It has been a long hiatus!! Sorry about that folks. The format from now on will be a little different: a very brief recipe will begin my post, with any details at the bottom. Let me know if you have any comments/suggestions!
Here's our latest "favorite" from the ever awesome folks at Cooks Illustrated. We deconstructed this and paired it with our Paleo Meatballs to have an excellent meal of meatballs on a bed of roasted veggies, covered in a tomato sauce. Yum yum!
Ratatouille
Ingredients
2 large eggplants (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds) cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds) cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
Prepare the eggplant (see details below).
Adjust two oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions, heat oven to 475 degreees F, and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Toss eggplant, zucchini, and 2 tablespoons of oil together in a large bowl. Spread mixture evenly in a single layer between the two baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and roast, turning the veggies and rotating the sheets every 10 minutes, for 30-40 minutes.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, season to taste with salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until soft and golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
In the original recipe, everything is then cooked together, but we kept them separate. At this point, we added the chopped fresh herbs for about 1 to 2 minutes and then served with the tomato portion ladled over the roasted veggie portion. Season with salt and pepper or additional fresh herbs to taste.
Notes and Details
To prepare eggplant for cooking, it is important to remove the bitter juices (especially with the larger, globe eggplants). Believe me, I've tried going without this step and the dish can almost come out inedible, depending on the eggplant. It's simple, you just have to plan on doing this step ahead of time. I did this first and then worked on the meatballs while the salt was working its' magic:
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Place cubed eggplant in a large colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of table salt and toss until the eggplant is evenly covered. Let the salted eggplant stand in the colander for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Rinse the eggplant well under running water to remove the salt and remaining bitter juices. Spread the eggplant evenly in a single layer over a triple thickness of paper towels, cover with another triple thickness of paper towels, and press firmly on the eggplant with the palm of your hands until the eggplant feels dry and compressed.
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Summer squash can be substituted for one or both of the zucchinis. I did a 2:1 summer squash to zucchini substitution for this recipe.
If you don't have a Dutch oven, any heavy-bottomed sauce pot will do. And you can substitute your choice of cooking fat for the oil in this step.
That's it! Buon appetito!!
Showing posts with label Veggies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Veggies. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Paleo Pad Thai
With a slogan like "Paleo Diet Recipes that don't look or taste like dog food", I was intrigued. This recipe from Health-Bent is a winner.
Don't forget to read the Notes and Details at the bottom of the page!!
Paleo Pad Thai
Ingredients
1/4 cup fat
2-3 zucchinis
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
3 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs chili garlic sauce
2 Tbs fish sauce
the juice from 1 lime
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs cilantro, whole leaves or coarsly chopped (optional)
Directions
Slice the zucchinis lengthwise with a mandoline (see notes below).
In a saute pan over medium heat, melt the fat of your choice. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until they are just starting to get soft (about 2 minutes). Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the cilantro and whisk together until well mixed. Add to the sauce mixture to the pan when the onions are just starting to get soft. Stir to combine.
Add the zucchini to the pan and mix them around so that they are evenly covered with sauce. Saute until the zucchini is hot and is just starting to soften up; about 10 minutes.
When the zucchini is done, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cilantro and serve!
Notes and Details
A 1/4 cup of fat does seem like a lot at first; but trust me, it is the proper amount. I used a mixture of fats to make up 1/4 cup: about 1/3 of that was the rendered pasture-raised local pork fat we get from our friends at Old Havana and I filled the rest of the 1/4 cup with coconut oil.
We don't own a mandoline, but the cheese slicer portion of our multi cheese grater fit the bill beautifully! Plan C was to try and press hard with a peeler, because I have no confidence in my ability to make thin, uniform zucchini slices with a knife. I only had 2 zucchinis and so I subbed in a summer squash that didn't change the flavor of the dish at all and just made more of it. Goody!! No worries about there being enough sauce either, with the 3 veggies there was plenty of sauce to go around.
If you are doing the Whole30 or Paleo challenge or other jump-starting program, you need to be cautious with the ingredients in your sauces. Sugar and soy sauce are common ingredients in items such as chili garlic sauce. Try making your own chili garlic sauce if you are having trouble finding a store-bought one.
My hubby suggests adding some color to this dish with addition veggies such as asparagus or peppers. Get creative!
