Paleo recipe dinner On the Side Broccoli with Garlic, Chilli and Cashews-min

Recipe: On the Side Broccoli with Garlic, Chilli and Cashews

As the name suggests, this super quick and healthy broccoli makes a great side dish to just about anything. It's even great to have as a mid afternoon pick me up or an evening snack  – so make sure you make plenty!

If you haven’t used it before, coconut aminos is a great paleo alternative to soy sauce, and for that reason I’ve included it in this recipe to give a real depth of flavour.

Broccoli Ingredients:

  • 500g broccoli
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 handful cashews
  • Juice of a lime
  • A splash of coconut aminos

Broccoli How To:

1)     In a frying pan, add the garlic, chilli and olive oil and bring to a medium heat. Fry until golden and slightly soft, taking care not to burn,

2)     Cut the broccoli into medium sized florets. Add to the pan along with the cashews, and coat well with the chilli and garlic oil.

3)     Add your coconut aminos, stir, then simmer for 3 – 4 minutes. Finally, add a squeeze of lime, stir again, then serve.

Paleo recipe dinner On the Side Broccoli with Garlic, Chilli and Cashews-min

Slow Cooked Memphis Style Baby Back Ribs paleo recipe dinner lunch pork bbq-min

Recipe: Slow Cooked Memphis Style Baby Back Ribs

If there’s one thing I've learnt from the humble pork rib, it’s that patience is indeed a virtue; the slower they are cooked, the better. That being said, I've never had the patience (or the self control, for that matter) to cook my ribs for any longer than 3 hours. Today I decided to put my willpower (and science) to the test, in the quest for ultra tender, Elvis-would-be-proud baby back ribs. I marinated them overnight, then roasted them for five and a half hours at 120 C. The results? Well, if you can wait as long as I did then you’ll find out for yourself.

As for the marinade, I came up with a rich, smoky, Southern Tennessee inspired glaze which is everything you want when you bite into a thick, juicy pork rib. Make sure you have your napkins at the ready.

Back Ribs Ingredients:

  • 1 kg Baby Back Pork Ribs
  • 4 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp chipotle chilli paste
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 6 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Chinese five spice

Back Ribs How To:

Mix together all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then add the ribs. Coat them well all over, then leave to marinade overnight in the fridge.

The next day, preheat the oven to 120C / 250F / Gas Mark ½. Remove the ribs from the fridge and transfer to a shallow roasting dish.

Add around 200ml water to the dish, taking care not to pour it onto the ribs. The liquid should reach around half way up the ribs. Cover with foil, then leave to roast in the oven for 5 ½ hours. Come back to check and turn them a few times during this process.

When they are done, remove from the oven then immediately turn the heat to full (mine was 240C). When fully heated, sprinkle the ribs with a generous amount of sea salt and return to the oven, uncovered, for a final 10 minutes. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far, then tuck in!

Slow Cooked Memphis Style Baby Back Ribs paleo recipe dinner lunch pork bbq-min

Mango and Coconut Chicken Curry paleo dinner recipe lunch-min

Recipe: Mango and Coconut Chicken Curry

A great choice if you’re not the biggest fan of spicy curries, this Asian inspired curry is delightfully creamy and fruity in equal measure. Enjoy the health giving, anti-inflammatory properties of Ginger and Turmeric as an added bonus and the great combination of mango and coconut.

I've made this one with a whole, medium roast chicken, simply because I had one spare in the fridge. I enjoy the contrast between the white and the dark meat in this curry, and they are definitely more cost effective to buy whole. If you’d rather though, feel free to substitute with the same amount of breast / thigh meat.

Mango and Coconut Chicken Curry Ingredients:

  • 1 medium free range chicken, roasted and left to cool
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp nigella seeds
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 and ½ large onions, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
  • Small handful fresh coriander
  • 100g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 large, ripe mangoes
  • 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
  • 400ml home made chicken stock

Mango and Coconut Chicken Curry How To:

Heat a large, heavy based pan to a low heat. Lightly toast the cumin and nigella seeds for around a minute, until aromatic. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the coconut oil to the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Add one of the onions, keeping the other half to one side. Cook for around 5 minutes, until soft.

