The Paleo Breakfast Of Champions

I’m sure you’ve heard people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but do you really eat a quality breakfast to give yourself a kick-start every single day?

I used to eat a big bowl of cereal each morning, followed by a couple of slices of toast… that is, until I found out how bad eating grains is for our bodies. The purpose of this post isn’t to go into details about what eating grains can do to your body, but more about giving you a better quality option to choose for breakfast.

If you want to find out for yourself what eating Paleo is all about, there are some really good websites around like robbwolf.com and marksdailyapple.com that can explain further, plus I will have my own ebook available shortly which will talk about why you should avoid eating grains, among other things.

A Paleo Breakfast

Nope, today I just want to talk about one of my favourite ways to fuel up on energy after a big nights sleep, a big seafood and egg breakfast!  It’s full of essential omega-3 fatty acids, protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and plenty of other nutrients to satisfy your body’s needs for a great start to the day.

The Importance Of Breakfast

If you’re the sort of person who skips breakfast, or has a very light breakfast while rushing around early in the morning to get the kids off to school, and get yourself off to work, then I just want to briefly cover why you should eat a bigger breakfast.

You’ve just spent 6-8 hours in bed sleeping, and it may have been 10-12 hours since your last meal. Your body doesn’t need energy while you’re asleep, however if you have a big day ahead of you, then you will definitely need energy to carry you through… and a coffee and a bagel just doesn’t cut it.

Sugar – The Spike And Crash Cycle

Just filling your stomach for the sake of having something in it won’t help you last throughout the day. How many times do you start to crave more food and snacks in the mid-morning? As humans, we can easily get hooked on sugars and carbohydrates. They can be useful for a quick burst of energy, but if you have too much your body will respond by unleashing a wave of insulin to sweep away all the excess sugars and carbs, sending them to your fat stores for a later date.

So your body quickly runs out of steam, as you constantly feed it empty calories in an attempt to get a short burst of energy which may last anywhere from a few minutes, to a couple of hours if you’re lucky. Then of course the cycle repeats, your energy drops, and you need to replace it with more fuel.

Does this sugar spike and crash cycle sound familiar?

The answer is to eat quality foods, starting with breakfast, that fill your body with vitamins, nutrients, fats and protein that comes from eating meat, seafood, fruits and veggies. A bit of a mix of each is the best way to go. Now you might think it seems like it’s more effort on your part, and this may be true.

However, the rewards are well worth the effort, as you will have more energy to get through your busy day, and your powers of concentration will also improve as your body will start to function the way it is genetically designed to from 2 million years of human evolution!

My Favourite Paleo Breakfast Of Champions

You can see from the picture above that there is some sliced avocado (full of quality natural fats), smoked salmon (omega-3 and protein), grilled barramundi (omega-3 and protein), scrambled eggs (omega-3 and protein), and pan-fried spinach (calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and many other vital nutrients).

It’s delicious, satisfying, and full of nutrition to power you through the day!

So, What Is Paleo?

So you’ve heard me start to talk about eating paleo in the past few posts now, and I’ve actually been eating this way for about 8 months now.  It all started after I was recommended to read The Paleo Solution by a friend who happens to be a health professional.

I’ve lost about 8kg so far (I can’t really lose any more than that, there’d be nothing left of me lol), and my energy levels have gone through the roof.  If you’re looking to lose weight or improve your own energy levels to get through your busy days, then I would highly recommend you read The Paleo Solution too, it’s written by Robb Wolf, who I mentioned earlier in the post.

Until next time, enjoy a productive and energy-filled day!

Your friendly Aussie chef,

Mick Reade

All Easy Food Recipes

Ice cream cakes can satisfy just about anybody’s sweet tooth but it looks like plenty of trouble to make. Fortunately, you can find easy dessert recipes for these sweets. Call it instant gratification, if you will. Here then is an easy recipe to show you how to make ice cream cakes your family will enjoy.

Recipe For How To Make Ice Cream Cake

• 16 ice cream sandwiches
• 16 ounce frozen whipped topping, non-dairy
• 12 ounce chocolate fudge topping, thawed to room temperature
• 1.5 ounce chocolate chip buttons

How To Make Ice Cream Cake

On a 9×13-inch baking pan, place 8 ice cream sandwiches so that the bottom is covered. Then evenly spread half of the hot fudge topping and half of the whipped topping on top. Repeat the process with the remaining 8 ice cream sandwiches as well as half of the hot fudge and whipped toppings. The chocolate chip buttons can be sprinkled on top as garnish. Cover with plastic wrap, freeze for an hour and serve.

