Paleo, New Fad Diet; Old Lifestyle Change.

“The Paleo Diet”, a new fad diet that became famous in 2013, when Hollywood big names “discovered” its benefits.  Stars such as, Jack Osbourne (son of Ozzy and Sharon), Matthew McConaughey, Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman and Gwyneth Paltrow swore it made them more fit and vibrant.  What is the Paleo Diet exactly?  It is a diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans; consisting mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and fats; excluding dairy or grain products, legumes (beans), starches and processed food.  What about poultry?  Well, the Dodo bird may have been in existence, but very little evidence proves it was eaten by early man.

A diet of meat, fish, vegetables fruit; avoid dairy and high carb foods….hello, welcome to the eating lifestyle of the diabetic.  That’s correct, what celebrities made famous as a “diet” is actually the lifestyle that the typical individual, with diabetes, has to live by.  Factually, if every individual ate this way, those who are pre-diabetic, or possibly at risk, may just be able to avoid the disease.  Give it a fancy name and celebrity endorsement though, folks will jump on the bandwagon without even knowing why.  Remember the “cabbage soup diet”; that didn’t last long after people became very sick from it.  Point?  Don’t do things just because a famous person (actor, athlete, singer) says to; they are not trained nutritionist or dieticians!

Author, Dana Carpender, began her career as a newspaper food columnist, with many a published cookbook under her belt.  Two recommended are, “500 Paleo Recipes” and “200 Low-Carb High-Fat Recipes”; and the recipe I’ll be giving you is from the latter.  I am not attempting to push the “Paleo Diet” on you; I am giving you information about an alternative eating lifestyle.  Being a Type-2 Diabetic myself, I fully understand the frustration, anger, fear and confusion this disease causes a person; perhaps this will ease the pain a little.

“Winter Night Short Ribs” uses a marbleized, tough, meaty section cut from the ribs of cattle or pigs; hence the name.  Unless it is cooked carefully, it will end up being a chew bone for your dog.  Personally, I find this recipe perfect for a lovely meal for two (leftovers for later, of course); holiday, anniversary, birthday, or a celebration of some special event.  The sauce created is rich and full bodies, the vegetables so tender that they actually melt in the mouth, and the meat….mind blowing in taste and texture.  After cooking, the rib bone easily falls away; the fat has melted into the meat to tenderize into that mind blowing perfection.

Perhaps a change in lifestyle is far down on your to-do list, at least make this meal for yourself and that special someone.  This is major pointage you’ll be making in their eyes.

 

Winter Night Short Ribs

(from “200 Low-Carb High-Fat Recipes” by Dana Carpender, page 127)

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef short ribs
2 Tbsp. bacon grease
½ large onion, or 1 small onion
1 turnip, size of a baseball
1 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ tsp. ground black pepper
\½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Optional: Guar or xanthan (for thickening, but you won’t need it, believe me!)

Preparation:

In a heavy skillet, medium-high heat, sear the short ribs all over in the bacon grease.  While doing this, slice the onion into 1-inch pieces; peel the turnip and cut into 1-inch cubes.  Place these into bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker (crock pot).  When the short ribs are browned all over, place on top of the vegetables.

  

 

 

Pour the broth into the skillet and add the seasonings; scrape up the browned bits (called “faun”) and mix well, including all the fat.  Pour over the ribs in the slow cooker; cover, set to low and cook 8 to 9 hours.  (Note: at 6 hours the sauce was bubbling a lot; checked the meat and veggies, they were done!)

  

 

The recipe states it yields six servings, but it ended up only being four for us; hence the meal for two plus leftovers.  A suggestion, a nice roasted and mashed sweet potato as an addition to the other vegetables.  The sweet potato is naturally sweet, so simply add butter and cinnamon for taste, or spoon the sauce from the short ribs over it.  Sweet potatoes are also low in carbs, so fits well with this meal.  

 

Mary Cokenour

Papa Dave's Pizza is Hot, Hot Hot!

Papa Dave’s Pizza Wagon

Blanding, Utah, 84511

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Papa-Daves-Pizza-Wagon-779358992173467)

David Ludwig, Owner and Operator

Admittedly, I am a pizza snob; born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, in an Italian neighborhood, I know great pizza…not good, great.  I enjoy Chicago style every now and then, but New York pizza is the ultimate for real pizza lovers.  Imagine the culture shock I went through, moving to Utah, and finding out; well, what is this stuff they’re calling pizza?  Now, I understand if you were raised on this type, had never been out of the state, or if you had, never tried pizza elsewhere; then you wouldn’t know different, right?  I did warn you that I am a pizza snob.