Meanwhile, add the toasted spices to the food processor along with the remaining onion, olive oil, curry powder, turmeric, garlic, coriander, ginger, and the flesh from one of the mangoes. Whizz together to form a paste.

Add the curry paste to the pan and gently simmer for 3 – 4 minutes to really release the flavours.

Meanwhile, shred the meat from the roast chicken, using as much as you can from all of the bird.

Pour the coconut milk and chicken stock into the pan, and then add the chicken. Stir well, and leave to simmer for 15 minutes.

A couple of minutes before serving, dice the remaining mango and add to the pan. Stir well, and serve garnished with fresh coriander.

Mango and Coconut Chicken Curry paleo dinner recipe lunch-min

Spicy Tomato Pigs Trotters paleo recipe offal dinner ideas-min

Recipe: Spicy Tomato Pigs Trotters

On my quest to cook with more offal, the thought of doing something with pigs trotters filled me with dread. I’d always seen them sitting, forlorn and lonesome in the far corner of my butcher’s counter whilst crowds flocked towards the chicken breasts and fillet steaks. However lonely they may have looked, I never had the bravery to give them any sort of interest (maybe it was the nails!) – until the other day, that is. After cooking them slowly, the meat came out super tender, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

Pigs Trotters Ingredients:

  • 4 large pigs trotters
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 x 400ml cans chopped tomatoes
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
  • Large handful fresh basil, torn, to serve

Pigs Trotters How To:

Score the skin on the trotters, and season well with sea salt and plenty of black pepper.

Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan to a high heat. Brown the trotters by frying them in the oil for a couple of minutes. Remove and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium, then add the onion. Soften for 5 minutes, then add the chilli, garlic and oregano. Fry for another minute or so, then add the two cans of chopped tomatoes. Stir well, then add the trotters back to the pan. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for an hour and a half. Stir every now and then and top up with a little extra water if needed.

20 minutes before serving, add the chopped carrots then cover again. Serve garnished with the fresh basil.

Have you tried cooking with pigs trotters – or another type of offal? I'd love to hear what you did with it in the comments below.

Spicy Tomato Pigs Trotters paleo recipe offal dinner ideas-min

Gelatin – The Secret Superfood bone broth paleo primal nutrition healthy-min

Gelatin – The Secret Superfood

Forget Goji Berries, Spirulina and Peruvian Maca Root, there is one ‘Superfood’ that you can guarantee your ancestors would have consumed in abundance that you’re probably not getting enough of now – Gelatin. As conventional wisdom has seen us spurn traditional cuts in favour of lean muscle meat, our intake of gelatin has dropped to almost zero. However, the body still craves it – and here’s why.




Found in the connective tissue, bones and cartilage of animals, gelatin is extremely nourishing in a number of ways. It is the best source of dietary collagen, which has been proven to increase the elasticity of the skin and therefore keep you looking young. In fact, the amino acid profile of gelatin, in combination with its high levels of collagen make for great support for healthy skin, hair and nails. It contains 6 grams of protein per tablespoon – and whilst not a complete protein in itself, it helps create a more balanced amino acid profile when taken with other proteins and therefore optimise assimilation. Maybe that’s why roast beef and gravy taste so good!

Gelatin is also fantastic for anyone who suffers from digestive problems. It is unique in the way in which it attracts water molecules during digestion, consequently improving the rate in which food moves through the digestive tract. What’s more, gelatin has been proved to carry gut healing properties, and has been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing a food allergy or intolerance. Strongly anti-inflammatory, Gelatin has also shown to play a significant part in healing Asthma, Chron’s and Colitis.

Gelatin – The Secret Superfood bone broth paleo primal nutrition healthy-min

How to increase your intake

The obvious way to increase your intake of gelatin is by making your own home made stock and bone broth. Pay a visit to your local butchers, and pick up any gelatin rich cuts you can lay your hands on – chicken and pigs feet, ox tail, or even any leftover bones they have out the back. Simmer them very gently for at least 24 hours in a stock pot with hot water, herbs and veggies, and you’ll have plenty of nourishing broth to see you through the week. Drink it as it is, or use it as a base for soups, sauces and gravies.

