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German Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream for the Caveman…

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This weekend is mah caveman’s special day. His birthday is August 5th, and we are throwing a party for him on August 4th (don’t worry, it’s not a surprise!!). Well, he just loves ice cream. But, ice cream is decidedly NOT Paleo, as it is made with dairy and loads of sugar.

Well, OK then. An ice cream-like substance ye shall have.

I modified this recipe from all recipes.com to make it Paleo friendly. Of course I used a totally Paleolithic blender, food processor, and ice cream maker to make the ice cream happen. Well, ya know. At least it’s all natural. 😉

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups So Delicious (unsweetened) coconut milk
1 cup coconut cream (skim the cream off the top when you open the can of coconut milk, and purchase the full-fat, not “light” variety)
1/3 cup xylitol
2 (1/2 pound) avocados, peeled and pitted
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
3/4 cup dark chocolate discs
1/4 cup coconut oil

Directions:
Puree milk, coconut cream, xylitol, avocados, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Pour into a cold metal bowl, cover, and chill for about an hour. Then pour the mixture into an electric ice cream freezer and process according to the directions on your machine. Once the mixture has thickened, place back into the freezer and allow to harden slightly (keep in mind that you will will want it stirring consistency).

Toast the coconut and pecans at 350 until they are browned. Be careful not to burn either, as they brown quickly. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

For the chocolate chunks, place the chocolate in a bowl and pour the coconut oil over the chocolate and microwave in 10 second pulses to allow the chocolate to melt. Then spread over a piece of wax paper in a thin layer and allow to firm up in the refrigerator. Drag a knife or spoon over the hardened chocolate and break into pieces.

Take the bowl of ice cream out of the freezer and stir in the pecans, chocolate pieces, and the coconut. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. I am not sure how long it will last there, since the ice cream is so good it is typically gone within a few days!

Happy Birthday, Andy! 🙂

Posted by  |  August 2, 2012 | Categories: Recipes | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments

Denio’s in Roseville to Host “Taste of Summer” Event on August 4th, 10am-1pm

Saturday August 4th from 10am-1pm,  Denio’s will be hosting its inaugural “Taste of Summer” event, complete with a kids zone and “Salsa Showdown.”

Join Denio’s for a fun-filled day as they celebrate the area’s largest Farmers Market in a whole new way!

The “Salsa Showdown” will be a “Chopped” style competition with local culinary students and judged by some of the area’s top professional chefs.

Receive complimentary produce tastings, salsa-making tips and recipes, and so much more. Plus, the kids will enjoy their own exclusive “Fun Zone.”

Denio’s Farmer’s Market and Swap Meet open at 7am. They are located at 1551 Vineyard Road, Roseville. You can visit them online at Denio’sMarket.com

You can find them on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here. To get an idea of what Denio’s is like, you can check out their You Tube channel here.

Posted by  |  August 1, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon

This recipe will serve 6 hungry cavemen/cavewomen. 😉

Ingredients:
This recipe is my own concoction 😉
3 to 4 medium-sized white sweet potatoes, peeled cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 cup Paleo Mayonnaise (recipe to follow)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
2 slices bacon

To prepare:
Cook the bacon in the microwave and drain on a paper towel.
Cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.

Combine your the paleo mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add potatoes, fennel slices, onion, eggs, then the bacon. If you like a little chill on your potato salad, you can refrigerate for about a 1/2 hour. However, I like mine room temperature so I pretty much eat the salad right after I put it together. 🙂

Paleo Mayonnaise
This recipe comes from the Everyday Paleo website.
2 eggs
2 cups light tasting olive oil or walnut oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a blender, add the eggs, vinegar, and mustard and blend together well – leave the blender running and slowly slowly slowly drop by drop or very slow drizzle add the oil.  BE PATIENT!!  Do not dump all the oil in quickly and give up!!  When the mixture begins to emulsify or thicken, only then can you be a bit faster about pouring in the olive oil but still take your time.  Turn the blender off once all the olive oil is in and the mayonnaise is thickened to your desired consistency.  Add the salt and cayenne pepper and mix well or blend again for another few seconds.

