Older Bolder Life

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Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Older Bolder Links, Reads, Recipes and More 27 April 2019

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After being on the road all this week in Austin for training and PaleoFx, today’s links are something of a motley collection of odds and ends that caught my eye when reading and researching a couple of projects…

Elite distance runners: A 45-year followup. (Free MedScape account required).
Exercise alters gut microbiota in both lean and obese humans. (Free MedScape account required).
Keep on lifting: Skeletal muscle protects against metabolic deterioration over time.
Can what we eat affect how we feel? Hell yes.
How fat cells influence tumor growth.
So CRISPR-Cas9 DNA editing induces large-scale RNA edits too? Interesting, and not a good sign.
Humans do create new neurons in older age, though less when AD is present.
Tongue in cheek poke at Paleo parents that should bring a smile.
A not-so-funny “fat sex therapist” compares fitness trainers to Nazis.
The personality traits of everyday saints.
Does the impossible burger look and taste like real beef? Short answer – nope.
Does this brain circuit encourage overeating? It’s a mouse study…

Food, Glorious Food

Turmeric Tzatziki
Green Bean Nicoise Salad
Hanger Steak Bulgogi Bowl

Finally got around to making NNP’s Paleo Hoisin – wow, that’s impressively close, though will blow your keto day.
Sweet potato bites with roasted mushrooms.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Primal Green Bean Nicoise Salad with Tuna and Crispy Sweet Potatoes

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Like many of you, we’re always on the search for new and interesting salads, slaws, and other ways to enjoy lots of colorful, healthy, and tasty vegetables.

Here’s a nifty primal / paleo spin on a classic, what we’re now calling our Primal Green Bean Nicoise Salad with Tuna and Crispy Sweet Potatoes. The sweet potatoes are subbed in for the baby russets or red potatoes in the classic version, and you’ll use eggs from pastured chickens, healthy oil in the dressing, add a burst of lemon, fresh dill, and radishes (use several varieties for interest, taste, and color). It’s also a piece of cake to crumble some wild caught canned tuna onto this one to up the protein component and add some wonderful flavor to the dish, though you don’t absolutely have to have it.

Three quick thoughts on this recipe: One, consider prepping and cooking the sweet potatoes, eggs, and green beans ahead of time; then chill and hold (separately) in the fridge until ready to put the salad together. This recipe at first glance seems a bit complicated, but in reality, it’s really not at all, and by following the sequence I’ve laid it, it flows very well. Doing a little cooking ahead will just shorten your assembly time later in the day.

Two, the dressing is outrageously good, consider making a double recipe and holding for other salads this week. And three, the crispy capers (pictured below) sounded a little fussy to me at first, though they’re incredibly simple to prepare, and really add a nifty taste and texture element to this one.

My lovely wife enjoyed this one so much, she’s insisting it become a standard in our summer rotation…

1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch thick slices
4-5 pastured eggs
1 and 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and washed

For the dressing
1 medium shallot, trimmed, and minced
3 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp + 1 tsp good Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp good salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)

To finish the salad
1-2 bunches breakfast (or other) radishes, trimmed, larger ones quartered
1/2 cup or more Nicoise or Kalamata olives, pitted, halved if large
1/4 cup capers, drained, crisped in pan (see below)
1-2 cans wild caught tuna, drained, crumbled
1 tbsp (or more) fresh dill, chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; prep the sweet potato and greens beans while waiting.

Parboil the sweet potato slices for 10-12 minutes until a fork penetrates easily; remove from the water, drain, and cut into medium dice when cool enough to handle. Sauté in butter, avocado, or olive oil until edges are crispy and browned, then set aside to cool (when cool hold in fridge).

When the sweet potato comes out, drop the eggs into the boiling water and boil for eight minutes for perfectly jammy yolks (or longer to suit you); when done, drop into an ice-water bath, then peel when cool.

When the eggs come out, bring the water back to a full boil, then cook the green beans 2-4 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender; remove immediately to an ice-water bath, chill for 5-7 minutes, drain, and pat dry.

If you haven’t during the cooking sequence above, whisk the dressing ingredients together, save for the olive oil, which is poured slowly in a steady stream while whisking away. Set aside in the fridge.

If using the crispy capers, and you should, pat the capers dry, then sauté in 2 tbsp of the oil of your choice over moderate heat until they being pop and get brown and crispy. Set aside.

