Delicious Duck! Don’t be scurred!

Happy Monday Friends!

I just want to say THANK YOU for all of your continued support and readership!  You’ve heard it from me before but I feel so blessed to have readers! It’s nice to not be writing to a brick wall even though my pictures are shit, I cuss and commit the occasional  but ever present typo.  Props to you and as always, feel free to share with friends and family.  Living Paleo will CURE you, literally.  Remember- FOOD FIRST!!!

Anywho! I did some cooking this weekend, most notably made an amazing meal with duck! I got the organic free range duck breasts and legs from Whole Foods.  The other ingredients were from my CSA box.   To be honest though, the breasts were SO much better than the legs and MUCH easier to eat.   I’d just go with them if this is your first duck try.

Remember- you’re a “chef” if you’re fearless in the kitchen.  To illustrate, here are some of my favorite quotes by Julia Child, she’s pretty much a goddess 🙂

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”
― Julia Child, My Life in France

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”
― Julia Child

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”

― Julia Child

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit. ”
― Julia Child

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.”
― Julia Child

“Fat gives things flavor.”
― Julia Child

“…no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”
― Julia Child, My Life in France

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My dish consisted of crispy roasted duck, blanched Italian carrots and sauteed dino kale with onions.

Roast Ducky:

4 breasts

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 tbsp garlic (chopped)

3 tbsp rosemary

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400.  Salt and pepper the duck on both sides.  Melt the coconut oil in a stainless steel pan and start to brown the duck skin side down (about 6 minutes) and repeat the same thing on the other side.   Before you pop it in the oven throw in the butter, garlic and rosemary.  Make sure to scoop up the goodness on top of the breasts (baste) and in it goes for about 15 minutes.  Check it mid way, flip and baste on some more goodness.  Take them out and LET THEM SIT DAMMIT- for about 10 minutes 🙂 There will be a beautiful layer of fat, if you’re not fully into consuming lots of good fat, it’s easy to pick around although I don’t recommend ignoring it.  YUM.

Blanched Italian Carrots: 

Place the carrots in boiling water for about 10 minutes or until tender.  Have a bowl of ice water ready to go.  When the carrots are done put them in the ice bath.  I just tossed them in Petrini’s Original  dressing (all Paleo approved ingredients).

Sauteed Dino Kale:

1 bunch Kale

1 whole white onion, coarsely chopped

3 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Heat up the EVOO in a stainless pan and add the onions.  Saute for about 15 minutes or until translucent.  Add the kale, stirring frequently and saute for  about 15 minutes or until tender.  Drizzle with balsamic and VIOLA!

Live to Thrive,

Lauren

I burnt the Kale…

Happy Tuesday Terrible Truffles!

I’ve got a half delicious, half stupid burnt menu to share with you!  Key thought here, watch your kale at 375, don’t forget about it while you’re doing a manicure or it will look like this.

Once you’ve burnt the absolute shit out of the kale you can focus on cooking a rib eye to a perfect 135 degrees for medium rare and grilling 1 red ion and 4 yellow squashies for about 10 minutes.  You end up with goodness like this:

The seasoning here is a Cajun blend from Nawlins’.  Any old mix of dry spices will do, get creative!

I encourage you to grill grill grill!! This gives you the best leftovers for lunch.  Like today, I chopped up some radishes and cucumbers and tomatoes and topped a bed of lettuce with thinly sliced steak.  Create your own vinaigrette and enjoy!

PS- I bought a size 6 pant yesterday, HOLY MACAREIONAI!!!!!

Live to Thrive,

Lauren