Homemade Mayo!

Oh, it tastes SO GOOD!

But first, get this book: Well Fed 2.
I thought Well Fed 1 was good, but the second cookbook by Melissa Joulwan is Paleo/Whole30 GOLD.  She has included great sauces, spice mixes, and ground meat flavor combinations to help you keep things interesting and flavorful.  In addition to some great ideas on how to eat your veggies.


OK, back to the mayo...

My latest batch of homemade mayo

Homemade Mayonnaise

(isn't it pretty?)

Ingredients

1 egg (room temp)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (room temp)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp if using sea salt)
1/2 tsp vinegar
1 cup light oil (not extra virgin!)
2 cloves of garlic (optional)

Directions

*(see the Notes section below for additional detail)*

Crack the egg into your mixing container and add the lemon juice.  Allow the egg and lemon juice to mingle and come to room temperature (from 30 minutes to about 2 hours).

Once the egg and lemon juice are ready, add your remaining ingredients.

Insert your immersion and blend your mayo; starting at the bottom of the container and slowly lift the blades up, mixing from bottom to top.  About 15 to 45 seconds.

Keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 7 days.

Notes

I have tried this recipe three different times and using an immersion blender with a tall, slender container created by far the best results.  You can be successful with this recipe using a standard bench-top blender, a hand/standing mixer, or a whisk and some beefy arm muscles.  However, the immersion blender was the quickest, easiest, and most reliable method I found.  (Thank you, Laura K., for the idea!)  Please ask in my comments section if you need tips on how to proceed with either of these other methods.

You can be successful making your mayo emulsion with extra virgin olive oil, but the flavor is so strong that you will end up with a bitter taste that is a little overwhelming for delicate mayo.  Instead of using some of the more undesirable vegetable oils, keep an eye out for non-extra virgin olive oil at your local grocery store.  I found Colavita 100% olive oil (non-extra virgin) at our nearby Kroger after striking out at the Wholefoods.

The addition of some garlic is heavenly.  I like my garlic a bit strong, so try just 1 medium-small clove if you want just a light hint of garlic flavor.  Add more garlic if you want a nice, sharp aioli.

This is great for making a tartar sauce to go along with some paleo fried fish, if you can find sugar-free pickles or are going to make some pickles from scratch.  Through some in some sustainable-caught tuna fish for a healthy, flavorful snack.  I'm thinking I might add it to my earlier salmon cake recipe to increase the moisture and flavor of the cake.  This mayo is so good, you'll want to add it to everything!

Dip in and enjoy!!!

Moroccan Meatballs

From the one and only Paleo cookbook I have in my kitchen, comes this gem.  There are so many good recipes from this cookbook, but in keeping with the whole purpose of this blog -- to have my favorite recipes at close hand no matter where I am in the world -- this is one of two recipes that I will be posting from this book.  There is more in the book than what I list here related to the recipe.  Consider purchasing Well Fed from the genius of Melissa Joulwan, you will be glad you did!

Moroccan Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp if using sea salt)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 pounds ground meat (lamb, preferably)

Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, crushed (about 2 tsp)
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp if using sea salt)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced (about 2 Tbsp)

Directions

Combine the parsley, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl with a fork.  Add in the meat and mix until well-combined.

Roll a tablespoon of meat mixture into a ball and set on a piece of parchment or other temporary holding surface.

Heat a large, deep skillet or pot (I use our Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add the oil.  Once the oil has warmed add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the chopped tomatoes and stir about 1 minute.  Add the water, tomato paste, and parsley, mixing to dissolve the tomato paste.

Bring the sauce to a boil, then gently place the meatballs in the sauce, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook 40 minutes covered, then remove the lid and cook an additional 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

Notes

See the book for more hints, tips, and suggested pairings.

See you next meal!!