Day 2 of my Paleo plan started off with a baked omelette with the ingredients leftover from last night’s dinner. (Flap steak, roasted veggies & caramelized onions). Delicious!
As I mentioned yesterday, I am putting myself to the Paleo challenge for the month of January and I will be sharing a daily recipe and perfect Paleo Pairing. I received some interesting comments yesterday about alcohol consumption while on Paleo and wine is indeed allowed in moderation on the plan.
Some believe you should only drink red wine on Paleo because it contains more antioxidants and resveratrol. However, many dry white wines are actually lower in sugars and alcohol than red wine. Many other forms of alcohol and beer are a no-go on Paleo because they are made from grains, but as we all know wine is made from grapes. Our stone age ancestors may have not been exposed to wine as we know it, but they probably had fermented grapes at some point.
Some purists may disagree especially when weight loss is the number one objective. I am by no means a nutritionist, but I have done my research on Paleo and my main objective is get a little healthier in 2014 and provide you with some great recipes and ideas for wine pairings on the nights you do want to have a glass.
Today’s perfect Paleo Pairing and recipe features eggplant ratatoiulle & baked chicken paired with a Chianti Classico. Marchese Antinori, Banfi & Tenuta are nice Chianti options. A Barbera would also be a great choice. Bon Appetit!
Crystal
Day 2 Recipe: Eggplant Ratatouille & Baked Chicken
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup dry red wine (Chianti)
1 medium yellow onion diced or julienned
4 cloves minced garlic
1 large eggplant diced or julienned
1 green bell pepper diced or julienned
1 red bell pepper diced or julienned
1 medium zucchini diced or julliened
1 28 oz can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup chopped basil (more for garnish)
Directions
Caramelize onions in the olive oil in a large saute pan for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly golden. Add the eggplant to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Add peppers and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning, minced garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute to release aromatics. Add wine and tomatoes and cook for about 10-15 minutes until flavors are well integrated. Stir in ¼ cup chopped basil before serving. Garnish with basil leaves. Serve with grilled or baked chicken or even roasted shrimp for a protein boost! Bon Appetit!