Posted by  |  July 30, 2012 | Categories: Recipes | Tags: | 1 Comment

The Eatery Steps Up to Host the First “Grub With Us” Paleo Dinner in Sacramento

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Last night, The Eatery hosted a $22 per person all inclusive dinner through the Grubwithus dining site. I have no reservations when I say it was a complete success. First of all, I have to applaud the chef at The Eatery, Jess Milbourn, for accepting our group and welcoming the challenge of making a strict Paleo dinner for 12-15 people. Looking at the final dishes, one would never know that Jess had never cooked a Paleo meal before. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would think this restaurant specialized in Paleo!

Just imagine being Paleo and having a restaurant you can go to and order a meal and not be worried someone is going to sneak a little wheat or sugar in the sauce or put bread on your table. Maybe The Eatery will develop a special menu that all Paleos/Primals in Sacramento can order from when they come in? Wouldn’t that be something?

There were four courses in the meal and here’s what we had:

Smoked hamachi & avocado “ravioli”, togarashi oil, lemon custard

This dish was such a great start to the meal. It’s very similar to what I order when I eat sushi.
I thought it was an inventive take on what a ravioli is… basically a meat stuffed in a little pouch of something… and in this case it was avocado! 🙂 Of course the oils and the lemon enhanced the fish inside. It was fun to scoop up the hamachi with my fork, grab a little bit of the avocado, and swipe my fork through the oil and the custard.

Lamb neck ragu, zucchini noodles, mushroooms, heirloom tomatoes

I love lamb, so this one was a hit with me. I am always happy then extra vegetables get incorporated into a dish somehow. Zucchini instead of wheat? Yes, please! And thumbs up for the in season heirlooms!! 🙂


Berkshire pork meatballs, roasted cauliflower, celery root puree, smoked red pepper jus

This dish reminded me of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I just loved the red pepper jus.
It reminded me of a similar sauce I made with Paleo crab cakes for our Christmas dinner. 🙂

Coconut & peach custard, toasted almonds, mango puree

This dish really made me consider the care, time, and thought that the chef put into each course of this dinner. The custard was actually a frozen custard and the toasted almonds gave the dessert such a nice range of texture. The bottom layer was a third creamier texture flavored with vanilla. 🙂

Did I mention all the awesome people who showed up?? It was fun to meet other Paleo folks I had never met before! People who don’t look at me funny when I say I don’t eat wheat or sugar and would never pressure me into eating something I didn’t want to. Kind, like minded fitness folks who know what I mean by “WOD” or “clean and jerk”. Yep, it was a whole slew of people from West Sacramento Crossfit! 🙂 I hope we do another one of these dinners soon and that we will all eat together again!

You can “like” The Eatery on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here.

Don’t miss them at this year’s Sacramento Burger Battle. They’ll be one of the competing restaurants. There are only 6 days left to purchase your tickets at the early bird discount!!

Thanks to Ms. Munchie of Munchie Musings for some of the pics and for setting up this dinner.

Posted by  |  July 26, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Peach Chipotle Ketchup

This recipe is featured in the Sacramento Bee Taste section today. Wanted to show you what it looks like. We used the ketchup on top of some grass-fed bun less burgers and on these parsnip chips. The ketchup is a flavorful punch of smoky and sweet and can double as a BBQ sauce. I hope you’ll try it in your kitchen! 🙂

Peach-Chipotle Ketchup

5-6 peaches
1 Onion
1 Tbs molasses
1 Tbs honey
4 yellow tomatoes
1 roma tomato
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs crushed garlic
1 Tbs olive oil
1.5 Tbs tomato paste
2 chipotle peppers, seeded
1 tsp salt

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a skillet and slice the onion. Sauté the onion
and then add the salt when the onion becomes translucent.
When the onion begins to caramelize, add the apple cider vinegar and
cook the onion down until it is brown and fully caramelized.
Peel and slice the peaches and place the fruit in a food processor.
Pulse until the peaches are a thick liquid. Add the molasses and honey
to the mixture and set aside.
When the onion is fully cooked, put it into the food processor with
the crushed garlic, and pulse until it is a paste. Seed and remove the
membrane from the chipotle peppers, and place them into the food
processor with the onion paste. Pulse until well blended. Set this
mixture aside.

