Spicy Cocoa Chili

If you are going to eat paleo, you are going to need a lot of protein in your fridge.  Otherwise, you will be constantly cranky.

Mocha Marinated Steak with Peach Salsa and Cauliflower Mash

If you haven't stopped by since last month's chocolate party, you'll notice that things have changed some since the days of double malt ice cream sandwiches.  A Calculated Whisk is going paleo!  It's not a permanent change, but I'm doing a Whole30, and the blog is doing it with me.  So for the rest of August, you'll find more healthy recipes with fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, and seafood, but no grains, sugar, sweeteners, legumes, soy, milk, or processed food.  Desserts (at least paleo ones, which can still be impressively delicious!) will return in the fall.

Veggie Hash & Eggs

This morning when I woke up, I wanted to do something a little different with my eggs.  When I saw the vegetables we had in the fridge (asparagus and Brussels sprouts), I started to wonder why some vegetables are a common find at breakfast time, while some are not.  Mushrooms, peppers, and onions are often seen as omelette fillings, but Brussels sprouts not so much.

Wheat Berry Salad with Pine Nuts, Raisins, and Pickled Red Onions

Ever since I saw this post on Foodie with Family, I've been wanting to make some pickled red onions.  And, right now I'm really into making healthy grain salads like this one.  I noticed a while ago that there was a bag of Bob's Red Mill Organic Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries in my cupboard, which had gone unused until today.

Have you tried wheat berries?  What other fun grains do you like?  Next I'm hoping to try quinoa (I've eaten it but never cooked it myself), barley, and teff.

This salad takes a little bit of work in advance, but is easy to put together and so worth it!  We topped ours with grilled shrimp for a delicious and nutritious summer dinner.

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

For the pickled red onions (from this recipe on Foodie with Family):

1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the salad:

1 1/2 cups uncooked wheat berries (or 3 cups cooked wheat berries)
1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra to taste
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup raisins, plumped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey or 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar, or to taste

To make the pickled onions, place the sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl.  Heat the vinegar and salt until boiling, the pour over the onions.  Cover and let sit, stirring every 20 minutes or so, for an hour or more.  When the onions have softened, transfer to a jar and refrigerate until chilled.

Combine the wheatberries, 5 cups of water, and the salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover.  Simmer for an hour or so, until tender.  Drain and set aside.

To toast the pine nuts, place them in a small skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until browned and fragrant, 2-4 minutes.  Don't turn your back on them!

To plump the raisins, place them in a heatproof bowl and pour in boiling water to cover.  Let sit at least 10 minutes, and drain before use.

Combine the wheat berries, pine nuts, raisins, and drained red onions.  Add the balsamic, olive oil, honey or agave, and salt to taste.  Chill until ready to eat.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Garlic and Onions

So, last week I made a caramelized onion risotto that I read about on A Bitchin’ Kitchen.  It was delicious, but not very photogenic.  All I had was red onions, and those are just a fifty bad shades of gray when caramelized.  But, it got me thinking about how I should do more with caramelized onions.  And I decided to throw some garlic in there, too, because I believe everything is better with garlic.  Plus garlic gets nutty and sweet when it’s cooked long enough, and I love that.  The dish had to be pasta, because I don’t like rice that much.  And what else could I think of to make the dish fabulous?  Goat cheese, of course!  Only the best cheese ever.  I threw in some green peas for another sweet flavor, and to add some color to the dish.  I hope you like it!

Ingredients (serves 2-4):

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, halved through the core and thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers

1 cup frozen green peas

1 pound penne or other pasta

2 ounces goat cheese, plus extra for serving

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons milk or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When it is hot, add the garlic and onion and sprinkle some salt on top.  Leave them alone for a few minutes to get the browning process started.  Then, cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, stirring occasionally, until the onions and garlic are a rich golden brown, about 25 minutes.  Add the peas and cook for another five or so minutes, until the peas are bright green and tender.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente and reserve one cup of the cooking water.  Combine the pasta, vegetables, goat cheese, parmesan, and cream or milk.  Toss to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  If the pasta seems too dry, add some of the pasta cooking water until it looks just like you like it. Top with additional crumbled goat cheese and serve hot.