Steamed Sweet Chilli Chicken with Carrot, Squash and Coconut Mash paleo recipe dinner-min

Recipe: Steamed Sweet Chilli Chicken with Carrot, Squash and Coconut Mash

Who doesn’t love the taste of Sweet Chilli Chicken? Unfortunately, the majority of sweet chilli sauces on the market are either laden with sugar, artificial flavourings, or in most cases, both. Thankfully, it’s remarkably easy to make your own sweet chilli glaze that is just perfect for basting chicken with. The bold flavours of sweet chilli pair beautifully in this recipe with the creamy carrot, squash and coconut mash.

Recipe: Steamed Sweet Chilli Chicken with Carrot, Squash and Coconut Mash
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • For the chicken
  • 2 Chicken breasts
  • ⅔ red chillies, finely chopped and deseeded
  • A chunk fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Juice 1 lime
  • For the mash
  • 2 cups butternut squash, diced
  • 6 – 8 medium sized carrots, chopped
  • ½ can full fat coconut milk
  • Handful desiccated coconut (optional)
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat water in the base of a two tiered steamer. Line one of the steamer baskets with a little parchment paper, and lie the chicken breasts flat. Add the diced squash and carrots to the other basket. Place the vegetables on the first tier of the steamer, and the chicken on the second. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Place the coconut milk in a saucepan on a separate hob, and heat gently.
  2. Meanwhile, make the sweet chilli glaze by mashing together the chilli and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Muddle in the coconut aminos, honey and lime. Taste, and adjust to make sweeter / spicier depending on your preference.
  3. When the 10 minutes are up, remove the vegetable basket from the steamer, whilst leaving the chicken on (now on the lower tier) for a further 3 or 4 minutes. Tip the carrots and squash into a large bowl, and mash well before adding the coconut milk. Keep mashing to make a creamy consistency, before seasoning and adding the desiccated coconut (if using)
  4. Check the chicken breasts are fully cooked through before removing from the steamer. Glaze with the sweet chilli, before serving in two separate bowls over the mash.

Steamed Sweet Chilli Chicken with Carrot, Squash and Coconut Mash paleo recipe dinner-min

Paleo Diet Primal Olive Oil Extra Virgin Fake Test Quality Label-min

Are You Using Fake Olive Oil?

Olive oil is one of the healthier oils around, because it’s full of nutrients and antioxidants. Using high quality ‘extra virgin’ olive oil is pretty standard on a Paleo diet. But just how good is the olive oil in your kitchen?

Apparently some olive oils are not all they seem…

Olive oil comes in different categories: ‘Extra virgin’, ‘virgin’, ‘fine virgin’, (normal) ‘olive oil’ and ‘pomace’. ‘Extra virgin’ is the label put on an oil containing less than 1% acid.

Recent research from the Olive Institute (University of California in Davis) revealed that more than half of the olive oils presently on the market are bad quality. Often, despite what they label says, it is not always ‘extra virgin’ olive oil and is sometimes mixed with cheaper oils like hazelnut oils or even soybean oil! Sometimes the oil can be made from overripe and rotting olives. This olive oil does not have any nutritional or health benefits and can even be harmful…

Olives are fruits, making it a very unique oil. Olives are drupaceous (stone fruits), like prunes and cherries. The oil is made with a simple hydraulic press, much like the one we use for fruit juices. This in contrast to the “vegetable” oils, which are made in a refinery with the use of solvents, heat and high pressure – not very natural!

Paleo Diet Primal Olive Oil Extra Virgin Fake Test Quality Label-min

Olive oil is made gently which is why it keeps the ‘extra virgin’ quality, full of antioxidants in the forms of polyphenols and sterols, and vitamins E and K. Olive oil contains large quantities of CoQ10, an antioxidant which is very effective in protecting our heart and fighting chronic inflammations.

Choosing a Good Quality Olive Oil

It’s really important to make sure the olive oil you use is good quality – and really is what it says it is only the label. There are a few ways you can get more certainty about the olive oil you buy:

  • Develop a taste for olive oil. There are course and tasting session run, which will help you get a feel for what it should taste like. This will help you identify if the oil you purchase is a good one.
  • Buy only brands that are certified by trustworthy organisations.
  • If possible, buy directly from the olive growers and producers.
  • You might have heard about the refrigerator test: when you put olive oil in the fridge, it should solidify. If it doesn’t solidify, you could be dealing with a mixture of oils. BUT! This test is not 100% trustworthy, as some very high quality olive oils will not solidify.

If you’re not happy with some olive oil that you’ve purchased – return it – and try another brand.

How do you choose a good olive oil and what do you use it for? Do you have any brands, which you’d recommend? Please share your olive oil hints and tips in the comments below!

Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings paleo diet primal recipe barbecue-min

Recipe: Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings

What more is there to say!? Hands down the perfect Friday night treat, these chicken wings are brilliant with a healthy green salad.

Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings Ingredients:

  • 16 free range chicken wings
  • 2 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • ½ tsp mustard powder
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • Salt and pepper

Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings How To:

1)     Preheat an oven to 200C / 400F / Gas mark 5. Place the chicken wings in a roasting dish, season with salt and pepper, then bake for 15 minutes.

2)     Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl, mixing really well.

3)     Remove the chicken wings from the oven. Lower the heat to 180 / 350F / Gas mark 4. Baste the wings in the sauce mixture before returning to the oven. Bake for a further 25 minutes, turning every so often and coating them in the juices.

Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings paleo diet primal recipe barbecue-min

25 Reasons You Should Get More Herbs In Your Diet paleo primal health nutrition-min

25 Reasons You Should Get More Herbs In Your Diet

Instead of using herbs just to add flavour and colour to your cooking, do you ever add them for their medicinal benefits? Since ancient times herbs have been used as medicine in cultures all around the world.  Many modern medicines use active ingredients which come directly from plants – so there’s clearly a lot to be gained from plant medicine.

25 Reasons You Should Get More Herbs In Your Diet paleo primal health nutrition-min

Here are 25 herbs that you probably have in your kitchen – and what they are claimed to be beneficial for.

  1. Basil: full of minerals and a natural antioxidant
  2. Black pepper: anti bacterial, antioxidant and helps to stimulates digestion
  3. Cardamom: fresh breath
  4. Cayenne pepper: antibacterial, rich in beta carotene (pre cursor to vitamin A), reduces pain and helps stimulates metabolism
  5. Celery: stimulates the appetite, diuretic, detoxifing, helps with constipation, relieves rheumatism, helps with kidney stones and eases arthritis symptoms
  6. Chili pepper: rich in vitamin C, anti-inflammatory and natural antioxidant
  7. Cinnamon: regulates blood sugar levels, powerful antioxidant, regulates cholesterol metabolism and promotes good circulation
  8. Clove: powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and mildly anesthetic
  9. Coriander: rich in iron and magnesium, prevents gas, prevents urinary infections, regulates blood sugar level and a natural detoxifier of heavy metals
  10. Dill: anti bacterial, antioxidant and contains a lot of iron
  11. Fenugreek: relieves constipation and said to stimulate muscle growth
  12. Ginger: antiseptic, calms the stomach, anti-inflammatory and an effective natural remedy for motion sickness
  13. Ginkgo biloba: stimulates the circulation, anti-aging and improves memory
  14. Garlic: anti bacterial, anti-viral, lowers blood pressure and has natural antibiotic properties
  15. Mint: rich in vitamin C, calms the stomach and intestines and relieves headaches naturally
  16. Mustard seed: rich in selenium, omega-3, phosphorus, vitamin B3 and zinc, helps against cancer and is a natural anti-inflammatory
  17. Nutmeg: anti-inflammatory and helps to regulates sleep
  18. Oregano: anti bacterial, strong antioxidant and useful as preservative
  19. Paprika powder: anti-inflammatory and a natural antioxidant
  20. Parsley: detoxifies, helps with kidney stones and a natural antispasmodic
  21. Pepper: contains a lot of capsaicin (the ingredient that ensure the ‘heat’), clears stuffy noses, relieves pain and said to be beneficial for prostate cancer
  22. Rosemary: keeps the genes young, strengthens the immune system, improves the circulation and stimulates digestion
  23. Sage: improves the memory, anti-inflammatory and a strong natural antioxidant
  24. Thyme: antiseptic and a natural anti bacterial
  25. Turmeric: often called Curcuma, yellow root or curcumine. Very strong antioxidant, is said have a role in cancer prevention, help with skin infections, anti-inflammatory and relieves arthritis symptoms.

Which herbs do you use in your cooking? Have you ever used plants and herbs for health reasons? Was it successful? I’d love to hear your experiences and thoughts in the comments below! And please remember – seek medical advice before using herbs for medicinal purposes!

South Indian Pepper Chicken paleo diet recipe dinner-min

Recipe: South Indian Pepper Chicken

Although a lot of South Indian recipes are vegetarian, there are a few gems that will really satisfy your carnivore cravings. In this Pepper Chicken recipe, Black Pepper is used as an ingredient, not a seasoning, so don’t hold back on the amount you use!

Pepper Chicken Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts, diced
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
  • 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 4cm fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 x 400ml can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 handful fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • Plenty of freshly ground Black Pepper
  • Juice of ½ lemon

 Pepper Chicken How To:

1)     Season the diced chicken with the lemon juice, lots of black pepper, and a pinch of sea salt. Add a little more pepper just for safe keeping!

2)     Heat half the oil in a pan to a high heat. Brown off the chicken for 3 – 4 minutes, then set aside.

3)     Drain the meat juices from the pan, then return to a medium heat. Add the rest of the oil, then sauté the onions for a couple of minutes. Once they have turned a healthy golden brown, add the crushed garlic, ginger and turmeric, and allow to sweat for a few minutes to let the flavours release.

4)     Add the chopped tomatoes, and simmer for two minutes. Now return the chicken to the pan with the chopped peppers. Turn up the heat, and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, until the meat is really tender.

5)     Remove the lid, and add the fresh coriander just before serving. Works a treat with lots of fresh steamed veggies or Cauliflower Rice.

South Indian Pepper Chicken paleo diet recipe dinner-min

 

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Mexican Turkey Burgers with Coriander Guacamole-min

Recipes: Mexican Turkey Burgers with Coriander Guacamole

For me, free range turkey is one of the most underrated meats. It's often overlooked in favour of chicken, when in truth it’s a lot more versatile, whilst still being lean and high in protein. Lean turkey mince is brilliant to use in chillies, but it also binds really well to make delicious turkey burgers. Try these with a hearty spoonful of homemade guacamole on the side.

Makes 8 burgers

Ingredients

For the burgers:

  • 500g free range minced turkey
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 jalapeno chilli peppers, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  •  
    2 tsp smoked paprika
  • A small handful fresh coriander, chopped
  • Sea Salt, to taste

For the guacamole:

2 large, ripe avocados
1 clove garlic
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Juice ½ lime
Black pepper
Sea Salt
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped

Turkey Burgers How To:

Heat a little olive oil in a pan to a medium heat. Lightly fry the onions until golden to mellow out the flavour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Rinse the turkey mince in a little cold water. Combine all ingredients in the mixing bowl with your hands, being sure to mix well. Roll out into 8 generous sized balls on a chopping board, then flatten into burger shapes.

Heat a grill to a medium-high heat. Grill the burgers for 6 – 8 minutes each side, making sure they are thoroughly cooked through.

