Mia’s Perfect Every Time Pork Rib Roast + Parsnip Gravy

Hello readers, happy hump day to you all!

I had an influx of requests for more detailed instructions on how to cook the perfect pork roast, so I took the opportunity yesterday whilst cooking one to take a pile of pictures for a step-by-step breakdown of how I whip this up. It’s easy (I promise) and makes a pretty awesome meal when served alongside veggies. A few easy tweaks, and it’s also W30 approved!

When you’re looking for the perfect roast at the grocery store/butcher, go for something with a nice amount of fat. Rib roasts are awesome as they tend to fit the bill and they stay super tender through the roasting process.

This guy won our hearts. Good amount of fat, and a nice thick cut.

First step is to prep the veggies. I used 2 large parsnips (peeled and coarsely chopped), 1/2 each of a large yellow onion and a large white onion (peeled and sliced), and 1 head of garlic (peeled and minced). Also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Other things that are tasty additions to a pork roast: carrots, tomatoes, green onions, celeriac…

Next step is to create a braising liquid blend. Yesterday’s was balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, liquid smoke, Sambal paste (omit if W30), curry leaves, fish sauce (make sure compliant if W30), and some soya sauce (sub in coconut aminos if W30). Whisk with a fork and set aside. I also added 1.5 cups of Vega’s homemade mead (omit if W30 and sub in bone broth or water)–you want about 2.5 cups of liquid for this adventure.

 

Next step is to heat 1 TBSP of EVOO (or coconut oil, or ghee. I like the taste EVOO imparts to the meat) in the pot you’ll be using to roast the piggy in. When it’s nice and hot, sear the pork on each side until browned (about 2 min/side). When that’s done, remove the pork and let rest.

Now, add another TBSP of EVOO to the same pot (over med-low heat) and add the onions. Let those simmer away and cook down until translucent. Add the garlic (and a TBSP of Sambal for some extra kick), and continue to cook over low heat.

While the onions are cooking, give the roast a nice rubdown with some garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, and oregano.

Then, add the parsnips to the onion mix, give ’em a nice stir, add the liquid, and then return the pork to its tasty hot tub of yummy potential.

Bring this to a boil over high heat, then cover and pop into the hot oven for an hour while you browse the internet and enjoy the delicious smells soon to be wafting through the house.

After an hour goes by, uncover the roast. Continue to cook uncovered for an hour, basting every fifteen minutes.

When the cooking time is up, place the roast onto a cutting board and cover with tinfoil. It’s important to let the meat rest for about 10-15 minutes before you cut into it to trap those tasty meat juices in there.

I took the liberty of snapping a picture before I covered this beauty 🙂

In the meantime, prepare the parsnip gravy by scooping the parsnips and onions into your blender and whirling around until smooth. Add 3 TBSP of coconut milk, whirl to mix.

Return to the pot you cooked the roast in, and mix well with the yummy brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Simmer over low heat for 5-8 minutes to thicken.

While that’s thickening and getting tastier, slice the roast…

…then serve with your choice of side dish (I opted for sautéed cabbage and broccoli) and some parsnip gravy.

OMNOMNOMATHON!!!

Go forth and roast pork 🙂

 

Wallace, out.

 

 

Tomato Braised Pork Roast and Roasted Veggie Gravy (aka Dino Chow Comfort Food)

Hello Blogosphere!

I am back with another amazing pork recipe (we like oink in this house, it seems!)–this one is delicious, savory, hearty, and filling–plus, it’s super easy and 100% W30/W9 friendly. I served it with my favorite veggie side dish, and I gotta say I impressed myself with this one–Vega loved it too 🙂

(disclaimer: not my kitchen, nor my pork!) A roast like this one works the best–small amount of fat, nice and thick, and keep the netting on while you cook it so it doesn’t fall apart!

What You’ll Need (for 2 hungry omnomnomivores + leftovers):
-a 3-5 pound pork roast (we used a boneless rib roast–bonus points for grass fed!)
-1 large can of diced tomatoes (make sure there is no added sugar, sulphites or other nasties), strained (reserve liquid)
-2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
-1 large white onion, chopped
-1 head of garlic, minced
-1 TBSP whole peppercorns
-4-5 Bay leaves
-Salt (to taste)
-Pepper (to taste)
-Garlic powder (to taste)
-Onion powder (to taste)
-Oregano (to taste)
-2 TBSP EVOO (can sub out for ghee or coconut oil; however, it adds a nice depth of flavor to the dish, use your discretion here)
-1/4 of a can of coconut milk (again, full-fat (why pay for light when it’s just watered down? And why cut down on healthy fat?), and make sure there are no added sulphites, carrageenan, sugars, or soy lechiten!)
-Chili powder (to taste)
-Cayenne pepper (to taste)

And what you need to do is:
1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a heavy bottomed pot (or Dutch oven), heat 1 TBSP of the EVOO over medium, and sear the pork (about 2 minutes/side, until browned)
3. Remove pork, and add the remainder of the EVOO. Sautee the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes
4. While the onions are cooking, rub the pork with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano
5. Add garlic to onions, cook until fragrant (about 1 minute)
6. Add tomatoes, allow to cook for 3-5 minutes
7. Add tomato liquid + 1.5 cups of water, stir well, then add peppercorns and bay leaves
8. Transfer pork back into pot and bring the entire mixture to a boil. Cover and place into hot oven, allow to cook for 1 hour (and enjoy the yummy smells as they begin to waft through your house…)
9. Remove pork from oven, flip, and baste with liquid. Cook uncovered for another hour, basting every 15 minutes
10. At the end of the hour, place pork on a plate and cover with foil, allowing to rest while you
make the delicious roasted veggie gravy:
1. Place 2/3 of the braising liquid into a blender with the coconut milk, puree until mostly smooth
2. Add chili powder and cayenne pepper, whirl in blender to mix
3. Stir back into remaining 1/3 of braising liquid, simmer on low for 10-15 minutes to thicken

OMNOMNOMATHON!

SERIOUS tasty noms. The braising keeps the pork super juicy and tender–I barely needed my knife, and the gravy is just deeeeelish!

Go forth and roast pork!

Wallace, out 🙂

Obligatory Hump-Day Update + Gains and Losses Part 2

Hello readers, happy hump day to you!

I hope your weeks have been going swimmingly thus far–halfway through, it’s all downhill from here! As predicted, Mr. Vega and I ended up pulling an all-nighter on Tuesday; however, it was hugely productive on both of our parts. Vega got a whole schwack of work done, I got an early morning workout in (attacked the Tough Mudder Mudderling Bootcamp circuit–it was definitely tough, but I’m tougher! And I got my 25 minutes of Iyengar yoga in, too. Felt pretty damned good about that, especially since I got ‘er did at 6:30 in the morning!), and we managed to watch some Battlestar Galactica over brekky, which is always a nice way to start the day.

After we digested our food (and Vega answered a few more emails and I got the dishes…to the kitchen haha), we decided on a nap. I slept until 2, got up briefly to eat some Vindaloo, then re-joined Vega for some more snuggle time. Such a great nap was had, then we woke up at 6:45, as Vega is out at the studio putting some mixing work into the album he’s working on producing right now, and was getting picked up at 7:00. Good timing? I thought so. Anywhore. I was selfishly looking forward to a quiet evening alone on the couch with coffee, puppy snuggles, and the last half of “Vegeucated”; however, Beta is back for the weekend, and it’s somewhat noisy and busy around here at the moment. Now, don’t get me wrong–it’s her place, too (in fact, has been for much longer than it’s been mine!); however, I just don’t have the necessary energy to be 19 again. I just don’t. I suppose it’s a nice reminder of how far I’ve come and all that jazz…but it’s more than kind of an awkward dichotomy here right now. That being said, I am having a pretty amazing internal giggle at a comment Veggie made to Vega a few months back before I’d met Beta, when Vincent and I had been musing in the 506 about what it’d be like when the two of us inevitably did meet. To paraphrase Veggie, “[Mia] will be fine, and Beta will be too as long as she remembers that Mia’s the alpha and she falls into line.” This statement makes me laugh for two reasons, 1) Veggie hasn’t read mine nor Vega’s blog, so the Alpha comment is extra awesome, and 2) being that is exactly how this situation’s working out. I’m not trying to be a mega bitch, I’m really, really not. It’s just a strange situation to be in; especially when Vega’s not here to watch Sci Fi with me and when Beta’s trying to figure me out. I don’t want to be figured out. I’m enough of an enigma that I don’t even have myself figured out yet! I’m starting to sound like a crochety old lady. Perhaps I’m actually getting old? Regardless, the it all end all here is that I am exceedingly happy to have gotten my workout over and done with this morning; as I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have gotten done and over with this evening given the amount of things going on around me right now. But I digress.

Things I’m excited about this week–Vega and I have a date night on Friday to go see Brother Wallace’s band play a gig, which I am unspeakably excited about. Doubly so since my parents won’t be there. I’m excited about the fact that another week down means another week closer to 250-time (and it also means that I should probably get off my lazy hiney and actually start selling some stuff online and all that jazz…). I’m excited about spring time…although I’m really not expecting too much from Calgary by means of weather these days. I’m excited about the amount I’ve written (like physically written with paper and pen) in the past two and a half weeks. I’m excited to plan my workouts for the rest of the week and I’m DEFINITELY excited about rest day on Sunday (seriously, the DOMS I’ve been rocking the past few weeks…phew!). I’m excited about Vega coming home from recording tonight, and doubly excited about snuggles with him over Battlestar or Dexter tonight. I’m especially excited about that last bit.

All over the place thought-wise this evening it seems. No apologies from my end, at least this is keeping my lips zipped. Promised Vega I’d play nice, and to my credit I believe I am doing swimmingly thus far, despite some thoughtless 19 year old “wisdom” and some misplaced comments likely intended to rattle my cage. Jethro Tull is keeping the living room free, so I’m in good company for the time being; the remnants of the blueberry not-ice-cream are thawing on the kitchen counter to be enjoyed when I’m through with this post, and “falling in line” seems to be the modus operandi (smart girl) Beta’s taken to. In fact, it got quiet in here. Thank you, Jeebus, I can once again hear myself think.

