Brent Schrader

Tomato Pesto Salad

December 24, 2014June 18, 2015by Brent Schrader5 Comments

As we’ve spent almost 3 years now following a paleo diet (wow!), many of our tastes have changed. Heather is now a big fan of brussels sprouts, mustard, collared greens, and many other items she otherwise thought were off limits. For me, the greatest addition to my life has been the tomato. I thought it was the occasional obligation on a restaurant hamburger, or a small part of a salad.

Recently I came to the conclusion that I now pick up a tomato how I used to pick up an apple. This salad challenges the assumption that a salad has to be a bed of greens with some accoutrement; don’t allow your salad to be boring! This time of year, we thought the bright red and green was perfect for the holidays. We hope you have a delightful time with family and friends this week, regardless of how (or what) you decide to celebrate.

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Birria (Mexican Stew)

December 3, 2014June 18, 2015by Brent SchraderLeave a comment

As the weather cools down for us here in the DC area, my mind have moved from barbecues and light refreshing salads to more substantial meals and stews. We are huge fans of chili and pulled pork, but I wanted to expand our repertoire. Especially because I am prone to colds or falling under the weather as the seasons change, I wanted something that could help keep my sinuses clear with the help of capsaicin. (Check out the medical uses in this Wikipedia article—warning: not AIP friendly.)

For me, this is an ideal winter stew, and is much heartier than our hot and sour soup, which was my go to meal when fighting a cold up to now. We hope you’ll give it a shot, and enjoy it in a variety of ways.

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Banana Cream Pie

November 26, 2014June 18, 2015by Brent Schrader3 Comments

We’re right at the holiday season, and family are arriving at our house from as far as Chicago. During this time of year, we are all known to indulge with friends, family, and coworkers at various celebrations beginning this week, and ending sometime in January. We enjoy this time, but we know it is a stressful time with visitors, travel, and gifts. This along with the smorgasbord on an ongoing basis often comes with a loosening of the belt, too.

This banana cream pie is inspired partly by my father’s love for the pie growing up, along with an amazing recipe that already exists in our friend Russ Crandall‘s The Ancestral Table. Russ was kind enough to shoot the breeze with me while I made this pie a few times to get it right. You should pick up his book and run a taste test—let us know which pie comes out on top!

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Cider-Stewed Mashed Sweet Potatoes

November 19, 2014June 18, 2015by Brent Schrader2 Comments

The story of this epic sweet potato mash goes back to July, when Heather and I ran the Spartan Super in Wintergreen, Virginia. Nearby in Nellysford, there is a cidery by the name of Bold Rock. They have some fantastic hard ciders, and we have admired their product for a long time. Made with apples grown right in Virginia, we were happy to support a local business with a great product.

Following the race, we took our bruised, muddied, and exhausted selves to the cidery for a tasting. During our visit, we found ourselves in a conversation with John “Johnny Apple Cider” Washburn, Bold Rock’s Chairman and CEO. John radiates positive energy and seems utterly in love with the venture and creating a great product locally with minimally processed ingredients.

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Artichoke Heart Salad

November 12, 2014June 18, 2015by Brent Schrader1 Comment

When in a pinch for a quick meal, I will often go to the local supermarket to find something healthy to eat. Most of the time, I end up either picking up some no-filler meats, e.g. Applegate hot dogs, or the salad bar. More often than not when going for the salad bar, I end up with mixed greens, cucumber, hardboiled egg, and olive oil with salt and pepper. This was somewhat bland, but pretty satisfying, until I came across an artichoke salad. I started putting this atop mixed greens, and I haven’t gone back since.

Determined to remake this at home to save money and time, we developed the following recipe. I love how this improves as it sits in the fridge, and it is fantastic on its own or on a bed of greens. Plus, it is ready in under half an hour. This is a must-have to improve your salad game.

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