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!

Project Reroll's Holiday Wishlist

It's that time of year folks! Here are 10 Holiday Gift Ideas for Slayers!

1. Meat Thermometer: Even if you're not eating Paleo, protein is power. Delicious protein that's cooked properly will only make you want to make and eat more. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
2. Food Processor: You can get your feet wet with more complicated recipes that keep things interesting. You can also use this to make Paleo treats to get you through the hard times without breaking your diet rhythm.
3. Sewing Machine: When it comes to cosplay, this is an eventual must buy for everyone! This is certainly on my list after doing hand sewing on four different costumes. Time is of the essence when it comes to your hobbies and I definitely don't want to craft at the expense of crunches! Here is a great pinterest page of sewing machines that my friend Angela from The Anomaly Podcast put together to help me choose my first one!
4. Fitbit or other Distance/Pedometer/Calorie Monitor: Monitoring everything is a real key to learning what your specific body and lifestyle needs for success. Everyone is different and if you don't start tracking your calories in/calories out and general activity level, you may not know how to make the changes you need!
5. A great set of non-stick pans: If you're going to make cooking a major staple of your life, you'll want to make sure you set yourself up for success! It's definitely an investment, but you'll be loving yourself when you have all the equipment you need to make a variety of dishes in the kitchen with minimum effort for cleanup. 
6. Netflix Subscription: All geeks love binge watching their favorite show. The best part about netflix is that it will keep track of where you are in each series and you can load it on to mobile devices and take them to the gym with you. I have whole series that I've only watched on the elliptical machine and treadmills. It's a great motivator when you make a contract with yourself that you'll only watch reruns at the gym!
7. Gym Membership: This is one of those things that we all complain that we can't afford. Using up my bday present to ask for a gym membership last year was the best thing I ever did. Now I do most of my working out on my own, but having a place to go and resources to pull from is incredible in the beginning. Plus, most gyms will offer classes so you can easily mix it up or try something new!
8. Etsy: Supporting fellow crafty slayers is awesome. You'll find unique gifts that help people show their fandoms in ways that can't be mass produced. You'll find outerwear, ornamets, jewelry, and all sorts of nick nacks. Seriously. It's your friend. 
9. Nerd Fitness Books: These guides are incredible and written for people like you and me. There are a lot of tips for working out outside of the gym and of course advice on diet and getting your feat wet in running, lifting, and much more. I really couldn't recommend supporting Nerd Fitness more! 
10. Geeky Gym Attire: Wearing my geeky Teefury t's and my Mockingjay pin to the gym gives me the extra push I need to work out like the badass I want to be rather than the lazy wimp I sometimes feel like. I love to keep my connection between my fandoms and my fitness going throughout my day to day life because it reinforces the idea that these things are no longer separate. Plus, imagining you're a tribute and your life is going to be on the line is a huge motivator! You can always check out the Project Reroll store for t-shirts, waterbottles, and more! #shamelessplug

So Happy Holidays, Slayers! Thanks for reading and for all you've done to support me and my guest bloggers this year! If you have any things you think people should have on their wishlists, then add them in the comments! What are you asking Chthulu- I mean Santa- for this year?

Onion Stuffed Toad Steak

The new name of the game is how do I make meat interesting? I always need my protein, but at the end of the day, chicken and steak can get boring. Plus, in celebration of classic video game love, I've recently discovered a recipe that's not only filling, but equal parts adorable and delicious. 

Onion Stuffed Toad Steak

Ingredients

• Portabello
• 1 small Onion
• Garlic
• Steaks
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Prep your onion by chopping it up.
2. Mince a 2 cloves of garlic. 
3. Heat a pan on medium heat and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil in the pan.
4. Add your garlic.
5. After 20-30 seconds, place your Portabello cap top down in the pan. Add your chopped onion into the natural bowl created by the cap. Drizzle 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar over the onions. 
6. Cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes until the mushroom is soft and the onions look sautéed and transluscent. Note: When you flip the portabello, the onions will probably spill out. Just do your best to tuck them under the cap and frankly, you can stuff them back inside when its time to serve them anyways. 
7. Sprinkle both sides of your steak with onion and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper to taste and then massage your seasonings into the steak.
8. Heat another pan on medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil. 
9. Fry up your steak evenly on each side until the internal temperature is right. I prefer between 130-140 degrees for medium rare. 
10. Plate your steak and put your toad portabello on top! You can even drizzle a little more balsamic over the top if you want to get really fancy! I usually serve it with some sort of green vegetable. So get cooking and make your own!

Beef Baratheon with Portabello (or How to Cook a Steak)

Recently, I realized I didn't know how to cook a steak. Yes, dear Slayers, your faithful leader who is so full of delicious recipes couldn't even make a simple steak. My thinking is that if I don't know how to do it, there's gotta be someone else out there learning to cook who doesn't know how to do it either. Needless to say, I've picked up a few new skill points in Cooking and I'd like to share them with you.

This is not the kind of fillet mignon and potatoes you'll find in find dining. This is well seasoned meat to go with a bed of sautéed veggies. It should fill and fuel you without any extra fills or non-paleo comforts. I imagine it's the kind of thing Stannis Baratheon has grown accustomed to eating on Dragonstone. So let's get our meat hats on and fry ourselves up something delicious. 

Beef Baratheon with Portabello

Deviant Art

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 Steaks or 1 large steak to cut in half
• Chili Powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic and Onion Powder
• Sweet Pepper
• Small Onion
• 1 large Portabello
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray

1. Prep all your veggies. Chop up the onion and the pepper and cut your portabello into slices. 
2. Mince two cloves of garlic.
3. Set a frying pan on the stove on medium heat. 
4. Spray the pan liberally with extra virgin olive oil. and let it heat up for about a minute. 
5. Then add your minced garlic. Watch it carefully and as soon as it begins to brown (about 15-30 seconds), add your onions, portabello, and pepper. Use a spatula to stir it around and keep the garlic from burning to the bottom of the pan. 
6. Season veggie pan with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Continually watch these sautéing vegetables during the rest of the cooking process. Every few minutes you'll want to move and flip them around in the pan so they cook evenly and don't burn. 
7. Set a second pan on medium heat.
8. Now season the beef by sprinkling a little chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper on each side. Massage it gently so that everything is spread evenly across the meat.
9. Add your steak to the pan and cook it for about 8 minutes on each side or till the internal temperature is where you want it to be. If you have an internal meat thermometer, the USDA says 125 degrees is rare, 145 is medium rare, 160 is medium and 170+ is well done.  You will want to flip it every 4-5 minutes or so that it doesn't burn or sear the meat on either side. 
10. When your meat is done, turn off the stove and plate the veggies. 
11. The plate your beef and voila, you've made yourself a juicy steak with veggies!

Paleo Ghibli Feast

Seriously! Is there anything more appetizing than food in a Ghibli film? The answer is no. Between Calcifer's bacon and Spirited Away's smorgasbord of savory delicacies, I just want to float into my television and stuff my face full of delicious food every time one of these movies plays. 

Sometimes a person just needs to look at an appetizing sumptuous plate of food to feel a sense of comfort wash over them. At least, that's my belief. That doesn't always happen when you're cooking healthy and on a budget. I get so focused on just getting something made that suits my nutritional needs that I forget to take joy in the process of cooking and I certainly don't do anything that takes a longer amount of time. Sometimes it's important to treat yourself to something over the top. However, with the Holidays coming up, it's easy to fall prey to all sorts of sugary, over-sauced vittles, each one teaming with more calories than the last. It's not always easy to treat yourself well during this season when your instincts are tell you to pig out!

Well fear not! This recipe is sure to catch your eye in the same sumptuous way as all those bad choices will and fill you with all fuel you need to attack your workouts and get through the day. It's roast hen with sweet and savory root vegetables like onions, carrots, parsnips, and turnips. Be advised, this is not the kind of dish that you whip up quickly for dinner. It takes a bit of time and attention, but on the plus side, the effort is worth the juicy, tender reward.

Paleo Ghibli Feast

Serves

2

Cook time

30 minutes prep. ~100 minutes cook time.

Ingredients

• 2 Cornish game hens (each 1 - 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4  medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 4  medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2  small turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1/2  sweet onion, cut into wedges
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1  clove garlic, minced
• 2  teaspoons  crushed dried rosemary
• 2  teaspoons  crushed dried oregano
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel and chop vegetables into 1.5 inch cubes.
3. Mix oil, balsamic, rosemary, oregano, salt and minced garlic into a small bowl.
4. Place hens in the center of the ba
5. king dish and surround them with carrots, parsnips, turnips, and onions.
6. Take your small bowl containing the mixture of the oil and seasonings. Use a brush or a spoon to dress the hens and the vegetables.
7. Place the dish in the oven for 80 minutes. Every 20 minutes, toss, the vegetables in the dish and return it to the oven.
8. When the 80 minutes are up, remove the dish to check on the hens. They are done with they're no longer pink and the drumsticks move easily in their sockets. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temperature should be 180 degrees Farenheit. 
9. When the hens are done, move them to a serving platter and turn the oven up to 450 degrees. Cover the hens and keep them warm till the vegetables are done cooking. 
10. Stir vegetables and cover the baking dish. Return them to the oven and continue roasting them for 20 minutes. They are done when they are tender. 
11. Place hens on plates and surround them with the vegetables. 
12. Serve and devour. Don't worry, you won't turn into pigs!

Air Nomad Pumpkin Naan

There certainly are a lot of Paleo "sandwich" recipes out there that call for lettuce wraps. Honestly, I love lettuce, but since it's crunchy and breaks easily, it makes for one messy wrap in my opinion. For that reason, I've been on the hunt for another type of wrap that both fits the Paleo guidelines and does it's job. I feel like that can't be too much to ask. 

These pumpkin wraps have a very neutral taste so they're good for doing any sort of wrap from burgers with a fried egg to dressed sautéed vegetables. I even enjoy them for breakfast wraps or with a light spread of cashew butter. They're light and flexible and frankly they remind me of something an Air Nomad would eat with their vegetarian diet. I could totally imagine Tenzin and his family munching on these between his training sessions with Korra. Now you can munch on them too!

Air Nomad Pumpkin Naan

Serves
4-5

Ingredients

• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1.5 cups tapioca flour
• 5 large eggs
• 8 oz pumpkin puree
• .5 tsp of sea salt

1. Heat 1/2 tbs of the coconut oil in a pan on medium heat for a few minutes.
2. While the oil is heating, add all the other ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly until smooth.
3. Pour 1/5 of the batter into the pan and spread across the bottom evenly. It should be as thin as the pan will allow.
4. Let it cook until the bottom is slightly browned. When you feel you can safely flip it, then do so. Keep flipping from side to side to keep the bread from burning. It should take about 3-5 minutes on each side.
5. Repeat till you're out of batter.

Prestidigitation Paleo French Fries

I love french fries. It's terrible. Why are they so good and yet so horrendous for you? I also love sweet potato fries EVEN MORE, and yet they're only mildly better for you than the latter. Of course, neither is Paleo unless cooked in the right oil. It's a vicious cycle where I want them, but everything I defend the choice with is really just an excuse to eat something I shouldn't be eating anyways. 

On the other hand, I love vegetables, but I'm getting really bored of salads and steaming. Don't get me wrong, broccoli will always be delicious and filling, but sometimes you want something with a little more pizazz. Salads serve a purpose, but they don't fill me with comfort or satisfy my need for something warm and a little sweet.

Lately, these conflicting feelings have left me with the incredible urge to make things taste or feel like other more delicious and unhealthy things. Call it culinary prestidigitation if you will. I'm a huge fan of D&D and I play a gnome bard who is constantly using prestidigitation to transform things into other things. She wants blue hair today? Great! She decides to turn a screaming blue jay into a songbird so she can enjoy natures melody? Go! She decides to make a piece of quartz look like an astral diamond to pay for new equipment? What an idea! So after all that fun around the gaming table, I've been thinking about the things a gnome bard would do in the kitchen if she had to eat right, but wanted to enjoy all of her unhealthier cravings at the same time. Just like slaying mindflayers on your way to the Underdark, cooking is a necessity, but it's always better when it's fun! Thusly, I had an idea to create a recipe for vegetables that tricked me into thinking I was eating fries. Since I like sweet potato fries, I decided to go for carrots because of their natural sweetness. Anyone care to gather round the fire pit at the Project Reroll tavern to see a magic trick? 

Prestidigitation Paleo French Fries

Ingredients: 

• 8 carrots sliced into 3/4 inch thick "fries" or sticks. Use your best judgement as far as length.
• 4 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• sea salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread your carrots evenly across it. 
3. Add your extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle the garlic powder over all the fries.
5. Roll your carrots back and forth across the parchment until everything is evenly coated in the seasoning and oil. 
6. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and flip your fries.
8. Replace the sheet in the oven for 10 more minutes. 
9. Remove from the oven and enjoy the mouth watering results of your magic trick!

Do you have any culinary magic you perform to stay healthy but eat yummy? By all means, share in the comments so all of our Slayers can enjoy your creative ideas! 

Tomorrow is the due date for the our first Mini Slayer Halloween Challenge! I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures! 

Jedi Fuel Pumpkin Smoothies

http://www.deviantart.com/artisan/culinary/pumpkin/?view_mode=2&order=15&q=game+of+thrones

Winter is coming, and 'tis the season of all things Pumpkin Spice. Sadly, almost everything that calls my name is terrible for me. If I'm choosing to spend so much time building themed teams in Pokemon X, then I can't be simultaneously stuffing my face with everything that suits my fancy.

Geek Nation

I'm convinced that there are Sith Lords out there with knowledge of all of my worst seasonal weaknesses. Between Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks, Pumpkin Smash smoothies at Jamba Juice, and an array of pumpkin flavored pastries at Dunkin' Donuts it's temptation city.  So I put out the call on twitter and facebook for Paleo Pumpkin recipes. Boy did I get a ton of great stuff back! My friend Michelle linked me a recipe for Raw Pumpkin Balls, which I haven't gotten a chance to try yet but I can only believe it's like Halloween exploding in your mouth based on the ingredient list. However it was my "Jedi Sister" Emily who blew it out of the park with a Paleo replacement for that Pumpkin Smash smoothie I've been  hankering for. 

Emily and I spent our youths looking at the sky and imagining our adventures among the stars as Jedi Knights. When we met at soccer practice and admitted our love of Han Solo, it was BFF central. We even saved all our money so we could go to Space Camp and buried a Jedi time capsule in my back yard with all of our childhood secrets. 

Emily is a powerful role model. Not only is she a thoughtful, empathetic, intelligent person, but she is determined to meet every challenge she faces head on. I remember when she got into the Naval Academy, she started doing athletic training at home in Chicago so that she would be ready. No one else I knew at that age was attempting something like that. Add to her list of accomplishments living abroad in Japan to serve in the navy, starting grad school, and spending her free time training for half marathons. Seriously, is there anything she can't do? Apparently not because I tried this recipe and its amazing. I made a few tiny adjustments, but we wouldn't be Jedi Sisters if we didn't collaborate on our missions! Try it out and let me know what you think!

Jedi Fuel Pumpkin Smoothie

• Ingredients
• 2/3 cup of almond milk
• 1/3 cup of organic pure pumpkin (canned is fine, but read the label to make sure no sugar or chemicals are added)
• 1 cup frozen organic pure pumpkin (same as above)
• 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg

1. The day before you intend to make your smoothie, put one cup of canned pumpkin in the freezer. Make sure it's chopped up a bit so that you can use it in place of ice. Make sure you put it in a freezer safe plastic bag.
2. Add all the ingredients to your blender. Make sure your "ice chip" pumpkin pieces are broken up. 
3. Blend till smooth. 
4. Drink in your Jedi Fuel, confident in your delicious yet healthy Light Side diet choice. 

If you have other pumpkin recipes you'd like to share, please feel free to add them in the comments! On a slightly separate note, while I was at New York Comic Con, I chatted with some industry folks about what it would take to self publish a Project Reroll Paleo cookbook. Would that be something you Slayers would be interested in? 

Baked Chocobo with Greens and Sweet Potato

Everyone is playing the new Final Fantasy MMO but me and it's driving me to madness. It's the kind of thing I would absolutely love to play but can't afford to spend the money on for the amount of enjoyment I'd get out of it at this point. I know as soon as I decide to give in and buy it, they'll all be bored and switch to something else. So I've decided to do something a little... drastic?

I'm going to kill and eat all of the chocobos until there are none left and my friends won't have mounts  for their adventures, they all flock back to ME, and hopefully play Pokemon X/Y instead!

Mwahahaha...MwahahahAHAHA... MWAHAHAHAHAAHAH! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ahem. So anyways.

The best part is, this Paleo recipe is DELICIOUS and super easy to whip up. Without further ado, here's my recipe for:

Baked Chocobo with Greens and Sweet Potato

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 bundle of asparagus
• 3 Sweet Potatoes
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Take a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil.
3. Cut off the butts of the asparagus and check for mold (GROSS, but do it just in case or you'll need all the white mages).
4. Wash the asparagus and then lay it out evenly on the baking sheet. 
5. Drizzle 2 tbs of  extra virgin olive oil on the the asparagus followed by salt, pepper and a teaspoon of garlic powder.
6. Once that's done, use your hands to evenly toss the asparagus with the seasonings and oil. 
7. Cut the excess fat from the chicken and then use a knife to score the top of the breast 3-5 times. 
8. Place the chicken in a baking dish and add 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. 
9. Roll the chicken around in the marinade until it thickens and everything is evenly coated. Warning: When you put all of the ingredients in that dish, it will look wrong because everything will seem like it's in a sea of oil. Once the garlic powder and the oil/balsamic gets rubbed into the chicken a bit, there will be far less extra marinade in the dish, so just trust me. 
10. Put both the asparagus and the chicken in the oven.
11. Set two timers; one for asparagus and one for the chicken. Set the asparagus timer for 11 minutes and the chicken for 25 minutes.
12. When the asparagus is done, take it out of the oven while the chicken continues to bake and cover it. 
13. Wash sweet potatoes and dry carefully so that they don't steam in the microwave. 
14. Scour them with a knife 3-5 times on each side.
15. Wrap each potato in a piece of paper towel. 
16. Put each one in the microwave for five minutes (Make sure you do it individually or they won't cook all the way through). 
17. Pull your chicken out when the timer goes off. Check to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
18. Serve your chocobo meal and eat it. EAT IT WHILE THE CHILDREN CRY. 

Tink's Baked Sweet Potato and Pixie Dust

Ok, so I'm a glutton for Once Upon A Time. It's definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. This season has a special focus on Peter Pan, one of my all time favorite stories. There's nothing better than enjoying a guilty pleasure show with some guilty pleasure food. I wish I could eat bon bons and ice cream while I watch but if I did that every time I craved something sweet, I'd be the size of a house again. With that in mind, I've gone in search of other sweet tooth appeasing vittles that pack more of a nutritional punch! 

Today I'm going to share one of my very favorite and extremely simple Paleo deserts courtesy of everyone's favorite fairy, Tinkerbell! She just made her first appearance on Once Upon a Time last night! This recipe takes an hour to prepare, so often I'll get it started right after I finish cooking dinner so that I'll have an hour to eat, digest and feel ready for my deliciously sweet treat! Without further ado, here's my recipe for: 

Tink's Baked Sweet Potato and Pixie Dust

Cook time: 1hour

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

Baked Potato (try to choose a small-ish one that fits in the palm of your hand).

2 tsp Coconut Oil

Pixie Dust! (Also known as cinnamon!)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Scrub your sweet potato in cool water and remove all imperfections and stringy bits. I don't mind the potato ends, but sometimes people do. If that's you, then use a small pairing knife to cut off the tips of the potato on each end.
3. Dry the potato carefully with a towel. If you don't, it will steam in the oven instead of bake.
4. Use your knife to stab a few holes into your sweet potato.
5. Measure out your coconut oil and carefully rub it over your potato until it's coated and glistening like the second star to the right! 
6. Place the potato on a foil lined baking sheet and put it in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 minutes, flip the potato. 
8. After the second 30 minute bake, remove it from the oven. You may notice that there's a syrupy residue. This is perfectly normal. Just remove any burnt bits from the potato before putting it on a plate. It almost always just sticks to the foil.
9. Use a knife to cut the skin from one end to the other and then press them together with your fingers to open up the potato. 
10. Use your knife to break up the inside of the potato a bit.
11. Now for the pixie dust! Take your cinnamon and use your finger to tap it onto the potato. You can be the judge of how much you need. I usually just give it maybe 5 finger taps at most depending on the size of the potato. You can use your fork to mash/mix everything up.
12. Give your treat little bit of time to cool or you'll burn yourself, but in about 5 minutes or so, depending on your own personal taste, it should be ready to put in your face mouth Bangarang style!

What do you eat to satisfy your sweet tooth? Please share your suggestions with your fellow slayers in the comments!

Paleo Diablo Burgers Stuffed with Baked Pineapple

Sometimes Paleo can get a little old. I do try to keep costs low by focusing on making things I can eat over the course of the week after one big cook on the weekend. However, every once in a while, I have to mix things up or I go crazy. That's kinda how I feel about playing Diablo! It's not an every day kind of game for me, but you can always go back any time and add a little kick to your day. So that's what inspired the name for this recipe. I tried it out with my friends Shannon and Steven who are my Whole30 accountabilibuddies! It was nice to have a chance for all of us to get together and try something new! It has a real kick to it, so if you like spicy food, then go for it, but it's not for the faint of heart!

Diablo Burgers Stuffed with Baked Pineapple

Ingredients

• 1 lbs of ground spicy Italian sausage
• 1/2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 tsp of salt
• Cayenne pepper to taste.(I think a pinch will do you just fine, but some people want their mouths afire)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 pineapple
• 2 tbs coconut oil

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cut your pineapple in half. Chop it into half inch cubes and add to a mixing bowl with your coconut oil.  Toss till it's all evenly coated.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place your pineapple on the sheet. Put in the oven for 15 minutes. After that, flip/toss the cubes and then replace in the oven for another 15 minutes.
4. While your pineapple bakes, rinse your mixing bowl and then add the ground sausage, beef, salt, chopped onion, cayenne pepper, and parsley. Use your hands to mix thoroughly.
5. Then roll your meat into 8 even meat balls.
6. When the pineapple is done cooking, remove the sheet from the oven. When your meatballs are ready, then flatten four of them. 
7. Place as many chunks of pineapple in the center of each flattened meatball as possible. 
8. Flatten the other meatballs over the top of the first set. Make sure you pinch the sides closed. They cook best if you can't see any of the pineapple showing through. 
9. Place a large frying pan on the stove with medium heat. Spray with a light coating of olive oil. 
10. Then evenly space your stuffed paddies on the pan without the edges touching.
11. You should be able to cook them for about 5 minutes on each side, but you might want to slice through one to check that it's done. I like them medium rare but sometimes it takes a little extra time depending on how thick you made them.
12. Serve with salad, guacamole, sweet potato, and/or any extra pineapple you couldn't fit inside the burgers.

The Vanellope Von Schweetz Smoothie!

Sometimes, you just need something sweet, but if you're a stickler for health, then indulging yourself with ice cream or froyo everytime isn't really the best option. Well folks, I'm here to tell you that not only can you satisfy your sweet tooth, but you can get another serving of veggies at the same time so you can be both sweet and tough like Vanellope from Wreck it Ralph!

It took me a while to realize that fresh fruit smoothies are the bomb. They can serve as a great breakfast on the go or a small one can make a good snack later in the day, plus I sneak in some spinach (don't worry you can't taste it) so I can get another serving of vegetables without having to force them down via salad or sneak them into my omelette. I don't make mine with dairy, so they do satisfy the Paleo requirements. I shouldn't have to say this, but in order to make this recipe, you will need a blender. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Almond Milk (You can buy it at the store, although there are usually some preservatives in it, or you can make it yourself).
• 1 cup Frozen Peaches (You can make or buy these ready frozen)
• 1 cup Frozen Mangoes (Same as above!)
• Banana
• 1 Cup of Spinach
• Optional: Add any other fruit you like!

1. Add both frozen fruits to the blender.
2. Break your banana in half and add both halves to the blender (if you're not a huge banana fanatic, only add one half or it will be SUPER banana flavored, which I happen to like). 
3. Add in a handful of spinach (that's generally about 1 cup). 
4. Then pour in your cup of Almond Milk.
5. Remember to cover the blender with the lid. Plug it in and then blend until everything is completely smooth. You want to make sure it's as smooth as possible so that you don't have tiny spinach leave particles floating around in there. The smoother it is, the less noticeable it will be. It will probably add a very "fresh" taste to the smoothie, but it's really not noticeable when you use a strong fruit like mangoes to cut it. 
6. Pour and enjoy! This generally makes 1.5-2 servings depending on how much smoothie you want to drink. I like to keep the half in the fridge for later or share it with someone.

Avenger's Eggs: Breakfast of Champions Recipe

I know a lot of people who don't eat breakfast, but it's arguably the most important meal for the day. It jumpstarts your metabolism and gives you the energy you need to start the day right. I find that with the right breakfast, I don't feel like I "need" coffee quite as much. In fact, for my Whole 30, I'm forgoing coffee (even though it's not a requirement), just because I always think it's good to cleanse the body when it becomes reliant on any sort of chemical.

So this is my typical breakfast and it's very easy to whip up in about 20 minutes with the right amount of prep. I'm have it on high authority that The Avengers eat this every morning. No really. That's totally true. Check wikipedia. Well don't. Just take my word for it because I did not in any way just lie to you to promote my work. 

Keep in mind, I make my friend Catspaw's seasoned beef every week. I chop up a bag of two bell peppers and a bag of pre-sliced mushrooms. 

Ingredients

• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• 4-6 oz pre-cooked ground beef
• 2 eggs
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Sea Salt

1. Put the stove on medium heat. 
2. Spray pan with EVOO.
3. Add one handful of sliced mushroom and one handful of chopped pepper to the pan. Add a little sea salt, garlic and onion powder. 
4. Mix everything in the pan until the veggies are evenly coated.
5. Sauté for about 5 minutes till mushrooms are soft and brown.
6. Crack two eggs into a bowl and 2 tbs of water. 
7. Whisk eggs.
8. Add to pan and scramble with the veggies for about two minutes.
9. Add in 4-6 oz. of your ground beef mix. 
10. Move all ingredients in the pan so that the eggs don't get burned or over cooked while your ground beef heats. This should take about a minute.
11. Serve and put it in your face mouth!

Stir Friday

Hi all!

I must admit, I wasn't sure how to start off here. Do I share my woe-is-me tales of an unathletic childhood? Maybe dive in with a long, long list of goals, hopes, dreams? Talk about how the pursuit of fitness has completely changed my life?

I'm sure I'll get to all of those things, because even though I'm pretty introverted in general, I'm a "talkative" writer, and I like to share things and connect with people. But today, before I launch into some epic tale of slow progress and hesitant adventures, I gotta just say: Wow, is everyone's summer as busy as mine is right now??

I graduated in May and am currently negotiating the uncertain waters of post-grad employment. By year four of my undergraduate studies, I decided I was no longer really interested in my major, but with one year left, I decided not to start from scratch. So, here I am, like many recent graduates: greeting the familiar "What now?" question.

This week, I started an office job that I do really enjoy. It will hopefully turn into a permanent opportunity, but I won't find out for a few months. That uncertainty, combined with a nice long daily battle through traffic and construction and a payroll delay that's making my bank account resemble freshman year, have made this a pretty stressful week. Not to mention the piles of laundry, housework and to-do lists that are multiplying in my house...!

My point is, sometimes it's tough to keep it all together. I try to eat around 80% paleo "ish" (peanut butter with no additives and greek yogurt are both on my "approved" list), but this week has slipped a bit. I also had to work late at my second job on the night I would normally have gone for a run. I caved to cravings and got a pastry from the cafe at work yesterday. Little things add up, but the only thing you can do is move forward and make a better choice next time.

Though the week hasn't been completely in-line with my dietary goals, I did manage to include a few healthy dinners to make up for less-than-satisfactory days. On Tuesday night after our CrossFit workout in the garage, my boyfriend and I made a recipe we found on thefoodee.com (an amazing collection of Paleo and Whole30 recipes, if you're interested!). This one was "Apple Lime Chicken Stir Fry" from a blog called "Delightful Taste Buds," and it's painfully easy and completely delicious! For those of you following any paleo/primal/gluten-free/etc eating, it should be right in there (sorry, vegetarians). No grain, no dairy -- just meat, veggies, apples, and spices! And delicious diced garlic. Lots and lots of garlic. (Sorry, vampires.)

Though I didn't cook growing up, in the past year I've started to experiment, and I've gotten to the point that recipes are much-needed guidelines, but maybe not strict rules. As it was already 7pm and we were tired from the workout, we elected not to do the make-your-own-applesauce portion of the recipe, and instead used all-natural store-bought applesauce (no added sugars or high fructose corn syrup, I checked!). I also winged it on the spices. It came out pretty well!

I am not a foodie or a chef, and I'm certainly not a food blogger, either. I took a few photos to document the process, but go ahead and give the recipe a shot if you like, and let me know what you think!

My heroes!

Voila!

(Don't worry, that plate is 3-4 servings. I shared!)

How have the dice fallen for all of you this week? Any quick, healthy recipe suggestions or fun, active weekend plans?

-Simone

Paleo Baked Diced Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Recipe

I've been cooking a whole bunch of delicious Paleo food at my family reunion in North Carolina. 

It's given me a great chance to share what I've been doing with my relatives (many of whom are surprised to see me in the kitchen!) and to work on some new recipes with my dad. Just one year ago I weighed about 100 lbs more and was just getting ready to embark on my quest for weight loss and wellness while I was here with my family. I think they're all pretty shocked at the change but everyone has been very supportive and encouraging. To give you an idea, here's a picture from last year.

/shudder.

Aside from helping me map out and film my 20k run (which I'll report on soon!), Dad did a lot of shopping to make sure I had all sorts ingredients at the ready so I could stay on track this week. As a caterer he often has a lot of great ideas to liven up my dishes. In honor of Lord Caldephron (his D&D Druid alter ego) and his much appreciated assistance, today's recipe deals with a new way to enjoy sweet potatoes (my very favorite tuber treat!). It's a great side or even a tasty desert depending on how you look at it. So without further ado, here's the recipe for:

Caldephron's Roll for Crit Diced Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes (About 1/2 lb per person you're cooking for. For one person, I tend to use one hand sized sweet potato)
• Fresh Ground Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cooking Spray
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ground Cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Peel or not according to preference. If you are not peeling, give into the dark side and scrub sweet spuds aggressively. 
3. Cut into approximately 1.5 inch cubes.
4. Spray an oven safe baking dish with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray and deposit your sweet potatoes.
5. Fresh ground sea salt and pepper to taste.
6. Carefully sprinkle a light dusting of cinnamon evenly across the potatoes. 
7. Drizzle a teaspoon (per potato used) of extra virgin olive oil on the seasoned potatoes and toss the cubes till they are all glistening and coated evenly.
   
8. Put baking dish into the oven for 15 minutes.
9. Remove baking dish and re-toss potatoes. 
10. Put baking dish back into the oven for 10 minutes. 
11. Remove from oven and serve like a boss!

Note: You may need to adjust your cooking times based on how thick your potato cubes end up being. Stick a knife in after the first round in the oven and you can adjust time more or less based on whether they seem cooked through.

Paleo Burger Salad Recipe

Ever get that hankering for a burger? I know I do. Now that I've adopted a more Paleo/Primal lifestyle, I don't indulge in the works with the bun and the ketchup with fries on the side.

For me, it's the meat that matters.

Yet, just a burger patty alone seems sort of lame, so last night I experimented a bit. I though, why not top the burger with a bunch of sautéed veggies and it just exploded from there. What I ended up with was a home made burger patty surrounded by sautéed carrots, red pepper, mushrooms, onions and cabbage on a bed of spring lettuces and dressed with balsamic vinegar. It was so delicious and it's the first "found object" recipe I've ever come up with. Don't worry. I'm not as bad as Vork from The Guild. I only used found FOOD in my kitchen since I didn't have any sort of planned recipe for dinner. Putting the whole thing together made me feel like an evil genius! Sorta like this guy:

I know. This is two Doctor Horrible themed blog entries in a row.

One "found object," the actual burger patty, I had made using a great recipe that I can't take credit for. It's from Catspaw over at Nerd Fitness and this is the recipe I use for my "weekly supply of ground beef" that I use to amplify quick dishes with a good serving of meat.

Here's the recipe as it was shared on the NF blog. Keep in mind, this is to make a week's worth, so either plan a Burger salad dinner party, or scale this down for however many you want to make.

Or you can buy/make your own! Totally up to you. I just find this recipe super yumz. So without further ado, here's:

Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Burger Salad
(singing optional but encouraged)

Ingredients:

• 1 burger patty
• Baby Romaine or Spring Blend pre-washed lettuce
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Mushrooms
• Red pepper 
• 1/2 yellow onion 
• Cabbage slaw 
• Carrots
• Salt
• Pepper
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil/Cooking spray.

1. Plate your bed of lettuce.
2. Cut up all your other veggies and set them aside in a bowl. 
3. Season them with a few shakes of salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder and mix thoroughly so that it looks evenly distributed.
4. Cook up the burger patty to your desired level of done-ness in a frying pan. I tend to do about 3-4 minutes on each side for a medium rare burger. 
5. Set your finished cooked burger in the center of your plate of lettuce.
6. Use the same pan that you used for your burger and coat the bottom with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or use cooking spray to mist the bottom of the pan if you're being really frugal about the extra fat.
7. Toss in your seasoned veggies. More experienced chefs might have better ideas about an "order" in which to add the veggies so that everything cooks perfectly. Me, I just toss everything in together and it seems to work out fine. 
8. Make sure you return to your pan regularly to mix up the veggies so that the ones on the bottom don't burn. I like to do this on medium heat for about ten minutes until my mushrooms have browned a bit and the onions, cabbage, and carrots have softened. You can always taste along the way if you're unsure how you like them.
9. When you're done, surround your burger with a ring of your sautéed veggies. 
10. Dress the dish with balsamic vinegar.
11. PUT IT IN YOUR FAYCE MOUTH!

Let me know if you try this recipe or if you have any other ideas to spice it up! 

Baked Eggs in an Avocado Recipe

My new favorite thing is baking eggs in avocados. I learned about this idea from a friend on the Nerd Fitness forums. I've posted a few pictures on Facebook of my delicacies and every time I make one of these things, I get a real "bigger on the inside" vibe. Honestly, the possibilities are endless. Once you get the egg in there, you can top it with anything that strikes your fancy, so break out your favorite wibbly, wobbly, timey, wimey bits and get to the kitchen for this delicious Paleo treat! So without further ado, I give you my recipe for:

Baked Eggs in an Avocado Tardis

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Any toppings you choose (cooked ground beef, bacon, tomato, pepper, onions, etc. Use your imagination!)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice an avocado in half and remove the pit.
3. Scoop out a little extra avocado to make more room for the eggs. There will be SOME overflow but you don't want most of the whites to go to waste.
4. Create a "bowl" out of aluminum foil and place your avocado halves inside. Set it on a baking sheet.
5. Crack two eggs into the hollows of the avocados.
6. Salt and pepper to taste!
7. Add your toppings.
8. Put your avocado in the oven for 20-25 minutes (till the eggs reach your desired level of firmness).
9. Plate your avocado Tardis halves and devour them! They make the perfect paleo companion for any Doctor Who episode!

Primal Chai Iced Tea Recipe

One of the things I loved the most on the food bender I allowed myself last week was drinking Iced Chai Lattes at will. I've already espoused my love for Chai on the blog, but it's only grown exponentially since then. With the onset of summer, I have to move away from hot tea (or risk baking myself in the heat). I like iced coffee, but I just don't think I can live 3 months without Chai in my life. I'm that obsessed. Chai tea is one thing but dumping lattes down my gullet non-stop is a big no no, especially for my Primal diet. 

So, I set about devising the following recipe for Chai Iced Tea that comes in around 8 calories per serving as opposed to the 150 usually found in a small skim Chai latte. Pretty snazzy, huh? I can tell you this is one of the simplest recipes I've ever made and one of the best tasting, sweet tooth satisfying treats ever. At only 8 calories a serving, there's no harm in getting a little addicted. Prepare thine gullets, fair readers! Chai deliciousness incoming!

Serves:
About 8 and is good for one week if refrigerated.

Ingredients:
5 cups boiling water
4 cups cold water
12 Chai teabags
Almond Milk
Stevia or honey for sweetener

Total time: 10 minutes of prep, 2 hours of refrigeration.

1. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil.
2. Steep all 12 teabags in the pot for approximately five minutes. Don't leave them in much longer even if you like strong tea because it will create a very bitter aftertaste. 
   
3. Remove and carefully strain the teabags through a slotted spoon.
   
4. Stir in the desired amount of stevia or honey for the whole batch. I like 2 packets per cup, but if your tastes differ, then go for whatever works for you. Stir till all the sweetener is completely dissolved. 
5. Pour the steeped tea into a pitcher and stir in the four cups of cold water.
   
6. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until cold.
7. Serve over ice with a splash of almond milk!