the best kind of iced

...besides coffee that is.

We love Japanese hot pot, and each time we go I try to try a new ingredient. Recently my favorite addition has been iced tofu - a spongy version that soaks up the broth and has a texture very much like matzo balls. And after a little research I found out it couldn't be easier to make.

Ingredient:
1 pkg soft tofu

Remove the tofu from the package and drain. Wrap tofu in cling wrap and place in a zip-lock freezer bag. Freeze overnight. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter to use the same day. Drain the rest of the liquid - you may need to press the tofu a bit to get all of the liquid out.

You can then slice the tofu on the short end, or as the hot pot place does, make tofu triangles. To make triangles: cut the tofu in half from the top so that you have 2 rectangles. Cut each rectangle from the top in half again and then cut each of those rectangles on the angle to create two triangles. Lastly, cut from the side to cut each triangle in half.

The iced tofu can be used in soups or in other dishes with a sauce - anything delicious that can be soaked up by the tofu. I can't wait to try it with chicken soup and see if it really can be a substitute for matzo balls.

Recipe courtesy of Little Corner of Mine

stuffed balls

A great combo...

Turkey Meatballs

2 lbs ground turkey (2/3 dark meat, 1/3 white meat)
1 egg
2 leaves of swiss chard
1 clove garlic
half an onion
parmesan cheese
romano cheese
salt
pepper
garlic power
onion powder
dried basil

Chop up swiss chard, spinach or kale very finely. Mix ground turkey with one egg, chopped chard, finely chopped garlic, finely chopped onion, parmesan and romano cheeses, and spices (all spices to taste). Form into meatballs. Pan fry in olive oil.

Grated cauliflower, carrots or zucchini, in place of the swiss chard, will also go very well and add needed moisture to the meat.

Top with tomato sauce.


Mini Stuffed Peppers

1 package of mini-peppers
1/2 pkg cream cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese
salt
pepper
garlic power
onion powder
dried basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tops and the seeds of the peppers. Heat cream cheese for 20 seconds and add spices. Mix to combine. Stuff peppers with cream cheese mixture and top the cream cheese mix with a small bit of shredded mozzarella cheese. Place on cookie sheet and brush each pepper with olive oil. Cook in the oven for 28-30 minutes. Be sure to remove from the cookie sheet as soon as possible to prevent the cheese from sticking to the pan.

calamari cavalcade

Angelo the fish guy provides some of the best seafood I've ever prepared. But you really get it like it's right out of the ocean, so when I asked for a box of small calamari I had no idea what I was in for. It took two hours to clean and prepare, until I was left with close to 3 pounds of calamari rings. Now what to do with it.

Fried Calamari

I wanted to start with fried battered calamari, as it's one of my favorite things. I tried the following recipe, but it probably needed to be cooked a little longer and needed more salt for sure.

1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 heaping tablespoons potato starch
3 large yolks, beaten
3 cups vegetable oil
1 pound fresh squid tubes, cleaned and sliced into rings

Pour the oil into a wok and warm to 350 degrees F over high heat. Dip the calamari rings into the batter using a slotted spoon and stir until well coated. Shake off the excess batter and carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry, stirring frequently with a strainer, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the calamari to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt and pepper while hot.

Adapted from Cooking Channel

Roasted Calamari

For the roasted calamari I combined a recipe for a calamari salad with the vegetables that sounded delicious at the grocery store. I was really surprised at how sweet and delicious the calamari turned out and think they would work well in a lot of dishes.

1 pound cleaned small calamari, cut into 1/2-inch rings
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 poblano or jalapeno pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Halve the grape tomatoes and cut the poblano into medium sized pieces. Toss in olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes.

On a separate, large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the garlic with olive oil. Roast the garlic on the top shelf of the oven for about 4 minutes, or until lightly golden. Toss the calamari with the garlic, add salt and pepper, and roast for about 3 minutes, until opaque and firm.

Plate asparagus, top with tomatoes and poblano and then top with calamari and garlic. Squeeze lemon on everything to taste.

