Easy Lemon Dressing - Quick Farm Salad

 Last week was my birthday...along with about 5 other people that I know and love.  I had a fantastic time celebrating with friends, making new friends, spending time with family and just having a good time!  It was a pretty busy week filled with typical things like hockey, basketball and gymnastics but there were also several days of dinners and outings thrown in there too.  

  As much as I tried to stick to a paleo diet there were certain things that I couldn't pass up.  See, I have always been a foodie. I seriously love food.  I have watched cooking shows since I was a kid.  I'll always have fond memories of watching Julia Child with my grandfather on PBS. I remember thinking I can't understand what she or her french chef guests are saying but the food looks delicious. Food is an amazing art!  So it became near impossible to resist some of these dishes when I went to several amazing restaurants this past week/weekend. I look back and it was well worth it but my body hated me.  I typically don't weigh myself but I decided before I went out I would do a little experiment. I logged my weight right before I went out on Friday and then on Sunday evening I weighed myself again...8 whole lbs.  I literally gained 8 lbs in a couple of days!!  I'm not kidding...8 FREAKING POUNDS!!!  I'm only 5'3", so that's a lot. Hell...that's a lot for anyone in 3-4 days. I'm still in shock at that number but that doesn't compare to the bloating I had in my stomach, the gas and discomfort I was experiencing, the aches in my joints, the tightness of my clothes, and the fog that had come over me.  I started to feel like a different person and I didn't like it.  Who knew three days would do so much damage!  But truth is, I haven't deviated from the paleo lifestyle for that many days in a row in quite some time.

  Luckily my sons, Lucca and Kaine, only participated in one meal.  It was a cheat day for my birthday and they were able to partake.  But after three days of bad eating my body was different and it solidified why our family eats the way we do.  See, my oldest son, Lucca, has PANDAS. We decided to go hard core paleo once he was diagnosed.  The paleo lifestyle helps to keep inflammation down in the body.  It also helps keep him healthy and keeps the flare ups at bay or at least to a minimum (Our Story). But the thing is, I forgot how much I had experienced these horrible feelings in my body a while back.  Prior to eating paleo, I was a little overweight, woke up every morning sore (you think it just comes with age), had a bloated belly, had several different sizes in clothing depending on the day, didn't have energy, and just felt under the weather, tired or just in a weird brain fog.  Food is our fuel and you definitely get what you put in.  If you eat a donut or have a soda and crap all day, you feel sluggish and out of it.  Not to mention you will likely put on a couple of pounds (or 8!!!).  If you eat a salad and some lean meat while snacking on nuts, fruits and veggies, you are likely to have more energy and be more alert.  You just feel better!!  

 Here's the thing that people don't realize....paleo food and healthy food CAN TASTE GOOD!!!  Paleo food is not hard to find, there are lots of things that are paleo friendly.  Finding food is easy.  The hard part is sticking to it and resisting the bad food.  Believe me, I get it!  I clearly had a hard time this past week and boy did my body feel it. Now, will I likely cheat again?  Sure.  But probably not three days in a row!  I don't want to feel this way and I don't want to spend a week trying to get back to my old paleo self.  It's much easier for your body to bounce back after one cheat meal than it is three. Plus, I feel bad.  I feel bad that I have the option to eat this way and my son doesn't.  Technically, he can eat anyway he wants to.  But it's what is best for his body and we decided as a family we would eat paleo. It isn't fair to him that he sticks to something that I don't.  Lesson learned.  Guilt and bad body feelings are not a fun combo.  

