Ask questions about the food you buy

When you're shopping for food, don't be afraid to ask questions of your suppliers. This will be a lot easier in the smaller stores. I can't see supermarkets being all too helpful to an inquisitive shopper. If your suppliers aren't happy to answer questions or don't know the answers then find a new supplier.

Be sure that you are getting the correct info. I just found out that some kebabs I was purchasing form my local butcher were not gluten-free as I had previously been informed. Luckily, I'm not coeliac. Still, I wasn't impressed.

Fresh, whole cuts of meat are always your best bet at the butcher. Be vigilant, it's your gut.

Eating well at Christmas get-togethers

I had my second family Christmas gathering today. It's the first year I've been completely gluten-free so it was interesting to see what a difference it made.

The first and most obvious change was that I didn't drink any beer. Today, I had a few very small glasses of Pinot Noir. I honestly don't miss drinking beer. Wine doesn't bloat me and I don't have to urinate nearly as often. Both positives.

The pre-meal snacks were a bit more difficult to negotiate. There was a lot of cracker and dip action. I steered well clear. I did partake in a few kettle chips, I must confess.

The main meal was a cracker (no pun intended). Ham, turkey, chicken and a full array of salads. I decided that to go strict Paleo today was a tad crazy but I did make good choices anyhow. I avoided the bread rolls and the pasta salad (which looked amazing). I did take one risk: the chicken stuffing looked suspiciously bready. I did my best to avoid it but probably got some cross-contamination. All in all, I could have eaten completely Paleo and GF without much trouble.

Dessert. A problem. The Christmas Pudding was out of the question. Egad! The horror. Alas, my mother came to the rescue with a gluten-free fruit cake which I topped with hard sauce and custard. Oh, the decadence.

So, it can be done. One can get through a Christmas feast without falling completely off the rails and eating crap.

Slow cooked lamb shanks

My mum is awesome. As you know from the previous post, we've just welcomed our daughter, Ava, to the family. Mum has been lending a hand to help us get used to the bigger family. A couple of days ago she turned up to visit and ended up cooking us dinner.

Mum cooked us lamb shanks in her slow cooker. Yes, she brought her own slow cooker to our home.

Anyway, this isn't a post about how awesome my mum is. Let's talk about Paleo-style lamb shanks.

Without even thinking about it mum cooked a Paleo meal. It's that easy.

Here are the ingredients:

• 4 lamb shanks
• chopped mushrooms (about two cups)
• a tin of tomatoes
• chopped onions (two)
• water (a cup or so)

Here's the method:

• whack everything in the slow cooker and wait 6-8 hours.

Nothing could be easier. It took about 10 minutes to prepare.

Lamb shanks aren't the cheapest cut of meat but any fatty cut will do; try chicken thigh or gravy steak.

Hospital food

My wife gave birth to our second child today. We now have a healthy little girl in the family. Her name is Ava.

So, Erica - my wife - is at the mercy of hospital menus for the next few days. And let me tell you, they leave a lot to be desired.

We asked for a gluten-free lunch. We got vegetable soup (with excessive salt), a gluten-free salad and cheese sandwich, a fruit plate and a container of orange juice. Nothing but carbs. No protein and no fat. How the hell is my wife supposed to produce milk and recover eating that crap?

Next was dinner. Erica ordered from the menu picking GF options. The main was a great chicken fillet and veg dish (no complaints there) but they served it with more veg soup, another fruit plate (all other desserts were not GF) and a bread roll. A bread roll! Not a GF bread roll either.

Holy crap. How can people in a hospital environment make such stupid and fundamentally flawed nutritional decisions?

Luckily Erica is not Coeliac, she chooses not to eat gluten so the possible minor contamination won't see her in trouble. However, the truth is that she should not be exposed to this at all. If she had a peanut allergy there's no way peanuts would be allowed anywhere near her by staff.

So, when will the medical fraternity learn that nutrition is the base of all health?

Cold Avocado Soup

So summer time is coming up fast. You don't see a cold soup very much other than a consomme and making one of those is a nightmare. However this avocado variation is fast, healthy and YUMMM!

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 ripe avocados. They need to be ripe because were going to blend them.
• Coconut milk, a little cream too if you like thick soups. Roughly 300 to 400 millilitres.
• Cucumber, cut finely or peeled strips using a peeler.
• Some macadamias or nuts of choice to garnish.
• You can also add cooked fish or cut up chicken if you like. Cooked crab meat also goes really well too.
• 1 blender.
• Salt and pepper if necessary.
• Fresh herbs to add at the end, dill and fresh parsley.

Method:

• Remove skin and stone from the avocados. Place into the blender with the coconut milk and cream and blend. Add the coconut milk slowly and add untill it's the consistency you like.
• Pour into a bowl with the rest of you're ingredients.

So simple, tasty and refreshing on a hot day.

Makes: 2 to 3 serves

Prep/cook time: 20 minutes.

Notes:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Nightshades free
• Egg free

Smoking = TASTE

Being a Chef for the past 10 years I've only just discovered how to smoke food. Well properly that is. Using the right kind of foods given the equipment we have domestically is important to consider too.

Because we can only smoke foods using a small oven were only smoking to flavour the food, not cooking it. You would need to smoke most meat and fish for days in order to cook it right through.

So here are the basic essentials:

• Wood chip. This can be purchased at barbeque's galore in a massive bag for quite cheap. Small size wood chip too i might add.
• A oven.
• Frying pan or skillet.
• Wire wrack or perforated tray. ( tray with small holes in the bottom)

Foods that are awesome to smoke:

• Fish, more so the pink flesh fish, salmon and trout.
• Chicken, the thighs are the best bit as they have a little more fat in them, but smoking a whole chicken is still awesome.
• Raw ham and turkey.
• Duck, even though the skin is quite fatty.
• Tomatoes, yep they rock. However you must blanch them in hot water for 10 seconds, remove the skin, cover with a some salt to draw some moisture out, cure for 1 hour, rinse and then smoke... hmm its a process but they taste so good.

Method:

• Depending on what you intend to smoke, a few pieces of fish or some cut up chicken then i would suggest 1 cup full of wood chip should do the trick. A whole chicken I'd use 3 cups.
• So all that's required is you basically need to cook the wood chip in a pan until it all turns black and starts smoking. Quickly place in the oven with your ingredients on top of the wrack, close the door and smoke for 20 minutes. Bigger amounts of food require a little extra time and wood chip.
• Once the food is smoked we then must cook it. Cook the item how you normally would and enjoy.

Smoking adds such a flavour hit and variety. Especially a dish that you love and have ritually.

Easy roast lamb and vegetable salad

Two nights ago, my wife cooked a cracking yet simple meal. Read about it here.
Today, I made myself a salad with the leftovers.

Here's what I did:

• roughly chopped the roasted sweet potato and beetroot
• thinly sliced the roast lamb
• sliced some baby roma tomatoes and red onion
• washed some lettuce mix
• threw it all together
• no dressing required

The lesson? Cook too much so you'll have the option of a fast, easy meal in the following days. Bring-your-own lunches just got so much easier!

Excuse Killer #3 - I'm bored

Egad! You're bored.
But it's all so yummy.
There are so many options.

Take a look back at The Food Matrix post (25/11/2010).
There are enough combinations possible from that simple list to last you a whole year.

Not satisfied?
Make Google your friend and search for "Paleo recipes" (or use ours).

Never mind the bollocks

Guess what I learned while watching the cricket recently?

Butter is bad for me.
And, get this, margarine is good for me.
It must be true because it was on the TV.
And, the Heart Foundation endorsed the message.
They even had a cardiologist on the ad explaining that saturated fats are bad for us.
Really, they did.
The doc even explained that the plant seeds in margarine are good for my health.
I kid you not.


Ads like these are one of the many reasons that:

1. I rarely watch TV
2. the general population is predominantly fat (and getting fatter)
3. people have no idea what they really should be eating
4. surgeons should not be allowed to make nutritional recommendations
5. the medical professional needs a swift kick in the ass

A few things to remember:

1. correlation is not causation
2. education is not knowledge
3. it's up to you to take care of yourself

Not enough time to cook, huh?

