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Let’s face it: cooking healthy dinners on a consistent basis is tough. We all know we should do it—and we want to do it—but it’s not always easy to pull off in the real world. It takes commitment, diligence, and planning—and who has time for that? In our household, with two working parents and a couple of rambunctious kiddos, the struggle is real, people.  

Sadly, as my regular readers know, I’m terrible at meal planning. Ad hoc cooking is much more my style—which is great when I have a fully-stocked fridge and all the time in the world.

Which, unfortunately, is never.

Over the years, I’ve tried a bunch of different meal planning tools—from Paleo meal plans in cookbooks to static .PDF worksheets that I’ve grabbed online. But I found that none of ’em gave me the flexibility I need to adjust on-the-go: to swap out ingredients that I don’t (or can’t) eat, discard dishes I don’t like, or pick recipes based on the stuff I actually have in my house. In the end, these meal plans were just someone else’s rigid and unyielding idea of what I should make and eat. 

But then, a few months ago, I found Real Plans. And suddenly, meal planning has become not just doable, but easy, flexible, and life-changing. Real Plans is a crazy-awesome whole foods meal planner that’s helped us plan, make, and enjoy home-cooked Paleo meals every night—all without the stress and panic that used to accompany my desperate nightly scramble to get food on the table.

In fact, Real Plans made such a huge difference that I decided to partner with its creators, Antony and Emily Bartlett, to offer hundreds of Nom Nom Paleo recipes on Real Plans!

Okay—here’s the scoop:

A few months ago, I happened to meet Antony and Emily at a party down in Los Angeles, and learned about Real Plans for the first time. I’d already been a fan of Emily’s blog, The Holistic Squid, and the three of us immediately hit it off—not just because we share a similar sense of humor and passion for real food, but also because we each run family businesses committed to helping folks get off their butts and actually cook in the kitchen. When Antony and Emily shared with me that they’d been obsessively refining an insanely powerful and dynamic meal planner, I couldn’t wait to check it out. 

I started test-driving Real Plans as soon as I came home from that fateful trip to Los Angeles. Immediately, I was struck by its flexibility and foolproof recipes. No matter how busy my week was, I could easily use Real Plans to pull together a complete meal plan, shopping list, and detailed cooking timeline for all our dinners. Even when real-life intruded and threw a monkey wrench into my plans, I found I could easily swap out a recipe—and the shopping list and timeline automatically changed to accommodate it. It was amazing. Simply put, for the first time ever, I had a super powerful meal planning tool that actually streamlines the process of getting food on the table.

Needless to say, after playing around with it, I knew I wanted to add my recipes to the Real Plans collection. After all, many of my longtime readers (perhaps even you!) have been asking us for a meal planner for eons, but we never had the bandwidth or technical know-how to pull off a truly awesome one. Plus, I’ve always been reluctant to form partnerships with meal planning services, because until now, nothing has wowed me. I have a strict policy of recommending only those products I truly love and use myself. But with Real Plans, Antony and Emily developed something that blew my socks off.

Seriously: watch this video if you don’t believe me, and see Real Plans in action. 

No, Real Plans isn’t free, but it’s well worth it—and I’m not saying this just ’cause I’m a partner and affiliate of Real Plans. Subscriptions start as low as $6 a month (well, $7 a month if you also want access to over 250 Nom Nom Paleo recipes in the tool), and you won’t just be getting a meal plan. 

I mean, a meal plan is great, but you’re also getting a carefully thought-out (and totally dynamic) timeline and shopping list. The timeline changes with each recipe you add or delete, and tells you when to thaw/soak/prep ingredients and any other tips and tricks you need to know about preparing each dish. 

The shopping list is pretty awesome, too; rather than being a static PDF, it categorizes everything based on how you typically shop a supermarket. (For example, all the produce, spices, and bottled goods are all grouped together.) You can then check off anything you already have in your kitchen, add anything else you want to add to your list, and then take it to the store. Real Plans allows you to print, email, and open your shopping list on your smart phone.

Of course, the plan itself is the main feature. It also comes with over 1500 fool-proof real food recipes (including over 250 of mine, too—if you add the optional Nom Nom Paleo package for $1 a month), all carefully tested in the Real Plans kitchens. 

Attention, control freaks: another way to use Real Plans is simply to clear the entire week and pick your own entrées and sides from the Recipe Box!  You can easily find a recipe to suit any occasion or taste using the clever filtering system.

When it comes to meal planning, it doesn’t get any easier for Paleo eaters—or those of us with even more restrictive diets due to allergies or other health concerns. Real Plans allows you to exclude whole food groups (like shellfish or nightshades), and gives you the option to exclude specific ingredients, too. And then…PRESTO! You’re presented with a complete weeklong meal plan—totally customized according to your specific dietary preferences.

Of course, if you’re happy cooking by the seat of your pants, or you’re already a master meal planner, just keep on rockin’ it. But if you’re like me, and need a digital kitchen fairy to help keep dinner on track, Real Plans just might be your saving grace! Check it out here!

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Episode 11: I Love Big Butts

Just like Sir Mix-A-Lot, I love big butts and I cannot lie. Specifically, I love pork butts—also known as pork butt roast, Boston shoulder, or Boston butt. Why is this my favorite cut of pork? ’Cause it’s inexpensive, flavorful, super versatile, and tough to mess up. Besides: despite its name, it’s not the part of the animal you’re thinking of. Ready to learn more about butts? Then listen in as I list the many ways butts reign supreme!

Show Notes & Links for Episode 11:

What We Ate:

Henry recently returned from a business trip to Dublin, Ireland, and I grill him about about his eats across the pond. Although Henry spent most of his time holed up at the office, he was able to check out the local food scene by visiting a new street food market and several restaurants in the city. Among his bites in Dublin were Gallagher’s Boxty House, The Winding Stair, and the K&M Food Craft stand. 

Because Henry loves coffee, one of his favorite finds was Cocobrew, a gourmet coffee vendor at the Thursday street food market. Cocobrew’s a riff on Bulletproof Coffee, made with cacao butter and MCT oil—and according to my hubby, it was excellent. But to be honest, I think Henry just couldn’t get over the nifty vintage VW van where they blended and sold the coffee. 

While Henry was eating his fill of meat and potatoes in Ireland, I was busy solo-parenting the boys. On the day Henry left, I batch-cooked a ton of protein so we’d have plenty of stuff to eat during the week. I slow-roasted a giant pork butt, baked a tray of Damn Fine Chicken, made a quick Instant Pot chicken stew, and whipped up a Mexican-inspired garbage stir-fry. As a result, our weeknight dinners were fast and simple. The main dishes were all ready to reheat, and all I needed to do was make a vegetable side dish every night. Thank goodness for small favors!

Main Course:

If I have to pick a favorite cut of meat to cook at home, I’ll always choose a big pork butt roast. We devote the main course of this episode to why I love this cut, how it got its wacky, butt-tastic name, how to find it, and how to cook it.

Of course, even though I like pork as much as the next gal, it’s really important to source meat that’s raised responsibly. I recently listened to this episode of the Splendid Table podcast and it reinforced my commitment to buying pastured pigs raised by ethical farmers. 

Sustainably-raised pork is more expensive, but pork butt roast is actually one of the most affordable cuts. An average roast is about 5 to 7 pounds, which should feed a bunch of folks or leave plenty for leftovers. Even here in the Silicon Valley, where the cost of living is pretty high, we can find pastured pork butt roasts for under $10 a pound. I acquire my butts at Belcampo Meat Co., but I’ve also purchased half hogs from local farms to get the most bang for my book. If you can’t find a local pig farmer at your farmer’s market or on this site, you can buy pastured pork online at sites like US Wellness Meats.

You might not be familiar with the term “pork butt roast,” but trust me – if you love pork, you’ve tasted it and loved it. Pork butt roast is super versatile. It’s the most common cut used for pulled pork, a staple of barbecue in the southern United States. Although pork butt is routinely prepared in slow and low cooking preparations like pot-roasting, stewing, slow-roasting, barbecuing, and preserving as confit, you can also cube it and skewer it for the grill—and it’s the best cut to grind for ground pork or sausage.

Here are some of my favorite pork butt roast recipes:

• Peachy Pork-A-Bobs
• Slow Cooker Kalua Pig
• Pressure Cooker Kalua Pig
• Slow Cooker Cheater Pork Stew
• Overnight Oven-Braised Shredded Pork Tacos
• Slow Cooker Pork Pot Roast

Crush of the Week:

Big O and Lil-O tell us how much they love playing the board game, Stratego. According to the kids, it’s like chess meets Space Invaders—or maybe Battleship. Lil-O also lets us in on how he lost his front tooth with the assistance of his trusty Nerf gun and pirate eye-patches. Sometimes the third shot’s the charm.

Question of the Week:

Kesem asked in the blog comments: Michelle, I’ve noticed that there are some fruits and vegetables that never appears in your recipes (e.g. kiwi, grapes, oranges, eggplants, etc.) Is it because of paleo restrictions? And if so, then why yes to pineapple, but no to kiwi? 

I answer this question in a lot of detail in the episode, but the short answer is: fruit is A-OK in my book. I just prefer to eat it naked. (You’ll have to listen to the episode for my explanation.)

Some of my favorite recipes that include fruit are as follows:

• Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho
• Madras Chicken Salad
• Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs
• Orange Sriracha Chicken
• Mango + Avocado Salsa on Pan-Seared Salmon
• Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry BBQ Sauce
• Chunky Monkey “Ice Cream” Bon Bons
• Lava Flow Ice Pops

That’s it for this week! We’ll have another episode up soon enough, but if you can’t wait, feel free to check out our first 10 episodes and access all the show notes by heading over to our podcast archive. If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. We’re always looking for great topics!

Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here! And don’t forget, you can get TWO months’ free membership and 20% off your first order at Thrive Market by clicking here. How great is that?

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index! You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPad® app, and in my New York Times_ bestselling cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel 2013)._

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I’m a self-proclaimed thigh girl, but if a properly cooked chicken breast gets dolled up with a bunch of umami, I’m willing to go both ways. My two main complaints with chicken breast are that it can taste bland and is easily overcooked—but after a bunch of tinkering in the kitchen, I came up with a Whole30-friendly recipe that tackles both of these issues: Chicken Prosciutto Involtini.

By slathering the flattened breasts with an Italian-inspired seasoned mayonnaise, I amped up the flavors of the chicken breasts and kept ’em juicy. 

Then, I wrapped each stuffed breast in a cozy prosciutto blanket before popping them in a hot oven. 

When the meaty packages finished cooking, I plated them atop marinara sauce for my hungry family. Try this recipe, and serve it alongside some zoodles, roasted vegetables, or your favorite mash!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 sundried tomato halves (not packed in oil)
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces)
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup mayonnaise (or buy Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 8 slices prosciutto
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups marinara sauce 

Equipment 

• Small bowls
• Cutting Board
• Chef’s Knife
• Meat Pounder
• Toothpicks
• Rimmed Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water to rehydrate, about 10 minutes. (If you’re using oil packed sundried tomatoes, simply drain them.) Set aside the tomatoes while you prepare the chicken.

Preheat oven to 425°F with the rack in the middle.

Pat your chicken breasts with paper towels and pound until ¼-inch thick. 

Sprinkle both sides of the breasts with salt and pepper, and place the breasts skin-side down.

Fish the softened tomatoes out of the water and squeeze dry before finely mincing the tomatoes. In a small bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes with the mayonnaise and basil. I won’t tell anyone if you used Primal Kitchen’s mayonnaise instead of making your own.

Divide the flavored mayonnaise into fourths and add a dollop to each flattened chicken breast. 

Spread the mayonnaise over the breast, leaving a ½-inch edge.

Carefully roll each breast to form a cylinder. 

Wrap two pieces of prosciutto around each breast and secure with two toothpicks.

Place the swine-wrapped chicken breasts on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the olive oil on top of the meaty packages.

Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes or until the thickest part registers 150°F. (Yeah, I know that the UDSA’s recommended temp for chicken is 165°F, but Serious Eats says 150°F is fine, and I haven’t gotten sick yet. So there.)

Rest the chicken for 5 minutes while you heat up the marinara sauce.

Slice the chicken…

…and place on top of the sauce. Mangia!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index! You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPad® app, and in my New York Times_ bestselling cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel 2013)._

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Here are my favorite recipes for summer party fare:

Nibbles & Bites

• Roasted Rosemary Almonds
• Raw veggies with Tonnato sauce and/or Guacamole
• Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites
• Asian Meatballs
• Chile Lime Chicken Wings
• Simple Crab Salad in endive spears
• Assorted Paleo Chips

Veggies

• Fig & Watermelon Salad with Honey Vanilla Cashews
• Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho
• Tomato and Basil Salad
• Marinated Roasted Beets

Main Dishes

• Grilled Calamari & Roasted Peppers
• Sous Vide Gigantic Grass Fed Cowboy Chops (Bone-in Rib eye)
• Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry Barbecue Sauce
• Peachy Pork-A-Bobs

Drinks & Treats:

• Watermelon Coconut Cooler
• Chunky Monkey “Ice Cream” Bon Bons
• Lava Flow Ice Pops

Looking for more ideas?

• There a bunch of Paleo party recipes Episode 6 of our podcast, Party On! Take a listen and read the show notes here.

• Check out this collection of Whole30® Fourth of July Recipes compiled by Whole9. You might even spot My Sister’s Phenomenal Grilled Green Chicken recipe in the mix!

• Also, my kitchen soul sistah (a.k.a. Melissa Joulwan) posted a mind-blowing collection of her tasty recipes so that you, too, can Declare Independence (From Boring Picnics).

• Buy Bill and Hayley’s party-planning book, Gather. It’s chock-full of tips and recipes for all your Paleo entertaining needs, including awesome menus for summer fiestas.

Happy Fourth of July! Eat well and stay safe!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPad® app, and in my cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel, December 2013).

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Episode 10: Essential Cooking Tools

Stocking up your kitchen for the very first time? Or just sick and tired of your cruddy old culinary tools, like that sad-looking plastic spatula with the melted front edge? Well, it’s time to level up! 

Having the right cooking implements on hand can mean the difference between having dinner ready in a flash and being frustrated and defeated in the kitchen. In this episode we tell you all about our favorite culinary essentials. And don’t you worry your pretty little head—we won’t recommend anything crazy-expensive or any one-trick ponies that’ll clutter your countertop. We won’t even suggest any items that need to be plugged into an electrical socket. So listen in, and I’ll let you know which kitchen tools this luddite can’t live without!

Show Notes & Links for Episode 10:

What We Ate:

After returning home from our Maui vacation, one of the first things on my to-do list was to stock up our fridge and pantry. I started by heading over to Belcampo Meat Company—our local butcher shop—to stock up on meat. 

My order included short ribs, a big pork butt, pastured eggs, and lots of ground beef. Although well-raised meat can be expensive, I try to stick to stuff that costs less than ten bucks a pound. Cheap cuts and ground beef definitely help to stretch our food budget. And after splurging on a lot of restaurant meals while on vacation, we definitely scaled back this week.  

Because I was just getting back into the groove of things, I cooked a lot of garbage stir fries this week with the ground beef from Belcampo. In fact, for four days in a row, I made garbage stir fry for our garbage-loving family. Yes, I know that the name of the dish sounds grody and terrible, but the kids can attest that it’s trash-tastically delicious. Besides, isn’t it always better to under-promise with a yucky name, and then over-deliver with a yummy dinner?

• My favorite local butcher shop is Belcampo Meat Co.

• There are tons of different ways to make a garbage stir fry, and here’s a version my family loves to eat.

• Check out Podcast Episode 5: Desperation Dinners to see what I keep stocked in my pantry so I can make meals  in a flash.

Main Course:

For years, I was a kitchen gadget hoarder. If you have our cookbook or read my old Paleo Eats posts, you probably know that I often use a number of appliances and tools to get dinner ready, including an Instant Pot, a slow cooker, a food processor, a super-charged Vitamix blender, a stick blender, and even our trusty countertop toaster oven.  Sometimes, I use all of those things to prep a single meal.

But then two things happened that changed my perspective on what was truly essential:  Our house was flooded, and I read a fantastic book about tidying up. 

Longtime blog readers know that several years ago, in the middle of the night, a pipe burst under the kitchen sink and covered the entire house with a couple of inches of water. While the water damage was being repaired, we were displaced to a cramped residence inn for several months and I learned that we could get by in life with much, much less. And this includes kitchen tools. I won’t lie – there are plenty of “nice-to-have” items that greatly streamline and enhance my cooking. I’ll admit it: they’re great time-savers. But when push comes to shove, people only need a few items to cook up nourishing and tasty meals. 

More recently, I started reading Marie Kondo’s bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up—and it’s totally reinforced the need to purge stuff I don’t really need or that don’t spark joy anymore. With this in mind, I consulted my favorite review sites and came up with a pared down list of indispensible cooking tools.

Chef’s Knife: The best rated inexpensive one is the Victorinox Forschner Fibrox, which costs under $40. If you’re considering a carbon-steel chef’s knife and money is no object, this $300 one by J.A. Henckels designed by Bob Kramer, an American Master Bladesmith, is considered one of the best. America’s Test Kitchen also recommends a $100 Japanese knife by Togiharu that is considered a best-buy. But if you’re going to spend this kind of money, you should really try out these knives yourself. If you’re in NYC, go visit Korin in Lower Manhattan, which is home to one of the most amazing and extensive collection of Japanese chef’s knives (a.k.a. gyuto) in the world.

Paring Knife: The one I use at home is the J.A. Henckels International Classic 4-inch paring knife, but Cook’s Illustrated recommends one from Victorinox that only costs about $7.

Knife Sharpener: The best manual sharpener is a cheap-o Accu-Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener. For less than ten dollars, you can sharpen your own knives in just a few strokes. Recently, I’ve been tempted to buy an electric knife sharpener, and the one recommended by everybody is The Chef’s Choice Trizor XV ($160). It sharpens European, American, and Japanese knives—both serrated and straight!—and it can convert a 20 degree factory edge to a 15 degree edge, which means you’re getting an even sharper edge. 

Peelers: I keep three vegetable peelers in the kitchen: One with a regular blade (an OXO Good Grips Pro Swivel Peeler), one with a serrated edge for grabbing onto smooth-skinned ripe fruits and vegetables (a Kuhn Rikon Piranha Serrated Peeler), and one that makes quick work of julienning zucchini into “zoodles” (a Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler). 

Kitchen Shears: To be perfectly honest, you don’t really need shears if you’ve got a great knife, but a sharp pair of scissors can help handle a host of tasks in the kitchen, from trimming herbs to spatchcocking a chicken. I’ve tried a bunch of shears and my new favorite pair is the Kershaw Taskmaster, which I learned about from America’s Test Kitchen. I’ve used them to debone my Cracklin’ Chicken for a couple of years now, and they haven’t dulled on me yet!

Cutting Board: If you want a great wooden board, a John Boos Maple Cutting Board is a fantastic option. Plastic is also a much more cost-friendly option, and some folks like it better because you can toss plastic cutting boards in the dishwasher. The Oxo Good Grips Cutting Board is a polypropylene board with rubber strips on both sides. It’s lightweight, non-slip, and fabulous.

Cast iron skillets: In our kitchen, I have a Lodge Logic pre-seasoned 12-inch cast iron skillet, as well as an 8-inch version (the one I use to fry crispy eggs). I love ‘em, but don’t presume that the company’s “pre-seasoning” is sufficient. You’ll still need to season the skillets, so follow the instructions in this post. To maintain your cast iron skillets, just make sure you clean them after each use, wipe them dry and also put them on a hot burner to dry, before rubbing a bit of melted fat onto all surfaces. I used to think you couldn’t use soap to clean them, but J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats debunked this myth a few months ago in an article titled, “The Truth About Cast Iron: 7 Myths That Need to Go Away. 

Heat-Resistant Oven Mitts: Choose a glove made of Kevlar or Nomex – they’ll allow you to handle items that are hundreds of degrees in temperature. I used to have Ove Glove branded gloves, but a lot of reviewers on Amazon say that the new ones don’t work as well. As a result, I’ve done some digging, and my newest recommendation is to buy gloves from the brand Grill Heat Aid.  They’ve gotten over A THOUSAND great reviews on Amazon, and it has a no-hassle 100% money back guarantee.

Tongs: You don’t need anything fancy here; just get a basic pair of locking tongs with wide-scalloped pincers, and you’ll be all set. I have a few pairs of OXO Good Grips locking tongs of differing lengths in the kitchen, but when we’re doing high-heat grilling in the backyard, we use a set of 16-inch tongs by Progressive International. And yes, I am aware that many famous chefs (e.g. David Chang and Thomas Keller) hate tongs with a searing passion, but who cares? (Not this home cook.)

Instant-Read, In-Oven Thermometer: These thermometers aren’t super pricey, so don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish: Invest in a good one so you don’t screw up your expensive meat. I have a ChefAlarm by ThermoWorks and it works like a charm. I also have a Thermapen which is super accurate, but more expensive and you have to keep opening the oven to check the temperature.

Rimmed Baking Sheet: Even though most people use them as cookie sheets, you don’t have to use them to bake cookies. I use them instead to roast meats and vegetables or to crisp up batches of kale chips. A kitchen supply store is a great place to stock up on rimmed baking sheets, but you can also find them online. Personally, I recommend getting sheets that are no smaller than 13” by 18” — otherwise known as half-sheets. You might be tempted to get a full baking sheet, but they’re too big for most home ovens.

Wire Cooling Racks: I use wire racks to keep my roasted meats from sitting in a puddle of grease in the oven, to elevate the proteins I’m about to set ablaze with my kitchen torch, or to keep my crispy sweet potato fries from going limp and soggy. Trust me – wire racks will come in handy in a number of kitchen situations. My favorite racks are made of stainless steel ‘cause they’re practically indestructible, unlike the chrome-lined ones that can flake off with use. 

(If you’re curious about how I came up with my recommendations, I pored over these trusted resources: The Cook’s Illustrated website, Consumer Search, and The Sweet Home. I also have an older post about my essential cooking tools that you can read here.)

Crush of the Week:

I chat about how much I love Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Big-O tells us how toothpicks aren’t just for stabbing food, and Lil-O fills us in on the awesomness of stainless steel drinking straws.

