Paleo Diet Recipe Vegan Vegetarian Primal Vegetable Bake-min

Recipe: Vegetable Bake with Tomato & Basil Sauce (Vegan & Vegetarian)

I wanted to share with you one of the recipes from my new Vegan and Vegetarian Paleo recipe ebook. Whilst Vegetarian and Paleo might not seem to naturally go together, by avoiding grains – and making sure you get some good legume-free protein into your diet, it is possible to follow a Vegetarian Paleo diet.

My Paleo Vegetarian and Vegan recipe book shows how to transition into Paleo and is packed with recipes for grain, legume and dairy free recipes. Recipes demonstrate good Paleo protein sources and there are also plenty of Vegan options (i.e. no eggs or dairy). For those looking for a gradual transition into full Paleo, the book also details how to properly prepare grains and legumes, for those who aren't ready to give them up on day one.

If you're interested in the recipe ebook, you can find it here.

This recipe is a vegetable bake, full of flavours. Whether you're vegetarian or not, this makes a great Paleo dinner!

 Vegetable Bake Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

  • 1 large eggplant (about 500 g or 1lb), trimmed & sliced in 1 cm thick rounds
  • 2 large zucchini (about 500 g or 1lb), sliced lengthways in ½ cm thick strips
  • olive oil, to brush
  • 2 red capsicum (bell pepper)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, halved & sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 x 400g (or 1lb) tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup basil leaves, torn
  • ½ cup pitted black olives
  • ½ cup semi-sundried tomatoes in olive oil*
  • handful baby basil leaves, to serve
  • sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

 * If you can’t find them in 100 % olive oil reconstitute sundried tomatoes in olive oil (to cover) with a clove or 2 of smashed garlic and a sprig of oregano.

The Paleo Primal Diet Vegetarian Vegan Recipe Ebook

Vegetable Bake How To:

Preheat oven 180ºC (350ºF) and put the racks in the top and bottom thirds. Prepare 2 slide trays with baking paper and arrange the eggplant on one and the zucchini on the other in a single layer. Brush liberally with olive oil, season, add the capsicums to the tray and bake for 30 minutes. Remove. Place the capsicums (bell peppers) in a plastic bag and tie shut. Sweat for at least 20 minutes before roughly peeling them (the skin will slip off easily), tearing into quarters and discarding the seeds and stalk.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, covered, for 10 minutes, or until they’re very soft. Remove the lid, add the garlic and stir for a minute then add the tomatoes and basil with some seasoning. Cover, adjust the heat to keep the tomatoes at a steady simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.

Grease a 20 cm2 (8 inches) dish. Arrange the eggplant in one even layer over the base (you can squish them a bit) then spread a quarter of a cup of the tomato sauce over the top. Next, arrange the capsicum (bell pepper) in a single layer, then the zucchini. Spread the remaining tomato sauce over this then arrange the semi-sundried tomatoes on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 15 minutes out of the oven in a warm place.

Serve warm, garnished with baby basil leaves and accompanied by a green salad.

Paleo Diet Recipe Vegan Vegetarian Primal Vegetable Bake-min

Havana Roast Pork paleo dinner lunch recipe-min

Recipe: Havana Roast Pork

One of the tastiest roast pork dishes I know, this recipe makes a wonderful centre piece when entertaining guests. It does require a little more attention than a normal pork joint, but I can guarantee it is more than worth the effort.

As always, especially with Pork, make sure you use the best quality you can find. Ideally you want to use pasture fed Pork, your butcher should be able to help you. If not, perhaps it's time to find a new butcher…

Ingredients (Serves 8):

  • 1.5 – 2kg of high quality pork shoulder
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • ½ tbsp black peppercorns
  • 6 cloves, whole
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp raw honey
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Roast Pork How To:

1)     Heat a pan to a medium heat. Add the cumin and peppercorns and toast for 2 minutes, taking great care not to burn. In a mortar and pestle, crush the spices with the cloves, oregano, thyme and a little sea salt, then add the crushed garlic to form a paste.