Tonight my wife cooked dinner.
She's 8 months pregnant.
She cooked a lamb roast.
"Holy cats!" you exclaim. What a lot of work.
No, sorry, not a lot of work at all.
Here's how it broke down:

• turn on the oven
• cut vegies (sweet potato, zucchini, beetroot, pumpkin)
• remove easy-carve lamb from bag
• oil trays
• whack food on trays
• put food in oven
• twiddle thumbs
• check food
• twiddle thumbs
• pull food out of oven
• carve lamb (my job)
• serve
• eat

So, easy anyone could do it.

Really. The oven does the work.

And the food is amazing!

And it didn't take a lot of effort.

Excuse Killer #2 - I don't know what to eat

C'mon, you already know what healthy food is...mostly.
You're looking for an excuse. Aren't you?

Here's what to eat:

• meat
• eggs
• vegetables (preferably non-starchy)
• fruit (not too much)
• good fats
• nuts & seeds (in moderation)

Here's what to avoid:

• gluten
• processed foods
• grains
• legumes
• dairy
• sugar

Now, that's not too much to take in.

Keep it simple. Fit your meals to the framework and eat yummy foods.

Lamb loin with cumin roasted cauliflower

This dish is quick and easy, its got everything paleo going for it. Lamb loin is a very lean cut of meat, but still retains a lot of tasty lamb flavour goodness. This cut of meat cooks quite quickly also and it goes really well with spices like cumin. If you have the time roughly 3 hours before hand or overnight, marinate the lamb in a little oil, some rosemary, and some lemon juice.

You might of seen by now I use lemon juice in a few of the dish's I've put up. Lemon juice is acidity and if you use it on meats or vegetables it helps break down the cell walls and allows herb aromas and other liquids to enter and flavour foods. Use on raw finely sliced veggies as well to soften them. Most vegetables can be used except starchy ones like potato, pumpkin, and sweet potato.


Ingredients:

• Lamb loin, around 150 grams.
• Cauliflower, around 300 grams. Cut up and into bite size pieces.
• Cumin spice,roughly 2 tablespoons.
• Macadamia oil.
  

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to its max temperature. Were going to roast the cauliflower on a super high heat for roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Toss your cauliflower into a mixing bowl and add some oil and the cumin spice. Place onto a oven tray with aluminium foil and bake for 10 to 20 minutes depending how strong your oven is.
• While our cauliflower is cooking, grab a char-griller, or pan and sear lamb either side for roughly 2 minutes. Set aside and let it rest on top of a wire wrack for 5 minutes. If you like your meat cooked medium to well done, place into the oven for a little longer.
• Once cauliflower is done and meat is rested its time to eat. The cauliflower should be a little crunchy on the outside, but soft in the middle. Arrange on the plate as you like and finish with a little oil and some more lemon juice.

If you want a add a little fanciness, however its not quite so paleo then add some tzatziki.

Makes: 2 to 3 serves.

Prep/cook time: 30 minutes.

Notes:

• Gluten free.
• Dairy free.
• Nightshades free.
• Egg free.

Meet Zane - fellow caveman

Zane Hoare - good mate, great coach and all round nice guy - put himself and his family through the Whole 30 challenge recently. He maintained an awesome blog during that time. You really should read it. It is chock full of great info and shows how any family can get their Paleo on.

Excuse Killer #1 - I don't have the time

So, you don't have the time?
Really?
You're telling me that you don't have enough time in a 24 hour day to prepare good food and eat it?
Huh. Wow.

Let's take a good look at this problem shall we...?

• There are 24 hours in a day (the same for everyone).
• Let's assume you sleep for 8 (16 to go).
• You work for 9 (7 to go).
• You travel for 1 (6 to go).
• You exercise for 1 (5 to go).
• You spend 1 doing "stuff" (4 to go).
• You use up 2 showering etc. and eating (2 to go).
• There are still 2 hours left.

Now, really you day doesn't look anything like that does it?
You probably spend less time travelling or you only work 8 hours.

Even if you squeezed every hour out of every day, I'm guessing you still have time on the weekends.

One last question: how many hours do you spend watching TV each week?

The Raw Test

I often get asked, "what can I eat when following The Paleo Diet?"

I must admit that I find this question somewhat baffling as the definition is pretty easy to follow in my opinion. Put simply: eat fresh, whole foods and avoid processed foods.

Fair enough, this may not provide an obvious guide to everyone. Perhaps I understand foods a little more based on my job.

Therefore, I recently proposed a food test that you could use to decide if something is a good food choice. I call it The Raw Test. It's as simple as can be. Ask yourself:

"Can I eat it raw?"

The question places the food you're considering on the spot. Would it be possible to eat it raw? This doesn't mean you would necessarily want to eat it raw. By raw - I mean uncooked or unprocessed. It's just a way to judge foods. Here are some examples, with answers to the test:

• Fish - yes
• Beef - yes
• Wheat - no
• Rice - no
• Carrot - yes

Get it?

Is it foolproof? Absolutely not. There are exceptions to this rule. If you are looking for exceptions you are being a pain in your own ass.

Am I recommending eating uncooked? Not necessarily. It's suitable in some circumstances but not all. Educate yourself on what should be cooked and why.

Try assessing your food choices with The Raw Test. See how it works for you. Just add it to your toolkit. Leave a comment with your thoughts too.

It's not a cult!

Okay, okay, before we get into this whole "90% Paleo", "that's not Paleo", "you're not strict Paleo" BS let's get something straight.

It's not a cult!


You need to think of Paleo as a construct.
It's just a framework.
A set of guidelines that help you make good decisions about your health, fitness & wellbeing.

If we start to get our knickers in a twist about who is more Paleo than whomever else, then we are being a bit silly. Let's not be silly. Silly is for people following The Zone, or South Beach, or whatever other bollocks is out there.

It's not a diet. It's a model for a healthy, happy life!

So, let's not worry too much if someone sneaks in a little dairy in their macchiato or a slice of cheese or -heaven forbid - a potato. It's not the end of the world. It doesn't mean they're going to become diabetic overnight.

Let's help as many people as possible get on board. Joe and I wouldn't be spending so much time on this blog if we didn't think it would change lives. Fads don't change lives, movements do. This is a movement that has the potential to save lives and improve the lives people lead. So, don't jump on your high horse, just help where you can.

Thank you, Adam.

A Paleo Food Matrix

In Episode 50 of The Paleo Solution podcast and in his book, The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet, Robb Wolf talks about hie food matrix. Today, I'm going to rip off his idea. Not for personal glory but to help you construct Paleo-approved meals in a flash. In the future I might create a sexy printable version, but for now you'll have to do with this low-tech blog post.

So, here's the deal: from each of the below sections choose 1 item (except the vegetable and seasoning sections where you can choose 1 or more). Then use the resulting list to cook up something yummy.

Protein sources

• Beef
• Lamb
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Kangaroo
• Goat
• Eggs
• Fish
• Venison
• Pork

Vegetables

• Zucchini
• Sweet potato
• Yams
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Asian greens - bok choy, choy sum et al
• Cauliflower
• Capsicum (these are part of the Nightshade family)
• Squash

Oils

• Avocado oil
• Extras virgin olive oil
• Coconut oil

Seasoning

• Pepper
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Chilli (these are part of the Nightshade family)
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Mint
• Turmeric
• Cumin
• Parsley
• Lemongrass

Cooking methods

• Slow cooker
• Stew
• Boil
• Broil
• Fry
• Stir fry
• Grill
• Bake
• Steam

Couldn't be any easier! What? Don't believe me? Okay. Example time.

Example #1 - Stir-fried beef with chilli & lemongrass

Selections:

• Beef
• Zucchini
• Bok Choy
• Coconut oil
• Chilli
• Lemongrass
• Stir-fry

Example #2 - Grilled chicken on wilted choy sum with carrots

Selections:

• Chicken
• Choy sum
• Carrots
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Grill (chicken)
• Steam (vegetables)

No more excuses, just yum-yum Paleo!

Orange & star-anise poached pears

Pears are a awesome fruit to cook with. Once peeled there soft flesh absorbs and soaks in any herbs, spices and any other liquids you may use. They are available all year around too. I feel too that the humble pear is pushed aside for the more main stream fruits like your granny smith's, bananas and stone fruits, which make them a tad cheaper.

So what were going to do is cheat here and use orange juice to poach our pears because using a sugar syrup to poach isn't very Paleo friendly.

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 pears, any variety.
• 1 litre of orange juice, fresh orange juice that you can buy from a real green grocer or market. Use packet stuff only if you can't find anything else, go for the organic stuff as they have less preservatives . Or make you're own.
• 1 Cinnamon stick, or 1 tablespoon of cinnamon powder.
• 2 pieces of Star -anise.
• 2 cloves or cardamon.(optional)
• Juice from 2 lemons. Take the rind off first with a zester to add taste.

Method:

• Peel you're pears and place in a pot with the orange juice and all other ingredients.
• Bring to a light simmer and then turn down to lowest setting on your stove.
• Cover and poach for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour grab a small sharp knife and poke the pears. If it goes in easy and all the way to the core, there done.
• Place in the fridge with some of the liquid on top.
• Keep the remaining liquid in the pot and bring it to the boil. Then turn down to a simmer to make a strong, sweet, sticky sauce.

You can eat the pears, cold, warm or however you like. Roast off some macadamias as i find they go really well with anything citrus and enjoy.


Makes: 2 to 3 serves.


Prep/cook time: 1 hour


Notes:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Egg free

Oh and just quickly if you are going to make a sugar syrup to poach fruit, the ratio is always 1:1. So 100 grams of sugar to 100 millilitres of water.

The Paleo Brothers Manifesto

Here is the Paleo Brothers Manifesto.

You can download a printable A4 version (PDF).

Ocean trout with spinach puree and dutch carrots

Ok, so I love fish recipes, especially now summer is coming up and I guess most people associate fish with summer. Like hearty meat dishes on those long rainy days in winter. Ocean trout is so tasty and some might say its exactly like salmon, but the taste is more salty and theres more fat I feel in the flesh. You can always tell a ocean trout apart from a piece of salmon by on the skin side theres a red line that runs through the middle. I learnt this recipe along time ago, it can be pretty quick if your setup and organised shouldn't take to long at all.

Ingredients:

• Ocean trout, roughly 150 to 180 gram portions.
• Spinach, a big bags worth around the same size as a plastic shopping bag(dont worry once we blanch it in hot water it will loose most of its size)
• 1 Bunch of contiental parsely.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Dutch carrots.
• Macadamia oil.
• Blender or vitamiser.

Method:

• So to speed up things boil some water, roughly 1 litre. 
• While the water is boiling heat a skillet or frying pan and get it hot. 
• Cook fish flesh side down once oil is just smoking in the pan. 
• Turn down temp of the hot plate and let the fish simmer, or place in the oven. 
• Place boiling water in a large pot and turn it the temp up high on the stove so it keeps boiling.
• Place all the spinach, parsely and garlic in the pot and blanch for no more than 30 seconds to 1 minute, get some tongs or a big slotted spoon and take out spinach and let it strain and cool in the sink.
• KEEP the water to blanch the carrots and throw them in now. 
• Squeeze a little excess water out of the spinach mix and place in the blender. This is important, always put a tea towel over the top of the blender in case the top flys off and hot spinach mix goes everywhere. (It happens daily in most commercial kitchens) . 
• Ok blend mix with a little oil to get consistency. 
• Season mix and place on the plate, next the dutch carrots which should be ready by now and then the fish. 
• Its also important to cook fish no more, depending on the size for no longer than 6-7 minutes. If you see white gooey bits coming out the sides thats good tasty protein fat that also indicates your overcooking it. Most fish can be a little bit under cooked anyway.

So that's it.
Dried wakame seaweed goes really well as garnish on top to add a little more taste and texture.

Makes: 2 to 3 serves

Prep/cook time: 20 to 30 minutes


Notes: 

• Gluten free
• Dairy free

General cooking and also travelling cooking tips to follow this week. Stay tuned.

Shopping time

Lets start at the beginning of healthy eating. First and foremost our ingredients and where they come from. Shopping should be to some degree enjoyable and easy if we try other avenues away from Coles and Safeway.

Markets and local Farmers Markets are the best way to not only find fresher and healthier fruits and veggies, but you're also supporting local businesses in the process.

Travel to the Vic, Prahran, or South Melbourne markets and just notice the difference between the produce. Notice the colour, texture, size and smell of everything. This is what we should be eating. Food should not be shipped interstate in refrigerated trucks. Not only does refrigerating fruit and vegetables lower the nutritional value , it alters taste as well. So stop doing it. Granted some fruits don't last more than a few days in warmer conditions like some berries. So eat them within 2 days.

Start leaving you're goodies in a cool, dry place. Close to ground level but somewhere that has wind flow. Also avoid using plastic bags as well, especially when not refrigerating, heat builds up in the bag and the contents will sweat. (Herbs can be left in a pot with a little water at the bottom)

I recently travelled to Eastern Europe in July, I went to Hungary, Serbia, and Croatia. I was blown away and at first very apprehensive about the fruit and veg suppliers over there. There are no huge food Conglomerates , and literally everyone bought from independant farmers in small market places, NOTHING was refrigerated and it was the best tasting produce I've probably ever had.

All the big markets are open Mondays,Wednesdays,Thursdays and Saturdays. If your serious about what goes into you're body you will make time to shop at the right places.


Here's where to go:

• Vic Market http://www.qvm.com.au/
• Prahran http://www.prahranmarket.com.au/
• South Melbourne http://www.southmelbournemarket.com.au/
• Richmond Farmers Market www.whitehat.com.au/Melbourne/Markets/GleadellSt.asp

So go forth and start your quest for healthier eating.

The Paleo Solution

Robb Wolf is at the forefront of Paleo nutrition research and advocacy. He has been educating people for a number of years in the necessity of a Paleo Diet for body composition, performance, health, fitness and longevity. A former biological research assistant and colleague of Dr Loren Cordain, Robb has a wealth of theoretical, clinical and empirical knowledge.

Robb recently released his first book. It covers everything you need to know about living the Paleo lifestyle. We highly recommend his book. Grab it now!

Check out Robb's website too.

Nightshades. Deadly?

The Nightshades family includes potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, and a few other favourites. Nightshades are yummy but they have a dark-side; they have been connected to inflammatory disorders and pain! If you suffer from joint pain it might be a good idea to avoid Nightshades.

We will be presenting recipes that do not include any nightshades. Be sure to look at the notes at the bottom of the recipe to see what's included.

Check out this great article for more Nightshades info: "All about nightshades: explore the hidden hazards of your favorite food with macrobiotic nutritionist Lino Stanchich"

Gluten = DEATH!

Okay, I may have overstated the point a little.

But! Make no mistake, gluten is pure evil and should be avoided at all costs.

"But I don't have gluten intolerance" I hear you whine. Read carefully: I DON'T CARE. Gluten is bad, get off it.

Gluten has been associated with:

• Hashimoto's Disease
• Coeliac Disease
• Crohn's Disease
• Diabetes
• Infertility in women

Ignorance isn't bliss. Educate yourself! 

And perhaps your doctor isn't the best place to learn...

Barramundi with garlic, ginger and Asian greens

Okay, ladies and cavemen. Joe has come up with a cracker this time.

Joe says, "Simple tasty and quick. Steamed Asian fish kicks butt too."

Ingredients:

• Barramundi, 150g fillet
• Gai Lan, Bok Choy, Choy Sum (2 bunches of any of these)
• Light sesame oil, 100ml
• Garlic, 1 clove
• Ginger, 1 knob 
• Macadamia nuts to garnish 

Method:

• Using a pot with a strainer attachment on top boil roughly 1 ltr  of water and cover to speed up boiling process (or boil the kettle).
• Grab some grease proof paper and cut out a square for the fish to sit on.
• Peel ginger and place into a pot with the garlic and the sesame oil, bring to boil and set aside to let infuse. 
• Once water is boiling place fish atop of strainer attachment and cover once again.
• Steam for no longer than 4 minutes, after fish is steamed set aside and throw the greens into the water to blanch for 1 minute, take out strain.
• Place greens on the plate, then the fish and sauce, garnish with crushed macadamias

Prep/Cook time: < 25 min

Serves: 1

Notes:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Nightshades-free

What the fruc?

Fructose. Sounds funny. It's serious.

Fructose is the type of sugar found in fruits. No trouble there. However, there is some trouble when you consume fructose without fibre.

Corn syrup anyone?

Dr Robert Lustig is - probably - the world's preeminent authority on fructose. The video below is quite long but it's a must-see. So, grab a coffee and get comfy. It's time to open your mind.



Post your thoughts to comments.

Huh, cholesterol isn't bad for me?

