One Fat Chick page 52

[Spubba]

Ok, so I thawed that grassfed beef heart out, devalved it, cubed it up, and threw it into my crockpot with some carrots, onions, celery and spices. It filled the whole crockpot so it had BETTER turn out good, or that'll be a whole lot of icky food! We'll see what happens!

I'm off to the store to get some smaller tupperware to store this stew in once it's done. I really really don't need a full-sized bowl of cooked meat in a meal along with all my veggies and fruits, that's a bit too much.

Am still laying off the dairy. I eat cheese sometimes, but only as an accent. I don't really feel like I "need" it. I don't feel like I "need" as much as long as I get at least 1 green smoothie a day. Green smoothies are very satisfying.

Here's what I've been doing lately, smoothie-wise:

1/2 pear
Generous handful of washed raw kale
1/2 cup of pitted dark red cherries (my fave) or blueberries
Cucumber water, just enough to mix it up
Spoonful of vanilla or sprig of mint, optional

Mix in blender, drink immediately. Along with an egg or two, this makes a solid breakfast. My body thanks me every time I make a green kale smoothie.

[Spubba]

Beef heart stew was a success. It tastes like steak to me, just with a different grain.

I treated myself to "primalish" pancakes this morning. Banana, eggs, coconut flour, and a little almond milk sklooshed together in the vitamix. Add blueberries while cooking. No syrup was necessary. Wrap around bacon slice, eat.

[Owly]

Hey! How did I miss that you came back?

I'm sorry the fat-phobes and the plain outright hateful crap is getting to you. I'm a supporter of HAES and FA, and it makes me so angry that people around here spew that crap. I've never been very fat (overweight, yes, but not to the point of having to deal with the nasty shit from people), but I'm kind of a social justice crusader in general, and hating someone for their body is just not cool.

Besides, fatshionista bloggers have the best style.

I am someone who genuinely needed to add carbs back in to lose weight, but I don't think that works for everyone, obviously. For one, I seem to have managed not to wreck my metabolism much despite a couple of major weight cycles and adventures in eating disorder land in my teens. Also, I'm really active and my metabolic rate tends to crank up quite a bit when I'm doing stuff like running. For me, eating clean primal with moderate carbs works. But for a lot of folks, that clearly isn't the case, and I support people like you, Gravyboat, sbhikes, paleobird, and others who do better with some carb restriction.

I dunno, it just makes no sense to me to get as nasty as some people do because people dare to eat or not eat a particular food. Personally, I get pissed off by the people who are all "if you're going to cheat, just eat the real cake!" when I have celiac disease and can't eat those things. Clearly some foods are worse for some folks than they are for others, and if carbs are not good for you, then okay, I respect your choice to avoid them.

Maybe it's my feminism talking, but I figure you can do what you want with your body. Crazy, I know.

Your smoothie sounds awesome. Also, wrapping a pancake around your bacon? Pure freakin' genius.

[Jaradel]

I made a beef heart stew last night following this recipe. I haven't tried it yet (didn't finish cooking it until 11-something last night) but it's slated to be tonight's supper. I'm not telling anyone that the beef in the stew is from the heart the kids will probably flail enough as it is about the parsnips (which, I noticed as I was peeling them last night, look and smell like a big white carrot - I've never eaten parsnips before). If it's good I'll let you know!

[Spubba]

I made a beef heart stew last night following this recipe. I haven't tried it yet (didn't finish cooking it until 11-something last night) but it's slated to be tonight's supper. I'm not telling anyone that the beef in the stew is from the heart the kids will probably flail enough as it is about the parsnips (which, I noticed as I was peeling them last night, look and smell like a big white carrot - I've never eaten parsnips before). If it's good I'll let you know!

Parsnips are delicious! One of my favorite parsnip recipes is sliced "fries" roasted in a hot oven with a sprinkle of seasoned salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

And the beef heart shouldn't freak the kids out - it just tastes like beef. I already have some diabolical ideas for the next time I cook heart, because that heavy, fine-grained stuff could probably take the abuse of marinating in my special secret Horrible Sauce for several days and then go onto the grill without breaking down into moosh. People have literally crossed oceans to eat my Horrible Beef (beef marinated in a secret blend of herbs and spices for days, then grilled). Horrible Sauce is a sort of Middle Eastern/Indian fusion thing that I do.