If time and logistics are against you making your own bone broth, consider taking a high quality gelatin supplement. You can add this by the spoonful to smoothies, or make your own Paleo approved gummies by using gelatin and fruit juice!

DIY Mackerel Ceviche with Rocket paleo recipe-min

Recipe: DIY Mackerel Ceviche with Rocket

If you’ve never tried ceviche before, then what better way to start by doing it yourself! Contrary to popular belief, it's easy to do. The fish cooks in the chemicals from the acid, so is not ‘raw’ like sushi. Even still, grab yourself super fresh mackerel for this one, it will make all the difference.

DIY Mackerel Ceviche Ingredients:

  • 2 large mackerel fillets
  • Juice of 1 large lime
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
  • Sea Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • A handful fresh rocket

DIY Mackerel Ceviche How To:

Slice the mackerel into thin strips. Place in a resealable plastic bag

Toss in the lime juice, chilli, spring onion and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and shake well. Allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Remove from the bag and serve with plenty of fresh rocket.

How was your experience of ceviche? Would you do it again?

DIY Mackerel Ceviche with Rocket paleo recipe-min

Paleo Diet Primal Recipe Sri Lankan King Prawn Curry-min

Recipe: Sri Lankan King Prawn Curry

Sri Lanka has been a major trade network in South Asia for hundreds of years; in fact, traders have come to this beautiful island since ancient times and exchanged a whole range of exotic spices. Understandably, Sri Lankan cuisine is a distinct fusion of flavours from influences all around the world. The food is generally very hot, and uses a range of native spices to create delightfully fragrant and somewhat enchanting recipes. As you would expect from an island, seafood is abundant, which is the reason fish curries – like this King Prawn curry – are one of Sri Lanka’s many specialities.

I've used courgettes/ zucchini in this recipe, but feel free to throw in any vegetables you have available. Serve with a light salad, or cauliflower rice for something more substantial.

King Prawn Curry Ingredients:

  • 500g raw tiger prawns, shells off
  • 2 large courgettes/ zucchini, finely sliced
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
  • 3 birds eye chillis (for a medium-hot curry), chopped and deseeded
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp fenugreek powder
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed
  • ½ tsp cardamom pods, crushed
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 3 curry leaves
  • 3 pandan leaves
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 4cm fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
  • Juice 2 limes
  • Small handful fresh coriander, to serve

King Prawn Curry How To:

Heat a little coconut oil in a large, heavy based pan. Rinse the tiger prawns, then toss in the juice of 1 of the limes. Season with a little black pepper, then sauté for 4 – 5 minutes until coloured. Set aside.

Heat the remaining coconut oil in the large pan over a medium heat. Fry the red onions for 2 – 3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, chilli and ginger, and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. Toss in all of the ground spices, stir and simmer gently for a final 2 – 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and about 200ml water to the onions and spices. Stir in a little salt and pepper, then add the king prawns and courgette slices. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the curry from the heat, then stir in the fresh coriander and remaining lime juice to serve.

Paleo Diet Primal Recipe Sri Lankan King Prawn Curry-min

 

Cajun Chicken and Avocado Salad paleo diet lunch-min

Recipe: Cajun Chicken and Avocado Salad

Cajun seasoning is one of my personal favourites, but sadly the shop bought combinations are usually laden with salt and other horrible additives. Nonetheless, it’s super easy to make it yourself, and tastes way better too! It works great with Chicken and Pork, so I like to make sure I've always got some in the cupboard made up. The combination of the punchy Cajun flavours with the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and the creamy avocado in this salad is utterly divine.

Ingredients:

  • 4 free range chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
  • 2 ripe, medium sized avocados, peeled and chopped
  • Salad leaves of your choice: a mix of rocket; spinach and watercress works a treat!
  • 200g Cherry Tomatoes, halved.
  • Juice of 1 lemon

For the Cajun Seasoning:

  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • A little unrefined sea salt, to taste

How To:

1)     Dice the chicken breasts. In a bowl, drizzle half the lemon juice, making sure to watch out for any seeds, over the meat. Evenly coat it in the spice mixture, and set aside.

2)     In a large salad bowl, combine your mix of salad leaves with the chopped avocado and the cherry tomatoes. Toss in the remaining lemon juice – this will stop the avocado from turning brown.

3)     Heat a little oil in a pan to a high heat. Add the chicken, and fry until cooked through and golden brown on both sides. Add to the salad, and enjoy!

I’d love to hear how this Cajun seasoning worked for you, and what else you tried it with! Please share in the comments below.

Cajun Chicken and Avocado Salad paleo diet lunch-min

Low Protein High Protein paleo macronutrient ratios-min

Low Protein? High Protein?

In case you didn't already know, dietary protein is essential for human health. Protein is used in the body to build and maintain new tissue such as muscle, hair, nails, skin, bone and blood cells. It is also required to create the enzymes for the body to carry out certain processes, such as the digestion of food; and neurotransmitters, which control your ability to carry out basic tasks (like thought and movement). US dietary guidelines recommend a daily intake of 45g per day for females, and 55g per day for males. In reality, you need much more to maintain optimum health, especially if you’re active. But just how much should you be taking in? And is it possible to consume too much?

Put simply, the amount of protein you need is unique to each individual. For a sedentary person, Many sources recommend around 1g of protein per kilo of bodyweight as a realistic amount needed to maintain lean mass. If you’re more active, you’ll be looking at around 1.5g – and if you’re lifting (and looking to increase lean muscle mass), between 1.8g and 2.0g per kilo of bodyweight is optimal. For example, a 70kg man training three times per week and looking to increase his muscle mass should be targeting between 130g and 140g of protein per day. That’s the equivalent of around 3 eggs, one chicken breast, a handful of almonds and one sirloin steak – so is by no means reaching into the realms of ‘forced’ protein.

Low Protein High Protein paleo macronutrient ratios-min

Indeed, if protein forms the majority of your caloric intake, then you’re probably consuming too much. Fat should be your main source of energy, with between 15 and 25% coming from protein. Too much protein can create excess toxins in the body, and put a significant strain on the liver and heart. Not ideal.

Chances are, your Paleo diet already features a respectable amount of protein and you’ll probably be achieving your protein ‘target’ without even knowing it. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds are all good sources of this macro-nutrient. Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are found in plants as well – albeit in various quantities. If a food contains all of the ‘essential’ amino acids, then this food is considered a ‘complete’ protein. As plant protein sources are normally lacking in at least one of the essential amino acids, they are usually considered as ‘incomplete’ protein. This is one of the reasons it is hard for vegans to consume adequate protein, and leads to them having to selectively combine foods to achieve a complete amino acid profile.

To conclude, it is probably much better you focus on the quality of the protein you are taking in rather than the quantity. Don’t worry too much about hitting a ‘target amount’ – simply build each meal around a high quality protein source like red meat, poultry, fish or eggs. Consume extra if you’re active, especially on training days. But don’t stress yourself out about it; you’re much more likely to be getting a solid amount of protein each day simply by eating real foods.

Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apple and Balsamic Glazed Shallots paleo dinner recipe lunch primal pastured-min

Recipe: Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apple and Balsamic Glazed Shallots

Classic combinations really do work best, so it’s no wonder that the tried and tested combination of pork, rosemary and apple is a marriage made in heaven in this dish. Combined with the sweetness and tang of the balsamic shallots, this pork Chops recipe makes a fail safe supper for all the family. Great with sweet potato wedges or other root vegetables when it’s a little colder outside.

Pork Chops Ingredients:

  • 4 higher welfare, pastured pork chops
  • Olive oil
  • 4 – 6 medium shallots, sliced roughly
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 1 small red apple, cut into wedges
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary

Pork Chops How To:

Season the pork chops with black pepper and sea salt

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over a low heat. Add the shallots, and cook gently for around 5 minutes until soft. Add the balsamic vinegar and coconut sugar, and toss to coat the shallots. Continue to cook gently for a further 5 minutes, stirring often so they do not burn.

Meanwhile, heat another tbsp of olive oil in a separate frying pan to a high heat. Drop in the pork chops, and cook for 3 – 4 minutes each side.

Season the shallots with a little sea salt, and then add the rosemary to the pan.

Remove the pork from the heat, and separate on to serving plates. Garnish with the apple slices and the shallots on the side.

Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apple and Balsamic Glazed Shallots paleo dinner recipe lunch primal pastured-min