Welcome to controversial caveman time. Today, we're here to tell you that cholesterol is NOT bad for you. We could write a bloody long post about this but we're not going to. Instead wrap your ears around the below video (there's no video footage).



Did you learn something?

Share this post. Everyone needs to know the truth.

Joe's Almost Paleo Mini-muffins

Okay, alright, we admit it, these bad boys are not Paleo. Every now and then we are going to present some ideas that push the boundaries a little. Think of these as a better way to fall off the wagon. We're not suggesting you go mental on this kind of stuff. We do however want to present you with a way of having something sweet without exposing yourself to all the nasties out there.

Ingredients:

• Blanched or raw almond meal, 300grams (approx.)
• Eggs yolk, 2 (keep whites for an omelette)
• Coconut milk, roughly 100ml (enough to make consistency thick like batter)
• Cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon
• Blueberries or diced fruit of you choice (1/2 cup)
• Spray oil (EVOO)

Method:

• First pre-heat oven to 180 degrees
• Weigh ingredients
• Grab a large bowl and combine all dry ingredients therein
• Separate eggs and add to dry mix along with coconut milk
• Combine with a wooden spoon and then add fruit
• Spray tins and spoon in the mixture, keeping in mind almond meal doesn't rise like flour so add mixture to top. 
• Bake for roughly 15 mins.
• Grab a skewer and poke into the middle of muffin, if it comes out clean, muffins are ready. Easy as.
• Double or triple the recipe and buy 2 extra tins to make a large batch at the start of the week. They freeze up fairly well

Makes: 12-15 (approx.)

Prep/cook time: 30 minutes

Notes:

• Gluten free
• Dairy free

Smoked salmon, fresh pear and celeriac salad

This awesome salad, is easy to mash together and they all go hand in hand with eachother. The crunchy pear and distinct celeriac taste (which tastes like a potato and celery but minus the starch and Carb factor) go really well with soft smoked salmon and traditional dill.

Ingredients:

• Half a bulb of celeriac
• 1 pear
• Smoked salmon
• Mayonaisse
• Fresh Dill
• Spinach leaves

Method:

• Peel the celeriac and cut long thin strips. Throw into a mixing bowl.
• Dice pear and add to bowl.
• Cut some of the salmon and mix in, reserve the rest for the top
• Mix the dill, spinach and mayo in as well.
• Throw into a bowl and munch. 

For a bit more fanciness add some ocean trout pearls, which are large orange caviar fish eggs, they're not too expensive and can be bought at some select food stores like Thomas Dux or Simon Johnson.

Researching has brought me to the discovery that celeriac is a awesome substitute for potatoes, use it for mashes, soups and sauces. Celeriac also goes really well any seafood.

More to follow soon.
Bye for now.

The Dry Martini - almost Paleo

Strictly speaking alcohol is out when we talk about the Paleo Diet and its variants. Truth be told, the vast majority of people living the Paleo lifestyle still partake in a wee tipple every now and then.

Robb Wolf continually espouses the joys of the NorCal Margarita (tequila, lime & soda) however I'm an old school kinda guy (when it comes to cocktails) and therefore, in my humble opinion, the Dry Martini is the greatest expression of Paleo-ness in a cocktail.

How to make a Dry Martini

1. Chill a martini glass
2. Fill half a Boston shaker with ice
3. Pour 1/2 shot of Noilly Prat dry vermouth into the shaker
4. Prepare an olive (or two) or a lemon twist
5. Drain the vermouth from the shaker
6. Add 2 1/2 shots of London Dry Gin (Plymouth or Bombay Sapphire)
7. Stir the ice until the shaker is c-c-cold
8. Strain the liquid into the glass
9. Add the garnish

How to drink a Dry Martini

1. Slowly
2. With good friends (or family)
3. As often as possible

Wrap your ears around some Paleo goodness

Got no time to read, eh?

Well, the world of the podcast is hear (pun intended) to help you!

Learn about all things Paleo (and alike) with these cool podcasts:

• The Paleolithic Solution (on iTunes) with Robb Wolf and Andy Deas
• Primal Mind, Primal Body (on iTunes) by Nora Gedgaudas
• This Week in Paleo [we just found this one]

Not strictly Paleo, but awesome anyway:

• Livin' La Vida Low Carb with Jimmy Moore

Beef Salad with radish, mint & lemon

G'day,

Here's our first recipe.

