primal meal deal

This came together perfectly and it just happened to use up a bunch of leftover odds and ends that were sitting in the fridge. Skirt steak pairs well with just about anything and these sides were no exception. I make roasted brussel sprouts regularly, but these turned out so perfectly I had to make sure I captured the recipe.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Quarter brussel sprouts. Coat in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Check after 15 minutes, and cook no more than 20 minutes.


Turnip Risotto

3 turnips
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
fresh herbs

In one pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Peel and grate the turnips (either by hand or in a food processor). In a second pot, melt the butter. Add the grated turnips to the butter and stir. Add the boiling chicken stock. Leave the turnips on a high boil for 10-12 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. For added creaminess, add butter or cream to turnips before serving (though this isn't necessary).

Heat oil on medium-high in a separate pan (you can use the same pot you used for the chicken stock). Add the sliced shallots and heat until browned but not burned. Remove from the oil.

Plate the turnips and top with fresh herbs and crispy shallots.


Broiled Skirt Steak

Pre-heat the broiler. Season the skirt steak on both sides. Place the skirt steak on the cookie sheet the brussel sprouts were roasted on, and broil for 3 minutes on each side. Let rest for a couple of minutes before slicing.

Altogether a filling, healthy meal that can use up all the bits and pieces in your fridge.

fresh citrus fish

Mark Bittman has been quite the inspiration lately as his recipes all look easy and flavorful. For this recipe you just need to make sure you use enough fruit to balance the heat and bite of the jalapeno and shallot.

Fried White Fish with Fruit Salsa

1 pound of white fish (haddock, etc.)

1 grapefruit

1 orange

1 lime

1/2 shallot

1 jalapeno

butter

salt and pepper

Start with the salsa so it has time to meld. Halve the grapefruit, orange and lime, and using a grapefruit knife, section each fruit and add to a bowl. (Squeeze the extra juice of each fruit into one glass, add ice and vodka for a citrusy treat.) Mince the shallots and add to the bowl. Heat jalapeno over burner on the stove until it begins to pop to add a bit of roasted flavor. Mince and add to the bowl. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Salt and pepper the flesh side of the fish. Heat butter in a pan (don't use non-stick) over medium-high heat until bubbly. Add fish to the pan, skin side down. Cook until the skin is browned and the flesh begins to whiten. Flip and cook until flaky.

Remove to plate, skin side down. Top with the fruit salsa to cover the whole fish - you're going to want to get a bite of the salsa with each bite of fish! 

tropical pancakes

This came together when I was craving pancakes and couldn't figure out what to do with a banana that only had a day or two left before it went bad.

Coconut Flour Pancakes with Fried Bananas

2 eggs
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1/2 tbsp half and half
1/4 tsp maple syrup
bacon fat
1 banana

Mix eggs, coconut flour, half and half and maple syrup. Heat pan to medium-high and melt bacon fat. Pour out 3-4 pancakes and spread out with the back of the spoon/fork. Cook until brown and the top is slightly dried, about 2 minutes, and flip. Cook another 2 minutes and remove to plate.

Add more bacon fat to the pan and add sliced bananas. Cook bananas until slightly browned. Top pancakes with bananas and drizzle with small amount of maple syrup.

shu, shu, shumai

We bought a steamer just for this recipe, but now we can't wait to use it for everything. This is a fun way to make something completely delicious.

Cabbage "Shumai"

1 lb of ground pork
2 Tbsp grated ginger (or more)
1 clove of garlic
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp Shao Xing rice wine
2 green onions (thinly sliced)
2 Tbsp coconut flour
2 eggs
1 head of cabbage
salt and pepper

Clean the cabbage and remove the core. Boil the cabbage until each leaf separates. Remove each leaf from the core as it separates and stack on a plate to cool.

Combine ground pork, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice wine, green onion, coconut flour, tamari, rice wine, eggs, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper and mix well.

Make packets by rolling cabbage around pork mixture, tucking sides in. Place the rolls seam side down in the steamer leaving enough space between each roll for steam to come through.

Over high heat, steam the shumai for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked.

Dipping sauce:

1 Tbsp Sesame oil
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Tamari
2 Tbsp Garlic Chili sauce

Combine all and mix well.

Adapted from Paleodad

warm eggplant salad

This is the kind of recipe that would never occur to me to create. But now that I've tried it I can't wait to try as many warm vegetable and vinaigrette salads as I can think of. Brussel sprouts? Okra?

Eggplant Salad

1 eggplant
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (18 year if available)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper

Halve eggplant and then quarter each half so that you have eight slices. Place on plate and cover with another plate. Microwave slices for 6 minutes. Remove carefully. When cool enough to handle cut into bite sized chunks.

Whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Add eggplant to vinaigrette and toss to coat.

tender, tender loin

Pork tenderloins make an easy and relatively cheap base on which to create a very flavorful piece of meat. Each summer we get a handful of fresh herbs from my fiance's mother's garden and each year they help us make a tasty tenderloin.

Herb Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin
assorted fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove silverskin from tenderloin. Cut slit in side of tenderloin to create a pocket. Salt and pepper the pocket. Stuff with fresh herbs. Smash and halve garlic and add to pocket with herbs. Salt and pepper outside of tenderloin and rub in olive oil to coat.

Place cookie sheet on bottom rack in oven to catch drippings. Put tenderloin directly on top rack in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 315 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Remove the herbs from the center of the tenderloin and slice to serve.

grits without the grit

My lovely fiance has been eating primally for nearly two years, and I have been reluctant to join him, even though I know that he feels better on it than he did off it. As a celiac it's been hard to think about giving up anything else since I've already given up so much. But the truth of the matter is that for the most part I eat dinner primally almost every night, and don't notice the loss during those meals. The times that are harder for me are breakfast and lunch. Especially breakfast. I couldn't eat eggs every day if I tried and I love the ease and simplicity of a bowl of cold cereal after a hot cup of coffee. Lunch is easier to manage as long as I make enough leftovers from dinner the night before (but that's a whole different struggle).

I reached the tipping point towards giving it a whole-hearted try in the last few days. I had eaten pretty primally over the course of a few days as a matter of happenstance and would have been entirely two days in without even trying except for the 4 pieces of toast I'd just consumed. Knowing I was so close was all I really needed to make the decision to actually give it a try and see if I really did feel better the primal way. The next few posts will explore the new recipes we've found as we start down this path together.

A trip to New Orleans last year introduced my fiance to grits and he hasn't been able to get enough of them since. But with the primal diet, grits are a no-go, so he went in search of an alternative. We adjust this Celery Root Grits recipe each time we make it since it's such a great base, and can take on lots of other flavors (hot sauce, different cheeses). Makes a great side for all types of pork dishes.

Celery Root Grits

1-2 large sized celery roots
1 medium onion (diced)
2 ½ cups of chicken or vegetable stock
shredded cheese
3 tbsp butter
olive oil
salt and pepper

Using a medium stockpot, sauté diced onion in olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter on medium high heat for 3–4 minutes. Peel and dice the celery root. Add the diced celery root to the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add enough stock to the celery root and onion to cover the mixture. Increase the heat to high and boil the mixture uncovered for 18-20 minutes until the celery root is fully cooked and a significant amount of stock has reduced. (If mixture burns, add a bit more stock and continue. Still turns out delicious and smoky. If this happens, there is no need to add cheese.) When the celery root has been completely cooked and the stock has reduced by half, remove to a bowl. Using a stick blender, purée the mixture. Add more stock if needed. Add 2 Tbsp of butter and shredded cheese (cheese is optional). Mix well.

Adapted from Paleodad