My hubbs, rocking Brooklyn Half bling after kicking ass at his first half marathon.
May 17, 2014
My hubbs, rocking Brooklyn Half bling after kicking ass at his first half marathon.
Larb-Inspired Paleo Thai Poultry Bowl
Larb. I can’t get enough of it. From Wikipedia:
Larb (Lao: ລາບ; Thai: ลาบ, RTGS: lap [lâːp], also spelled laap, larp, lahb or laab) is a type of Lao minced meat salad[1][2][3] that is regarded as the national dish of Laos. It is also eaten in Isan, an area of Thailand of which its inhabitants are for a large part of Laotian descent. There are also Lao and Thai communities in the U.S., France, and England, resulting in larb being served in those areas as well. Local variants of larb also feature in the cuisines of the Tai peoples of Shan State, Burma, and Yunnan province, China.[4]
Any way you slice it, larb is a deeply flavorful meat dish – usually served in lettuce wraps – and generally how I’ve experienced it, as a starter. I’ve had versions with so much lime my mouth tingled, versions that were so hot it made the endorphins fly, and versions that are decidedly more bland. I dream about larb.
This is one of those dishes I try to recreate from memory in a thousand different ways, but usually what I’m going for is crispy little nibblins of meat swathed in a fair hit of lime and chased by enough heat to at least tickle the back of the throat. Sticky rice is fantastic, but not something I generally eat – so I serve it in other ways. Lettuce cups would certainly be fantastic here, but they just don’t work very well in my household. So, bowl it is. Tonight’s rendition was served over a bed of salt and pepper roasted carrots in an effort to throw some veggies into the mix so we weren’t just eating a bowl of meat for dinner. This was a protein-heavy dinner and a light one at that. If you’d like to beef it up with more substance, feel free to make extra carrots or throw in some broccoli or cauliflower rice.
Gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant with adjustments
Larb-Inspired Paleo Thai Poultry Bowl
1 pound ground meat (I used turkey, pork and chicken are also good)
1 large shallot
1 stalk lemongrass
1/4 cup lime juice (I use key lime juice)
2 large cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
1 tsp. sweetener (I used brown sugar, but honey or agave would be fine – omit if Whole30)
1-2 Tbsp. sriracha (if Whole30, use a compliant hot sauce)
2 Tbsp. cilantro
1/2 inch fresh ginger
2 tsp. sesame oil (check your labels if Whole30)
2 tsp. coconut oil
First, assemble your sauce. Mince the shallot (you want about 1/4 of a cup) and add half to a small bowl. To the bowl, add the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and sriracha. Grate the lemongrass, ginger and garlic into the bowl. Stir. Chop the cilantro and add half to the bowl.
Now start the meat. In a large pan, heat the sesame and coconut oils over medium high heat. Add the meat and a couple pinches salt and cook, stirring to break up the big lumps, until cooked through. Add the sauce and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, until browned to your liking.
Serve in a lettuce cup or over roasted carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower rice. Serves 2 for dinner if used as the main component of the meal.
May 16, 2014
The promise of more pretties to come.
May 15, 2014
Red & green & fresh for lunch.
May 14, 2014
Walked down to the Brooklyn Bridge Park this evening to pick up the hubbs’ Brooklyn Half bib and check out the pre-party. I loved the graphics.
May 13, 2014
Brooklyn Bridge
May 12, 2014
Layers of history
Adventures In Budget Paleo Cooking – Week of May 12 – 16
A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning.
A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it.
Last Week (Week of May 5-9)
The Plan vs. Reality
Monday
- The Plan – Chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass and some sort of side
- Reality – Tasty. I made with carrots and bok choy and it was a light and satisfying meal.
Tuesday
- The Plan – “Rogan Josh” with cauliflower rice & paleo naan
- Reality – I ended up grabbing beef and being too lazy to either rice the cauliflower or make naan – dinner was great despite the laziness.
Wednesday
- The Plan – Leftover chicken in some sort of green curry sauce with broccoli and peppers
- Reality – This ended up being pretty good.