You can serve as an entree or a main (simply adjust amounts in the ingredients list as you see fit).

Here we go: beef salad with red radish, fresh mint, spinach and lemon dressing. In Joe's words: "This is a absolute humdinger, an awesome summerly salad, the different textures of the soft beef, crunch radish and mint with lemon go so well."

Ingredients:

• Eye fillet, 150-200g (substitute lamb backstrap or loin, or even kangaroo for a variation)
• Fresh mint - 1 bunch 
• Red radish - 3
• Spinach
• 4 lemons (juiced)
• Extra virgin oil (or macadamia oil)
• Salt, pepper

Method:

• Pre-heat skillet or pan,add oil, once it starts to smoke slighty it's ready to sear the meat. 
• Sear meat each side roughly 2 minutes each side depending on size, until really brown and crispy. 
• Set aside to rest and elevate the meat over a wire wrack so any excess blood can drain away.
• Chop mint roughly and add to spinach. 
• Slice radish nice and fine and add to salad, combine the lemon juice with some oil and dress salad. 
• Slice the beef 
• Mix beef with salad and season to taste. 
• (Green chilli can also be added to add a little zing)

Serves: 1-2

Prep/cook time: 10-15 minutes

Notes:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Paleo approved

We'll be creating a video of this recipe shortly.

Send us your thoughts and photos.

Paleo breakfast yum-yum

For some reason a whole bunch of folks have issues constructing Paleo breakfasts. I don't get it. Er, maybe I do. I think it's got to do with the fact that most peeps are used to corn flakes, toast and jam and a cup of tea any time earlier than midday. The whole idea of eating meat, eggs and other Paleo goodies causes a minor brain meltdown.

Well, I'm here to tell you a few cool things. Firstly, corn flakes are crap. Avoid them at all costs. Secondly, toast = gluten = death. Thirdly, bacon and eggs are heaven sent.

My breakfasts rotate around a few themes, here they are:

• Bacon and eggs
• Smoked salmon and eggs
• Omelettes (of many variations)
• Fresh fruit
• Left-over meat and veg from the previous evening meal

Smoked salmon and boiled eggs. Too easy.

So, what's your excuse? Really. Why can't you eat like a caveman before midday? Hmmm?

So, what are you guys gonna do here then?

There are plenty of great Paleo websites online already. We know, we visit them. So, why another one? Two reasons: we want to spread the word and we want to show you how to cook some great Paleo goodies.

You see, most people avoid switching to a Paleo lifestyle simply because they think it's too hard or they can't think of meals to cook that fit the Paleo concept. We're going to show you how easy it is. And it's gonna be yumm-o too!

Paleo? Er, what's that then?

When we say "Paleo", we're talking about the way of eating that is often referred to as The Paleo Diet, The Ancestral Diet, The Caveman Diet and a few others. They are all variations on the same concept. And to be truthful it's not a diet, it's lifestyle choice that ensures you eat what you are designed to eat.

Paleo eating and living is not a fad. It's not a quick fix (although rapid weight loss is possible). The Paleo Diet is a way of getting your metabolism, body composition and overall health back on track, and keep it there.

"Paleo" is used to name the concept because our genetic makeup hasn't changed since paleolithic times; unfortunately our diet has changed significantly -- and not for the better.

In a nutshell, The Paleo Diet suggests you eat meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit. It excludes processed foods, sugar, starchy vegetables, legumes, dairy and grains thereby removing just about everything that causes inflammation, irritation and illness.

The diet is perfect for diabetics, coeliacs, those suffering inflammatory illness and autoimmune disease, and everyone else too. Seriously, this is how you should be eating.

Why is it so good? It's gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free, additive-free. It's high in nutrients. It's fresh. It's natural. And it tastes good.

Get the good oil here:

• Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution
• Mark's Daily Apple
• Primal Body, Primal Mind
• Dr Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet
• The Whole 9

Who are these Paleo Brothers you speak of?

We're just two guys.

One of us is a chef and fitness trainer (Joe).
The other is a fitness coach, blogger and entrepreneur (Adam).

We like cooking.
We like eating.
We like being fit and healthy.

So, we've started a blog.

Yummy goodness is coming to a computer screen near you.

Stay tuned.