(FYI: The other books on my nightstand include a review copy of Tess Masters’s The Blender Girl Smoothies, Jenny Castaneda’s One-Pot Paleo, and Russ Crandall’s Paleo Takeout.)

Question of the week:

Cynthia asked in an email: I have to ask you if you can talk about cheat days when you do Paleo. I eat Paleo-, Whole30-approved foods everyday, but sometimes I schedule a cheat day on the weekend. I would appreciate it if you can have an episode about cheat days. Is it healthy?

If you want to know my answer, you’ll have to listen to my podcast!

That’s it for this week! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here! And don’t forget, you can get 2 months free membership and 20% off your first order at Thrive Market by clicking here!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index! You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPad® app, and in my New York Times_ bestselling cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel 2013)._

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Earlier this month, our family spent a week in Maui, where—as usual—we downed a lot of tasty meals. I say “as usual” because we try to make it out to Maui once a year. Many moons ago, we were suckered persuaded into buying a time share in Ka’anapali on the west side of Maui. Lesson learned: pregnancy hormones combined with a tropical paradise backdrop does not lead to smart real estate investment decisions.

This all started because when I was pregnant with Lil-O, we got a voucher for a discounted hotel stay in Maui from a friend, and decided to use it. The catch, however, was that we had to sit through a timeshare presentation at an oceanside resort. Henry and I went into the presentation with a rehearsed cover story about how having another kid meant our budget was tighter than ever, and we simply couldn’t afford a timeshare.

But then, we went on the tour of the resort property, and I totally folded.  

And you know what? I’m glad I did. We’ve loved going back to Maui every year. The kids love going to the beach and swimming at all the different pools at the resort, and it’s just a fantastic place to kick back and relax. 

And ultimately, it’s not so much the actual resort property that we love so much; it’s the fact that we get to enjoy a week-long family bonding vacation every year in paradise. And the food situation’s pretty darn satisfying.

Each unit at the resort is equipped with a kitchen, so we end up cooking all of our breakfasts and a handful of lunches. The rest of our meals are eaten at spots that are exhaustively researched and carefully selected (by me!).  

As we mentioned in Episode 7 of our podcast, Travelling While Paleo, we don’t stay 100% Paleo when we’re on vacation. It’s important to remember that making a mindful choice to eat without stressing out is all part of a healthy, happy life. Lil-O and I just need to stay gluten-free, so that’s the one thing I insist on when we eat out, no matter where we are. Although I shared many of my Maui eats on my Instagram account with the hashtag #NomNomMaui, I thought I’d compile our latest food finds in one place. (Note: most of my recommendations are located on the west side of the island because that’s where we stay, and after years of exploring other parts of Maui, we’re now just too lazy to wander far from the pool.) 

Without further ado, here are some of the places where we shop and eat on Maui!

Grocery Shopping

Whole Foods Market (Maui Mall, 70 East Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732)

The Whole Foods Market in Kahului is huge, well-stocked, and always packed with sun-burned tourists and tanned locals. It’s a 30-minute drive from our timeshare, so we only shop here on our way to and from the airport. 

You can stock up on everything you would buy at a regular Whole Foods, but keep in mind that items from the mainland will be more expensive. I actually prefer products made by local artisans because they’re normally cheaper and I can’t find them any where else.  

If you buy refrigerated goods, don’t forget to pack some of the free ice they offer at the entrance. We usually pick up food for our flight home at this market ’cause there’s something for everyone here. For our flight back to California, Big-O grabbed a box of shrimp cocktail, Lil-O and Henry packed a box full of barbecue brisket, and I grabbed a takeout container from the cold case that contained grilled salmon and salad greens. 

Down To Earth Organic & Natural (305 Dairy Rd, Kahului, HI 96732)

This vegetarian organic market is located just a few blocks from Whole Foods. Yes, there are tons of soy-based products and fake meat, but you can also find lots of fantastic organic produce and gluten-free goodies. I even spied Chameleon Cold Brew in the fridge, one of my favorite brands of chilled java.

Costco (540 Haleakala Hwy, Kahului, HI 96732)

We don’t stop here every time, but Costco’s a great shopping destination if you have lots of mouths to feed or have an extended stay on the island. You do need a Costco membership, but if you have one already, you can buy organic eggs, organic produce, Kalua pig, snorkel gear, ukulele, and all of your gifts for folks at home (e.g. macadamia nuts, etc.). Here’s an old post that shows what we bought at the Costco in Kauai.

Farmer’s Market Maui (3636 Lower Honoapiilani Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761)

A few times a week, we walk up to Honokowai to buy snacks, treats, and produce at Farmer’s Market Maui, a cozy, hippy-dippy vegetarian market. If you’re looking for gluten-free treats like Hail Merry tarts or Maui Sugar Bakery whoopie pies, this is the place to shop. We love their guacamole and salsas, too. 

Safeway (1221 Honapiilani Hwy, Lahaina, HI 96761)

I don’t often shop at Safeway at home, but the big one in Lahaina is well stocked and open 24 hours. For a long time, I overlooked it, assuming there wouldn’t be any good finds, but boy, was I wrong. This Safeway’s got lots of organic produce, Applegate Farms meats, local kombucha—you name it. 

Take-Out Options

The Fish Market (3600 L. Honapiilani Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761)

We always order take out from The Fish Market at least once during our stay and eat it back in our condo. My usual is a salad with grilled fish or shrimp (hold the croutons). The kalua pork and grilled fish tacos are delicious, too, if you want to indulge in some gluten-free corn tortillas.

Bamboo Fresh Cafe (505 Front St #142, Lahaina, HI 96761‎)

I discovered this tiny salad and wraps place after doing a Yelp search for local “organic restaurants.” Although they’re known for their wraps, you can turn any sandwich into a salad. Da Green Pig Salad was one of my favorite casual meals on the island.  

Teppanyaki 2 Go (3481 L. Honoapiilani Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761)

This take-out joint is hidden in between two parking lots in Honokowai. If you find yourself at the ABC store, you’ve already gone too far. My kids always beg us to take them to Benihana-type restaurants, but I’m not a fan of the prices or the cheesy cooking antics. Luckily, at Teppanyaki 2 Go, you can get the same food at a fair price, and you don’t have to sit through any corny jokes.

Our favorite items were the chicken and shrimp cooked in garlic butter sauce.You can call ahead and request a gluten-free shoyu or the garlic butter sauce—that way, you won’t have to wait when you pick up the food.

Choice Juice Bar (1087 Limahana Pl, Lahaina, HI 96761)

If you’re looking for fresh salads, fruit-packed smoothies, or hearty acai bowls, you gotta come here. (Remember, Paleo fanatics: vegan is not a dirty word.) 

Aloha Mixed Plate (1285 Front Street, Lahaina, HI 96761) 

When we’ve got a hankering for plate lunches, we head to Aloha Mixed Plate. The food is reasonably priced and the beachside setting can’t be beat. I almost always order a salad topped with kalua pig.

Restaurants

Da Kitchen (425 Koloa St., Suite 104, Kahului, HI 96732)

Located just minutes from  the airport, this spot is a great pit stop for those of you dying to stuff your face with your first plate lunch on the island. They have quite a few gluten-free options, including the kalua pig plate and the fish of the day. The wait can be pretty long at peak hours, but the service is super friendly and it’s a great place to fuel up after a long plane ride.

Frida’s Mexican Beach House, Honu, Mala Ocean Tavern (1287, 1295, and 1307 Front Street, Lahaina, HI 96761)

I probably shouldn’t lump together all three of these restaurants, but it’s hard to mention just one without mentioning its siblings. All three of Mark Ellman’s Westside restaurants are located right next to each other at Mala Wharf, and they all share a spectacular oceanside view (and a parking lot). The food quality and service at all three are excellent, and we choose which one to visit depending on what we’re craving that day. We head to Frida’s if we’re in the mood for upscale Mexican seafood…

…Mala if we want pacific-rim inspired cuisine, and Honu if we want seafood and gluten-free pizza. 

There’s a Mala in Wailea, too, but we’ve never eaten there. Why drive to Wailea to visit Mala when these three restaurants are so close to where we stay?

The Mill House (1670 Honoapiilani Hwy, Wailuku, HI 96793)

We were invited to try out The Mill House at Maui Tropical Plantation after our pal Gregory Gourdet introduced us to the new chef, Jeff Scheer. Jeff is Maui’s Chef of the Year for 2015, and he’s pretty awesome: he’s totally committed to nose-to-tail and farm-to-table cooking. The restaurant is smack dab in the middle of a plantation, and almost all of the ingredients will be sourced from the organic farms on site. We ate at the restaurant during their soft-opening in June, and we were already blown away by what we were served. (You can listen to us gush about our meal in Episode 9 of our podcast.) I can’t wait to return in a year to see how things have grown and changed.

Sansei (600 Office Road, Kapalua, HI 96761)

There is no view to speak of at this popular Japanese joint tucked away on a golf course in Kapalua, but the sushi and sashimi are pretty tasty. Also, you can get a 25% discount if you order by 6pm. There’s also a separate gluten-free menu that makes it easy for folks to navigate the menu. 

Sea House (Napili Kai Beach Resort, 5900 Lower Honoapiilani Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761)

This old school brunch spot located at Napili Beach has gorgeous ocean views, which (for some reason) lowered my expectations of the food. But I was pleasantly surprised that they had a gluten-free menu with lots of tempting choices.

I ordered the sweet potato egg frittata topped with spiced hollandaise sauce, and I have to admit: it was pretty epic.

Star Noodle (286 Kupuohi St, Lahaina, HI 96761)

We’ve been fans of this place for many years. The opening chef, Sheldon Simeon, left a few months ago to open his own restaurant, but I’m happy to report that we still enjoyed the dishes at Star Noodle. Some of our favorite gluten-free dishes include Filipino Bacon and Eggs, Roasted Mushrooms, Vietnamese Crepe, Brussels Sprouts (with sauce on the side), and Ahi Avo (remember to ask to substitute tamari for the shoyu if you need to be careful about going gluten-free). Important note: the wait time can be pretty crazy, even if you have a reservation.

Merriman’s Kapalua (One Bay Club Place, Lahaina, HI 96761)

Looking to splurge on a unforgettable dinner with a view? Book a table at Merriman’s. The sunsets are breathtaking, and the food doesn’t disappoint, either. I try to book a table at 5:00 pm ’cause it increases our chances of getting an oceanside view.

On previous Maui trips, we dined at similarly-priced destination spots like Mama’s Fish House and Lahaina Grill, but Merriman’s still remains my favorite spendy restaurant. 

Treats & Sweets

Maui Sugar Shop (878 Front St A10, Lahaina, HI 96761)

Organic, gluten-free goodies. We tried the whoopie pies and they were pretty tasty. And no, they aren’t Paleo at all. BUT VACATION, people.

Slappy Cakes (3350 Lower Honoapiilani Rd, #701, Lahaina, HI 96761)

Make your own gluten-free pancakes on your own table side griddle! Was it the best breakfast I’ve ever had? Nope. But the kids got a massive kick out of cooking their own flapjacks in all sorts of crazy shapes, and with tons of custom toppings. You can balance out the pancakes with some egg scrambles and bacon while the kids knock themselves out cooking up their flapjacks.

Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice (819 Front St, Lahaina, HI 96761)

If you’re gonna get a proper shave ice, head here. And don’t blame me if your mouth turns an unnatural shade of rainbow afterwards.

Our kids’ favorite flavor is Tiger’s Blood, which would’ve been Paleo if it was actual tiger’s blood.

Over the years, we’ve eaten all over the island, from Monkeypod Kitchen in Kihei and Pineapple Grill in Kapalua to Sam Sato’s in Wailuku and Bev Gannon’s Hali'imaile General Store. (You can find out more by searching for Maui on my blog!)

But if there are some new or off-the-beaten track places you think I should try, please let me know, ’cause we’ll be returning to our timeshare next year. And the year after that, and the year after that, and the year after that…

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans!

Podcast: Play in new window (right click to download the episode)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | Stitcher | RSS

Episode 9: The Perfect Steak

A great way to impress a dinner guest—or treat the dad in your life for Father’s Day!—is with a perfectly cooked steak. Still, a high quality steak can be expensive to purchase, so the last thing you’ll want to do is mess it up during the cooking process. But don’t worry: I’ll teach you how to cook the perfect steak! I’ll go over the best cuts to buy and the foolproof cooking methods you’ll need to know to sear your beef the right way. Ready to tackle the perfect steak?

Show Notes & Links for Episode 9:

What We Ate:

We just spent a week in Maui, and savored tons of tasty bites while chilling out on vacation. Our family heads to Maui about once a year ’cause we were suckered into buying a timeshare many moons ago, when my resolve was weakened by an mind-altering affliction called pregnancy. (But to be honest, we haven’t regretted it!)

As usual, we visited our favorite restaurants and hunted for new culinary finds while we were on the island, but my favorite bite of the week was on our final morning on Maui, when we cut up a sweet, aromatic, shockingly yellow organic pineapple that I’d plucked straight from the fields at Kumu Farms the day before.

On this episode of our podcast, Henry and I chat about our Maui eats, and share details about our fantastic farm-to-face dinner at The Mill House, a new restaurant located right in the middle of the same plantation where I harvested my ripe, sunshine-yellow pineapple.

Chef Jeff Scheer makes it a point to source virtually all of his ingredients straight from the organic farms on-site.

Henry’s favorite dish of the night was the umami-packed Dashi Cioppino, and I can’t forget the Lilokoi Posset, a chilled dessert made with thickened cream flavored with tangy passionfruit, or the grilled Mahi Mahi with corn puree, blue oyster mushrooms, and piperade. (Okay, okay—calm down. Corn may not be Paleo, but I will always make an exception for organic local corn grown just a few feet from the kitchen.)

• To peek at some of my Maui eats, check out my Instagram feed and the hashtag I used to organize my island photos, #NomNomMaui. Want to check out the neon yellow pineapple that I picked myself? Check out this pic—and this one, too.

• If you happen to find yourself on Maui, get yourself over to Maui Tropical Plantation so you can visit Kumu Farms, fly across a zipline, and dine at The Mill House. (Preferably in that order.) The official Grand Opening of the restaurant is July 3, 2015, but Chef Jeff Scheer and his team already have their ducks in a row, and are serving diners now, during The Mill House’s soft launch. By the way, not only is Jeff the Chef (I’m a poet and didn’t even know it!) Maui’s Chef of the Year for 2015, I think he also looks strikingly like Bradley Cooper.

• And for those of you clucking with disapproval because you spy some beans or corn in my photos from Maui, listen up: when I’m on vacation, I don’t eat 100% Paleo. You can learn more about how I travel while Paleo in Episode 7 of our podcast, but in short, it’s not much of a vacation if I’m freaking out over everything I’m eating. After all, stress management is an important part of health and happiness, too—right?

Main Course:

In this episode, Henry and I focus on how to select and cook the perfect steak. This premium cut isn’t an everyday food; steak is an indulgence both because of the expense and the sheer primal joy that we derive from enjoying a seared, juicy cut of properly aged meat. The animal sacrificed its life so we could thrive, so it’s important that we take the care to cook it the right way. Unlike other cheaper cuts of meat (like brisket, short ribs, or oxtail) that are super forgiving with low and slow cooking methods, a premium steak really needs to be cooked properly to be delicious. We discuss the importance of sourcing 100% grass fed beef, where to buy it, and how to cook it—no matter if your method of choice is grilling, pan-searing, oven-roasting, or sous vide cooking.

• Does the thought of cooking and eating meat make you gag? Then go check out Podcast Episode 4: Viva Las Veggies!

• My favorite cut of steak is rib eye and my go-to cooking method is written up with step-by-step pictures in a blog post entitled, How To Make The Perfect Steak. (Really imaginative title, am I right?)

• My two favorite tomes devoted to meat cookery are The Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book and Bruce Aidells’s The Great Meat Cookbook.

• J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who writes The Food Lab column and is the managing culinary director over at Serious Eats, posted three comprehensive steak posts that every serious home cook should read: The Food Lab’s Definitive Guide to Grilled Steak, The Food Lab’s Complete Guide to Pan-Seared Steak, and The Food Lab’s Complete Guide to Sous-Vide Steak.

• Speaking of sous vide, I don’t use my Sous Vide Supreme very much anymore, but I still think it’s a great way to cook meat perfectly. Some next-generation sous vide immersion circulators include the Anova Precision Cooker, Nomiku, and Sansaire. I might just buy one because they’re cheaper, smaller, and more effective.

• If you’re a visual learner, Bruce Aidells, a.k.a. America’s Meat Guru, has an online course on Craftsy that’s all about cooking the perfect steak.

• By the way, the myth that grass fed steaks doesn’t taste as good as grain-fed steaks has been debunked. Don’t believe me? Check out these blind taste test results from America’s Test Kitchen and The Great Steak Debate.

• Find a local rancher near you by checking out Eat Wild’s website. In the San Francisco Bay Area, you can buy high quality cuts of meat at Belcampo Meat Co., Brandon Natural Beef, Marin Sun Farms, BN Ranch, and Good Eggs. You can also have meat shipped to you from US Wellness Meats, TX Bar Organics, and Tendergrass Farms.

• My best farmer friend, Diana Rodgers, points out that pound-for pound, grass fed beef is cheaper and far more nutrient dense than a Snickers bar in this enlightening post.

Crush of the Week:

The kids talk about how Snuba, a hybrid of scuba and snorkeling, trumps eating shave ice and watching television.

By strapping on some Snuba gear and exploring the reef just off the beach near our place on Maui, the four of us were able to get up close and personal with sea turtles, eels, and tons of exotic fish. The boys have already requested another Snuba session on our next visit to the island.

Question of the Week:

Sarah, one of our listeners, asked me this question via email:

I’m new to Paleo and the Whole30 (1 week)…so far so good. Since we cook with so much raw meat, I would appreciate if you would do a refresher course on food handling safety (for my husband because he does most of the cooking.)

In my opinion, the only thing worse than overcooking an expensive piece of meat is to get sick from it.

When it comes to handling raw meat, keep these basic food safety tips in mind:

1. Avoid cross contamination! Use a special cutting board and knife for your raw meat, and don’t use those same tools to cut veggies for a raw salad. I set aside a small ramekin to hold salt and pepper that I use to season my raw meat, ’cause if you just pour salt out of a container, your meat-juice-covered hands will muck up the box and spread the stuff around. Although many old cookbooks recommend rinsing raw meat, it’s a bad practice that spreads bacteria all over the sink and kitchen. Also, don’t place your cooked steak back on the same plate you used to marinated raw meat, and don’t reuse the marinade if you just soaked some uncooked meat in it. If you want to reserve some marinade, do so BEFORE you put raw meat in it.
2. Know where your meat comes from and the likelihood that safe handling practices were used in raising the meat.
3. It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: after handling raw meat, wash your hands with soap and water, people. Don’t just wipe your grody paws on a kitchen rag like they do on TV. Also, wash all the stuff that touches raw meat with hot, soapy water.

Now if I haven’t completely grossed you out: go forth and make a steak!

If you like our podcast, go subscribe and rate it in iTunes! To listen to past episodes of our podcast, check out our podcast archive!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans!

Podcast: Play in new window (right click to download the episode)

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | Stitcher | RSS

Episode 8: A Day In The Life

In this episode of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast, we’re gonna shake things up a little bit. Instead of the usual format (which involves sitting around our dining room table and marching through different segments), we thought we’d drag you through a typical day in our lives—from the time we get up in the morning to when we collapse in bed at night.

It’s not that we think we’re super-interesting people. The opposite is true, actually. But when we asked you, our listeners, about what you’d like for us to cover on this podcast, one idea that came up more than once was going through a day in the life.

For our cookbook, Henry drew me a comic about a day in the life of a zombie drug dealer – in other words, me, or at least me a year ago. That’s because at that time, I was working as a full-time night shift hospital pharmacist. In other words, I was a professional drug dealer. However, ever since I quit my night job about a year ago, our lives have changed a lot—and it’s about time we provided an update to reflect what our life looks like now that I’m a full-time mom, cookbook author, blogger, home cook, app creator, podcaster, and whatever else it is I do.

(Spoiler: We reveal that our lives are totally ordinary, and that we’re not much different from most busy families.)

Zombie Drug Dealer No More

For those of you who didn’t know, in my former life, I worked as a night shift pharmacist (a.k.a. zombie drug dealer) for 12 years. Even though I thought I’d hacked shift work—check out my post on Surviving The Night Shift—I eventually realized that working graveyards wasn’t sustainable. After I was interviewed for an article about night shift work in Psychology Today, I thought seriously about the sacrifices required of long-term shift workers: family time, sleep hygiene, health. A month later, I quit my job and wrote about my decision in a blog post entitled Independence Day.

The Early Birds Get the Coffee

Henry wakes up at 4:20 am three days a week to attend the 5 am class at CrossFit Palo Alto. (Yes, he knows I think it’s crazy of him to wake up that early to exercise.) He starts his morning off with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, which we both agree is fine if you’re healthy and well rested. My new morning routine starts two hours later, and is loosely based on the one described in Hal Elrod’s bestselling book, The Miracle Morning. My modified routine involves chugging a large glass of water, meditating, and exercising before the kids wake up at 7 am. Truth be told: most mornings I only have time to drink some water and stretch out my creaky joints before Big-O bursts out of his bedroom. (Not Lil-O, though. He doesn’t get up until and unless we awaken him.) While Henry makes breakfast for the kids, I pack their school lunches. Afterwards, when Henry drives off to work, I herd the kiddos to school.

• Our favorite (and quietest) coffee maker is an Aeropress. We even take it with us when we travel. We both agree that coffee can be a healthy part of your morning routine—here’s a good article that summarizes the benefits.

• Hal Elrod’s book, The Miracle Morning, has helped tons of folks boost their productivity and happiness by teaching them how to implement a daily morning routine.

• Like a good techie, I use the Brain Wave app on my iPhone to help me meditate.

• You can see how Henry has outfitted our garage gym here, here, and here.

• The standard breakfast Henry prepares for the kids: Thai-style omelets, a recipe in our cookbook.