Meanwhile, peel the avocados and remove the stone. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic clove with a little sea salt to form a paste. Scrape into a bowl with the two avocados, and mash to a pulp with a potato masher.

Squeeze in the lime juice, black pepper and coriander and mix well. Serve on the side with the burgers.

Ahh Mexican food, it doesn’t get much better than you. Let me know if there are any other Paleo adapted Mexican recipes you’d like to see on here!

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Mexican Turkey Burgers with Coriander Guacamole-min

Guacamole paleo recipe dip sauce avocado primal-min

Recipe: Guacamole Dip

Guacamole is another one of those things that is definitely worth making instead of buying. That way, you can be sure what’s in it – and know that it won’t contain any nasties!

This is how I make mine.

Guacamole Ingredients:

  • 4 chillies, finely sliced
  • Small bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
  • 3 tomatoes, finely diced
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • 4 ripe avocados

Guacamole How To:

Use a pestle and mortar to grind together the chillies, coriander (cilantro), tomatoes, sea salt and onion, until you reach a paste consistency.

Add the lime juice, and a dash of water if required, to make the mixture more fluid. Finally, mash in the avocados, just before you’re ready to serve!

Guacamole is great with almost any Paleo meal, and a great dip for raw vegetables – particularly alongside some homemade Pâté!

Guacamole is one of those foods best made fresh. It will store in the fridge for a short time, but won't look as appealing! If you need to make it up in advance, using more lime will help it to keep that bit longer.

Do you make your own dips? I’d love to hear what your favourites are, in the comments below!

Guacamole paleo recipe dip sauce avocado primal-min

Smoked Mackerel with Fresh Beet Slaw paleo lunch recipe-min

Paleo Lunch Box Recipe – Smoked Mackerel with Fresh Beet Slaw

I just love making my own ‘slaw’ – they are quick to make, super versatile and brilliant to keep in the fridge. You can mix them up with all sorts of ingredients, and they are perfect to chuck in the lunchbox for a healthy pick me up. This slaw is made with raw beets, and is as wonderful to look at as it is to eat. Smoked mackerel is the perfect combination to boost the protein and omega 3s.

The Slaw recipe below makes enough for about four good sized servings, so if you have a family to feed you may want to double up. Switch up the ingredients however you see fit – don’t be afraid to experiment!

Slaw Ingredients:

  • 2 strips sustainably caught smoked mackerel per portion

For the Slaw:

  • 2 raw beets
  • 4 medium carrots
  • ¼ red cabbage
  • ¼ white cabbage
  • 2 green apples
  • Handful pumpkin seeds
  • Handful flaked almonds
  • 75ml red wine vinegar
  • 40ml olive oil

Slaw How To:

Chop both cabbages as finely as possible. Grate the carrots, beets and apples, and combine all in a large bowl.

Combine the red wine vinegar and olive oil in a separate bowl. Gradually stir into the slaw mixture, then add the pumpkin seeds and almonds and mix again. Season to taste. Cover with gladwrap/ clingfilm and store in the fridge.

The slaw will keep in the fridge for a good 3 – 4 days, and the flavours will just develop over this period. When ready to serve, add to your lunchbox with 2 good sized strips smoked mackerel (slip the bottom skin off first if you like). Just make sure the lid is on tight, as you don’t want beetroot juice leaking into your bag!

Smoked Mackerel with Fresh Beet Slaw paleo lunch recipe-min

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Carrot, Blood Orange and Ginger Soup-min

Recipe: Carrot, Blood Orange and Ginger Soup

Literally bursting with beta carotene and vitamin c, the ginger in this soup packs a real zing while the turmeric and coriander provide delicate and warming undertones. Enjoy it as an appetiser with friends, and make plenty extra to have for lunch the next day! Delicious topped with toasted, flaked almonds.

I'm sure this will work just as well with normal oranges, although I loved the colour the blood oranges provided!