Making it at home was my only choice, until now; a food wagon showed up in Blanding, November 2015, serving fresh made pizza from a wood burning oven.   Papa Dave’s Pizza Wagon is owned and operated by David Ludwig; teacher of pre-engineering and digital media at San Juan High School.  I asked Dave, “Why the wood burning oven?”, and his answer was plain and simple, “I saw it and wanted one.” His story is one of inspiration to any who have a dream and intend on making it happen.  Here it is in his own words, “I'd always wanted to be involved in the food industry, but I was too young, poor or scared to try anything.  I had basically given up on any restaurant dreams until the Food Trucker movement caught my attention. The idea of a bare-bones, minimalistic food service on wheels was too fun and crazy to ignore. I felt like it was something that I could handle, something that I could build myself.”

Each step of the process was a learning experience for Dave, from welding to masonry; he converted an old camper trailer into the food wagon itself.  He consulted with local building contractors and suppliers about the construction of the oven; scoured classifieds for restaurant equipment, and played with many a recipe.   Trial and error were the rule for the pizza making – creating the dough and finding the correct thickness; placement within the oven to bake thoroughly without burning; what ingredients worked as toppings.  Then came the choice of wood to be used; which burned to the proper temperature (900 degrees) and had a longer mainstay; which woods didn’t place a scent or taste into the dough.  Dave was very proud to say that he purchased a brand new chain saw and cuts his own wood; currently he is playing with fruit woods.  Ingredient wise, he buys local only and primarily from Blue Mountain Meats in Monticello; he knows he’s getting quality products there.  He makes his own dough; and I can tell you, for a fact, that David Ludwig loves what he does, and puts that love into his food.

 So, let’s get to this pizza made with love; by the ordering window are the menus with descriptions of each type of pizza offered.  Dave first rolls out the dough mound, then works it out by hand to the size required.  Transferring it to the toppings station, oil is brushed along the edges; sauce (red or white) is spread out, then the cheese and other ingredients as needed.  The pizza is then placed into the 900 degree, wood burning oven; moved from place to place, during the 10 to 15 minute cooking time, to make sure the crust is perfectly browned and crispy; and that the cheese is melted and toppings hot. 

Customers Enjoying the Show.

 

 The taste is incredible; thin crust, toppings just right for each piece; the edge crust is baked all the way through; definitely not like the doughy mess found in too thick crusts not properly baked.  Ah, but here’s the real test, the cold pizza test; Dave’s pizza passed with flying colors, just as delicious cold as it was hot.  Wait, there’s more; he also has a dessert pizza with a choice of raspberry, strawberry, blueberry or apple plus brown sugar and a cream cheese topping.  Close your eyes while eating a piece of this, and you can actually imagine you’re eating real cheesecake; how awesome it that!?!

Menus

Triple Cheese

Pizza Supreme

Hawaiian Chicken Bacon

Dessert Pizza - Raspberry, Brown Sugar, Cream Cheese Topping

 

How to find Papa Dave’s Pizza Wagon?  On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Papa-Daves-Pizza-Wagon-779358992173467), Like the page and make sure to click on “Get Notifications of Status Posts”.  Usually the wagon is located at the 4-way stop in Blanding; Friday and Saturday nights from 4pm to 9pm (ish); but check Facebook for updates.  Dave does catering also, so if you have a special event, message him, and he will work out all the details with you.

We purchased three pizzas and a dessert pizza for a most wonderful family fun night with our friends, Richard Watkins and his daughter, Amy.  Richard told stories of the area as we put together a multi-piece puzzle…no phones, no television…just friendship, love and fun.  Think about doing this with your own family and friends; it’s good for the mind, body and soul; and don’t forget to buy from Papa Dave’s!!!

Mary Cokenour

Looking for Comfort? Eat Soup!

No matter what the weather, I have always found soup to be a wonderful comfort food.  It lightens a dark mood; soothes an ache of the mind, body or soul; can be quite healthy, so no guilt; or decadent when wanting to feel pampered.

One of the best soups I know for relieving the cold and alone feeling of nasty winter weather is Potato Leek Soup, and the addition of cream makes it a little decadent too.  Definitely a win-win.

