Showing posts with label Paleo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paleo. Show all posts

October 10, 2016

My Autumn Breakfast Hash Recipe


This is my "go to" breakfast for the weekdays.  I make a large batch of it upon the weekend or Monday mornings and have it every morning for breakfast when I have to be out the door for work.  I will talk you through it here with photos if you are interested in making it, too.  It is paleo and gluten free.  I eat it with an egg on top most days.


I use 20 ounces of a ground meat, 
one medium sweet potato 
(you could also use carrots or butternut squash), 
a large gala apple 
but you can use whatever apply you like, 
cinnamon, 
salt, 
pepper,
 and nutmeg.  
I also add a green vegetable most weeks but don't have that available for today.  
I use spinach or chopped Brussel sprouts typically.


The first thing I do is preheat my cast iron pot that I make it in.  
Never add oil to a cold surface when cooking.  
You want cold oil on a heated surface.  
Here is the pot I use and I am using olive oil for this batch 
but I also use coconut oil when I feel like it, too.


Once your pan is heated and oil is in then you can add your lean ground meat of choice... 
ground turkey, chicken, pork, lamb, buffalo, or whatever you prefer.  
I use 20 ounces for my weekly batch.  Brown your meat...


While the meat is browning I chop the sweet potatoes.  
You see that I use my knife to peel my potatoes 
but if you really prefer a peeler then do that.


I do a smaller cube on mine so they cook really quickly.  
You could also grate them if you like.


Here they are cubed and ready to go in


Once the meat is browned I add the sweet potato.  
I add about 1/2 cup water at this point to kind 
of "steam" the potatoes to cook them faster.


Let that cook and simmer and cut your apple while it cooks.  
Again, cut smaller pieces to cook quickly.  
They soften nicely in this recipe.


Finished apple ready to go in...


Add the apple in and continue to stir and let simmer.


I would then proceed to add the green veg if you are doing that.  
I chop everything into smaller bits to be stirred throughout.

Once all the meat, veg and apple are in then you can add the seasonings.  
I add cinnamon to taste, salt, pepper and then grate some nutmeg in.


I use a really cool little nutmeg grater from Microplane.


Stir and simmer until all the veg and apple are soft and well incorporated.


About 1 cup of the hash is a serving.


I usually cook an egg sunny side up and add it on top for extra protein.


I love that I can cook this ahead and then just warm what I need each morning.  
It is great for batch cooking sessions.  

I hope you will try this one.  
Let me know how it goes if you do.  

Do you have a "go to" breakfast dish you eat often?

September 09, 2016

Ditching my Whole 30 for a simpler plan

I know, I planned to get back on the Whole 30 wagon.  I did for one whole day but kept having this crazy nagging feeling that I needed to do something else.  I have been studying about the affects of the Autoimmune Protocol on people who have autoimmune disorders/diseases.  

Some of you know that I have Lupus but I also have Fibromyalgia and Hashimotos.  They really all go hand in hand and the symptoms overlap a lot for each of them.  I call it my autoimmune mess!  

I need to say, up front, that the Whole 30 elimination experiment is brilliant and when I did it in May 2015 it was very helpful in teaching me more about listening to my body and knowing about things like "no brakes" foods for me or things that I was sensitive to in my own diet that I should avoid.  I had every intention of doing it again this month but, again... the nagging feeling.

My body has been telling me to go simpler.  I have removed some of those restrictions that are part of the Whole 30 in order to give myself a less stressful, yet completely successful, experience.  I decided to go with what I already know.... I have reactions to dairy (mostly lactose), soy, wheat/gluten, and sugar and then the occasional reaction to certain corn products (I suspect GMO or super processed).  

I decided to take the book by Eileen Laird (Phoenix Helix) that I just read and use it as my ultimate reference for what I can and cannot eat to heal my gut.  The book is called called A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.  Healing my gut and feeling better is my primary goal right now.  I am not looking to lose weight, although I won't fight that, or fit some image of super fit.... I just want to feel better!

So, four days ago I restarted...

I have had no sugar, wheat/gluten, dairy or soy since then.

I have also added the restriction on certain nightshade vegetables.

I am keeping eggs, coffee (one to two cups per day tops) and potatoes for now but if things are still not feeling better in two weeks I will ditch those, too.  I want to take it on a day to day basis at this point.  

Here is my stack of reference books and cookbooks to keep me focused right now.  I have one more book coming the end of September from Dr. Amy Myers on the thyroid called The Thyroid Connection.  



For those on this journey I am giving you a list of blogs I frequent to help me understand this process.