Category Archives: Recipes

chicken curry in a hurry

I recently bought an Instant Pot and I love being able to turn my back on a pressure cooker. I made a delicious chicken curry the other night and was asked for the recipe. Serves 4 unless you’re feeding teens. Then it serves 3.

  • 6 chicken drumsticks
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 red onion, medium, peeled and quartered
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into coins
  • 2 T curry paste (sorry, peeps, I went store-bought on this one).
  • 2 or 3 small tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 zucchini, sliced into big chunks
  • Salt to taste
  • 100 ml coconut milk, full fat, no additives
  • half of a tiny jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, sliced into bits. (Don’t wipe your eyes!)
  • half an English cucumber, peeled lightly and chopped into bite-sized bits

Serve over: cauliflower rice  (raw worked fine for me)

Heat the Instant Pot on Saute, add the oil and brown the chicken thighs with the onions. Add the carrots. Add about 1/2 c water, the curry paste and coconut milk. Stir wildly. Add the tomatoes and zucchini. Stir gently.  Lid the pot. Close the vent. Push the stew button. Come back in 30 minutes.  Enjoy over cauli-rice, topped with the chopped cuke.

After dinner, we had about half the recipe remaining. I left it in the pot, replaced the lid and pushed the slow cooker button. The next morning, I transferred the curry to a glass storage container (because I’m paranoid about plastic). Slow cooking overnight had transformed it into an even more delicious meal.

 

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recipe: chicken heart stew

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I have read criticism that eating “Paleo” is too expensive. Personally, I think poor health is too expensive. If you are looking to increase your nutrition and lower your food budget, think organ meat.

I made up a recipe for chicken hearts. Basically, I think you could substitute chicken hearts in any recipe calling for other chicken parts. Go ahead and try. Don’t be chicken. (Sorry)

300 gram chicken hearts, sliced open. wash out the blood if you’re squeamish.
1 shallot, sliced
300 grams mixed spring mushrooms, sliced into agreeable chunks
1 chunk of fresh ginger, sliced thinly
1 T coconut oil
1 T sesame oil
1 t rice vinegar
100 ml water
200 ml coconut milk, canned

Heat the oil; sauté the chicken and shallot in a heavy saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir to keep stuff from sticking to the saucepan. Add the mushrooms and ginger. Stir it wildly. Splash in the vinegar. Add the water and coconut milk. Stir. Simmer “until done.” Don’t you hate recipes that rely on you to decide what is done! Simmering lets the ingredients share their flavors and softens the mushrooms.

If you think it needs some salt, try adding a splash of coconut aminos. Enjoy!

really green apple smoothie

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1 cup, packed, spinach leaves
3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 ripe avocado
1 T (or more) lemon juice
1 small chunk of fresh ginger, peeled
1 handful fresh parsley
1 tsp. spirulina
1 green apple, peeled, cored, and quartered
1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened, or enough to achieve desired consistency.

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy!

Easy Salmon Spread

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This easy recipe is a great way to use canned salmon.

Prep Time: 3 min | Servings: 2

Ingredients:
One can red Salmon (213 g)
80 g cream cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Drain the salmon. add all ingredients to a food processor; mix until desired consistency.

Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula. Blend again.

taste and adjust seasoning.

You can refrigerate before serving to intensify the flavors.

Serve with fresh, crunchy vegetables.

Notes: Includes dairy

coconut milk smoothie

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Today’s breakfast smoothie:

1 cup (250 ml) full fat coconut milk
1 cup blueberries, fresh
1 cup kale, chopped, fresh
1 cup bok choy greens, chopped, fresh
1 handful of fresh parsley
1 thumb-sized chunk fresh ginger, sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 ripe banana

These ingredients fill a 1-litre measuring cup.

Assemble in measuring cup for proportions. Transfer to blender. Wake up the neighbors with extended whirring sound. Add some water if the mixture is too thick. Total preparation time: About two minutes.

I’ve modified a recipe from the Wahl’s Paleo Protocol (because I do want I want). The original recipe didn’t call for the banana (or ginger or lemon juice). I wanted to make it a little sweeter because I was intimidated by the amount of greens. And the banana was sitting on the counter, waiting for some action.

If you like cold drinks, keep your coconut milk cans in the refrigerator. You can also use frozen berries for a frozen smoothie.

The smoothie tastes very good. I think the lemon juice brings out the sweetness of the berries. Cinnamon can act as a blood thinner. So be careful how much you eat every day, especially if you are taking medication.

Just try it.

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sometimes you just have to say YES to cravings. Best Ever.

Chicken livers.

recipe:

you’ll need a non-stick fry pan or well seasoned iron skillet.

400g chicken livers (about a US pound).
chili flakes in a pepper grinder
1 T butter
1 t minced onion
2 T balsamic vinegar

saute the onions for a little bit in the non-stick pan over a medium fire. then add the chicken livers. grind the chili flakes onto the livers. flip once or twice, move the ones on the outside to the center. they’ll cook to medium rare in about 4-5 minutes. Put them on a plate.

Put 1 tbl butter into the fry pan, add 2 tbl vinegar. melt, reduce. put the livers back into the pan. stir it up.

Serve immediately.

After offering tastes to all interested family members, eat the rest yourself.

Recipe: Tasty additions to Roasted Brussels Sprouts

A while back I added a recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts HERE. I really love this way of roasting sprouts. They come out sweet and tender with a nicely browned leaves. Since writing up the recipe, however, I’ve switched to using coconut oil rather than olive oil when roasting to prevent oxidation.

