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

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

 

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

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

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

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

paleo diet recipe quick easy coronation chicken creamy primal-min

Recipe: Quick and Easy Coronation Chicken

Countless times I have made a delicious roast dinner for friends, only to realise at the end that I’ve bought a chicken way too big for us to eat! Sometimes I get stuck with what to do with the leftovers, but this recipe for Paleo friendly Coronation Chicken is always a fail-safe option. It’s all the flavour of Coronation Chicken, minus the dairy, minus the sugar, minus the preservatives… just as it should be!

The best thing about this recipe is that it is easily adapted depending on how much leftover meat you have. When I shredded it, I had roughly 2 cups of chicken available. Feel free to adapt as you wish!

Coronation Chicken Ingredients:

  • 200g shredded roast chicken
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Juice ½ lime
  • ½ can thick coconut milk
  • Small handful flaked almonds
  • Small handful coconut shavings
  • Small handful sultanas
  • Small handful unsulphured dried apricots, finely chopped

Coronation Chicken How To:

In a saucepan, heat the coconut oil to a medium – low heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another 2.

Squeeze in the lime juice and stir in the spices. Leave to simmer gently for 2 – 3 minutes, adding extra coconut oil if necessary.

Add the coconut milk and honey, stir well, and simmer very gently for around 5 minutes.

Toss in the flaked almonds, coconut shavings and dried fruit. Pour over the shredded chicken and coat well. Enjoy straight away or leave in the fridge to cool before enjoying as part of a salad.

paleo diet recipe quick easy coronation chicken creamy primal-min