• We always pack our kids lunches in LunchBots stainless steel containers. We usually include eggs for Lil-O, leftovers or deli meat (Applegate Organics or Belcampo Meat Co.) for Big-O, fresh fruit, SeaSnax seaweed snacks, and an occasional gluten-free treat. Looking for inspiration for packing Paleo lunches? Check out this roundup.

The Business of Nom Nom Paleo

My daily routine is never the same, but I always work on Nom Nom Paleo business while the kids are in school. Before I tackle my tasks for the day, I scarf down a quick breakfast and catch up on social media posts and emails (yes, I even read my hate mail!) from the night before. Next, I power walk to a WiFi-enabled café, public library, or co-working space and do my best to squeeze in as many meetings and calls as possible. Content creation can mean recipes, blog posts, podcast outlines, or projects with business partners. But it’s not all fun stuff; I also ship Nom Nom Paleo action figures and socks, meet with our app developer, and book events and travel. Throughout the day, I personally respond to our readers on all my social media channels; after all, I’m a one-woman show while Henry’s at work. And then, at around 1 pm, I walk home and make myself lunch before I pick up the kids from school.

• Sometimes I change up my breakfast by eating leftovers, but I usually make a couple of crispy fried eggs. The way I cook and season the eggs is described in Episode 2 and Episode 5 of the podcast.

• When I’m walking to my workspace for the day, I listen to my favorite podcasts, including The Tim Ferriss Show, Start Up, Reply All, and America’s Test Kitchen.

• We’re working on an iPhone version of our Webby-award winning Nom Nom Paleo app with the fine folks at Y Media Labs.

• If you want your very own Mini Michelle action figure, go buy one here!

• I read everything sent to me via email and social media, but I don’t always have time to respond. But here’s a secret: your best bet for a speedy and brief response from me is to tweet at me (@nomnompaleo).

• I use the productivity app Trello to track my ever-growing to-do list.

• My typical weekday lunch consists of leftovers, salad, garbage stir fry, or a simple frittata. Other quick and easy lunch ideas were discussed in podcast Episode 5: Desperation Dinners!

Afternoon Delights

At 2 pm, I put away my computer and rush to pick up the kids from school. Lil-O gets out of school before Big-O does, so during the 45 minutes between pick-ups, I socialize with the other parents waiting for the bell to ring. After school, I help the kids with their homework and/or shuttle them to their activities—and if I have time, I’ll work on recipe development, which also doubles as dinner. The kids aren’t allowed screen time on school nights, so when they’re done with homework, they read or play together while I cook.

And believe it or not, these days, I don’t photograph the food as I’m making it.

If I’m developing a new recipe, I’ll diligently write down my steps and notes, but time is of the essence—my goal is to just get food on the table quickly so the kids can eat and go to bed. I might take a shot or two of my dinner plate to post on Instagram, but nowadays, we only shoot recipes for the blog or cookbook on weekends, when Henry and I are both home.

• An example of one recipe that I tweaked over and over again until the flavors were just right is my Carrot + Cardamom Soup. Frankly, after an intense week of testing it meal after meal, I’m sick of it—though many people tell me it’s their favorite recipe from our cookbook.

• House rules dictate that tablets, computers, and TV are prohibited on weekdays, so the boys make do by building with Keva blocks, drawing superheroes and villains, sculpting sad faces with clay, or playing Bacon’s Big Adventure.

• Follow me on Instagram to check out my latest meals and recipe testing.

Evening Ritual

On weeknights, our family dinner is served at 7 pm, and Henry does his best to join us before we finish eating. Invariably, Lil-O’s still eating when my husband gets home. Despite eating the least amount by volume, my seven-year-old is the slowest eater in our family—he almost always finishes close to 8 pm.

By the time he’s done with dinner and the dishes are cleared, it’s time for the kids to hit the sack. The kids brush and floss their teeth, and then – if they don’t dawdle, they’ll get a bedtime story. Lately, they’ve been demanding that Henry tell them a funny story. And by “funny,” they just mean gross. It doesn’t even have to be witty or smart. They just want Henry to replace certain words in their books with words like POO or PEE or FART. But, hey—whatever makes them go to bed.

After the kids are in bed, we spend the last few hours of the day cleaning up the kitchen and working on our computers. I don a pair of amber goggles and write my Nom Nom Paleo posts or edit recipes. Henry, on the other hand, helps with editing, photography, illustration, web design, and book layouts. Lately, though, all of his free time is consumed with editing our podcast. (He makes it look easy, but it isn’t.) Because I don’t want to end up a widow, we’ve decided to take a break from our weekly podcast schedule next week and see how it goes.

• Lil-O will eat super slowly, unless I serve Cracklin’ Chicken and Roasted Broccoli and Bacon.

• I wear these super cheap amber-colored goggles to block out the blue light that emanates from all the screens we use, and from the lights in our house.

• I also installed f.lux on our Macs to automatically dim the screens on our laptops. The blue light suppresses melatonin production, and this hormone is important to induce sleep at night.

• We keep our bedroom pitch-black with an Indow Window blackout insert, and we don’t allow any electronic devices in our room. We also throw a shirt on top of our alarm clock to block the light. I do like to unwind in bed with a book, so our reading lights are fitted with orange party bulbs. Yes, I know all of this makes me sound like a weirdo—but I’m a weirdo who sleeps well, thankyouverymuch.

  No, really: thanks for listening! If you like our podcast, go subscribe and rate it in iTunes! To listen to past episodes of our podcast, check out our podcast archive!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

The post Weekly Meal Plan – 6/5/15 appeared first on Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.

When we were in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, one of the places Big-O kept eying was a juice bar located on the casino floor of our hotel. Every time we passed it, he would look longingly at the cold-pressed juice concoctions in the refrigerated case, and tug my arm. Eventually, I relented, and we joined the queue of sleep-deprived adults in line for the the “Back to Normal” and “Hangover Be Gone” remedy cleanses.

My ten-year-old (who, for the record, was not hung over) opted instead for a bottle of “Aloha Sunrise,” a blend of watermelon, coconut water, lemon juice, and salt. But then, I saw the sticker price on a single-serving bottle: $11.00.

Seriously?

By then, we were at the front of the line, and Big-O already had a big anticipatory smile on his face, so I pulled out my wallet. And to be honest, the beverage was pretty darned refreshing. But I knew I could recreate it at home for a fraction of the price—and without the accompanying whiff of desperation and cigarette smoke perfuming the air.

And I did!

This watermelon cooler is perfect for your summertime parties—just blend it ahead of time, and it’ll keep in the fridge for up to two days. When it’s time to serve it, shake well and pour over ice!

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds (1.4 kg) seedless watermelon cubes 

• 1 cup coconut water

• Juice from 1 lime

• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Equipment:

• Cutting board

• Chef’s knife

• Blender

• Measuring cup

• Lime juicer

• Measuring spoon

Method:

Crack open your watermelon.

It’s totally fine to purchase pre-cubed watermelon, but chopping it up yourself isn’t that hard—and way cheaper.

The size of the cubes won’t matter; just roughly chop ’em up the same size.

Throw the cubes into a blender and pour in the coconut water. (If your blender has less capacity than 64 ounces, you can divide the recipe and blend everything up in two batches.)

Add the juice from one lime…

…and a smidge of sea salt.

Blitz until liquefied. If your blender isn’t super powerful and you end up with some chunky pulp, just strain it out.

Chill it in the refrigerator, and then serve over ice. Or if you’re as impatient as I am, just pour it over ice and enjoy immediately.

You can store this summery beverage in a sealed container for up to 2 days, but remember to shake the heck out of it before serving.

By the way, it’s absolutely fine with me if you prefer to make these coolers a little more “adult” by adding your favorite fermented beverage. Your secret’s safe with me!

Enjoy!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

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Heading out of town with your cave clan? How do you fuel yourself on the road and when you finally arrive? We’ll fill you in on how we find food at an airport, fuel ourselves on the flight, and how we grab grub once we get to our destination. Pack your bags and listen to our Paleo travel tips!

What We Ate:

Let’s face it: no matter how many costumed characters roam the Strip, Las Vegas ain’t the most kid-friendly vacation spot in the world. Still, our family decided to take a surprise weekend trip to Sin City to attend a “Weird Al” Yankovic concert. In this episode, the kids gleefully fill everyone in on what they ate and observed in Las Vegas.

• Big-O loved the steak and eggs at Bouchon Bistro, as well as the seafood options at B & B Ristorante.
• Lil-O enjoyed the beefy options at B & B Ristorante and B & B Burger and Beer. (But he did not have any beer.)
• Lil-O also reveals that I treated him to a couple of macarons at Bouchon Bakery. (We aren’t 100% Paleo when we travel, though we try to stay gluten-free.)

Main Course:

Travelers: we’ve got tons of tips and tricks for you on how to stay Paleo on the road! In this episode, we tell you how we scope out Paleo eats when we’re out and about. 

What to Pack: 

The amount of food I pack in our carry-on luggage depends on the length of the flight. If it’s a short flight, I typically bring a small bag of non-perishable snacks (e.g., a packet of jerky, salami, dark chocolate, seaweed, snack bars, or nuts). For longer flights, I simply increase the amount of snacks in my bag—or I purchase something at the airport. I also bring some of my favorite condiments and seasoning, assuming our final destination has a kitchen.

My go-to travel size condiments include:

• Red Boat Fish Sauce 
• Red Boat Fish Salt 
• Jacobsen Salt 
• Magic Mushroom Powder

Airport Eats: 

When I’m taking a short flight, I usually don’t eat anything at the airport. On longer trips, or when I’m stuck at the airport on a layover, I’ll seek out portable grub by going online and searching Yelp or Trip Advisor for gluten-free options at the airport. Other great resources for top airport eats include this article in the Wall Street Journal, and this post in Thrillist which rank airports by their food and drink options.

Choice eats at select airports include:

• At San Francisco International Airport (SFO), opt for the takeout choices in Terminal 2. Some of my favorite options are Lark Creek Grill, The Plant Cafe Organic, Napa Farms Market.
• At Denver International Airport (DEN), check out the locally sourced gluten-free friendly eats at Root Down.
• At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), chow down on a BBQ platter (hold the bread and beans) at The Salt Lick before boarding your flight.

Food & Drinks on the Plane: 

I don’t always eat during flights, but I routinely request bottled still or sparkling water (with no ice!) as my beverage. The reason I leave out the ice is because the ice is often contaminated with harmful bacteria. If you’re hungry and didn’t pack any food, most airlines sell gluten-free snacks that can tide you over until you land. (For example, Virgin America offers gluten-free snack packs, Hail Merry nuts & macaroons, and jerky.) I once made the mistake of ordering a gluten-free meal on an international flight and I was disappointed that all I got was a bunch of tasteless rice cakes. It turns out that most airlines will serve the same meal to anyone who requests a special meal due to a dietary restriction—which means a gluten-free meal will also be devoid of fat, salt, animal products, and, well…flavor. 