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

4 large leeks, or 5-6 small to medium; white part only, or 1-2 inches into soft, green section

2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet), peeled and cubed
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup cold water
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups half n’ half
Optional: favorite fresh herb for garnish

 

 

Preparation:

Cut leeks into ½ inch pieces; place in colander to wash thoroughly with cold water to remove any dirt and girt.  In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat; sauté leeks until tender (approx. 10-15 minutes). 

  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase heat to medium-high; add potatoes, stock, water, black pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low; cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

  

 

If using an immersion blender, puree vegetables in stock pot until smooth.  Otherwise, transfer in batches into a standard blender; puree until smooth and return to stock pot once all is done.

Turn heat on again to low, stir half n’ half into the puree; let soup come up to a hot temperature, but do not increase heat to avoid boiling the soup.

Ladle into bowls, garnish with snips of favorite fresh herb if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Crock Pot Cooking with Chicken.

While the crock pot is most definitely a kitchen tool of convenience; it can, for the cook, be an experimental lab. There are those days when I have no clue what to do with some ingredients; I get tired of making the same old, same old.  Take, for example, bone-in chicken legs and thighs; do I fry them up again or bake them in barbecue sauce?  See, I'm not a big fan of these pieces of chicken, but my hubby loves them.  I make many food items I dislike because he enjoys them; that's part of being in love.

I'd just purchased some new Knorr Noodles and Rice Sides (yes, I cheat), one being Teriyaki Noodle; and there was that bottle of sweet and sour sauce with only about 2 cups left inside....bingo!  How to prepare was the next question, and while digging in the kitchen closet for a baking pan, I spied the crock pot....second bingo!

Eight hours later I tried a chicken leg with the teriyaki noodles; even though I'm not fond of chicken legs, it wasn't half bad.  My hubby, though, loved it, and that was the most important taste test of all.

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

 Ingredients:

4 lbs. chicken thighs and legs, skin removed

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 8 pieces
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 8 pieces
1 (15.25 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained
2 cups sweet and sour sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 (4.7 oz.) packages Knorr Asian Sides – Teriyaki Noodles

Preparation:

Spray a 6 quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Layer chicken in first; follow with bell peppers and pineapple.  Pour sauce over all; sprinkle sesame seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover, set on low and cook for 8 hours.  A half hour before ready to serve, prepare noodles according to package directions.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Duke’s, the Real Bistro in Bluff.

 

Duke's Bistro at Desert Rose Inn and Cabins

701 West Main (Route 191)

Bluff, Utah, 84512

Phone: (435) 672-2303

              (888) 475-7673

Website: http://www.desertroseinn.com/

 

In 1997, Amer and Cindy Tumeh, invested in property, just outside of Bluff, to open up hospitality cabins.  Within two more years, the Desert Rose Inn and Cabins was created and has only continued to flourish, but something was missing.  In 2015, that something developed into Duke’s Bistro which serves lodgers, locals and visitors with amazing breakfast and dinner selections.

 

On a long trip back from gallivanting around Historic Flagstaff; AZ, the warm, welcoming lights of Duke’s was a beacon to we two hungry travelers.  Right now the bistro is in winter hours, 5pm to 8:30 (ish), as the sign states, Monday thru Sunday; and it was already busy.  Many tables were taken, and the rest filled up quickly as time went by.  Duke’s is what I would call a “high end” bistro with absolutely beautiful décor; exquisite tables, chairs and place settings.  Normally a bistro, in its original Parisian incarnation, is a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting.  We were wondering if our casual dress would define us as “not belonging” in this type of dining environment.  Boy, were we anxious about nothing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were greeted with smiles, and our server, Nona, was awesome – attentive, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about Duke’s and the menu items.  While many items are not locally sourced, this is due to Duke’s policy of finding only the best, quality foods to serve its guests.  Desserts, soups and sauces are made in-house; the staff is well trained to know the ingredients which is very helpful for those on special diets, or with food allergies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I stated, I consider Duke’s high end, but the menu prices are not very much different than other local eateries.  So, let’s get to the food; we ordered burgers which come with oven roasted potatoes.  The Anasazi Burger is 7 ounces of ground Angus beef with all the fixings, and they’re not kidding.  Nona asked if I’d like Swiss or Cheddar cheese; to which I responded “Yes!”; in other words, I received both cheeses and at no extra charge!  The fixings were piled high, the burger was perfectly cooked at medium-well; the pretzel bun was not overly salty, toasted with wonderful flavor and texture.  The potatoes were lightly salted, rustic, fluffy inside and a great accompaniment to the burger.