  In order for me to get back to feeling better, I started with salads and veggies.  Contrary to what most people think about paleo,  our main dish is not meat.  Meat tends to be the side dish to our main course...Veggies!  Vegetables are important.  The meat/protein is what gives you the energy but the vegetables are what gives you the vitamins and nutrients that you need to stay healthy. Plus, they help fill you up.  I of course made the Kale Krack Salad but I needed something easier too.  The Farm Salad. Our kids call this the farm salad because when we went on a farm stay this past summer it was the salad that came with our first meal.  It was delicious, simple, fresh and easy.  As Julia Child once said "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." This salad is just that, fresh arugula with lemon and olive oil with a little salt and pepper. Ever since the farm stay, my kids will eat this salad up pretty regularly. Personally, I think it brings back fond memories for all of us.  We can't wait to go back this summer! There are times I change it up a bit but I always keep this dressing on hand.  I may add some avocado, cucumbers, onions and chicken to make it a big salad meal. But most times I just put it on arugula (like at the farm), micro greens, mixed lettuce or any greens I have in the fridge.  It's the perfect side salad to make your dish complete.  After 3 days of being back on paleo I have lost 5 of the 8 lbs.  I am starting to feel much better, which is what I really wanted.  I really don't count the pounds, it's about how my clothes fit and how I feel.  I just want to get out of bed in the morning, have some energy and not have my whole body ache. Well, and for PANDAS to go away and maybe be on the farm again. Oh and winning the lottery would be nice too.  Maybe not having to work anymore and traveling to a bunch of beaches... crap, this list could get pretty long if I really think about it.  I should just stick with getting out of bed, at least that one is possible.
Happy Cooking and Eating!

Easy Lemon Dressing

Serves:a little over 1/4 cup 

Prep Time:2 minutes

Cook Time:0 minutes

Total Time:2 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 1/2 to 5 TBSP fresh lemon juice**
• dash of salt and pepper

 **I like it a bit more tart so I use 5 but if you don't want it that lemony do 3 1/2. 

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a small dressing container or whisk together in a bowl.  

Taco Tuesday! Braised Cherry Pork Shoulder

  I sometimes forget that I can't always handle alcohol the same way I did before children.  Not that I am boozing it up every night but sometimes you just need a drink!  Gone are the days of going out all night.  I no longer get to sleep in on weekends nor do I get to sleep the booze out of me after a long fun night.  Recovery is harder with little to no sleep and much harder with a child whining and crying because their brother is "TOUCHING ME!!".  Sometimes I question whether or not I should even go out. Typically, I don't ask myself this question until the morning AFTER I have gone out!

  One morning, I woke up after a girls night out and I seriously regretted it.  But what sucks is that during the night I was woken up several times by both of my boys.  Interrupted sleep is the worst...with or without alcohol in your system. My wonderful husband, Damon, could tell I was going through a rough time and decided he would take the kids to go see The Lego Movie.  It was music to my ears and my head!  I took a nap and when they got back they told me all about the movie and "Honey, Where are my paaaannnnttts???". You know what I am talking about.  Well, if you have seen the movie, you know what I am talking about.  

  For those of you that have never seen The Lego Movie, it is a pretty funny movie and you should watch it!  I never realized this until the movie made it's way to cable television.  In all honesty though, I probably never would have watched this movie if it wasn't for my husband putting it on...after the kids went to bed.  I literally came out of the boys room to find my husband in front of the tv watching the start of a cartoon movie.  I had no idea why a cartoon was on but I said, "You know the kids are asleep, we can watch an actual movie...". His mumbled response was something about nothing else being on and you have to watch it, it's actually funny.  So there we sat watching a cartoon and I laughed thru much of the movie. 

  Now that we have all seen The Lego Movie (several times), we all make references to the movie quite often.  So what would be better than doing a TACO TUESDAY night/recipe.  This is a slow cook, easy recipe that is awesome.  The meat is super tender, juicy and delicious.  I topped it with some shredded cabbage mixed with a little vinegar or you can top with sliced radishes and lime.  You don't have to make this into a taco but it's pretty damn good!  The kids ate them up and we didn't really have any leftovers which is always good but a little sad. I have grown to like leftovers.  Anyway, I used a zucchini "tortilla", which is a little more work but still relatively easy. They are loaded with zucchini and seriously taste like a corn tortilla. They are sure to satisfy your Mexican craving with any toppings. 

  Now go make some tacos on a Tuesday or any night and watch The Lego Movie!  It will be a good night with or without the kids! EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!  Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Happy Cooking and Eating!

Braised Cherry Pork Shoulder

Serves:4-6 people

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:3 hours and 25 minutes

Total Time:3 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs pork shoulder
• 1-2 TBSP bacon fat or olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1 granny smith apple, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup chicken or beef stock
• 2 cups of frozen cherries (10 oz bag)
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Place the bacon fat in a hot large oven safe pot over med/high heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft.
3. Add garlic and cook for about one minute, be sure not to burn. Remove onions and garlic from hot pan and place in a bowl. Add a little more bacon fat if pot is too dry.
4. Season the pork with a little salt and pepper on all sides. Add to hot pan and brown on each side for about 3-5 minutes. 
5. Add onion and garlic mixture, apples and cherries over the pork.  Then add chicken stock, you want to almost cover the pork shoulder. 
6. Cover the pot and place in the middle of the oven for about 3 hours. Turn the pork over halfway thru cooking time and check to make sure there is enough liquid. Add more stock if needed. You want the sauce to thicken but you don't want it to burn. 
7. Remove from oven and let rest for about 15 minutes.  Shred the meat and add back to the pot to coat with sauce.  I topped with shredded cabbage tossed with a little apple cider vinegar and some sliced radishes with a little lime juice. Optional - serve on zucchini "tortilla". YUMMY!!! 

  

  

Zucchini "Tortillas"

 I LOVE Mexican food!  Seriously, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I grew up on Mexican food. My grandmother used to cook all the time. I used to spend summers with her and she lived with us for some time. She really started my little cooking bug.  I used to love to spend all day cooking tamales, soups, Mexican rice, and homemade tortillas.  We mostly did flour and they were delicious. They were heavenly and I can still taste them now as I write about it. It's amazing how certain memories stick with you.  Homemade tortillas are one of them.  Another one, that I would like to forget, is having lengua (cows tongue) sit on our kitchen table being ready to get chopped up for tacos. I remember thinking why would I want to eat something that can taste me???? I'm not a fan of lengua tacos if you haven't guessed.

  Anyway, back to tortillas.  I will never forget the first time I helped my grandmother make tortillas.  I was in awe of how she made them.  There were no measuring cups or measuring spoons.  It was all a pinch of this or a handful of that. She only needed her hands and figured it out by how it felt. This went against all the cooking shows I had ever seen.  So, naturally I thought it was magical. I watched her turn flour into dough and soon we were rolling out tortillas.  I tried to do it like my grandmother but I ended up making the tortillas quite large. I remember everyone being nice and saying that's just the way they like them.  I love that memory and I will always treasure moments of cooking with my grandmother. 

  When you go paleo, Mexican food can get pushed to the side sometimes.  You can't have cheese, rice, tortillas or corn. But it is still something I love.  So, I had to find my way to be paleo and have some of the staples. Tortillas were a hard one to get over.  Nothing ever seemed quite the same.  What I wouldn't give for a street taco. I finally figured it out and here it is.  This is a tortilla made from zucchini and it really reminds me of a corn tortilla.  It's pretty freaking awesome and my kids can't get enough of them.  I will admit they are bit more time consuming than most of my recipes but they are well worth it.  The trick is to get all the moisture out of the zucchini and get a nice thin layer or else you will end up with a soggy mess.  

  You can top these tortillas with my Braised Cherry Pork Shoulder or any meat of your choice. Whatever it is, it will be delicious and  will give you a taste of Mexican food again! 

Zucchini "Tortillas"

Makes:Approx 12 tortillas

Prep Time:20 minutes

Cook Time:13 minutes

Total Time:33 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 cups zucchini, shredded
• 1 cup almond meal/flour
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSP coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• coconut spray or oil for pan

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Cut bottoms off zucchini and shred, I use the tops as a handle.
3. Place the zucchini in a thin layer on several paper towels or thick cloth napkins on a large sheet pan. You may have to do this in two batches.  Place in oven for about 5 minutes.  You want to warm up a bit to remove the moisture. 
4. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then squeeze as much liquid out of the zucchini as you can. I do this in the napkin/paper towels.
5. Place all ingredients (except coconut oil) in a bowl and add drained zucchini. Mix well. 
6. Line the large sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with coconut oil. You want just enough to brown a little not to soak it. 
7. Place a heaping TBSP of the mixture on the pan and spread out with a spoon until you make a small tortilla (think the size of a typical corn tortilla). Repeat until mixture is gone.  Again, you may have to do several batches.
8. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes or until slightly browned and crisp.
9. Remove from oven and op with Braised Cherry Pork Shoulder or your favorite taco toppings.