Pork Roast

First off, I can't take credit for this recipe because it was all John, who is an amazing chef.

We had an amazing pork roast from a local meat guy, Dr. John Bailey, who owns and operates Woodtrail Graziers. They raise Tamworth pigs, a very hearty and lean animal (and a tasty one, too).

Now, I do use vinegar in this recipe. I would say vinegar is a Paleo gray area, but it's not. Vinegar is not technically Paleo. However, it has positive qualities and many will still cook with it without batting an eyelash. Do your research and decide for yourself.

Set the oven to 350

Ingredients:
Pork roast
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 apple, peeled and purred (or juiced)
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Minced onion (dried)
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Sea salt (optional)








Mix the dry spices together, and play around with amounts until you find a good mix for you! I like the above ratios.

Rub the spices all over the roast.

Put the roast bone side down in a roasting pan of casserole dish, using the cut of meat's natural rack.

Add the vinegar and apple purée/juice to the roasting pan around the roast. This will give the roast a mild apple flavor and make your house smell great!

Roast approximately 20 minutes per pound.


We removed the roast from the oven and covered with tin foil while we boiled the brussel sprouts. Just enough time for the meat to rest!


I would definitely pair this with some homemade applesauce next time.

Enjoy!!!

Recommitted: A Paleo Summer

As some of you may or may not know, I got a Dexa-Scan at GWU exactly three weeks ago. The Dexa-Scan measures bone density and overall body composition. After six minutes lying on a table I got a print out detailing my bone density, body fat percentage and lean muscle mass broken down by regions of my body--left arm, legs, head, right arm, etc. My bone density was great and my lean muscle mass was good, too. My body fat was way too high. Bottom line: I need to lose fat. With the Crossfit and Paleo eating I knew I was headed in the right direction. So, I made a commitment to keep up the regular routine and come back in nine weeks to re-test. Things started great, but lately I've been a little too liberal with the diet cheats. The results have been great so far but I was feeling myself getting a little to brazen. So, I walked into work today and suggested a physical challenge to some co-workers who regularly hit the gym: 100 push-ups a day for 100 days. Some people at our gym are already doing it and it looks so cool. I thought it would be a fun work thing. Maybe it was a case of the Fridays, but I didn't get a whole lot of interest. Luckily my co-worker and Crossfit Lorton member friend was immediately on board. She even suggested we add 100 sit-ups in there. She also got her Dexa-Scan at the same time as me, so she's feeling that same sense of urgency. Yay for accountability partners!! But, as I sat on the metro thinking about the 100 days of push-ups I was really feeling like it wasn't enough. I'm an all or nothing type of girl. The push-ups are great, and I really think the results will show in many of my bodyweight exercises, but they aren't enough. What I really need to do is finish what I started on February 28th. I need to maintain the Paleo discipline and finish transforming my life. Not an ice cream on Wednesday, some soy on Friday and a latte on Sunday. If I want a cheat I need one meal a week. I know myself and I've been getting a little too liberal with the straying--and really feeling the consequences. So, not only am I doing 100 days of push-ups, but I'm completing a regimented 100 days of Paleo. Complete with another Dexa-Scan at the end. I'll share the mid-summer report along with the end if summer (100 days from now) report.

Do you feel like you might want to recommit? JOIN ME! Do it your way, but stick with it an see what happens. Vacation/BBQ season seems like the perfect time to re-up, right?! What can I say--I'm a crossfitter and I like a GOOD challenge. Someday I'll get around to having bang-bang shrimp again.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Made some Stuffed Mushroomsfrom Everyday Paleo tonight. Not a quick meal to prep, but definitely not difficult to make. My official taste tester was luke warm on them--loved the taste but not the texture (probably my fault for over blending them in the food processor). I thought they were delicious! And now I get to eat ALL the leftovers. I subbed ground turkey for the beef because I didn't have any beef thawed. Next time (if I'm feeling like cheating) I might fold some grated cheese into the meat mixture after it has gone through the food processor.

If you like mushrooms and a good Italian sausage flavor, then give these a try!

And We're OFF!

I sort of got off to a false start when I did this whole blog thing before.  So, I'm gonna rewind and start over if you don't mind and share the back story.  This whole thing started when I took on the Whole 30 Challenge. I'd done a nutrition challenge before at my Crossfit box, but I had trouble being consistent when the challenge ended. I sort of white knuckled through it and then lived Paleo in a 60/40 way--which was not helpful. I heard about The Whole9 from a friend, splurged on the eBook, and it changed my lie (so cheesy--I know). Now I'm about 95/5. And I work really hard to create and re-create simple Paleo dishes that taste great. Some of the pictures I post (and "recipes" I will post) shouldn't even be referred to as recipes--they are complete meals with 2-5 ingredients. But, maybe it is a combination you haven't thought of and it will give you the variety you need to stick with this Paleo thing. So, please enjoy the crappy iPhone pics, long winded (sometimes) posts, and these simple meal ideas. And please, please, please--share some ideas with me so I can keep the variety alive!!

Keylime Cilantro Green Chili

I completely made this up, so make it your own and add more or less of whatever you like. Try grilling the peppers for a more smokey flavor. Triple the recipe and freeze portions. This will keep in the fridge for several days.

.5 red onion
2 cloves garlic diced
6 Anaheim (if I had fresh Hatch chilis I would use them!) peppers, seeded, cut into inch or so strips
1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)
3-4 cups tomatillos, quartered
.5 - 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup lime juice (I use a combination of key limes and regular or else the key limes make it too tart)












Sauté onions in olive oil on medium heat

Add garlic after a minute

Add tomatillos and peppers and cumin ( and jalapeño if you want it spicy!)

Put lid on sauté pan to let steam, stirring occasionally for about 7-10 minutes

Add cilantro and cook covered for another minute




Pour ingredients into food processor and blend--should chop up pretty quick

Add half the lime juice with a pinch of sea salt.

Blend and taste.

Add more lime juice to get desired taste.

Put blended mixture back in pan on low heat and continue to cook and stir to marry the flavors even more (5-40 minutes).



Great on grilled shrimp, chicken, sea bass, etc

Enjoy!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone