Smoky Pulled Pork with Sugar Free Apple BBQ Sauce paleo recipe-min

Recipe: Smoky Pulled Pork with Sugar Free Apple BBQ Sauce

Although it requires a lot of patience, pulled pork doesn’t actually require a great deal of time in the kitchen. Cure it overnight in the fridge, then cook slowly for 5 hours – and you have a seriously juicy, melt in the mouth cut of meat.

The tricky part is getting the balance of flavours right, but you just can’t beat the classic; smoky bbq. The dry rub is packed with complex flavours, whilst the apple bbq sauce is the perfect complement – and sugar-free to boot!

Recipe: Smoky Pulled Pork with Sugar Free Apple BBQ Sauce
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Pork
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • Smoky Pulled Pork Ingredients:
  • 1 pork shoulder, approx. 2kg
  • 50ml Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Sea Salt
  • For the marinade:
  • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp chipotle paste
  • 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 heaped tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
  • For the Apple BBQ Sauce:
  • 250ml tomato passata
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 heaped tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 50ml apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
  1. The night before you wish to cook your pork, remove the skin and place in a large food bag. Pour in the vinegar and sprinkle over the sea salt, before tying up the bag and giving it a good shake. Leave in the fridge overnight.
  2. The next day, make your marinade by crushing the coriander, fennel, black peppercorns and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well to make a paste. Set aside.
  3. Preheat your oven to 220C / 425F. Rub the marinade all over the pork, taking care to massage it deep into all the nooks and crannies. Place the pork in a foil lined roasting dish, and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 140C / 275F, cover loosely with foil and leave to roast for 5 hours.
  4. minutes before serving, begin to make the bbq sauce by heating the passata in a saucepan until it begins to simmer. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes, until it reduces to about half its size.
  5. Remove the pork from the oven and shred with a fork to get your pulled pork. Serve with a generous dollop of the bbq sauce.

Smoky Pulled Pork with Sugar Free Apple BBQ Sauce paleo recipe-min

Furious Furikake Chilli Beef Hash paleo recipe-min

Recipe: Furious Furikake Chilli Beef Hash

Furikake. If you’ve never tried it before, now is the time to get this Unami boosting Japanese condiment in your life. It’s made with a base of black sesame seeds and seaweed, and some versions include ground fish and / or chilli. Some cheaper versions also include a few more untoward ingredients, so make sure you check the label.

The recipe itself is the perfect option for those evenings when you have a million and one other things to do and hardly any time to spend in the kitchen – hence the ‘furious’ title. Thanks to the furikake, the flavour:time ratio is sky high. Take it from pan to plate in 10 minutes, relax and chow down. Furiously.

Recipe: Furious Furikake Chilli Beef Hash
 
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 white onion, sliced finely
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 3cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 400g grass fed ground beef
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 2 medium courgettes
  • 1 large sweet potato, precooked
  • Large handful fresh coriander
  • Juice half a lime
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 4 tbsp furikake
Instructions
  1. Heat the coconut oil in your largest frying pan. Add the onions and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, and fry for a further couple of minutes.
  2. Add the ground beef to the pan, season with the pepper and mix well. Grate the courgette, and peel and mash the sweet potato, before adding them both to the mix. Cook for around 3 minutes, until the sweet potato is reheated and the beef cooked through.
  3. Add a generous amount of coriander to the pan, along with the lime juice and fish sauce. Stir well, before serving on a bed of spinach and sprinkling with a large helping of furikake.

 

Furious Furikake Chilli Beef Hash paleo recipe-min

Recipe paleo Cardamom and Coconut Roasted Vegetables-min

Recipe: Cardamom and Coconut Roasted Vegetables

I love filling my plate with a big pile of roasted veggies for dinner. I make them the star of the show, with a side of animal protein and whatever greens I have lying around. I eat roasted vegetables at least 4 times per week, so I have to keep coming up with ways to make them interesting. This recipe is definitely one of my favourites – I love the delicate warmth of the cardamom and how it works so well with the crispy, slightly sweet coconut. I used some of my favourite veggies for roasting here; parsnips, swede and Jerusalem artichokes – but feel free to change up this recipe to suit whatever you have available.

