middle of the roasting pan.  Next, move on to the bird.  Liberally salt and pepper the cavity.  This was a smallish chicken so I only added half a lemon, 4 large crushed cloves of garlic, half of an onion sliced into smaller chunks, some of the fennel fronds and half of an orange.  It was a tight squeeze, but I manged to sew up the cavity.  I rubbed some more olive oil, salt and pepper on the skin, laid it over the vegetables and put it in the preheated 350 degree oven.  Following the roasting times recommended in the Joy of Cooking I cooked it for about 21 minutes a pound.  Now, in my family we always use the giblets.  I know, I know, we are weird and gross.  But the liver is good and we use the boiling liquid to make gravy.  I boil the giblets just like I am making a broth with onion, celery, carrot, whole peppercorns, and sea salt.  Once the pot is boiling, I cover it and let it simmer for at least an hour.  I then discard the veggies, my husband and I eat the giblets like they are an appetizer and turn the heat up and just start reducing the liquid until there is only about a cup left.  When the chicken and veggies come out, I deglaze the pan with the boiling liquid, return to the pot and reduce it further until it is nice and thick.  The sweetness of the fennel really enhances this sauce (really it's more of a jus then a gravy).  I have to admit something now.  Joe and I drank the jus instead of throwing it out after I portioned out dinner leftovers for lunches.  It was SOOO decadent.  This dinner was pure comfort food.  Halfway through dinner Joe even declared that he does not feel like we are being denied anything in out diet when we get to eat meals like this. And I agree.  What a successful snow day.

[eimilebear]

Ok, so being of Irish descent (at least partially) and a redhead comes with certain expectations (ahem, stereotypes) about how you spend St. Paddy's Day.  Truthfully, it comes with stereotypes about what I did last Tuesday.  Just assume that it was something that involves whiskey and my fiery temper.  Although, I do have to admit until recently there was probably more than a little truth to that. I was the queen of "hangry."  In fact, I believe my co-workers and husband contrived the word just to describe my aggressive behavior and short temper whenever I began to feel my tummy begin to rumble.  I keep wondering if it is a placebo effect, but I have NOT felt hangry since I start the whole30.  I've felt hungry, but not hangry.  So maybe after 31 years, I've been able to beat the stereotype.

But then again, I am a girl who loves her Guinness and corned beef.  Since I can't have the first one, I'll be damned if I wasn't having the other on St. Paddy's Day.  Especially since it is also a good friend and fellow Irish redhead's birthday today.  About a week ago I made up my mind to make my own corned beef.  I Googled corned beef and Paleo specific corned beef to decide where to begin.  In the end, I created a basic brine using salt, bay leaf, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, clove and allspice.  I trimmed the fattiest parts of my brisket and let it steep in the brine for 5 days. Next time I would leave it for longer, up to 2 weeks.  I then let it cook on low in the crock-pot with some carrots and onions and covered in water while I was at work.  When I came home the house smelled divine. I transferred the cooking liquid to a pot in the stove top filled with cabbage and carrots, brought it to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, I sliced the brisket across the grain as thin as the meat would allow.  I also generously taste-tested while slicing.  I have to say, this was truly the best corned beef I have ever tasted.  It almost made me not miss the Guinness. And it turned out to be a hit at my friend's birthday!  There was plenty of the OTHER corned beef and potatoes left over, but my meat was all gone!  Truthfully, I am a bit disappointed.  The only thing better the corned beef is leftover corned beef hash with an egg on top.  Oh well, incentive to make it again soon.

