Main Course - Ancestral Nutrition

Beef April 15, 2015

Paleo Beef Stroganoff

I love me some Russian food. It’s so filling, hearty and healthy. Most recipes of beef stroganoff (or stroganov) call for flour. I’m not down with flour. It’s not nutrient dense but it is inflammatory, so I avoided it altogether to make this version of paleo beef stroganoff. I also didn’t have any wine, but found that soaking the meat in apple cider vinegar beforehand provided that wine flavor. I actually bought a cheap cut of grass-fed beef (skirt steak) which I always find tough. I read that marinated it in apple cider vinegar softens the meat, and it definitely did. I just cut the meat into strips, then covered in ACV and some olive oil. Paleo Beef Stroganoff I love me some Russian food. This easy Paleo Beef Stroganoff is so filling, hearty and healthy. Most recipes of beef stroganoff (or stroganov) call for flour. I’m not down with…

Blog April 8, 2015

Paleo Pancit

I grew up eating Filipino food because I had Filipino neighbors and went to school with a bunch of Filipino kids. When they would come to school with pancit I’d always try to trade them for my ham sandwich, which never worked. When I went to a Filipino birthday party, you could find me close to the giant bowl of pancit refilling my plate. Because there was always a giant bowl of pancit and I love it. While pancit is traditionally made with rice noodles, I swapped them out for these noodles which are a great source of iodine. Coupled with all the veggies, this is a super healthy meal. You can also make a ton of it at once like I did to eat for lunch throughout the week. Paleo Pancit While pancit is traditionally made with rice noodles, I swapped them out for these noodles which…

Blog April 7, 2015

Paleo Seafood Stew

This is definitely a fertility meal. Because Scott and I are planning on getting knocked up in the not so distant future, I’ve been trying to create more nutrient-dense meals. Seafood is obviously one of the most nutritious foods. The mussels especially, they contain several B vitamins, namely B12. They’re also rich in selenium and zinc – not to mention that they’re a great and environmentally sound protein source. Paleo Seafood Stew This easy nutrient-dense seafood stew is definitely a fertility meal. Seafood is obviously one of the most nutritious foods. The mussels especially, they contain several B vitamins, namely B12. They’re also rich in selenium and zinc – not to mention that they’re a great and environmentally sound protein source. 3 cod filets1 can diced tomatoes1/2 cup bone broth (optional but not necessary)1/2 head cauliflower1 onion2 tbsp butter1/2 lb peeled shrimp1 lb mussels4 garlic cloves (minced)1/2 cup basil (chopped)2…

Blog March 12, 2015

Paleo Bacon, Arugula and Tomato Risotto

BLT risotto! Sometimes I’m pretty sure I’m a culinary genius. Now is one of those times. This was so, so good and I made a ton of it to eat throughout the week. It works really well as a side dish or you can grill up some chicken or steak, slice it and serve overtop of this. I love me some risotto and the cauliflower works really well in place of rice. Paleo Bacon Arugula and Tomato Risotto I love me some risotto and the cauliflower works really well in place of rice. 1 medium head of cauliflower1.5 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)2 tbsp butter1/2 cup bone broth (recipe here or you can purchase it here)large handful of arugula1 garlic clove (minced)salt and pepper to taste Rice the cauliflower using a hand grater or using a food processor. Food processor is much easier for this, here’s the one I use.Melt…

Blog February 18, 2015

Paleo Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

These healthy Paleo Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps are quick and simple to make and are full of so much flavor! A low carb snack, appetizer or lunch that comes together in no time at all. Paleo Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps – a delicious, easy and quick low carb dinner or lunch! These easy ground turkey lettuce wraps are perfect for a super fast weeknight meal or light lunch. They are basically tacos you ate in leaves and come together in only about 15 minutes from start to finish. What’s not to love about paleo meals that come together this fast? Why you will love Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps: The juicy and savory ground turkey meat combined with the earty umami-packed mushrooms and salty coconut aminos work perfectly enveloped in the light, crisp lettuce cups. Plus these are so fun to eat – a bit like tacos minus the processed carbs.…

Blog February 11, 2015

Paleo Egg Roll In a Bowl

When I was younger, my friend Jennifer’s parents would regularly order us Chinese food. I was obsessed with egg rolls. Sometimes I would just eat an egg roll (or a few!) for dinner. Jennifer and I had this really weird way of eating them in which we completely disassembled them. You ate the outside, then the inside. Always dipped in that weird orange duck sauce. At this point in my life, it’s been a solid four years since I’ve had Chinese food. So I have to settle for making my own Paleo Egg Roll in a Bowl, which I find tastes better anyway. I got the idea for this Paleo Egg Roll recipe from a restaurant recently. They had an unstuffed egg roll option with rice and shrimp – I thought it was a great idea. You can add any protein you like, I used chicken. Paleo Egg Roll In…

Blog February 10, 2015

Paleo Italian Turkey Meatballs

There’s an Italian restaurant in downtown Silver Spring that I love called Olazzo. I regularly go there after work to get a glass of wine and hit up some of their happy hour specials. One is meatball sliders. I obviously don’t eat bread so for me it’s just meatballs. It’s actually one of the only places I’ve ever had meatballs and they are SO GOOD. Unfortunately, whenever I’ve tried to make meatballs at home, they never come out as well. Until now. I’ve literally never cooked with ground turkey before but it may be my new go-to. The texture is unbelievable. While my ground beef meatballs were tough, thick and dry – these are soft and moist (literally the worst word ever but it’s fitting here). The flavor is awesome too. I don’t mean to go all Chris Traeger on you, but I thought the turkey tasted just as good…

Blog December 22, 2014

Pork Belly Burrito Bowl

It wasn’t that long ago that I first tried pork belly. Which is odd considering that I’m a pretty adventurous eater. I guess I kind of thought it was like bacon, and why would I get pork belly when I could get really amazing bacon from a great farmer at my farmers market? And then I saw that they had pork belly. So I decided to try it. My first reaction was literally “Holy shit.” While it is sort of like bacon, it’s also not. It has the fattiness of bacon that I love but it’s not smoky and it has a texture similar to a pork chop in there as well. Plus it has a crispy skin. It’s just so, so good. People have all these fancy ways of cooking pork belly, but most people cook it at a high temperature and then turn it down to a low…

Blog December 18, 2014

Shrimp, Veggie and Kelp Noodle Stir Fry

Stir fry is a great option if you need to cook something quickly. Which was the case yesterday when I’d worked straight until 1:30, paused, and realized I was starving. I try to eat at the same time each day, but it’s not something I’m good at. Even I’m not perfect, which is unbelievable, I know. Anyway, after a marathon shopping trip at Trader Joe’s AND Whole Foods, I had a shit ton of veggies in my fridge, along with wild shrimp. Scott is obsessed with shrimp. I buy it in bulk when TJ’s actually has it because their wild shrimp is way cheaper than anyone else’s. So yeah, this is a bunch of veggies, along with kelp noodles (which are freaking AMAZING in Asian dishes) in a stir fry sauce. It’s really, really good. Paleo Shrimp, Veggie and Kelp Noodle Stir Fry This easy Shrimp & Veggie Kelp Noodle…

Acne December 8, 2014

Paleo Honey Sesame Chicken

I looove Chinese food. I grew up eating it; my best friend, Jennifer’s mom would it order it weekly for us. That was back in my days of eating white bread topped with margarine topped with sugar. That’s not a joke. I actually used to do that. No wonder why I had such severe acne as a kid. These days, I don’t eat Chinese food, ever. Eat it at a restaurant or order it, that is. This is for two reasons. One, it DESTROYS my stomach. I have a weak stomach. Filling it with MSG, vegetable oils, high fructose corn syrup and who knows what else is not only unhealthy, it physically hurts me. The other reason is because once I was reading about these college kids who collected leftover food from restaurants to make compost for their plants. They found that without fail, every time they used leftover Chinese…