This butternut & kale beef stew is the best stew I've had in a long time. It tastes like Fall. :)

I love avocado, especially the huge ones we have here in Florida because they taste more buttery to me. I also love bacon and eggs, so today I combined the three and made stuffed, baked avocado bowls. It was really good.
I am going to try to put down some semblance of a recipe here, but go with your own preferences because that's all I did.

Ingredients:
avocado
2 eggs
cayenne pepper
cooked and crumbled bacon
diced tomato
fresh chives
salt,pepper and cayenne to taste
cheese - optional (I used a little horseradish cheddar)

Directions:
Oven temp- 350
Cut the avocado in half, remove seed and scoop out the meat into a mixing bowl, being careful not to tear or puncture the avocado shell because you will use this as a baking bowl.

Mash up the avocado with a fork, then add crumpled bacon, diced tomato, shredded or diced cheese, and the above seasonings to taste then mix well. Scoop mixture back into the shells.

Next, you can either make a little bowl like indention in the mix and crack and egg in each half then bake for 15-20 minutes. Or you can fry or poach your eggs and then add to the top of the avocado bowl near the end of baking. I prefer to do the latter because I find baked eggs to be too rubbery for my tastes. Sprinkle the tops with a little shredded cheese and fresh chives when you remove the bowls from the oven. Again, the cheese is optional and can be left off if you do not consume cheese.

I hope everyone had a great holiday! :)

Question:

Does this thread count as a Paleo thread also? I've been looking into it more and I see similarities. But I could have sworn I saw a Paleo thread somewheres about...

I think if you scroll through the back pages, you'll find more posted about it. I'm mostly paleo-- with a little primal (includes some dairy)--

Good luck with your new way of eating.

:chef:

Yep, it does. Back when I first started the thread Paleo wasn't quite as well known as it is now, so I just titled it as High Protein/Lo Carbers because I figured the folks who ate that way would recognize it. Most of us that post recipes here only post Paleo/Primal. Welcome Cinn!

Thank you both!

Primal sounds more like my deal. I'm not big into dairy; I resent the industry. But I find that yogurt is something that I not only enjoy at breakfast, but it keeps me fuller than just having cereal. (WHICH...I know isn't really allowed in either diet, but I'm habituated to it and can't cook breakfast every single day)

I suppose if I had a good source of eggs, I could hard boil some ahead of time and have that with turkey sausage. I guess breakfast will be my hardest meal. But I'm very much loving my morning smoothies. So that may just suffice. I may also include whole grain breads that I make myself..since I've been itching to try my hand at baking bread.

I think what I need is a 5-7 day juice fast. I find that's the best way to rid the body of the carb cravings. That's how I did it the last time I went low carb...yes the first 2-3 days are hell...but it takes that long (72 hours) for your body to completely digest.

I'm going to peruse the threads here further, and thank you for the suggestion. :bunchflowers:

It occurred to me last night, I'm going to be living very close to a dairy farm.

I'm thinking if I visit and find the animals are treated well, it wouldn't be hard for me to buy milk and milk products from them. Now that I've found that Land O' Lakes is in Monsanto's pocket, I need an alternative for butter. If I get raw milk, I can make my own cheese, yogurt and possibly butter.


Also, Asheville is big into the Buy Local movement. It just makes sense. The further your food travels the less fresh it is and the larger the carbon footprint. Many of their restaurants buy from local farmers and their menus reflect what is available at that point in time.

For anyone interested, No Impact Man provided a lot of information on "do it yourself" food. Since he vowed for a year to use nothing disposable, he had to learn to make a lot o things at home...bread and yogurt included. It's worth a read. But he touches upon the local food thing. The author said something along the lines of, if you want to know where your food is coming from, you have to go meet the farmer who grows it, shake his hand and look him in the eye and see if he's proud of his product. That is not a verbatim quote but it's true none the less...

This may not be the best place to post all this but I've been going through things in my head that I want to change, what's acceptable to me and what isn't. So this is the fall out from my contemplations :)

THIS article is going around by all the Paleo folks that I read.