I'm gonna have a food truck one of these days, I swear.

[Owly]

I have three or four beef hearts in the deep freeze. Maybe you've finally given me inspiration (and the courage!) to give them a go.

[Spubba]

I have three or four beef hearts in the deep freeze. Maybe you've finally given me inspiration (and the courage!) to give them a go.

Totally go for it! Try a stew first time out. My next heart recipe is going to be Horrible Sauce'd and grilled.

[Jaradel]

Beef heart stew was a success! Except for the fact that my husband didn't make my kids eat it (I work later, so he takes care of supper). However, husband liked it, and he also added a dollop of sour cream to his, so I tried that on mine and it made it a bit creamy and delicious! I am pleased.

I will have to pick up more beef hearts from my beef guy at the farmer's market. This week I got a mock tenderloin and some short ribs that I need to do something with, and I also have some bison "chili grind" meat that I want to make chili out of.

I have to say, Primal eating has brought out the experimental cook in me in a way I didn't expect. Making entrees never seemed that interesting before (I was always more of a baker), but I am diving into new recipes and discovering some new favorites!

[Spubba]

Beef heart stew was a success! Except for the fact that my husband didn't make my kids eat it (I work later, so he takes care of supper). However, husband liked it, and he also added a dollop of sour cream to his, so I tried that on mine and it made it a bit creamy and delicious! I am pleased.

I will have to pick up more beef hearts from my beef guy at the farmer's market. This week I got a mock tenderloin and some short ribs that I need to do something with, and I also have some bison "chili grind" meat that I want to make chili out of.

I have to say, Primal eating has brought out the experimental cook in me in a way I didn't expect. Making entrees never seemed that interesting before (I was always more of a baker), but I am diving into new recipes and discovering some new favorites!

You said it!

In my old fat-fearing days, I would only dare to make chicken breasts (boneless and skinless of course), or "Laura's Lean" beef, or tuna fish packed in water. Roasting a whole chicken? Good heavens, are you crazy? Beef without a fancy green label? No thanks, I'll make a vegetarian meal instead! Meatless Mondays! Hoooo!

This year alone I've tried parts of all kinds of animals I'd never dared to taste before. Oxtail, neckbones, chicken and duck feet, sardines, and now I'm dipping my toes a little deeper into the offal pond. I really REALLY need to do more with heart meat; it inspired all kinds of ideas for me, and I can even see using it ground up in chili (note to self: pick up grinder attachment for the KitchenAid). I still don't like liver, though - I tried it again recently and, sadly, it still tastes like burnt plastic/motor oil to me. And I'm upset about that, because liver is one of the less "adventurous", nutritious, and easier to find offal cuts around here.

Does anybody have any tips for making beef liver taste less like a crankcase and more like actual food?

My next offal goals:

Tripe (But dudes, it comes in like 10-pound packages. 10 POUNDS OF TRIPE. OMG.) Actually I believe I have had tripe already - I remember digging into a mysterious plate at a dubious Korean restaurant years ago. It was full of this lovely wonderful honeycomb-textured chewy mysterious white stuff that I couldn't get enough of. I asked what it was and only got amused smiles, so I assumed it was something terrible - hopefully not the last diner who failed to pay his bill - and kept eating. Yes, I would be Hannibal Lecter's ideal dinner guest, for I would not only eat the "evidence" but lick the plate afterwards.
Beef tendon
Beef kidney

I have sources for the tripe and kidney, I haven't found the tendon yet.

Also, may have squeezed part of a tube of anchovy paste into my mouth tonight. My mother is right: I like "umame" flavor very much, which explains my strange predilection for those little bags of dried seaweed and Vegemite.

[Gravyboat]

I have not personally had beef tendon, but I've watched someone else eat it. It basically looked like cherry jello. Do not want.