Sunday, October 27, 2013

Paleo chicken chow mein

I've never had chicken chow mein in a restaurant but I have a feeling that this dish is slightly lighter and maybe even tastier. The recipe is from Paleo Cupboard.

Ingredients
serves 2-3
SAUCE:
½ tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp raw honey, melted
2 tsp sesame oil
5 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
dash crushed red pepper (or more if you like heat)
dash sea salt
dash ground black pepper
1 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp fish sauce

PARSNIP NOODLES:
6 medium to large parsnips, peeled and julienned (or use spiral vegetable slicer to make into noodles)
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced into strips
2 tbsp macadamia oil or butter
1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced into strips
1 yellow capsicum, thinly sliced into strips
3/4 cup chopped spring onions
Sea salt
Ground black pepper

To make the sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
To make the parsnip noodles, Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Toss the julienned parsnips with the olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Lay the parsnips out flat on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until crispy, stirring a couple times.
While the parsnips are baking, season the chicken strips with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place a large skillet or large wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. Allow to get hot and then add the chicken, letting it sear for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan (and some additional oil or fat if needed). Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the red and yellow bell peppers to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the green onions and the chicken to the pan and stir to combine.
Add the sauce and toss to coat. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Serve up the chicken sauce with the noodle.


Paleo Teriyaki beef stir-fry

Got this recipe from paleomg.com and it's very simple and really tasty.

Ingredients
serves 2-3
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
120 ml coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Sriracha
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp arrowroot powder, divided
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1 broccoli head, cut into small florets
500 g flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
salt and pepper, to taste
chopped spring onions, to garnish

Place a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add coconut oil along with minced garlic and grated ginger. When garlic becomes fragrant, turn heat on low then add soy sauce. Be sure that the pan has cooled down a bit before to keep the soy sauce from splattering everywhere.
Once the soy sauce have been added, increase heat to medium-low and add honey, sriracha, sesame oil and fish sauce.
Bring sauce to a slow boil, then add 1 tbsp of arrowroot powder, 1 teaspoon at a time and whisking to incorporate into the sauce. Whisk each teaspoon in at a time.
Once sauce has become think, add capsicum, onion and broccoli to the sauce and coat in sauce. Let cook down for about 6-8 minutes or until onion is soft. After the vegetables have cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetable and set aside in a bowl.
Increase heat to medium-high temperature and add thinly sliced flank steak to the pan. Cook steak on both sides for 2-3 minutes, until barely any pink remains. Add vegetables back into the pan and incorporate with the meat.
Since the meat will render some liquid, add the remaining tablespoons arrowroot powder into the mixture, teaspoon at a time, whisking the powder in with the mixture.
Serve with cauliflower rice and top stir fry off with chopped green onions

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Creamy fish stew with bacon

We had this for dinner a couple of days ago and it turned out to be quite good. It sounds a bit strange maybe but the end result is good. The recipe is from undervarttak.blogspot.se

Ingredients
serves 2-3
500 g white fish, diced
125 g bacon, diced
400 ml coconut milk
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
200 ml chopped chives
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 capsicum, diced
1 onion, diced

Heat a frying pan and add the bacon. Fry for a few minutes then add the onion.
Whisk together the coconut milk and Dijon in a bowl and pour this over the fried bacon. Add the chives, mix together and let it boil for about 15 minutes until it has thickened a bit.
Add the fish and the capsicum and let it simmer together for another 4-5 minutes.
Put in the tomatoes, add them to the stew and let them get warm.


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Chicken stir-fry with cashews and Thai basil

We had some Thai basil lying around from last week and I decided to make this recipe which I found on taste.com.au. It was very tasty indeed, not quite Paleo but I modified it a bit to make it a bit more Paleo.

Ingredients
serves 2-3
60 ml fresh lime juice
60 ml fish sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp cocotnut sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 large fresh red chilies, thinly sliced
5 spring onions, ends trimmed and cut into 6 cm lengths
1 stem lemon grass, trimmed an dbruised
120 ml raw cashews
600 g chicken tenderloins, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 bunch fresh Thai basil, leaves picked

Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl.
Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add the onion, garlic, chili, spring onione and lemon grass. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the onion softens. Transfer to a large bowl.
Heat the remaining oil in the wok over high heat. Add the cashews. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the bowl.
Add one third of the chicken to the wok. Stir-fry for 4 minutes or until just starting to brown. Transfer to the bowl. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining chicken, reheating the wok between batches. Return the chicken and onion mixture to the wok. Add the fish sauce mixture and pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat. Remove and discard the lemon grass. Stir in the basil.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Guide to a primal lifestyle

I've known about Paleo for a couple of years now but only now did I read these sort of 'guide lines' on Mark's Daily Apple. There are some valid points and it doesn't seem that hard, does it?

