Za'atar Omelet

By Ido Portal

Earlier this month, I had the great pleasure of hosting amazing coach and athlete Ido Portal from Israel. Longtime Performance Menu readers may recognize him from an article that appeared back in the very first issue. Besides some great training and conversation, we also got into a little Paleo cooking. This recipe, and the one that follows, were prepared by Ido on his last night here.

The Za'atar Omelet can be a breakfast, but it is traditionally eaten at dinnertime in Israel. The key to making this will be to track down some authentic za'atar.... not an easy task. Ido and I spent about 4 hours in Portland tracking down the ingredients. We finally were able to purchase some of the spice from a Lebanese restaurant. If you live near a Middle Eastern market, you may be able to find it there. Asking the chef nicely at a restaurant may work for you, too. As a third option, you can order it online. Za'atar is made from toasted thyme, savoy, and sesame seeds. It is delicious, and very versitile. I will be using it frequently in my cooking from now on! Make sure that the blend you are buying does not contain wheat; some will. Happy hunting!

This recipe deviates slightly from strict Paleo, as it uses goat cheese. Dairy from goat tends to be less problematic than dairy from cows, so it may be an infrequent treat for some. Purists can eliminate always the cheese.

Time: 12 minutes

• 6 eggs
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Roma tomato, sliced thin
• ~ 2/3 cup sweet onion, sliced into thin rings
• 2 oz goat Gouda cheese
• ~ 1 Tbsp za'atar
• sea salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, slice the tomato and onion.

Crack 3 eggs into a bowl, add salt, then beat well. Pour the eggs into the skillet, then arrange the tomatoes and onions over the eggs. Sprinkle with 1 oz. grated cheese, then top with a liberal dose of the za'atar you worked so hard to find.

Remove the omelet to a plate when the eggs have set; you do not fold this omelet like we do here in the West. Repeat the process with the remaining eggs.

Zone info: 2 servings at ~ 1 carb block, 4 protein blocks, 18 fat blocks






Arabic Salad

By Ido Portal

Time: 15 minutes

• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 cucumbers, diced
• 1/2 of a medium sweet onion, finely diced
• 1 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped fine
• 1 bunch of fresh mint, chopped fine
• 6 lemons

Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers into 1/2 inch squares. Chop the onion, parsley, and mint much more finely. These vegetables are the spices of this salad, so you will want to ensure that they are chopped smaller than the cucumber and tomato.

Mix all in a large bowl. Halve the lemons, then squeeze the juice into the salad. Mix well, chill for a bit, then serve.

Zone info: 5 servings at 1 carb block each




Ambrosia

Ambrosia is normally a fruit salad containing whipped cream, gelatin, or the like. This version is a quick to prepare and more veggie based than the traditional version. Also, it is lower carb and will keep your insulin levels more stable, too!

Time: 10 minutes

• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 Tbsp raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Shred the carrots; if you have a food processor, this will only take a moment. Otherwise, a mandolin will work, or you can even have fun with a grater.

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, mix well. Chill for a few hours, then serve.

Zone info: 6 servings at 1 carb block, 6 fat blocks


Mushroom Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Here is a high carb meal that will work well post-training, or as a carb up meal for those following a cyclic low carb diet.

Time: 20 minutes

• 1 medium sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp basil
• sea salt to taste

Heat the oil over medium in a large skillet or pot. Add the onion, cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for one minute more, being sure to toss occasionally. Add the water, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and spices. Cover, then reduce the heat to med-low. Cook for around 15 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat, add the salt, then mash well with a potato masher. You may need to add a bit of water at this point to reach a smooth consistency.

Zone info: 3 servings at 4 carb blocks, 1 fat block


Blueberry Vinaigrette

Time: 5 minutes

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• fresh ground pepper
• sea salt to taste

Place all of the ingredients into a blender, pulse until smooth. Pour the mix into a jar and refrigerate before serving. Makes 3/4 cup.

Make a simple salad of mixed greens topped with cubed and steamed chicken. Add the blueberry vinaigrette and enjoy! This also works well as a topping or sauce on meats.

Zone info: 1 Tbsp of prepared vinaigrette = 3 fat blocks. Carb content negligible - (~.75g carbohydrate) Makes twelve 1 Tbsp servings.