 

Roy ordered the Pineapple Delight Hamburger; 7 ounces of Angus beef, grilled pineapple, slices of avocado, fixings, on that delightful pretzel bun with oven roasted potatoes.  Again, the burger was cooked to a perfect medium-well; the pineapple and avocado sliced thin to meld with each other, instead of fight for dominance.  I did have to swat at his hand as he kept trying to pilfer my potatoes.

 

 

 

 

While the described desserts sounded mouthwatering (homemade cinnamon ice cream…oh my!), we were very content with the meals we had just consumed.  We made sure to tip Nona well, she deserved it; and home we finally went.

While Duke’s will be closed on winter holidays, they do offer catering for a holiday party in a separate, private room.  Simply call them and speak with the manager who will happily work out all the details with you.

Personally, I’m looking forward to those warmer months when the breakfast menu comes into swing again.  Now who doesn’t love a great breakfast before going adventuring!

 

By the way, make sure the Bistro you stop at, when in Bluff, is Duke's; not that other so-called bistro that serves hot foods ice cold; has snobby staff that has no knowledge of menu items; and an owner that attacks anyone who criticizes by blaming the customers for not having a good time...and makes you pay the bill in full.  Check the poor, terrible and average reviews on Tripadvisor.com; consider yourselves warned!!!

 

Mary Cokenour

Pumpkin is Not Just for Pie Anymore.

During the fall and winter seasons, pumpkins often make an appearance from the maniacal face carved into them for Halloween; to the slice of pie decorating a dessert plate at a holiday meal.  While the Jack o’ Lantern pumpkin might be perfect for carving and placing a candle inside; the seeds roasted and salted for a snack; for baking and cooking, not so much.  When the Pilgrims first settled the eastern coast of North America, they learned from the Natives living here that Crooked Neck pumpkins were best, not just in storage, but for eating.  A meaty interior without all the stringiness those hollow Jacks have; and I can attest to this.  While living in Lancaster, PA; every fall was a trek to the Amish markets to find the largest Crooked Necks we could find.  One huge catch was two - 35 pounders which gave us many a bread, pie and canned pumpkin for later use.   Then again, there was that 50 pounder that measured about five feet long, and took two of us to carry; we were certainly a sight to see that day.

Out of curiosity, I tried looking up pumpkin cookbooks; 14 on the first page of Amazon.com alone!  Who doesn’t have a family recipe for pumpkin pie passed down from generation to generation?  Nutrition wise, they are low in calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrates; high in potassium, vitamin A and C; add a little spice and they taste so good.  There are many varieties of pumpkin, besides the Crooked Neck, that are prized for their meat: Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Ghost Rider, New England Pie Pumpkin, Lumina (which are white), Cinderella, and Fairy Tale. Ready for this, besides pie, you can create bread, muffins, cake, cookies, soup and side dishes (roasted with onions, potatoes and garlic for example).  Pumpkin is showing up in cocktails; and who hasn’t heard of pumpkin spice coffee, tea, hot chocolate and creamers?  You don’t even have to wait any longer till fall harvest; canned pumpkin is available as pure pumpkin, or processed for pie filling.  Let me add a small word of caution on this; canned pure pumpkin is just that…pure cooked pumpkin.  Pie filling goes through a different processing and has many added ingredients, so anyone allergic to pumpkin can ingest this type, not the pure.

So, am I going to share a pumpkin pie recipe with you?  Oh come now, I love to play with food, so the typical shouldn’t be expected from me.  Instead I’m giving you my recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies; I bet you’re drooling already.  This is a cake like cookie with the dough being quite moist; I recommend using a small ice cream scoop for portioning it out on the cookie sheets.  While baking, it will not spread out much, so if you want a uniform, flatter cookie; use the rounded side of the scoop, or a spoon, to flatten it out to your desired appearance.

Living, Laughter and Love should be a year round mantra, not just in the holiday season. Perhaps nibbling on a pumpkin treat now and then will help remind us all of this.  Enjoy!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

 Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can pure pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 and 1/2 cups Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

 Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F; line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease; Airbake sheets work well (do not need paper or grease).

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  In a smaller bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the milk; add both of these mixtures to the pumpkin mixture; mixing well.  Add chocolate chips and nuts; gently combine to not break up chips or nuts.

 

 

Drop by tablespoonful on cookie sheets; bake for approximately 13 - 15 minutes, or until lightly brown and firm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes 3 dozen.

 

Mary Cokenour