That's So Primal

Seasoning a Cast Iron Skillet

My buddy was trying out my recipe for a simple stir fry in a skillet but I failed to mention in that recipe that I make that particular portion size in a 12” Lodge Cast Iron. So as he was going to do the recipe he realized it all didn’t fit in the skillet he had. So he did what any level headed person would do – he bought a larger cast iron skillet.

 

Seasoned the new #castironskillet

A photo posted by Scott Dreger (@scottdreger) on

Now whenever you buy a new cast iron skillet it says they’re already seasoned in their factory, which is true but it’s always a good idea to give them a really good seasoning again yourself. Cast iron skillets will still take a while to break in, you’ll have to cook with them a lot and not use soap to clean them for them to really turn into awesome non stick pans. However, the starting place is to do an initial seasoning of your own.

Now, I’m not reinventing the wheel here, nor was my buddy who offered to take photos of him seasoning his own skillet. He followed Nom Nom Paleo’s guide, so the directions listed below are just following Nom Nom’s guide with the exception of doing the seasoning at 350°F instead of 400°F because a lot of the people’s comments said 400°F smoked like crazy.

1-Before
Brand spanking new skillet from Amazon.

2-Preheat the Oven
Preheat oven to 350°F.

3-Washing the Pan
Give the pan a good scrub with hot water to remove any weird stuff that could’ve collected on there from Amazon’s warehouse. Note: Scott’s brush is terrible, I suggest using these to “clean” your skillet after you’re done cooking with them. Just don’t use soap.

4-Coconut Oil
Nom Nom says to use refined coconut oil, but Scott just used what he had on hand. No worries, the idea is just to get a good saturated fat on the pan because saturated fat has less of a propensity to oxidize like a mono or polyunsaturated fat. Some argue that the oxidation is what you want on the pan so they use canola oil, but I don’t like the idea of even buying death canola oil. It’ll just take a little longer for the saturated fat to oxidize in the skillet I guess.

5-Oil in the Pan
Then throw in about a teaspoon or more of your fat of choice and rub it all over the skillet.

6-Place in the Oven
Place the skillet upside-down in the oven after it reaches 350°F. Make sure you have a foil lined baking tray in the bottom to catch anything that drops and to prevent smoking in the oven. Leave it in the oven for about an hour.

7-After
After the oven and skillet cool, you can enjoy your re-seasoned cast iron skillet! Now remember stuff will still stick for awhile, you’ll just need to keep using it and it will get better with time. Like a good pair of raw denim or natural leather.

8-Ready to Cook
Finally, Scott can fit my skillet recipe in his skillet.

Photo credits: Scott Dreger

Mom’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Mom's Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I love Halloween, not for the candy, but for my Mom’s roasted pumpkin seeds. Growing up, my family always carved pumpkins as a kind of family tradition. As I’ve gotten older and married and had a kid we still carve pumpkins at my parents house every year. I do have to say even as a kid I think I looked forward to this more than candy and trick or treating. Why, you may ask? Well, I’ve just always been a salty person over a sweet person, but also because my Mom’s roasted pumpkin seeds were so good.

Mom's Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It always went down like this: kids carved the pumpkins, and while we were carving the pumpkins, magically, the seeds that we just scraped out of the pumpkins showed up on the table roasted, toasted and perfectly salty. I never paid attention to the fact that while I was trying to think of the best Jack-o’-lantern face to carve on the pumpkin, my Mom was at work in the kitchen washing and roasting the pumpkin seeds so that we could eat them while we were still working on our Jack-o’-lanterns. Now yes some people soak their seeds overnight, boil their seeds then let them dry out or some other time consuming thing that doesn’t work for my instant gratification self.

