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Beef stews - so delicious, so un-photogenic
I promised amazing paleo recipes, and I will deliver. This is straight-up cribbed from the amazing site Mark’s Daily Apple, which is a must-read for anyone interested in paleo or primal eating, or just plain healthy eating and exercise habits. While I love the success stories, fitness analysis and links on this site, of course the recipes are my favorites.
While poring over the site for inspiration, I came across the Beef Burgundy recipe. Like probably everyone else who saw the film Julie and Julia, we desperately craved boeuf bourguignon throughout the movie and then promptly forgot all resolve to actually make it the moment we left the theater.
When I ran across this recipe, months later, I was reinvigorated. It is a bit modified from the original Julia Child version from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but you should still plan to block off a few hours to commit to this masterpiece. It is absolutely worth it. The slow braising makes the meat become meltingly tender, and the flavors meld into something rich and winey and unmistakeably French.
[Side note: In my limited experience, I'd advices using a quality source for your meat. Not that the cut needs to be expensive — since it's braising for a couple hours, it's going to get tender — but I think it's worth it to get local and/or grass-fed. Obviously it's more environmentally friendly, green-friendly, Paleo-proper, and all that en vogue stuff. But I made this dish with grass-fed Washington State beef purchased at Whole Foods as opposed to another beef stew later with free-range Australian meat from Trader Joe's, and I thought the WA meat tasted much better. Who knows...more testing needed. Price was the same, anyway.]
The recipe makes enough for 8, or a big dinner and 2 sets of lunch leftovers. It also freezes quite well.
Boeuf Bourguignon
Inspired by Julia Child and adapted by Mark’s Daily Apple
- 1/4 lb. bacon
- 4 Tbs. fat of some kind (butter or oil…I used a mix of coconut and olive oil)
- 2 1/2 – 3 lbs. of beef cut into 2-inch cubes. I used the stew meat from the WF meat counter.
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbs. almond flour (or regular flour, if non-paleo)
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 Tbs. tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Tbs. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
- 1 Tbs. fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups full-bodied red wine (I used Chianti)
- 2 1/2 cups beef stock
- 1 lb. white or brown crimini mushrooms
Preheat the oven to 425. Get your big shallow oven-proof casserole ready. I used our cazuela [How do you know you're a hipster foodie? When you have kitchen tools that don't have an English translation!] but any deep and wide oven-safe dish would work.
Cut the bacon into little strips (lardons) and saute with a tablespoon of the fat until cooked but not crisp. You can do this all in your Le Creuset if you are fortunate enough to have one, or in a deep skillet. Reserve the bacon in your casserole dish.
Pat the beef as dry as possible and in batches, brown it on all sides. Take the time to get all the sides brown, even though it takes a long time and is a bit messy, because it’s worth it for the flavor in the long run. As the pieces brown, add them to the casserole with the bacon.
When all the meat is browned, sprinkle it with the flour, salt and pepper and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. The goal is to create a bit more of a crust on the meat. Then remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 325.
In the skillet or saucepan you used to brown the meat, add another tablespoon of the fat/oil and saute the onions and carrots until soft. Then add the tomato paste, garlic, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. After a moment, stir in the wine and beef broth and bring up to a gentle boil.
Let the whole thing simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors start to meld, then pour over the meat in the casserole pan. Cover the dish with a lid or foil, then place it in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours (I told you you need to commit to it!)
In the meantime, slice the mushrooms and saute in batches in the remaining fat/oil. Set aside.
Every hour or so peek in the oven under the lid to make sure the liquid bubbling gently. It’s done when a fork easily pulls the meat apart. You should taste it to make sure.
When done, take the meat out of the oven and strain it through a colander with a bowl underneath, so the liquid is in the bowl and the solids in the colander (not the other way around!) Put the liquid in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the meat back in the casserole (or another serving dish of your choice) and add the mushrooms.
When the sauce is done, pour it over the meat and mushrooms and top with chopped parsley.
Cooperface!
I don’t want to be writing this now, almost at midnight, alone, not about something fun like food or cooking or traveling. I would much prefer to keep this full of fun and engaging posts.
But it’s been almost a week since my mom called me at 6am to tell me that our family dog, Cooper, had died suddenly, and I think I have moved fully from shock to grief.
It sucks. I’ve cried about six separate times today. I am trying to deal with this and my only recourse is to write it and share his life the best I can.
I have never known a dog that was more beloved, or radiated more love, than Cooper. He was the biggest, most gorgeous golden retriever you’ve ever seen. Everywhere we went, his entire life, people stopped us on the street and said, “oh, what a beautiful dog!” He was always smiling – not just a dog smile, a real smile — and all he wanted was for people to pet him and mind him and love him. And everyone did. I can take comfort that he lived a full, happy life, surrounded by people who loved him and that he was always treated like a prince.
One of my favorite photos, Cooper with his tiny friend Ollie
He wasn’t even nine years old when he died suddenly in his sleep last week. Just the day before he had been happy and full of energy. We don’t know what caused it — could have been a heart attack, or a hidden cancer too deep to spot. At least he didn’t suffer at the end, and for that I am infinitely grateful. In his entire life, he never really had to suffer ever, except for pained looks when we didn’t give him table scraps or some minor stomach discomfort when he ate something he shouldn’t have.
Everyone says losing a dog is like losing a family member, and it’s true. Our family is missing a piece without him. It’s hard to imagine what my parents and younger brother are going through, since they have to live in a house that’s now missing the sound of his collar as he runs up the stairs, missing his muzzle shoving into your hand because you weren’t petting him enough, missing his paws scrambling into the kitchen at the sound of an apple being sliced. I’m dreading going back to the house and having to face the fact that I will never see my dog again.
I know we’ll get another dog someday, maybe even soon. None could ever replace Cooper, and none of us would ever want that. But once you’ve opened your heart to that kind of love, it’s hard to live without it in your life. If you have or have had a dog or a pet you loved dearly, of course you know what I mean.
I just hope it gets easier. Because this is so, so hard.
Always wanting to snuggle. RIP.
We promised more detail in the last post about how we’re eating these days, so here’s the backstory. As you may know, we’ve been doing Crossfit for several months now, as Jeremy first wrote about back in June. We’ve grown to be strangely addicted to the 30 minutes (and sometimes 45, or 60 or — shudder — 75, depending on the instructor) of all-out, kick-your-ass workouts. We’ve upped our visits to the Crossfit torture center to three times a week, and do Crossfit-style workouts on our own or, for Jeremy, while he’s traveling for work.
We definitely feel stronger and more in shape since doing Crossfit. But the exercise part is really only half of the equation. The other part is what you eat. For months, Jeremy had been trying to convince me that we should “go Paleo” and complete the nutrition part of the program. I was skeptical. I figured working my butt off at Crossfit gave me the leeway to eat whatever I wanted — macaroni ‘n cheese with bacon is guiltless after you’ve just destroyed yourself doing Fran! Plus, anything that didn’t let me eat bread…or cheese…or rice and beans…yeah, as someone who can’t stop thinking or talking about food, I wasn’t having it.
But right around New Year’s, we were chatting with one of our instructors and he mentioned his New Year’s resolution was to go Paleo for six weeks. Maybe it was because we had just gorged ourselves while in Austin, or maybe it was the post-workout buzz going to our heads, but for some reason six weeks sounded doable. We started that night with a dinner of roasted salmon and sauteed spinach and haven’t looked back since.
That’s right. Since Dec. 30 or so, we’ve been 95% (allowing for the occasional unavoidable rule-breaking) free of dairy, grains and legumes. And we feel really, really good.
Speaking for myself, the gastrointestinal discomfort (sorry for the imagery) that I used to battle constantly has virtually disappeared. I don’t feel sluggish or weighed down like I used to after eating a croissant or pastry in the morning. We’ve both lost weight, though it’s hard to say how much since we don’t own a scale and that wasn’t the goal of this decision. Overall, we both feel lighter, leaner and just better about what we put in our bodies.
Okay, so slow down. What is Paleo exactly, and why would anyone do it?
While it’s gaining traction in the mainstream media recently (a recent Washington Post piece was a well done, while a New York Times Style story made it sound extremely douchey) the Paleo lifestyle isn’t a particularly new idea. While I really hate calling it a “diet” because diet to me implies the goal of losing weight, The Paleo Diet website has a good explanation of the basics behind the theory:
With readily available modern foods, The Paleo Diet mimics the types of foods every single person on the planet ate prior to the Agricultural Revolution (a mere 500 generations ago). These foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood) are high in the beneficial nutrients (soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates) that promote good health and are low in the foods and nutrients (refined sugars and grains, saturated and trans fats, salt, high-glycemic carbohydrates, and processed foods) that frequently may cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. The Paleo Diet encourages dieters to replace dairy and grain products with fresh fruits and vegetables — foods that are more nutritious than whole grains or dairy products.
In other words, eat meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and lay off the grains, dairy, processed foods and carb bombs.
This has not been as difficult as you would think.
First thing we did was to throw away or hide away all non-Paleo foods in our apartment. The next thing was to go to the grocery store and stock up on things we could eat: lean meats and fruit and vegetables, but also things like coconut milk, almond flour and sunflower seed butter (ADDICTIVE). Many recipes in our current cookbooks are or can be made Paleo-friendly, but there are thousands of Paleo recipes online on dozens of Paleo and Crossfit blogs as well (I’ll share some of our favorites in future posts).
It’s cut down on our dining out habits, which is an excellent step financially. But even eating out is not an obstacle at most restaurants. Pretty much everywhere will sell you a big entree-sized salad with some kind of protein on it, and given the rise in allergies in recent years most establishments are sensitive to wheat-free or dairy-free needs.
While technically alcohol is not Paleo, a glass of red wine once a week is considered acceptable. If you “have” to drink, tequila and clear liquors are the way to go — in fact, apparently some bars now sell a version of a margarita called a “Paleorita.”
Are we perfect Paleo? Of course not. I mentioned 95% earlier, which allows for the occasional “don’t ask don’t tell” situation at a restaurant where we don’t scrutinize too closely how those coconut shrimp were prepared. And there have been a few times where circumstances made it virtually impossible to adhere to the rules. But for the most part, we’ve stuck to the plan.
And we’ve stuck to it not because we feel mutually obligated or because it’s some silly resolution, but because it really does feel better. I can’t say that I’ll eat this way for the rest of my life, but for right now it works for me and it’s easy to do. I’ve eaten pretty much whatever I wanted my entire life up until this point. It’s worth it to us to see what happens when we try eating more consciously.
Do you think we’re crazy? Do you want more information? Are you wondering why I wrote 1,000 words on this? (Me too.) Feel free to share in the comments. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to some of the delicious recipes I’m planning to share soon.
A taste of Wee Britain
In tourism magazines and Clipper brochures, Victoria BC likes to tout itself as a foodie destination. But we were suspicious that the culinary scene was nothing but a tourism trap, where the restaurants are boring and unimaginative in order to pacify the blue-hair tourists after tea at the Empress.
But on our last two trips to Vancouver Island, we’re slowly coming away with the fact there are some hidden gems in Victoria. None more so than our last trip this past weekend, where we savored one of the better meals we’ve eaten in the 14 months we’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest.
The entire trip was made possible by a ridiculous Clipper-and-hotel offseason package deal. In the summer months, the Victoria Clipper is comparable to a plane ticket, but in January they’re practically begging you to take the two-and-a-half hour ferry ride up the Strait of Juan de Fuca. So early on a Saturday morning we took the Clipper to Victoria and checked into a swanky boutique hotel.
Breakfast, or brunch by the time we arrived, was at Mo:Le Restaurant, near Chinatown. It was packed with a mix of hipsters, tourists and vegans even close to noon, so they sent us next door to Habit, a coffee shop that wouldn’t be out of place in Seattle. We enjoyed loose leaf teas with names like “Tea for Sad People” and read free copies of Cook’s Illustrated and Meatpaper while we waited.
People, if you’re in Victoria, go to Mo:Le. The reputation is that of a veggie-friendly spot, and they can certainly make most things vegan, but there’s a burger on the menu and sides like local lamb sausage and free-range chicken. The varieties of eggs benedict were enticing, but since we’re not eating dairy or grains right now (more on that in another blog post) we kept it simple. Jeremy had the special omelet with sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach both days we went (yes, we went there both mornings) while Lisa ordered a yam and onion omelet that may have sounded weird but tasted out of this world. The omelets were the lightest we’ve ever had, nothing like the leaden, overcooked eggs you get at so many breakfast places. Their housemade hot sauce, which we should have purchased to take home but inexplicably didn’t, tasted like it was made from tomatoes picked yesterday.
In between touring Victoria, helping out the Canadian economy with our hard-earned American dollars and catching a film at the Victoria Film Festival (the Danes are a dark, dark people) we discovered another outstanding local restaurant called Stage Wine Bar. It’s away the tourist center of the Inner Harbor in the Fernwood neighborhood, a good 20-minute walk from downtown. The little retail intersection has a few above-average restaurants, but Stage really blew us away. They serve small plates and both tastes and glasses of wine, several from Vancouver Island wineries. We started off trying to be restrained (we had just polished off a dozen oysters at Ferris Oyster Bar) but were unable to control ourselves once the first few plates started coming out of the kitchen.
We ordered smoked ham from the selection of local charcuterie; a salad of marinated white anchovies, celery, fennel, marcona almonds; crispy fried local octopus & lemon; duck confit with caramelized caraway cabbage and wine syrup; and then chicken curry with apple apricot chutney, because we couldn’t help ourselves.
Everything was delicious, but the standouts were the octopus and duck confit. The octopus was like the best calamari you’ve ever had, but lighter and more flavorful, with the perfect amount of crispness on the outside. The duck confit was rich and balanced by the caramelized caraway cabbage, which was braised until almost dissolving. This is another must-visit if you’re visiting Victoria, especially if you want to avoid the overpriced tourist slop closer to the harbor.
The memories of the best dishes we had (seriously, Lisa woke up the next morning still thinking about that octopus) made up for the fact that our return Clipper boat was canceled because of mechanical problems and we ended up getting bused 7 hours home to Seattle, via the BC Ferries, arriving home at 12:30am. The good news: they gave us 50% off coupons for a future Clipper trip, so we can return and revisit some of our favorite tastes.
Lisa
Jeremy
