savory egg custard in an Instant Pot

To heal my insulin resistance and use up my excess body fat, I started following a high-fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. (Diabetes stalks everyone in my family, so Pure Paleo hasn’t been enough to keep me lean. Actually, it didn’t help me lose weight at all. I’ve abandoned the CICO model in favor of LCHF and IF- Great success this last month). I want to enjoy cooking and eating. So I am looking for recipes worthy of a Feast.  Here’s one I think you’ll enjoy.

High Fat and Savory Custard, adapted from a recipe by Julia Childs, which of course means delicious.

Special Equipment: Pressure Cooker

  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3/4 c hot, delicious homemade broth (I used beef marrow broth)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Set up the steam basket or trivet in the Instant Pot and add the water. Butter the ramekins. I used two for this recipe.

Add salt & pepper as desired to the broth. (Mine is already well-seasoned, so I don’t do this. But you could!).

Whisk the egg and yolks;  stream a thin ribbon of the egg mixture into the broth while whisking.

If you want pretty custard, keep the foamy top from going into the broth. As you can see from the bubble marks on my photo, I don’t care so much about pretty when cooking.

Pour the mixture into the ramekins and cover the ramekins tightly with aluminum foil. (This keeps the condensation off the top of your custard and hopefully prevents a rubber, rather than silky texture). Edited to add: if you don’t cover the dish, the steam will settle in the dish and you’ll end up with your custard in a water bath. 😦

Set the ramekins onto the steam basket/trivet; Lid the pot. Be sure the vent knob is on Sealed.

Manual – Low Pressure – 6 minutes, followed by Full Natural Release (about 6 minutes).

Carefully remove the ramekins and the foil. No steam burns are permitted!  Enjoy. I liked eating these warm. SMOOOOTH!  They take the flavor of the broth, so be sure to use the best quality. Watch out for nasty ingredients in store-bought. I imagine they’d be good cold too. But these didn’t last that long.

custard

savory egg custard

 

 

chicken curry in a hurry

I recently bought an Instant Pot and I love being able to turn my back on a pressure cooker. I made a delicious chicken curry the other night and was asked for the recipe. Serves 4 unless you’re feeding teens. Then it serves 3.

  • 6 chicken drumsticks
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 red onion, medium, peeled and quartered
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into coins
  • 2 T curry paste (sorry, peeps, I went store-bought on this one).
  • 2 or 3 small tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into big chunks
  • Salt to taste
  • 100 ml coconut milk, full fat, no additives
  • half of a tiny jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, sliced into bits. (Don’t wipe your eyes!)
  • half an English cucumber, peeled lightly and chopped into bite-sized bits

Serve over: cauliflower rice  (raw worked fine for me)

Heat the Instant Pot on Saute, add the oil and brown the chicken thighs with the onions. Add the carrots. Add about 1/2 c water, the curry paste and coconut milk. Stir wildly. Add the tomatoes and zucchini. Stir gently.  Lid the pot. Close the vent. Push the stew button. Come back in 30 minutes.  Enjoy over cauli-rice, topped with the chopped cuke.

After dinner, we had about half the recipe remaining. I left it in the pot, replaced the lid and pushed the slow cooker button. The next morning, I transferred the curry to a glass storage container (because I’m paranoid about plastic). Slow cooking overnight had transformed it into an even more delicious meal.

 

21DSD January L1Day One

Posted on
21DSD January L1Day One

today’s plan: work at home, prep for lectures this week, grade papers, do laundry, tidy up from holiday

today’s eats

breakfast:

  • several mugs of Pheasant bone broth (prepared overnight in the oven in a cast iron covered dish)
  • espresso with a little whole milk x3

Lunch (late in the afternoon, since I didn’t get hungry)

  • homemade almond milk smoothie with whey protein powder, a cucumber, avocado and ginger

Dinner (again, late)

  • pulled pork shoulder, avocado, salsa, tomato, red peppers, sour cream, cucumbers
  • sauteed green apple, cinnamon, ginger, bacon fat, squeeze of lemon, with butter and almond flour, Greek yogurt

Late snack (I was hungry and waited! for it to pass. It didn’t)

  • warmed mug of almond milk

21DSD T-1 ready?

Posted on

1DayChecklist

I did my “big shop” yesterday: chard, cauliflower, zucchini, Italian chicory, peppers, cucumbers, Granny Smith apples, pink grapefruit, pork shoulder, fresh salmon, smoked salmon, eggs, pork belly, pheasant and chicken bones, and on. I made stock overnight from the chicken thigh bones leftover from dinner. And we smoked the back bacon yesterday. I use the Royal We, but in fact, Jeff watched the smoker temperature all day. I helped by curing the meat for a week, flipping it in the smoker and then putting it away this morning.