Recipe: Cardamom and Coconut Roasted Vegetables
 
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • • 2 medium parsnips
  • • 1 medium swede
  • • 3 / 4 Jerusalem artichokes
  • • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • • 1 tsp honey, melted
  • • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • Saltand Pepper
  • • ½ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Peel and dice the vegetables before scattering in a large roasting tin.
  2. Combine the melted coconut oil and honey. Drizzle half of this mixture over the vegetables, setting the other half to one side. Season the vegetables with the cardamom and a generous amount of salt and pepper, before placing on the top shelf of the oven and leaving to roast for 30 minutes. Toss at least once during this time.
  3. Remove the vegetables from the oven before turning the temperature up to 200C / 400F. Coat in the remaining coconut oil and honey, before scattering over the desiccated coconut, ensuring the vegetables are evenly coated. Return to the oven and roast for a further 10 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Recipe paleo Cardamom and Coconut Roasted Vegetables-min

Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes paleo recipe-min

Recipe: Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes

Warning: these are not pancakes as you expect them to be. When I created this recipe, I had no idea how to define the crisp, flavour packed savoury parcels of eggy goodness I had just created. In all honesty, they probably lie somewhere between a pancake, a fritter and a mini omelette. But the important part is they’re nutritious, colourful, and damn tasty. Make a batch for the whole family for the perfect weekend breakfast.

Recipe: Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes
 
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • • 1 smoked haddock fillet
  • • 6 mushrooms, finely diced
  • • 1 red onion, diced
  • • Large handful spinach, chopped
  • • Coconut Oil
  • • 8 large, free range eggs
  • • ¼ cup + 1tbsp coconut flour
  • • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat a little coconut oil in a large frying pan. Add the haddock fillet, and fry for around 5 minutes on both sides – until cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan, which can stay on the heat. Remove the skin and flake with a fork.
  2. Return the flaked haddock to the pan and add the mushrooms and red onion. Cook for 2 / 3 minutes, until the mushrooms have reduced. Add the spinach and cook for a further 30 seconds or so until lightly wilted. Pour pan contents into a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coconut flour, cider vinegar, sodium bicarbonate and salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly until lump free, before pouring the contents into the large bowl containing the haddock.
  4. Return the pan to the heat and add a little extra coconut oil. Scoop around ⅛th of the mixture into the pan to form one pancake, and repeat for as many as you can fit comfortably in the pan – you’ll probably have to cook them in batches. Cook for 3 minutes each side, until golden brown and well risen. Serve immediately!

Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes paleo recipe-min

Oil pulling health beauty regime teeth oral health paleo natural primal-min

Do you do this health & beauty ritual?

The ancient concept of Oil Pulling is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance in the modern health movement. The concept is a simple enough; you use a high quality, plant based oil (i.e. coconut oil) as a ‘mouthwash’ for between 15 and 20 minutes. But are there more benefits to this tradition than you might expect?

The practice of Oil Pulling originated in India thousands of years ago. It is mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic texts, first referred to as Kavala Gandoosha or Kavala Graha. It is used mainly for improving oral health; it has been proven to cut through plaque and toxins in the mouth very effectively. It is also a natural teeth whitener, and has a profound impact on halitosis – whilst more serious conditions such as mouth ulcers, bleeding gums and even gingivitis have been treated using Oil Pulling.

However, research a little further, and you will find that Oil Pulling can be used as a detoxifier not just for the mouth, but for the whole body. Oil Pulling has been shown to benefit troublesome skin conditions, such as eczema and acne, as well as hormonal imbalances – particularly those associated with the thyroid gland. Look a little further again, and you’ll find people who have used Oil Pulling to treat bacterial infections, breathing difficulties and to improve their kidney function. The practice is now attracting plenty of attention, especially from Holistic Practitioners, due to the wide range of conditions it has been shown to improve.

Oil pulling health beauty regime teeth oral health paleo natural primal-min

How to Oil Pull

If you’re interested in trying out Oil Pulling for yourself, it’s a very simple (albeit relatively time consuming) practice to follow. Select a high quality, cold pressed oil; extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil and sesame oil are all great choices, but personally, I opt for melted coconut oil. Its antimicrobial powers are already proven, there’s always some in my cupboard, and I love the taste!