Take a look.

It kind of wraps things up in a nut shell--

I'd be careful with a lot of dairy-- we eat only a small amount (huge inflammatory).

Also, google paleo-- and read up on it.

Thank you for sharing this ahk :)

I did peruse it and found some really good recipes. That booklet for the slow cooker is endlessly helpful. It's really my favorite way of cooking. EVERYONE has time to throw things in a crockpot and let it roll..lol

One thing that surprised me: legumes are a no no?? I was formerly a vegetarian and my legume love has survived. I'm especially fond of hummus and lentils.

This is where I get off track with paleo. We as a species have been farming for centuries. Our back teeth are the same as all grain eaters. Anthropologically speaking, we are meant to eat grains. However, when we were eating grains, we were also hunting and gathering. Making use of the quick energy that grains provide. We didn't sit on the couch at night and channel surf lol. I suppose we could say because of the simplicity in which our food is now procured, we could do with fewer grains and grain products. More out of habituation than evolution though.

I know when it came to losing weight, doing low carb, with protein and lots of fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, it was like it just fell off. So, I think until I get to a point where I just want to maintain my weight, paleo will be my bible :)

Here's something you may find handy:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JJHMT4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1"] The Jo!e Egg Non-Stick Double Sided Omelette Pan, Silver, Small[/ame]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...0,190,246_.jpg

I love this little thing. You can cook one or two eggs in, add veggies, meat, cheese, whatever you like. Sometimes I cook my sausage patty in it, take it out, sautee veggies in it, add egg and cheese and I've got a nice meal to start the day.


Good luck!

Oh my isn't that the ticket??

My omelet flipping skills are admittedly bad...this would be sooo handy! Thank you for sharing. My eyes are opened daily to new things and I love it! :)

Read-

It Starts with Food. - a really good book expalining the ins/outs of why certain foods can't or shouldn't be eaten.

I also now know that our foods have changed over many years of scientists putting their two cents in instead of letti g the seed do its natural thing. We're very much against GMO and watch the list closely.

I sometimes miss beans too, but I don't miss the pain that they cause in my gut.

Process of elimination- it takes time and adjustment.

Bacon, Egg, Avocado Salad
 

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/...oneggsalad.jpg

Bacon, Egg, Avocado Salad serves 4 main dish servings or 6-8 side servings

1 head of dark green lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite sized pieces
1-2 large avocados
4-6 slices of bacon
6 eggs
Everyday Salad Dressing

1-Place all of the eggs in a medium size pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, covered. As soon as the water starts to boil. Take off of the heat, keep covered, and let sit for 15 minutes. Run cold water over the eggs to stop the cooking process and to prevent discoloration. Crack and peel the eggs and then chop into bite sized pieces.

2-While the eggs are cooking, cook the bacon. For stove top cooking, I use a large pan over medium high heat. Cook one side until browned and crispy, turn over with a fork or tongs. Cook the other side until browned and cooked all the way through. Or for oven cooking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon on a jelly roll pan and cook for 8-15 minutes (length of time will depend on bacon thickness). Watch carefully.

Once cooked, remove from pan or jelly roll pan, cool slightly and crumble into bite sized pieces.

3-Peel and dice avocados.

4-Put the lettuce in a large bowl and sprinkle the eggs, bacon and avocados over it. Dress with the salad dressing of your choice and serve.

Yum! Looks good!

That does indeed look delicious. I don't really like avocado but I am trying to get myself to like new things so I may have to give this a try.

Quick n Easy Baba Ghanoush
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
3 cloves minced garlic
4 Tbsp organic tahini
1 large lemon juiced
1 tsp cumin
Sea salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.
Bake 2 large eggplants for 20 minutes. (Roast them instead for more of a smoky flavor)
Poke with a fork, when they are soft, remove from the oven.
Let the eggplants cool off.
Cut off the top of eggplants and put them into the food processor (skin on).
Add minced garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, lemon juice to food processor.
Pulse it a few times until all mixed up.

