Send in the Mmmm's

It's been a while since I've made a post, and I'm real sorry about that, but you'll understand once you see this...

Yup, my kitchen. Well, the whole floor including living room and dining room - but basically I haven't cooked in over a month. I made a real valiant effort in the first week to do some grilling, but prepping food and cleaning up in your bathroom gets old real fast.

The project has definitely advanced further along since I snapped this photo, but I still don't have a stove or dishwasher hooked up, so no cooking for me.

I thought I'd share this cool article from Buzzfeed about Paleo, though:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/how-to-go-paleo#.ieAkGq5YB

Promise I'll be back soon - and fall recipes are my favorite!

Dirty Dozen (Plus) & Clean 15 2015

Source: http://www.ewg.org/

Did you know that 64% of produce samples analyzed tested positive for pesticide residue of at least one or more different types of pesticides? EVEN IF YOU WASH OR (IN CERTAIN CASES) PEEL IT!?!?!

Every year I share the Environmental Working Group's findings for the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15.(I know, I skimped on you in 2014 but to be fair I was focused on moving into my new house. Sorry.)

Let's face it, buying organic can be tough on the budget. That's why I really appreciate the Dirty Dozen list, because it gives you the 12 fruits and vegetables that test for the highest amounts of pesticide residues that are harmful to the human body. So maybe you want to prioritize the organic option of these foods where your budget allows.

Conversely, the Clean 15 are the 15 fruits and veggies with the lowest pesticide residue levels. So you can buy these traditionally-farmed with little worry.

Whatever you decide, at the end of the day it is important to get a balanced and healthy diet. If you cannot get organic foods in your location, or you just cannot afford them, it may be better to still eat some of these traditionally-farmed foods over avoiding them completely. That's a personal decision every individual has to make, so I hope I've given you the start of the information you need in order to make that choice. I recommend reading the Environmental Working Group's website for more information.

See previous lists:
2013's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15
2012's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15
2011's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

How to: Make Chicken Stock (Clean - Free - Healthy!)

Ok - question one. What the heck is the difference between stock and broth? 

We tend to use the terms interchangeably, but they are definitely not the same thing. Stock is made from the bones and cartilage of the animal, while broth is typically made from the meat. Both have their uses, and only in certain recipes would you really tell a difference. I personally appreciate stock a bit more - especially where it takes center stage like in a chicken soup. For me, taste-wise the flavor is deeper, and health-wise the benefits are immense. Just do an internet search on the health benefits of "bone broth" and there you go.

The big difference you will note is that stock will generally be darker, richer, and thicker. Because of all the gelatin released by the bones, it can also turn into a jelly-like consistency when cooled. 

Now, there are many ways to make stock, and it is a recipe that is truly ageless as humans have been making stock from the bones of animals for thousands of years. This method is what I call "Garbage Stock". I didn't put that in the title because you might have gone ewwww and not have clicked on it. But I call it garbage stock because I make it from the unwanted or inedible leftovers and scraps in my kitchen. This is great for those of us on a budget, because it costs little to no money to make.

Take this chicken carcass, for example. We ate a roast chicken, and I tossed the picked-clean carcass in a freezer bag and left it in my freezer. I also made roasted bone-in chicken thighs for dinner one night and saved all the bones. Sometimes we're lazy and buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. And guess what... that carcass goes into the freezer as well!

I also save vegetable scraps - onion ends, bases or tops of celery, etc. Sometimes there's a bag of carrots in the fridge that has seen better days and rather than throw it away, I add it to my stash in the freezer. Same thing if you have some veggies getting a little droopy or leftover fresh herbs that are about to turn bad. Don't ever throw food away! In this way we can reduce our waste and save ourselves money. You'll be cobbling together the future building blocks of this delicious and healthy stock essentially for free.

Onion ends, celery base - better to go
in the stock pot than the garbage!

Just keep a stash in the freezer, and toss it
in the pot when you're ready to make stock.
If you don't have enough, just supplement with some fresh veggies.

So what goes into the stock? Generally I get 2-3 carcasses at a time, toss in my frozen veggie pieces I've squirreled away and supplement with some fresh veggies/herbs as needed. Then I cover it all with cold water and simmer the crap out of it all day. I choose not to add salt and pepper to the pot as I'll add them to whatever recipe later on that the stock is used for.

