Barefoot Girevik

Over the past couple weeks a winter cold has been making the rounds in our house.  The best remedy for a cold is homemade chicken soup.  There have actually been studies done on this and they show that the homemade kind with vegetables works the best.  Every time I roast a chicken or turkey I boil the carcass with some veggies and pop the strained broth into the freezer so that I always have it on hand for a quick meal.  Make sure you pull all the little pieces of meat off the carcass though and put that in the broth before freezing.                                                                      Ingredients: 12 cups homemade chicken broth with meat 5 stalks celery chopped (leaves too) 2 cups baby carrots sliced 3 cloves garlic diced 1 yellow onion chopped 1 cup chopped mushrooms 2 bay leaves 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 cup frozen spinach or 2 cups fresh Meatballs: 1 lb ground chicken or turkey 1/4 cup flaxseed meal 1 egg Sea salt and fresh

This one was very easy for me, I have a great recipe from my mom who got it from my grandma and so on.  All I had to do was change a few ingredients to make a great pumpkin custard "pie" (crustless).  I found a few good paleo pie crust recipes in books and have taken a few ideas from several different ones.  I tweaked them until about 5 pies later I came up with a good one.                                                            Crust Ingredients: 1/4 cup coconut flour 1/4 cup flaxseed meal 1/2 cup almond meal/flour 1 cup pecans (processed until flour like texture) 1/4 cup coconut oil (needs to be at room temp. so that it mixes easily) Sea salt to taste (just a pinch is more than enough) 1 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 1 tbsp water (this is an egg substitute to help hold it all together) Pumpkin filling: 1 egg + 2 egg whites 2/3 cup unsweetened Almond milk 1/2 cup maple syrup 1 small can pumpkin puree 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp ginger (fresh ground ginge

One of the things that I really miss with a Paleo diet is a chunk of warm brown bread with Sunday dinner or a winter stew.  My husband misses sandwiches as that is is easy go to lunch when I'm not home.  It took me some trial and error but I think I have come up with one that tastes very similar to my old recipe for quick brown bread. Ingredients: 2/3 cup flax meal 1/3 cup amaranth flour Sea salt to taste 1 tsp baking powder 3 tsp avocado oil 1 egg plus 2 egg whites Approx 1/4 cup water How To: 1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Prepare a loaf pan by lining with parchment paper. 3. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bow. 4. In another bowl mix egg and egg whites together with avocado oil. 5. Add the egg and oil mixture to the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. 6. Add just enough water that the batter will pour slowly into your loaf pan. 7. Cook for 20 - 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumb

Sunday in our house is usually a day for a big dinner.  We are all home at dinner time for a change so we can actually sit together like a real family and talk.  Yesterday was no different.  I had a duck in my freezer just waiting to be cooked so I thawed it in the fridge over the weekend and planned a special Sunday dinner for my family.  I have never cooked duck before so I wasn't sure exactly how to approach it.  I have cooked several turkeys in my lifetime so I took a turkey approach to the bird.  I have a recipe for paleo stuffing that I love but it has raisins and apples which are not ok for paleo induction and my husband is not a fan of fruit in his stuffing so I adapted it to fit our needs. Ingredients: 1 whole duck (ours was about 4 lbs) Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Poultry seasoning (1 tsp for dressing + sprinkle for the bird) 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 yellow onion chopped 5 stalks celery chopped (leaves too) 1 cup chopped mushrooms Chopped liver

It is nearing the end of January and we are now 2 weeks into the Paleo Challenge that some of us started on January 10.  I have done the challenge before and I have been eating a Paleo diet since October but over Christmas I allowed myself some cheats.  Some of the goodies and homemade fresh rolls were just too good to resist and the box of chocolates that my seniors aquafit class gave me was best before January 21st.  I keep saying "some cheats" when in reality, looking back it was a lot of junk.  Since I have a few clients and family members trying the 30 day challenge I decided that to do it with them was the best way to get back on track.  Anyone who has done a 30 day Paleo challenge before knows first hand that the 2nd week of the challenge is the most difficult.  I have even heard it referred to as "Hell week".  When you eat bread and pasta and sugary foods they all go to the same "happy receptors" in the brain as alcohol and nicotene and other add

