PaleOy-Vey

Elise,

                As you know from my endless stream of whingey texts, I have been following the Paleo eating plan for a little over a week now. To be completely accurate, I’ve been following the Primal plan. Primal allows for some dairy—whole milk, plain yogurt—while Paleo takes a hard No-Dairy line. Unless you want to be Lacto Paleo, “And Bingo was his Name-o.” I don’t think so. (Primal is actually an entire lifestyle with recommendations for sleep, “lots and in the dark,” exercise, “pushups are the perfect primal exercise” and sun exposure, “you need your Vitamin D.”)

                The Primal nutrition guidelines are; no grains, no legumes, no sugar, no processed foods and no potatoes.  His Lordship’s first comment was, “The ‘don’t eat’ list is too long.”

                Paleo or Primal people swap recipes, (meat crust quiche, anyone?), add bacon to everything, (why wouldn’t Asian slaw be better with bacon?) and invent creative substitutions. Shredded cauliflower is rice. Shredded cauliflower with almond meal makes grits. And you can just imagine all the places they try to tuck spaghetti squash. 

                The problem with these substitutions is that color and shape, do not a starch make. What is satisfying about rice is the way it soaks up the sauce. Shredded cauliflower just floats around in the sauce, like one more vegetable, albeit one you have taken the time to chop finer than confetti.  Spaghetti squash will not wrap around a fork or hold up to the tossing necessary for a good carbonade. Not that you can have the cheese anyway.

                I have developed a fondness for stewed fruit. I have discovered cashew butter. I learned that scrambled eggs cooked with olive oil are disgusting. I learned I am not a vegetables-for-breakfast person.

                I miss honey and chocolate, but you know what that’s like having gone without sugar, and in December! This would be a challenge on par with climbing K2 in high heels if it were December.

                The only time I miss toast is when I have eaten a banana with cashew butter, an orange, 3 scrambled eggs, a handful of almonds and 5 prunes and I’m still hungry. And that only happens once a day.

                Love, Margaret

Egg “Muffins”

Adapted from Paleo Comfort Foods  by Julie and Charles Mayfield

·         ½ onion, finely chopped

·         1 red pepper, finely chopped

·         8 oz chorizo or another sausage or even bacon, diced

·         6 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.

Saute chorizo in a medium hot pan until browned. Turn the heat down and add the onion and pepper. Cook until softened and then set aside and allow this to cool slightly.

Whisk the eggs.

Spray 6 large muffin cups or small ramekins with oil.

Add the sausage onion mixture to the eggs, stir to combine and pour into the muffin cups. Don’t fill all the way.

Bake for 15 minutes, maybe longer. The muffins will puff up and rise above the top of their cups when done. Wait for this or the centers will still be runny.