Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Middle Eastern Duck Salad-min

Recipe: Middle Eastern Duck Salad

Hot, shredded duck and a vibrant salad, tossed in a delicately spiced dressing. This duck salad is seduction in a bowl, if I do say so myself.

Duck Salad Ingredients:

  • 2 roasted duck legs (if buying fresh duck, follow the roasting guidelines below)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
  • 1 tbsp ras el hanout spice blend
  • Juice ½ clementine
  • 1 tsp raw honey
  • 1 large handful watercress
  • 1 large handful pea shoots
  • 2 large carrots, grated
  • Small handful fresh mint leaves
  • 100g pomegranate seeds

Duck Salad How To:

To roast the duck

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas Mark 6

Heat a griddle to a high heat. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, then sear the duck legs for a couple of minutes each side until golden in colour.

Drizzle the duck with a little more olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then leave to roast in the oven for 2 hours. Leave to stand before 10 minutes before shredding.

For the salad

Combine the olive oil and the ras-el-hanout in a small saucepan. Heat gently until aromatic, then transfer to a measuring jug. Whisk in the Clementine juice, honey, and a little salt and pepper.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the watercress, pea shoots, carrot and mint leaves.

Shred the duck with a fork, and add to the salad. Toss in the spiced dressing, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds to serve.

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Middle Eastern Duck Salad-min

Recipe fridge raider chicken drumsticks paleo network-min

Recipe: Fridge Raider Chicken Drumsticks

For all you fridge raiders out there who struggle to make it between lunch and dinner without a much needed protein fix. Although delicious warm, these chicken drumsticks are even better cold and make the perfect Paleo snack. No frills, they are super easy to make as well!

Recipe: Fridge Raider Chicken Drumsticks
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
These are a great way to cook up some chicken legs. If you can resist them, they're great to keep in the fridge for a snack too!
Ingredients
  • 8 Chicken Drumsticks
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 220 C / 425F / Gas mark 8. Yes it's hot, but you like your drumsticks crispy right!?
  2. Slash the drumsticks with a sharp knife – this will allow the flavours to seep well into the meat. In a bowl, mix the lime juice, honey and spices. Rub onto the chicken with your hands to ensure an even coating and spike your hunter gatherer instinct.
  3. Cook for 45 minutes, turning the chicken 2-3 times to cook evenly.

Recipe fridge raider chicken drumsticks paleo network-min

 

Paleo recipe Gazpacho cold tomato soup-min

Recipe: Gazpacho

For some reason, the thought of cold soup scares many people away from Gazpacho, long before they’ve even had a chance to try it. It's such a shame, because its so flavoursome and bursting with Vitamin C. This recipe is super easy and full of flavour, and makes a wonderful light lunch on a summer’s day or a starter at your Spanish dinner party. Give that hob a break and tuck in!

Gazpacho Ingredients:

  • 750g vine ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped (the riper the better)
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp hot Smoked Paprika
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 50ml olive oil, plus 1tbsp extra
  • 2 tbsp sherry balsamic vinegar
  • Small handful fresh basil leaves, torn, to serve

Gazpacho How To:

Simmer the red onion in a little olive oil over a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes to soften. Add the paprika, simmer for another minute or so, then transfer to the blender.

Blitz the onions and paprika with the tomatoes and garlic. Process well, then pass the mix through a fine sieve to remove any excess pulp. Repeat if necessary.

Return the contents to the blender and gradually add the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Combine, season to taste, then leave in the fridge to chill overnight.

Serve the next day straight from the fridge garnished with the fresh basil.

Paleo recipe Gazpacho cold tomato soup-min

Is your bed bad for your health mattress paleo natural-min

Is Your Bed Bad For Your Health?

Sometimes the simple things that we use in our everyday routine are things that we don’t think twice about – but can be very dangerous. Even more frustrating, when you follow an otherwise health Paleo lifestyle. Have you ever given any thought to the mattress that’s beneath you as you sleep each night?

Mattresses are often made with ployurethane foam (petroleum based material that emits formaldehyde), formalize (which is linked to asthma and lung cancer), and boric acid (roach killer). Formaldehyde is highly toxic and classified as a probable carcinogen. If you have a mattress like this, when you go to bed at night, you are lying in these chemicals. Mattress companies often claim that they have the best mattress – and they mainly focus on comfort. You will see several commercials advertising that their mattress will adjust to your back and help you get a better night sleep, but they never really mention just how clean and non toxic their mattress is, do they?