To assemble the salad, begin by drizzling roughly 1/3 of the dressing over the green beans in a large bowl, toss to coat, then arrange on a large platter. Repeat with the potato pieces and then the radishes, using 1 tbsp of dressing for each in the same bowl you tossed the green beans in, and arranging each artfully on the platter.

Quarter the eggs; place the eggs and the olives on the green bean bed, then place the tuna as well . Now drizzle the salad with the remaining dressing, top with the crispy capers, and finally the remaining fresh dill.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Crunchy Oven Nashville Picken (Pork Rind Crusted Chicken)

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Years ago, long before getting our heads around healthy eating, and during the years we were running an equine boarding and training farm up north of Kalispell, Montana (and I was still grinding away in my spine-focused medical practice), a little Japanese place opened up on the north side of Kalispell. For a little town in that part of the far-northern Rockies, they served decent sushi and a pretty damned tasty katsu platter (panko-crusted pork or chicken typically).

Some days after chores were done (if you’ve ever actually run an agricultural or animal oriented operation, you know that chores are truly never really done), we’d pop over to Midori for a quick meal.

Inspired by the katsu at Midori, we played with making katsu at home, almost always breading very traditionally with an egg, flour, egg, and panko coating, then sautéing in (deep sigh followed by an involuntary shudder), whatever franken-oil we had in the pantry back in the day.

Back about four years ago, when my wife and I were beginning our low carb, healthy eating journey, we started making a version of this recipe, browning panko in bit of rendered lard (bacon fat) and breading chicken breasts or boneless thighs that had been pounded thin and dipped in a mayo, grainy mustard, and egg wash, to then be browned further as the chicken cooked in a hot oven.

That was a very tasty, and delightfully crunchy prep, though as we eventually purged all process grains and flours from our diet, the recipe fell by the wayside. There are host of decent recipes that mimic a panko-coated or fried chicken made from various nut flours, but candidly, despite a number of attempts, they simply don’t turn out as crunchy as we remembered, and the recipe fell out of our rotation.

Dining with friends a few months back, we enjoyed a version of this recipe featuring crushed pork rinds that had been browned in a rendered bacon fat before breading the oven-baked chicken. It was delicious, satisfying crunchy, and coated with a mouth-tingling spicy drizzle (or sauce), concocted as a primal or paleo version of the very popular Nashville style chicken you read about these days. Turns out, the wife of the pair we were dining with grew up in Sparta, TN, about an hour from the heart of Nashville.

When I prepare this dish at home, I like to crush the pork rinds (make sure you grab some that have been prepared with acceptable oils) with a rolling pin ‘by hand’ instead of using the food processor to give the coating a bit of texture. And pounding the chicken breasts or boneless thighs is much easier if you slide the pieces into a quart resealable bag first, then pound away with your favorable rolling pin or meat mallet.

You don’t have to brown the pork rind breading first, but it does add crunchiness and color to the end result. And while the Optional Nashville Sauce/Drizzle is spicy, it’s amazingly tasty and very, very close to the best Nashville Chicken eatery we’ve seen in the DFW metro.

2 cups crushed pork rinds (see above)
2-3 tbsp rendered bacon fat, butter, or oil of choice

2 large chicken breasts, each cut into 2 pieces, and pounded to 1/4-inch thickness OR
6-8 boneless thighs, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

3 tbsp avocado or olive oil mayo
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tsp good salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
Fresh ground pepper

Optional Nashville Glaze/Sauce/Drizzle
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1-3 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp good chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Good salt to taste

Crush the pork rinds, and sauté over medium in the melted fat of choice until golden brown, remove from heat and set aside.

Heat your trusty oven to 425, foil-line a baking sheet and place a wire rack over the foil.

Combine the mayo, egg yolk, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne if using in a small bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.

Prep the chicken as per above, it doesn’t have to be perfectly flattened to 1/4-inch; place the pounded chicken in the mayo egg mixture, and stir to coat all the chicken well.

Gather the browned, crushed pork rind into half the skillet, and then take one of the chicken pieces and place it on the breading, pressing lightly to adhere the crushed pork rinds. Turn the chicken to repeat on the other side, gently shake off the excess, and place the chicken on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces; they’ll look something like this when you’re done with the breading.

Throw it into the oven when you’re done, cooking for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is a deeper, richer brown.

While the chicken is in the oven, consider stirring together the Optional Nashville Glaze/Sauce/Drizzle – go easy on the cayenne at first, you can always add more.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Sauce Sunday: Quick Meatza-Pizza Sauce No. 1

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At the risk of sounding a little behind the Primal/Paleo food curve, during the cooler winter weather of late we’ve been enjoying several versions of our favorite meatza creations, leaning toward a nifty Southwestern meatza in fact.

