Sweet Omelette: A Slightly Irr-"egg"-ular Breakfast

Like many followers of the primal lifestyle, I sometimes wake up in the morning and grudgingly think to myself, “I guess it’s eggs for breakfast, again.”  But one morning, I had some extra time on my hands, so I thought long and hard about what to do with my eggs to make them egg-stra special (Oh, and I apologize for my excessive use of really bad egg puns).  I knew I was craving something sweet, and that was when I had an epiphany. 

Caramelized Onion and Eggplant Dip with Endive "Spoons"

I’m sure you have all heard that old saying, “Patience is a virtue.”  Well, that saying definitely applies to caramelization.  Whether you’re caramelizing sugar, meat, vegetables or anything for that matter, caramelization can be a tricky thing to accomplish.  Depending on what you are trying to caramelize, it can either happen very, very quickly to the point of burning (sugar, for example)

Coffee...

Ahhh, coffee.  I don’t know about you, but my morning coffee is one of the small pleasures in life that I value beyond belief.  I try not to leave the house without it, because when I do, my day just seems to start off on the wrong foot.  Unfortunately, it is one of those “limbo” substances when it comes to primal living.  Many people who follow the primal and paleo lifestyles avoid it because it was not consumed back in the (Paleolithic) day.  I’ve heard endless arguments about the health benefits of drinking coffee, possible negative effects of drinking it, and reasons why it should be avoided like the plague. 

Harvest Pork Chili

I don’t know about you, but it seems like every time the seasons change (whether it is winter, spring, summer, or fall) I think to myself, “This is definitely my favorite season.” I don’t know what it is about the change of seasons, but I particularly enjoy the freshness it brings to life.  Just when you start getting tired of the current weather forecasts, it begins to cool down or warm up, and the flowers bloom or the leaves fall.  The timing is always perfect. 

The Almighty Meatza . . .

As my first recipe post, I felt it would be appropriate to post a recipe that would really get those primal juices flowing.  Nothing says caveman quite like a pizza crust...made of meat.  That’s right. I’m referring to the famous “Meatza.”  If this concept doesn’t make you drool all over your keyboard and forget about your average pizza, I don’t know what will.  While it may be slightly messier and juicier than pizza with an actual crust (which, in my opinion, makes it all the more primal), it is healthier and much more convenient than fussing with yeast, waiting for dough to rise, and pesky pizza stones.  It is also a very versatile meal, with endless combinations for toppings.  And of course, it wouldn’t be an almighty meatza without...bacon!  So, I decided to mix some bacon into the “crust” and sprinkle some on top for good measure, but you can omit it from the crust if you aren’t as pro-bacon as I am.  Enjoy!

Almighty Meatza

Ingredients:

• 10-12 slices of bacon
• 1  pound of ground beef
• 2  eggs
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1  teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1  15-ounce can of tomato sauce
• ½ green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ package of button mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ yellow onion, chopped
• 8 pepperoncinis, chopped
• ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
• 2  cups shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
2. Cook the bacon in a skillet, chop into pieces, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine beef, half the bacon, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
4. Spread meat mixture evenly in a 9 x 13-inch pan into a thin layer with the meat slightly coming up the sides of the pan.  Bake in 350ºF oven for about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the meat crust from the oven and cover it with tomato sauce, spreading evenly.  Then layer the cheese, veggies, and remaining bacon and return the meatza to the oven for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is hot and melty.

What are some of your favorite caveman-like substitutions? . . . Feel free to leave a comment below.

Recipe adapted from: Paleo Diet and Living

A Few Primal Points

The Primal lifestyle, similar to the Paleo Diet (short for Paleolithic), was founded on the basis that the mechanisms of our bodies run most efficiently on the food that our “cavemen” ancestors would have originally eaten.  They basically ate anything that they could hunt and gather, including meat, fish, vegetables, roots, nuts, seeds, and fruits.  Grains, legumes, and refined vegetable oils and sugars would not have been viable sources of food for a hominid.  Think about it; when was the last time you went for a walk and stumbled across a vat of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil?