1. Drink plenty of water and eat a paleo dinner BEFORE you head to your party. You will be less likely tempted if you are not hungry or dehydrated.
2. Limit your intake of alcohol. The more you drink, the more unaware you can become of what you are eating.
3. Load up on veggies and strictly meat items. Remove buns, bread, dairy from your food – or better yet, just don’t go for those items.
4. Bring something Paleo. If you bring it, you are assured to have SOMETHING you can eat.
5. HOST a party. Serve Paleo food, show your friends that Paleo does not have to be boring or tasteless!

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Here’s a recipe to bring to your party:

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus:
1 1/2 pounds asparagus (24-32 stalks), ends trimmed (make sure the asparagus is the thin and spindly, not thick)
4 slices Trader Joe’s Nitrate Free Bacon
olive oil
course sea salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Trim ends off the asparagus, wash and pat dry. Brush olive oil on asparagus lightly and season with course sea salt and pepper. Wrap 6 – 8 stalks of asparagus with one slice of bacon and place bundle on a broiler or sheet pan, repeat with remaining asparagus and bacon. Bake for 12-14 minutes, turning bundles once halfway through. Bacon should be crisp and asparagus tender.

*If your asparagus bundles won’t hold together secure bacon with a toothpick or kitchen twine.*
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OTHER SUGGESTED SUPERBOWL PARTY FOOD

* Paleo Chili
* Paleo BBQ Sausage Bites (Yonder Way Sausage in Paleo BBQ Sauce)
* Smoked Wild Caught Salmon
* Veggie Tray with Tahini Dip
* Angry Deviled Eggs (made with homemade mayo & horseradish to your normal Deviled Egg recipe)
* Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips
* If you want sweets at your party, choose a Paleo friendly recipe from Elana’s Pantry, Everyday Paleo, or Paleo Betty (NOTE: not everything on some of these websites are Paleo).

I would love to hear from you – what is your favorite Paleo Appetizer recipe or Paleo Superbowl treat? Post a recipe to share. If nothing else, let me know: New York Giants or New England Patriots??

Have a great time, watching the Superbowl. GO GIANTS!

Besides CrossFit West Houston, here are a few of my favorite recipe sites. Try some of them this week see how you like them.

I. Everyday Paleo – Sarah Frogoso has done an excellent job in making Paleo part of an everyday lifestyle. She has recipes that work in with an active lifestyle and one that is friendly to kids.

II. Paleo Betty- Nicole Tanzillo is a CrossFit gal, but believes that eating healthy foods, doesn’t mean you give up flavor. This morning I just had her Sweet Potato Pancakes. Oh my, were they good AND easy. Instead of doing the apples, I reduced down some fresh strawberries and blueberries and they were YUMMY. I gave them to a non-paleo friend to try and she was raving about them.

III. Elana’s Pantry – Now, Elana Amersterdam is not technically Paleo. She was diagnosed with Celiac’s disease and was forced into a gluten-free diet. Out of that experience and her love of cooking and baking, she has developed a gluten-free repertoire. However, she has taken a liking to the Paleo diet and has included some Paleo friendly recipes on her website.So be careful as you are sifting through her site. Her pumpkin pie muffins are to die for!

IV. Primal Women in the Kitchen – this is a local CrossFit Gym in my area that I just discovered. Their nutrition website has some great recipes with wonderful flavor mixtures.

Do you have any favorites? If so, please comment and share — I think we all look for inspiration in cooking!

1 lb Venison Tenderloin
4 TBSP chopped garlic
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Fresh Sprigs of Rosemary
Horseradish for garnish

Place the Venison Tenderloin in Tin Foil and place in a shallow baking pan. Split the top of the roash and stuff 2 TBSP garlic in it. Drizzle Olive Oil on roast (about 2 TBSP). Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place the Sprigs of Rosemary on Top. Take the remaining garlic and rub on the sides. Pull up foil along sides and top, DO NOT SEAL THE FOIL. Place on center rack of oven and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes for rare, and 30-35 minutes for medium. When done, let rest for 5 minutes and slice. To serve place a generous dollop of horseradish on the plate, and serve sliced tenderloin on top. Place a fresh sprig of rosemary beside it.

1 cucumber (unpeeled), cut into spears
3 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch lengths
3 leaves of kale, cut into 2 inch wide strips
1 apple (unpeeled), cored and cut into chuncks
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, peel removed with a knife

Feed the cucumber, celery, kale, apple, parsley, and lemon into a juicer. Discard solids.

Harvest Salad

2 TBSP Coconut Oil
2 cups peeled butternut squash (10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 TBSP Walnut Oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 ounces mixed salad greens or mesclun
2 Apples slices with skin on
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil. Add the squash in an even layer, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the squash cubes and cook over moderately low heat until browned on the other side and just tender, about 7 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar with the tarragon, parsley and the 5 tablespoons of walnut oil; season the dressing with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the pecans, pumpkin seeds, apples and roasted squash. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Serve the salad right away.

Make Ahead The dressing can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours. The cooked squash can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before using in the salad.

Citrus Grilled Turkey Breast

1 (5- to 6-lb.) skin-on, bone-in turkey breast
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Preparation
1. Let turkey breast stand at room temperature 30 minutes; rinse with cold water, and pat turkey dry.
2. Stir together parsley, next 4 ingredients, and 1 tsp. salt. Loosen and lift skin from turkey without totally detaching skin, and rub parsley mixture under skin. Replace skin. Sprinkle cavity with 1/2 tsp. salt; rub into cavity. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 tsp. salt on skin; rub into skin.
3. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat; leave other side unlit. Place turkey over lit side, and grill, without grill lid, 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer turkey to unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 165°. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes before slicing.

Believe it or not, this recipe was found in Southern Living November 2011 edition

1 lb Beef Steak, cubed
1/2 head broccoli, chopped
½ green pepper, cut in chunks
½ red pepper, cut in chunks
½ yellow pepper, cut in chunks
½ yellow onion, cut in chunks
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 TBSP Coconut Oil
¼ cup water
½ – full head of cauliflower
¼ – ½ tsp each:  Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper  – add Red Pepper Flakes for a spicier version.

Season the beef steak with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Chop cauliflower into pieces and place in a food processor.  Pulse until the cauliflower is the consistency of rice.  Place 3 TBSP of Coconut Oil in a cast iron skillet.  Add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic to the oil.  Place all pepper chunks, broccoli and onion into the skillet as well.  Sauté over medium heat until peppers and onions soften.  Add beef steak and sauté until a little pink is left in the middle.  Add ¼ cup of water and reduce heat to simmer.

In the meantime, add 3 TBSP coconut oil and 1 clove of minced garlic to another skillet.  Add cauliflower and sauté until softened.  Add Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, and salt and blend with cauliflower.  Place the pepper steak over the cauliflower and top with fresh cracked pepper.  Serves 2.  Add with a nice salad for a simple, easy meal.

It well known by all of us, that the average adult needs about 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Yet, many of us (heck most of us) operate at something researchers call sleep debt which is the effect of not getting enough rest and sleep. A large debt causes mental, emotional and physical fatigue. Forgoing sleep therefore messes up physiological functioning and contributes to stress, inflammation, cancer, diabetes, and a whole host of diseases. In layman’s terms, our body takes a beating every day and it needs time to repair itself. Crossfitter’s, you especially, need to be interested in getting enough sleep because it can effect recovery time and reduce stress on the body. But get this… sleep can even help you lose weight. Yep, it is crucial to fat loss as it helps bodies to modulate insulin, leptin and cortisol levels. (Check out this short article on Sleep loss & risk for Type 2 diabetes)

Let’s raise a question here, why are you eating Paleo and working out? Besides looking good and feeling great, isn’t part of the answer to reduce your risk factors for health issues? If that is the case, consider getting enough sleep as part of your training regimen. As you are taking the Whole 30 challenge this month, use this time to also include carving out time to rest and restore your body through sleep. Here are some simple things to consider helping you get that good night sleep:

1. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Chemicals that Interfere with Sleep
2. Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep-Inducing Environment: quiet, dark, comfortable temperature.
3. Establish a pre-sleep routine which allows your body to pick up cues it is time to rest: bath, brush teeth, and relaxation exercises, to name a few. Give your body a rest from technology at least ½ hour prior to bedtime.
4. Lighten up evening meals; avoid foods that cause indigestion, finish dinner several hours before bedtime. If you need to snack, make it a light one to get you through the night.
5. Balance liquid intake. Make sure you are hydrated enough prior to bedtime so you won’t wake thirsty, but not too much that you have to wake to go to the bathroom.
6. Exercise early. Allow three hours prior to sleep. Exercise stimulates the body and secretes the stress hormone cortisol that activates the alerting mechanisms in your brain.
7. Keep Your Internal Clock Set with a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
8. Can’t find the time to sleep? Prioritize your activities – see what you can cut out or do later so that you can sleep. Consider less time in activities such as TV, Social Media, gaming systems, etc.
Really gang, no excuses- you have no more “special circumstances” then the rest of us. WE ALL ARE BUSY! As you can see, sleep is an important part of your healthy routine. It comes down to priority. What is your priority?

DAY 1: Angry Chicken Wrap

Shredded chicken breast (or Turkey)
Tomatoes sliced or diced, however you prefer
Diced jalapeno
Diced red & green pepper
Avocado slices
Romaine lettuce leaves
Drizzle of Everyday Paleo chipoltle mayo

Use leftover shredded chicken breast (or Turkey) Slice or dice your ingredients. Place these ingredients in a ziploc bag either together or separately. Leave lettuce leaves whole and place in their own ziploc. Place the chipotle mayo in container. When ready to eat, layer the chicken, ingredients, and drizzle of mayo on the romaine leaf and roll into a wrap.

