Hunger Games Capitol Stew

Here's the thing. I love food way too much for my own good. The only way I can get myself to make regularly healthy choices is to mix things up a bit and make things that excite me. With all this cold weather, it's comfort food time. Nothing is better than snuggling up with a good book and a piping hot meaty dinner! That's right people, I'm talking stew.

I try to eat Paleo most of the time and as much as I love soups and stews most of them include dairy and/or cream. However, this recipe was devised specifically for Paleo folks who love The Hunger Games and who want their own parachute to deliver Lamb and Plumb stew directly to their kitchen. Get ready for the guilt free delicious!

• 3 lb. boneless lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-1/2- to 2-inch pieces
• 3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium parsnip, corsely chopped 
• 2 medium carrot, coarsely chopped 
• 1 to 2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups low-salt beef broth
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups peeled pearl onions
• 1 cup prunes, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbs. lemon juice
• baking parchment

1. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Spread the lamb on paper towels to dry for 10 minutes before browning.
3. In a 6-quart oven safe pot, heat the oil over medium to medium-high heat. 
4. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Brown the meat well and then transfer it to a large bowl.
5. Once all of the lamb is browned, remove the pot from the heat to let it cool for a few minutes.
6. Add 3 Tbs. of the fat to the pot. (If there is not enough, add extra virgin olive oil to equal 3 Tbs.) 
7. Return the pot to medium heat, then add the yellow onion, and coarsely chopped carrot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula, until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. 
8. Stir in the ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and celery seed, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Add the wine, stirring with the wooden spatula to dissolve any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium high and boil to reduce by about half, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the beef broth and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.
10. Return the lamb to the pot along with any juice. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer.
11. Crumple a 12x16-inch piece of parchment, then flatten it out. Place the parchment directly on the surface of the stew, allowing the ends to come up the sides of the pot. Cover and put in the oven.
12. After 1 hour of stewing, add the pearl onions, carrot pieces, and prunes to the pot. Cover with the parchment and lid, and cook until the lamb is fork-tender, about 1 and a half hours.
13. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Degrease the stew by laying a clean paper towel over the surface of the stew and gently pushing it into all the bumps and dips, then quickly peeling it off. Repeat as necessary with more paper towels. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Let us know what you think of the recipe? Good? Bad? Real or not real? Are there other types of geeky recipes you'd like to see us Paleo-ify? Let us know in the comments!

My Official Fitness Everdeen Disclaimer

Lately, I've been feeling a little like Katniss Everdeen.

-Not in that I'm being forced to fight to the death in the arena, but more in that I'm simply a survivalist who's finding herself suddenly surrounded by people looking for a banner to rally behind. Making my journey public has caused people who are suffering under the "weight" of an oppressive fat regime to  look to me for direction. 

Everything I've done, I did because I was truly on a path to self destruction and my life and my future were in jeopardy because of my weight and bad health habits. Even the act of writing the blog began selfishly. I knew it would keep me accountable if people knew what I was up to. I posted photos and a few milestones on my social networking feeds because I knew having them out there would encourage me to keep going and prevent backsliding. 

I didn't realize I was holding poison berries. I didn't realize that my journey would become a symbol or even a source of inspiration for so many people.

I'm constantly amazed and moved by all the messages I receive from readers about how my weight loss quest and this blog have affected and inspired them. Some are from family or friends, others are from co-workers or former classmates, but more and more are coming to me from beyond those circles; complete strangers who stumbled upon my story and my writing and who want to let me know they're working on living healthier and being truer to themselves because of witnessing what I've done or reading something I've written.

It blows my mind because I never would have seen it coming. You see, my fellow stat-changing-fat-slayers, I'm just getting by on whatever "achievement unlocked" endorphins I can release each day. Sure, there are days when I reach a milestone and I feel amazing about what I'm doing, but there are SO many days where I make mistakes or realize that something I've done was wrong or ill-informed. Yes,  even I, Fitness Everdeen: the Mockingjay of Project Reroll, have binged on home made cookies and ice-cream or skipped a workout because I felt lazy. I've had one more cocktail than I should have. I've looked in the mirror and despite all my success, seen only the remaining flaws. I'm telling you this because it's important to me that you all realize I question myself all the time- not so much my conviction, but my methods.

Am I doing this right? 
Could I be going about this in a healthier way? 
What's the best advice I can give so that my readers can find success?
Wait, who the hell am I to dispense health advice or product reviews?

The rising success of this blog has really caused me to think critically about those questions and to consider not just my health, but the wellness of my readers. I am absolutely over the moon about all of the new folks who have been discovering the site and so excited about how many of you are leaving comments or joining in the Walk to Mordor. I'm touched by your messages and I'm honored that you spend your time here on the site reading about what I've learned. I want to make sure you get good information and I want to make sure you understand who you're getting it from.

So here it is.

My Official "Fitness Everdeen" Disclaimer

I'm not a nutritionist. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a personal trainer. I'm not a guru. I'm just your average geek trying her best to get healthier who has picked up a few new attribute stats, magical items, and life experience points along the way. Naturally, I want to share any gathered materials or discovered knowledge with my party. 

Thusly, I have a responsibility to all of you to be honest, open, and accurate to the best of my ability. I may not have intended to create a banner that people could rally behind, but that's what happened. Challenge Accepted. I'm proud of myself and my quest for better health. If reading about it has empowered you to reach your own goals, then I am incredibly honored to have shared in your success!

My dear readers, I will be your "Mockingjay" if you'll accept that I'm teaching from experience and not expertise. If you know something I've said is incorrect, I encourage you to post your conflicting information. I'd love to have a dialogue about it in the comments. 

This is a place for a community of like minded people to fight their way to a healthier existence.

May the scales be ever in your favor.