Adapted from Food and Wine

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

zucchini pasta bake featuring...no pasta

We found a similar version of this at a local restaurant though it took a couple of years to actually try it out ourselves. And all it takes is a few simple ingredients, a vegetable peeler and a little bit of time.

Ingredients:
4-5 zucchini
Parmesan cheese - grated
Romano cheese - grated
Salt
Pepper

Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and remove the ends of the zucchini. Using the vegetable peeler create long strips of zucchini (the pasta). It doesn't need to be exact and when you get down to the ends just cut into small pieces. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the zucchini and blanch for one minute or until bright green, and strain. This may need to be done in two batches. Spread out the blanched zucchini on a cookie sheet. Top with parmesan, romano and salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown.

polenta and sausage casserole

We haven't tried this recipe, but it includes lots of ingredients we usually have on hand, so it should be a good go-to in a pinch.

Polenta Layered with Cabbage and Sausages

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 sweet italian sausages
2 pounds savory cabbage, thinly sliced (about 15 cups)
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
2 cups coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes
2 cups uncooked polenta (prepare as directed)

Directions:
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add sweet Italian sausages; sauté sausages until golden brown on all sides. Add thinly sliced cabbage; sauté until cabbage is wilted, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups beef stock and chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 40 minutes to blend flavors. Remove sausages.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon half of Basic Polenta into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Top with half of cabbage and half of cooking liquid. Spoon remaing polenta atop cabbage. Arrage Italian sausages atop polenta. Spoon remaining cabbage and cooking liquid over sausages. Bake unitl flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Courtesy of Epicurious.com

blintzes (for breakfast or dinner)

This gluten-free recipe for blintzes works well as a manicotti-style wrapper for a delicious dinner as well.

3 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup potato starch
2/3-1 cup water
butter
cottage cheese

Beat eggs, potato starch and water until mixed. Heat butter in a non-stick pan and use 1/3 measuring cup to ladle batter into the hot pan. When the top of the blintz is cooked through, flip and let heat for a few seconds before removing to plate. Makes approximately 4 blintzes.

For breakfast blintzes, add California style cottage cheese and jam to the center of each blintz and fold into a square.

For dinner blintzes, add chive cottage cheese and cover in spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.

steak au poivre-ish

We do a lot of steak in our house, so we're always looking for new ways to prepare it. Since it's been way too hot to grill we've been looking for ways to spice up our steaks indoors. And spending all day watching the Cooking Channel makes me want to try new things, so a Steak Au Poivre recipe by Aida Mollenkamp looked like it would hit the spot. The surprise though wasn't really in the recipe - it was in the cut of steak she used. I'd never tried a blade steak before, and the giant line of gristle running through it didn't seem appealing, but I do try to be true to a recipe the first time through. I needed to ask the butcher for the cut as it wasn't on display, and at a cheap $6.99 a pound I figured it couldn't be that good, especially since it turned out to be a chuck blade steak, but I was determined to stick to the recipe. And boy am I'm glad I did. Sort of.

The steak turned out perfectly. The sauce, not so much. And the steak was the easy part, so I'm already thinking up ways to use this steak preparation with other ingredients. Maybe a mushroom sauce? So I've put just the steak part of the recipe below. Maybe once I find the perfect sauce for the steak I'll add it here as well.

Steak au Poivre-ish

Prep Time:10 min, Cook Time:15 min, 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 blade (aka flat iron) steaks, gristle removed
Salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Put peppercorns in a small resalable plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin until coarsely crushed. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season well with salt. Dip 1 side of each steak into the peppercorns and press to help adhere.

Heat the butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-heat until just smoking.

Add the steaks, peppercorn side up to the hot pan and cook, undisturbed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook, pressing the steaks down in the pan so that the peppercorns adhere, about 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Remove to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes.

Original recipe courtesy Aida Mollenkamp

And because I don't love pepper, I just used salt on mine (completely forgetting any pepper whatsoever), and it was still delicious. The key was in the timing. Letting the steaks cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, flipping and then cooking for another 4 made for the perfect medium rare. I can't wait to try them again!