There are a host of nifty meatza – pizza sauces floating around out there, ranging from the no-cook, just stir it together camp to the highbrow, build it from scratch and cook it half the day versions.

Most of the time when I’m sharing meatza – pizza sauce recipes with friends and clients, they want one that tastes good AND doesn’t take a degree in culinary science and hours to prepare.

And most of the time we in our own kitchen lean to the tasty and efficient approach to building great meals, and would argue that when putting together a masterpiece of a meatza, the sauce isn’t the star of the show, but needs to be good enough to win the best supporting actor nomination.

That said, here’s the base recipe for the Quick Meatza-Pizza Sauce No. 1 recipe we’ve been using lately, always with the red pepper flakes mixed in, and using the upper end of the spice ranges indicated.

Finally, note the base recipe description above; you can customize this to your heart’s (and family’s) content – consider adding chopped onion to replace the onion flakes and powder, diced mushrooms (even a bit of crumbled dried mushrooms), chopped olives, tomato pieces, and so on and so forth. Make it your own.

6 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 t salt
1/2-1 tsp dried oregano
1/2-1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion flakes
1/2 tsp onion powder

Optional: 1/4-1 tsp red pepper flakes

This is another one of those recipes that couldn’t be easier. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stir well to combine, and simmer gently for 30 minutes to meld the flavors. Let cool on the stovetop, then either use immediately, throw in the fridge to hold for up to 5 days, or freeze.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 5 December: Avocado Oil Roasted Leeks

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We dined with friends several weeks ago and the hostess served these simple yet delicious Avocado Oil Roasted Leeks with the meal. They were a perfect texture with a soft body complemented by just enough crispy browned edges, and what an amazing flavor.

We love leeks around our camp, using them in a number of soups and stews, as well as my wife’s favorite boeuf bourguignon recipe (I don’t think we’ve posted that one yet, I’ll make sure we get that done before the holiday week upcoming…)

These couldn’t be more simple to do, though with a two-hour cook time, you’ll need to plan ahead a bit. And by the way, our hostess had prepared these with a very nice olive oil, though we’ve since made them with avocado oil (both for taste preference and avocado oil’s much higher smoke point).

By the way, the oil remaining after cooking makes an amazing contribution to your next vinaigrette…

8 leeks, white and pale green sections, split lengthwise
1/2 cup good avocado oil (maybe a little more)
Good salt

Throw a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400.

Prep your leeks, minding to use only the white and the pale green stem sections; cut them in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly to remove the sand and grit. Take care to pat them as dry as you can after washing.

Now toss with the avocado oil and season generously with your favorite salt.

Pull the hot baking sheet from the oven, arrange the leeks cut side down on the hot sheet, then cover loosely with foil. Throw them back in the oven, reduce the heat to 300, and leave them alone for an hour and 20 minutes. Check at that point to see if they’re tender and lightly browned; they might need another 10-20 minutes.

Now remove the foil and turn the leeks cut sides up; turn the over up to 400 and slide the leeks back in until they’re golden brown and the tops (cut sides) look a little crispy.

Save that oil by the way, it’s great for roasting vegetables or making a flavorful vinaigrette…

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 7 September: Grilled Cumin Garlic Tahini Chicken

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Here’s a bit of a different spin on typical grilled chicken we had with friends a few months back – a Grilled Cumin Garlic Tahini Chicken.

Our daughter recently traveled to Jordan for her work as a photojournalist, and came back armed with several artisanal olive oils and spice mixtures, prompting an exploration of Jordanian and other Middle Eastern foods we’ve enjoyed tremendously of late.

We’ve always enjoyed tahini around our camp (even if used primarily in whipping up the occasional batch of hummus when entertaining company), and the nutty goodness of the ground sesame really comes through in this dish.

The fresh garlic, good cumin (get some fresh) and paprika, along with the fresh lemon juice combine very, very well the tahini, and caramelizing (gently) on grill makes the whole package even better.

If you’re a tahini fan, give this one a spin, it’ll likely end up in your rotation (it has in ours of late).

3-4 pound chicken, cut up
Good salt

7-8 garlic cloves, peeled, minced, mashed
1 tbsp fresh ground cumin
1 tbsp good paprika
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (maybe just a bit more)
2-3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
Pinch of good salt, more to taste

Cut up your chicken, dust with good salt, and throw in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Mince the garlic, then grind into a paste with the side of your trusty chef’s knife, along with a pinch of good salt; transfer to a small bowl.

Now add the cumin, paprika, tahini, fresh lemon juice, and 2 tbsp of the oil you’ve chosen. Combine well, you’re looking for a thick paste something akin to a thinner peanut butter consistency. Add a tsp of fresh lemon juice or oil if you need to loosen it up; adjust the salt to taste.

Now slather the paste mixture over each chicken piece; it’s much more interesting to use your hands, rubbing it in and coating all surfaces well. Let the chicken sit at room temp for up to an hour.

Fire the grill.

Cook using your favorite routine for chicken; we start this one skin side down, and turn fairly frequently, moving the chicken to a cooler zone of the grill as the tahini-spice paste begins to caramelize. Rest the chicken when done for a few minutes, then serve either hot or cooled to room temp.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Sunday 26 August: Homemade Caesar Dressing with Avocado Oil Mayo

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As the summer heat drags on here in Northeast Texas, we find ourselves reaching more and more often for a cool salad topped with a tasty and chilled grilled protein.

My wife and I love a good Caesar, and have played around for years looking for a Homemade Caesar Dressing that tasted like a great Caesar should and yet didn’t require an advanced food science degree to pull off.

Thanks to several friends, including Chef Libby in Austin, we’ve settled on this amalgam of several good recipes, which is build around a cup of a healthy and tasty avocado oil (or good olive oil) mayo made right in our / your own kitchen.

If smashing anchovies and garlic into a paste with the back of a spoon doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, track down the very reasonable substitute anchovy paste, though we agree with the many traveling this road before us that the real thing packs a bit more funky, umami punch, and just tastes better.

Most recently we’ve been topping Caesars with either a Cajun-spiced grilled chicken or shrimp, though Judy’s salmon, grilled and chilled, is tough to beat too.

2-3 small garlic cloves, minced
1-2 small anchovies
1 cup freshly made avocado oil mayo
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 and 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp good Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp good salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

This one is a piece of cake to pull together.

Mash the minced garlic and anchovies into a smooth paste in a small mixing bowl; whisk in the next 6 ingredients until smooth and creamy. Stir in the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I’ll sometimes add a bit more) and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

Stir into that masterpiece of a Caesar salad you’ve built and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 17 August: Grilled Gochujang Skirt Steak

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When were up in Montana a few weeks ago, I brought along about five pounds of skirt steak for a celebratory fajita dinner. We have a family favorite, Texas-inspired version we’ve been making for years (recipe later perhaps), and ended up making the entire bundle of skirt using that old recipe.

I’d actually intended to do a pound or two using this Grilled Gochujang Skirt Steak recipe a friend shared with us a few months back, though didn’t grill this one up until we were back in Texas settled into our routine again.

We’re using gojuchang more and more in the kitchen these days. If you’re not familiar, it’s the umami-laden, thick, crimson red, Korean fermented chile paste that’s most often sold in the little red tubs in our neck of the woods. For those watching their soy intake, most brands include fermented soy in the mix. Note occasionally a bit of glutinous (sticky) rice has been ground in to thicken the mixture, and some even include additional sweeteners (an ingredient we prefer not be included).

This blistering summer we’ve typically been eating thinly-sliced, grilled skirt steak (both warm and cold) over a big-assed salad, but it makes for a great taco (tortilla or lettuce) along the lines of what we talked about in last Friday’s Grilled Southwestern Lamb Shoulder Tacos.

You’ll want to try this in your rotation next week…

2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed, cut into 8-ounce pieces

1/3 cup (generous) gochujang + more for the table
1/3 cup (generous) avocado oil (or EVOO)
1/3 cup (generous) rice vinegar (seasoned if you have it)
2-3 tbsp tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce
1/2 sweet onion, grated

To serve
Warm tortillas or lettuce leaves
Your favorite taco fixin’s

Trim your skirt steaks and cut into roughly 8-ounce pieces.

Combine the gojuchang, oil of choice, rice vinegar, tamari/aminos/soy sauce, and the grated onion in a small bowl and mix well. Pour into a large resealable bag, add the meat and goosh it around so every surface has been coated with the marinade.

Into the fridge it goes for at least an hour, overnight is better.

When ready to cook, drain the skirt steak, and grill over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes per side. Remember skirt cooks really quickly as it’s so thin, and we like ours medium rare…

Pull, let rest for 10 minutes or so while you’re getting the rest of the goods ready, then slice thinly across the grain and go to it.

Enjoy.