Mom's Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

The whole idea of this recipe, as it seemed from my mom, was to just get the seeds roasted and salted as quickly as possible so that we could enjoy them as quickly as possible. That’s what she did while we were growing up and that’s what she does still today. So when we went over this last Sunday to carve pumpkins I told her I wanted her recipe for how she roasted the pumpkin seeds. This couldn’t have been easier – it’s so simple: scoop the seeds, pick out the seeds from the flesh and sorta wash them, toss on the tray with olive oil and salt. Boom 15 minutes later you have perfectly roasted and salty pumpkin seeds. It doesn’t have to be rocket science, just get the seeds in the oven asap while cutting the pumpkins so you can eat them all like a frantic pumpkin seed eating maniac!

Picking out the seeds from the pulp
Picking out the seeds from the pulp

Washing the seeds
Washing the seeds

Drying the seeds
Pat the seeds dry

Toss with Olive Oil and Kosher Salt
Toss with Olive Oil and Kosher Salt

Before oven
Before oven

After oven
After oven

Mom's Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
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Ingredients
  1. Pumpkin
  2. Olive Oil
  3. Kosher Salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. While the oven is preheating have some fun cutting open the top of the pumpkin. Now scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff into a bowl. After everything is scraped out, separate the seeds from the pulp. Feel free to leave some of the pulp on the seeds as this adds taste and texture.
  3. After the seeds are separated put them in a strainer and wash them under water for just a second. Pat the seeds dry with a towel. Then toss the seeds on a baking tray. Pour some olive oil over the seeds and sprinkle kosher salt to taste over the seeds and mix it all around with a wooden spoon. I don’t have exact measurements on this as it doesn’t really matter. Just play with it and see what works for you. Again, it’s not rocket science. Just make sure to keep the seeds away from the sides of the tray so they don’t burn.
  4. Now put the tray in the oven for 15–20 min. Stir the seeds on the tray half way through. Watch the tray closely at 15 min and roast to your liking. Just make sure they don’t burn as this can happen quickly near the end.
That's So Primal https://www.thatssoprimal.com/

Joshua Weissman Interview

Joshua Weissman

Joshua Weissman from Slim Palate sat down with me to answer some questions about what Paleo looks like for him, a little about his weight loss journey and what some of his favorite recipes are from his book and blog. I’m so stoked to be able to have had the opportunity to connect with Josh because my wife and I absolutely love his recipes. His carnitas recipe is to die for and I really love this pork chop sage recipe he has in his book.

Josh will be able to explain it a little more in detail, but he first got into Paleo to lose weight and along the way found that he needed to work on building muscle. He talks about how being strict Paleo was even contributing to him being underweight. I love the perspective he brings to the idea of what a healthy diet and lifestyle looks like for you. Being healthy doesn’t just mean being super thin, it looks completely different for everyone. I also will be giving away a free copy of his book The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook, all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter for a chance to win. I’ll give a week for people to sign up and I will select a winner by Halloween, October 31, 2015. So please take some time to read the interview and sign up for my newsletter, you won’t be sorry!

Before we get into it, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into Paleo.

I found Paleo around halfway through my weight loss process. A quick google search got me hooked on the idea almost instantly.

Before and after with stirring shot

I read one of your recent posts about how you lost weight but added back muscle. Can you talk about that a little bit and how that journey has been?

I am so happy that I was able to find my way to that. I gained about 70 pounds of pure mass, mostly muscle. Honestly, I basically went through a body dysmorphic phase after the weight loss. I was so concerned about being under 10 percent body fat that I continued to eat low carb when I shouldn’t have. Ironically I found that carbs were an important role in not just gaining muscle but staying lean for ME.

Big gains for my first year of bulking

What kind of fitness plan were/are you on that accomplished building back muscle?

I am much more specific in my post about the weight gain. To put it in simple terms I first started with a linear progression program for 12 weeks and was eating about 6,000 calories a day. Then the second 12-week plan was a mix of a main lift that built strength then worked a bit on hypertrophy. Then I had yet another 12 week phase where I did some german volume training and added in some more bodybuilding like movements. I put emphasis on the fact that I was eating REAL food for this hyper caloric form of eating.

What tips do you have to help people fit in working out?