Stocking Your Fridge At Your Vacation Rental: 

Our drive from the airport normally includes a pit stop at a local grocery store before we reach our vacation rental. We usually stock up on breakfast items (e.g. eggs, sausage, butter, pre-cut fruit and produce, cold brew coffee) and grab-and-go snacks. Now that we travel with kids, we choose to stay at a vacation home or condo instead of a hotel room because we prefer getting more space at a reasonable price. Plus, we can start our day off right with a hearty homemade breakfast that doesn’t break the bank. If you’re staying at a hotel, you can still prepare some meals in your room. Simply call the front desk ahead of time and request an empty refrigerator to store your perishables. Also, you can evidently cook lots of different things with the appliances in a hotel room (though to be honest, I haven’t tried this—yet).

• I use Yelp to find the closest grocery store between the airport and our vacation rental.
• We’ve had lots of luck with vacation rentals through Airbnb and VRBO.
• If you want to learn how to cook with hotel appliances, check out this article.

Dining Out:

I’ve always been a gastrotourist, and my prime objective when vacationing is to find and taste the best local cuisine. In this segment, I reveal how my research starts before we leave on our trip. I start by checking local newspapers and online magazine for the top places to eat in the past year. Next, I narrow my choices after reading the latest restaurant reviews. Finally, I ask my readers for Paleo-friendly restaurant recommendations via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. After sifting through all the data, I curate a restaurant list for each city, and figure out how to combine sightseeing with the restaurants on my list.

• My favorite sites for restaurant research are Eater, Zagat, Time Out, and local newspapers.
• You can be the ultimate gastrotourist and dine at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
• Read the latest reviews and learn about gluten-free options via Yelp, Trip Advisor, gluten-free blogs, and gluten-free apps.
• Learn how to eat gluten-free at Disneyland and Disney World.

Crush of the Week:

The Double-Os discuss how much they enjoyed the “Weird Al” Yankovic concert in Las Vegas and their favorite songs at the show. Afterwards, Big-O and I talk about how much we love cherries—specifically, Bing cherries.

• Find a Weird Al show near you!
• I like to buy our cherries from CJ Olson’s in Sunnyvale because that’s where my mom used to buy them when I was a kid.
• Pro tip: store cherries the same way as strawberries. Listen to our first podcast episode to hear how I keep them fresh for up to two weeks.
• If you’ve got some extra cherries, make my Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry Barbecue Sauce!

Question of the week:

Rebecca asked via email:

Is it possible to eat Paleo at a dim sum place? As a Chinese-American, that is the one meal/cuisine that I love more than anything else. Can you help me maneuver through the different choices?

In all honesty, it’s really hard to eat gluten-free dim sum, let alone Paleo—though there is a restaurant in New York City called Nom Wah where certain dim sum items are labeled as gluten-free. I haven’t tried the restaurant because I don’t love dim sum, but it looks promising. That’s right—I’m not a dim sum fan. But if you are, and it’s worth it to treat yourself to a dim sum meal, don’t stress out about whether it’s Paleo or not. Just be mindful of your food choices, and once you’ve made the choice to take a delicious detour, be sure to savor every bite!

Ciao for now! If you like what you heard, subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review on iTunes!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

Know what I learned from making three batches of My Sister’s Green Chicken—all in one afternoon—for a video shoot? As listeners of my podcast heard, it taught me that freezing and reheating surplus Green Chicken isn’t just possible—it’s a game-changer. And now, the cooking video I shot with the fun folks at Vice Munchies is up on their site!

Watch the video (complete with video-bombing and mugging by the Double-Os), and if you feel inspired to make the dish, check out the original recipe and my instructions on how to make it ahead and freeze it for later!

The kids and I had a fun time shooting the video at our house, even though I had to yell at Lil-O on camera to eat his drumstick. Bonus: if you pay close attention, you can peek into the dining room where we record all of our podcasts!

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Pat yourself on the back: you have the Paleo thing down at home, and you can order like a champ when dining out at a restaurant. But what about parties? Do you know how to navigate a non-Paleo shindig? Don’t worry—we’ll fill you in on how to be the best guest ever. Follow our advice, and you might even get invited back!

Show Notes & Links for Episode 6:

What We Ate:

While Henry was away on business, I experimented with Fiona’s Green Chicken to see if it freezes and reheats well. Answer: yes! The moral of the story is to always make a double batch of Fiona’s Green Chicken so you can eat half and freeze the rest for a future meal.

• Check out the original recipe for Fiona’s Phenomenal Grilled Green Chicken and my post on how to prep it ahead of time and store it for later.
• Don’t fret about safely thawing frozen meat with hot water. Harold McGee writes in The New York Times that this method is A-OK!
• My chef sister’s Instagram feed never fails to inspire me in the kitchen. Go follow Fiona!

Main Course:

In this episode, we dish about how to be a gracious guest at a non-Paleo party. Sure—if you’re hosting the get-together, you have nothing to worry about. After all, you’re in control of the food. But what about non-Paleo parties thrown by people you don’t want to put off with your finicky food choices? Never fear: I have recommendations for plenty of flavorful dishes you can bring to share—without triggering any suspicions or questions about your platter of Paleo-friendly fare. 

Here are some crowd-pleasers you can bring to a party: 

Salads:

• Giant salad with greens, vegetables, protein, nuts, and a Paleo-friendly dressing
• Tomato & Basil Salad
• Fruit salad

Appetizers/Finger Foods:

• Simple Crab Salad in Endive Spears
• Asian Meatballs
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Mini Frittata Muffins
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Broiled Asparagus
• Chile Lime Chicken Wings
• Magic Wings
• Paleo Shrimp-Stuffed Mushrooms
• Devils on Horseback

Main Courses:

• Slow Cooker Kalua Pig or Pressure Cooker Kalua Pig
• Orange Sriracha Chicken (Substitute ketchup for the sriracha if you’re serving kids. The original recipe is best with my homemade 20-Minute Paleo Sriracha or Whole30 Sriracha.)
• For a kid-friendly party, cook up a bunch of mini hotdogs. (I like the mini ones made by Fork In The Road.)
• Hot Dog As The Bun!

I also have tips to help you avoid coming across as a boorish caveperson in front of the other guests. (Yeah, I know you’re always on your best behavior—but I learned the hard way that we Paleo eaters sometimes forget how we come across to our friends and family.)

Above all else: chill out, be gracious, and a good guest! Have a good time at the party and if you’re famished, eat the food that you brought to share rather than face-planting into the box of cupcakes.

If you’re offered food that you can’t or don’t want to eat, follow the example of my good friend Melissa Joulwan, and respond with a simple “Not right now.” Say the phrase with a polite smile and sunny attitude, and no one’ll feel bad that you just declined a slice of cake. Even if the host insists on putting food on your plate that you’ve declined, just remember: no one can force you to stick anything in your mouth. My savvy brother-in-law, for example, will just _pretend _to eat unwanted food that my dad piles onto his plate.

• Melissa Joulwan writes one of my favorite Paleo food blogs, The Clothes Make The Girl, and her two cookbooks, Well Fed and Well Fed 2, are filled with fantastic Paleo-friendly party fare (affiliate links).
• I’ve been known to sneak an Exo Bar or some jerky in the bathroom if I start feeling hangry at a party.

Crush of the Week:

Ollie sings his favorite song from Adventure Time, “Bacon Pancakes.” Owen tells us why watermelon is the love of his life. I gush about how I’m obsessed with The Glitch Mob, the coolest electronic music band in the world. Plus, one of the band members, Justin Boreta, is Paleo!

• You can enjoy my Bacon Pancake Sandwiches while you watch Hugh Jackman’s lip-synched rendition of the song here.
• Learn more about The Glitch Mob on their website.
• Go see The Glitch Mob live in concert in a city near you—start by checking out their tour dates.
• My two favorite songs from The Glitch Mob are Fortune Days and We Can Make The World Stop.
• Justin Boreta gave away jars of my Magic Mushroom Powder as gifts, and you can, too!

Question of the week:

As the mother of two young boys, what do you with your boys at parties? Do you let them run wild and gobble up everything in sight? Do you put them on a leash and not let them touch anything that is “Paleo-approved”? Or something in the middle?

At home, our kids eat the way we eat. But when they’re at parties, we trust Big-O and Lil-O to make their own decisions. Lil-O gets GI distress when he eats gluten, so he knows to steer clear of gluten. Big-O, on the other hand, sometimes opts to indulge his love of pizza. Both kids choose to eat non-Paleo things at times, but we’re okay with it because: (1) we control what they eat 90% percent of the time, (2) they don’t have life-threatening food allergies, and (3) we want them to be empowered to make their own food choices and not develop a complex about what they eat. But don’t take our word for it; listen in as our boys tell us what they eat at parties.

That’s it for this week! If you like what you heard, subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review on iTunes!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

The post Weekly Meal Plan – 5/22/15 appeared first on Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.

(Image courtesy of Kimberley Hasselbrink/The Kitchn)

I get this request at least a few times a week: Can you tell me exactly how to shop, plan, and cook a week of easy, delicious, and budget-friendly Paleo meals? Well, at long last, your wish is my command! I recently partnered with the fine folks at The Kitchn to put together a game plan for you.

You can access the meal plan, recipes, and shopping list by visiting The Kitchn!

What’s on the menu, you ask?

(The Kitchn has posted my recipes on their site, but I’ve linked to my original recipe posts with step-by-step photos below!)

Monday: Pressure Cooker Kalua Pig

Tuesday: Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice and leftover Kalua Pig 

Wednesday: Fiona’s Phenomenal Grilled Green Chicken

Thursday: Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs

Friday: Crab + Avocado Temaki

Got Paleo-curious folks in your life who need help jumpstarting their approach to eating real food? Then go share this post! Happy cooking!

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It’s time for the next installment of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast!

Picture it: You finally get home after a long day at work, school, or just lying around the house, and you don’t feel like cooking dinner. I totally know where you’re coming from, because I feel the same way most days of the week. Luckily for my family, I’ve figured out how to get food on the table ASAP. In Episode 5 of our podcast, I’ll share my favorite tips and tricks to keep you well nourished—even when you’re totally unmotivated. No more falling face first into a bowl of cereal!

Show Notes & Links for Episode 5:

What We Ate:

I reveal the blend of seasonings I love to sprinkle on my daily dose of crispy fried eggs. Big-O chats with his younger brother about his love of camarones al ajillo, Mexican-style garlic shrimp. And Lil-O throws Henry under the bus by revealing one of his regular non-Paleo indulgences.

My fried crispy eggs recipe and video can be found here. I top my eggs with Jacobsen Sea Salt, Urashima All Natural furikake, and Rinaldo’s Organic Garlic Gold Nuggets.

Main Course:

The bulk of this episode is all about desperation dinners. In other words, how do you get food on the table when you don’t want to cook? I don’t know about you, but I like to _eat _way more than I like to cook. Whenever someone asks me “what’s your favorite dish?” I almost always answer, “a meal someone else cooks for me.” But in all seriousness, the only way to make a Paleo lifestyle sustainable is to get off your butt and get cooking—even when you don’t want to.