In 2005 a memory foam mattress was sent in to be inspected and the lab was able to find 61 different chemicals used in the mattress. Comfort doesn’t mean anything if you are lying in a pile of dangerous chemicals.

Is your bed bad for your health mattress paleo natural-min

What are some of the things that these harmful chemicals can cause?

It has been reported that a toxic mattress can cause respiratory problems, reproductive toxicity, allergies, asthma, SIDS, and many more complications. It’s scary to think that going to bed could be a dangerous activity!

Why would companies add these chemicals? They add them because they are flame retardants. In the 60’s, governments insisted that mattresses had to include flame retardants – and they had to pass flammability tests. It wasn’t such a huge problem when they first passed the law, but now companies are using more and more dangerous chemicals. Arlene Blum, a biophysical chemist stated “Instead of adding new fire retardant chemicals that may ultimately be shown to cause health problems, we should be asking whether we need to use these chemicals or if there are other ways to achieve equivalent fire safety.”

The mattresses that are being made today, especially some of the popular memory foam mattresses are considered to be more dangerous than the ones that were made within the past 50 years.

So what can you do about you mattress?

There are some companies that make organic natural mattresses. Before purchasing a mattress you want to triple check what exactly is in it. Some companies claim that they have a natural organic mattress – but are not willing to back it up. Companies have slowly started to realise the dangers that their mattresses are causing and are changing the chemicals that they are putting in mattresses – but this is not happening fast enough.

You are far better off getting a safe organic mattress. There are companies that sell mattresses that are completely natural and toxin free. Organic wool has natural fire resistant properties and it has been successfully used to pass flammability tests.
When you lie down to sleep at night the last thing you need to worry about is if it is safe or not. Night time is when you need to relax both mentally and physically. Don’t let your mattress ruin your health!

What type of mattress do you sleep on? Will you buy an organic mattress when you replace yours?

Recipe paleo pesto side-min

Recipe: Paleo Pesto

The beauty of pesto is, after hundreds of years, there is still no definitive recipe. It's all about personal preference; chopping, changing, tasting and seasoning as you go along. Bearing this in mind, this recipe is subject to tweaking as you please – be sure to share what you did differently and how it worked out!

Paleo Pasta Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon

Paleo Pesto Ingredients:

1)     In a food processor, blitz together the basil, pine nuts, walnuts and garlic until coarse.

2)     Mix together the olive oil and lemon juice. Gradually, add this to the mixture, blitzing regularly, until the pesto reaches your desired texture. Often, you won’t need to use all of the oil and will have some left over to use as a salad dressing.

3)     Season to taste with salt and pepper

Recipe paleo pesto side-min

 

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Tequilla Lime Chicken Wings Zingy Salad-min

Recipe: Tequilla and Lime Chicken Wings with a Zingy Side Salad

The flavours of Mexico need no introduction to most people; unfortunately though, our image of Mexican cuisine has been somewhat tainted by cheap and nasty imitation spice mixes and fajita kits found on supermarket shelves. Enjoy an authentic taste of Mexico with this super fresh Chicken Wings recipe. Note – requires overnight marinating and a love of serious flavour.

Ingredients:
Chicken Wings:

  • 20 free range chicken wings
  • 2 large limes
  • ½ cup gold tequila
  • 2 tbsp blue agave syrup
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 large green jalapeno pepper, deseeded
  • Large handful fresh coriander
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Salad:

  • ½ small red cabbage
  • ½ small white cabbage
  • 1 bulb fennel
  • 8 spring onions
  • 10 radishes, finely sliced
  • 2 large green jalapeno peppers
  • 1 large handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 1 small handful fresh mint, finely chopped
  • Juice 2 limes
  • Olive oil
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper

How To Make Tequilla & Lime Chicken Wings:
THE NIGHT BEFORE:

To marinade the chicken wings, collect the juice of both limes, and the zest of just one. Combine in a food processor with the remaining marinade ingredients. Score the chicken wings with a sharp knife, and rub in the marinade. Set aside in a bowl covered with cling film, and keep in the fridge overnight.

ON THE DAY:

Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 5. Around 30 minutes before you are due to serve, place chicken wings in a roasting dish, saving any excess liquid left in the bowl for now. Bake in the oven until fully cooked through.

Meanwhile, To make the salad, finely shred the white cabbage (like coleslaw) into a large bowl. Finely slice the fennel, spring onions, radishes and jalapenos, and add to the bowl with the cabbage. Toss in the herbs, and drizzle with a good glug of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Finally, shred the red cabbage and add to the bowl (so as not to stain the rest of the food). Squeeze over the lime juice, to taste, toss together one last time then leave to chill in the fridge.

Remove the chicken from the oven and baste in the remaining liquid. Return to oven for the final 5 minutes.

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Tequilla Lime Chicken Wings Zingy Salad-min

Paleo Diet Primal Are You Eating GMO's genetically modified organisms Monsanto Australia-min

Are You Eating GMO’s?

What are GMO products?

They are foods that are made from genetically modified organisms, specifically genetically modified (GMO) crops. It first began in 1994 when a tomato was produced with an alteration that prevented it from ripening quickly.

What are the concerns with altering the natural growing process?

The first concern is not just what it necessarily does to your body, but what it can do to the entire crop that is being altered. If one of the plants is effected by a virus, then modifying the plant can spread the disease to the rest of crops. On a large scale this could be devastating not only for the farmer who is harvesting the crops, but it can be devastating on a larger scale.

Another genetic alteration that chemists and farmers make, is to change their crop so that it will stand conventional herbicides and pesticides.
Paleo Diet Primal Are You Eating GMO's genetically modified organisms Monsanto Australia-min
Some countries have raised their awareness of the harmful alterations that have been made to crops that they have banned it. New Zealand doesn’t allow the production of GMO crops. In 2005 Switzerland banned GMO crops and animals, however the ban only lasted 5 years. Australia has not yet banned GMO crops. Countries that have embraced GMO crops are the United States, China, South Africa, Britain, Spain, and Canada. Not only have they embraced the concept of altered foods but they seem to have tried to get the public to support it and see that it is healthy.

An area of big concern is the lax labelling laws in some countries – it’s very probable that you could unwittingly eat GMO’s, where the law does not require them to be labeled as such. Worrying, don’t you think?

What should you do?

The best thing you can do is make sure you pay attention to what you are buying. Read labels, shop at farmers markets. Get to know the farmer who grew your produce. You can even grow your own fruits and vegetables.

Marketing companies are sneaky. Don’t let them convince you that you are purchasing good quality foods that went through a potentially dangerous growing process.

Are GMO foods allowed where you are? I’d love to hear your views on GMO’s, in the comments, below.

Spicy Coconut King Prawns paleo recipe seafood-min

Recipe: Spicy Coconut King Prawns

This recipe works great with beautifully fresh, large king prawns. Ideally, have them already cooked, but if you need to cook them yourself then allow them to cool down before you start this recipe. Remember, when buying prawns with the shell on, you’ll have to account for the weight lost when everything is peeled off. Double measurements will be required!

Spicy Coconut King Prawns Ingredients:

  • 500g King Prawns, cooked and peeled
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3cm ginger, grated
  • 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 3tsp hot paprika
  • 3tsp garam masala
  • Juice of half a lime
  • 300ml tomato passata
  • 50g coconut cream
  • Large handful of fresh coriander
  • Handful coconut shavings
  • Coconut oil

Spicy Coconut King Prawns How To:

1)     Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and brown the onions. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes to soften. Add the paprika, garam masala and lime juice, and sweat for another 2 – 3 minutes.

2)     Add the passata along with the prawns, stir, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut cream to thicken, adding more if required.

3)     Serve with the fresh coriander and coconut shavings on top.

Spicy Coconut King Prawns paleo recipe seafood-min

Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Paleo Diet Primal Supplement Deficiency-min

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) & the Paleo Diet

Do you sometimes suffer from stress? Yes? Then there’s already one reason for you to take note of Vitamin B5 – also known as Pantothenic Acid – that can improve your ability to respond to stressful situations by supporting the adrenal glands. But that’s not all – Vitamin B5 also supports the processes that turn carbohydrates and fats into energy in your body, together with other B-complex vitamins, and helps in the optimal maintenance of fat.

Now, a Vitamin B5 deficiency is not very common, especially when following a natural Paleo diet,  but it’s still good to know its symptoms. You may be deficient of Pantothenic Acid if you experience fatigue, sensations of weakness, and numbness, tingling and burning pain in the feet.

Also, there are a number of medical conditions that Vitamin B5 may help to relieve or prevent, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, hyperlipidaemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, cataracts, “burning foot” syndrome, and adrenal insufficiency. If you think you might benefit from adding more Pantothenic Acid into your menu, read on for recommendations on how to do this through a whole food approach under the Paleo Diet, in order to achieve long term health in a natural way.

How much Vitamin B5 do you need in your diet?

The recommended daily amount for Pantothenic Acid is 10mg. There is no upper limit set in health recommendations, but very high supplemental doses (of 2 or more grams per day) can cause mild diarrhoea.

Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid Paleo Diet Primal Supplement Deficiency-min

Which foods can you get Vitamin B5 from?

  1. Liver – Although all animal livers are a great source for Vitamin B5,  chicken liver will provide the biggest benefit by covering 83% of your daily need in a 100g serving. Adding liver is a great addition to your diet as it is packed with micronutrients, but if you can’t tolerate its taste easily, try mixing some of it with your minced meat when you make meatballs or burger patties. It’s like a naturally fortified mince!
  2. Sunflower seeds – For a sprinkle of Vitamin B5 in your salads, try adding in some sunflower seeds. Two tablespoons of sunflower seeds will provide 21.5% of your daily need.
  3. Shiitake mushrooms – Mushrooms are a great source of vitamins while providing few calories. So if your caloric consumption is on the low end, they’re an especially good addition to the diet. 100g of shiitake mushrooms provide you with 36% of your daily need of Vitamin B5.
  4. Avocado – Not only do avocadoes provide us with good fats, they have valuable micronutrients to keep us happy and healthy! In one medium fruit there’s 20% of your daily need on Pantothenic Acid. Reason enough to mix up a guacamole!
  5. Caviar – If you ever need one, here’s a good excuse to indulge in some caviar. 100g of it will provide 35% of your daily need, but it’s understandable if you’re not going for as much – there’s 6% of your daily Vitamin B5 need in a tablespoon. But beware; you might be wanting more than that!
  6. Sweet potato – The humble sweet potato is also a decent source for Vitamin B5. One cup of cooked sweet potatoes equals to 10.1% of your daily need of Pantothenic Acid. A cheaper source than caviar, at least!
  7. Cauliflower – Here’s an idea for a Vitamin B5-filled snack for your next film night! A cup of raw cauliflower provides 7.1% of your daily need. Snack on!

What else should you know about Vitamin B5?

Pantothenic Acid is relatively unstable in food, with significant amounts being lost through freezing and processing. This shows why the Paleo Diet that promotes fresh whole ingredients is a good approach if you care about vitamin consumption – you will simply more health out of your food!

So, will you take note of Vitamin B5 in your food from now on? Do you have any good recipes to use the specific ingredients? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Chilli-Lemon Scallops with Romesco Sauce paleo diet recipe fish seafood-min

Recipe: Chilli-Lemon Scallops with Romesco Sauce

The subtlety and versatility of Scallops mean they pair well with almost any marinade. I've kept this one simple, not only to let the flavour of the Scallops to shine through, but to enjoy the full effect of this marvellous Romesco sauce. Be sure to buy top quality, thick King Scallops from your fishmonger – you’ll notice such a difference.

The main flavour in the Romesco Sauce comes from the chargrilled red pepper. Don’t be afraid to really blacken it!

Scallops Ingredients:

  • 12 King Scallops
  • Juice 2 lemons
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley

Romesco Sauce Ingredients:

  • 6 Dried Nora Chillies
  • 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 small ripe tomatoes, quartered
  • 50g roasted blanched almonds
  • 50g roasted hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil, plus extra
  • 2 tbsp Sherry balsamic vinegar

Romesco Sauce How To:

If it’s easier for you, make the Romesco sauce the night before to save cooking time on the day. Alternatively, make in advance the same day.

Drain the Nora Chillies. Blitz in a food processor with the garlic clove until smooth, adding a little olive oil if necessary. Set aside.

Heat a griddle, or if you don’t have one, a frying pan, to a very high heat. Throw in the pepper, whole, and griddle for around 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from the heat when sufficiently blackened. Transfer the pepper to a large bowl, and cover with cling film for 5 minutes to steam. Remove the cling film and leave to cool. The steam will loosen the skin, making it easy to peel.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and add the shallots. Soften for 2 – 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and a splash of cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes, allowing to thicken. Stir in the chilli and garlic puree.
Blitz the almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped – don’t over process and turn to flour. Peel the pepper, remove the seeds and chop. Add this to the food processor, along with the tomato chilli sauce, and process again until combined.

Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl, and stir in 2tbsp each of olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season to taste.

Scallops How To:

Combine the lemon juice, crushed garlic, chilli and parsley. Toss over the scallops, and leave to marinade for at least an hour in the fridge.

Flash fry the Scallops for 1 and a half minutes each side. Remove from the heat, and serve alongside the Romesco Sauce.

Chilli-Lemon Scallops with Romesco Sauce paleo diet recipe fish seafood-min