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken carcasses (or bones, or chicken feet!)
• 1TBSP white or apple cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves and other assorted fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, etc.
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 ribs of celery, cut in large pieces
• 2 carrots, cut in large pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, whole

1. Add the carcasses/bones to the pot and toss in the veggies and herbs. Add the vinegar. This will help draw the nutrients out of the bones. There is no exact science to how many veggies you need versus bones. And you can add whatever veggies you have lying about in your fridge. Just be mindful of using anything with too strong of a taste in large quantities (e.g. fennel, sundried tomatoes, etc). You don't want it to overpower your stock.
2. Cover everything in the pot with cold water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Once boiling, lower the heat to simmer and let it go for at least 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Fat and yucky stuff will float to the top. You can skim it off, if desired.
4. Once done simmering, strain the contents through a colander or mesh sieve covered with cheesecloth. Discard the solids.
5. Place the stock in a container(s) in the fridge overnight. Skim the congealed fat off the top in the morning. 
6. Store by refrigerating, freezing, or canning.

Sometimes I like to use chicken feet for my bones.
They're super cheap and you get the BEST stock out of them.

Scrub 'em well, and if there are any yucky patches, cut that
part off  with your kitchen shears.

To get all that gelatin to come out of the feet,
snip off the toes at the first knuckle with your shears.

Luckily, my feet come pre-prepped with that yucky
yellow outer membrane already blanched off.

I also buy a pack of chicken backs and cut off the fat,
then add in whatever carcasses I have sitting in the freezer.
Then I'll add all the veggies and stuff.

Grammie's big aluminum saucepot makes another appearance...

While simmering, fat and other yucky stuff will accumulate along the top. You can
skim it off as you simmer, or much of it will come out when strained
through cheesecloth Otherwise, the fat will congeal on the top when
refrigerated and you can scrape it off the next day.
You could also leave this in the slow cooker on low overnight!

Skimming off the congealed fat - YUCK!

Getting down to that beautiful gelatinous stock.

You can freeze this stock, refrigerate it, can it, etc. You could also
freeze some in an ice cube tray in approximate 1 Tbsp proportions.
Once the cubes freeze, pop them in a freezer bag and take them out
to flavor your recipes when only a small amount of stock is needed.

On the left is homemade stock, middle is my favorite store-bought brand,
and on the right is one of the most popular brands of chicken broth in the US.
You can see the stocks are a much deeper/richer color. I prefer stock to broth.

You could heat up a mug of stock on a brisk day and
season lightly with some salt, pepper, maybe some
dried herbs. Delicious and healthy!

Cornish Game Hens (No Oil & No Sticking!)

Would you believe me if I said you could cook these little Cornish game hens (or even a full size chicken) directly on a pan with no added oil or butter? Why so skeptical? It's not like you have to rub them down with unicorn blood or anything. Even a novice chef can learn this secret (but simple) method for cooking poultry without added fat. I was first introduced to this method by Chef Paul and Chef Sui Lon of the Miette Culinary Studio in NYC during a team-building cooking class my office hosted. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I might not have believed it either. I was determined to repeat the experiment in my own kitchen and voila - worked like a charm!

Now, I used my cast iron pan because I don't think it gets enough love, but at the cooking class we used a stainless steel roasting pan. Either would work fine. Keep reading to learn the secret!

Ingredients: 

• 2 Cornish game hens
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 4 sprigs sage
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 1/4 of a whole lemon (sliced lengthwise into two wedges)
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika

1. Preheat oven to 375F. When it comes to temperature, place your empty cast iron skillet or stainless steel roasting pan on a middle rack and let heat for at least 20 minutes.
2. Prepare your hens by removing any package of giblets from inside the cavity and patting them dry with paper towels.
3. Split all the fresh herbs evenly in two piles and group together to form little bouquet garnis. No need to tie with string.
4. Stuff the inner cavities of each hen with two garlic cloves, one small lemon wedge, and one of the herb bouquets. There should still be a little wiggle room inside so that the hen will cook completely through. If there isn't, your lemon might still be too big.
5. Sprinkle the outside of the hens generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika and rub the spices into the skin with your hands. The bird should be covered on all sides. Set aside on a plate (or this can be done the night before and stored in the fridge).
6. AND NOW FOR THE BIG SECRET! When the pan in the oven has had at least 20 minutes to heat up, you're going to dry the crap out of the bottoms of each hen by wiping vigorously with paper towels. This is not the tentative patting of meat, this is a full on RUB DOWN. The bottoms of the hens must be COMPLETELY DRY or you risk them sticking to the pan. Rub those babies hard. Don't worry about rubbing off the seasoning, remember, this is just the bottom of the hen you're wiping. Once you are CERTAIN they are dry you're going to quickly remove the hot pan from the oven and place the hens inside (bottoms down, breast-side up). They should make a loud sizzling sound the minute they touch the hot pan. You may be tempted to lift them to see if they have stuck. Don't. Leave 'em alone and quickly get that pan back in the oven. This whole process should take less than 30 seconds from the moment the pan comes out of the oven.
7. Let the hens roast in the oven for 45 minutes. If you're unsure if the hens are done, test the meaty part of the thigh with a meat thermometer to verify they've reached at least 165F. Or slice through the thigh and ensure the meat is cooked through and juices run clear. If you have a reliable oven, though, 45 min should be sufficient.
8. Let the meat rest at least 10min before carving/serving. You can serve 1 whole hen per person, or take some sharp kitchen shears and cut clear through the back bones and breast bones to serve one half chicken per person (after removing the stuffing).
9. Tip: If you want to cook a large amount of hens at once, follow the same method and still cook for 45 minutes. If you have more than one pan, though, rotate the pans (which is on top versus which is on bottom) every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.

We fancy, huh!

This is all you need to stuff two hens. Remember to keep the lemon wedges small.

Hello ladies

Rub the crap outta them to get all the water off. If you think you are rubbing hard, rub harder.

QUICKLY get them into the hot pan...

...and back in the oven.

So... beautiful... should have sent a poet...

See - no sticking!

You can easily cut down the front and back of each hen to create
individual half-portions to serve laying on their side on the plate.

Or serve whole!

Paleo Snack Packs

Having healthy and readily available snacks for those impromptu cravings is the best way to avoid falling off the Paleo wagon. I put together these little Paleo snack packs on a Sunday that will last me the entire week. I make little containers of fruit/hard-boiled eggs for my breakfast at work, baggies of fresh raw veggies for a snack as well as baggies of raisins and nuts. It's such a simple thing, but it really does help - especially when you suddenly have a craving and want something immediately. It's such a relief to be able to just grab one of these baggies out of the pantry or fridge and go to town. These little snack-sized baggies are perfect for portion control so you don't eat an entire tub of raisins in one sitting. I am constantly changing up the food content of my snack packs so I don't get bored - feel free to try it for yourself and experiment with some of your favorite foods!

Breakfast Pack (examples)

Fruits

• Cherries
• Grapes

When spring and summer roll around, I LOVE getting farm fresh berries (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, etc) and mixing it up.

Eggs

My Egg Muffins travel really well and re-heat easily.

When I'm in the mood for hard-boiled eggs, I will typically boil an entire carton and store them in the fridge (labelled boldly, of course). Then I just take what I need each morning in a separate baggie or container. If you want to store your cooked eggs with raw ones, you can write directly on the shells of the eggs with a magic marker.

Veggie Pack (example)

• Sugar Snap Peas
• Grape Tomatoes
• Sliced Bell Pepper

Dry Fruit and Nut Pack (example)

• Raisins
• Dry Roasted, Lightly Salted Cashews

They all fit perfectly in the meat drawer in the fridge.

What fun combinations can you come up with???

Dirty Dozen / Clean 15 (2013)

It's that time of year again! The Environmental Working Group published the findings for the 2013 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15.

The below are in no particular order, and you'll notice the Dirty Dozen once again has a "plus category" for crops that did not meet traditional Dirty Dozen criteria but were commonly contaminated with pesticides exceptionally toxic to the nervous system.

If you're new to this, what does it mean and why do you need to know this? Well, the Dirty Dozen are the 12 fruits and vegetables that test for the highest amounts of pesticide residues that are harmful to the human body. It is recommended to purchase these as "organic" where possible to avoid such residue from traditionally-farmed crops. Will you drop dead if you eat it anyway? Nope. And many times, the benefits of eating the fruit and veggie outweigh the risk of it having pesticide residue. Just ensure if you do purchase an item off the Dirty Dozen list that isn't organic that you thoroughly wash it prior to consumption.