Thursday
- The Plan – Larb spiced ground pork with roasted carrot matchsticks
- Reality – Yum.
Friday
- The Plan – Sausages or burgers with sweet potato fries
- Reality – Had errands to run and ended up eating out.
Lunches
- The Plan – Grab something I can make while I wait for leftovers to make themselves available
- Reality – I impulse bought broccoli slaw, cherry tomatoes and pre-cooked chicken breast and had tasty salads 3 days this week. The other 2 days were luckily filled with leftovers.
Extras
- The Plan – Bacon Maple Sandwiches
- Reality – I finally made these this week – and they were magnificent.
This Week: May 12-16
This is the last full week before we leave for vacation and we have a bunch of things we need to take care of. We shall see if the plan gets made.
This Week’s Proposed Menu
- Monday: Big pork with some sort of side and a strawberry/mint/shallot/tomato salsa
- Tuesday: Butter chicken with naan or cauli rice
- Wednesday: Leftover pork with somehting
- Thursday: Vietnamese Cha Ca Fish Tacos with napa cabbage wrappers and some sort of side
- Friday: Thit Nuong Tacos with pico de diakon and sriracha over broccoli slaw
- Lunch: Nothing planned – hoping for leftovers
- Extras: None planned
Shopping List & Cost Breakout
Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows
This week, I have an extra $10 in rollover money from last week, whoo hoo!
Shopping List
1 bag spinach – $2 est ($1.99 @ TJs)
2 bags kale – $5 est ($2.29 x 2 @ TJs)
Side for pork – $3 est (broccolini – $2.79 @ TJs)
Side for fish tacos – $3 est (haricots verts – $2.69 @ TJs)
Napa cabbage – $2 est ($2.95 @ WF)
Broccoli slaw – $2 est ($1.99 @ TJs)
Cauliflower – $3 est ($2.49 @ TJs)
Daikon – $3 est (regular radishes – $1.49 @ WF)
Celery – $3 est ($1.79 @ TJs)
Cilantro – $2 est ($1.79 @ TJs)
Mint – $2 est ($1.69 @ TJs)
Dill – $2 est ($1.69 @ TJs)
Fruit for me – $3 est (1 lb. strawberries – $2.49 @ TJs)
6 apples – $4 est ($4.14 @ TJs)
Lemons – $2 est – Did not get
6+ Limes – $4 est (1 lb. – $2.79 @ TJs)
Orange – $1 est ($0.89 @ TJs)
Onion – $1 est ($1.09 @ TJs)
Jalapeño – $1 est (8 ounces – $1.69 @ TJs)
Chiles – $2 est – Did not get
3 avocados – $4 est ($4.47 @ TJs)
Ginger – $2 est ($1.39 @ TJs)
Tomatoes – $3 est ($3.49 @ TJs)
Shallot – $1 est ($0.99 x 2 @ TJs)
Pork – $30 est ($20.88 @ WF)
Chicken – $7 est ($5.84 @ WF)
Coconut water – $4 est ($3.69 @ TJs)
Butter – $4 est ($3.19 @ TJs)
Coffee milk – $3 est – Did not get
(2) Coconut milk – $2 est ($0.99 x 2 @ TJs)
Hoisin – $4 est – O – Did not get
Msg – $2 est – O – Did not get
Fenugreek – $2 est – O – Did not get
Tomato paste – $1 est ($0.89 @ TJs)
Snacks for the DH – $7 est ($7.49 @ TJs)
Coffee – $13 est – ($10.99 @ WF)
$119 estimated without the coffee and snacks, $111 without the Optional items
Extras: Cruciferous Crunch salad mix for my lunches – $2.29 @ TJs.
Total TJ: $67.44
Total WF: $31.16
Total For The Week: $98.60; $1.40 under budget. Yes! And with the extra cash, I grabbed my Gorilla coffee for $10.99. *insert happy dance here*
Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, fish a friend brought us.
May 11, 2014
From a moving train
May 10, 2014
I didn’t take today’s Picture of the Day, but man, I worked for it. I did the NY/NJ Mudderella – and had a great time.
