Happy Food Happy Family

Ah, life gets in the way while we are living

2011-10-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm still alive...just got tied up with other things that took me away from this blog. Thank you for everyone who checks out my food ideas and occasional ramblings. And thank you UCLA girls flag football for helping UCLA beat the WSU Cougars last week - if it wasn't for your last minute participation WSU (my alma mater) would have walked away the victor.

My left knee is still in recovery mode. Currently I'm experiencing a number of hyper extensions every day as I slowly try to walk down-grades or as my leg fatigues during the day. My 3 year old J took off from me the other day at the store laughing and honestly stating "you can't catch me!" Of course she came running back when I asked.

So, moving forward I am going to keep blogging about my food, my joys in life (right now my instant gratification is a bottle of vino from Trader Joes but the 90 degree weather in So-Cal this week was pretty good too) and whatever else I feel like.

During business school, back in the 90s, I learned setting goals that are measurable, achievable and challenging were keys to a successful plan. So starting this week:

1. Food budget, including cleaning supplies, vino, potting soil/plants/veggie seeds, food while eating out and grass fed beef/organic chicken will be $100 per week. I will measure this on a weekly basis. We are just a family of 3 however with an egg allergic kid there goes one of the most nutritious food sources. Plus grass fed gets expensive but it is so good.

2. Preferencial purchasing will be made in this order - California produced, American produced, Canada produced, Internationally produced. I will not purchase apples from New Zealand when Washington Apples are available even if they are a higher price. And no more French, Spanish, South American or Aussie wine. This goal isn't just for food; it includes gasoline companies, future car purchases, clothing, shoes etc. Stay tuned for more updates on this.

Workout of the day - Sat 9/10

2011-09-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

I love living in southern cal. Wednesday and Thursday were hot (for our standards), Friday we had a marine layer until noon-ish with a steady, cool ocean breeze and this morning I woke up to a thunderstorm with big raindrops falling from a rosy lit sky.

My knee therapy continues and after an incredible session yesterday I am very sore this morning. Today's workout's goal is to get the range of motion back into my other muscles, start building some stamina and not overdue it. You can add a burpees, mountain climbers, squats or jumps into the routine however I can't since my knee cannot physically do them (and have you ever tried one legged burpees?).

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Paleo tomato pasta sauce with grass fed meat balls

2011-09-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

Anyone living in southern cal knows its been hot the last couple of days. Normally I wouldn't cook in the kitchen with 90 degree weather outside but with time constraints tonight I had to come up with something quick and easy.

Tonights dish we served with rice pasta. My knee therapy has gotten more intense and the extra bump in carbs makes a difference in the way my body feels during the recovery. Plus I'm rediscovering the joys of push ups, dips and abdominal exercises so overall my body needs a little more zip.

Ingredients:

3 cans of roasted tomatoes

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 leek (or onion I just didn't have one)

2 lbs grass fed ground beef (90/10% works better than 80/20%)

3 garlic cloves

Mushrooms

1 cup of red wine (Doon Buggy!)

Parmesan cheese

Oregano or Italian seasoning

Salt n Pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional but would add a nice bite to this dish)

1. Heat pot over medium high heat. I like to cook this in my stock pot as it doesn't splatter as much on my white stove and countertop. Once pot is hot (does water dance when dropped on the bottom) gently add 1/2 cup of olive oil. The oil will get hot quickly so be careful. Then pour in the three cans of roasted tomatoes. I keep the lid partially covering the pot when doing this so it doesn't splatter on me. No need to stir the pot (unless you really want to).

2. Prep three garlic cloves. No need to chop up. Normally I would chop an onion but the only onion like item in my fridge were three leeks. Leeks are a great substitute for an onion in this dish. If you have never cooked with them before, just barely cut off the root end, cut off the leaves area (where it gets dark green) and slice open like the pic below.

3. The leek needs to be run under water and peel apart each layer to ensure all the dirt is removed. Chop up and add the leeks, garlic, handful of mushrooms, salt, pepper, 1 cup of red wine and oregano to the sauce. Still no need to stir as the tomatoes will boil it in.

4. Grate about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese into a bowl. Add some salt, pepper and oregano. Then the 2lbs of ground beef (or veal, chicken, turkey etc).

5. Using your hands mix the ingredients together. Twist, knead, turn, mold until you are confident the flavors are evenly mixed.

6. Now go ahead and mix the sauce. It is still over medium high heat.

7. Roll the mixed meat into meatballs and gently place into sauce. The meatballs will be about 3/4 covered and thats OK.

8. In about 10 minutes gently move the meatballs around so the tops get under the sauce. Cook another 5 minutes and serve.

I forgot to take a picture of the adults plates before we chopped up the meatballs and mixed everything together...so here is the 3 year olds's plate, plastic fork included.

The only thing I would change in tonight's meal is gone with a leaner beef. The 80/20 blend would work great with something (mmmm crusty bread) to soak it up.

Take two - coffee/wine braised sirloin

2011-09-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

So the London Broil braised meal was good...just seemed like a long time to cook and wasn't quite right. So I ventured into the trusty cookbook and discovered "London Broil" is a generic name for a number of different cuts of meat. Don't believe me, google it. London Broil is probably a better steak to marinate and then cook versus trying to make tender through slow cooking.

So here is my take two attempt.

First the final product picture (brussels sprouts and chunks of smoked gouda).

Ingredients:
1/3 bottle of red wine (fresh & easy's new Napa Doon Buggy 9.99 bottle)
4 cups of coffee (fresh & easy's donut shop blend)
3 tablespoons of butter
1 chopped onion chopped
3 garlic cloves smashed and diced up
2-3 lbs of top sirloin (Whole foods grass fed)
Sea Salt
Pepper
1 piece of dark chocolate per serving

1. Take beef out of fridge and coat with sea salt and pepper. I cover it in wax paper and let it sit on the counter for an hour prior to cooking. Don't just grind the seasoning onto the meat, use your hands and grind it into the meat.

2. Melt butter in pot over medium high heat.

3. Prepare garlic and onions while the butter melts. If you notice there is now coffee in the pot...I had to brew a new batch after we drank the morning pot.

