April 13, 2015

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 A very crappy, very hastily taken picture of a small portion of the spread we had at Raleigh’s Poole’s Downtown Diner this evening. In short: it was amazing, and the empire 2014 James Beard Award winner Ashley Christensen is building is not only exciting but exactly the kind of passionate, progressive business Raleigh needs – and deserves.

Before having the opportunity to dine at Poole’s, I had already gotten the distinct impression from the interviews I’ve read featuring chef Christensen, that Poole’s (et al) was a restaurant/concept/chef I could get behind and I’m happy to say I was right. Her passion for her adopted home and commitment to the revitalization of Raleigh’s downtown is inspiring, to say the least. 
Poole’s local seasonal fare with a Southern lean feels like a love letter to Raleigh, highlighting what’s good in the Triangle – we had pork dishes, a variety of great greens, the best pimento cheese and chicken liver pate my husband and I had ever eaten, Mac and cheese that has edged out my DH’s as my favorite, and some truly wonderful takes on classic desserts. The staff was obviously excited about where they worked and were knowledgable, friendly and efficient.
The AC Group currently has seven open restaurants ranging from Poole’s Downtown Diner, to Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Chuck’s (burgers), Joule Coffee + Table, Bridge Club (special events), rotating chef space Death & Taxes and Fox Liquor Bar. Aux Kitchen is coming soon.
This same evening, I waddled over to Fox Liquor Bar for after dinner drinks and was made to feel more than welcome by the bartender and server who helped pick the perfect drink(s), despite my being overwhelmed by the menu and so full from dinner that I could barely move.
On this trip, I also visited Joule for a delicious breakfast and the best almond milk I’ve ever had. 
Next time I’ll make sure to book a spot at Death & Taxes and finally try Beasley’s’  chicken & waffles I’ve heard such good things about. 

Primal Chicken Carbonara

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Mmmmmmmm….. carbonara. How I have missed thee.

Carbonara was the very first dish I learned to make – the one dish, according to my mother, that one should always have in her back pocket to be broken out at a moment’s notice. 

Short notice dinner guests and no time to make some sort of roast beast? Carbonara. Need a quick (but better than pizza and beer) way to say ‘thank you’ to the house full of dudes that just helped you move? Carbonara. Want to impress a boy? Carbonara. The in-laws? Carbonara. 

Needless to say, this dish was an absolute favorite growing up and made appearances at my house often.

“My” version has changed over the years – first with fresh ingredients (no more shakey parmesan for me!), then to include veggies (peas, asparagus and spinach are all fantastic), then fresh pasta (to die for), and now a primal version. Not full paleo – I still love a touch of a nice salty cheese (sheep in my case) – but close. 

If you’re squicked out by the raw egg, I’ll tell you what my mother told me over arched eyebrow when I first heard that IwoulddieifIateraweggsandtheworldwouldexplode: You’ll be fine. Rocky didn’t die when he ate all those raw eggs, now did he? You’re much less likely to expire from salmonella than getting hit by a bus.

 

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Gluten-free, primal, paleo-ish 

Primal Chicken Carbonara 

1 spaghetti squash 
4 pieces bacon 
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs 
3 cloves garlic 
1/4 c. flat Italian parsley 
2 Tbsp. pecorino, romano or parmesan (I used sheep) 
1 egg 
Green olives (pimento stuffed is best) 

First, prep and cook your squash to make “noodles”. To prepare, lop off the ends of the squash so it can rest stably on a cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed guts. 

Place cut side down in a shallow dish or bowl, add a few Tablespoons of water, cover, and microwave on High for 14 minutes or until soft. Pull from the microwave and let cool. 

Next, crisp your bacon in your largest skillet over medium heat. 

Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces and chop the garlic. 

When crisp, remove the bacon to paper towels to drain. 

Add the chicken and garlic to the bacon fat in the pan and hit with a big pinch Kosher salt and couple grinds black pepper. Sauté until cooked through. 

While the chicken is working, halve your olives (the quantity varies – I love olives and will happily eat half a cup in mine; my husband doesn’t like them at all and wants nothing to do with them), chop the parsley, and scrape the spaghetti squash out with a fork to form noodles. 

Lightly beat your egg.

When the chicken is cooked through, add the spaghetti squash “noodles” to the pan along with the parsley, cheese, and crumbled bacon. Toss to combine. 

If everyone in your party loves olives, add them; if not, add them to the individual bowls.
 

Remove from the heat and make a well in the middle of the noodles. Add the beaten egg and toss quickly to coat everything – make sure to work quickly to combine and that your pan is off the heat, you don’t want scrambled eggs.

Divvy up and serve. 

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

April 12, 2015

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My handsome, ready-to-crash marathon machine hubby after today’s Rock N Roll Marathon in Raleigh.

