Trying to take the "die" out of diet - Cilantro Sauce

As we were heading on to the tail end of our trip, the Missus told me She was going to do something called the Whole 30 Program. I didn't think much of it until I read about the foods She would need to avoid for 30 days....you might recall, I do almost all the cooking in our household and would have to adhere to these rules when cooking. Basically, no sugars of any kind - real or artificial (that would include honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, coconut sugar), no alcohol even for cooking (forget about the Shaoxing in the stir fry or mirin for that matter), no legumes or beans (No soy sauce - why don't you just stab me in the heart and get it over with, no peanuts, peanut butter, all forms of soy - you need to check for lecithin), no grains of any kind (including quinoa, no starches for thickening, nothing battered, no breads, no bogus gluten free stuff), no dairy (forget the cheese, except for clarified butter and ghee), no MSG or sulfites (gotta read those labels), basically, NO FUN.

I promised the Missus I'd do a "Whole 7" in support....I'd already lost 17 pounds on my trip. I always lose weight on vacation, I even joked with Kirbie during our dinner that Villa Manila, calling our upcoming trip my annual visit to the fat farm....I can eat anything, drink anything, and I will lose weight. So if you've wondered why my posts were kind of sparse for a while that's it....along with the fact that even though I waited a whole 7 days before popping open that beer, we're still doing the Whole 30 when we eat at home....in case you've been wondering why the Missus has been absent in my restaurant posts....first thing I had...noodles....oodles of noodles.

Basically, food looks like this everyday. You know, the thought of having steak every night might sound like fun.....but I need variety....

I've been grilling a couple of nights a week....I've gotten pretty good at Weeknight grilling over the years, but man, not being able to use soy sauce, any sweeteners, and the like makes things tough and I'm having to rely on doing basic rubs. Salads are basically vinaigrettes, I guess vinegar (so long it has no sugar - you end up reading labels like crazy, and oh, malt vinegar has gluten so no bueno) is ok. This itself can get pretty old, think about sauces.....you can't really use anything you don't make yourself.

So here's one the Missus really enjoys - very simple......oh, and one of Her latest things is Avocado Oil. Sauces like this makes this diet survivable.

I've made this a couple of times and She enjoys it. Though it doesn't totally take the "die" out of diet. I'll post some other stuff I've been making at home later on.

Cilantro Sauce:

 

2 bunches cilantro - stems removed

1/2 cup Avocado Oil - plus more in necessary

5 cloves garlic

1/4 small onion choppped or 2-3 shallots chopped

2-3 Serrano Peppers chopped

3 Tb pepetas - toasted and crushed

juice from 2 limes

Chipotle Powder, Salt, and Pepper to taste

Water as needed

- Tear up cilantro and place in food processor, along with the garlic, serranos, onion/shallots

- Add 1/4 cup of the avocado oil and lime juice

- Turn on food processor and slowly add the rest of the avocado oil.

- If too thick you can add more oil and water as necessary

- Taste and add the pepitas, Chipotle Powder, Salt, and Pepper - pulse several times and taste again

This tastes great with grilled chicken (skin on please - since fat seems to be a virtue), burgers, and even some fish.

 

 

Comments

[J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats]

The whole 30 sounds hard! All that's left is meat, veggies, fruit, nuts and some kinds of oils? You could use coconut milk/cream to make creamy sauce or does that have natural sugar in it?

Well good job on sticking to it! And that's crazy that you lose so much weight on vacation I think most people have the opposite problem. The only person I know who had the same happen to them is my little sister...When she was visiting China with my dad she got horrible food poisoning and only ate plain rice for a week. She almost cried when she was meeting our family in Shanghai for the first time and they were insisting on her trying the hairy crab.....

[Kirk]

Yikes that's terrible JS...I'd be crushed too! If I used either coconut milk/cream, I'd probably have to make my own....we use a ton coconut oil; the Missus loves the stuff; I only like it in potatoes....

[Faye]

How did the missus hear about the Whole 30 plan? Your support to this program (and her) is admirable. I love cilantro so this dressing looks great. If avo oil isn't available, can one use olive oil or a different type of oil?

[SK]

I admire your fortitude.

I adhered pretty strictly to the Paleo diet framework for a month as an experiment (and actually ended up making long-term cutbacks on a lot of sugary and starchy foods as a result) but decided there was no way I would make it to the end if I completely cut out things like soy sauce or cooking wines.

[kat]

wow no sugar, soy...no asian cooking...no fun

[Fat Killer]

Your wife's diet is a fad with lots of bogus cut outs. However, it there are some good concepts, like eliminating REFINED sugars and carbs. It absolutely is the proper way to eat, and high protein, high good fat diet is the way we are programmed to eat. Higher carb intake is required for athletes and physically active people, and I don't think that applies to you, ahem.

Try out a proper paleo diet, cut out all the garbage you eat like lots of bread and fries and you won't be such a dough boy. Your wife will be happy.

[Fat Killer]

Here is an example of a proper dinner:

-skirt steak

-brocolli saute with garlic and olive oil

-small portion of very light stuffed pasta w/homemade tomato

-arugula sald

-finish off with a small portion of almond or peanut butter, a dash of honey option.

No sweet and heavy sauces, no bread, no salt overload, no garbage.

[Cathy]

I like this recipe and will try it before (and probably on) July 4. Looks like plenty of good flavor and another way to use up the cilantro overflowing in the yard. Thanks.

[Kirk]

Hey Fat Killer - If you look at my previous cooking posts you'll notice that what we make at home looks suspiciously like that.....strange, eh? You know that during paleolithic times, our ancestors were almost all mainly vegetarians, right?

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/07/23/human-ancestors-were-nearly-all-vegetarians/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-paleo-diet-half-baked-how-hunter-gatherer-really-eat/

In the end, I do what I enjoy....life is too short to be a bitter muscle head. When the Missus met me I was a 156 pound, 6% body fat (verified by hydrostatic body composition analysis). I was also a lot more self absorbed.....

Hi Cathy - Yes, it's easy and taste pretty good. Easy to modify for your taste.

Hi Kat - Totally.

Hi SK - Like everything, there's that strange fringe element of those paleo-heads that seems kinda cultish?

Hi Faye - Of course you can. Remember that olive oil has a specific flavor profile.

[Fat Killer]

Hey Kirk, that is true. I was addressing the fact there is no need to go to extremes, like eliminating cooking wine. Soy Sauce actually has health benefits, most fermented foods do. Soy in general is garbage because it is all genetically modified now, but soy sauce is ok.

I would say you cook pretty healthy, its your eating out habits that can be dodgy in my humble opinion. Far too many sandwiches and carb bombs.

[Kirk]

Well Fat Killer, we kinda go separate ways on that one....I eat good at home, so I can go out and eat the way I do.

[Fat Killer]

Hey Kirk, no muscle head here. I'm exactly the same weight I was 20 years ago, and I compete in sports with guys 15 years younger than me and outlast them.

Paleo, which is a stupid name by the way, for me, is code for eating whole foods, no processed foods, and avoiding refined sugar and baked good. It is not a fad sir. Our bodies are programmed to eat this way. We were NEVER meant to consume bread. We can go all night having a discussion about nutritional science.

This country in inhabited by the fattest humans on the planet due to diet, and the lies told to the population by the food conglomerates, and the lack of any willpower and actual knowledge of most people.

I check out and enjoy your blog bro..discovered Nate's and Brabant and a bunch of other nice places.

Yeh life is short and it is good to enjoy, but getting sick, stressed, and developing modern diseases is not a good thing either. No need to live like a monk however.

FYI, our ancestors were omnivores. We have solid proof of this. They ate everything they could get a hold of. But they had no packaged or baked foods, no noodles, and no cookies. Nope bison burgers, nuts, leaves, and roots bro.

156? What are you now, 220?

