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

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

Slow cooked Garlic-Balsamic Lamb with Parsnip Mash paleo dinner recipe-min

Recipe: Slow cooked Garlic-Balsamic Lamb with Parsnip Mash

Perhaps the ultimate post workout meal, this slow cooked dish is packed with protein and has a decent amount of complex carbs too. Not only that, its bursting with Vitamin B12, Niacin and Zinc – and best of all, its hassle free. Whack it all in a pot around midday, and don’t worry about it again until you get hungry in the evening.

Serves 4

Garlic-Balsamic Lamb Ingredients:

  • 1 Lamb Shoulder Joint, roughly 1kg
  • Glug olive oil
  • 4 Red Onions, Sliced
  • 2 Bulbs (approx. 16 – 20 cloves) Garlic, peeled
  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 Bay Leaves
  • 200ml Balsamic Vinegar
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 4 Large Parsnips, peeled and chopped

 Garlic-Balsamic Lamb How To:

1)    Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F. Arrange your onion slices at the bottom of a cooking pot, and drop in just a splash of hot water. Rub the lamb shoulder with a good amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then place on top of the onions. Cook for 20 minutes then remove from the oven.

2)    Lower the heat of the oven to 110C / 120F. Add the thyme, bay, garlic cloves and balsamic, before covering the pot and returning to the oven for around 5 hours. Don’t fret if it’s any longer, as the meat will just become all the more tender. Check every now and then if time allows.

3)    Around 15 minutes before serving, steam your diced parsnip. When this is nice and soft, transfer it all to a bowl before mashing with a little olive oil and seasoning. Serve alongside the lamb, which should fall easily off the bone.

Slow cooked Garlic-Balsamic Lamb with Parsnip Mash paleo dinner recipe-min

Sirloin Steak with Chimchurri Sauce and Caramelised Onions paleo recipe dinner grass fed beef-min

Recipe: Sirloin Steak with Chimchurri Sauce and Caramelised Onions

Let’s face it – there’s nothing better than a tender, succulent piece of grass fed steak. My particular favourite is a dry aged sirloin, but I also love fillet and porterhouse on special occasions. If you've never heard of it before, Chimchurri sauce is an Argentinian recipe made from a blend of olive oil, garlic and herbs – the South American version of pesto. It’s perfect for steak, but works well with fish and chicken too. The caremelised onions in this recipe add a real depth of flavour and complement both the steak and the Chimchurri effortlessly.

Serves 2

Sirloin Steak Ingredients:

  • 2 sirloin steaks (ideally grass fed, even better if they’re aged for around 28 days) – approximately 200g and 1 – 1.5cm thick
  • Sea salt, 1 clove garlic, plenty of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  •  1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

 For the Chimchurri:

  •  1 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 cup fresh coriander
  • ¼ cup fresh oregano
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Juice 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 hot red pepper (I used a jalapeno), deseeded and finely chopped

 Sirloin Steak How To:

1)    An hour before cooking, marinade the steak by crushing the garlic clove in a mortar and pestle and mixing it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper to make a paste. Rub this well into the meat, and then leave the steak at room temperature.

2)    To make the caramelised onions, gently heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a heavy based saucepan. Add the onions to the pan, and leave to cook very slowly for at least half an hour – this brings out the natural sweetness. Stir regularly, and season with a little salt and pepper along the way.

3)    Meanwhile, make the Chimchurri by blending all the ingredients apart from the olive oil and hot pepper in your food processor. Transfer this to a sauce bowl, then stir in the olive oil. Finish with the red pepper, if using.

4)    To cook the steaks, heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over the highest heat. Sizzle for a minute each side for rare, then serve and leave to rest for 5 minutes before eating. Serve topped with the caramelised onions and with the Chimchurri on the side.

Sirloin Steak with Chimchurri Sauce and Caramelised Onions paleo recipe dinner grass fed beef-min

Paleo recipe Creamy Coconut Slow Cooker Beef dinner crockpot-min

Recipe: Creamy Coconut Slow Cooker Beef

Curries made in the slow cooker are one of my favourite things to make – not only are they much less hassle than a regular curry that requires constant babysitting, the extended cooking time allows the flavours to really develop. Beef is a great meat to use in the slow cooker, especially the cheap cuts like shin or chuck, as you can guarantee melt in the mouth consistency every time. This recipe is indulgently creamy with just the right amount of spice.

 Slow Cooker Beef Ingredients:

  • 200g block creamed coconut
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced
  • 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tbsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground fenugreek
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 500g diced beef, suitable for slow roasting (I used the shin – cheap and oh so tender when cooked slowly!)

 Slow Cooker Beef How To:

1)    Gently melt the creamed coconut in a pan with approximately 200ml of warm water. Stir, and add more water to generate your desired consistency.

2)    Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy based pan to a medium heat. Add the onion and soften for 5 minutes, before bringing the heat down low and adding the chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry gently for a further 5 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn't burn.

3)    Add the spices to the pan and fry for another two or three minutes, before adding the diced beef to the pan. Toss well to coat it in the spices and lightly brown the meat on all sides.

Add the coconut milk and stir well. Now transfer the whole contents of the pan to your slow cooker, and let it cook on a low heat for around 8 hours (or until you run out of willpower!). Serve over a big heap of cauliflower rice.