Today I’m going to roast the pork shoulder and use up the ground beef I bought a couple days ago. And practice what I preach: sketch out some meals using the  meal planning forms I found on the internet. Each of these forms provides a space for planning breakfast. I felt confused at first. I’ve never really planned a week of breakfasts. Then it occurred to me that mornings would be easier if I at least decided in advance what the possibilities were. THIS planner turned out to be my current favorite. Organized by meal category (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner), this form includes space for seven ideas for each meal category. Then you can check off each meal after you make it.

The 21DSD book has meal plans and recipes. I want to keep it simple this week. I will try some “tried-n-true” and some new.

Interested in small group support? I am organising coaching support, probably with a couple weeks of testing later this month. I hope to be ready to start in February. Meanwhile, there is a lot of support in the official Detox Forum. You can find more information here. Lots of guides, lists, recipes and friendly people too.

21DSD T-3 Easy meal planning

Posted on

3DayChecklist

My week goes better when I plan meals ahead. I try to keep the menu reaaaallllly simple. And when I have time, I like to try out new recipes. You can find more support and ideas here! in the 21 Day Sugar Detox forum.

  1. Look at your schedule next week and see which meals you need to plan, how much time you have for prep during the week.
  2. Figure out an easy, repeatable breakfast, lunch can be leftovers + a big salad, dinners can be doubled. dinner can be really simple – stir-fry ground meat, spices to make it interesting and veggies, with some healthy fats. Plan some snacks.
  3. Make your list, shop & set aside time Sunday for a cook-up.
  4. Easy proteins can be a pan of roasted chicken thighs, a mix of ground beef and pork, slow-roasted pork shoulder. Chop some crunchy fresh veg for snacks.
  5. Figure out when you’ll need to do a second grocery store run mid-week. And celebrate your success. (I hope I haven’t scared you away!!). xx

21DSD T-5 prepare for success

Posted on
21DSD T-5 prepare for success

How do you want to feel in 2015? Free from sugar cravings? Join me!

Click Here!

5DayChecklist

21DSD T-6 Sugar, it’s not me, it’s you.

As 2014 winds down, I am reflecting on my intentions for 2015. I’ve declared that I’m done struggling with food cravings. After all my holiday treats, I feel a little gross. Starting 5 January, I am leading a 21-day Sugar Detox with a group of friends who want to kick sugar cravings to the curb. Easily. With kindness. With nourishment. This week is “Prep Week.” I’m looking at recipes and planning my “re-entry” from the holidays. I want to make this as easy as possible. And preparation leads to success.

Find Out More Here!

If you’re not entirely sure whether you need a sugar detox, take a moment to answer the following questions from Diane Sanfilippo’s book, The 21-Day Sugar Detox:

  1. Do you crave sugar all day, every day—or even a few times a week? I’m talking about candy, sweets, chocolate, or lots of fruit.
  2. Do you crave carbohydrates? These include bread, rice, pasta, pastries, cereal (yes, even oatmeal!), sandwiches, wraps, and breakfast bars.
  3. Do you include something sweet with every meal or snack?
  4. Do you experience spikes and dips in your energy levels throughout the day?
  5. Do you often feel tired upon waking in the morning?
  6. Do you drink alcoholic beverages daily or multiple times per week?
  7. Are you trying to burn body fat?
  8. Are you following a low-fat, whole-grain-rich diet that just isn’t working?
  9. Does the way you eat leave you feeling unsatisfied, hungry, and grazing on snacks every 2 to 3 hours?
  10. Do you crave carbs or sugar even though you follow a clean-eating type of lifestyle (including Paleo, primal, low-carb, vegetarian, Weston Price, or “real food”)?

If you’ve answered yes to more than one or two of these questions, you’re a good candidate for this three-week program. Join me and harness the power of the group.

Get support here!
Screenshot 2014-12-30 11.18.18

21DSD – T-7 One week away from Day 1 (Monday, 5 January)

strength in numbers! Here’s to a healthier January.

50 fit

I’m thinking about ways I can make this program easier: I will succeed at three week sugar-free me.  I’ve joined the official program at the basic level, so I can have access to the 21DSD forum. Join Here!

Identify your why

  • why are you doing this? What do you want to get out of it?
  • what are you willing to put into it?
  • how do you plan to stay on track? do you have a reminder system? A buddy?  Come join us at 50 Fit.

Learn from the past

  • What have you tried in the past?
  • What worked? What didn’t?
  • Think about how you can apply what you’ve learned. Write some notes to yourself.

Read the instructions in 21DSD

  • choose your level (keeping in mind the phrase, “don’t be a hero”)
  • look at the yes/no lists for your level
  • do you need an energy modification?

Plan for your…

View original post 84 more words

january cometh

January is coming. I will be doing the 21-day sugar detox. it starts officially 5 January. will you join me? Full program details here. Why? Because I feel better when I’m sugar-free. I have more energy, cravings fade, my overall happiness increases.

Meanwhile, I’m enjoying Christmas.

Chrismas-grreting-quotes
Click Here!

Ketogenic AIP: Q&A

Petra is a smart writer whose food views coincide with my own. However, she’s much better at writing regularly. So I thought you’d enjoy a “re-blog”