Losses and gains, that’s where I wanted to go with this (see, quiet enough to once again think! Yay!). The other half of where this has become exceptionally prudent in my life as of late has been with weight. As y’all know by now, I’ve lost and gained to both extremes of the spectrum in regards to weight (oh ED, how much of my life I allowed you to once define), and for the first time, I’m to a point where I’ve broken up with the scale, the calorie trackers, and the “low fat” frankenfood I once subsisted off of. When I was on the top end of my weight, I wasn’t healthy, happy, or enjoying food. Same goes when I was emaciated and not eating–I was definitely not happy, healthy, or satiated with good fuel (in fact, sometimes I wonder how it is that I didn’t just collapse much, much earlier…I shudder to think of the days when I could list off a week’s worth of food I’d eaten on one hand). When I was put into the refeeding clinic in the ED ward post anorexic collapse, I remember fighting it so viscerally–I was terrified to gain weight, because I was certain that it would commiserate with me losing everything else in my life. The irony here is that when I was released, I was in the worst situation of my life at that point–I’d recently left Sunshine, I was about to move, I was a freaking royal bloody mess. Then, out of the blue, one day I decided to just accept the love that was surrounding me. I started going to lunch and dinner with my coworkers, I let them fill me with good food and amazing conversation and hope that I could be normal in social settings. I furthered my friendship with Dee, and enjoyed girl time over cheesecake and late night conversations, I spent time with Sarge while he was on his furlough and enjoyed dinners and beers and  the long missed company of my best friend. And slowly, as well as weight, I began to gain my happiness back, too. Then, my good friend Aussie introduced me to Whole9Life and I completed my first Whole30. I re-gained perspective on healthy food, gained back some weight in a healthy way, and re-gained my love for all things fitness related. I started working out again, cooking again, and appreciating my body again, even with an “extra” few pounds on it (I use quotations purposefully here, even now with a few more pounds on my frame (muscle I swear haha) I am still well within the healthy weight range for my frame). I’ve lost my sharp as hell collarbones, the hipbones that stuck out at jarring angles, the sallow sunken cheekbones and concave stomach. That said, I’ve gained muscle, and gained a glow to my skin, light to my eyes, energy that doesn’t come from zero-calorie Red Bull and cocaine. I’ve lost my will to die and gained an undying will to live. I also opened up to the world again (pre-recovery, I would never have met with Vega the first time, nor pestered him from afar. The irony that was thinking I looked like hell even when I was at society’s likeness of my “prettiest”), lost some idiotic people I used to believe were friends, and gained the love of my damn life. Was it easy? No. Is it easy now? No. But, I wouldn’t give it up for the world. I’m proud of the fact that I’m strong enough to get through the workouts I do, that I have the goals I do now versus then (for example, nowI want to do the Tough Mudder in 2014, to run an ultramarathon, to learn how to weightlift; whereas then, I wanted to fit into a size 00, and…well that’s about it, and I accomplished that, and it really wasn’t that remarkable), that I’ve been lucky enough to find the man who loves me strong more than he’d love me skeletal. Losses and gains. Like I said, it’s  been on my head for the past few days, and it’s been a good way to weigh (haha, see what I did there?) how far I’ve come. And I have to say, I’ve come a long fucking way. I don’t think I give myself enough credit 99% of the time. Perhaps I’ll start making that a goal and a priority too.

Anyways, I’ve pretty well exhausted what it was that I wanted to say (and more, natch. Me and my verbosity), and I still have some daily personal journaling to do in addition to planning tomorrow’s workout, so I’m going to call this a post.

For now,

Wallace, out.

Sauteed Kale and Spinach–Possibly The Tastiest Side Dish EVER.

Helloooo omnomnomivores 🙂

I’ve had numerous requests for this recipe, and I can totally understand why–it’s freakin’ delicious. I stole this one from Mother Wallace, and every time I make it, I’m filled with warm fuzzy memories of cooking with her as a kid. Simple, delicious, and packed with superfood goodness, this one is a mainstay in my diet, and is totally Paleo, Whole9 and Whole30 approved.

What you’ll need to make a meal-sized serving for 1 hungry omnomnomivore (or 2 side-dish servings for 2 hungry omnomnomivores):
-1 bunch of kale (I like to use 1/2 bunch of broad-leaf green and 1/2 bunch of curly purple), chopped
-1 bag of baby spinach
-8 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
-1/2 of a red onion, finely chopped
-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
-salt and pepper, to taste
-1 large skillet

And all you have to do is:
1. Heat 2 TBSP of the EVOO in the skillet over medium heat, add garlic, and when the smell of garlic starts to fill your kitchen, add the onion
2. Lightly salt the onion and garlic mixture, lower the heat to med-low, and let the onions cook until translucent while you chop the kale
3. Add kale and a few teaspoons of water, turn heat back up to medium, and give the mix a good stir. Pop the lid on the skillet and let the kale cook down slightly
4. When the kale has shrunk a bit, add the spinach, and another teaspoon or so of water. Mix well, re-cover, and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the greens have shrunk considerably
5. Uncover, and add the remaining TBSP of EVOO. Turn the heat up to med-high, and stir consistently for 3-4 minutes, or until the veg is cooked to your liking
6. Salt and pepper to taste

OMNOMNOMATHON

Kale = Superfood. Spinach = Superfood. Garlic = Superfood. Onions = Delicious. This dish? WIN. So much green, garlicky goodness 🙂

Go forth and make greens!