This morning I chopped some walnuts and fried some pancetta. When the Brussels sprouts were finished roasting, I added a handful of each to the mixture and then squeezed half a lemon, mixing lightly. You could use pecans and/or bacon instead.

Salmon kale nori rolls

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I like sandwiches. Particularly tuna sandwiches. I end up eating a lot of tuna salads instead so I can avoid the carbs and gluten in bread. I’ve read about various alternative wraps that have appeared in the US market, items that aren’t available here. I also love spring rolls and sushi, but the sweetened rice in them does not love me.

i came up with a tasty alternative today. I married two favorites and thoroughly enjoyed a salmon nori roll made with kale and a leftover sweet potato.

1 can 300 g wild red salmon
1 medium sized baked sweet potato
1 tsp coconut oil
Big handful chopped fresh kale
Squeeze of lemon juice
Pinch of peri peri spice mix or something else you like with salmon
1 tsp Sesame seeds
Salt and pepper.
3 18×20 nori sheets

Melt the coconut oil in a heavy fry pan on medium high heat. I love my cast iron! Sauté the kale until it starts to wilt. Add the cooked sweet potato to the pan and stir. Reduce the heat. The potato should already have the consistency of soft paste. You can include the skin if you want, but I removed it from mine.

Drain any liquid from the salmon. I also remove any bones and skin. Flake the fish into the pan. Add the lemon juice and spices.

Stir the mixture. Reduce the heat further. At this point, everything is cooked and we are just warming up the potato.

Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the mixture.

Place a nori sheet on a flat surface. Add a couple tablespoons of the salmon mix and roll it up. I found this mixture filled three sheets. Enjoy!

I suppose you could make it more interesting with some ginger, wasabi and coconut aminos. I will try that next time. Today I was focused on enjoying the kale and the salmon.

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Super Easy Strawberry Almond Milk Chia Smoothie

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I soaked some almonds last night to make almond milk this morning. However, I needed to take my son to his archery lesson this morning and didn’t get up early enough (story of my life). I decided to use some of the almonds in a smoothie. Smoothies are my favorite quick breakfast. The chia seeds provide fiber, which makes the smoothie filling. I use whole strawberries without removing the tops. In place of strawberries, substitute any ripe fruit. Raspberries have even more fiber.

Almonds blend more easily if they are soaked in water overnight. An alternative to soaking is to blanch the almonds in a pan containing a 1/2 inch of boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain. (You can pop off the skins for a smoother texture but less fibre). If you have easy access to unsweetened almond milk, you can substitute it for the water and almonds. I have not been able to find unsweetened almond milk in stores here (Holland). So I make my own sometimes. When I get up early enough.

Be sure to check the carb content of your protein powder. Most of them are packed with sugar to make them palatable. But many low-carb powders have artificial sweeteners – not a great alternative. If you are being “pure,” substitute 1/4 cup egg whites for the protein powder. (The problem with egg whites is that too much will make the smoothie bitter).

This recipe makes a great grab-n-go meal that provides fiber, protein, healthy fats, and fresh fruit for long-lasting satisfaction.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chia seed
1 serving [unsweetened] vanilla whey protein powder (I like Jay Robb brand)
1 cup whole strawberries
10 almonds
1 cup cold water

Directions

In a blender, blend the almonds and water 2-3 minutes on high speed, until smooth. Then add the strawberries and blend again. Add the protein powder last and blend briefly. Protein powder tends to make smoothies very foamy, which I don’t like that much. But I think it’s better to have protein with the carbs.

For a thicker smoothie, use less water or double the almonds (1/4 c).

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving

Calories 285

Total Fat 11.01g
Saturated Fat 0.988g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.689g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.921g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 156mg
Potassium 697mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.43g
Dietary Fiber 9.3g
Sugars 7.29g
Protein 31.51g

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velvet chili

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I made this chili for the second time tonight. The first time, I thoughtlessly naively used smoked chipotle chili powder instead of milder, Ancho chili powder. And almost killed my family on Christmas Eve. WIth their permission, I tried again. Without any chipotles. They declared this chili “best ever.” (edited to explain the reference to velvet. That’s the texture of this chili – absolutely velvety. I’ve never had chili so soft and delicious). If you want more heat, add more green chili or try some smoked chipotle chili powder, just not a 1/4 cup.

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I’ve written this for my cast iron Dutch oven by Lodge. You could use a slow-cooker too.

Ingredients:
Use beef that is no leaner than 85 percent. Otherwise, the texture will become dry.
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
3 medium onions, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced(about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup Ancho chili powder
a big pinch of green chili powder
1/4 cup tomato paste (2 small cans)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
2 200 gram cans diced tomatoes
2 200 gram cans tomato puree
3 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 kilogram 85 percent lean ground grass-fed beef

Ground black pepper
2 limes, cut into wedges

Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a fry-pan or a Dutch oven. Add onions, garlic, chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, scraping up any browned pieces.

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2. (If you are using a slow-cooker, Transfer the mixture into the slow cooker.) Add tomato puree, coconut aminos, oregano and pepper. Stir really well. This is your last chance! Add the raw ground beef to the pot and stir it gently. Cover and cook. Regular oven: 125 C for 5 to 6 hours. Slow cooker, either on low or high, 8 to 9 hours on low or 5 to 6 hours on high.

3. Let the chili settle for 5 minutes, then gently tilt the Dutch Oven or slow cooker. Skim off the fat with a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the lime wedges.

We also enjoyed avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes with this.