Soup Ingredients:

  • 2 / 3 medium shallots, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 6 – 8cm fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 750g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 whole blood oranges, peeled and separated into segments
  • 2 cups homemade vegetable stock
  • Pinch of salt

Soup How To:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in your largest saucepan over a low heat. Gently simmer the shallots, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes.

Add the spices and 2 tbsp vegetable stock. Simmer gently for another couple of minutes, before adding the remaining stock, carrots and oranges.

Raise the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 – 25 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Blitz well with an immersion blender until the soup is smooth. Season to taste and serve straight away.

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Carrot, Blood Orange and Ginger Soup-min

Paleo Diet Primal Food Dehydrator Dry Excalibur-min

Have You Got A Dehydrator?

A dehydrator is a great way of adding some variety into your Paleo diet. There are loads of great dehydrators on the market, like the Excalibur – but you don’t have to buy a dedicated dehydrator, as you can dehydrate produce directly in your oven.

A dehydrator is an indispensable machine if you want to dry your own products. This enables you to keep food for longer and is especially great if you have just harvested a lot of fruit or veg – or have a lot of meat to use up. A dehydrator is versatile and suitable for different products. The machine works with hot air that is blasted through the food, has an adjustable temperature and is very efficient. In a climate like ours, where the humidity is high, a dehydrator can provide a solution.

With a dehydrator you can build up a supply of food that will keep for a long time – but without the added ingredients of shop bought equivalents. You will have the perfect instrument to make all the fresh products that are only available for short periods of time during the year, sustainable. It is also a lot better for your bank account as you can bulk buy fresh produce when it is in season, or on offer – and make it last for many months.

Paleo Diet Primal Food Dehydrator Dry Excalibur-min

Dehydrated food is great for people on the go, as the food doesn't weigh very much, so is ideal to take hiking or camping.

You can put pretty much anything inside a dehydrator; vegetables, fruit, meat, herbs, nuts, whatever you like.

Warning: For most products, the temperature should not be higher than 50c (120F) degrees.

Drying meat

Jerky is a great Paleo snack, packed with protein and fat. You can dehydrate any type of meat, either on it’s own or using herbs and spices to add some extra flavor. Biltong and boerewors are popular dehydrated meats in South Africa, which you can make yourself, it your dehydrator. Whilst you can buy jerky, it’s likely to have lots of preservatives – and unlikely to be made from grass-fed high quality meats.

Drying fruit

Try drying your own raisins or dried prunes and apples – or whatever fruit you have an abundance of in the garden. You can also make fruit leather by drying out puréed fruit. Whilst dehydrating fruit concentrates the sugar levels, they can certainly still be enjoyed as an occasional treat.

Drying herbs

A dehydrator is perfect for drying out herbs – great to prevent wastage. If you live somewhere hot & dry, you can dry herbs the traditional way, hung on string, and left out in the sunshine. Collecting the herbs is a fun activity itself, and the prospect of preserving them while maintaining colour and taste, makes it even more rewarding. Nothing is as good as a jar of your own cultured and dried coriander or hot chili peppers, to spice up your dishes for a whole year.

Dehydrating Vegetables

Vegetables are perfect for a dehydrator. Trying making vegetable chips, using kale, carrots or very thinly sliced sweet potatoes. Tomatoes also work really well in a dehydrator, and can be added to recipes for months to come.

How long does the food need to be in the dehydrator?

It totally depends on the amount of moisture inside the product. It can even vary between two items of the same product. Also the size makes a big difference in how long it will take to dry out the food. It’s really important not to cut short the during time, as any left over moisture can result in mould and rotten food. Almost all products need to be dried more than 24 hours, but you should research & experiment further for everything you attempt to dry out.

After drying to products, keep them in airtight pots or bags. Lockable glass pots or mason jars look great as decorations in the kitchen, filled with colourful dried fruit and vegetables.

Have you got a dehydrator, or do you dehydrate things in your oven? I’d love to hear what you do with yours, in the comments below!