Wallace, out.

Extended Hiatus (on Mia-Terms) Over! (or, “Damn You, Nightmares!”)

Hello blogosphere, happy Monday to you all!

Hopefully the weather wherever you may be is more savory than Calgary’s second-coming-of-Winter that seems to be going on. So frustrating, but what’s an Alberta girl to do? I suppose I should be used to massive dumps of snow (my least favorite 4-letter word, seriously) in the middle of what is supposed to be springtime. Inhale, exhale, focus on Victoria. Sorry prairies, you’ve been a slice, but I’m definitely a coastal girl at heart. More on that in a bit.

THREE MONTH (and a week) BLOGOSPHERE UPDATE–as of 8:07am 04/15/2015, we’re up to 3,293 unique page visitors; 193 comments, and 1 unspeakably excited blogmistress. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ❤ I am humbled and amazed! 😀

Anyways. It’s been a good ten days–my apologies for going MIA (ha! see what I did there?!) on y’all, I’ve just been preoccupied. I am sad to report that since the PR run that was the makings of my last post, I haven’t made it out to hit the pavement since. See aforementioned grumblings vis a vis 2nd coming of winter. Regardless, I have stayed true to my personal goal of 6 workouts/week, 4 hours yoga/week, and am sloooowly seeing results. Not much in the way of inches lost yet or anything, but I feel much more like my usual bright bubbly DOMS laden self. There is a lot to be said for sweating hard once (or twice, if there’s sexy time involved hehe) per day. I’ve also been eating a lot freakin’ better–takes some willpower (and yes, there have been a few cheats–I’m not on a W30 right now, so sue me–I’m talking to you, delicious sushi and frighteningly tasty Reese’s ice-cream), but the general lowering of my consumption of dairy and grains has meant that (knock on wood) I haven’t had a flare since I’ve been back in the 403. Praise Jeebus and all that jazz. Besides the ridiculous circuit/tabata/boxing/yoga I’ve been doing, Vega and I have been making time for lots of Battlestar  (let me just take a minute to say that I AM DYING OVER THIS FINAL FIVE THING. SERIOUSLY. GUH.), and Dexter, and cooking some ah-mazing food (recipes to come sometime this week when I get off my lazy ass (actually, when I make more time to sit on it hehe) and download the pics so that y’all have visuals as well as instructions. We also celebrated Chef’s birthday on Saturday evening with Veggie over some UFC fights (YEAH FABER) at a casino. It’s nice to have good friends–they’re both really growing on me, and I’m going to miss them a ton when we move. Good news, of course, being that we still have a few months to make even more awesome memories–it’s so comforting, having good things that I will remember in Calgary, rather than feeling nothing but doom when I inevitably think on my hometown.

I digress. This morning started much, much earlier than I had anticipated. Vega and I went to sleep around 2:45am, and I was exhausted. It was a weird sleep I had–one of those “pretty sure I was dreaming about tossing and turning” kind of nights, I am sure I slept because I definitely sprung awake (much less tired, but not well-rested..grumble grumble)–and I laid there from about 6 until 6:30 doing my damndest to get my eyes to take me back to sleepytown. No such luck, so I hauled myself to the living room, had a smoke, and cuddled with the puppy while reading the new posts on the Whole9 forum. Finally got through the unread ones, decided it was coffee time, ground some organic, fair trade dark roast beans (yeah yeah yeah, I’m one of them hippies. I know. Soon I’ll be where I belong with my hippie of a handsome guy 🙂 ), and here I am. There really is very little better than a good strong cup of coffee and a cigarette in the morning–and I must say, my visceral hatred of the morning is slowly fading as I grow older. I’m learning to enjoy the peacefulness of the day breaking (and it’s nice to have a little me time. Love you, Vega, but I feel super-guilty writing blog posts when we are snuggling on the couch. It’s also near impossible to think clearly enough when Beta is in the room–nothing against her, but a) I don’t want her finding my blog, and b) she’s 19 and has the conversational energy of a nineteen year old. Too many thoughts end up floating around). Right now, my situation is a good one–hot coffee, sleeping pooch beside me, Monday blues nowhere to be seen… Hmm. A half year ago I wouldn’t have recognized this person. I missed this side of me. I keep re-introducing these long forgotten facets of myself back into everyday Mia-existence. It is freakin’ lovely, as I’d convinced myself that these parts of me had packed up and moved away a long, long time ago.

Before I move too far away from the tangent of sleep, that seems to be the one thing I am having the hardest time “fixing” (in the same way I am “fixing” my diet and exercise). In the last 2 weeks, Vega and I have done better in the way of actually going to bed (fewer although not none in regards to all-nighters), but it seems that even when I am just pooched and should theoretically be sleeping like a rock, that I’ve been having bouts of the worst nightmares known to man/womankind. They’re so vivid, so bizarre, and so unsettling…ugh. The only conjecture I have on the matter is that I’m processing things on a subconscious level–my conscious is for the most part at peace these days–and Vega took it a step further to add that it probably has something to do with me truly realizing that I am safe and I am loved, and coming to grips with that, too. Whatever it is, I hope to kill it off with the assistance of the aforementioned workouts, eating, and LOVE (I am so loved, it blows my wee brain)–and hope that if nothing else, maybe I will get a good cry in one of these days and just physically let it all go. I’d really prefer to not have to resort to the latter (I really, really hate crying–although mead and ridiculous conversations with Vega seem to drag it out of me), but perhaps the urge will strike and I’ll just get it out of my system. Alternately, I can also see a hysterical Mia-style laughter-out-of-fucking-nowehere-for-45-minutes session as a potential release. It is unfortunate one cannot force these things, as I’d also get a killer workout from the giggle-fest. 🙂 Grieving one’s past is a strange and liberating experience.

Anywhore. A  little over an hour and my Vega will be waking for the day. Is it pathetic that I miss him terribly right now (even though he’s under the same roof, sleeping soundly in the bed I was in with him less than two hours ago)? No matter, it’s the truth, and I am revelling in it. Absolutely wallowing in the depths of the love I have for that perfect-for-me-man. Going back to the first bit of this post, 99.99999% of why I’m so excited about Victoria has to do with Vincent and I. We are flourishing so much already–every day that goes by, we learn more about each other, grow closer, make new memories, come up with bigger and better goals and dreams for the future–our future. It’s truly overwhelming to have found the person who makes me whole – and we’re really just beginning. As the days and weeks go by and the move draws nearer, it’s becoming clearer and clearer to me that when you do what you’re supposed to be doing, things tend to work out as they should. In the beginnings of our relationship, I had nothing but doubt coming from my few friends who bother to give me their $0.02 on my life. The number of times I heard that we moved too fast, or that I was acting on impulse, or that I was going to invariably get hurt if I moved from the 506 to the 403 to be with Vega…well, let’s just say that upon seeing/talking to me now, none of them have anything left to say–in fact, most of them are quite literally speechless–and it’s great, quite frankly. Nothing is as simple as it seems; however, sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Mine seems to make some pretty wise choices (so does Mr. Vega’s). I’m so so so excited for the summer–excited to move (hopefully for the last time in a while! haha), to meet Vega’s family, to find our corner of the universe together in the 250! I’m excited about the weather, and about being by the water, and about exploring new neighbourhoods, and restaurants, and making new friends. I’m excited about the unknown–and I’m excited by what I know for sure; that is, the prospect of starting to put down roots somewhere beautiful with my fiancé and our pup and overwhelming amounts of positivity and love and happiness (and, of course, good food). To anybody who doesn’t know me, this probably reads like the diary of a madwoman. Perhaps I am mad–was it Twain who said that the best of us always are?

Speaking of authors, I am starting a new read when I wrap up this post here. Vega’s lent me “A Game Of Thrones,” by George R. R. Martin. I’ve been meaning to get in on this series for a long while now (and I haven’t watched the TV show yet, so shh! No spoilers!), and I’m looking forward to sinking my teeth into a good book. Have I mentioned yet how excited I am that I’ll be able to read by the water again soon? And do yoga by the water? And run by the water…? The list goes on, but long story short, all good things in life are made better when done by the water. True fact. Also true fact–this will be a reality in what really is a matter of weeks. I should really get a move on the whole Kijiji-selling-of-things. Maybe today after my workout. We’ll see.

Today should be a continuation on the positive-vibes theme, methinks. I’m already 2 cups of coffee into the day, have a killer boxing circuit and some kundalini yoga planned for mid-morning (after brekky with my love, natch), and besides vacuuming and a possible grocery run later in the day, all I have planned is pooch snuggles on the couch with the aforementioned read o’the week–no better way to spend a snow day. Taking it easy, one day at a time–trying to find that balance I’m always talking about–I’m pretty sure my Nirvana lies somewhere between Vega, Visa, and Vinyasa.

For now, I have exhausted my rambling muscles. Expect recipes (and hopefully, less of these ten day hiatuses) very, very soon.

Wallace, out.

 

 

A Few Variations on Basa Filets (Somethin’ Fishy Goin’ On)

I got some awesome feedback on the lemon-pepper haddock recipe I posted earlier (thank you!), and thought I’d serve up three easy variations on basa filets that I’ve come to quite enjoy as of late.
Basa is a flaky white fish, and Safeway/Sobey’s/Superstore/Costco all sell big bags (usually 6 large filets) of frozen, sustainably fished basa, and it tends to go on sale a lot. When I see it there, I usually pick up 2 bags to have in the freezer for quick dinners–extra bonus is that these cook up exceptionally well from frozen (if you’re thawing first, cut cook times down by about half and you should be fine!) and also take minimal work to prepare. I have three variations for ya, we’ll start with

1. Chili Basa (I served this one with a red-leaf lettuce salad drizzled with EVOO and balsamic vinegar, and sauteed yams and parsnips)

Not for the faint of heart–the habanero sauce and the chili flakes definitely pack a punch here! Not to worry though, the sweetness of the yams/parsnips and the freshness of the salad make this a perfect compliment!

All you have to do here is:
1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
3. arrange basa filets on baking sheet, drizzle with paleo-approved cooking oil of choice (I used expeller pressed coconut oil, no need to heat it up really, just a dollop and spread it around)
4. Drizzle with habanero hot sauce to your liking (I like Tabasco Habanero–killer heat, super tasty)
5. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dehydrated chili flakes (I use lots, it makes a crust!)
6. Pop into hot oven, uncovered, for 16-20 minutes, or until golden on top
7. Flip filets and season with habanero sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper and chili flakes
8. Return to oven for 8-10 minutes, or until fish is golden and flakes easily with a fork
9. Serve with red leaf lettuce (I dress mine with EVOO, balsamic, red onion, and a TBSP of raw, hulled, unsalted sunflower seeds) and pan sauteed parnsips and yams
10. OMNOMNOMATHON

2. Garlic & Parsley Crusted Basa on Mixed Greens

Buttery, garlic-y, refreshing deliciousness–perfect for dinner on a hot day!

(ahem..pardon the pack of smokes top left. I am quitting soon, I swear–in fact, that’s the goal on my next W30, but that isn’t the point here and I digress)

All you have to do here is:
1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. Mince up 8-10 cloves of garlic (or more, I like me some garlic and have been known to use a whole head..)
3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
4. Arrange basa filets on baking sheet
5. Brush filets with ghee
6. Top with a hearty amount of garlic, and parsley to your taste
7. Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned
8. Flip filets and repeat steps 5 and 6
9. Return to oven uncovered for 8-10 minutes, or until fish is lightly browned and flakes easily with a fork
10. Serve on top of mixed greens (I like a salad of romaine, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, a TBSP of sunflower seeds and EVOO/balsamic drizzle
11. OMNOMNOMATHON!

3. Lemon, Cilantro and Chili Basa (I serve this one with mixed greens and sauteed butternut squash and carrots…yeah yeah I like my veggies, so sue me)

So easy, so tasty, and so damned good for ya!

All you have to do here is:
1. Preheat oven to 425°
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
3. Arrange basa filets on baking sheet
4. Blend 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro with 1/2 of a juiced lemon, salt, pepper, and 1 TBSP coconut oil (liquefy first)
5. Spread cilantro mixture evenly over basa
6. Sprinkle with chili flakes
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes uncovered, or until fish is lightly browned
8. Flip fish over and repeat steps 5 & 6
9. Return to oven, baking for 8-10 minutes, or until basa is lightly browned and flakes easily with a fork
10. Serve with slice of lemon and additional sprinkle of chili flakes alongside pan-sauteed butternut squash and carrots, as well as mixed greens (to balance nutrients, natch!)
11. OMNOMNOMATHON!

Easy, delicious, and rather budget-friendly; basa and I are good friends these days, and you really have to try to screw this up. My kind of recipe(s)!

Happy nomming!

Wallace, out

 

Chili Turkey Stir-Fry & Sauteed Cabbage

I’m not the biggest turkey fan in the world (I know, I know–it’s a texture thing), but when Sobey’s has 4 pounds of ground lean turkey for 8$, what’s a girl to do (answer: buy the turkey, figure the rest out later)? So there I was, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to chef up, when it hit me–I pretty much like anything spicy, I had a bunch of veggies that needed to be eaten, and a major hankering for chili (which, due to the beans involved, is unfortunately not a Whole9-approved dish); and presto, this delish and easy dinner was born.

What you’ll need to feed 4 hungry omnomnomivores and have leftovers:
-1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
-1.5 pounds of extra lean ground turkey
-1 onion, sliced
-4 cloves of garlic, minced
-6 carrots, chopped
-1/2 bag of frozen veggies (I used green beans, nomnom)
-Any other leftover veg that you might have sitting around that needs to be eaten, chopped (bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower all work exceptionally well)
-1 can black olives, pitted and drained and chopped
-2 TBSP of your favorite paleo-friendly cooking oil (I use cold expeller pressed coconut oil)
-Chili powder, to taste
-Chili flakes, to taste
-Cayenne pepper, to taste
-Garlic powder, to taste
-Sriracha sauce, to taste
-Optional: diced jalepenos, to taste
-Extra virgin olive oil

To prepare this nomtastic dish, you’ll need to:
1. Heat 1/2 TBSP of the paleo-approved oil in a deep skillet over medium heat, and add the minced garlic. Allow to sizzle for a few moments, until the yummy smell of heated garlic begins to come through. Add the cabbage and a few tablespoons of water, stir well and cover. (note: make sure that you check on this every 5 or so minutes, if it’s beginning to stick add a little more water and stir. It should reduce in volume somewhat and get semi-translucent and soft. Remove from heat when it reaches your preferred done-ness.)
2. In a large skillet (or wok), heat the rest of the cooking oil over medium until it glistens, then add the onion. Sprinkle some salt over the onion to help it sweat, then fry until the onions begin to become translucent.
3. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink
4. Add the carrots (plus whatever other fresh veggies), frozen veg and black olives, stir well and allow to sizzle for 2-3 minutes
5. Season with chili powder, chili flakes, garlic powder, sriracha, and jalepenos, and stir well
6. Turn the heat up to high for 2-3 minutes, to brown turkey slightly
7. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes, to allow sauce to thicken
8. Dish out cabbage and drizzle with EVOO, top with turkey mixture

OMNOMNOMATHON!

Spicy and meat-y and easy! Three of my favorite things 🙂

OMNOMNOMATHON!

Happy nomming!

Wallace, out.

Lemon Pepper Haddock Filets

Happy Zombie Jeebus day, everyone! I hope that you’re taking the time to enjoy the ones you love, even if (like me) you don’t commemorate the holiday 🙂

I’ve got a nice and easy fish recipe for ya today, this one is 100% paleo/Whole9/Whole30 approved, so if you’re trying to find something nomnomtasty that won’t blow your plan, takes minimal effort and is really, really hard to screw up, this one’s for you!

What you’ll need to feed 2 hungry omnomnomivores (and have leftovers for the next day):
–4 haddock filets (I got mine frozen and thawed overnight, they’re cheaper if you buy them frozen and I find they cook better thawed) – brownie points if you buy sustainably sourced fish!
-4 TBSP (ish) of your favorite paleo-approved cooking oil (I used expeller pressed coconut oil (warm in microwave to liquefy), but don’t recommend olive oil here, it has a smoke point of 325°, and we dislike setting off the fire alarms in the Casa di Wallace)
-1 lemon
-Salt (I like sea salt, but normal table salt is fine too)
-Black pepper
-Cayenne pepper (if you like your food a bit hotter)

so easy–5 minutes of prep time and you’re ready to go!

And all you have to do is:
1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Cover 2 baking sheets in tinfoil
3. Arrange fish on baking sheets
4. Drizzle each filet with cooking oil (I usually give each one a little rubdown to coat the top sides somewhat evenly)
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
6. Place 1-2 lemon slices on each piece of fish
7. Pop in hot oven for 16-20 minutes, uncovered, or until lightly browned

OMNOMNOMATHON.

 

yum yum yum!

I served mine with steamed green beans, wax beans, and baby carrots; seasoned with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of EVOO.

Happy nomming!

Wallace, out.

Obligatory Hump Day Mia-verse Update

Hellooooo blogosphere!

Happy hump day! I trust you’re all doing well, enjoying the sunshine (finally!), and eating plenty of delicious and (mostly) paleo friendly meals! We’re halfway through another week, and I swear life is in warp speed–wasn’t it Sunday yesterday?!

I don’t know about you guys, but the weather changing for the sunny and beautiful has had a definite and awesome impact on my mood as of late–as if I weren’t already stoked enough on life, it’s almost running and BBQ and tanning season again; which is, of course, only a small portion of the wonderful things that I ah-dore about the summer months. So excited, especially about running outdoors again. Yeah, yeah–there are such things as indoor tracks and treadmills; however, anybody who has ever enjoyed the glory of a long run on a breezy summer day outside is straight up lying to you if they don’t uphold that outside = better. Period, end of story. If the weather app on my iPhone isn’t lying to me (and the 403 weather doesn’t go all schizophrenic), it should be perfect weather for the first run of the season this weekend–I would have gone yesterday; however, there’s still a good bit of ice on the ground that needs a couple more days to melt (and I’m a massive klutz, so I’ll wait until the weekend and avoid skinned knees). I could wax on about running for days–seriously, it’s one of my favorite drugs, the runner’s high, and it’s about time I get my damn fix!

While we’re on the subject, I want to implore you to join me in something near and dear to my heart and well worth your time. On May 4th, one of my good friends is hosting a “virtual 5K” in memory of his son, who passed away far too young two years ago. This isn’t a fundraiser and it isn’t a charity event; rather, we want to raise awareness and commemorate the life of a young man who is dearly missed. The date is also rather significant to me; nine years ago, I lost my “Canadian Gramma” to cancer, and I miss her pretty viscerally to this very day. What I’m asking of you is simple–
1. Dust off your sneakers
2. Lace them up and grab your iPod
3. Wherever you are, hit the ground running (or walking!) and enjoy a 5K
4. While doing said 5K, take the time to remember those that you’ve loved and lost, to enjoy nature, to smile at passersby, and to be grateful to be alive
5. Head over to the I See Fit People page on Facebook and join the event–my friend and his wife are doing this for the 2nd year in a row now, and it would mean the freakin’ world to them if you added another member to the group (there were over 1000 of us from 17 countries around the world last year!)
Please consider it, and if you do decide to take part, please do join the event. I’ve even linked it to y’all above. ISFP is my 2nd family! 🙂

