Hunter Gatherer Stew

Autumn, hunting season and belly-filling foods seem to go together perfectly. Today's recipe is hearty, paleo-friendly and doesn't have too many ingredients. Throw it all together, simmer, and you have a hot dinner with protein, vegetables and the surprising burst of blueberry.

Yes, I said blueberry. And what an excellent way to get your antioxidants too. When the weather starts to change, for some reason we tend to consume less fruits and vegetables, and instead gravitate more towards heavy meats, gravies, potatoes and carbs. Not that there is anything wrong with any of the aforementioned foods, but a diet that is lacking in variety is a diet lacking in vitamins. It is important to incorporate as many different plant varieties into our cooking, all the year round.

Not only is the blueberry important nutritionally, but the sweet flavor mingles with the savory  in this recipe making for a complex, delicious stew. (If I do say so, myself.)

Gather:
2 lbs cubed beef (or meat of choice. Lean beef is best for the recipe though)
2 handfuls fresh blueberries (frozen is okay too, just make sure they are thawed)
1 tsp of butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
Salt + pepper + oregano + garlic to taste
2 cups baby carrots, sliced in half lengthwise
1 large onion, sliced
1 bunch of celery, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
Optional: beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.

Method:
1. Brown beef in skillet with coconut oil, simmer on medium with onions until onions are soft.
2. Add seasonings, carrots, celery, 1/2 cup of red wine, a splash of worcestershire sauce and  enough water (or beef broth) to mostly cover the meat and carrots.
3. Stew for 30 mins on medium heat
4. In the final 10 minutes, add berries with butter.
5. When carrots are cooked to fork tender, serve.

This recipe is quick while still tasting like a meal that's been stewing for hours. The flavor is rich and varied...perfect for fall.

Enjoy, and see you back here next week for another Autumn recipe to keep your fitness goals on track.

Glazed Pork and Fresh Plums

Mid-June already? Where has the time gone?! But with this warm weather, we have a lot of fresh fruit in season that is perfect for some summer cooking. Not the least of which is today's delicious recipe, Pork and Plums.

This recipe could also be made with chicken, but if you're bored of chicken and beef, pork can be a nice alternative and in this recipe, easy to prepare. 

Make this for dinner or bring this to your next summer get-together. It's a guaranteed hit, as pork is lovely when paired with fruit, and plums are so IN this season. 

Glazed Pork and Plums

Ingredients:

1 lb pork tenderloin, pounded thin

1 tbsp Coarse Salt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp coconut oil

4 plums, cut into wedges

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Method:

Slice pork tenderloin, and season with salt. Brown pork in olive oil and butter over medium-high heat, and remove. Saute plums and red onion over medium heat. Add vinegar, and stir until bubbling. Return pork to pan, and toss. 

Serve warm over rice blend.

Everything-in-the-Pantry Dinner

Sometimes we just have days where we need something tasty, something healthy...and we just have a bunch of weird ingredients laying around. This was the birth of this recipe.

This recipe is gluten free, paleo, dairy free.... and FULL of protein. It takes about 15 minutes from pan to plate, and it's delicious, the perfect post-workout dinner.  It's nice to spend a little time making and cooking a recipe that has pizzazz, but sometimes, we just need to eat, and eat quick. So instead of  calling for pizza or digging into some microwave burritos, throw this together (literally) and you'll have a dinner that satisfies and doesn't waste your time (and that uses up that can of diced tomatoes that has been sitting in your cupboard for a year).

Everything in the Pantry Dinner
Gather:
1lb. lean ground turkey or lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 15oz can of diced tomatoes
3 tbsps Tabasco, Frank's Red Hot, or Hot sauce of choice (you can add more or less, up to you!)
Salt and pepper to taste
1tbsp oil
Avocado, mashed

Method:
1. Heat ground meat, onion salt and pepper and oil in a pan until meat is cooked through and onion is soft.
2. Add hot sauce and tomatoes and allow mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt/pepper/hot sauce if desired
3. Mix in mashed avocado when serving, mix well.

The avocados give this a creamy, dreamy texture that will make you forget all about cheese and sour cream! This can be made ahead for the week, (although avocados should be cut just before eating) or just made when needed for a quick dinner. If you're not keen on a paleo diet, and you want to add more protein, try adding half a can of black beans, or serve mixture in warm corn tortillas.

Eating healthy isn't hard, just make sure to be prepared!

See you back here next week for another delicious, healthy recipe to help you reach your fitness goals.