Core and cut tomatoes into medium sized chunks and place in a saucepot
with the peach pureé. Cook them down with the peach purée until the
tomatoes break down and the mixture starts to thicken. This will take
20-30 minutes. Then add the onion mixture to the saucepot, along with
the tomato paste. Incorporate completely and continue to cook on low
to medium heat until desired thickness is reached (about 10-20 more
minutes).

Keep in refrigerator for up to a week, or you can freeze for later use.

Posted by  |  July 25, 2012 | Categories: Recipes | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

Hot off the Grill: 2012 Sacramento Burger Battle is September 18th at Raley Field

If you haven’t heard about the 2012 Sacramento Burger Battle by now, you’re probably living under a huge chunk of charcoal!! Sacramento’s first charity burger cook-off and tasting event, the Sacramento Burger Battle, will be held on National Cheeseburger Day, Sept. 18, 2012 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Raley Field.

Of course, the organizer of the event is a friend of mine, so I have had the privilege of knowing all about the event for a few months now. I was particularly interested in helping promote this event because all of the ticket sales benefit the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2001. Though my Crohn’s is in remission and it rarely bothers be (due to my diet and exercise regime), I know there are many people who are hospitalized and operated on every year (and even die) from Crohn’s Disease.

The Battle Details:
Up to 15 Sacramento-area restaurants will create their best burgers in the hope of being named the Best Burger in Sacramento.

The Challengers:

The Judges:
Guest judges include food writers Rick Kushman and Erin Jackson, local chef Bret Bohlmann, and Rick Mindermann of Corti Brothers.

The Beverages:
Beer and wine tastings feature samples of regional brands, including Crispin Cider and Sierra Nevada.

Audience Participation!
Attendees can sample burgers from participating restaurants and vote for their favorite burger to receive the People’s Choice Award.

Not Just Burgers!!
Featured entertainment includes a live art installation by the nationally acclaimed Tekstartist from Carlsbad, California. The final piece will be auctioned off during the event to raise additional funds for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

Fine Print:
Admission to the event is limited to adults 21 and over.

About the 2012 Sacramento Burger Battle
Conceived by Rodney Blackwell, a nationally ranked burger blogger based in Sacramento, California, Sacramento Burger Battle’s purpose is two-fold: to showcase the local dining scene, and to raise money for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Blackwell’s commitment to helping find a cure for Crohn’s and colitis started four years ago, when his daughter was diagnosed with Crohn’s.

You can “like” the Sacramento Burger Battle on Facebook here and for all the latest burgery gossip on the event, you can follow them on twitter here.

Ready to buy tickets? You can get them online here!

Posted by  |  July 24, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Miner’s Leap Winery Summer Jazz Series Continues Saturday, July 28th

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Miner’s Leap Winery continues their 1st annual Summer Jazz Series on Saturday, July 28 from 6-9pm.

The concert features ANALYSIS with A.D.and special guests Cynthia Douglas and Taylor the “Donn” Burrise.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 @ the door. The first 50 guests receive a FREE glass of wine.

Wine Club Members: $15 plus a FREE glass of wine.
A down-home BBQ is available for purchase by Sacramento’s very own Sandra Dee’s BBQ & Seafood.
Space is limited.  Call (916) 813-6909 or email miners leap at gmail.com

The Miners Leap tasting room is open:
Friday  1 to 6 p.m.
Happy Hour 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
54250 South River Road, Clarksburg, CA 95612

They also have a concert planned at the winery on September 8th, 2012 with Levi Huffman and ANALYSIS. For more information, go to their website here.