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/#axzz2i5iG4IMz

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Paleo chocolate chip cookies

These cookies turned out great. Although I think I made them a bit too big so they didn't quite get that cookie crunch but the they're still delicious. The recipe was for 12 cookies but I only got 10 because I made them so big. The recipe is from The Food Lovers Kitchen.

Ingredients
makes 12 cookies
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
175 ml semisweet chocolate chips (I used 85% chocolate and chopped it up)
60 ml coconut oil
60 ml cup maple syrup
1 egg
350 ml almond flour

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients.
In another mixing bowl beat eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and beat with hand mixer until combined.
Melt the coconut oil and pour into the batter. Continue to blend until combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips. On an oven tray lined with baking paper, drop balls of cookie dough, about a tablespoon in size. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Let cool.


Paleo taco pie

This is my second attempt to make this pie. The recipe is from undervarttak.blogspot.se but last time I thought it was a bit too wet so I made some adjustments and this time it turned out much better. I think this is definitely one of my new favourites; so much flavour and really easy to make.

Ingredients
serves 4-6
300 ml almond flour
50 ml sesame seeds
2 tbsp psyllium
1 tsp sea salt
40 g butter
1 egg

1 onion, diced
500 g mince meat
1 serve of taco seasoning
50 ml water
butter to fry in

3 eggs
100 ml coconut milk
150 ml salsa

Capsicum for decoration

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Mix the almond flour and sesame seeds in a food processor, using the knife blade. Add psyllium, salt, butter and egg. Mix again until it forms a dough. Press out the dough in a pie dish. Prick with a fork and pre-bake for about 10 minutes until it's golden brown.
Heat up a frying pan and once hot, fry the onion in some butter. Fry for a few minutes until it's softened slightly. Add the mince meat and let it get slightly brown. Add the taco seasoning and mix it around. Add the water and let it simmer together for a few minutes. Put the mince meat in the pie crust. Whisk together the eggs and the coconut milk. Add the salsa and mix in. Pour the egg mixture over the mince meat and decorate with the capsicum. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the pie has got a nice golden colour.


Mexican salsa

This is a very simple recipe for homemade salsa. Once again it's from undervarttak.blogspot.se

Ingredients
500 g crushed tomatoes
1 onion, finely diced
1-2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika powder
½-1 tsp ground cummin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all together and serve together with your tacos.

Taco seasoning

Simple recipe for a delicious taco seasoning which can be used for many things.

Ingredients
makes enough for about 500 g mince meat
1½ tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cummin
½ tsp cayenne pepper

Mix it all together.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Creamy chorizo and fish

So I don't quite know what has happened with my memory. I decided yesterday to pick up a piece of cooked chicken and some broccoli at the supermarket on my way home because I didn't feel like cooking anything too hard. I went to the supermarket, started to walk home. After about 5 minutes I realised that I didn't buy any chicken or broccoli....*sigh*
So when I came home I just had to look to see what we had at home and I actually managed to make up something that was quite nice. Possibly a bit strange to many people but it worked.

Ingredients
serves 1-2
1 piece of white fish, diced
1 chorizo, peeled and sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 capsicum, diced
100 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp sambal oelek
salt and pepper

Heat a frying pan to medium heat and add a bit of butter. Add the chorizo and fry for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Set aside on a piece of paper towel. If you don't have enough grease in the pan from the chorizo, add some more butter, otherwise just add the onion. Fry for a couple of minutes, then add the capsicum. Fry for another few minutes, add the fish and the sambal oelek. Fry together for a couple of minutes and then add the coconut milk. Let it simmer for a few minutes then add in the choizo and mix together. Serve with a side of greens.