Take 1 – 2 tbsp of the oil in your mouth, and swish for 20 minutes. According to research, this time period is crucial. Any shorter, and there is not adequate time to break down the toxins and bacteria. Any longer, and these toxins may be reabsorbed into the body. 20 minutes may seem like a fairly long time, but it goes pretty quickly if you incorporate it with other tasks, such as a leisurely morning walk. Just try not to bump into anyone who wants to chat along the way! Once the 20 minutes are up, rinse well with warm water before brushing as normal.

Ideally, this process should be repeated at least three times per week for best results. Due to the powerful detoxing effects oil pulling has on the body, some people have reported symptoms of a detox reaction during their first few days of Oil Pulling. These symptoms are pretty rare however, and don’t seem to reach any further than sinus problems (such as congestion) and minor headaches.

I’d love to hear your opinions on Oil Pulling. Have you tried it? Have you had any success? Let me know below!

http://paleo.com.au/recipe-raw-sweet-potato-carob-brownies/

Recipe: Raw Sweet Potato and Carob Brownies

I’ve fallen a little bit in love with carob recently. It’s a richer, less sweet alternative to chocolate, and it makes wonderfully intense brownies and ‘hot chocolates.’ I’ve adapted my go to raw chocolate brownie recipe to include carob instead of cocoa, but the secret ingredient in these is the sweet potato. Not only does it bind the brownies together effortlessly, it brings the sugar content right down as it is a direct alternative to honey or extra dates. Whip up a batch of these in 10 minutes and munch on them throughout the rest of the week!

Recipe: Raw Sweet Potato and Carob Brownies
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Desserts
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • • ½ cup walnuts
  • • ½ cup pecans
  • • ½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • • ½ cup dates, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
  • • ½ cup carob (or ¼ cup carob, and a ¼ cup + 2tbsp cocoa for less intense brownies)
  • • Pinch sea salt
  • • Dash of vanilla extract
  • • Dark chocolate chips / cacao nibs / goji berries (optional)
Instructions
  1. Line a square cake tin with a little parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Steam the diced sweet potato for around 10 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool.
  3. In your food processor, blitz the walnuts, pecans and coconut until crumbly. Add the coconut oil, dates and sweet potato, and process again until a sticky dough is formed.
  4. Add the carob, sea salt and vanilla before whizzing together again. For a bit of extra texture, stir in (but don’t process) some dark chocolate chips, cacao nibs or goji berries. Spread the brownie mix evenly throughout the cake tin, before leaving to set in the freezer for around an hour. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

paleo primal recipe Raw Sweet Potato and Carob Brownies sweet treat-min

Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma paleo diet recipe dinner-min

Recipe: Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma

Back in the days where I used to eat a more typically SAD diet, one of my favourite curries was a Rajma – a spicy, fragrant vegetarian dish made with kidney beans as the main ingredient. Even though beans are out of the question on the Paleo diet, I wanted to try and recreate the delicious, heady flavours of the Rajma I used to enjoy so often – and make it healthy too. After perfecting the spice blend, I opted to go for Beef as the protein of choice in this dish, as it adds much greater depth of flavour than the lifeless kidney beans ever did. I also included aubergine, as the texture somewhat mimics that of the beans. I think I've finally nailed the beanless Rajma – but I’ll let you be the judge of that!

Recipe: Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • • 1 tbsp ghee / coconut oil
  • • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • • 5cm piece of ginger, peeled
  • • 4 red chilli peppers, deseeded and chopped
  • • 2 tsp garam masala
  • • 1 tsp turmeric
  • • Pinch of salt
  • • 1 x 400g chopped tomatoes
  • • 500g diced beef
  • • 2 medium aubergines, diced
  • • A good handful fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a large cooking pot, toast the coriander and cumin seeds very lightly for roughly 2 minutes. Grind to a powder, then set aside.
  2. Raise the heat of the pot to medium, and add the ghee / coconut oil. Fry the onions for around 5 minutes, until softened.
  3. Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic cloves with the ginger and chilli to make a paste. Add a touch of olive oil if needed. Add this to the onion, and sauté for a further couple of minutes, before adding in the toasted cumin and coriander, along with the garam masala, turmeric and salt. After a minute, pour in the chopped tomatoes and around 200ml hot water. Stir well. Add the diced beef, then cover and leave to cook on a medium heat for around 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the cover, stir, then add the diced aubergine. Return the lid to the pot and cook for another 15 minutes, before serving garnished with the fresh coriander.

Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma paleo diet recipe dinner-min

Which fats & oils do you actually use paleo diet coconut oil lard tallow olive oil cooking-min

Which fats & oils do you actually use?

All of the Paleo blogs you read rave about Coconut oil – but is this the fat people really use? I asked the followers of my Facebook page The Paleo Network this exact question:

Which fat and oils do you use?

And with over 300 mentions of different fats and oils, guess which was the most popular?!

That’s right – Coconut Oil with 48% of all the votes!

Which fats & oils do you actually use paleo diet coconut oil lard tallow olive oil cooking-min

Unsurprisingly, Olive Oil was the second most popular at almost 12%, followed by butter, Ghee, Bacon Fat, Avocado, Lard, Tallow then Duck Fat. Less popular, with a few mentions were Grape Seed Oil, Walnut, Dripping, Macadamia Oil, Chicken Fat, Hemp Oil, Oil, Rice Bran and Safflower Oil – see the full list below:

  • Coconut Oil 48.0%
  • Olive Oil 11.7%
  • Butter 9.0%
  • Ghee 7.7%
  • Bacon Fat 7.0%
  • Avocado Oil 5.3%
  • Lard 3.0%
  • Tallow 2.0%
  • Duck Fat 1.3%
  • Grape Seed Oil 1.0%
  • Walnut 1.0%
  • Dripping 0.7%
  • Macadamia Oil 0.7%
  • Chicken Fat 0.3%
  • Hemp Oil 0.3%
  • Palm Oil 0.3%
  • Rice Bran 0.3%
  • Safflower Oil 0.3%

Temperature?

A lot of people were quick to point out that they are very careful to choose their oil/ fat carefully depending on temperature (for instance, saying that they only use olive oil at low temperatures or over salads, and use coconut oil for cooking at higher temperatures)

• Organic cold pressed Coconut high temps and anything lower than 350 I use olive oil
• Coconut, ghee, bacon fat, and at low temps (like my oven roasted tomatoes) I use flavoured olive oil.
• Don't cook with olive oil at high temps!!
• Coconut oil for cooking olive oil for salads
• Don't use anything that is liquid at room temperature as when it gets heated to a certain temperature they turn into hydrogenated fat… Use anything that is solid at took temperature as the compounds are more stable… Use raw organic coconut oil or organic butter
• Coconut oil and ghee depending on what im cooking Olive Oil for salads.
• Is grape seed oil acceptable? I like it as an alternative for high temps.

Experimentation

There were also a lot of you who have a favourite oil, but expressed an interest in trying a new oil, or even rendering your own:

• I'm going to try ghee
• I might try some goose fat
• Heard of walnut but haven't tried it yet.
• I do want to try making ghee.

Quality

Quality is clearly a high priority to everyone, pretty much everyone pointed out they use grass-fed butter, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil. There were a lot of comments like this one:

• All either organic or from pastured/free range animals.

Taste

A lot of people just hate the taste of coconut oil too… it’s definitely worth trying it in different dishes, and also trying other brands. Whilst refined coconut oils don't have the coconutty taste – they are refined oils, so not ideal…

• My partner dislikes coconut flavor. Does it taste very coconutty?
• Is there a coconut oil that doesn't have a strong flavour or does all coconut oil make everything you're cooking coconut flavoured …. ?
• I don't like coconut but coconut oil doesn't really taste of it. I don't mind chicken fish or eggs with coconut oil but not red meat

So over to you, which fats and oils do you use – and in what situation?

Paleo Network Recipe SPINACH, MACKEREL RED CAPSICUM FRITTATA-min

Recipe: Spinach, Mackerel and Red Capsicum Frittata

Eggs really do make the best breakfasts, but sometimes it’s all too easy to get stuck in a rut by cooking them the same way every morning. Mix things up by giving this frittata a try – it's quick, nutrient dense and super tasty. A perfect way to start your day; with a delicious combination of protein, healthy fats and brightly coloured vegetables!

I’ve used baby leaf spinach in this recipe because I love its mild, creamy flavour – but any kind of spinach will do. I’ve also gone for smoked mackerel, but fresh would be equally delicious if you’re not in a rush.

