Virtues and Vices

Since I started eating more paleo a little less than a year ago, I've learned so much about cooking and experimenting in the kitchen because I have to prepare everything myself. One thing I like experimenting with most is "paleo-fying" non-paleo recipes (like pancakes, muffins, ice cream, etc.), which some may not consider true paleo. Even a paleofied muffin has sugar with the added amounts of honey. With this paleo challenge happening at the gym, it's harder than ever for me to limit the amount paleofied non-paleo goodies and eat more of the good stuff like proteins and green veggies. Still, today I want to highlight and share some of my more virtuous recipes and also a more vice-like dessert recipe.

First up, I made a delicious frittata this morning. Frittatas are nice because they're quick and easy and can be completed in just one pan. One usually lasts me about 4 meals. You can use any ingredients (any mix of veggies, meats, herbs), and for this particular frittata, I wanted to use some fresh basil that came with my CSA box last week. I honestly think I just typed in "basil eggs" to Google, and this recipe popped up.

Tomato, Mushroom, and Basil Frittata
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tb chicken broth (divided into 1 Tb each)
1 cup thinly sliced crimini mushrooms
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
6 eggs
3 Tb chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste

I started by prepping the onions and garlic, then I preheated the oven to 350'F so it would be ready when needed. Finish slicing and dicing all the other veggies and also crack your eggs in a bowl and bring those to room temperature.

Heat 1 Tb of the chicken broth over medium heat in a nonstick ovenproof skillet. Saute the onion in the broth for about 5 minutes, or until the onion gets soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and mushrooms and saute for another 2 minutes. Last, add in the last of the chicken broth with the tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Saute everything together for about another minute.

Turn heat to LOW. Mix the basil, salt, and pepper with the eggs. Whisk together, then pour into the skillet with the veggies. Let the eggs "creep" into all the nooks and crannies, but DO NOT stir. You want the eggs to cook evenly on the bottom and solidify (kind of like an egg pancake). I let this cook on my stovetop for about 3 minutes until the eggs look almost cooked through.

By this time, your oven should be done preheating and you can pop the whole skillet in there for about 5 minutes, until the egg top is set. Voila! Breakfast or dinner is served! I ate this with a side of lamb sausage, but you could easily get some more protein in the frittata itself by adding ground beef, pork, or sausage into the veggies themselves. If so, I'd probably brown the meat first, then add the chicken broth and veggies after skimming off some of the fat the meat lets off. I could also see cubed ham or turkey working well with this frittata.

After my frittata and several hours watching the Food Network and salivating all day, I decided to prep my veggies for the week's side dishes. I prepared my green beans with bacon recipe and also found a beet and fennel recipe online so I could use the fennel bulbs my CSA sent me. To be honest, I really didn't like the recipe, but I did appreciate and enjoy how the beet part of the salad turned out.

Roasted Beets
1 bunch of golden (or red) beets, greens detached
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tb water
1 Tb olive oil

Preheat oven to 400'F. Throw the beets into a saucepan and fill the saucepan with water until the beets are almost covered. Bring to a boil on the stove, then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for approximately 5-8 minutes for small to medium beets (10 minutes for larger beets). Remove from water and let cool.

Peel the beets with a paring knife and cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Throw them into a baking dish with the water, olive oil, and thyme. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Toss out the thyme sprigs and enjoy warm!

And once you enjoy your frittata and some veggies, I think you deserve some just desserts. If you need a dark chocolate fix, these are the mini muffins for you!

Chocolate Berry Muffins
3 eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
~ 1 tsp raw honey
Fresh or frozen mixed berries
Coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350'F. Mix the eggs with the cocoa powder and honey. Lightly grease a muffin tin with the coconut oil, then fill the muffin tins halfway with the egg-cocoa mixture. Plop some fresh or frozen berries on top, but they'll most likely sink into the batter since they're so heavy. No worries!

Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture rises and "springs" back when touched. Turn off the oven and open the door to let the bottom of the muffins cook through while cooling. Once cool, remove the muffin pan from the oven and gently remove the muffins. They should be kind of sponge-cake feeling.

These are not very sweet at all, so I would recommend eating them COLD with a dollop of coconut cream and a honey drizzle on top. Or maybe even just the coconut cream....