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As usual, I am late in realizing that Valentines Day is less than a week away, so… as usual we will celebrate Valentine’s Day a couple days later than the rest of the world. I thought it was JUST Thanksgiving a few weeks ago!? How is it the middle of February already?!

Anyway, Jeff and I have both been sticking with the paleo thing pretty strictly lately, so… I thought, maybe a treat would be nice, ya know – take a break from all the kale we eat. Why not get some paleo desserts for us to enjoy this year? After all, I can’t simply run to Duane Reade and pick up a box of chocolates anymore. I considered making my own desserts, but I totally suck at desserts. BUT, from what I hear, Kristen over at It’s A Lifestyle is pretty damn good at them. So, I just placed a massive order for a serious spread of treats with her and I have to say, I CAN NOT WAIT TO GET THEM! Plus, it’s kinda fun to patronize a fellow CrossFitter’s local business. I don’t think I’ve ever actually ordered desserts as a gift before, but now that I’ve done it, I feel like I’m going to have to do it more often. It was so stupidly easy — just add to cart and hit order, in my pajamas, on my couch, YES! (outside of the box, I am incredibly lazy).

Here are some pictures of the goodies I’m waiting to get in the mail next week I’ll be sure to update you all on how delicious they are once I get them!

Donuts: I haven’t had a donut in about a year! And I’m about to enjoy a whole assortment of donuts that are totally Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Grain-Free, and Peanut-Free. This is a liberating feeling.

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Chocolate Almond Cups: YES! It’s like a peanut butter cup, but it’s even better  These tasty little guys recently won ‘Best Dessert’ on a competition run by Rob Wolf.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries: It really wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without them.

Chocolate Espresso Truffles: UM, YES PLEASE!!! I could not be more excited about these. Truffles are one of my absolute favorite treats of all times!

Anyway, I’m super psyched!  You all should buy some too. How could you not?

• Comments 2 Comments
• Categories Dessert, Local Paleo Businesses, Snacks, Where to shop
• Author Lana

I received this recipe today from one of my awesome awesome CrossFit readers — I haven’t tried it, but I have to say it sounds reaaallly yummy! Sadly, I have an allergy to pineapple, so someone should try this for me and tell me how it is. Conceptually, I love the simplicity of it – just fruit, coconut milk, and water! Plus it’s full of good healthy coconut fat to keep you full and satisfied!

Maybe give this fancy little mocktail a shot if your looking to satisfy your sweet tooth and pretend that it’s not 20 degrees and snowing outside tonight. Yes, it’s a bit of a treat, but it’s a pina colada, so try not worry about if it’s too sugary to be good for you.  If you wanna put a little rum in it and call it a party, I won’t tell anyone

Image stolen from The Food Network
(check it out, their recipe is Paleo too! mmmm bananas & honey)

Ingredients

• 1/2 can of coconut milk (full fat, thx)
• equal amount of water (i usually just eyeball it)
• 1 cup frozen pineapple (trader joe’s has these)
• 1/3 cup of finely shredded unsweetened coconut

Method

Just blend it all up and you’re good to go. The little pink umbrella is optional. You can play with the amount of pineapple and coconut to get the consistency where you want it – more frozen pineapple make a thicker drink, so if it looks thin, just add more pineapple.

Tags: "cheats", coconut, pineapple

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• Categories Beverages, Dessert
• Author Lana

I’ve done it! I’ve made the world’s greatest frittata! WOOOOO! I mean, if you’re not into Southern food, you might be like EWWW MOLASES & VINEGAR IN A FRITTATA!  But seriously, I beg you to get past how that might seem weird and give it a shot – it just blew my mind for breakfast so… maybe it will blow yours too. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound bacon, chopped
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tsp molases
• 1tsp apple cider vinegar

 Method

Heat a caste iron skillet to medium high heat on the stovetop and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Throw the onions, garlic, leeks, and bacon into the caste iron skillet and saute until the onions are browned and the bacon is cooked. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, molases, and vinegar until smooth. Transfer the kale & bacon mixture into the bowl of eggs and mix it up. Press the kale down until it is totally covered by the eggs. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to allow the flavor of the onions and bacon to absorb into the egg mixture. Transfer everything back into the caste iron skillet and throw it in the oven for 15-20 minutes (or until cooked through)

Serve hot out of the oven. Get ready to enjoy the best Southern style greens turned breakfast you’ve ever had.