2)     Transfer the spice mixture to a small bowl, and stir in the citrus juices, honey and the olive oil. With a sharp knife, pierce the pork all over then place into a large resealable plastic bag. Pour over the marinade and shake well, ensuring all the meat is well coated, then leave in the refrigerator overnight.

3)     When ready to cook, heat the oven to 200C / 400F / gas mark 6. Put the pork in a roasting dish, keeping the marinade to one side, then cook for half an hour.

4)     Lower the oven temperature to 160C / 325F / gas mark 3. Baste the pork, then cover with foil, and roast for another 2  – 2 and a half hours until cooked through. Be sure to keep basting the meat in the juices from the dish whenever you can to maximise the flavour.

5)     Transfer the meat to a carving board and cover with foil, leaving to stand for 10 minutes. Pour any leftover juices into a saucepan, and skim the fat off the top. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Carve the pork, and serve with the reduced juices. Works great with sweet potatoes or cauliflower rice!

Do you often make a roast? I'd love to hear how you make yours in the comments below!

Havana Roast Pork paleo dinner lunch recipe-min

Paleo recipe thai green curry-min

Recipe: Paleo Thai Green Curry

One of my favourite curries is Thai Green Curry. Hot and spicy, it’s always a winner. It’s also so easy to make, even if I wasn’t dubious about the ingredients in restaurant versions, I would still prefer to make my own.

Whilst it might “traditionally” be served with rice, my version is far better, served with 100% Paleo cauliflower rice.

Paleo recipe thai green curry-min

Thai Green Curry Ingredients:

The Curry Paste:

  • 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoon coriander stems, chopped
  • 3cm piece ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 4 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
  • 4 bird’s eye chillies
  • 2 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil

For the Curry:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoon green curry paste (as made, above)
  • 125ml/4fl oz chicken stock
  • 250ml/8fl oz coconut cream
  • 1 anchovy, finely chopped
  • 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
  • 500g/1lb chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks
  • 400g aubergine, cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Handful fresh basil leaves
  • 3 green chillies, deseeded and sliced

How To:

Firstly, make the paste. In a small pan, heat the peppercorn, coriander and cumin seeds, ensuring they do not burn, until they release their scent.

Add the toasted herbs to the remaining paster ingredients in a blender, and blend until it becomes a thick paste. You can store the paste in a jar in the fridge for a week or so.

Over a high heat, melt the coconut oil in a large pan. Brown the chicken pieces, then set them aside.  In the remaining oil, cook the paste for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add to the pan the stock, coconut cream, anchovy and leaves, then reduce the heat. Cook for 6-7 minutes. Add in the chicken and cook for another 6 or 7 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add in the remaining ingredients and cook for a few more minutes. To serve, top with the basil leaves and the chilli. Serve immediately with a helping of homemade cauliflower rice.

Do you make your Thai green curry the same way as I do? I’d love to hear what you do different, in the comments below!

Paleo recipe how to make perfect roast chicken bake-min

Recipe: How To Make A Perfect Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken, done right is delicious and tender, but with a crispy skin. Far too often though, the meat is dry, tough and stringy, and the skin soft.

With rotisserie chickens available just about everywhere, the art of roasting a chicken seems to be disappearing – which is a shame because it is so easy!

The most important thing with roasting a chicken – is the chicken! Getting a really good quality organic, free-range chicken will put you on the path to success. A good quality chicken is also the best bet if you want to make use of the carcass for making a chicken stock.

My method couldn’t be a any simpler, so next time you go to get a rotisserie chicken, why not try this instead?

Roast Chicken Ingredients

  • Chicken (ideally organic, free-range and pasture raised)
  • A lemon
  • Fresh thyme
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 50ml (2 fl oz) olive oil
  • Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

How To Make Roast Chicken

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F)

Rinse the chicken and remove the giblets. Dry the chicken using kitchen paper.

Cut the lemon in half and sandwich a sprig of the thyme in the middle. Put the lemon inside the chicken cavity.

Skin and crush the garlic cloves and add to a food processor with the leaves of the remaining thyme and the olive oil and blend together.