Do wherever and whenever. Create a schedule that works somewhat well for your daily life and stick to that plan no matter what. Mine is usually Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and friday, for workout days. I workout at 9 am each and every time. That way when I get home I have the whole day ahead of me to get stuff done and I already have my workout in. Everyones schedule is different but if the president has time to workout then so do you. It doesn’t have to be elaborate and long winded if you don’t want it to be.

My wife and I love your cookbook, The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook. What’s your favorite recipe out of the book?

That is a very hard question, it’s like asking who my favorite child is. I do really enjoy the braised Moroccan chicken. I make that one all the time!

What’s your favorite recipe from your blog?

Again; asking me which child is my favorite. My chewy chocolate chunk cookies are internet renowned for being the BEST paleo chocolate chip/chunk cookies on the planet. There pretty rad if I do say so myself.

What would you say a healthy diet and lifestyle looks like for you?

For me it involves a good amount of functional movement, keeping you joints in use, not too much sitting. Of course eating real food in a fashion that works well for you and makes you feel your best and most energetic. All the while making sure to treat yourself every once in a while and not feeling bad about it.

I absolutely love your carnitas recipe. It’s almost a staple meal in our house and I equally loved your post explaining your draw to Mexican food. What other Mexican inspired dishes do you make often?

I often find myself making several types of fancy tacos. I like the ability to make different fillings and toppings for them with an entirely different end product. I know it’s simple and sounds juvenile but it really speaks to my heart like no other dish.

What does a typical week of meals look like for you?

Well right now I’m going through a macro counting cutting phase to prepare myself for my next bulk. Basically on workout days my breakfast consists of 4 eggs and a couple egg whites for extra protein (don’t worry I use the yolks from those to make mayonnaise, dressings, and sauces. I never throw them away.), 3 slices of bacon, some sort of starchy carbohydrate like sweet potato or sometimes oats (yeah I know not exactly paleo but it’s worked wonders for me). For lunch I’ll eat a couple pork chops or chicken breasts with a pound and a half of cooked white rice or so (no joke), a lot of steamed vegetables, and butter or olive oil to flavor the rice. For dinner I might have 3 or so white potatoes some fish or chicken, and maybe cheese and butter on the potato. These are all very vague examples but for the most part it’s something like this.

How do you do meal planning?

I don’t really meal plan, although I have been thinking about doing it. I sort of just go with the flow and tend to defrost enough stuff that I will always have something on hand that I want. I don’t usually plan it out unless it’s something really specific. We do spend a lot on groceries but that is because we can afford it, plus it is easy to eat real food without breaking the bank if you need to. I know this because I’m moving out for the first time on my own and have already calculated my expenses for that.

Can you always afford to buy top quality meat, grass fed/pastured? Or if your budget doesn’t afford it do you do conventional meat?

We don’t ever buy conventional meat but I may be purchasing it on occasion when I move out. We get all of our meats from Yonder Way Farm.

On the spectrum of very strict Paleo to very lenient Paleo where do you fall and why? What foods do you eat that are on the boarder of Paleo-Non-Paleo?

Very, very, very, lenient. I’m so close to hopping off of the terminology bandwagon, which I will explain in a post on my blog soon (I’m not breaking up with paleo). I eat foods like oats, white rice, and other gluten free foods on occasion. Sometimes I eat gluten too cue evil music.

What kind of food do you eat when you’re not cooking something up at home?

Chipotle of course!

What are some struggles/roadblocks that you’ve run into eating Paleo?

Becoming underweight was sort of a result of staying strict paleo for too long for me.

What inspires you to try out new recipes and dishes? Are there certain foods you have a hard time experimenting with?

If I have never tried something before then I usually take it as a challenge to make sure that I do taste it as soon as possible, mainly because I’m impatient. I don’t have a hard time experimenting with anything even if I might find it repulsive at first.

Do you have any tips for someone who is just starting out on Paleo?

I would recommend staying on it strictly for a set amount of time like 6 months or a year and then slowly reintroducing foods to see what works for you.