You can “like” Miner’s Leap on Facebook here.

Posted by  |  July 23, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Berbere Spiced Chicken

So I am reading listening to Marcus Samuelsson’s autobiography right now… during long runs and my ultra boring work commutes to Auburn everyday. It’s called Yes, Chef, and it’s a really fascinating book, especially if you are into food/cooking, or have ever worked in the industry. And I just love being able to listen to the book, actually read by the author in his Swedish accent. 🙂

Anyway, Samuelsson’s staple spice is called berbere (originating from Ethiopia). I have enjoyed this spice in a dish called doro wat at Queen Sheba on Broadway here in Sacramento, and wanted to present the chef’s bebere spice recipe used in a Paleo setting.

So, I decided to make the spice mix and coat chicken breasts with it, then grill them. The flavor is a delicious mix of savory and sweet and can go on almost any meat.

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Berbere Spice Mix
(by Chef Marcus Samuelsson)

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 cup ground dried Serrano chilies or other ground dried chilies
1/2 cup paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Finely grind the fenugreek seeds with a mortar and pestle or an electric spice or coffee grinder. Stir together with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Toast the spices in a non-stick pan on low heat until the oils and aromatics are released. Remove from heat.

You’ll have enough spice to make about 6 chicken breasts (we use Mary’s organic chicken from Taylor’s Market), or you can make 2 breasts and save the rest of the spice for up to 3 months.

Place the chicken breasts in a medium sized bowl and cover them with 1 Tbs olive oil. Then coat the chicken breasts with the berbere and allow to marinate for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator while your grill is preheating. If you can, buy the chicken breasts attached. This will help retain moisture during the cooking/grilling process. If you don’t have a grill, you can bake the chicken in the oven on a foil covered sheet or roasting pan.

We served the chicken with a chilled, white wine from Nichelini Winery, (they’re located outside of Napa Valley in the Chiles Valley region). The wine is called Muscadelle, and it was the perfect match for  the berebere spice, because of it’s crispness and higher sugar content.

We had sautéed vegetables: eggplant, squash, and broccoli, and also a salad on the side.

Another fun weekend in the record books. 🙂

Posted by  |  July 23, 2012 | Categories: Recipes | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We Conquered the Big Rib at the California State Fair!!

OMG! We conquered the big-*ss Rib Steak!! It was soooo good. We were able to order it right off the grill & medium rare without extra sauce! It costs about $16 and it feeds 2 people. It was perfect for the caveman and the cavegrrl… I am pretty sure we were the happiest couple at the fair sharing that big old hunk of meat! 🙂

And we landed in the wine garden (big surprise! ;)) with a mini picnic sponsored by one of my favorite food booths at the fair (conveniently located within the Wine Garden) Pignotti’s!! This year, they’re serving up my favorites again… the fruit plate, the salami plate, and the cheese plate. There’s also a meatball with pesto sauce that you should try.

Of course, we didn’t eat the bread on the plates, but I am showing you what you will get on the plate when you order. You can probably ask them to leave it off your plate entirely if you want. 🙂 Here’s a little slide show of the must haves (especially when you are sipping those California State Fair Medal winners!!):

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BY THE WAY!!!!!

Come out and see me tomorrow, (Friday, July 20th from 5-7pm!) In the California Food Building (where the permanent exhibit buildings are located).

I will be making bacon wrapped dates and a cocoa hazelnut spread served with bananas! And you will get to taste test them for FREE!! And maybe by tomorrow I will have figured out a catchy name for the hazelnut spread!

You’ll also get to meet my partner in crime, The Running Bum aka Andy aka caveman, and we’ll talk about Paleo, what we eat, our staple kitchen ingredients, and other fun recipes!!

