The Road to Paleo

Taking the plunge back into a predominantly paleo diet. My goal is to completely avoid gluten and sugar, and eat mostly veggies and meats with a few exceptions here and there. One of them being gluten free toast or rice cakes in the morning with my coffee. 

So far I've been feeling good. I'm on day three, and haven't noticed any drastic changes, good or bad. I haven't had any really intense cravings, after dinner I always crave something sweet, but it's been manageable. Last night I had herbal peach tea and that really helped. I may get something from www.bulletproof.com just in case I get a really bad craving for something sweet. 

So some background. Both me and my husband suffer from food-related health issues and have dabbled with paleo for years. We both feel better and seem to have less issues when we eat mostly paleo, but it's been hard to stay consistent and keep on track, which is why I've decided to blog about my process. My hope is that if I have an audience to hold myself accountable to, I'll stick to it. That doesn't mean never cheating or eating things that fall outside my healthy foods, but getting back on track afterward and moving forward. 

I will also be sharing recipes that I really enjoyed, the first of which you'll find below: 

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo 

PREP TIME 25 MINS • COOK TIME 4 TO 6 HRS • SERVINGS 4

1 large yellow onion, sliced 
1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 
1 head garlic (about 12 cloves), peeled and thinly sliced 
2 bay leaves 
14.5 ounces full-fat coconut milk (about 1 3/ 4 cups), canned* or homemade (see here) 
1/ 2 cup coconut aminos* 
1/ 3 cup apple cider vinegar* 
2 teaspoons black pepper, plus more for the chicken 
2 tablespoons cooking fat** 
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs sea salt 

Layer the onion, ginger, garlic, and bay leaves in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix together the coconut milk, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, and pepper. Heat the cooking fat in a skillet over high heat. Season the skin side of the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper and place them skin side down in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the skin is browned. Transfer the chicken thighs, skin side up, to the slow cooker and pour the coconut milk mixture over the top. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. For a thicker sauce, remove the cooked chicken from the slow cooker, bring the remaining sauce to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes to reduce or until desired thickness is achieved. 

Serve over Garlic & Green Onion Cauli-Rice.

1 large head cauliflower 
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
3 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced 
sea salt and black pepper to taste 

Shred the cauliflower with a cheese grater or food processor. Heat the ghee in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the green onions and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, then add the shredded cauliflower and stir to combine with the garlic and green onion. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dish is warmed through and the cauliflower is softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sanfilippo, Diane (2014-01-05). The 21-Day Sugar Detox Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for Any Program Level (Kindle Locations 2346-2351). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.