The folks at Health-Bent suggest pairing this dish with any kind of grilled or pan seared meat or seafood, and we agree! Needing to go grocery shopping, we were lacking in the meat department tonight, and so we discovered that this dish tastes excellent even on its own.
Enjoy!!
Don't forget to read the Notes and Details at the bottom of the page!!
Paleo Pad Thai
Ingredients
1/4 cup fat
2-3 zucchinis
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
3 Tbs almond butter
1 Tbs chili garlic sauce
2 Tbs fish sauce
the juice from 1 lime
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs cilantro, whole leaves or coarsly chopped (optional)
Directions
Slice the zucchinis lengthwise with a mandoline (see notes below).
In a saute pan over medium heat, melt the fat of your choice. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until they are just starting to get soft (about 2 minutes). Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the cilantro and whisk together until well mixed. Add to the sauce mixture to the pan when the onions are just starting to get soft. Stir to combine.
Add the zucchini to the pan and mix them around so that they are evenly covered with sauce. Saute until the zucchini is hot and is just starting to soften up; about 10 minutes.
When the zucchini is done, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cilantro and serve!
Notes and Details
A 1/4 cup of fat does seem like a lot at first; but trust me, it is the proper amount. I used a mixture of fats to make up 1/4 cup: about 1/3 of that was the rendered pasture-raised local pork fat we get from our friends at Old Havana and I filled the rest of the 1/4 cup with coconut oil.
We don't own a mandoline, but the cheese slicer portion of our multi cheese grater fit the bill beautifully! Plan C was to try and press hard with a peeler, because I have no confidence in my ability to make thin, uniform zucchini slices with a knife. I only had 2 zucchinis and so I subbed in a summer squash that didn't change the flavor of the dish at all and just made more of it. Goody!! No worries about there being enough sauce either, with the 3 veggies there was plenty of sauce to go around.
If you are doing the Whole30 or Paleo challenge or other jump-starting program, you need to be cautious with the ingredients in your sauces. Sugar and soy sauce are common ingredients in items such as chili garlic sauce. Try making your own chili garlic sauce if you are having trouble finding a store-bought one.
My hubby suggests adding some color to this dish with addition veggies such as asparagus or peppers. Get creative!
The folks at Health-Bent suggest pairing this dish with any kind of grilled or pan seared meat or seafood, and we agree! Needing to go grocery shopping, we were lacking in the meat department tonight, and so we discovered that this dish tastes excellent even on its own.
Enjoy!!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
A Couple Old Favorites (Part 2): Roasted Veggies
Hi Everyone!
As promised here is another favorite veggie side dish that comes from the genius of my hubby's mother, Toni. We have been enjoying this dish for a couple years before starting the switch to Paleo, and it is a great one for flexibility and minimal prep: Roasted Vegetables
In an effort to streamline my blog posts/recipes, I am rearranging the text to put the notes and additional details AFTER the main recipe. Please read all the way through if you have questions/concerns. Or just comment/contact me!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roasted Veggies
Ingredients
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
garlic (5+ cloves crushed and finely chopped)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar*
1 tsp lemon zest
1 bell pepper, cut into slices
1/2 eggplant, cut into about 1/2 inch half-moon slices
1/2 onion, cut into about 6 wedges and the layers separated
fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme)
Directions
In a container/zip lock bag combine all the ingredients--EXCEPT for the herbs--and marinate for at least 30 minutes. At the end you may want to sprinkle some fresh herbs before serving.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the marinated veggies in a single layer on the foil. Place in an oven heated to 400 degrees F on the middle rack and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the veggies about halfway through.
When all the veggies look cooked and have a nice crispiness forming (about 40 minutes), remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle on some fresh chopped herbs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes and Details
You will notice that one of the ingredients (sugar*) is not Paleo. Because I am still doing my 30 day bit, I simply omit this ingredient and the result is still delicious. However, substituting a "Paleo Sugar" such as maple syrup or raw honey could work great here.