Anyways, enough (for now) about running; onto more unimportant ramblings! This week’s been a great one so far–in-between food blogging (by the way, a big thank you for the huge response regarding my omnomnomivore section! I have been listening! I will continue to post recipes!), I’ve been back into my rather crazy (though still less insane than I’d prefer, but I’m working back up!) workouts, Monday was a brutal kickboxing circuit that I rather enjoyed, Tuesday was cardio abs and legs tabata intervals, and today was some very much needed and well deserved yoga for my DOMS-ridden muscles. I also have been very much enjoying long walks with Visa around the neighbourhood (side note and minor rant: I almost got smoked by some douchebag in a massive truck while crossing the road the other day. I was halfway across the street when he decided to randomly hit the gas and come very, very close (I’m talking 6 inches) from hitting me and Visa. I flipped him the bird, he backed up his truck and started screaming at me about “not knowing who he is,” and how “he should get out of his truck and beat me up” and how “kids like me shouldn’t be out of the house without an adult,” so I promptly called him out and invited him to get out of his truck and solve it as he’d previously mentioned, and tossed in the fact that he couldn’t afford to hit me anyways; with his truck or otherwise, as he clearly doesn’t know who I am. Needless to say he kept on driving (like a total retard); however, from the viewpoint of a conscientious pedestrian, I implore y’all to please not drive like idiots, especially in the coming months–I’m a big girl and I can hold my own (without holding mommy’s hand), but the sunshine is going to bring the kids outside, and I really would hate to hear that any of you were responsible for hitting anyone, let alone a child. End rant). My activity levels are back up to their normal Mia-state of being and I feel much, much more balanced. It’s kind of funny how once you get used to moving more every day, it becomes harder to take rest days (or in my case, weeks up until recently) without feeling both the urge to attack a workout and some guilt attached to not doing so. That said, I needed the time off, and I’m back with a vengeance. I can feel it in my bones.

Besides the healthy stuff, Vega and I have been enjoying a relaxing few days with plenty of quality time spent in the glory of each other’s company. We had a nice early night on Sunday and woke up on time (gasp!) Monday; ready to attack the week with coffee in hand, and indeed managed to do just that. I even managed to vaccuum and get all the laundry done. WIN! Monday evening we watched LOTR (the extended cut. Brilliant and so much win), had a delicious meal (steak and veg stirfry with quinoa and field greens, the recipe is in the omnomnomivore section) with a few too many glasses of mead, and ended up not tired at all when LOTR concluded at 4 in the morning; ergo, we did the Vega & Wallace thing, continued drinking, and watched “Dune” while discussing life. Major life win? We both want to live in a Hobbit hole when we grow up, so there was much planning our future home and lots of laughter to be had. Finally, we called it a night at 6:30 in the morning, and fell into (for me at least) a rather restless sleep. Woke up at 1:30 feeling shockingly human after a cup of coffee, made brekky, and spent the day reading up on new recipe ideas for my next Whole30 challenge, walking Visa, working my wee abs out, and keeping Vega company while he answered emails and did some special orders. We had a delish dinner that my lovely love cooked up for us (salmon, coconut quinoa, and veggies) and watched way too much Walking Dead. Called it a night at 3:00, and I slept like a baby. Or a rock. Or maybe a baby rock? haha. Had a hard time getting out of bed this morning snuggled up tight next to Vega, and we both caved and told the alarm clock to fuck itself when Visa joined in for puppy snuggles. Is there a warmer, more comfortable place in the world than cuddled up with your man and the pooch? I think not! Anyways, got my ass moving at 2:45 this afternoon, made coffee and brunch, and started the day off late but right. Didn’t walk the pooch this afternoon..but totally enjoyed my Yoga sesh while Vega was out enjoying (I use the term loosely when it comes to leg day) his workout. Cheffed us up a friggin wonderful dinner (celery root and sweet potato mash, sauteed onions with broccoli and brussels sprouts, and pork chops with a dijon garlic marinade, recipe to come), and enjoyed it over more Walking Dead and perusal of the W30 forums. Relaxing hump day = win.

I suppose I am really mostly preoccupied with excitement over the pending move out to the coast and a fire under my ass in regards to my eating habits with running season upon me once again; and I suppose that neither one of those things is particularly fascinating to any of you, which is fine and fair. But, all the same, it’s magical to me. I hear all the time that I’m an “idealistic hippie,” and maybe I am, but I’m a happy one. And by the skin of my damn teeth, I’ll be a healthier one by the end of this year, too. BHAG. Not forgotten, not moving backwards (as I’d convinced myself I was about a month ago). I broke up with MyFitnessPal today. No more calorie counting (it’s a totally self-destructive behaviour and it is a LOT of damn work); rather, I’m going back to my eating plan and putting in the work that way. I’m almost halfway (!) through another year already. I’ve made steps, it is time for strides. If I keep on waiting, I can only really expect more of those yucky negative mental-space moments (like the one I had on the couch with Vega that led to a near-relapse last weeken) in the future. I am happy that they are fewer and further between these days, but I will only be truly satisfied when I have none. Again–do I expect anyone out there to find this interesting? Well, no; however, I didn’t start this blog with the intention of making it about anyone except me. So. Mia feels better with her little Wallace pep-talk off her chest.

I’m looking forward to this weekend–Vega and I are both kind of cabin-fevery and I’m pretty sure that we’ll be making an effort to get off the couch and actually do something regardless of what something may be. I’m perfectly thrilled with a walk around the neighbourhood..but I also like surprises. We’ll see where it goes! As long as I’m with my man I’m a happy girl.

For now, I’m going to go read up on bacon (worth a click, she’s wonderful) and enjoy the rest of my evening with Vega and Visa and possibly another cuppa tea.