  

April 11, 2015

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5k color run at my alma mater – East Carolina University.

  

April 10, 2015

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If the camera wouldn’t have tried its hardest to balance this shot out, you’d see the yellow haze we drove into upon arriving in Raleigh. Thanks, pollen, my sinuses are thrilled.

  

April 9, 2015

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Apparently, I suck at taking pictures this month. Nothing to see here – moving on.

April 8, 2015

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Lynch tastebud blast – Savoy cabbage, dill, garlic, olive, scallion, serrano pepper & pistachio oil salad. My mouth is somewhat on fire, but happy.

  

April 7, 2015

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Nothing to see here, moving on … 

April 6, 2015

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I was conned.

  

Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of March 30 – April 3

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BudgetPaleo

This Week’s Menu

Monday

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Leftover broiled cabbage + leftover avocado chicken burger

Dinner: The hubby worked late, so I had assorted leftovers for dinner

Tuesday

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Primal carbonara (recipe coming soon)

Wednesday

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Leftovers from last night

Dinner: Chicken/asparagus/avocado/hatch chile salsa paleo pizza

Thursday

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Leftover pizza toppings

Dinner: Chicken/bacon/avocado bowl with green beans

Friday

Breakfast: Green smoothie

Lunch: Leftover chicken bowl stuffs from last night

Dinner: Out

Saturday

Breakfast: Out

Lunch: Out

Dinner:

Sunday

Breakfast: Out

Lunch: Out

Dinner: Out

This Week’s Grocery List

Savoy cabbage ($3.29 @ Amazon Fresh)
Organic dill, 0.25 ounces ($0.99 @ Amazon Fresh)

Pimento stuffed green olives, 8 ounces ($3.79 @ Amazon Fresh)

Flat leaf parsley ($1.49 @ Amazon Fresh)

Asparagus ($3.99 @ Amazon Fresh)

Just BARE boneless skinless chicken breasts, 14 ounces ($5.25 @ Amazon Fresh)

Just BARE boneless skinless chicken thighs, 20 ounces ($5.49 @ Amazon Fresh)

Serrano chili, 4 ounces ($1.00 @ Amazon Fresh)

Orange bell pepper ($0.89 @ Amazon Fresh)

Organic broccolini ($2.99 @ Amazon Fresh)

Greenhouse campari tomatoes, 1 lb. ($3.49 @ Amazon Fresh)

Plantain chips, 4 ounces ($1.52 @ Amazon Fresh)

Hatch green chilis, 4 ounces canned ($1.90 @ Amazon Fresh)

Purity Farms ghee, 7.5 ounces ($6.79 @ Amazon Fresh)

Spaghetti squash ($3.05 @ Amazon Fresh)

Garlic, 2 bulbs ($0.96 @ Amazon Fresh)

Organic sweet potatoes, 2 lbs. ($2.46 @ Amazon Fresh)

Diamond pecans, 6 ounces ($5.79 @ Amazon Fresh)

Smoothie Supplies

3 Apples ($2.37 @ Amazon Fresh)
Limes, 1.5 lbs. ($2.77 @ Amazon Fresh)
4 Avocados ($4.49 @ Amazon Fresh)
Bagged kale, 1 lb. ($5.99 @ Amazon Fresh)
Ginger, 8 ounces ($1.99 @ Amazon Fresh)

Zico Natural Coconut Water, 1 liter ($3.50 @ Amazon Fresh)

Totals

Amazon Fresh: $80.24 (with tip)

Budget Breakout

This week, I spent $80.24; $19.76 under budget. Yay, making up for last week’s overages.

Leftovers From This Week

At the end of the week, I have plantain chips, ground beef, serrano chiles and broccolini left over. I need to incorporate these items into my menu for next week.

—

Think eating healthfully is too expensive for you? Think again. According to the USDA, to ensure a nutritious diet as of December 2014, a family of two aged 19-59 years should spend between $388.90 and $776.10 on food per month, or $89.80 – $179.30 per week. Source 

For my family of two adults, I spend roughly $400 a month on groceries or $100 a week – and we eat well. Not caviar and lobster well, but I do manage to serve a predominately paleo diet with little to no processed foods, and I get to throw in a few luxuries here and there (like expensive snacks for the hubbs and the occasional ridiculously expensive bag of coffee). We even manage to buy “good” meat (grass fed beef and free-range chicken) most of the time – and I make this budget work even on the weeks we pay for convenience by getting delivery groceries. I make: 10 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 10 dinners a week – plus enough snacks to satisfy and fuel two active adults.

I’m hoping that this series will help shed a little light on the day-to-day things a “paleo” person really eats — and how that way of eating can work on a budget. I want to nudge anyone sitting on the fence right over the edge by showing that it *can* be done and that you don’t just eat meat, meat, meat and more meat.