4. Add the beef to the hot pot and butter gently (I splattered butter all over my arm and hand by being in a hurry today). Sear the outside of the meat. Takes about three minutes.

5. Remove the meat from the pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook over high heat for about a minute. For anyone new to cooking, do you see the scratches in the cooked food in the bottom of the pot? This is where a bunch of flavor is hiding. Your goal is to scrape this cooked food off the bottom of the pot and into the liquid you add to the pot. So slowly add the wine and coffee to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate the flavor into the meal over a high heat.

6. Place the meat back into the liquid. Cover and adjust the heat to a simmer. Cooke about 2.5-3 hours.

7. Once the meat is tender enough to fall apart, remove from liquid. Since we don't eat gluten I boil down the liquid about 2/3rds to make a thicker, more flavorful broth.

8. To finish off I transfer a serving (about 1/2 lb) into a separate pot with enough broth to keep moist. Over heat I then add a single chunk of dark chocolate which melts into the broth and meat. The chocolate gives it a richer flavor but isn't necessary. Once I perfect egg free gnocchi I will mix this meat and broth with the gnocchi and brussels sprouts.

Coffee Vino braising sauce - London Broil

2011-09-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Our coffee pot always has a cup or two left in it. Not sure why we brew more than we need...guess we are waiting for that day when we don't have time to wait for another cup to brew, water to boil for the french press or to insert the plastic K cup and push on.

This week we officially joined the grass fed meat society. The meat smelled better raw, the flavor was intense and even the left over fat looked healthier.

During the rush to make our meat purchases Monday, the three year old was on the verge of a melt down, I asked the butcher for a london broil while I was looking at the short rib. London Broils have their place in my kitchen, usually after a long time marinating and cooked over hot coals. So when I realized my mistake this afternoon while digging through my almost empty fridge looking for the short rib I had no choice but to cook up the london broil.

This is not a quick meal. Plan at least three hours. Maybe save it for a rainy, wet, cool day when you need the stove to put off some heat and a food cooking smell good odor. Tip of the day - wear an apron if you do not want to ruin your clothes.

Ingredients:

2-3 Lb London Broil
Sea Salt
Fresh Pepper
Grease (I use bacon)
2 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp Oregano
1/2 onion chopped into larger chunks
1 cup of coffee
1 cup of red wine (maybe more to cover meat while braising)

1. Arrange all your ingredients. To avoid touching the salt and pepper grinders after touching the meat I grind enough salt/pepper into a small bowl and then season from this bowl. Its easier to wash a bowl than the grinders.

2. Season the meat with sea salt and pepper. Don't just drop/grind it on. Massage it into the meat.

3. Heat up the pan over a medium to high heat, add about a table spoon of grease (mmm bacon grease) and gently drop the meat into the hot pan. After about three minutes flip over and cook for about three minutes.

4. Remove steak from pan and gently poor in the wine and coffee along with the chili powder and oregano. While still maintaining a high heat scrape the brown flavors off the bottom of the pan. If you are using a non stick do not use a pair of tongs to scrape...I'm using 50+ year old Revere ware my grand mother gave me for college.

5. Once the liquid heats up and the bottom of the pan feels smooth, add the steak back into the pan along with the onions. There should be enough liquid to cover, or almost cover, the meat. Don't have your three year old add the onions first cause the steak will sit too high (like this picture).

6. Cover the pan (forgot to get a picture) and turn the heat down low. You want the liquid to slowly simmer. Set the timer for 3 hours. Check back to make sure the liquid hasn't boiled off.

7. Around hour three check the meat's tenderness. In our case we started eating it before I could photograph. Check out the color difference from start to finish.

8. The pan juices will make a great gravy if you eat flour. Since we are gluten free I cranked up the heat and reduced the remaining volume in half. I should have tried to make gravy with almond flour.

9. I shredded the meat over sauteed cabbage and drizzled in the pan's gravy.

Great weekend and thanks to the readers of my blog

2011-08-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Its Monday morning. Two weeks ago I came off crutches! My knee is improving and I'm now able to walk up and down stairs unassisted. The physical therapist was explaining the doc's post surgery report to me on Friday and in addition to the meniscus tears and loose ligaments I have a stretched ACL from my knee being off center. The doc cut some tissue that allowed my knee to realign correctly while relieving pressure on my ACL. Now Therapy is strengthening my knee to overcome the natural pull of the hamstring and reteaching the muscle memory of the previous tweaked muscles. Today I am off to buy a pair of five finger vibrams or other low profile running shoe...might as well relearn how to run correctly,

Today is a big day for the better half. Last week she dropped a bombshell on me - she wants to go primal. As a family most of our dinners have been primal. Breakfast and lunch (oatmeal, cereal, flour tortillas, crackers, pita bread) along with a daily one pump mocha from *bucks kept her from fully living the lifestyle. I know she will do well.

So my challenge now is to improve the primal food options...I can live on bacon and bone broth but she is a little more picky in her selection. I pre-ordered Make it Paleo: Over 200 Grain Free Recipes For Any Occasion by http://www.primal-palate.com/ to improve my selection of food. Still our biggest diet challenge is J's, my three year old, egg allergies.

Not a typical post for me. If you clicked looking for a food idea here it is:
1lb 80/20 % ground beef
Mold into 4 patties
Place in microwave and nuke for three minutes each
This is an emergency back up plan when the hotel (nationwide chain) tells you on the phone there is a guest grill then changes their mind after you prepay on-line, arrive and check in...a rant for another day.

Blogger tracks the page views for my blog. It doesn't track RSS feeds. I'm sure there is a way to track those but I haven't had the time to figure it out. I read most of the blogs I follow through my Mac mail reader. Any suggestions from bloggers who know what they are doing...or if you read via rss can you please leave a comment so I can get an idea how many people may be following my blog via rss.
Thanks!

Brussels Sprouts even a 3 year old will eat (and will impress your significant other)

2011-08-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

Since knee surgery, almost six weeks ago, I have trouble sleeping past 3:30 am. The pain meds, ice packs and knee brace (when it was on) helped but I keep waking up. This early morning I planned on blogging about sauteed radishes. I transferred the photos out of iPhoto into the blog and discovered I selected the brussels sprouts instead. Maybe it's time for another cup of coffee.