What is your favorite: protein, vegetable (leafy or hardy), starch and fat?

Protein: Pork (anything pork)

Vegetable: Hardy, such as roasted brussels sprouts

Starch: White rice, or homemade gluten free pasta, or homemade croissants if I’m really in the mood for that. Yeah I know not paleo but like I said, I have begun to just stick to the mantra of eating REAL food and adhering to more of an 80/20. What falls into my 80 percent is what works for ME, and what falls into my 20 percent are things that I’m still iffy about digestion wise A.K.A what gives me the rooty toots; if ya know what I mean.

Fat: Definitely a quality grass fed butter. Lard is a close runner up but I tend to use butter for a lot of things.It really depends on the use.

What can we expect next from you?

I have many goals, all of them are pretty competitive and difficult to get into. Movies, tv, music, and other things that follow that.

More Joshua Weissman

slimpalate.com

@slimpalate

The Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook

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Silkworm Spaghetti Sauce with Spaghetti Squash

This is my entry for Marx Foods Edible Insects Recipe Challenge

Please VOTE for my recipe here!

Silkworm Spaghetti Sauce with Spaghetti Squash
Silkworm Spaghetti Sauce with Spaghetti Squash

If you think that recipe title is a mouthful, just wait until you taste this recipe. If you didn’t realize already, crickets are the new kale. Well, in this case, silkworms are the new kale. Really the future of food may very well be insects. Ok I know that’s a pretty bold statement and I’m not suggesting they replace a nice pastured pork chop or grass fed ribeye, but they do have their place in our diet and we should consider adding more insects to our plate. You already know I’m a fan of Exo bars made from cricket flour. But I’m also open to different insects that we can consume. If I ever were to go to Thailand that is one thing I definitely look forward to checking out.

Awhile back I remember reading this post and was very much intrigued by the idea of adding more insects to our diet. I stepped in that direction with Exo bars but how can I step more in the direction of entomophagy? Well that’s where this recipe comes in because I got in touch with the nice people at Marx Foods to enter their edible insects contest. So I wanted to do a recipe that wasn’t an energy bar or snack or something. I wanted to look at a practical way of how I could incorporate insects into a meal our family would eat. So I contemplated all the meals we make regularly, one of which is a Paleo form of spaghetti. I prefer spaghetti squash as a wheat pasta replacement whereas my wife prefers zucchini noodles. Either would be fine for this recipe but I’m going to make this with spaghetti squash.

As for the sauce, that’s where the insects come in. Normally, when we make sauce, I either make a simple marinara from scratch or, if I’m pressed for time, I find a jar of sauce with no sugar and extra virgin olive oil (not industrial seed oil like canola oil). Then we usually add in some grass fed ground beef and ground pork sausage. But for this recipe I decided to replace the protein with insect protein – silkworms. Why silkworms? Well I just didn’t think crickets would be that good in spaghetti sauce. They would be a little too crunchy, but not the silkworms – they would be perfect. So let’s get on to the recipe!

Spaghetti Squash before oven
Spaghetti Squash before oven.

Spaghetti Squash after oven
Spaghetti Squash after oven.

Spaghetti Squash after shredding
Spaghetti Squash after shredding.

Silkworm
Silkworms.

Silkworm closeup
Silkworm closeup.

Fresh herbs
I like using fresh herbs from our garden. I encourage you to do the same if you have them.

Onion, garlic and silkworms
Onions, garlic and silkworms right before the tomatoes are added.

Sauce before stew time
All the ingredients before simmering for 1 hour.

Sauce after 1 hour
After 1 hour.

Ready to eat
Looks just like a regular plate of spaghetti…except it has bugs.

Yes, I ate it
Yes, I ate it.

I tried to get my wife to eat it…
I tried to get my wife to eat it…

She didn't, so I ate the rest
She didn’t, so I ate the rest.

Silkworm Spaghetti Sauce with Spaghetti Squash
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Ingredients
  1. 1 spaghetti squash
  2. 15g of silkworms (1 packet)
  3. 1T olive oil
  4. 2T butter
  5. 1/2 onion diced
  6. 2 cloves garlic diced
  7. 1 8oz can tomato sauce
  8. 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes drained
  9. 1/2 6oz can tomato paste
  10. 1T fresh basil
  11. 1/2T fresh oregano
  12. 1/2T fresh thyme
  13. 1t garlic powder
  14. 1t onion powder
  15. 1/2T Italian seasoning
  16. 1t kosher salt
  17. Parmesan Cheese
  18. Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Spaghetti squash
  2. I like to bake the spaghetti squash based on the way Melissa Joulwan outlines in Well Fed because it comes out perfect every time. Turn the oven to 375° and place the squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out, face down on a parchment lined baking tray. Add 3 tablespoons of water to the tray and bake for 35 minutes.
  3. Once done baking let the squash cool. Then use a fork to scrape the flesh of the spaghetti squash into noodle like strands.
  4. Silkworm Spaghetti Sauce
  5. In a large skillet over medium heat warm the olive oil. Then toss in the garlic until fragrant. Then toss in the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in garlic powder, onion powder, salt and Italian seasoning. Then toss in the silkworms and cook slightly until they start to brown, 1 minute.
  6. Add tomato sauce, paste, drained tomatoes and butter. Stir everything together, not too aggressively as we want to keep the silkworms in tact.
  7. Add in fresh basil, thyme and oregano. Stir everything together.
  8. Now cover and turn heat to low so that the sauce can simmer for 1 hour.
  9. After simmering is done all you have to do is plate some of your spaghetti squash and pour as much sauce as desired on the squash. I like to add a few extra silkworms on top for visual impact. This step isn't necessary, so if you (or your spouse) are squeamish, skip this step. Then top with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
  10. Don't be scared, Enjoy!
That's So Primal https://www.thatssoprimal.com/

Weekend Camping Trip: Keeping it Primal

Weekend Camping Trip: Keeping it Primal

Not too long ago I encouraged you to get back outside with your family. Hopefully you were able to find some ways that you could enjoy the outdoors before it gets too cold and before we all get too wrapped up in the mad dash of the holidays. If you’re still trying to figure out ways to get the family together, might I suggest you plan a weekend camping trip? Something you can easily do after work Friday with a little planning.

There are campgrounds everywhere, all you need to do is find one close to you that sounds fun. This is something you can do with just your spouse or even if you have a bunch of kids. The kids will be sure to love it and it’s a great time to get the whole family together. It also offers the a unique time where everyone’s faces aren’t plastered to the bright screen of a phone, tablet, laptop or TV. That idea, in and of itself, may freak you out. But don’t let it. Below I’ve listed a few ideas for what you should pack, what a meal plan may look like and what to do. All you have to worry about is where you want to go camping.

What to Bring

Camping Gear
This depends widely on where in the country (or outside) you may be camping. Now, you don’t have to buy everything you see at your local camping store but some basics that you don’t want to forget are:

Food

  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1 Pack of Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausages sliced into 1/4”
  • 3 Bell Peppers chopped (I use red, orange & yellow)
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 1 Garlic clove diced
  • 2T Coconut Oil
  • Mixed Greens
  • Oil & Vinegar
  • Cans of tuna/sardines/chicken
  • Bag of Paleonola
  • Burgers
  • Cheese
  • Organic Baby Carrots
  • Homemade Ranch
  • Eggs
  • Bacon
  • Butter
  • Popcorn Kernals
  • Coffee

Clothes
Just keep them comfy. Maybe even go barefoot if you can take it. It’s a rare chance you can go a whole weekend without having to wear shoes at all. If you can’t bare (pun intended) the thought of that, then just stick to sandals or something like that. You don’t need $400 hiking boots. Humans have spent a long time “camping” without needing giant rubber heels attached to their God given arches and heels.

Board games/deck of cards
Forget the solar phone chargers and extra battery packs. Just make sure you have a headlamp or a bright enough fire to play some card games or a board game or two.