[Fat Killer]

Well, its a free country bro, pleas enjoy your cravings, no one should tell you other wise.

That kinda of thinking, making food a "reward" is not unique. Fat is as fat does.

Shame you have to go on vacation to lose weight..and I am not sure I understand that, are you abstaining from certain things, or just by the nature of travel, being more active?

BTW, your very best find is Sushi Todokoro. Rocks.

[Kirk]

Hey Fat Killer - Sorry "bro" but you are the one who used the "paleo" not me. As for the weight....it ain't nearly close to that 220. Right now I'm within 8% of that 156....but since you go to Tadokoro, why don't you ask Take-san if I'm a "dough boy" ok? I haven't been there since before our trip. I'm probably as much of a dough boy as you are a muscle head...well at least in your terms. Not sure if you've ever read it, but I recommend whole bean, organic soy sauce....except for the stuff I was raised on, because that whole bean stuff is actually too salty. As for fermentation...you see we're doing that too. Also, when did you last see me eating cookies, cake, packaged stuff? I'll do it if someone recommends it...because, well, I try not to be prejudiced in that way. "They ate everything they could get a hold of." That is the root of the problem these days...we have the science, but just as you say "Our bodies are programmed to eat this way." I do eat sandwiches....but have you ever thought about how often I post, timeframes, timing, and how many meals take place during the week? Hmmm....you should actually read the stuff by folks who talk about how wheat is one of the reasons we are here today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzK8o6jZTc0

http://www.rachellaudan.com/2013/10/the-grain-chain.html

This is of course based on your generalizations on "bread".
And you like Brabant? What is it you enjoy there?

[Dennis]

Hi Kirk, I actually don't believe any of the theory behind the Paleo Diet, it's just another variant of the low-carb diet stemming from the atkins. (The different theories behind them all I feel is just an opportunity for someone to make money off of another book.) What's nice about these is that there's usually no strict portion control, so it's satisfying in that way at least for me. I haven't had a post-meal food coma since and don't miss that. Recently cut out caffeine altogether too.

[Fat Killer]

Hey Bro, I was making a personal comment about so called "paleo" in general, not implying you mentioned it. I prefer "whole foods" eating. Hydrogenated Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and other garbage gives processed food a shelf life of years.

Let's be clear, it is not a "diet" or a fad, it is a way of life.And it is based on biochemistry. The word diet is s a joke, it implies you can make temporary changes and the go back to what you were doing and life is grand.

Also, I was not mentioning eating sugary snacks with regard to your consumption, just a general comment about American eating.

Ever try Bourbon Barrel Foods organic soy sauce? Best I have tried. Aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, with non GMO soy.

www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com

Thanks for links, will check them out.

At Brabant I really like the Dandelion, the sausages and kraut, and few other items. The beer of course, is killer. I avoid the bread and fries, and focus on the proteins and veggies.

Yes, I see you do a LOT of DIY fermentation.

[Fat Killer]

Dennis, so called Paleo has precious little to do with Atkins. It very much promotes eating nutrients from any whole source..nuts, legumes, lean meats, dairy, seeds etc. Carbs with fiber from sources like fruit and vegetables and even rice are perfectly ok.

It is also about timing, it is important to eat carbs at the right time, and vary it according to your needs.

It is easy to dismiss the stupidly named Paleo life style and a hipster fad, but it is is based on sound science.

[Dennis]

Hi Fat Killer, as I said, "a variant of the atkins". Any diet (temporary or lifestyle) mainly of low carbs and fresh vegetables/ fresh fruits works in weight loss. Paleo variant has a nice, easy to get story behind for many. If that helps motivate a person to stick to it, then great. I don't know what to call my current lifestyle diet condition as it's a hybrid of many but I've lost considerable weight and feel great. It's the Dennis Selective Carb Diet... ;)

[nhbilly]

WOW! That is rough.
I'd rather do some form of cardio and enjoy the terrible foods you guys consume. ;-)

[Kirk]

Hi Billy - I agree.... ;o)