And since we’re talking about food, here’s the latest press release with the 2012 Cooking Competition Results:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 19) – The California State Fair announces winners of its California’s Kitchen challenges and competitions for adults, children and professional chefs.

Best of Show:
Jams & Jellies Show: Claudine Kelly of Orangevale, for Blueberry Pomegranate Jelly
Kidz Jams & Jellies Show: Ashley Olson of Kingsburg, for Strawberry Balsamic Thyme Jam
Soft Spreads & Fruit Show: David Conrad of Stinson Beach, for Bearss Lime Curd
Pickles, Relish, Sauce & Salsa Show: Joan Edelsohn of Moraga, for Blackberry Barbecue Sauce
Kidz Soft Spread, Fruit, Pickle & Sauce Show: Matthew Silvera of Sutter, for Pickled Green Beans

King Arthur Flour Cookie Contest in Kidz Kitchen:
First place: Lincoln Marks of Rancho Cordova, for Kettlecorn Cookies
Second place: Catherine Gallagher of Sacramento, for Almond Strawberry Tea Time Cookies
Third place: Kaitlyn Ripley of Carmichael, for King Arthur’s Cookies

Poppy’s Baby Cake Contest in Kidz Kitchen, sponsored by C&H Sugar:
First place: Lindsey Abernathy of Sacramento, for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Second place: Madilyn Ripley of Carmichael, for Poppy’s Baby Cakes
Third place: Jamie Grgich of Elk Grove, for Marzipan Ladybug Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Awards of Merit – Aysia Seals of Citrus Heights, for Aysia’s Rainbow Vanilla Cupcakes;
Demetrius Marshall of Sacramento, for Demetrius’ Out of this World Triple Chocolate Cupcakes;
Esther Ambrose of Galt, for Flower Power Poppy Baby Cakes, and
Evangeline Gardiner of  Loomis, for Rainbow Cupcakes

Professional Chef Challenge
Preliminary rounds winners, who will compete in the finals 4-6 p.m. July 29:
Chef F.J. Villalobos, of 58 Degrees & Holding Co.
Chef Evan Elsberry, of Evan’s Kitchen
Chef Cecil Rhodes II, of Bella Bru Café Carmichael

2012 California State Fair – July 12-29 – 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento

11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Admission: $12 general,  $10 ages 62-plus, $8 children 5-12. Children under 4 free. Parking: $10. For more information: www.bigfun.org
You can follow them on twitter here and find them on Facebook here.

Posted by  |  July 19, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Placer County Vintners Association Presents the Grape Days of Summer on August 4th and 5th!

The Grape Days of Summer on August 4 & 5, 2012 is Placer County Wine Trail open-house event hosted by Placer County Vintners Association (PCVA).

Enjoy wine tasting and small plates of food at participating wineries along with music and educational experiences along the trail. In addition to each general wine tasting line-up, wineries will provide an educational experience that takes you “From Vine to Wine.” This is something this region has never offered before. Join in on the fun, and taste some great award winning, small production wines, while you learn something from the winemakers themselves.

WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, August 4 & 5
TIME: 11am to 5pm both days
WHERE: Placer County Wine Trail – Auburn, Lincoln, Loomis & Newcastle
COST: $30 advance / $40 door, $10 Designated Driver

PARTICIPATING WINERIES: Bonitata, Casque, Ciotti, Cristaldi, Dono dal Cielo, Fawnridge, Lone Buffalo, Mt. Vernon, Pescatore, Popie, Rancho Roble, Secret Ravine, Vina Castellano and Wise Villa.

ACTIVITIES SUMMARY: Food or music at each winery. Special activities include Vineyard Tours; Cork Presentations; Oak Flavors in Wine; Blending Seminars; Harvest Equipment, Solar Energy, and Sheep in the Vineyard; Placer County Wine History; Vertical Tastings; and Barrel Aging and Sampling.

Purchase tickets by clicking here!

Posted by  |  July 18, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment