Monday, January 24, 2011

A New Way of Doing Things

Tuna fried in Nori Seaweed
Yes, I'm still here...and I have been making interesting meals and even trying out something completly new when it comes to eating.  I'll start with the something completely new.  I have been eating mostly according to the paleolithic diet.  For those of you unfamiliar with the guidelines, here are the "no's": salt, sugar, grains, legumes, processed food.  What do you eat? Vegetables, fruit, meat, and nuts. Think lots of salads, at least in my case. And yams.  Love yams.  The first thing I noticed was how I never really felt thirsty eating this way.  This is probably because normally I love to add salt to everything.  It also continues to be the hardest part of the eating arrangement.  I just think that most foods taste better with salt.  When you eliminate salt (and sugar for that matter) you need to make your own salad dressings and things like ketchup are out. Eating this way becomes a good practice in simplifying your food and consuming more raw foods.

I have waited a while to post about this due to my feelings that much like religion, it is never a good idea to limit yourself to any one belief system.  That being said, following, or at least understanding a belief system, or in this case, a diet (yuck what a lousy word) can give you greater understanding in general, provided you don't become rigid within it.  So, although I really enjoy eating this way, I by no means require myself at anytime to stick with it.  If I want to eat cake or sushi or burritos, then I do.  Eating should be fun!

In this post I wanted to share with you some of the meals that I have made, inspired by the paleolithic eating.  Enjoy!


Salmon, cilantro and toasted almonds with sauteed chard and garlic butternut squash
Salmon is my favorite, favorite, favorite!!!
Although I'm sure vinegar is not paleolithic, I find it makes salads more tasty without any added salt or sugar and I love cooking fish in it!  Above is a picture of some salad dressing I made: equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar with raw pressed garlic.  Mix thoroughly and toss salad. 
Salmon, grated carrot and jicama on mixed greens
Kale and beet salad with toasted pumpkin seeds
Grated potato and yams with egg... making pancakes!  See below:
Yam and potato pancakes
Curry Scrambled eggs with avocado on a bed of sauteed purple kale