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Kale chips

This is one of our new favourites. Really easy to make and tastes delicious. Once again I've got the recipe from eatdrinkpaleo.com.au

Ingredients
serves 2
10 kale leaves (on a stalk)
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground coriander seeds
2/3 tsp ground cumin powder

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Tear the leaves away from the stalks and cut into 2-3 cm pieces with scissors or tear with your hands.
Wash and pat dry with some paper towel.
Toss kale leaves with olive oil, spices & sea salt. Scatter in a large oven tray and bake for 15 minutes tossing them around every 5 minutes to prevent burning and to make sure they dry out and roast evenly on all sides.


Paleo quiche

I got this recipe from eatdrinkpaleo.com.au. She has a really good 1 week Paleo meal plan where this recipe was included. I added some parma ham to our quiche, I think bacon would've been good as well.

Ingredients
serves 2-3
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 brown onion, sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of sea salt
6 eggs
¼ cup full fat cream
zest of 1/2 lemon
sea salt and pepper for seasoning
1-2 tbsp of pine nuts
butter for cooking

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a flat baking tray with coconut oil and scatter diced sweet potato. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove and turn the oven down to 180°C.

In a medium frying pan, sauté onion and capsicum in butter on medium heat for 15 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooking, add fresh thyme, garlic, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Whisk the eggs with cream and combine with the zest of lemon, a pinch of black pepper and a generous pinch of sea salt. Grease the bottom of a deep baking tray with coconut oil and line with baking paper, making sure the sides are covered. Assemble sweet potatoes and onion and red peppers mix evenly on the bottom. Pour whisked egg mix on top. Bake for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with pine nuts and some extra fresh thyme and bake for a further 10 minutes. Stand aside to cool and settle for 5 minutes before serving. Lift the sides of baking paper to remove the quiche to a cutting board.


Paleo crumble

This is one that I made when I was back in Sweden. My parents have a lot of rhubarb in their garden and rhubarb pie is one of my favourite desserts. I'm afraid I don't remember the rhubarb part of the recipe but normally you mix together the rhubarb with some sort of sweetener and potato starch or tapioca flour.

Ingredients
serves 4-6
2 tbsp coconut oil (you can also use butter)
150 ml shaved almonds
150 ml shredded coconut
150 ml almond flou
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until it becomes a crumbly dough. Distribute the dough over the fruit in the pie dish and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until it's got a golden colour.


Broccoli and bacon pie

I made a few Paleo things for the past month or so but I haven't had a chance to put them up due to holiday and no internet. Therefore I'm going to now catch up a bit and see whether I can remember the recipes....

The first one is a delicious Paleo broccoli and bacon pie, the recipe is from undervarttak.blogspot.se

Ingredients
serves 4-6
300 ml almond flour
50 ml sesame seeds
2 tbsp psyllium
1 tsp sea salt
40 g coconut oil
1 egg

1 head of fresh broccoli
150 g bacon
4 mushrooms, sliced
5 cherry tomatoes, halved

3 eggs
200 ml coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Mix the almond flour and sesame seeds in a food processor, using the knife. Add psyllium, salt, coconut oil and egg. Mix again until it forms a dough. Press out the dough in a pie dish. Prick with a fork and pre-bake for about 10 minutes until it's golden brown.
Cut the broccoli to smaller florets and pre-boil for about 3-4 minutes. Put the sliced mushrooms on the bottom of the pie crust, cut the bacon to smaller pieces and add this to the crust. Add the broccoli florets and the cherry tomatoes. 
Whisk together eggs and coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
Pour the egg mixture over the the bacon and vegetables in the pie crust. 
Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the egg mixture is set.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Paleo waffles

Since it's a long weekend I decided to make something extra delicious for breakfast today other than the usual eggs and bacon. I got the recipe from Undervarttak.

Ingredients
makes 4-6 waffles
4 eggs
200 ml coconut milk
200 ml almond flour
1 1/3 tbsp psyllium
2 2/3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp baking powder
2 pinches salt

Start heating up the waffle iron. Whisk the eggs and coconut milk until fluffy. Melt the coconut oil and add to the egg mixture. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients and whisk these into to the egg mixture.
Once the waffle iron is hot, brush it with some melted coconut oil and pour in enough mixture to cover the surface. Close the lid and cook until golden brown.
We served ours with some fresh fruit or berries, maple syrup and some shredded coconut.