I tried this for supper last night and it was amazing.  I knew that the chicken was marinated in coconut milk and Thai spices so I put together seasonings that I thought complimented each other nicely. Ingredients: 4-5 large chicken breasts cubed 3 green onions sliced (white and light green parts only - save the dark green for garnish or for the veggies) 4 cloves of garlic diced 2 tsp Sambal Oelek or 2 red chili's seeded and chopped 1 thumb sized piece of fresh Ginger grated or finely chopped* 2 tsp dried coriander 2 tsp oil (I used avocado) 1 Tbsp low sodium tamari 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup water How to: 1.  Cube the chicken and set aside in a large bowl (preferably one with a lid) 2.  Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken, reserving approx 1.4 cup for basting.  Put the bowl in the fridge for 1-2 hours to marinate (or for really intense flavour do this the night before and let it sit until you are ready for it). 3. If yo

I love Peanut Sauce with Thai food but peanuts are a legume so they are a No if you are following a Paleo Diet.  I came up with my own version that works with Paleo and tastes just as good. Ingredients: 1/2 cup Almond Butter or Tahini 1 Tbsp Tamari (wheat free soy sauce) 1 large clove of garlic diced 1 tsp Sambal Oelek (chili paste) or some dried red chili flakes mixed with lemon juice. 2 tsp fresh ginger grated 1/8 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp flax seed oil 1/4 cup coconut milk How to: 1.  Mix together the first 8 ingredients to a nice creamy texture. 2.  Add the coconut milk a bit at a time stirring after each addition to desired consistency.  If it is still too thick add a bit more coconut milk or water. 3.  Cover and let sit until the rest of the meal is ready to allow the flavours to blend.  Cover and refrigerate any left overs. Serve this sauce with spicy Thai dishes such as Chicken Satay  with Steamed Veggies.

This recipe is a favourite in my house.  It uses sauerkraut and it would be best to make your own (no vinegar) but in a pinch I find that the Safeway brand canned stuff is the best.  It has the lowest sodium and no vinegar.  It makes enough for a family of 4 with left overs for lunch. My version of Polish Stew: INGREDIENTS: 1/2 lb good quality bacon chopped 3 pork tenderloin trimmed and cubed 4 cups (2 cans) sauerkraut 2 cups water 1 onion diced 3 cloves garlic diced 4 large carrots sliced 1 can no salt added tomato sauce or 3-4 med tomatoes pureed 2 bay leaves 1-2 tsp dried parsley Fresh ground black pepper to taste. How to: 1. Put the sauerkraut and water into a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Turn down and let simmer until you need it. 2. Brown the bacon in a skillet over med. high heat.  Drain and set aside in a bowl lined with paper towel. 3. In the same skillet brown the cubed tenderloin with onion and garlic.  (alternatively you can scramble the onion, garl

AGATSU and the Academy of Lions have teamed up to challenge our nutrition once again.  The challenge is 30 days of Paleo.  I did the challenge in October and have completely changed the way I eat since then.  I have read some great books as I mentioned in an earlier post on the Paleo Diet and I am convinced that this is the way to go.  I have a few clients trying the challenge this month so I will have results for you in February.  In the meantime I have a great Paleo recipe for you to try.  I quite often will cook a meal just by throwing together what I have on hand and need to get rid of.  Sometimes it works, others not so much.  This one was a hit and is so good for a cold day. Stew INGREDIENTS: 1lb lean beef, trimmed and cubed 4 stalks of celery chopped (leaves too) 3 large carrots chopped 3 cloves of garlic minced 8 cups water (or for a bit of added flavor split half and half with beef stock) 1 cup frozen peas 1 large can of chopped tomatoes (the ones with no salt added) 2 bay l

Happy New Year everyone!  I am not a fan of New Years resolutions. The problem with once a year goals is that there is nothing backing it.  You have no incentive to stick with it and follow it through.  Working in a fitness facility I see this every year.  The first week of January we suddenly have a huge increase in guests.  By the end of January the numbers start to dwindle and by mid-february they are all gone and we are back to our regular guests. If you are dead set on making that resolution (or since it is now January 6th if you already have made a resolution) have a plan.  If you sign up for a registered program, there is more incentive to go because you don't want to waste your hard earned money.  Signing up with a friend is a good idea as well.  You can push each other to get off your butts and get to class and it is a good incentive knowing that your friend will be there and you don't want to let them down.  Some fitness instructors don't allow talking in their cl