Garlic Soup

What to eat when you're feeling under the weather?  Garlic Soup! according to the wise women of the Upper Himalayas of Nepal.  This is the most basic recipe for making something that you want to eat and that is good for you when you don't have the energy for anything more complicated.

Garlic Soup

Ingredients

1 carton of chicken stock (about 5-6 cups)
6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp EVOO
sea salt as desired

Directions

Heat a heavy bottom sauce pot over low heat and warm the olive oil.  Add the garlic and allow the garlic to warm gently until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock and allow the stock to come to a boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the garlic is soft.

Notes

You can add anything you want to this recipe.  Saute some carrots and celery with the garlic and olive oil in the beginning.  Cut up some leftover chicken and add it to the broth at any point.  Cook some white rice in the broth if you're needing the carbs.  My husband likes to add some Creole seasoning, which makes it really tasty as well.

Enjoy!!

Saag ("Creamed" Indian Spinach)

For this leafy green delight, I have started with Rick Stein's recipe and modified it by doubling the amounts and swapping some of the ingredients.  It goes great with the Paleo Flatbread from my last post and it cooks down really small in no time.  With this recipe you can feed about 5 adults as the main meal.  You can also add chicken, lamb, or homemade cheese to this dish for some protein.

Saag

Ingredients

5 oz Ghee or grass-fed butter
1 and 1/2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 oz fresh ginger, grated
10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp Garam masala spice mixture
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
2 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
2 and 1/4 lbs (or about 3 large bunches) of fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk**
1/2 cup coconut cream**
Handful of cilantro (coriander leaves), chopped

Directions

Heat the ghee or butter in a large heavy-bottom fry pan or wok over medium heat.  Add the onions, ginger, and garlic to the hot butter and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until the onions are soft.

Stir in the spices (turmeric, garam masala, and chili powder) and protein (if adding any) and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the spices have evenly coated the mixture.

Add the salt, spinach, coconut milk and coconut cream.  Allow the spinach to wilt (use a lid if possible) and then cook the mixture another 3-4 minutes or until it has reduced to a thick and creamy sauce.  At this point I usually give it a few whirls with the immersion blender to get it to the right consistency and not so chunky or leafy.

Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve!!

Notes

**Originally, the coconut milk and coconut cream are replaced with yogurt and double (heavy) cream, but the substitutions I made help get the consistency and flavoring right.  You can experiment with your own raw milk products if you are so inclined.  Also, the spinach can be substituted with kale, chard, or any other leafy green; just remember to cook the hardier greens for a bit longer so that they are not too tough.  Refer to my post on Kale Chips for a quick and easy way to de-stem leafy greens.

Enjoy!!

Paleo Flatbread/Naan

When trying to stay strict Paleo, there are some food items that you really start missing.  But paleo flatbreads have really become my weakness lately, they are SO GOOD!!  I started with this awesome 3-Ingredient Paleo Naan recipe from My Heart Beets (so quick and easy!).  However, I found it to have too much of a sweet coconut flavor and looked to modify it a bit.  This recipe has evolved to yield a wonderful flatbread with a depth of flavor and a great chew.  Depending on the size of each flatbread, this recipe makes 8-12 breads.

Paleo Flatbread/Naan

Photo by MyHeartBeets.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup Arrowroot flour/starch
1/2 cup Tapioca flour/starch
1/2 cup Almond meal/flour
1/4 cup Coconut flour
1 tsp Kosher salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup Full fat coconut milk
1 large egg
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp EVOO
Ghee for cooking (optional)

Directions

Heat a skillet or large frying pan over medium heat until hot.  (If you are using a non-stick pan, no additional fat is needed.  If you are not using a non-stick pan, you may want to add a very small amount of ghee to the pan in between breads.)

Mix all of the dry ingredients together with a whisk in a mixing bowl.

Add all of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient mix and whisk together until smooth.  Let the mixture sit together and meld for about 15 minutes (this allows the flours to absorb some of the fats in the recipe).

For a 6-8 inch bread, pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into the hot pan and spread to a desired thickness carefully.