You can substitute other ingredients for the toppings like grated chocolate bar and candy sprinkles for a festive look. The ice cream sandwiches can also be changed in flavor, thus, making it one of the most versatile, scrumptious and easy food recipes.  Teach your children how to make ice cream cake and I’m sure they’ll have fun doing so, as well as enjoying their own handiwork!

We can all be a domestic goddess (or hero) when we want to be but the kitchen is a battleground many of us will find ourselves the losers. But who says that it should be this way for the rest of our lives when we have easy food recipes to fall back on?

How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Food need not be prepared with plenty of blood, sweat and tears for it to taste delicious. You just have to learn the  substitutions to make easy food recipes possible without compromising the overall taste, texture and presentation of the dish. You will find that it will take just a fraction of the time to prepare a delicious dessert by using shortcuts, and you could be a domestic goddess just like Nigella Lawson!

Take for example this easy chocolate mousse recipe done in just under 10 minutes:

Easy Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Delicious Chocolate Mousse Dessert

In a saucepan, combine 150 grams of mini-marshmallows, 250 grams of dark chocolate chips, 50 grams of unsalted butter and 4 tablespoons of hot water. Bring to a boil while stirring until all the ingredients become melted together.

In a separate bowl, whisk 285mls of double cream with a teaspoon of vanilla until soft peaks are formed. Fold the chocolate mixture into the cream, place inside shot glasses and refrigerate for 5 minutes before serving.

Now, that’s one of the easiest of the easy recipes for desserts!

In previous posts, I’ve shared with you how you can make your own pizza dough, today I’ve just made a short cooking video of around 10 minutes which you can follow along at home and see how easy it really can be to make pizza at home for your friends and family!

I’ve been working on a pizza cookbook for several months now, and it is very nearly complete, so you can look at this as a bit of a teaser before the full cookbook comes out.

Learn How To Make Pizza Dough In 10 Minutes

This is my first real attempt at a cooking video, so I hope you find it entertaining and useful.  Please enjoy!

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe

Here is the easy pizza dough recipe I used in the video:

• 250g Plain flour (I use bakers flour, it has a high protein content)
• 5g dried yeast
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 150-160ml cold water

This will make 2 pizza bases of 220g each, which will roll out to about 27cm (11 inches).

For more comprehensive tips, as well as my recipe for wood-fired and gluten-free pizza dough, visit my easy pizza dough blog post.

Easy Recipes For Free

If you enjoyed that, and you can’t wait to get your hands on my upcoming pizza cookbook, then visit All Easy Food Recipes to pick up a free lunch and snacks cookbook.

It’s packed full of 365 recipes, available for free, and you’ll also be notified just as soon as the new pizza cookbook is ready for you to collect!

Free Recipe Braised Duck with Orange-And-Lime Sauce

Recipe Preparation: boil
Recipe Serves: 1

Ingredients for Braised Duck with Orange-And-Lime Sauce Recipe

Braised Duck with Orange and Lime Sauce

5 lb To 5 1/2 pound duck
1/4 c Vegetable oil
2 c Chicken stock, fresh or
-canned
12 Whole cloves
1 Fresh hot chilli *
1/2 c Strained fresh orange juice
2 tb Strained fresh lime juice
1/2 c Finely chopped sweet bell pepper, preferably red
1/4 ts Salt

Braised Duck with Orange-And-Lime Sauce Preparation

Orange wedges or slices studded with whole cloves for garnish * about 1 1/2 to 2inches long, stemmed and seeded.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Pat the duck completely dry inside and out with paper towels, and remove the large chunks of fat from the cavity. Cut off the loose neck skin and truss the bird securely, then prick the surface around the thighs, the back and the lower part of the breast with a skewer or the point of a sharp knife.

In a heavy 5- to 6-quart casserole, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the duck and, turning it frequently with a slotted spoon or tongs, cook for about 15 minutes, or until it browns richly on all sides.

Transfer the duck to a plate and discard the fat remaining in the casserole.

Pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile scraping in any brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan.

Stir in the cloves and chilli, then return the duck and the liquids that have accumulated around it to the casserole.

Cover tightly and braise in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. Remove the duck to a plate, and with a large spoon skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid. Discard the cloves and chilli.

Add the remaining cup of stock to the casserole and, stirring and scraping in the brown bits that cling to the pan, bring to a boil over high heat.