Here’s what I stock in my pantry, fridge, and freezer for desperation dinners:

• Eggs raw & hard-boiled
• Leftover roast chicken
• Canned fish I keep a bunch of salmon and tuna tins in my pantry
• Refrigerated canned crab
• Paleo Mayonnaise If you don’t make your own mayo, Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil mayo is a great alternative to homemade; Sir Kensington also makes a pretty good mayo
• Avocados or guacamole I like Wholly Guacamole brand, but more often than not, I just ask Henry to whip up some homemade guacamole using his famous recipe
• Nori sheets and butter lettuce Toasted seaweed and lettuce cups are my favorite alternative to tortillas
• Salad greens Toss with oil and vinegar, and you’ve got an instant side dish!
• Frozen mixed vegetables
• Fresh herbs
• Spice blends
• Flavor-boosting acids e.g. lemon, lime, assorted vinegars

Quick-Cook Dinners (15-20 minute meals):

• Sunnyside Salad with Crispy Eggs
• Easy Paleo Frittata
• Sweet Potato Hash (topped with your favorite protein)
• Garbage Stir-Fry
• Garbage Soup

No-Cook Dinners (5-10 minute meals):

• Lazy Devils (the recipe can be found in our cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans)
• Madras Chicken Salad
• Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites
• Chilled Cream of Avocado Soup with Crab
• Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho
• Crab + Avocado Temaki

For even more inspiration, check out my 10 Fast & Easy No-Cook Paleo Meals post or my pal Charissa’s site, No Cook Paleo.

Lastly, the kiddos reveal that their desperation snacks include fresh fruit and SeaSnax seaweed snacks.

Crush of the Week:

Big-O tells us about how he likes flipping through my old school, out-of-print Quick & Easy Chinese cookbooks. Lil-O and our little buddy Matthew talk about their love of Cracklin’ Chicken—particularly when it’s doused with Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos Teriyaki Sauce.

Question of the week:

In my blog comments, Kadie asked:

I would love for you to describe your greatest inspirations—are there particular people, places, or things that especially inspire your kitchen creations?

In a nutshell, my travels, my sister, and my mom are my culinary inspirations. I even admit that I’m turning into my mother. Gasp!

Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

The post Weekly Meal Plan – 5/15/15 appeared first on Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.

Have you tried My Sister’s Phenomenal Grilled Green Chicken? Of all the poultry recipes on my site, it runs a close second to my crowd-pleasing Cracklin’ Chicken in popularity. While reasonable minds may disagree, I think my sister’s Thai-inspired, umami-packed roast chicken would win in a head-to-head taste test. As Lil-O told one of his skeptical friends, “Green Chicken might sound gross, but it’s super good.” Plus, I recently learned (through kitchen experimentation!) that you can and should make a double batch of Green Chicken ’cause you can freeze half of it for a future meal. If you’re keeping score, that’s another point for Green Chicken!

Last Wednesday, I was tasked with making several batches of Fiona’s Green Chicken for a video shoot. Henry was out of town on business, and even with the addition of two extra mouths to feed (our pals Sidney and Matthew), I still found myself with a bunch of extra chicken on my hands. What’s a gal with THREE family-size batches of chicken to do?

Answer: Roast two giant trays of chicken. Eat one, and refrigerate the rest of the cooked chicken for quick breakfasts and lunches over the next couple of days. As for the uncooked chicken still marinating in a storage bag, squeeze out any extra air, seal up the bag tightly, and toss it in the freezer for future food emergencies.

And guess what? It didn’t take long for a food emergency to arise.

Just a few nights later, we got home from a busy day with the boys and—surprise!—didn’t have our dinner-prep act together. Instead of calling for takeout, though, I made a beeline for the ready-made solution in my freezer. I grabbed my frozen block of green poultry and ran it under hot water to quickly thaw it before popping it in the oven to roast. 

(FYI: This article in The New York Times says it’s a-OK to use a hot bath to quickly defrost meat. Of course, if this method skeeves you out, just remember to defrost the chicken in the fridge overnight before baking it.)

Once the chicken is thawed, just roast or grill it according to the recipe! 

Inspired by a recent post on my sister’s Instagram, I threw together a spicy mango cabbage slaw to serve with her chicken. 

It was almost like I was eating with Fiona. (But not really. I miss my sister. Cue Juliana Hatfield.)

The moral of the story: Always make a double batch of My Sister’s Phenomenal Grilled Chicken. It’ll take the same amount of time to prep and clean—and you’ll have a fabulous dinner hidden in your freezer for a desperation dinner.

So what are you waiting for? Get the recipe here and blitz a double batch of marinade pronto!

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Ready or not, we’re dishing up Episode 4 of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast! In this installment, we dive into our love of vegetables and how to get more of it into your bellies. Despite what everyone outside of the Paleosphere may think, we don’t eat only meat. In fact, I eat more vegetables now than I did when I was a semi-vegetarian! Listen in as we chat about our favorite vegetables and how to buy, store, and cook them. You’ll be vegucated in no time!

Show Notes & Links for Episode 4:

What We Ate:

Henry fills us in on how he hacks a rice-noodle-free salad bowl at Vietnamese restaurants, while I let everyone in on my favorite crunchy snack, Yucan Crunch. It’s a delicious cracker made with just one Paleo-friendly ingredient: yucca root. Toast the crackers, slather on a bunch of savory toppings, and you’re good to go!

You can pick up Yucan Crunch at Mission Heirloom in Berkeley or order it via their online store. (I buy it through Good Eggs SF Bay Area.)

Main Course:

Surprise! In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t hoover meat down our throats 24/7. In fact, our plates are usually crammed with vegetables—so let’s talk about how I buy, store, and prep our favorite edible plants. I discuss the benefits of joining a CSA (community-sponsored agriculture), how to make the most of the veggies in your CSA box, and the best time to pick up a box at your neighborhood drop-off spot. 

If you don’t have access to farmers’ markets or CSAs, just do the best that you can. Refer to the Evironmental Working Group’s helpful lists to check which produce items are best bought organic and which ones have less pesticide. Once you stock up on healthy produce, I let you in our family’s favorite vegetable recipes and my inexpensive kitchen gadget picks to make the most of your vegetables. Plus, I share my favorite salad hacks, and the kids crack some vegetable jokes, too.

• Click here to find a CSA near you.
• I was a member of Mariquita Farm’s CSA for many years. Starting in 2015, Mariquita now offers veggies through their Ladybug Buying Club.
• Caroline Randall Williams is one smart cookie, and her cookbook, Soul Food Love, is must-read.
• The Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen Plus lists can be found here.
• The Kitchn has a bookmark-worthy post on the best way to store your veggies. Click here to read it.
• Yotam Ottolenghi’s ourtrageously popular vegetable cookbook, Plenty More, is a constant source of inspiration for me.
• On most nights, I use my trusty toaster oven to roast the bulk of my veggies.
• My favorite inexpensive kitchen gadgets are a vegetable peeler and a reliable salad spinner.
• I learned how to simplify my vegetable cooking after spending a day at a Thai organic farm. You can read about our life-changing farm to table experience here.

Recipes referenced in this section:

• Roasted Broccoli and Bacon
• Asian Cauliflower Fried “Rice”
• Zoodles and Meatballs
• Garbage Stir-Fry with Curried Cabbage
• Tonnato Sauce
• Spatchcocked Chicken over Vegetables

Crush of the Week:

Big-O reveals that he’s crushing on asparagus, Lil-O tells us about how he loves broccoli even though he’s not sure how I cook it, and I let everyone in on the secret that I can’t live without–frozen vegetables. Also, Henry and I fight over who loves April Bloomfield’s new vegetable cookbook, A Girl and Her Greens, more. I win.

• Big-O’s favorite asparagus dish is Broiled Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus.
• Ollie asks me to make roasted broccoli and bacon several times a week. He like to douse it with Coconut Secret’s Teriyaki Sauce.
• I like to throw frozen vegetables into my Thai Chicken Curry.
• If you’re looking for a crazy-good vegetable cookbook, check out April Bloomfield’s A Girl and Her Greens. Visiting NYC? Go order the English Breakfast at The Breslin—even though it’s not exactly packed with vegetables!

Question of the Week:

Sandy asks via email:

How do you get Big-O and Lil-O to eat vegetables?

Instead of answering this question myself, I ask my kids how I do it. (Spoiler: The Double-Os reveal that they have no choice but to eat their mother’s cooking.)

Ciao for now!

Thanks for listening—and if you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

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Today’s episode is a special one, and not just because we taped most of it on a handheld recorder on location in our rental house in Austin, Texas. Listen in as we chat about our trip to Austin and interview our good friend and housemate, Chef Gregory Gourdet, the runner-up in this latest season of Top Chef on Bravo! We’ll also gab about some of our favorite eats of this trip, and my pal Dr. Emily Deans pops in to help answer the Question of the Week, too. So listen up, y’all—and you might just find out which Spice Girl Gregory identifies with!

Show Notes & Links for Episode 3:

What We Ate:

While vacationing in Austin, I ate a lot of great barbecue and gluten-free, Paleo-friendly “fun stuff.” Specifically, I had a memorable meal at Picnik Austin, where I basically bought one of everything. To beat the heat while the rest of the house was at Paleo f(x), Henry and the kids enjoyed a movie and gluten-free eats in the dark at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.

• You should definitely grab an iced butter coffee at Picnik Austin and lots of other yummy Paleo-friendly eats.
• If you’re looking to eat well at the movies, head to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
• When in San Francisco, eat at my place for favorite dinner and a movie, Foreign Cinema.

Main Course:

The bulk of today’s episode is a dining room INTERROGATION of our friend Chef Gregory Gourdet. GG’s a fascinating fellow because under his humble exterior lurks a trendsetter, fashionista, Executive Chef, world traveler, ultra runner, hot yoga devotee, and CrossFitter too. And you can see his focus on health in his Portland restaurant, Departure, where guests have the option of delicious gluten-free, vegan, and Paleo menus, in addition to the nightly dinner menu. Plus, he’s won a slew of prestigious awards, including Portland’s Hottest Chef of 2012, Chef of the Year 2013 by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Eater’s 2014 Chef of the Year, and a 2015 James Beard Award semi-finalist for Best Chef Northwest. This year, he became a bona fide celebrity chef when he placed second on the 12th season of Top Chef, Bravo TV’s award-winning cooking competition. 

But more importantly, GG’s a fiercely loyal friend, and we love spending time with him. This past weekend, we cornered him at the dining room table just minutes after he woke up (and well before he even had a chance to eat breakfast), and ambushed him with an interview for this episode. As rookie podcasters, we only had a handheld recorder with us, but hopefully, you won’t mind the extra ambient noise. (We keep it real, people.) Besides, GG’s an incredibly engaging and revealing interview subject. He’s honest about his path to professional cooking, his recovery from addiction, fantastic cooking tips, his flavor of Paleo, all things related to Top Chef, and how he keeps sane with a jam-packed plate. At the end of the interview, Big-O jumps in on the action and peppers GG with a list of rapid-fire questions that range from his last meal on earth to his favorite Spice Girl. We had a ton of fun recording this interview, and hope that you enjoy being a fly on the dining room wall during our laughter-filled conversation. 

 Don’t forget to connect with Gregory via Instagram (@gg30000), Facebook, and Twitter.  And if you find yourself in Portland, you must partake of his fabulous Asian-inspired creations at Departure Restaurant + Lounge.

Crush of the Week:

Big-O reveals that he’s crushing on BookPeople, one of the coolest (and largest) independent bookstores in Austin. Lil-O reveals that he doesn’t love books, but he digs his pack of DC Heroes & Villains playing cards—which he bought at BookPeople instead of, you know, a boring old book.