Serve as a dip with your choice of raw veggies, or on top of a slice of roasted lamb or beef. It is also good with a spoonful added to steamed or roasted veggies. It is the best healthy substitute I have found for hummus, for us Paleo folks. - Jesse

I loveee baba ganoush! Thanks for another awesome recipe :)

I love eggplant, but unfortunately my wife doesn't.
We made chicken neck/feet bone broth this weekend- and we've drank probably half of it. Wife has the flu and I still have some weird respiratory thing going on.
Cheers!

I hope you both feel better soon.

I'm not sure what they were suggesting, but I made a mustard dressing using cream, mayo, dijon mustard, and dried thyme.

I eat more low carb than paleo, so this fits me. I drizzled the dressing over the salad and it was excellent. Wish I had made more.

I would also try plain olive oil or sesame seed oil.

I'd love to know what others would use ....

Asparagus Canadian Bacon and Cheese Frittata


http://foodnetwork.sndimg.com/conten...landscape.jpeg

Ingredients

5 large eggs
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz medium asparagus stalks (about 8), woody stems trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium slices Canadian bacon (about 2 ounces), coarsely chopped

Directions

Position an oven rack in the upper part of the oven and preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, 3 tablespoons of the cheese, the milk, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste together in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and Canadian bacon, and cook until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, pour the egg mixture into the skillet, stirring gently to distribute the fillings evenly. Cover, and cook until the bottom sets, but does not get too brown, about 9 minutes. Remove the cover, scatter the remaining 1 tablespoon of cheese over the surface. Run the frittata under the broiler until the top sets and browns slightly, about 1 minute. Set aside for about 5 minutes before unmolding. Slip the frittata out of the pan onto a cutting board, cut into wedges. Serve warm or room temperature.

Yum! I love frittatas!

Yours sounds good Orema and would work just fine for Paleo if a good Paleo mayo is used. :)

Here is a recipe for a citrus vinaigrette that I use sometimes that may work nicely with that salad too.

1 small shallot, finely chopped
¾-cup olive oil
¼ cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest



Put everything in a jar with lid and shake to blend

Add Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


You can make your own champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar ahead of time, or you can use ACV but I find that to be a bit to strong for this recipe.



White wine vinegar: Buy an el cheapo white wine, seriously think $2-$3 range, and pour it into a canning jar, add some of the mother from some ACV, cover the opening with a little cheesecloth just to keep the dust out and wait a couple of weeks. You'll find that a lot of vinaigrettes use this.

Yours sounds good Orema and would work just fine for Paleo if a good Paleo mayo is used. :)

Here is a recipe for a citrus vinaigrette that I use sometimes that may work nicely with that salad too.

1 small shallot, finely chopped
¾-cup olive oil
¼ cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest



Put everything in a jar with lid and shake to blend

Add Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Make about 1 1/2 cups



You can make your own champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar ahead of time, or you can use ACV but I find that to be a bit to strong for this recipe.



White wine vinegar: Buy an el cheapo white wine, seriously think $2-$3 range, and pour it into a canning jar, add some of the mother from some ACV, cover the opening with a little cheesecloth just to keep the dust out and wait a couple of weeks. You'll find that a lot of vinaigrettes use this.

That's odd, it posted twice. I must be stutter typing. lol

What about a honey mustard dressing? Or balsamic dressing? Even a homemade ranch would work. Just extra thoughts-

Paleo Salted Caramel "Cheesecake" Bars

For the crust
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
5 pitted Medjool dates
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
Pinch of salt


For the filling
2.5 cups raw cashews
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp almond milk


For the caramel
3/4 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup ghee
1 cup palm sugar
3 tbsp honey
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup palm shortening