P.S.
Only 3 days left on my Kickstarter! Help out if you can

Tags: bacon, eggs, frittata, kale, leeks, onions, Southern

• Comments Leave a Comment
• Categories Breakfast, Eggs!
• Author Lana

Quick, easy, hot, comfy, and super satisfying of the insane chocolate cravings I was having last week. Turns out, coconut milk might make a better base for hot cocoa than milk ever did! I wasn’t planning to post this recipe because it seemed too obvious, but after having a conversation about chocolate cravings with another CrossFitter at the last paleo dinner, I thought maybe I would share the recipe we both agreed was totally rocking our world when it came to emergency chocolate situations  Happy Winter!

Ingredients

• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 cup of water
• 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
• Strawberries

Method

In a small saucepan heat the coconut milk and water until hot. Add the cocoa powder and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add maple syrup if you want it to be a bit sweeter — the coconut milk is already a bit sweet so you may not want the extra sweetener. Serve in mugs with strawberries on the side. This serves 2-4 people. Enjoy with fresh strawberries and a general feeling of fanciness.

Tags: cocoa, coconut, strawberries

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• Categories Beverages, Dessert, Snacks
• Author Lana

This happened today. It rocked.

Ingredients

• 1 glass of seltzer water
• 1 or 2 strawberries, sliced

Method

It’s as easy as it looks and quite pleasant!

Tags: seltzer, strawberries

• Comments Leave a Comment
• Categories Beverages
• Author Lana

Hey Brooklyn! So, here are a couple more recipes from CrossFit South Brooklyn’s 2012 Paleo Potluck. I’m pretty sure that these two recipes, by Martina Owens, rocked everyone’s world at the potluck! ESPECIALLY THOSE GRAPES!! OH MY GOOOOOOODDDDD!!!! Anyway, serious thanks to Martina for submitting the recipes to us, and for submitting them to me in such a nicely written manner

Enjoy!

Roasted Grapes

Image Credit (My Recipes)

Ingredients

• Any variety and quantity of red seedless grapes you enjoy removed from their stems
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Preheat your oven to 225 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet (preferably a jelly roll pan i.e. a baking sheet with sides) with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Please note that lining your pan is optional, but it saves you from spending time scrubbing off caramelized grape sugar at the end of the roasting process. Grapes should fit comfortably in the pan in a single layer, if they don’t, use a second baking sheet or roast them in batches, but do not pile them up.

3. Toss grapes with the olive oil in a bowl or directly on the baking sheets if you want to save yourself a dish. I use just enough olive oil to nicely coat all of the grapes. Using your hands here is the best way to ensure all the grapes are well-coated.

4. Roast your grapes in the 225 degree oven until they are a slightly bursting and shriveled. This will take anywhere between 2 hours to 2 ½ hours. Toss the grapes once or twice during roasting to ensure even cooking. Do not attempt to make the oven hotter and roast the grapes for a shorter period of time. The low oven temperature and long roasting time is what really brings out the depth of flavor in the grapes.

5. Roasted grapes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, but are best warmed or brought to room temperature for serving.

Variations:

Proceed with recipe as written, but add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste along with sprigs of thyme and rosemary. The herbs will roast right along with the grapes and make for a savory preparation that is awesome served with duck, chicken, game hens or venison. Remove the tough herb stems before serving, but allow any bits of herbs that have fallen off the stems to remain with the grapes.

Proceed with recipe as written, but add chunks of cleaned and peeled butternut squash. This is also great using herbs as noted above.

Substitute melted butter for the olive oil. The grapes will taste like pie without the crust.

Make them into a parfait using spiced Greek yogurt. I used the following ingredients for the spiced Greek yogurt from the potluck: 1 cup 2% Greek yogurt, ½ a vanilla bean (scraped) or vanilla extract approx. 1 tsp. If you don’t have vanilla beans, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. No need to be precise with the spices, just taste as you go and use the amounts that taste good to you. Also good would be almond extract, cardamom, ginger – pretty much any spice you enjoy. To make into individual parfaits, grab some wine glasses or jam jars or whatever glass container you like and put down a layer of spiced yogurt, followed by a layer of roasted grapes ending with a layer of yogurt. Top these with toasted nuts like pistachios, almonds, walnuts or whatever you might have on hand. These are great for breakfast or dessert.

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Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin:

Image Credit (Betty Crocker)

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• One beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied (about 3/12 to 4 pounds)
• ½ cup spicy whole-grained mustard (read the label to be certain there is no sugar or other non-paleo ingredients)
• 8 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
• 1 bunch rosemary – finely chopped
• 1 bunch thyme – finely chopped

1. Beef tenderloin can be expensive, but if you ask your butcher to give you the whole piece and clean it yourself, the price will drop. This takes some extra time, but it’s pretty easy and satisfying work once you know how! Here’s a link to a lesson from Food Network personality Alton Brown:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7-_ka3DAuY. If you don’t feel like a lesson in butchery, ask your butcher for the tenderloin to be trimmed and tied.