Allow the batter to cook until the edges begin to get golden brown and the batter appears dry on the top (about 1 minute).

Using a spatula, carefully flip the flatbread and cook on the other side until brown spots begin to appear on the bottom (about 1 - 2 minutes).

Once done, place the cooked bread in the folds of a flour-sack towel (or similar) until ready to serve.  These can also be keep in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Notes

You can really do anything you want with these; soft taco shells, Indian naan, sandwich wrap, dessert crepe, the possibilities are endless!  I like them so much, I always having at least one plain while I cook them up.  ;-)

Enjoy!!

Paleo Banana Pancakes

I have a hard time enjoying "Paleo-ized" breakfasts.  But, after experimenting with many different recipes, this one my husband begs me to make often.  The original recipe was from The Little Foodie with some minor adjustments.

Photo from The Little Foodie

Paleo Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

Coconut oil, to cook with
1 banana, mashed with a fork
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup almond flour
2 Tbsp coconut milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon (adjust to taste)
Pure cocoa powder (optional)
Maple syrup (optional)

Directions

Heat a skillet or large frying pan over medium heat and add about 1 Tbsp of coconut oil when hot.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter mixture into the hot oiled pan for one pancake, cooking about 3 to 4 pancakes at a time.  Flip the pancake when the edge starts to look dry and you see bubbles throughout the pancake (about 2-3 minutes).  Continue to cook the pancake until the batter is cooked all the way through (about 1-2 minutes).

Remove the pancake from heat and serve immediately.  You can add an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and/or some maple syrup if you prefer.

Notes

If you want chocolate banana pancakes, start with about 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder added to the batter with the other ingredients and adjust the amount to your taste.

The pancakes can be kept warm in the oven if they will not be served immediately.

Pancakes are great improvisers, so feel free to try these with other ingredients added to the batter or on top.  Some examples include: shredded coconut, berries, apples, walnuts or pecans, etc.

Enjoy!!

Paleo Fudgesicles

It's almost time for the heat of summer and bikini season (joy).  Keep on course with your Paleo efforts with this AWESOME, refreshing treat.  Warning: these are additive!!  My favorite version of these came from the genius of the The Creekside Cook.

Photo from The Creekside Cook

Paleo Fudgesicles

Ingredients

1 13 oz can of coconut milk (full fat, of course!)
1/3 cup pure cocoa powder
4 Tbsp maple syrup (or 2 Tbsp honey)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of kosher salt

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous (about 1 min).

Allow the mixture to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the cocoa to absorb the coconut milk.  This will make the result much more creamy, but this step can be skipped if you are in a rush.

Give the mixture one more quick blend before pouring into the mold of your preference.

Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours before enjoying.

Notes

Our blender is disappointing and so I use our immersion blender for this recipe and it works just fine.

This recipe is seriously delicious and tastes very nearly like the real thing!  Enjoy!!

Perfectly cooked, easy to peel, Hard Boiled Eggs

How do you get perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel?  It's simple, timing.

Perfectly Cooked, Easy to Peel, Hard Boiled Eggs

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs
Ice

Directions

While the eggs are still in the fridge, fill a large sauce pot about 2/3 full with water.  Put on high heat until the water comes to a full hard boil.

Carefully lower the cold eggs into the boiling water and bring the water back up to a boil.

Reduce the heat from very high to high and allow the eggs to boil for about 8 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow the eggs to continue to cook in the hot water on the hot burner for about 3 more minutes.

Remove the eggs from the heat and use an ice bath to cool them and stop them from cooking further.  You can do this by either pouring the hot water out and rinsing the eggs in the sauce pot a couple times with cool tap water or by removing the eggs from the sauce pot and into a bowl with an ice bath already prepared.

Once the eggs have cooled, eat them or store them in the refrigerator.

Notes

The key to the eggs being easy to peel is how fast the temperature change occurs.  The faster the temperature change, the easier it will be to peel the egg shell.  No need to add anything to the water.

Cooking the eggs via large temperature difference causes the egg to cook unevenly (from the outside in).  The extra time of the eggs sitting in the hot water will allow the yolk to cook through without overcooking it.

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!!!