What to Eat

All of these meals can be cooked in your 12” Cast Iron. I suggest you do all your cutting Thursday night before the weekend. No one wants to do the cutting on some janky table at the campsite.

Friday Night
Dinner: Chicken & Apple Sausage Stir Fry
If everything is precut, this meal comes together really quick. Perfect for getting to the campground, getting the tent up and then right into dinner.

Campfire Snack: Popcorn
Popcorn isn’t paleo. But it’s a nice once in awhile snack. Especially when you cook it yourself with butter and salt. All you have to do is melt 2T of butter in a skillet, throw in 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels and cook over fire or flame with lid, shaking continuously, until you hear the kernels start to pop. Take off the lid when the kernel popping slows down. Then top off with salt and enjoy.

Saturday
Breakfast: Eggs & Bacon
Cook the bacon. Toss out some of the fat while leaving a thin layer in the skillet. Then scramble the eggs in the remaining fat.

Lunch: Salad & Sardines/Tuna/Chicken
Toss salad in bowls with oil and vinegar and top with protein and Paleonola. Or eat the protein of your choice straight from the can.

Dinner: Burgers & Carrots with Ranch
Melt some butter in the skillet and cook burgers until desired doneness. Top with cheese if you do cheese. Serve with carrots and ranch.

Campfire Snack: More Popcorn
This is too good to just have it one night. Cook up another batch of this and you won’t even be thinking of s’mores.

Sunday Morning
Breakfast: Eggs & Bacon
Same as Saturday.

Lunch: Chipotle
No one wants to have to have to prepare a lunch on your last day of camping so just pick something up from Chipotle or some other Primal option lunch spot on the way home.

What to Do

Once again this depends widely on where you’re planning on camping. But think outside the box a little bit, and by box I’m referring to your home. Take advantage of being outdoors. Maybe even ditch the tent and just sleep outside. Just do something that you don’t normally do, here are some ideas:

Beach
If you happen to be camping near a beach then this one is pretty obvious. But I point it out so that you don’t think just camping by the beach is enough. You need to go to the beach. Put a suit on and go body surf, dig some holes, eat a sand crab, do some sprints. Anything really – just go to the beach.

Hiking
This one is pretty obvious too but not everyone likes hiking (wink wink my wife). But you should really use this opportunity that you’re living outside for a couple days to explore and see what the trails around you have to offer. Remember too, don’t try to pull the excuse that you don’t have your hiking shoes. God gave you hiking shoes when you were born. If they’re good enough for the Tarahumara, then they’re good enough for you.

Skateboarding/Biking
Most state funded camping places have some paved road throughout the grounds. If they do, take advantage of the no TV and laptop and go cruise around on a skateboard. If there are no paved roads you can always use a bike to go cruise around.

Nothing
Don’t always think you have to be doing something when you’re camping. Use your time away for the weekend to do nothing. We need to relax and kick back every so often, and this is your perfect time to do so. Take a nap throughout the day. Stare off into the distance. Watch ants crawl around. Just try to do absolutely nothing.

Look for bugs
Ya know, bugs may be the future of food. How about you go checkout some of the local offerings? I’m not sure if it’s kosher to eat bugs just crawling around, but hey depending on where you’re camping they may have a better diet than the chicken pumped full of antibiotics and soy.

Rock climb
Rock climbing didn’t start in an indoor gym. It started with actual rocks. Try to see if you can find some rocks to go climb on. Doesn’t matter how big or small, just look for something to climb on. Remember to always bring a buddy so they can catch you if you fall.

Play Games
You brought all those board games and cards. Bust ‘em out and play as much as you can. Busy schedules at home don’t always lend time to play a couple rounds of Catan.

Hopefully this post urged you a little bit to even contemplate planning a family camping trip. Now your trip, if you choose to do one, may look completely different than what I have outlined above, but this was just to spark ideas. So take some ideas I’ve listed above, or make your own, but most importantly – get outside.