Growing up overseas exposed me to lots of different foods. While a kid living in the middle east our live in maid was Indian and made some of the most wonderful curries. While out with my parents I remember eating fresh shawarma of the spit, fresh roasted nuts, skewers of lamb and veggies from the small sidewalk cafes. Traveling back to the US always resulted in a lay over somewhere in Europe. I still remember at 11 eating real carbonara fettucini with the raw egg on top in Rome. Oh ya, some of the most incredible pizzas too from the little food trailers.

Then my teenage years were spent in Melbourne Australia (go Collingwood Magpies!) How ironic, my favorite footy team's colors are black and white. Australia is a melting pot of culinary delights. My neighbors were Italian, Greek, Chinese, Czechoslovakian and Ozzy. There was cream in the milk, the meat was grass fed, great public transportation (which was great when you couldn't legally drive till 18) and walkability. The local shopping center had a supermarket for basic, I'll call it canned/carb sundries. You then made the rounds to the produce store, a meat butcher, a bakery, a desert shop, a flower stand...all individual businesses that focused within their specific niche to finish off the shopping trip. And the first few years we lived there weekend shopping was limited to 1pm on Saturdays and no commercial shopping on Sundays.

For six years I wore a shirt, tie, slacks and blazer to school. 90210 was the show I'd watch, on one of three commercial TV channels, to see what life was like in the US. I learned to drive on the left side of the road, ate fish and chips with lots of vinegar and wrote/spoke the Queen's English. I also ate some of the traditional Queens food-banger and mash, scones with cream, marmite (or even worst Vegemite - sorry my ozzy friends), real mint jelly and brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts were served gooey, overcooked and covered in butter. The butter was the best part.

So fast forward to ten years later; I'm in my late 20's dating my wife and deciding to try a new vegetable in the kitchen, good old brussels sprouts. After all it's part of the cabbage family and should be good for us. But I don't want them to be soft, gooey, stinky mess. So lots of butter later (I didn't understand the positive health benefits at the time), a little sea salt and moderate heat I discovered sauteed brussels sprouts. It has taken a few more attempts to master and now it is a weekly staple in our house.

I prefer fresh brussels sprouts however Trader Joe's use to carry a frozen bag that would work in an emergency pinch. In this recipe I cheated and used jarred garlic. Somehow I forgot to buy fresh and the Trader Joe's jar is a good backup.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb to 1 lb brussel sprouts (I get mine at Fresh and Easy)
Chunk (2 Tbsp) Good butter
1-2 cloves minced/squashed Garlic
Water
Twist of sea salt

1. Cut the hard bottoms off the brussels sprouts and remove the outer leaves (I do because it is the most exposed side of the veggie and if I don't I get the germ hebe jebes). Rinse under cold water. If the brussels sprout is large you can cut it in half. The goal is to have a uniformed size for cooking.

2. Put on a high heat. I love this fry pan. It is almost shot and the other night the handle started falling off. But it has cooked hundreds of happy meals on multiple stoves, in multiple cities, over multiple grills, served to multiples of friends and family.

3. Add enough water to immerse the veggie about 1/4 to 1/3. Let the water boil rapidly.

4. Monitor the veggie. As soon as the water boils off angle the pan over the heat and push the veggies to the side.

5. Drop a big chunk of butter on the open side of the pan and let the butter melt into the veggies. Be careful not to burn yourself. And don't angle the pan too much otherwise the chunk of butter will slide into the veggies unmelted. Add the garlic and twist or two of sea salt.

6. Place back on high heat, toss a couple of times with a flick of the wrist and grub up.

Comments, feedback, thoughts-Please.

Slow Grocery Shopping + 3 Year Old = Smile

2011-08-22T06:37:00.000-07:00

The knee brace is off and the crutches are thrown into a corner of the garage! My knee is slowly recovering its range of motion, or at least in my opinion slowly recovering, and I can almost walk up stairs like a normal person. Coming down I still have to support my weight or take one stair at a time.

The physical therapist continues to praise me on my speed of recovery, my pre surgery leg strength and my attitude. Now positive motivation is part of his job and I really believe he isn't saying it just to waste air. The problem is I am an over achiever, always have been. It's ingrained into my system. So I feel like I should be further ahead in my recovery, taking two stairs at a time in a kangaroo bouncing motion, not struggling by step five. I want to run the local 1/2 marathon at the end of October (therapist and Doc both said a big NO), do burpees and ride my mountain bike...all things the therapist tells me will have to wait. Today I'll get 15 minutes on the stationary bike which is huge considering my last run was March 22nd and I got injured the next day.

This week I got to drive for the first time in almost five weeks. I felt 16 again, or actually in my case 17 (my teenage years were spent in Australia where driving is at 18 and came back to the US at 17) with the regained freedom of a key in the ignition. So where did I go? The local grocery store. In my dirty truck. Living by the beach in Southern Cal has it's perks...one is not the morning dew and the grim that covers your car within three days of washing it.

I would have preferred the farmers market but I cannot physically walk far, carry the produce or tow a three year old in a wagon. In essence I need a cart for support as I limp around. My little girl, J, was awesome. Normally she will push the cart or walk...usually refusing to sit in the cart's seat. This time she sat and sat and sat patiently as we cruised through the store. Cruised is an overstatement - My speed was that of a snail. My gait similar to a piston. Push cart, step forward with good leg, followed by upward twisting downward bad leg. Repeat.

Anyway moving on, Vons recently rebuilt their downtown store in our city and it Rocks! Huge produce, meat and bakery (bummer) areas. Great, helpful employees. Starbucks of course.

J and I spent a good twenty minutes in the produce area. We picked out, smelled, squeezed, manipulated the avocados, onions, red peppers, broccoli, radish, celery, strawberries and apples together until we found ones we were both satisfied with. She tasted the cilantro, parsley and basil. Unfortunately she didn't like the basil and told me we couldn't buy it. She listened attentively while I told her about the produce, how it grows, the way we normally cook and eat it.

Most shopping trips are rushed. Deadlines, work, dinner time fast approaching. The injured knee forced this trip to slow down and what a great time it was stopping to smell the limes, and lemons, and leeks, and onions...

Kelly's "Feel Better" Tomato Soup

2011-08-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

Well it is three in the morning and I'm wide awake. Since the knee surgery 24 days ago I've struggled to sleep more than six hours a night. I have yet to figure out why my knee gives me trouble when I'm sleeping! Going to sleep is no problem but I always wake up close to three with a swollen and tender knee. It doesn't matter if I've stayed off my leg all day or had an active day with the limited chores I can accomplish.

Saturday night I started to feel run down. Most likely the lack of sleep catching up.

Prior to being on a primal diet (pre March 2011), just two or three days with rough sleep I would have been sick with the sniffles, grouchy or physically exhausted. Scientifically speaking I cannot provide anything more than my observations but my body feels more resilient to illness and adapts better to life's variations. My three year old started preschool this summer so I'm getting plenty of germ exposure yet this is the first summer in a long time where I have not had a summer cold.

Now back to Saturday night. So I am tired and around eight pm I develop a crazy craving for tomato soup. At the same time I'm feeling blah my good friends little girl Kelly, a spunky little five year old red head, is developing a fever of 102. Unfortunately we live on different coasts of the US. Dropping off an extra batch just isn't easy. So I'll name this recipe after her so she knows I'm thinking about her. On a side note, her fever broke the next day and she is feeling better.

Now I dislike raw tomatoes. I can handle them in salsa, but to eat them like an apple, on a sandwich or burger - ick ick ick. Needless to say, we don't have any fresh tomatoes in our house. Even the smell makes me shiver with ickyness (is that even a word).

But I do like cooked tomatoes. I buy canned, organic tomatoes. Maybe this summer I'll try stewing some if I can get past the smell. I really like Fresh and Easy's Roasted Tomatoes. The price is right and the can lid is a pop off...no can opener needed.

Normally I would use homemade bone broth and fresh basil. But I needed something quick, at 8pm cooking with only one good leg.

Ingredients:
2 TBSP butter or coconut oil (I used coconut)
3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning (I prefer fresh basil)
2 cans roasted tomatoes
1 can of chicken stock (part of my emergency earthquake kit)
1 cup of cream (or milk)
1 handful of shredded cheese
salt/pepper

1. Oil in pot, medium heat and add garlic. Cook for about a minute. Add Italian Seasoning and mix into oil.
2. Open cans of tomatoes and stock - slowly add to oil/garlic/seasoning (may splatter!). Turn heat up to high and once the liquid boils turn down to a simmer. Cover.
3. Cook for 30 mins. Add milk/cream.
4. Blend smooth. I use an immersion blender to smooth out the veggies and stock. If you don't have an immersion blender, #1 BUY ONE, #2 blend small batches in your blender until smooth.
4. Serve in a bowl, garnish with a handful of cheddar cheese and a few twists of black pepper.

Now cross your fingers I can get back to sleep.

Yummy steak drippings cream cabbage - simple enough to cook on one leg and only one pan to wash up

2011-08-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

The knee is improving however I'm still hobbling around on crutches. I had an afternoon where I had to get back into the kitchen and digging around the fridge I found some sirloin steaks and half a head of cabbage. The grill is not a crutch friendly endeavor so out came the trusty cast iron pan.

I coated the steaks with Fresh n Easy's steak seasoning, cooked to a medium/well finish and got ready to deglaze the pan with cream. I normally saute shredded cabbage in butter and but decided to try making a cabbage dish using the steak pan drippings. The pictures don't do justice for how good it was. About five minutes into making the cabbage my wife yells into the kitchen "something smells good" - remember I'm cooking cabbage, a vegetable usually associated with lots of mayo or corn beef.

I know the steaks are a little crowded in the pan. When you only have one good leg to stand on you don't have time to be totally sensitive to the meat's needs.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 onion diced
3 carrots diced
1/2 head of cabbage sliced
1/2 cup of water
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream

1. Add butter, onions and carrots to pan. Cook over medium heat until the onions start to brown.

2. Add cabbage to the pan (forgot to take a picture). Stir vegetables around and add 1/2 cup of water. Cook for five minutes - I usually don't specify cooking time and I know for sure it is five minutes because my three year old got a time out at the very moment I added the cabbage (and she was unable to help cook).

3. Now comes the best part. Turn up the heat and add the cream. The cream will start to rapidly boil and thicken up. Don't be afraid of using heat - cream can handle it. While you are stirring scrape the meat off the bottom of the pan to capture all that great flavor.

4. Plate the steak and cabbage. I added a sharp, freshly grated parmesan cheese on the cabbage.

5. After woofing down the cabbage, use the steak to scrap up the cream on your plate.

And only one pan to clean up!

Herb crusted pork loin so easy you can cook it standing on one leg

2011-08-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

On July 21 I had knee surgery. What was suppose to be simple turned slightly complicated. In the end I sustained two arthroscopic snake bite scars and an additional two inch, unplanned, scar. My inner meniscus, think cushion between the femur/tib fib, was 40% removed. The outer meniscus was discovered to be torn and luckily sewn back together. And two ligaments, which help stabilize the knee, had the slack taken in. I've been waiting for surgery since April and glad it is over...however my recovery is really just beginning.

Recognizing I would be an impact on my wonderful wife, N, the night before surgery I grilled six rib eyes (scotch steaks for my aussie followers), about ten pounds of veggies, a packet of bacon and found a batch of homemade bone broth spinach soup in the freezer. Last thing I wanted her to worry about was cooking for me. And after all, I knew I'd be up and back to normal within a few days - wishful thinking. (If you are interested in hearing more about my knee, read on. Otherwise scroll down to learn about the awesome herb crusted pork loin I cooked while supported by crutches.)

In a way, knee surgery has been a nice treat. Fresh cup of coffee when I wake up in the morning. and on demand during the day (always said please). Breakfast/lunch/dinner in bed. Even better, breakfast in bed with my 3 year old while watching Cars or Beauty and the Beast on the laptop. Not being responsible for cleaning up the kitchen, loading dishes, grocery shopping. Being driven around since the pain meds make me a little loopy.