Paleo Network Recipe SPINACH, MACKEREL RED CAPSICUM FRITTATA-min

Red Capsisum Frittata Ingredients:

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • ½ red pepper, deseeded and diced
  • 1 handful baby leaf spinach
  • 1 fillet (roughly 80g) smoked mackerel
  • Salt and pepper

 Red Capsisum Frittata How To:

1)    Beat the eggs in a large bowl and set aside. Preheat your grill to high.

2)    Heat the coconut oil to a medium heat in a heavy based frying pan. Throw in the diced red pepper and fry for a minute or two until softened. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for 30 seconds – just enough to wilt it – before transferring the contents of the pan into the bowl of beaten eggs. Mix well, before flaking in the Mackerel and adding a little seasoning.

3)    Return the pan to a high heat, then add the frittata mixture. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes on one side, before checking the bottom with a spatula to make sure it’s a good colour underneath.

4)    Now is the crucial part to gain that fluffy ‘soufflé’ like texture that is so important in a good frittata. Place the whole pan under the grill for a couple of minutes, so that it starts to rise. When it stops bubbling and is well risen, turn off the grill, remove the pan and fold over the frittata. The result? The crispest yet fluffiest omelette you will ever have eaten.

MTHFR genetic testing DNA paleo mutation methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase heterozygous 1298C 677T weight loss-min

MTHFR – say what?

If you've been following my series on investigating my inability to lose weight, you’ll have read about my blood test results last week. (Catch up on the other posts in the series here, here , here , here and here). Well, the other component to those test results was the genetic results…

I knew these results were fine too, as I’d scanned through them when they arrived in the post and didn't see any words like “fault” or “mutation”. Wrong again. That innocuous word “heterozygous” in the results column, does not mean “nothing to see here, move on!”

MTHFR genetic testing DNA paleo mutation methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase heterozygous 1298C 677T weight loss-min

Introducing MTHFR…

One of the gene sequences they tested for was the gene MTHFR (methyl-tetrahydrofolate reductase). Yep, I'd never heard of it either. There are more than 50 known MTHFR variants, and they seem to only test for a few of these (with 677T and 1298C being the most common). It turns out I am heterozygous for MTHFR 1298C. Heterozygous means I have one affected gene and one normal gene, whereas homozygous would mean both genes are affected. Being heterozygous, it’s quite possible I could have no issues whatsoever, but having looked through the list of symptoms and seeing pulmonary embolisms feature, it’s clear I am affected by this mutation.

Having had two unexplained “random” pulmonary embolisms and none of the risk factors (as I wrote about recently) I am shocked and upset that this was not uncovered before. I had the genetic tests before and didn't see them myself, but was told they were fine. It’s clear to me now that they would only have told me if I has a homozygous result!

The MTHFR enzyme works in a process called the methylation pathway, and basically seems to explain why my B12 (and therefore Iron) are so low, as a mutation means B vitamins aren't processed properly. I'm no scientist, so I highly recommend reading this excellent MTHFR website. The treatment is to take B12 supplements, but in the active form of Methyl B12, and I've also started taking another supplement called “Methyl-Guard Plus” that works with the B12. Luckily iherb sell both, so I was able to get them and start taking them quickly.

Interestingly fortified folic acid or folate foods have a further detrimental effect on this pathway and are to be strictly avoided as you’re not able to process they folic acid. The folic acid then has no where to go, so causes inflammation and increased homocysteine levels. I can’t help wondering how many expectant mothers diligently taking folic acid also have MTHFR mutations and are doing a lot more damage than good with these well intended supplements…

In a few weeks time I'm going to have a repeat of all of the tests (and a few extra) to see how the treatment and supplements have been working. Depending on the results I'm also going to look into having further testing into some of the other 50 known MTHFR variants. After my Pulmonary Embolism experience I want to know as much as I possibly can about my health and genetics, to avoid that ever happening again.

How is this related to my weight?

On the surface, it’s not completely clear – there is just so much going on. But given how many things seem to be linked, the doctor and naturopath seemed to think it likely that this is all related to my weight. If things aren't working properly, it makes sense that my bodies process for fat loss is not efficient either. And now that I have several biochemical reasons as to why I am so frequently tired – perhaps this is also related to my low metabolism? A low metabolism must have a significant bearing on weight loss…
Have you had genetic testing? What did you find out – and what have you done about it since finding out?