Sunday Suppers: The Paleo Way, Part 2
My journey with paleo began with some fabulous doctors and a very insightful book, The Paleo Solutionby Robb Wolf. Dry. Not quite as humorous as intended. Informative. Informative in a way that I walked away from the book wondering how I’d spent 36 years with no clue about how food really affects my body.
Now, I noted last week that a paleo lifestyle is a pretty exact science, and I do take some liberties. This week’s recipes are no exception. The jury is out on pork and potatoes. Butter is also a question mark. I think the important thing is to eat these things in great moderation and with close attention to your own physical response.
Also, it is important to consider the origin of your meat, produce, and butter. Are they organic? If they are fed, are they fed with grass or grains? What is the treatment? The plethora of factors to be considered is dizzying and can, I think, complicate the initiation of something like this. It makes it easy to just say, never mind. I admit, I generally buy 4 pork loins in a pack at Costco, butter at Costco, and potatoes at Earth Fare. I wish it was more interesting than that. During the warm months, it sometimes is. When I get a good bonus check at work, it sometimes varies….but I am feeding 4 people here, and I am just trying to do the best I can. So, I’m not going to paint you a false picture. It is better to do the best you can than to do nothing at all.
Paleo Pork Loin
1.5-2 lb pork loin
Sea salt
Pepper
Garlic powder*
Onion powder*
*Be sure your spices are always pure and not treated.
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Rub pork loin with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Put a bit of water into the bottom of a 9×13 metal pan. Put in pork loin. Cook loin 5 minutes per pound. Turn off your oven and let the loin sit in the oven for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN YOUR OVEN! Before consuming ensure that your meat has reached an appropriate temperature using a thermometer. Allow meat to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into medallions. Serve hot.
We LOVE chutney with our loin. Earth Fare has a nice variety near the seafood section. Be sure to check the ingredients. We steer clear of sauces with preservatives or gluten. Also, beware as items such as white vinegar can be glutenous….preposterous, I know, but this demon hides. If you are unsure and being 100% clean, make your own! I made this cranberry sauce over the holidays, and it was AMAZING!
When I have time, I plan to do a pork/cranberry duo with this sauce!
What to put with the loin? Well, again, unconventional, but we did do potatoes. Now, potatoes are considered a no-no by about 60% of the paleo population. The starches contribute to inflammation. However, I still make them about 2-3 times a month. This side dish was nothing more than sliced yukons, zuchinni, butter pats, salt, pepper, button onions, and parsley flakes baked in a foil covered glass baking dish at 375 degrees for one hour.
As you can see from the photo, about ½ of my plate is brussels sprouts. Greens are not an issue for me in paleoland. I LOVE brussels sprouts. In fact, you can ask my co-workers… I’ve even been known to eat them for breakfast. Our favorite preparation is to clean and half them (be sure to cut off that hard stem!). Put them into a pan of hot olive oil (medium-6 or 7) and saute well until just starting to tender. Hit them with some seat salt and pepper and then splash liberally with balsamic vinegar (again – careful with those contents!). Cover and let steam turning frequently enough to prevent burning but to promote some carmelization. These are like candy to me and are the food I will take with me if ever I am ever forced to live on an island alone… okay I lied… dark chocolate… as long as I have fire and fish, I’m golden.
Earlier in the week we did steak (grilled sirloins). Actually, let me credit Adam as I am suddenly aware that he has actually cooked every meal this week. The leftovers provided a second meal which, for me, was my favorite paleo meal. This is a perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Gorgeous Paleo Salad
Spinach leaves
Meat of choice (I like grilled chicken or steak)
Avocado chunks
Blueberries
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
That’s it. Fix your salad and go. You’ll thank me later.
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