DAY 2: Lunch Scavenge
This can be a great way to clean out the fridge with all those leftover or small portions you have left from the weekend. The idea here is small bites of a variety of things. Keep in mind you want protein, heavier on the veggies than fruit, and some good oil. Here are just a few ideas:

Protien
Hardboiled egg
Salmon
Turkey
Chicken
Tuna
Beef

Fruits/Veggies
Apple slices
Veggie tray (celery, carrots, broccoli, etc)
Fresh spinach
Berries
Melon slices
Pickles/olives

Good Oils
Paleo mayo
Guacamole
Olive Oil
Paleo salad dressings

Mix together for salads or eat separately as sort of your own Paleo Tapas Lunch. Be creative AND use up your leftovers

Day 3: Oven Baked Spiced Chicken Legs

Make these ahead of time for the week. Add cut veggies/fruit or a salad for the side. These are an easy and tasty lunch that is great cold or heated up. Are you a parent of active kids on the go? Here is then a solution for an easy throw together meal for the evening before those practices or games. Freeze any leftovers and they are easy to pull out on the fly.

Spice Rub For Chicken Leg:

3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix altogether. Double or even triple this recipe and place in a spice container on your shelf for future use.

Oven Baked Chicken Legs:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dry the chicken legs with a paper towel. Rub the spice rub generously all over each chicken leg. Place on a baking sheet. Bake chicken legs until reaches 160 degrees internally (about 45 minutes). For crispier outside, place legs under the broiler for about 5 minutes. Make this in bulk and place in freezer for future easy meals.

Day 4: Tuna Salad with Fresh Dill Avocado Boats
1 (6 ounce) can tuna
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons Paleo mayonnaise
1-2 avocados

Mix ingredients together. Skin and take out the seed from an avocado and fill with the tuna salad mixture.

Day 5: End of the season Tomato, Basil, Mint Salad

5 whole tomatoes sliced (use a variety of heirlooms for a culinary treat)
Fresh Basil leaves
Fresh Mint leaves
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Course Sea Salt

Slice tomatoes, dice fresh basil and mint leaves (I use kitchen shears to cut up leaves). Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. Top with a pinch of course sea salt. Pair with leftover turkey or chicken breast for a balanced lunch.

Good Luck in your first week of the CFWH Whole 30 challenge!

RECIPE 1:  EASY CLEANOUT THE FRIDGE BREAKFAST HASH

**  Key for fast prep is to cut and prepare veggies ahead of time.

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 cup yellow squash, chopped
• 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 eggs, poached or cooked any style

Directions:

Heat large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter to pan. Add garlic and onion and saute for 2 minutes, then add chopped squash or your favorite vegetable, cook for 2 more minutes.. Cook for 5-minutes or until almost compete.  At this point add salt and pepper, then add tomatoes and spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Drain well before plating.

While finishing this, prepare eggs to your liking (I like over medium as this is easiest) in another pan.

To serve, drained hash mixture to and then add to individual plates. On top of hash add 2 cooked eggs per person.  This is nice served with some avocado.

NOTE:  Vary your veggies – add peppers, sweet potato, butternut squash, asparagus etc.

RECIPE 2:  NUTS & FRUIT MIX

2 oz sliced almonds, 1 oz chopped pecans and 1 oz walnuts (really any type of nut), fresh fruit chopped, handful of coconut slivers, 1 tsp ground flax, 1 cup Coconut  milk to cover.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

RECIPE 3:  CHORIZO SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH FRESH SALSA 

• 4 eggs
• Chorizo (no fillers)
• 2 cups fresh spinach

Place chorizo in skillet and brown.  When brown, add fresh spinach and wilt.  As the spinach begins to wilt, add your eggs in a non-stick skillet to scramble. Add about 1 TBSP water to make eggs fluffier.  Scramble all together.

Top Eggs with:Avocado – peeled and sliced, 3 Green onions chopped, 1-2 TBSP fresh salsa

For fresh salsa (make ahead):

• 1 – 16 oz canned tomatoes (just tomatos)
• ¼ Bunch cilantro – washed, stems picked out
• 1 Jalapeno pepper diced/minced

Drain the tomatoes to really dry (set aside).  Put the juice in the blender, place cilantro and jalapeno pepper in the juice.  Blend juice.  Then place tomatoes in and pulse a few times.  Refridgerate.

RECIPE 4:  EGG CUPCAKES

 And finally, has anyone checked out Sarah Fragoso’s Everyday Paleo Egg Cupcakes?  They are easy to make and to batch make for the week.  

Oh, before you shop, read your labels carefully.  Make sure meats are all natural, vegetarian fed and all ingredients are Paleo.  And don’t forget, Yonder Way is a GREAT resource for natural, vegetarian fed protein.  If you haven’t ordered from them before, perhaps now is a great time to try them out.