There is nothing more frustrating than a recipe that doesn't give the amounts! Sorry about that, but this one you will have to trust your gut on and find your own happy amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, especially if you are switching up the types and amounts of veggies that you are roasting. For the veggies listed in this recipe, about 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 Tbs balsamic is good. You are aiming for about a 3:1 olive oil to balsamic ratio. You can use more or less garlic, depending on your taste, as well. The eggplant will absorb a lot of the oil and flavor, which makes them so darn good by the end. :D
Once you have prepped all your ingredients and combined the marinade in your container/zip lock, go ahead and add the veggies to the marinade and coat well. We like using a zip lock because you can really mush the marinade around the veggies and get them thoroughly coated, but my inner environmental Nazi gets a little peeved sometimes by the use of plastic. Toss the marinating veggies anywhere you please (the fridge, the counter, etc.) to sit and soak in the juices. You want them to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes; of course, longer is better and I like to aim for an hour.
When you are ready to bake your veggies, heat your oven to 375 or 400 degrees F, depending on the temperament of your oven, with the rack in the middle position. Cover a baking pan (rimmed cookie sheet, or other heat-conductive pan with shallow side-walls) with aluminum foil. You can skip the aluminum foil, but the juices do tend to burn onto the pan pretty harshly with this recipe. Arrange the marinated veggies on the aluminum foil in such a way that they cover the pan in a single layer. If you have more veggies then what will fit in the pan you can do this recipe in batches or save the marinated veggies to bake the next day.
If you are adding some faster-cooking veggies to this recipe (such as asparagus), place them on the pan with the other veggies when you are flipping them or when you have about 15 minutes of baking time left. Squash such as zucchini and summer squash can also be used with this recipe and can be incorporated from the very beginning.
Et voila!! Irresistible veggies!!! They are even better the next day as leftovers!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you want next? Another dinner, maybe some snacks? I know that my avocado deviled eggs are in high demand...how about that one?
Happy Living!!
As promised here is another favorite veggie side dish that comes from the genius of my hubby's mother, Toni. We have been enjoying this dish for a couple years before starting the switch to Paleo, and it is a great one for flexibility and minimal prep: Roasted Vegetables
In an effort to streamline my blog posts/recipes, I am rearranging the text to put the notes and additional details AFTER the main recipe. Please read all the way through if you have questions/concerns. Or just comment/contact me!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roasted Veggies
Ingredients
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
garlic (5+ cloves crushed and finely chopped)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar*
1 tsp lemon zest
1 bell pepper, cut into slices
1/2 eggplant, cut into about 1/2 inch half-moon slices
1/2 onion, cut into about 6 wedges and the layers separated
fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme)
Directions
In a container/zip lock bag combine all the ingredients--EXCEPT for the herbs--and marinate for at least 30 minutes. At the end you may want to sprinkle some fresh herbs before serving.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the marinated veggies in a single layer on the foil. Place in an oven heated to 400 degrees F on the middle rack and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the veggies about halfway through.
When all the veggies look cooked and have a nice crispiness forming (about 40 minutes), remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle on some fresh chopped herbs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes and Details
You will notice that one of the ingredients (sugar*) is not Paleo. Because I am still doing my 30 day bit, I simply omit this ingredient and the result is still delicious. However, substituting a "Paleo Sugar" such as maple syrup or raw honey could work great here.
There is nothing more frustrating than a recipe that doesn't give the amounts! Sorry about that, but this one you will have to trust your gut on and find your own happy amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, especially if you are switching up the types and amounts of veggies that you are roasting. For the veggies listed in this recipe, about 1/2 cup olive oil and 3 Tbs balsamic is good. You are aiming for about a 3:1 olive oil to balsamic ratio. You can use more or less garlic, depending on your taste, as well. The eggplant will absorb a lot of the oil and flavor, which makes them so darn good by the end. :D
Once you have prepped all your ingredients and combined the marinade in your container/zip lock, go ahead and add the veggies to the marinade and coat well. We like using a zip lock because you can really mush the marinade around the veggies and get them thoroughly coated, but my inner environmental Nazi gets a little peeved sometimes by the use of plastic. Toss the marinating veggies anywhere you please (the fridge, the counter, etc.) to sit and soak in the juices. You want them to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes; of course, longer is better and I like to aim for an hour.
When you are ready to bake your veggies, heat your oven to 375 or 400 degrees F, depending on the temperament of your oven, with the rack in the middle position. Cover a baking pan (rimmed cookie sheet, or other heat-conductive pan with shallow side-walls) with aluminum foil. You can skip the aluminum foil, but the juices do tend to burn onto the pan pretty harshly with this recipe. Arrange the marinated veggies on the aluminum foil in such a way that they cover the pan in a single layer. If you have more veggies then what will fit in the pan you can do this recipe in batches or save the marinated veggies to bake the next day.
