Ah, excuses… gotta love them – actually I do love to hear people’s excuses because whenever I hear them, they give me ideas for blog posts! Also, it makes me think about my own excuses for things and how to overcome them. So yes, keep whining and giving me excuses 🙂
Did you know I’ve been writing a cookbook of sorts? It’s part cookbook, part stategy, part “truth or dare*.” When it’s completed you’ll know… you’ll ALL know. Best part is that it’s got a different slant and a focus on practical real-world ideas, which are especially handy for those of us who get overwhelmed by recipes with giant ingredient lists. And let’s face it, scavenger hunts are fun when it’s a game, but not so fun when you just want some dinner. Anyway, enough with teasing you, I just wanted to let you know what’s in the works. This post is also a litle bit of a “sneak preview” of what’s to come.
So many people (especially my bachelor friends, students, martial artists, entrepreneurs etc.) say that they have a hard time finding the time to cook, and that so many times its just easier to get drive through etc. Of course then there’s always a price – usually in the form of feeling bloated, ill, gaining weight over time, or just feeling like you’ve let yourself down. Here’s a simple way to get around that. Make things PARTIALLY ahead.
As an example, I make sure there’s always a pyrex container of cooked Beyond Organic green fed ground beef crumbles in the fridge. Likewise, bags of frozen Whole Foods 365 brand organic broccoli, cut leaf spinach, and “California mix” in the freezer. There’s usually some pre-cooked (I bake it, see this Squash Week article for the how to) spaghetti squash strands in another container as well. Alternately I have raw shredded butternut squash in a container as well. Also laying around – whatever goat cheese was on sale, or if I haven’t already eaten it all, some of that dangerously good raw milk cheddar or havarti from Beyond Organic**. Many of these ready-to-go ingredients can be tossed together in a single pan, heated and BOOM, Primal meal in a hurry, faster than take out and ready to eat. The other part is, since you’ve pre-prepared these sometimes expensive items, you’re obligated to eat them over the next couple of days or they’ll go bad. Knowing this will also keep your car well away from the drive through lane. Think of it as insurance that you’ll eat the good stuff after all.
So – here’s the example – from last night – AKA Primal “Spag Bowl” for one:
Into a saucepan goes…..
- 2 large tomatos, roughly chopped (or use half a carton of Pomi chopped tomatos – just say no to canned tomatos!)
- 1 Tablespoon very high quality olive oil (I went for extra credit and used the Tuscan herb infused one mentioned on the Top Five Secret Ingredients List)
- Some capers and olives from the fridge (totally optional)
- Dash of sea salt, fresh ground pepper
- Dash of Italian herb blend
- A healthy dose of Sriracha or other hot sauce – optional
- 1/3lb cooked Beyond Organic Green Fed ground beef
- 1/2 spaghetti squash worth of separated strands.
Gently heat, stir and serve when heated through and piping hot. Ridiculously easy.
Alternately, you can make a quick, filling, and totally Primal omelet by starting with 2 bacon slices- brown then remove from the pan, leaving the oil behind. Into the oil goes some pre-chopped minced onion and a fistfull of frozen veggies, and/or pre-chopped butternut squash. Stir and cook until heated through then add 2-3 (big guys might want to add more eggs, its up to you) beaten eggs, sprinkle with bits of cheese if desired and cook until lightly browned on the bottom. If you’re smart and use a cast iron skillet like I do, toss it under the broiler to brown the top and make the cheese bubble. Fast, easy, delicious.
Hope I’ve given you some ideas you can use almost immediately. Forget the excuses – this stuff is easy easy easy, and don’t be afraid to be imaginative with the ingredients, spices etc that you have on hand.
*One of the recipes is named “The Culls of Cthulhu” NO KIDDING.
**Sorry to name drop so much, but this stuff is really really good.
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