After being cooped up in the house for ten days I got to go grocery shopping with the family. I hobbled into the store on my crutches and asked the clerk if I could use the electric cart. My 3 year old jumped on my lap/good leg and we cruised around picking up the items from our list. Cruising down the "expires today" sale area I found a two pound pork loin for three bucks and change. I was craving a meat dish with a crunchy, salty coating. And a pork loin is so easy I knew I could do it while balancing on one leg.

Ingredients: (Serves 4 if you add a salad or other veggie)

1.5-2lb pork loin
2 cloves of garlic chopped
Parmesan cheese (I used pre grated tonight)
Italian seasoning mix
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Pepper
Spicy mustard
1/4 stick butter
1 head of cauliflower

Based on my mobility I did not scientifically measure this recipe's ingredients. Trust your gut and just wing it.

Preheat oven to 425.

Start heating an oven safe pan on the stove over medium heat. I'm using my trusty cast iron Add the butter and after it melts pour one swish around the pan of olive oil.

Mix Parmesan, garlic, italian seasoning, few twists of salt n pepper together in a bowl. Don't skimp on the salt.

Mix olive oil and two sandwich size squeezes of mustard in another large bowl. Coat the loin in this liquid.

Transfer loin into large bowl with dried ingredients. Using your hands massage the dry ingredients onto the pork loin. Once your are confident it is coated enough transfer the loin into the pan with hot oil/butter.

Cook in pan about two minutes and gently turn over when the crust gets crusty.

About two minutes later place in the oven. I recommend you insert a meat thermometer prior to transferring to oven.

Bake for five minutes while you prepare the cauliflower.

During the five minutes break apart the cauliflower into small trees (as J calls them).

Remove Pan from oven, add cauliflower around loin.

I coat the cauliflower with olive oil when it's in the pan but you could toss the cauliflower on olive oil prior to adding to pan. Quick twist of salt n pepper.

Bake another 20 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 165. Take out of oven, remove and rest meat for five minutes.

Leave cauliflower in pan, mix around in the oil and seasonings and put back in the oven while the meat rests for five minutes.

Remove from oven, slice pork and serve with cauliflower. Fresh grated parmesan made the cauliflower superb.

Don't be afraid to scrape the drippings off the bottom of the pan. You could remove all the cauliflower and deglaze the pan with wine, whiskey or cream. That would have been awesome on top of the pork.

Sorry about the weird formatting of the photos and text. I initially wrote my narrative on my iPhone but during the cut and paste blogger started doing some weird formatting.

Living with food allergies

2011-07-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

We thought "J" had eczema from genes. Never did we realize it was a reaction to egg products in the store bought baby food.

Most of her first foods were homemade - sweet potatoes, apple sauce, cheese, broccoli, spinach, ground meat, carrots, peas, brown rice, yogurt. And she loved it all. And she ate a ton. We introduced one food at a time and limited one new food once a week to ensure there was no allergic reactions. Making her food from scratch was my contribution to her growth (since "N" was still nursing). Many times J's meals were the inspiration for our meals (like the spinach wall soup in the photo).

However being new parents we did occasionally rely on store bought prepared food. We stuck with the organic brands and paid more with the intent of getting a better product (but they still tasted awful to me).

J had a little bit of eczema and we dismissed it to genetics. Never did we think the egg proteins in the store bought food or the eggs in N's diet, transferred by nursing, was causing it. It was never excessive and our doctor told us not to worry.

So how did we discover the egg allergy? Right after J's 12 month appointment. I'm not a huge fan of statistical averages and J's height was above the normal mean and her weight was below the normal mean. Doc said feed her more. We told him she eats, eats, eats, plays, plays, plays...and we did not feed her junk. Looking back her only "junk food" was freeze dried yogurt drops and crunchy melt in your mouth crackers. Doc said give her an egg a day. Yippie I thought..scrambled eggs for breakfast with my kid. I was getting tired of sweet potatoes and oatmeal every morning.

That night I had to work. So N is home by herself with J. N scrambles an egg with cheese and J gobbles it down. Then J's eyes swell, she became congested, broke out in hives and begun throwing up. J is having a text book anaphylactic reaction to the eggs.

N calls 911. Paramedics arrive (and those who know me personally know how much I appreciate the FD) - but this night they let me down. By the time they arrived J's reaction was almost over (she threw up most of the eggs). The Medics were rude to N, which in turn upset her even more. One medic couldn't understand why we didn't own kids benadryl and dismissed the event as a non emergency. Come on guys, a little compassion.

N calls me in tears and a short time later we meet at the local hospital (medics said to go there instead of the pediatric trauma hospital a few minutes further down the road since this was just a non emergency reaction). On a side note, the local Community hospital visit was a waste of time and money. When I get billed I discover the doctors organization contracted with the ER are out of network even though the hospital is in network - go figure.

The next day we visit our pediatrician, who is also an allergist, and receive training in using an epi pen. We toss any food item that contains egg or is made on shared egg equipment. We buy books, stress about meals and wonder how we are going to protect our little girl from eggs. And then we discover we are not the only ones dealing with this.

It seems everyone knows someone who has an allergy of some sort. We are lucky J's are limited to eggs. However most of our meals are also soy free, wheat free and can easily be dairy free. If you have a child with allergies recognize it will be a challenge however it is also a great excuse to eat good food.

J wants ice cream, instead we make fruit icicles...muffins are made with bananas and apple sauce instead of eggs (and I think the banana chocolate cup cakes rock), which reduces the sugar ingredients and she can eat the batter out of the bowl. At birthday parties we make cupcakes for all the kids, or pack one homemade cupcake or she gets a Peter Rabbit Organics, Organic Mango, Banana and Orange 100% Pure Fruit Snack, 3.5-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 10) as her celebration treat.

In Orange County an allergen focused bakery just opened up http://www.sensitivesweets.com and Vegan restaurants have great allergen free items too.

Eating out we've discovered Chilis and In N Out to be allergy friendly. Chilis has a great allergen menu and once we explain J's allergy they are very accommodating.

Here are some alternatives to allergen foods:
Mayo (eggs) - avocado
Cake mixes - Whole foods/Trader Joes have allergen free prepared mixes
Wheat pasta - rice pasta
Butter for cooking - bacon grease, olive oil, coconut oil
Cheese - teese vegan cheese (awesome on pizza)
Flour - rice/potato flour
Eggs - apple sauce or bananas when a bakery good needs eggs
Bread - corn tortillas
Pizza crust - spinach crusts/meat crusts/potato+rice flour crusts
Crackers - sliced veggies, cucumbers, carrots, celery
Ice Cream - fruit juice icies

Traveling to relatives and friends homes can be tough. We usually pack meals, bring an ice chest, move allergen foods out of reach...and it sucks sometimes. Some days we feel like people understand J's allergies however make no effort to accommodate. But to put it in perspective, we live with her allergies every day, they don't and don't have an allergen free routine built into their wiring. Maybe we are a little overprotective at times however I NEVER want to use her Epi Pen.

J is now old enough to understand she has an allergy. She knows her buddies D and C have allergies too. And its comforting that she knows, and her buddies know, they all have something special in common.

I am by no means an expert with allergies however I am happy to share with you how we, and our network of friends, have dealt with allergies. If you live in the Southern Cal area I'll even go shopping and/or cook with you. Just send me a message through blog.

On a funny note, whenever N and I go away on an overnight, kid free trip, we always make eggs our first meal.

Eastbound and Down - Eating on the Road

2011-07-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

So my friend S.P. Jr is trying the primal diet. Challenge for him is his work environment - a newer Kenworth Semi truck and away from home about a week at a time.

Don't feel too bad though, his new truck is pimped out - XM radio, GPS, AC. Instead of an ice chest he has a fridge...instead of cooking food on the engine manifold he has a toaster oven. He has internet access through an air-card and a laptop for movies. He just needs to find a small grill to secure to the back of the truck chassis. With his travels east of the Mississippi, and mainly in the North East, I suggested he figure out a way to take his mountain bike so he could ride during his mandatory breaks. Geez, to have to bike in Vermont or Maine.

We just talked about the challenge to maintain a clean (primal) diet on the road. So here is a list of food items and menu ideas to help him (and any of us when we travel) when we have an ice chest and access to fire/toaster oven. Ironically Mark's Daily Apple post today was about diet while traveling. Until S.P. Jr gets a portable grill figured out I suggested he find a park with bbq grills and pre-cook for a day or two.

Basics:
Salt
Pepper
Steak seasoning salt
Butter (everything tastes better with butter)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Food:
Steak (oh a ribeye or three) (cook in toaster over or on bbq)
Bacon (precooked is a quick snack but full of nitrates - cook own on bbq or toaster oven)
Zuchini (slice into french fries shapes and cook in toaster oven at 400, cover in butter and salt)
Sweet Potato (same as zuch)
Eggplant (in toaster oven or grill - cook with butter)
Bag of pre washed salad or spinach (oil, balsamic, salt, pepper for seasoning) + Sliced steak
Cheese crumbled (blue or feta to add to salad)
Dried cranberried (just a few on the salad)
Almonds - raw
Almond butter
Applies (slathered in almond butter)
Block of cheese (I've been on a spicy cheese kick lately)
Cream cheese (mix some blue cheese into for a celery spread)
Salsa (pour on cream cheese and eat with celery)
Celery (cream cheese and almond butter)
Hard boiled eggs
Carrots (raw and in salad)
Roasted chicken (stripped off bones and bagged)
Red/Green/Yellow Peppers
Green Onions (in salad or grilled or toaster oven)
Tortillas (burrito size - yes it is flour but a wrap once a day isn't going to hurt the diet - stuff with meat, cheese, sliced veggies, avocado, salsa)
Heavy whipping cream (for coffee)

Misc:
Tongs (for grill, toaster oven or bbq)
Briquets (lighter fluid free)
Paper towels
Matches
Ziploc Bags
Tupper ware
Round shaker to make oil/vinegar dressing (add garlic cloves, basil, onion, cheese etc to your dressing)
Small cutting board
Knife

Meal 1: (Toaster oven)
1 Ribeye topped with blue cheese or butter
1 Sweet Potato and 1 Zuch
1 Raw Carrot

Meal 2:
Bag of salad
Sliced hardboiled eggs
Crumbled cheese
oil/vinegar
a couple dried cranberries
chopped carrot/zuch/peppers/green onion

Meal 3:
Roasted chicken
Avocado
Cheese
Salsa
Burrito wrap

Meal 4: (BBQ)
Grilled veggies (season with olive oil, salt n pepper)
Grilled meat
Grilled peaches
Grilled avocado

Snacks:
Almond butter (out of jar) or mixed with apples
Bacon
Extra shot of whipping cream in coffee
Celery with cream cheese

If you need help creating some meals let me know in the comments below and I will add some more ideas.

Grilled guacamole

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Avocados. I didn't start eating them until I was 32. And at that point I could only tolerate a few slices on a bacon cheese burger covered in blue cheese dressing. When "J" started eating solid foods one of the first and still to this day favorite is avocados. She can eat them directly out of the skin-no salt, no pepper, no hot sauce, just plain old avocado in a primal fashion.

Enjoy this guacamole with corn chips, next to your steak, on top of your burger or just eat straight out of the serving bowl with a spoon. Traditionally a jalapeno is also mixed in...but with a three year old I cut it out of the recipe.

This is a non measured "add X" amount recipe. Sorry.

Ingredients: (makes serving for 2 adults and 1-3 yo)
2 Avocados
1/4 onion chopped (or grill a couple of round slices and then chop)
1 lime (but I use 2 because I like the extra lime juice flavor)
Cilantro (small bunch) chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Optional:
1 small tomato diced and added to mix
1 jalapeno (grilled and seeds removed) chopped
Hot sauce

Directions:
1. Heat grill

2. Slice avocado in a long quarters i.e. top to bottom leaving skin on

3. Slice limes in half

4. When grill is hot place avocado and limes over medium to high heat for about 3 minutes

5. As items grill flip gently with a bbq spatula

6. Once the avocados get grill marks, like a steak, on both sides remove from heat - the limes should be done about the same time

7. Remove avocado skins and mash

8. Squeeze limes over the mash (I prefer to use a hand lemon/lime juicer)
9. Add the onions and cilantro to the mash and mix together with a fork (along with any other optional ingredients)

10. Enjoy! Add salt and pepper to adjust for your liking.

Sidenote-"N" prefers to chill the mash before eating. I'm happy with it hot or cold.

Grilled romaine wraps with bacon, onions, blue cheese and reduced balsamic

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Damn these were good! I am using an iPhone to take the pictures and the pictures do not do justice to the flavor of this meal.

Since eliminating gluten from my diet lettuce has become my official wrap for In&Out burgers and sandwiches. This week I was inspired to grill romaine as another alternative for bread like products (tacos, burritos, bun). With the dense leaves I figured worst case I could throw the outside leaves away while salvaging the inner lettuce guts. This was not necessary. They outside leaves were slightly wrinkled and softened while the inside stayed crunchy. The grill flavor was so good and I envision more grilled romaine meals using ground burger, lamb, feta cheese, salsa...stay tuned for other ideas.

Ingredients: (assume 1 romaine lettuce per person)

Romaine lettuce

Bacon (2 slices per person)

Onion (1/4 cup per person)

Olive oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Blue Cheese - crumbled

Heat grill
Dice bacon and onion, add to fry pan and cook over medium heat until the onion is browned and bacon slightly crunchy - set pan contents aside

3. Add about 1/3 cup balsamic to fry pan and heat over a medium heat - the vinegar will bubble and slowly thicken up. Do not overcook it as it turns into a taffy like substance.

4. Cut romaine lettuce in half and coat the inside with olive oil

5. Place lettuce on grill and monitor closely. Turn often and remove from grill when browned and outer leaves wilted.

6. Place two halves on a plate. Top the lettuce with bacon, onions and crumbles of blue cheese. Drizzle the reduced balsamic vinegar on top and enjoy.

On an interesting side note, my cross country truck driving friend Steve is starting the Primal diet. His challenge we be finding places to eat primal while on the road. I am going to work on simple meals that he can cook on the small propane grill he is adding to his gear. If you want to minimize your efforts, you could cook this meal all on the grill. Grill the bacon crunchy-set aside. Grill the onion by cutting it in rings, covering in olive oil (or butter) - set aside. Reduce the balsamic in a small cast iron pan over the grill or not reduce it at all.

Can bitter lemonade still make a happy family?

2011-06-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

"J" is taking on a whole new interest in food. In some of the pictures you will see her three year old hands doing the work; mashing the bananas, squeezing the lemons or mixing the sugar solutions. I'm probably breaking child labor laws but she voluntarily participates. She even vacuums but that is another post. Occasionally I will catch her eating whatever we are making or shopping for. Just the other day she was eating raw kale while we shopped!

Yesterday, while "N" was running errands, we made homemade lemonade. The recipe calls for approx. 1/2 cup (24 teaspoons) of sugar...being the anti sugar dad we added 5 teaspoons. Yes it was BITTER but you would have never known based on "J's" reaction. Being a beautiful southern California day we decided to drink it on the front porch. While sipping she glowed with pride. When "N" got home from errands "J" told her how she squeezed (and ate) the lemons, mixed the sugar, added the ice...and this morning when "J" finished the last glass over lunch she asked when we were going to make some more.

Kind of Primal (egg free) pancakes

2011-06-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

Besides for the occasional bite of pizza, a couple of strands of pasta and emergency tortilla wrap, wheat products have been out of my diet for over a year. However these pancakes we devised for "J's" egg allergy are pretty good and I've become addicted to a couple (slathered in butter and almond butter) a week. The mix is commercially produced and I've discovered when I eat wheat/gluten I tolerate bleached flour products better than whole wheat products.

(You can read more about the wheat health issues in Mark Sisson's book available at amazon through this link The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy.)

The recipe is pretty simple and slowest part is cooking the pancake mix. Some days I will get out my two burner griddle but most of the time I use a small, flat fry pan. The mix is pretty thick and I recommend keeping the pancake sizes to about that of a soda pop can circumference. Anything bigger takes too long to cook and the outside burns.

Ingredients: (For 8 small pancakes - feeds my family of 2 adults and 1 3yo) 20 mins start to clean up
1 Banana
2/3 cup of bisquick
2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
Butter

Optional: mix in if you want
Chocolate chips
Blue berries

Put pan over medium heat
Mash banana in a bowl with a fork until consistent with baby food
Add bisquick mix to bowl
Add cream to bowl
Mix together until the dry ingredients are wet
Check heat of pan by dropping a little bit (water hanging off your finger) of water onto the pan-if the water sizzles and dances the pan is hot enough - adjust heat if necessary
Add a little bit of butter onto pan and swish around
Using a measuring cup pour pancake mix onto pan to form small pancakes
Cook until the mix bubbles and there is adequate firmness to flip over
Cook other side and serve

Without the egg, and by adding the banana, the pancakes will not cook the golden brown we have all become accustomed to. Let me know how you like the flavor.

The first photo is from breakfast today. Apples for the ears and arms, crispy bacon for the legs, blue berries for the eyes, raspberry for the nose, almond butter for hair and chocolate chips for the mouth (added after pancake was cooked).

Wow-Kale can taste good

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Kale-the next miracle veggie? Whole Foods ranks it high on their list of best foods. But most often kale is used as a decoration in the salad bar. Kale can be grilled, roasted, boiled, sauteed, blended into soups, chopped raw into a salad...

Cooked properly kale can be a great side dish, cold snack or even a wrap for a turkey & cheese sandwich. Today's recipe is inspired by the great southern Cal weather, cool evening beach breeze and awesome smell of grilled steaks. I enjoyed the Kale with the ribeye steaks last night however the Kale was even better cold the next day as a snack. After sitting overnight in the fridge, the usually rough center stem was softer and had a great smokey flavor.

Overall cook and prep time - 3 minutes (assuming you have a hot grill)

Ingredients:
1 bunch of Kale from the supermarket (About $1-1.50)
Olive oil
Salt

Optional
Garlic Salt
Seasoned Olive Oil

Directions:

Heat grill
Wash kale and dry
Place kale in a round bowl and drizzle with olive oil...I cover half the olive oil opening as I pour the oil onto whatever I'm drizzling
Add salt/garlic salt onto the kale
Place kale on grill over a high heat
Monitor the kale and minimize olive oil flare ups - turn often using tongs like OXO Good Grips 16-Inch Locking Tongs
Once the OUTER kale leaves start to wilt/brown/crispy and the overall body shrivels up, remove from the grill
I usually slice the kale in half and serve the upper half stem and leaves. The lower half I cut the leaves off and do not serve the lower stem...it is too tough.

I just realized my chicken with prosciutto, basil and cheese pictures did not post. I will add those to the previous post.

Paneed chicken with prosciutto, basil and cheese toppings

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I love to cook with cast iron. Cast iron Lodge Logic L14SK3 Pre-Seasoned 15 Inch Cast-Iron Skilletcan quickly transfer from the stove to the oven/broiler to finish off this meal. Depending on the number of servings you may need to use a cookie sheet to finish this recipe. The recipe assumes you are using an oven safe pan.

What is paneed? Years ago while traveling cross country my wife and I had a few days in New Orleans....this was way before Katrina. Our waiter, "Bear", was asked what is paneed? His response, "Chicken cooked in a pan." The place was so good we returned the next night. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant.

Prep and cook time: About 20 mins

Ingredients: (for 1)
1 chicken breast (or two/three skinless/boneless chicken thighs)
Slice(s) of prosciutto or ham large enough to cover chicken
Handful of basil (love my plant growing on our deck)
Handful of cheese (sharper is better) to cover chicken
2-3 tablespoons of butter
Salt (I prefer fresh ground sea salt)

Optional
1/4 cup Bread crumbs (gluten free is preferred or Ian's Natural Food Panko Breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup Heavy cream

Directions:

Heat pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place chicken in a heavy duty plastic bag
Place bag on a cutting board and cover with a kitchen towel
Now comes the fun part, pound the chicken flat...use a meat tenderizer, can of food, bottle of wine, rolling pin, whatever you have that is heavy - should need about a dozen hits
Add butter to pan and melt over medium heat
Pour bread crumbs into a bowl and season with sea salt
Pour 1/4 cup of cream into a bowl, remove chicken from bag and drench in cream
Transfer creamed chicken into the bread crumbs bowl and cover chicken with bread crumbs
Place chicken into pan of hot, melted butter
Cook chicken for about three minutes over medium heat and then flip, cooking for about another three minutes (cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken)
Turn off heat
Place prosciutto on top of chicken, then basil leaves and finally a hand full of cheese (This picture is extra breasts I broiled on a cookie sheet)
Place pan in oven and turn on broiler
Broiler for about two minutes until the cheese is melted, slightly browned and bubbling (Love using cast iron)

You can skip 7-9 (the creaming and bread crumbing of the chicken) if you wish to avoid the carbs/gluten/wheat. Just season the chicken with a little salt when you add it to the pan

Carbonara (Primal and pasta options)

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Carbonara is a rich, creamy pasta sauce. Traditionally it is served over fettucini with a raw egg on top. For this recipe the egg and peas are optional along with the pasta. I use the zucchini as the pasta replacement for my primal diet.

Ingredients: (for 1 serving)
2 slices of bacon diced (I use Fresh and Easy sodium nitrate free bacon)
1/4 onion diced
1 tablespoon of butter (if I am out of butter or want more bacon flavor I use bacon grease)
1 zucchini sliced into long pieces
3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Optional:
1/4 to 1/2 cup of frozen peas
Serving of pasta
Egg

Directions:

Start heating pan (if you are making pasta start that now by following the pasta directions - delay starting the sauce a few minutes to ensure pasta is done at same time as sauce)
Dice bacon and onions
Add butter/bacon grease to pan and allow to melt
Add bacon and onion and cook on medium heat for about two minutes-stir with wooden spoon
Add zucchini and cook on medium for about four minutes until it starts to brown - season with salt
Add heavy cream (and peas) and turn up heat
Stir as cream boils and thickens - about 2 minutes - DO NOT over heat cream
When cream thickens turn off heat
Add egg (optional)
Add pasta (optional)
Serve in a pre-warmed bowl
Grate fresh parmesan using Zyliss 11370 Classic Rotary-Style Cheese Grater

Pasta Version

Primal Version

About Happy Food Happy Family

2011-06-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

About me

Amateur foodie who likes to eat well along with being a father to a little girl with a life threatening egg allergy.

I believe food heals the body and soul more than most medicine.

The goal of my blog is to help YOU eat better.

History of food

Traditionally meals were eaten with the extended family, neighbors and village. While chewing on a piece of the hunt or harvest, stories told, companionship shared and new legends born.

Our new, and acceptable busy lifestyles have us eating out of a greasy paper bag, frozen box or just add water pouch. This food is loaded with sugar, preservatives and modified ingredients. Are we really supposed to be eating sawdust (cellulose), industrial modified fats (partially hydrogenated oils/trans fats) or enzyme enriched corn syrup (high fructose corn syrup)?

Moving forward

Need help understanding how food affects you, what you should be eating or how to take better care of yourself through diet? Then check out Mark Sisson’s book The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy or Robb Wolf’s book The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet Both books will shock your diet conscious, challenge the traditional food pyramid and improve your health. Start getting better today by purchasing these books.

Eating well doesn’t take much work. Sitting down as a family or with friends does not have to be a drawn out, scheduling three weeks out, type event. This blog will help you achieve better meals through proper planning, alternative cooking techniques and combining quality ingredients.

Disclaimer-I am not a classically trained chef nor will I guarantee everything will taste good to you (however my three year old enjoys my garlic butter brussels sprouts).

Ask yourself is the time to create and enjoy a wholesome, family type meal worth the time you will lose by eating poorly?