Mix in the orange juice, lime juice, sweet bell pepper and salt. Return the duck to the casserole and baste it with the simmering sauce.

Cover tightly and return the duck to the oven for about 15 minutes. To test for doneness, pierce the thigh of the bird with the point of a small, sharp knife. The juice should trickle out a clear yellow; if it is slightly pink, cook the bird for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Place the duck on a heated platter and pour the sauce over it. Garnish the platter with the orange wedges or slices and serve at once.

This short video will show you exactly how to cook the best pizzas in the world, at home, faster than you could get them delivered to your door!  Thanks to my friend Belinda for helping me put this together for you.  Enjoy

Easy Pizza Dough Recipe Video

Pizza Cookbook - How To Cook The Best Pizzas In The World... At Home!

You can easily make your own pizza at home, it takes less time than getting it delivered, plus you would have the added benefit of knowing that you’re using fresh and healthy ingredients to top your pizza.  Below is the recipe and method you will need in order to make the best pizzas at home!

And if you need any inspiration for pizza toppings, check out my new pizza cookbook, available right now on Kindle – How To Cook The Best Pizzas In The World… At Home!  It’s instantly downloadable, and pizza recipes include Greek Lamb, Peri Chicken, Tuna Mornay and Turkey And Cranberry, as well as delicious Dessert Pizza ideas for those with a sweet tooth!

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe Ingredients

1kg Baker’s flour (plain flour with a high protein level)

10g salt

10g sugar

20g dry yeast (or 40g fresh yeast)

660ml cold water

Wood-Fired Pizza Dough Recipe Ingredients

Wood-Fired Pizzas

600g Strong baker’s flour

400g Semolina flour

10ml extra virgin olive oil

10g salt

10g sugar

20g dry yeast

650ml water

Will make 7 x 12” pizzas (225g each), or 8 x 10” pizzas (200g each)

Pizza Making Method

How To Make Pizza Dough By Hand:

Making Pizza Dough

This easy pizza dough recipe should only take you about 10 minutes to make, plus you will need to allow about 10 minutes on top of that for time to rest the dough.

Mix all the dry ingredients together, and create a well in the centre.

1. Carefully pour 600ml of water into the well and gradually incorporate the wet and dry ingredients by slowly bringing the flour into the water in the centre.
2. Add the remaining water if necessary, depending on how dry the mixture is (it’s best to start with a little water and only add more if needed).
3. Knead the dough, by pressing down with the palms and heel of your hands away from your body, and then turning the ball of pizza dough after every pass.  (If the dough is too large to manage, break it down into two even batches).
4. Continue kneading until you have a smooth ball of dough to work with – this should take roughly 10 minutes of kneading.  (You should be able to pull a piece of the dough out and stretch it quite thin, until it becomes translucent when held up to the light.  This is when you know the pizza dough is ready.)

How To Make Pizza Dough Balls:

Pizza Dough Balls

1. Divide the pizza dough into balls of the desired weight – for 12” pizzas they need to be 225g (7), for 10” pizzas you’ll want it to be about 200g (8).
2. Create round balls by taking each piece of dough in your hands, push your two thumbs into the centre and at the same time stretch the outside around it.
3. Turn the dough halfway around, and repeat this process 3 or 4 times till you have a round ball with a smooth skin.
4. Lightly dust your work bench with flour, and place the dough ball on the bench with the flatter side down and the roundest part facing up.
5. Cover your dough balls with a damp tea towel or cloth to prevent a tough skin from forming.
6. Let the pizza dough balls rest for about 10 to 15 minutes under the tea towel.  This will make it much easier to roll out the balls later and help it hold its shape.  If you don’t allow it to rest long enough it can result in serious shrinkage of the pizza dough after it has been rolled out.

Preparing Your Pizza Bases:

Pizza Base

1. Take your pizza dough ball and place it on a lightly floured section of your bench.
2. With the palm of your hand, press down into the middle slightly, turning the ball a couple of times as you do this – this should flatten the ball while beginning the round shape you want to achieve.
3. Take your rolling pin, starting at the centre of the pizza dough and push out towards the edges.
4. Turn the dough as you do this, to keep your pizza as round as possible.  At this point, your main aim is to push any air bubbles out of the dough.  If you just push the rolling pin back and forth, the air bubbles may remain in your dough and it will not cook evenly in the oven.  Instead you’ll most likely have bubbles rise while the pizza is in the oven, and push any toppings off to the side as well.