If you are adding some faster-cooking veggies to this recipe (such as asparagus), place them on the pan with the other veggies when you are flipping them or when you have about 15 minutes of baking time left. Squash such as zucchini and summer squash can also be used with this recipe and can be incorporated from the very beginning.
Et voila!! Irresistible veggies!!! They are even better the next day as leftovers!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you want next? Another dinner, maybe some snacks? I know that my avocado deviled eggs are in high demand...how about that one?
Happy Living!!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
A Couple of Old Favorites (Part 1): Sauteed Mushrooms
Ciao a Tutti!!
My super awesome hubby (cape and all) made dinner tonight so I get to catch up on a little back-log of recipes I need to post. So here are a couple of my 'pre-paleo' favorite sides: Sauteed Mushrooms and Roasted Vegetables.
Sauteed Mushrooms
These sauteed mushrooms are an adaptation from the recipe "Champignons Sautes au Beurre" by the brilliant Ms. Julia Child published in her cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." As an aside, this cookbook is a veritable treasure-trove of amazing recipes; highly recommended for so many reasons!
I promise you, this recipe is so good you will want to eat the mushrooms on their own and/or will find yourself wanting to add them to all kinds of other dishes. Ms. Child adds the following advice: "Successfully sauteed mushrooms are lightly browned and exude none of their juice while they are being cooked; to acheive this the mushrooms must be dry, the butter [fat and oil] very hot, and the mushrooms must not be crowded in the pan." My permutation:
Ingredients:
1 Tbs of pasture-raised pork fat
3-4 Tbs of olive oil
1 lb fresh mushrooms (white, button, baby bella, whatever your heart desires) washed and left whole if small or sliced or quartered if large
Optional: 1 to 2 Tbs minced shallots or green onions
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet over high heat with the fat and oil until it has come to temperature (about 1 - 2 minutes). Add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for 4 - 5 minutes until the mushrooms are all well coated and they start to absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will appear on their surface and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. If you want to add shallots/green onions, toss them in with the mushrooms when you have about 2 minutes left and saute with the mushrooms over moderate heat.
Enjoy!!!
Next post: A DEE-LICIOUS roasting of some wonderful veggies as prepared by my incredible mother-in-law (and nutrition guru of 25+ years), Toni. Seriously, I don't know how this woman does it. And her food is amazing!
Happy Living!!
My super awesome hubby (cape and all) made dinner tonight so I get to catch up on a little back-log of recipes I need to post. So here are a couple of my 'pre-paleo' favorite sides: Sauteed Mushrooms and Roasted Vegetables.
Sauteed Mushrooms
These sauteed mushrooms are an adaptation from the recipe "Champignons Sautes au Beurre" by the brilliant Ms. Julia Child published in her cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." As an aside, this cookbook is a veritable treasure-trove of amazing recipes; highly recommended for so many reasons!
I promise you, this recipe is so good you will want to eat the mushrooms on their own and/or will find yourself wanting to add them to all kinds of other dishes. Ms. Child adds the following advice: "Successfully sauteed mushrooms are lightly browned and exude none of their juice while they are being cooked; to acheive this the mushrooms must be dry, the butter [fat and oil] very hot, and the mushrooms must not be crowded in the pan." My permutation:
Ingredients:
1 Tbs of pasture-raised pork fat
3-4 Tbs of olive oil
1 lb fresh mushrooms (white, button, baby bella, whatever your heart desires) washed and left whole if small or sliced or quartered if large
Optional: 1 to 2 Tbs minced shallots or green onions
sea salt and fresh pepper to taste
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet over high heat with the fat and oil until it has come to temperature (about 1 - 2 minutes). Add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for 4 - 5 minutes until the mushrooms are all well coated and they start to absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will appear on their surface and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. If you want to add shallots/green onions, toss them in with the mushrooms when you have about 2 minutes left and saute with the mushrooms over moderate heat.
Enjoy!!!
Next post: A DEE-LICIOUS roasting of some wonderful veggies as prepared by my incredible mother-in-law (and nutrition guru of 25+ years), Toni. Seriously, I don't know how this woman does it. And her food is amazing!
Happy Living!!
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