[eimilebear]

I know that I already posted a pic of these Prosciutto-wrapped mini frittata muffins from nom nom paleo, but I made another batch on my day off because the first one went so quickly, and they are have really been essential to my morning routine.  The two days that I had run out I either was late for work because I had to make myself something or I ate really random stuff just to get something in my body.  I am just never going to be a shiny happy morning person.  While I was cooking those I also pre-roasted a batch of chicken thighs that I can use for the next few days. While everything was in the oven, I couldn't help but to experiment with some sweet potato hash with an over easy egg on top. This is honestly one of my all time favorite breakfasts.  I made enough hash so that I can eat it with the egg muffins and added some of the chicken for a little extra protein and texture.  With veggie hash I am usually a die hard fan of thyme as the main seasoning, but I decided to try some chipotle chili powder instead, and it came out perfectly.  The smokey, spicy flavor paired so well with the sweetness of the potatoes and the red bell peppers.  I also finally got the timing down and didn't burn the onions, garlic and pepper like I normally do.  I made sure the potato was cooked completely through and starting to take on some beautiful color and then added all the other ingredients and continued cooking until the onions and peppers were soft! 

[eimilebear]

There is a sweet potato hiding out under the easiest #chili ever. 1 lbs of ground meat, a jar of good salsa and what ever spices you like! I added 1 tbs chili powder, 1/2 tbs chipotle powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Oh yeah, the secret ingredient 1 tbs cocoa powder! Also, while maoing down my husband pointed out that we had a very ripe avocado, so we put it on top, and it was AMAZING. #yum #paleo #whole30 #weeknightdinners

[eimilebear]

So pretty I don't even need a filter. Braised kale with garlic, chipotle -garlic rubbed pan roasted pork tenderloin and roast sweet potatoes. #whole30 #dinner #eatyourveggies #paleo

[eimilebear]

More breakfast. Frittata with onions, mushrooms, red pepper and spinach. Homemade turkey sausage on the side I had a very happy husband with this one.

[eimilebear]

Egg "muffins" in prosciutto. Breakfast for a week. Yum.

[eimilebear]

Chicken and peanut sauce Lean cuisine and pineapple chobani. Actually so good. (Taken with Instagram)

[eimilebear]

Cereal again for breakfast.   I didn't get to photograph my food at work today- too busy, but trust me, it was nothing exciting.

Dinner was certainly the highlight of my day... I am enamored of grilled pizza this summer,  it makes the perfect crust and it's so easy.  Tonight's pizza was fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and chicken sausage.  I had to stop myself from stuffing my face with it.  

[eimilebear]

I thought that cottage cheese would be a healthy mid morning snack, but 2 hours later I'm starving... (Taken with Instagram)

[eimilebear]

Confession

I had two glasses of wine and a jack and diet that I did not photograph today. Sometimes it is hard to remember that what we drink is as important as what we eat.

[eimilebear]

Tiny Thai for dinner was certainly the highlight of my day!  I did save room for some froyo when I got home though!  For breakfast I had whole grain frozen waffles and natural peanut better.  I eat it like a sandwich so it's portable.

[eimilebear]

Went out for thai food with the girls after work. So amazingly delicious! I had Pad ped Nua. It's spicy but good. (Taken with Instagram)

[eimilebear]

This might be the best nectarine ever. (Taken with Instagram)

[eimilebear]

Uninspiring looking lunch, but on a side note, I have Never had a 2% Chobani before, only the nonfat.  It is like eating a completely different product!  It was soo much creamier and delicious, the actual mango pieces were a bit of a disappointment though (Taken with Instagram)

[eimilebear]

On days that I work I often eat a fast breakfast, today was a puffed whole grain cereal with soy milk.  Soy milk has been my go-to cereal choice recently.  I bought it for my niece, who is lactose intolerant, and it turns out I really enjoy it.  I especially like that it provides extra protein.  

I had planned several healthy snacks, not that fruit isn't, but I usually try to supplement it and get some calcium. These ended up being all that I had time for.

I like to enjoy dinner with my husband on nights that we are on the same schedule, and if I can grill it, at least I know he'll help!  We both worked late today, so dinner had to be quick. I had a black bean burger on a wheat bun with ketchup, sriracha (an amazingly delicious thai hot sauce!) and my home grown tomatoes and grilled corn. I also indulged in a Mic Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry. He had not so healthy frozen Costco burgers.  What can you do?

[eimilebear]

Today's latte. A nice excuse to take a walk. (Taken with Instagram)