Conversely, the Clean 15 are the 15 fruits and veggies with the lowest traces of pesticide residue. Unless you prefer the taste or have the bucks to spend on it, no need to purchase these babies as organic. Good to know when you're working on a tight food budget.

Here are my posts from previous years in case you want to read more about how I use these lists for my own family.
2012's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15
2011's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

How to Dispose of Grease and Oil the Safe Way

We may not always stop to think that when we finish preparing a meal and wash our unused oil or grease down the drain we may actually be causing damage to the environment. Did you know that fats, oils, and greases that are put down the drains accumulate in the sewers and congeal - sometimes causing blockages? Well, when this happens, it reduces the amount of sewage that can be processed and that endangers our fresh water and our beaches. No one wants raw sewage overflowing into rivers and beaches, or worse - our own homes!

Just look at this gross, stopped-up sewer! Kind of reminds you of a clogged artery, no?

And no amount of "grease cutting" dish soap is going to help combat this problem. All that will do is clean your pots and pans and wash the grease down the drain faster.

I wonder how much of this used to be bacon grease?

So what's the bottom line? Don't put your grease down the drain!

But what's the best way to get rid of fats, oils and greases if you can't put them down the kitchen drain or flush them down the toilet? You should send it out with the trash. I don't recommend you pour boiling hot grease into your garbage can, so how can you take that liquid and dispose of it with your solids?

Keep an empty container under the kitchen sink to collect wasted fat, oil, and grease. I save glass jars from coconut oil, capers, pickles - even candles! My mother used to use old coffee cans.

After the oil or grease cools slightly, I pour it directly into the jar and re-seal it. I stay away from plastic as I am impatient and do put warm liquids in there and wouldn't want to melt it. (But really, plastic that is not recyclable is probably the best because it was headed to the landfill anyway.) I also made the mistake one day of not letting it cool enough and CRACK! I busted the glass jar. Thankfully I didn't hurt myself, but that was a close call. Don't make the same mistake that I did.

Let's make sure that mother nature doesn't pay the price for your bacon habit.

Whatever container you use, there should be some absorbent material inside to help soak that oil/grease up so it doesn't remain in liquid form. I typically use paper towels that are left over from cleaning, but other ideas are used coffee grounds, clean kitty litter, newspapers, coffee filters, even dirt from outside. As your grease builds up, just add more absorbent material until your container is full. Then toss it out with your household trash.

Big puddles of oil or grease are pretty obvious no-no's for dumping, but we also need to be wary of salad dressings, Paleo mayo that has passed its prime, oil-based meat gravy or meat drippings, etc. There is also grease residue left in your pan after cooking with oils.When I have some fat residue left in a frying pan, I'll wipe the pan out with a dry paper towel to soak up the grease and put the entire paper towel into the grease jar.

Thanks for helping keep our water supply clean!

Dirty Dozen / Clean 15 (2012)

About this time last year, I shared with you 2011's Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 and how I integrate this list into my Paleo shopping. There have been subtle changes to the 2012 list as you can see below. (click to enlarge)

The Dirty Dozen are the 12 fruits and veggies that test for the highest levels of pesticide residue, so it is recommended you buy these as organic to minimize the amount of pesticides you may ingest. The testing is conducted by the Environmental Working Group. In 2012, they have added two to the list that may contain pesticide residue of special concern, hence the "plus".

Conversely, the Clean 15 are the fruits and veggies that have the lowest levels of pesticide residue. Why is it important to you? Well, buying organic can become EXPENSIVE. Not everyone can participate in a farm share or go to a local farmer's market and haggle a deal. Unless there is a sale, I feel perfectly comfortable buying the Clean 15 as non-organic.

I want to note that the Dirty Dozen is merely a recommendation. Adapt it how you wish. I, for example, can't seem to find organic kale anywhere. I think it is much more beneficial to eat the non-organic kale (washing it extremely well, of course) than to eliminate it from my diet for a bit of pesticide residue. I am comfortable with this decision and feel the health benefits of eating the kale outweigh the risk of the pesticides. I don't want to cut off my nose to spite my face.

So I hope this helps you make those tough decisions in the grocery store and I applaud you all for taking responsibility for what you put into your bodies. After all, "the food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” -Dr. Ann Wigmore

Happy Shopping!