Let's Celebrate with some Brisket!

Comic from Menopause Maniac

NO CRYING AT CHEZ WEBB!

8.... yes, EIGHT. Ocho. Huit. Acht. Otto. 形. Pounds LOST!

WOOT WOOT!

Not sure if it's the 100% no cheat Paleo week or the 31 miles I walked over the last 7 days but I'll take it! 

David too and he's Crossfitting so the 8 is really huge because the muscle developement always slows the weightloss.... best part is he stopped sniveling for a cheat day :) He likes the number 8!

13 days left in our committment to 100% Paleo.... can't wait to see what the end game is now that we've purged the top layer of sludge from our bodies.

Braised Beef Brisket with
Czar Heidi Salad

Let's Celebrate Paleo Style.

Want some Brisket?  Super Yummy.  Super Simple.  Even a Caveman could do it.... LOL.  Sorry.

What you need:
1 large flat beef brisket
2 tbsp kosher salt,
2 tbsp granulated garlic
1 tbsp onion powder
3 tbsp olive oil
1 & 1/2 cups beef stock
1 & 1/2 beer of your choice [whatever you like because you need to drink the other half!]****





Braised Beef Brisket

What you do:
Remove the brisket from the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking and rub it down with the Salt, garlic & onion powder.

Ready to cook? preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Heat your pan [I used my large Le Creuset Enamel Dutch Oven] with olive oil and wait a minute. Place seasoned brisket, fat side down, in pan and sear on both sides until deep brown, approximately 10 minutes total.

Add beer and beef stock and bring to a boil over high heat [liquid should come just to the top of brisket; add more stock if needed]. Cover pan tightly and braise in oven for 4 hours.

It will be fall apart fabulous.  ENJOY!

****NOTE:  We ALL know that beer is so NOT Paleo.... use all stock if you don't want that minor infraction I was willing to live with it although I did not drink and donated that other half of a beer to the pot :)


 

You're Doing What??? The Paleo Grasshopper



This is Non-Paleo Heidi,
not necessarily an unhappy girl LOL

 

Hello and HAPPY MONDAY... and not so happy Daylight Savings time!  Just wanted to check in because even though I've not been sharing all the yummy food I've been eating I'm still here.  I think the problem is that I've eating too much and therefore have no time to post. sigh.

 

So what've I been doing of late?  Well, scroll back a bit and....  In September David & I started a weight loss journey, I was over 200 lbs!  EEK.  We decided enough was enough we were killing ourselves, so, no fancy diet just trying to clean up our act and get moving again.  We did great.  I lost 24 pounds in those first few months. 

 

Then the holidays hit..... put 9 back on.  sigh. But not all is lost, after the new year got back on it thanks to a Family Biggest Loser Challenge [which we did not "win"] I lost that 9 again and a few more.  But with the end of the challenge and Girl Scout Cookie Season..... well,  let's just say, it's not pretty.   We decided need something more defined to get us rolling again and a few years ago we had some success with the Paleo diet.  Fast Forward.... we are going Caveman.  My recall of our last Paleo Challenge is the biggest benefit was feeling better and stronger because it cleansed your body of all the "crap" we consume and after 2 weeks of binging on Girl Scout Cookies I need a little cleansing!

 

What is Paleo? I'm no expert but it's also called the Caveman Diet.... I always think to myself: "Did this exist for a caveman?" if not probably NOT OK to eat! This little chart sums it up best, I found it unattributed but I think it originated with Rob Wolff who is Mr. Paleo.   So, this is all fascinating I know but why am I here? Well, if I have great success you will surely want to know and I'm certain we will have great success so I'm looping you early.  Also, I'm hoping to share a few yummy recipes along the way too and didn't want you to be like WTF is Paleo and why is Young Grasshopper posting Paleo instead of yummy cocktails?!?!  That said, I also don't want to torture you all unnecessarily if you are not interested in this divergence of mine so  but have set up a group on Facebook:  The Paleo Grasshopper if you are wanting to see EVERYTHING we eat and what our successes are on the side street as they happen....

 

Now you are all caught up and we are all weighed in and ready to go, see you soon!

 

Best meal last week! {Tilapia in Foil}

Tilapia in Foil

Have I mentioned we are dieting? I know, UGH.  But it hasn't been that bad.... just cleaning up our diet, getting off the couch, curbing my alcoholism :)  you know, the basics.  Someone asked if that was why I've not been blogging and it's really not.  I'm still making all sorts of yumminess over here..... but since I haven't really been sharing much of my journey I thought I'd start.  I'm not turning into a health blog but I figured I'd share my menu and favorite recipe from last week.



Chez Webb menu last week:

Sunday: Whole Wheat Lasagna Rolls

Monday Tilapia in Foil

Tuesday: Chicken Enciladas

Wednesday: Pad Thai Stir Fry

Thursday: Baked Chicken Divan from Eat Yourself Skinny

Friday: Thai Green Curry at Zen Bistro

Saturday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

 

See? no deprivation over here and I am down 21 lbs since mid-October [34 if you count the 6 I gained back over the holidays and have now lost again LOL]!

 Anyhow, my favorite meal last week was the Tilapia.  It's not a big complicated recipe but more a technique that would work with just about any fillet and it was a huge hit.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Tilapia fillets [1 per person]
optional: 1/2 cup patagonian scallops
veggies: I used green beans, asparagus & carrots
1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence per fillet
1 TBSP butter per fillet
Kosher salt and freshly ground black peppercooking spray
foil

WHAT YOU DO:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

 Blanch your veggies for 3 minutes [the only veggie I did not blanch from my selection were the asparagus tops].

Lay out a large square of foil for each fillet;  lightly spray with cooking spray where the fillet will go.

 Lay each fillet out on its own piece of foil.

 

Sprinkle your herbs on the fillet.

 Add your veggies and set your butter on top [you could sub a drizzle of olive oil but I just really love butter!]

Lightly salt & pepper

Bring two sides of foil up and Fold over the fillet and roll up the edges to create a seal. I label mine with a Sharpie as I customize somewhat.... only David & I got scallops, Dylan extra carrots, etc.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

I serve the foil on the plate.... be careful as you open as the steam is HOT.

Bonus:  ZERO clean up. 

ENJOY!

Random Yumminess I captured during the week

Whole Wheat Lasagna Rolls
with ground chicken marinara
[I'll post recipe another day]

Baked Chicken Divan
from Eat Yourself Skinny

You Can Eat Anything You Want.... but NOT THAT! {Low Everything & Something Free Chocolate Cake Recipe}

On our You Can Eat Anything You Want.... but NOT THAT Diet {as we like to call it} they offered up a diet "brownie" recipe made with ingredients that had to be imported from Mars.... my Gluten Free, Vegan, Health Conscious, Nutritionist friends out there are cringing I'm sure.... but this is new ground in Chez Webb.... We have an altar of butter we bow to every morning.... or at least we did until it started to bow under the pressure of our weight.  So, we are trying.  And what looked like the PERFECT diet is day by day removing any semblance of our former eating "style" but alas some changes needed to be made.  Now, don't get me wrong.... this isn't going to become Heidi's Diet Blog.  But, if I find a few yummy "diet" foods along the way, I will share them.  And I may tweak a few of my tried & true to see how the fare with no butter for instance.... so, don't get skerred.  I'm still here.  Anyhow, the "brownie" was NOT a brownie but it is pretty yummy cake :)


"Fat Loss" Chocolate Cake