Question of the Week:

A reader, Natalee, shares in an email:

I became Paleo because of a nine year HORRIBLE struggle with bipolar 1 disease. I was desperate to try anything to help with this…and under the care of a forward thinking amazing psychiatrist, I was able to come off all of my meds and remain stable through food and supplements. And I’m actually better than I’ve EVER been…I have my life and family and marriage back.

All of this to say, I would LOVE to hear how food can help stabilize mental illness. I was literally told by doctors that I would always be on meds…and MANY mentally ill people believe that their lives will always have to be a certain way…because they can’t be fixed.

My friend Dr. Emily Deans, a specialist in evolutionary psychiatry, was hanging out with us at our house in Austin, so I strong-armed her into helping me answer this question.

You can find more of Emily’s articles about food, mood, behavior, and microbiome here. 

 Ciao for now!

Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans!

The post Weekly Meal Plan – 5/1/15 – Converting Oven Recipes appeared first on Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.

A few years ago, my go-to, no-cook meal was typically a ginormous scoop of the latest whole grain organic cereal blend drowned in a lake of 1% milk. The sad bowl of crunchy sludge wasn’t satisfying, nutritious, or delicious, but it was fast and easy. Plus, how in the world could this instant meal of fortified goodness be bad for you?

Fast forward a few years and I’m even busier than before, but I won’t resort to a bowl of cereal as emergency food anymore. Even after a frantic day spent working on refining our new podcast, creating recipes, responding to deadlines, and shuttling the kids around like an over-caffeinated Uber driver, I don’t throw in the towel. Instead, I refer to my collection of no-cook Paleo recipes to get food on the table pronto. Who said you have to turn on the stove or oven to make a meal? Not this lazy mom! 

As long as I keep my fridge and pantry filled with a few essentials, a flavor-packed dinner can be on the table in about 20 minutes or less. Plus, I won’t have any pots and pans to wash at the end of the meal. Remember: don’t overcomplicate things. Quick and easy does the trick!

Here’s what I stock in my fridge and pantry for no-cook meals:

• Leftover roast chicken I normally cook two chickens at a time in a large roasting pan so I can have one leftover for no-cook meals. (I won’t tell anyone if you purchase a rotisserie chicken.)
  
• Canned fish I keep a bunch of salmon and tuna tins in my pantry.
  
• Refrigerated canned crab 
  
• Paleo Mayonnaise If you don’t make your own mayo, Primal Kitchen’s avocado oil mayo is a great alternative to homemade.
  
• Nori sheets and butter lettuce Toasted seaweed and lettuce cups are my favorite tortilla alternative.
  
• Salad greens Toss with oil and vinegar and you’ve got an instant side dish!
  
• Fresh herbs (e.g. chives, cilantro, green onions, Italian parsley, mint) Chop some up and sprinkle on everything!
  
• Spice blends Dash some pep and exoticism onto your dishes!
  
• Acid (e.g. lemon, lime, assorted vinegars) Squeeze on some citrus juice or drizzle your preferred vinegar to instantly brighten any dish.

My Top 10 Fast and Easy No-Cook Paleo Dishes:

Crab & Avocado Temaki

Our family loves sushi, so I make sure to throw a roll-your-own temaki night on a regular basis. If you don’t like crab, just substitute cooked chicken, salmon, or shrimp.

Tuna Avocado Wraps

It doesn’t get any simpler or more satisfying than this dish. After all, avocado is nature’s mayonnaise.

Tonnato Sauce

I know this sauce might sound weird, but it is truly the tastiest on EVERYTHING. Pair it with leftover protein, salad greens, carrot sticks, and you can’t go wrong.

Spicy Salmon Cucumber Bites 

Unexpected last minute guests? Make everyone happy with these crowd-pleasing and elegant appetizers!

Tomato & Basil Salad

Throw this salad together and pair it with roast chicken. Boom! (Yes, this recipe was featured at a bunch of Paleo bars in select Whole Foods Market stores!)

Watermelon & Tomato Gazpacho

This refreshing soup is perfect for muggy summer days. It partners beautifully with chilled pre-cooked shrimp that I pick up at the market.

Chilled Cream of Avocado Soup with Crab

In the mood for a hearty chilled soup? This recipe should be on your to-do list!

Madras Chicken Salad

My kiddos request this chicken salad over all others.

Asian Almond Chicken Salad

Craving peanut sauce? The dressing in this salad will do the trick! 

Lava Flow Ice Pops

True confession: these ice pops are super fast to throw together, but they will take a few hours to set in the freezer. It’ll still be worth the wait—I promise.

For more #nocookpaleo ideas, check out my pal Charissa’s blog. She’s the one who invented the hashtag! Now go forth and feed yourself right in a jiffy.

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

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Ready for another episode of the Nom Nom Paleo Podcast? In the second installment of our family’s show, we delve into all things umami. Join Henry and me as we chat about the history, science, and magical flavor-boosting potential of the fifth taste. We also cover everything from crispy fried eggs with gooey yolks, the wonders of wedding rings made out of silicone, and how we really feel about MSG—and the kids chime in with their Crushes of the Week, too! 

Show Notes & Links for Episode 2: 

What We Ate: 

In this segment, I reminisce about a meal I recently shared with my pal Diana Rodgers at Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, D.C. We enjoyed a fantastic gluten-free meal, and my favorite dish of the evening was the appetizer: wood oven-roasted bone marrow with bacon butter and a pistachio crust. (I’m such a Paleo cliché.) 

• Henry, on the other hand, was excited that his favorite coffee joint, Blue Bottle Coffee, has finally opened up an outpost in our hometown and he won’t have to trek all the way to San Francisco to get a prime cup of java. 

• The roasted bone marrow at Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, D.C. rocks my socks off. 

• Henry digs the bone marrow at Marlowe in San Francisco. Diana Rodgers is my favorite conference spouse. 

• HanaHaus is the new Palo Alto outpost of Blue Bottle Coffee Henry hasn’t read many cookbooks from cover to cover, but The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee is one of them.

•  But I still prefer my occasional jolt of caffeine from Philz Coffee. 

Main Course: 

We spend the bulk of the episode chatting about the wonders of umami and how it’s the guiding force in my kitchen. Henry recounts how his art skills snagged us a seat at an umami-themed dinner cooked by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto twelve years ago. We also discuss the science behind umami, how to utilize it effectively, which foods are naturally high in umami, and our position on MSG. Even though I think umami-rich foods are the bee’s knees, I recognize that they may not be right for everyone.

• Chef Masaharu Morimoto was our gateway to umami. 

• Here’s a peek at me and Henry from twelve years ago, posing with Chef Morimoto in front of Henry’s umami painting. 

• Umami Information Center is a great resource on—what else?—umami. 

• Mission Heirloom is a Paleo-friendly restaurant in Berkeley, California that specializes in low-glutamate dishes. 

• Chef Gregory Gourdet of Departure Restaurant cooks my favorite umami-forward dishes. 

• Red Boat Fish Sauce is the secret weapon in my pantry.  

Here’s a list of the umami-packed recipes I reference in the episode: 

• Garbage Stir-fry 

• Magic Mushroom Powder 

• Slow Cooker Kalua Pig 

• Pressure Cooker Kalua Pig 

• Slow Cooker Cheater Pork Stew 

Crush of the Week: 

Lil-O crushes on his stuffed cat, aptly named Cat. Cat has followed Lil-O everywhere since he was a baby. Big-O reveals that he’s a huge podcast fan, and especially loves episodes of This American Life in which people are sadistic to each other. Me? I can’t remember if my crush of the week is crispy eggs or Twitter. And lastly, Henry loves his silicone wedding band. 

• Here’s Big-O’s favorite episode of This American Life. He also eagerly devours new episodes of Radiolab and Invisibilia. 

• My Twitter exchange with Andy Cohen and the chicken dish I’d serve when he comes over for dinner. (Follow me on Twitter here.) 

•  Both Henry and I love our Qalo rings. 

Question of the week: 

I post pictures of crispy fried eggs on Instagram several times a week and many readers have asked: How do you make crispy eggs with yolks that are still liquid and edges that are crisp, golden brown, and frilled? 

• Here’s my recipe and video for Sunnyside Salad. 

• I fry my crispy eggs in a small Lodge cast iron skillet (affiliate link) and baste them with Michael Ruhlman’s offset spoons. 

• I protect my hands from burns by wearing an Ove glove (or two).  

• I was inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for crispy fried eggs.

•  Follow me on Instagram! 

Thanks for listening! If you have questions for future podcasts, please leave them in the comments below. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our podcast and leave us a review by clicking here! We’re so thrilled that folks are downloading and listening to our show!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans! 

The post Weekly Meal Plan – 4/24/15 – Double a Recipe appeared first on Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.

Whoops! I just realized that I’ve been announcing my upcoming book signings and appearances only in my weekly email newsletter, and not here on my blog. Sorry! (If you want stay in the loop, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter here.) I actually have a few events coming up in the (very) near future, so let me catch you up in a hurry!

PALO ALTO—MY HOMETOWN! Curious about the food writing biz? Or just want to come meet me and a bunch of my awesomest (yes, that is a word) food writer pals? On Wednesday evening, April 22 (just a couple of days away!), I’ll be on a panel with some of my favorite local cookbook authors discussing today’s evolving food media landscape. My co-panelists are my good friends Emma Christensen and Cheryl Sternman Rule, and our moderator is the wonderful Dianne Jacob. Topics include how to write for an increasingly global (and often mobile-based) audience, how to expand one’s reach, and how to marry the tactile pleasures of food with evolving platforms. Food and drinks will be served, and there’ll be ample amounts of mixing and mingling involved! For more deets and to register, peek over here.

AUSTIN! I’ll be back in the heart of Texas for this year’s Paleo f(x) conference, which runs from April 24th to 26th, this Friday through Sunday! My pal Chef Gregory Gourdet (of Top Chef Boston fame) and I will be co-presenting on “Umami: Applying the Art and Science of the Fifth Taste.” Did you know that we’ll be handing out umami-boosting samples from Red Boat Fish Sauce after our talk? On Sunday, I’ll be doing a book signing and then a cooking demo with my friend Diana Rodgers. Register here to attend. Even if you can’t attend, you can watch our presentation for free(!) by signing up here.

SAN FRANCISCO! On Tuesday, May 5, at 12:30 pm, Dallas and Melissa Hartwig will be stopping by Book Passage in the San Francisco Ferry Building to promote their brand new tome, The Whole30—and I’ll be joining them to moderate a Q&A. I’ll sign books, too! Head over here to RSVP!

I’ve got a few more local appearances in the pipeline, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated once the details are firmed up. I’m looking forward to meeting you at these events!

Lastly, I have a small request: Can you vote for our iPad app in the 2015 Webby Awards? We’re currently trailing waaaay behind in 4^th place, and voting ends this Thursday at 11:59 pm PST! It’ll be hard to overcome the PR power of the other contenders up for the honor, but I’m not throwing in the towel just yet! Support our mom and pop business and vote by clicking here! Thank you!

Looking for more recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my Webby Award-winning iPad® app, and in my James Beard Award nominated cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans!

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