Instructions
1.Place the cashews in a bowl of water. Cover and soak overnight, rinse, and then drain.
2.Place the dates in a bowl of water and soak for 10 minutes. Rinse and set aside.
3.To make the crust, line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Place the walnuts and almonds into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the dates, coconut flakes, and salt and blend until combined. Press the mixture into an even layer in the pan. Place in the freezer to chill while the filling is prepared.
4.To make the filling, place all of the filling ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until it reaches a smooth, batter-like consistency. Pour the mixture over the crust in the baking pan. Place back in the freezer for at least one hour to harden.
5.Meanwhile, make the caramel. Whisk together the coconut cream, ghee, palm sugar, honey, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a soft boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and is a rich golden brown.
6.Allow the sauce to cool for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the palm shortening until dissolved. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer and cut into bars. Add a dollop of caramel onto the top of each bar and use a spoon to spread over the top. Sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately or store in the freezer.


Notes
Servings: 12 bars
Difficulty: Medium-Hard

Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Herbs
 

Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Herbs

http://www.foodandwine.com/assets/im...s/original.jpg

When roasting winter vegetables, Melissa Rubel Jacobson says be sure to chop them about the same size, so they cook at the same rate. And toss them at least once while they're in the oven, so they brown evenly.

4 medium carrots (3/4 pound), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
2 large parsnips (1 pound), peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
1 medium head cauliflower (2 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
1 small butternut squash (2 pounds)—peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 sage leaves
5 thyme sprigs
Two 6-inch rosemary sprigs, cut into 2-inch lengths
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, sage, thyme and rosemary and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 55 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and golden. Scrape into a bowl and serve hot or at room temperature.

5 Ingredient Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles
 

5 Ingredient Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles

http://holisticallyengineered.com/wp...rimpscampi.jpg

Ingredients
2 lbs large wild shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 Tbsp grassfed butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 organic lemons
3 medium zucchini, cut into zucchini noodles
Optional: Red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions
Precook the zucchini noodles by lightly steaming them until almost tender.
Heat 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet or medium high heat
Add the garlic and stir into the butter.
Add the shrimp and sear for 1-2 minutes per side.
Add the lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste
Add the zucchini noodles and toss in the sauce.
Yield: 4 servings

Notes
Net Carb Count*: 5.91 per serving (serves 4)

Total Carb Count: 8.38 per serving (serves 4)

*Note net carb count = Total carbs - fiber.

Carb counts are estimated based on the products used by the chef. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts and gluten information.

http://www.aspicyperspective.com/wp-...lad-2-copy.jpg



http://www.aspicyperspective.com/201...ato-salad.html

That Raw Beet and Sweet Potato Salad looks delicious. Love the colors, the way the scallions are cut, and the raw food. I'll make that soon. Thanks for posting, Jesse!

It's been cold and rainy here the last couple of days so I decided to make a pot of veggie broth. Here it is about 30 minutes in...

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/sh...DImw06uOIDUs80

Baked Egg in an Avocado
 

Baked Egg in an Avocado

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-biK9sttZeV...92921132_n.jpg

Directions

1. Cut an avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. You can use both or just bake one and save the other for later.

2. Spoon a little extra out of each pit-hole to make room for the egg.

3. Put your avocado half(ves) onto a cookie sheet and crack 1 egg into each avocado. Some of the egg will spill over onto the top of the avocado. This is totally fine. Next time though, I think i'll add some cooked bacon crumbles in the pit of the avocado BEFORE I add the egg. That sounds amazing! Bacon...mmmm!

4. Add whatever you'd like on the top. I salt and peppered mine and added some fresh shredded Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until your egg and yolk are as cooked as you prefer.

I saw this yesterday and got really excited about making veggie noodles. It would also be perfect for green papaya salad...

http://rk.wsimgs.com/wsimgs/rk/image...448/img69o.jpg

Don't you just love these? I know I do! :)

Baked zucchini rounds! wanting to make these soon!
 

I don't care for the egg w/ avocado. ONLY because of texture-- mush on mush = no thank you.
Sorry I've been not tuning in much lately-- Hope everyone is well and staying warm.
Any sweet treats you all enjoy? Low carb?

I get it, ahk. I usually like variations in food textures, too, but the egg and avo does it for me. Don't have any recommendations on sweets--have been avoiding them lately.