Paleo recipe Creamy Coconut Slow Cooker Beef dinner crockpot-min

paleo recipe slow cooker Jamaican goat curry crockpot dinner-min

Recipe: Slow Cooker Jamaican Goat Curry

Ever tried goat? I’ll admit, it can be a bit of a challenging meat. It took me quite a few visits to my butchers before I finally learnt how to use it properly. Through experimenting, I’ve learnt that it requires an extended, slow cooking method in order to make it tender. The meat itself is incredibly flavoursome, and excellent when paired with bold flavours. Goat Curry is a popular dish in the Caribbean, so that’s exactly where my influences came from when creating this recipe.

Goat Curry  Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large white onion, finely diced
  • 8 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 100g ginger, grated
  • 4 scotch bonnet chillies (use less if you prefer your curries less spicy) deseeded and chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 500g goat shoulder meat, chopped into cubes
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 x 400ml can chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml beef stock
  • Juice half a lime
  • Fresh coriander

 Goat Curry How To:

1)    Heat the coconut oil in a large pan. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook for another 2 / 3 minutes.

2)    Add the goat meat to the pan and lightly brown on the outside. Throw in the allspice, cumin and coriander, ensuring the meat is evenly coated.

3)    Transfer the contents of the pan into your slow cooker. Add the thyme, bay leaves, chopped tomatoes and beef stock and stir. Cover, and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

4)    When ready to serve, squeeze in the lime juice and garnish with plenty of fresh coriander.

paleo recipe slow cooker Jamaican goat curry crockpot dinner-min

Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot paleo dinner recipe-min

Recipe: Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot

Perfect for those long, lazy Sundays when there isn't anything to do but sit and wallow in the wonderful fragrances spilling out from your oven, this no fuss ‘One Pot’ is about as simple and as satisfying as it gets. The unique flavours of the root vegetables marry together perfectly with the light citrus ‘zing’ – and best of all it saves on the washing up!

Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot Ingredients:

  • 1 medium (approx. 1.5kg) chicken
  • 3 red onions
  • 2 oranges
  • 3 / 4 medium sized parsnips
  • 2 medium sized swedes
  • 3 / 4 carrots
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 large handful fresh lemon thyme
  • Half a lemon
  • 1 glass of white wine (or stock / water if preferred)
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

 Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot How To:

1)    Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Take your largest lidded ovenproof cooking pot, halve two of the onions and one of the oranges and lay them at the bottom of the pot before resting the chicken on top.

2)    Peel and roughly chop the remaining onion and the rest of your veg. Nestle them in the pot along with the chicken.

3)    Stuff the chicken with the garlic cloves, bay leaves, half of the thyme and the lemon. Squeeze over the juice of the remaining orange and scatter the rest of the thyme into the pot. Season well, before pouring in the white wine / stock.

4)    Cover and bake for an hour, before removing the lid and raising the heat to 220C / 450F / Gas Mark 7. Cook for a further 25 minutes, until the chicken is nicely browned. Baste the meat and stir the veg once or twice if needs be.

5)    Check the chicken if fully cooked through by piercing the breast with a knife. If the juices run clear, then you’re ready to serve. Enjoy alongside your favourite greens or a fresh salad.

Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot paleo dinner recipe-min

Recipe Crispy Spiced Chicken Thighs schnitzel paleo network 680 min

Recipe: Crispy Spiced Chicken Thighs

The clue is in the name – these chicken thighs are suitably spicy and oh so satisfyingly crispy, thanks to a mix of ground almonds and desiccated coconut. Throw the soggy, batter coated, southern fried chicken portions in the bin – these are where it's really at. I used ginger, cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick and garam masala – but highly recommend experimenting and finding your favouite blend of herbs and spices. I used chicken thighs, but you can use the coating on wings – or whichever piece of chicken you prefer!

Recipe Crispy Spiced Chicken Thighs schnitzel paleo network 680 min

Recipe: Crispy Spiced Chicken Thighs
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Southern
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Everyone in the family will love these spicy chicken thighs!
Ingredients
  • 8 free range chicken thighs
  • 200ml thick coconut milk
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 50g desiccated coconut
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • Pinch salt
Instructions
  1. ) Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4
  2. ) In a large bowl, combine the coconut milk with all the spices. Stir in the almonds and coconut.
  3. ) One by one, add the chicken thighs to the mixture, ensuring an even coating covers each piece of meat. Arrange on a roasting dish, then transfer to the oven.
  4. ) Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with a fresh green salad.

 

Steamed Red Curry Salmon paleo recipe dinner Indian fish-min

Recipe: Steamed Red Curry Salmon

In my opinion, there is no better way to cook salmon than gently in the oven, covered with foil. It circulates all the flavour, and the fish stays beautifully moist as the condensation returns to the roasting dish. This Thai inspired recipe is both spicy and fragrant, and makes a wonderful, quick and easy midweek supper.

Steamed Red Curry Salmon Ingredients:

  • 4 salmon fillets
  • 2 red chillies, de seeded and chopped
  • 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste (watch out for additives)
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves

Steamed Red Curry Salmon How To:

1) Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Arrange the salmon in a roasting dish, skin side down.

2) In a non stick saucepan, mix together the curry paste with the chillies and 1tbsp coconut milk, skimmed from the top so it is at its thickest. Heat gently until it starts to bubble and become fragrant. Add the remaining coconut milk and stir well.

3) When it starts to boil, pour evenly over the salmon. Drizzle over the fish sauce and sprinkle with the coconut sugar, then cover the dish with foil. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.

4) Remove from the oven, and serve garnished with some fresh basil or coriander.

Steamed Red Curry Salmon paleo recipe dinner Indian fish-min