Kaytlyn's Carnitas Tacos, Paleo Style!

Well it's been quite a while since we started the nutrition challenge at OCF, 53 days to be exact! The 7 day count down to the 60 DAY mark begins....... Although, I must admit, I will likely continue in the way of "Paleo"!

Even Kaytlyn, my daughter has pretty much converted to the Paleo lifestyle. After battling with digestion issues all her life, and realizing that her daughter, Jaydin Lilly, (my sweet little princess grand daughter) was starting to suffer the with the same, Kaytlyn decided to change her eating! For the most part she has cut out dairy, grains and legumes, and guess what! No More intestinal cramping or digestive issues!! And sweet little Jaydin Lilly is doing great as well!

She even came up with a great tasting Paleo Carnita's Recipe


Ingredients:
2lb. (small) Pork Sirloin Tip Roast (or any lean cut of pork roast)

Celery (couple stalks)

Carrots (one or two)

Cilantro (to taste)

1/4 to 1/2 and Onion (to taste)

Salsa Verde (7 to 8 oz. depending on size of Roast

Salsa Rojo (for you gringo's, that just regular salsa, the red kind!)

Iceberg Lettuce



Place the Pork Roast in the crock pot

Finely chop, Celery, carrots, onion and cilantro, throw on top of pork roast in crock pot.

Add Salsa Verde, and Red salsa to taste.....if you like it spicy add more, mild add less!

If you wish to make a larger batch, just use a larger pork roast and adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly.......it's not rocket science. :-)



Depending on the size of the pork roast, crock pot cooking time can vary from 6 to 8 hours.
The 2lb roast I made only took about 5 1/2 to 6hrs.

The meat should shred easily with a fork.


Gently separate the Iceberg lettuce leaves.

Use the iceberg lettuce leaves as your "Taco Shell", spoon the Carnitas meat in the center of the leaf, fold over and ENJOY!!

I usually serve with steamed cauliflower ...... kind of gives it a "rice" texture and is really very tasty!

Princess Jaydin Lilly!

How Does NOT eating Paleo affect you??

This last weekend Steve and I had a "staycation" at a hotel at Mission Bay, along with a few of our friends. While staycating, I did my best to remain loyal to the Paleo Challenge........for the most part I was able to stay the course, EXCEPT for on small thing....BEER! Since I am NOT a wine drinker, my options for an alcoholic beverage are extremely limited!!! Like once choice, Tequila! So, not having any of that Agave plant nectar readily available, I stumbled and knocked back a few ICE COLD, MMM, GOOD BEERS! While I must admit, the first tasted, "Oh, soooo gooood!" The second and third left me wondering was it all really worth it!
After a few moments of trying to hold back the inevitable belch, I realized, NO it just isn't worth it! I felt like crap! I physically felt the affect on my body and I did not like it!! Needless to say, I made sure I had some tequila and some lemons, limes and oranges available for my Paleo Margaritas!! (My New best friend!)

This What WE DO!

This is What WE DO at Oceanside Crossfit!


http://www.vimeo.com/user3149442/videos

Paleo Chocolate......Really????

Yep! Just ask Laura!

Now most of us realize that there may not really be a 100% Paleo chocolate bar out there, but there may be some that are pretty darn close, Close enough anyway, to satisfy that occasional need for CHOCOLATE!

I discovered these chocolate bars during a "special event" at our local Costco.

Please remember: Moderation!!!! Is best with all things Paleo or non Paleo!!! If you aren't able to exercise self control........then don't even purchase the darn chocolate bar! :-) (you know who you are!)

Be sure to read the ingredients and make an educated (non-emotional!) decision regarding the consumption of these or any other chocolate bar!

It is assumed that if you are reading this blog and you are practicing the Paleo way of eating, then you should be a somewhat intelligent person, capable of making your own decision.

With that said: Enjoy!

Chicken Wings....Renamed: Saints Wings!

Hurray for the Saints! I love it when the underdog wins!!!

So here is a link to Guy Fieri's recipe for Tequila Lime Chicken Wings:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/guy-fieris-tequila-lime-wings-recipe/index.html

I made these but with a Paleo Twist.

The recipe calls for Agave nectar, which I had never used before, so I figured it's worth at least ONE try. Agave nectar tastes great, very similar to raw honey. Texture is a bit "smoother" more like a syrup. However, there is a bit of a controversy in the "paleo" and crossfit world over whether or not Agave is OK to use or consume. I recommend you do your own research and come to your own conclusion!

I substituted the Adobo sauce with an Organic, NO SUGAR added hot sauce.
"Arizona Peppers" Organic Harvest Chipotle Habenero Pepper Sauce.

This stuff has quite a bit of a "kick" so add just a bit at a time until desired "HOTNESS" is reached!

I also found that the longer the marinate time, the better the flavor.

Enjoy and experiment! You might just be pleasantly surprised!

Paleo Beef Jerky...

Day 32 Paleo / Zone Challenge
Today's WOD was pretty brutal, but then again, what Crossfit WOD isn't!

Who the heck thinks up some of the "exercises"....... I swear there's some sadistic person out there that spends hours, no days, trying to figure out how to torture us.....but then again, for some bizarre and unexplainable reason, I keep showing up........figure that one out!


Paleo Beef Jerky:
I became obsessed with figuring out the proper ratios and thicknesses and which meats are best for the Perfect paleo beef jerky. It turns out, every batch is different no matter what, so just wing it.....it's dried meat for heavens sake, does it really matter!

Ingredients:

Meat - I have found that Tri Tip tends to be the most tender and holds the flavors best.
(can be beef, venison, rabbit, buffalo, doesn't matter! whatever floats your boat!)
Seasonings (whatever your favs are, as long as their "paleo")
Bragg's Liquid Aminos (sm. amount of soy in it, but not enough to really matter in my opinion)
(Bragg's, adds a soy sauce like flavor to any thing,use it in salad dressings, stir fry veggies, etc)

Slice meat to desired thickness (thinner the better for drying)
Place in zip lock baggie, add 1 cup or so of the Bragg's liquid Amino's
Add Small amount of other desired seasonings ( I use Garlic and pepper)
Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or longer

If using your oven, heat to 150 degrees, place meat strips on cookie sheets or baking racks, sprinkle lightly on one side only, some of your seasonings.......don't sprinkle too heavily, your jerky will be "gritty". Bake in your oven for 8 to 12 hours. You'll need to keep checking the dryness of the meat. The thinner the slices the quicker the meat will dry.

If using a dehydrator, place meat strips on racks, sprinkle with seasonings, again, not too much as it will make the jerky gritty. Turn on dehydrator to highest setting usually around 150 degrees. Check the jerky in about 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Thinner slices should be done. If sliced thicker, may need another hour or two.

Whether cooking your Jerky in the Oven or in the Dehydrator, make sure to let the Jerky cool completely before placing in an airtight container. Placing warm Jerky in the container will cause condensation, keeping the moisture in, and allow mold to grow! Mold is not our friend!

The fun is in the experimentation. I have added hot sauce to make the jerky "hot" n spicy.
Remember you can flavor the jerky with anything, as long as it's paleo.

Apple-Stuffed Roasted Chicken With Sweet Potato Chips | Mark's Daily Apple

Apple-Stuffed Roasted Chicken With Sweet Potato Chips Mark's Daily Apple

This is my experiment for Tomorrow..........
I came across this recipe and thought it sounded really good........However, I am thinking I may tweak it just a bit.
Can't wait to try the Sweet Potato Chips though......yum.......I hope!!!