How To Cook The Best Pizzas In The World… At Home!

Pizza Cookbook - How To Cook The Best Pizzas In The World... At Home!

You can now get your hands on my brand new Pizza Cookbook, “How To Cook The Best Pizzas In The World… At Home!“

This pizza cookbook is full of my very own inspired creations that you can easily make at home to impress your friends and family!

This is a physical cookbook (not one of those digitally downloadable ones), so you’ll be able to flick through the pages and sit it right next to you as you work through each recipe.

However, if you prefer a digital ebook (and instant access!), you can also get the Kindle version of How To Cook The Best Pizzas In The World… At Home!

Recipe Serves: 6

Ingredients for Mexican Eggplant Recipe

Mexican Eggplant Recipe

1 lg Eggplant
1/4 c Veg. oil
1 cn (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 cn (4 oz) chopped; mild green chillies
1/4 c Chopped green onion
1/2 ts Ground cumin
1/2 ts Garlic salt
1 c Grated cheddar cheese 4 oz.
6 Ripe olives; sliced
1 c Sour cream 8 oz.

Mexican Eggplant Preparation

Peel and slice eggplant. Brush both sides of each slice with oil.

Place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and bake at 450F for 20 minutes.

Combine tomato sauce, chillies, green onion, cumin and garlic salt in a sauce pan.

Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. In a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish layer the eggplant, sauce and cheese.

Top with sour cream and olives. Bake at 350F for an additional 20 minutes.

For tons more delicious and easy recipes just like this one, check out these Healthy Urban Recipes!

I’m not entirely sure why this is called Idiot Bread Pizza, maybe because it’s so easy to make that anyone can do it… anyway, enjoy!

Recipe Serves: 1

Ingredients for Idiot Bread Pizza Recipe

Idiot Bread Pizza

Pizza Dough:—–
1 pk Yeast
1 tb Sugar
4 c Flour
2 c Hot water
1 ts Salt
Pizza Topping:—–
1-1/2 pt Tomato (pizza) sauce
12 oz Mozzarella cheese
1 lb Hamburger
Or sausage or pepper

Idiot Bread Pizza Preparation

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt and flour.

Mix well with spoon and spread in two greased 9×13 pans. Let rise for one hour.

Spread about 1 1/2 pints of your favourite tomato (pizza) sauce on top. Add 12 ounce shredded Mozzarella cheese and one pound cooked hamburger (or sausage or pepperoni).

Put pizza in oven preheated to 500F (as hot as you can possibly get it); reduce heat immediately to 400F and bake 35 minutes or until cheese is melted.

For more easy recipes for free just like this, visit www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com to download your FREE cookbook!

Recipe Serves: 4

Ingredients for Green Jade Soup Recipe

Green Jade Soup

3 Dried Chinese mushrooms
4 c Vegetable stock
1/3 c Carrots; peeled and cut in1-inch matchsticks
1/4 c Thinly sliced green onions
1/2 c Thinly sliced mushrooms
10 Spinach leaves; approximately
3 tb Soy sauce

Green Jade Soup Preparation

Soak dried mushrooms in 1 cup hot water for 20-30 minutes, until soft. Drain and reserve stock.

Slice mushrooms in thin strips. Bring reserved mushroom stock and vegetable stock to a boil in saucepan.

Add carrots, green onions, and both kinds of mushrooms and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and soy sauce and cook for a few more minutes, until spinach is wilted. Taste for seasoning.

Serve this simple, clear soup with nori rolls or tempura. You may also add Japanese noodles for a more filling soup.

To get hold of many more fantastic Chinese recipes like this one, check out this Chinese Recipes Cookbook to add to your collection.

Recipe Serves: 4

Ingredients for Baked Lemon Chicken with Vegetables Recipe

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, (4 – 5 oz breasts)
1 Clove garlic; crushed
1/2 ts Oregano
1/2 ts Black pepper; fresh ground
2 med Zucchini squash; sliced
1 med Green pepper; cut in strips
1/2 c Low sodium chicken broth
3 tb Lemon juice
1 tb White wine

Baked Lemon Chicken with Vegetables Preparation

Place chicken in a casserole dish. Top with the garlic, other seasonings, and the vegetables.

Pour in broth, lemon juice and wine.

Cover tightly and bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serving Ideas: rice, brown rice, pasta

To get yourself a FREE cookbook, with plenty of delicious and easy recipes for free just like this one, please visit www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com.