2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

3. In a large skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking. Season beef generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear beef until well-browned on all sides, using tongs to turn.

4. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and use a spoon to coat with the mustard and garlic. Cover the meat with the chopped herbs using your hands to pat the herbs evenly into the mustard coating.

5. Place prepared meat in a shallow roasting pan and cook about 25-30 minutes or until meat registers 140-145 degrees on a meat thermometer for medium. A meat thermometer is key for this recipe since the high roasting temp will very quickly allow the meat to cook beyond the level of doneness you’re looking for. The roast will also continue to cook while it rests. Let the roast stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

6. This dish is very good at room temperature. If you are serving it this way, slice just before you serve.

Tags: 2012 Paleo Challenge, grapes, paleo potluck, tenderloin

• Comments Leave a Comment
• Categories Dessert, Dinner, Sides, Snacks
• Author Lana

Last night I did 100 Burpees as a ‘Thank You’ to a fellow CFSBKer who donated $100 to the community design project I have been fundraising for! It was the first time I had ever done 100 burpees and let me just say, IT WAS MISERABLE!

Enjoy my misery and watch the video below.

I only have 10 days left to collect funding for the project (or it won’t be funded), so if you are interested in seeing me do more burpees, make a donation! The deal is 1 burpee for 1 dollar. If you donate over $100 you also have the option of making up a custom WOD for me to do (within reason people). Also feel free to just donate without making me sacrifice my body

Enough about that though, I have a recipe for Meatballs Marinara coming up that’s gonna knock your socks off!!

Tags: personal

• Comments 2 Comments
• Categories Challenges & Personal Growth
• Author Lana

Team Zellner’s BBQ Brisket

This recipe is from Jeff’s mom Debbie (::ahem:: DBZ), who I believe I have mentioned before

Ingredients

• ½ or whole Beef brisket
• Worcestershire Sauce – enough to coat outside of brisket
• Liquid Smoke – 1 tsp to ¼ of bottle (you can omit this, but it is better with it)
• Garlic – several cloves crushed, or 1 TBS dried
• Pepper – ½ – 1 tsp.

Method

Place all above items in a 1 gallon zip lock bag (for ½ brisket) or new plastic trash sack (for whole)
Place in fridge over night to marinate.

Next day, take brisket from bag, save the marinate for the BBQ sauce below, place meat fat side up in a large casserole pan that you have lightly oiled. Cover tightly with foil, making sure foil DOES NOT touch the meat. Bake at 275° for 4 – 5 hours. Leave it alone while cooking – opening the foil just slows the process down! The “trick” for brisket is “Long and Slow” meaning cook a long time at a low temperature.

If you care to, add BBQ sauce the last 30 minutes of cooking. Uncover the meat, add the sauce (about ½ bottle or some/all of sauce from recipe below), replace foil and return to oven. (Sometimes I cook the meat completely, slice it thin, return it to the pan, add BBQ sauce to cover, cover with foil and cook 15 minutes.)

When done, let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. Cut it in slices about 1/8 – 1/4” thick against the grain. If you cut it with the grain, you just have long chewy strands of meat. One quarter inch thick is the thickest you want this meat.

Team Zellner’s BBQ Sauce

This recipe does include some ‘iffy’ paleo ingredients, but overall it is a SLAMMIN’ BBQ sauce. When I first started making it I was unsure about the recipe but OH MY GOD it was good by the end. Yes, it’s a bit high in sugars, so don’t eat the entire jar of it in once sitting. But, if you’re gonna do BBQ, this is a high fructose corn syrup free alternative to what’s usually available. Plus, it’s fun to make your own BBQ sauce!

Ingredients

• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 cup of the above leftover marinade
• 3 tbsp blackstrap molasses (replace with honey if you’re not into molasses)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until everything has started to become a chunky style sauce.

Add everything from the pot into a blender and blend until smooth.

Return to the pot and simmer until it is the thickness you like.

This sauce will stay good in the refrigerator for a few weeks and in the freezer for a long time. Enjoy it on the above brisket recipe, baby back ribs, or BBQ Chicken!

Tags: 2012 Paleo Challenge, BBQ, beef, brisket, great for leftovers, paleo potluck

• Comments Leave a Comment
• Categories Dinner, Sauces Dips & Dressings
• Author Lana

Here are the recipes for the delicious paleo dishes Josi Stone brought to the potluck last week! Y