Massage the olive oil mixture into the chicken thoroughly, ensuring it is completely covered.

Put the bird into a roasting tray, and top with any remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast for 30 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 170C (330F) and remove the foil and roast for a further 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the bird is pierced with a skewer.

Turn off the oven, but allow the chicken to rest in the hot oven for ten minutes, before removing from the oven to carve.

Pour the juices from the roasting tray over the sliced chicken to serve, or set aside to make a gravy. The carcass can be used to make a chicken stock.

Enjoy – and please share your roasting tips and tricks in the comments below!

Paleo recipe how to make perfect roast chicken bake-min

Nasi Goreng recipe Indonesian Fried Rice Bali Java Primal Diet-min

Recipe: Nasi Goreng

In Indonesia Nasi Goreng is the national dish, appearing in every restaurant and food stall. Nasi means rice and Goreng is fried, so it is literally Fried Rice. Whilst everyone has their own take on Nasi Goreng, the flavours are fantastic, so I was keen to recreate a Paleo version of this dish when I got home from my trip. Obviously the first thing to change is the rice!

Nasi Goreng Ingredients
Sauce:

• Pinch of black peppercorns
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 8 macadamia nuts
• 1 small onion, peeled, roughly chopped
• 3cm (1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled, chopped
• Pinch of ground turmeric
• lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed, core chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 chilli peppers, seeds removed, roughly chopped
• Pinch sea salt (I’m using Celtic sea salt)
• Spoonful of coconut oil (virgin, unrefined)
• ¼ lime, juice only

Rice (Nasi):

• Spoonful of coconut oil
• 4 onions, diced
• Sea salt, to taste
• 300g (11oz) pre cooked cauliflower rice
• ½ litre (20oz) water
• 1 bulb garlic, peeled, finely chopped
• 3 chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 250g (10oz) leftover diced chicken (cooked)
• Splash of coconut aminos
• 6 spring onions, trimmed, thinly sliced

Serve With:

• Dash of coconut oil
• 4 large free-range eggs
• ¼ cucumber, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced

How To

In a pestle and mortar (or food processor if you have one), grind the peppercorns, nutmeg and macadamias until they form a powder. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and blend until they form a smooth paste.

Heat the coconut oil in a medium pan and fry the onions until they turn golden. Season, then remove from the pan.

Make the cauliflower rice and transfer onto a baking tray to cool.

Heat some more coconut oil in the pan and add the remaining onions, garlic, chillis and carrots. Stir fry until the carrot starts to become tender.

Add the sauce into the pan and stir for a minute. Add in the tomato paste and heat through for a final minute.

Into the pan, add the cooked chicken and cauliflower rice, and stir until it is thoroughly heated through. Finally, add in the coconut aminos and spring onions and mix in well. Take off the heat and keep warm.

Fry the eggs in coconut oil.

Dish the Nasi Goreng and top with the fried eggs. Finish with a side of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Enjoy!

Nasi Goreng recipe Indonesian Fried Rice Bali Java Primal Diet-min

Paleo recipe Quick & Easy Chicken Curry Indian-min

Recipe: Quick & Easy Chicken Curry

This is one of my favourite dishes to make, some chicken, a few veggies and some coconut cream are all that's needed to make this dish. I always make a big batch to give leftovers for a few days – and another lunch option to take into work. This curry is great served with a side of Paleo cauliflower rice.

I used to make this with coconut milk, but I now use coconut cream as it's exactly the same – just not watered down. There are lots of different brands of coconut cream, but my favourite is Ayam. This brand contains just coconut and not guar gum and the other additives which many brands have.

Ingredients:

  • Coconut oil
  • 2 onions
  • Two free range chicken breasts (organic if possible)
  • 2 cans of coconut cream
  • 6 mushrooms
  • Zucchini
  • Carrot
  • Raisins
  • 1.5 teaspoons of ginger
  • 1.5 teaspoons of curry powder
  • Sea salt to taste

Method:

Dice the onions and fry in a pan in some coconut oil over a medium heat.

Meanwhile slice the chicken into strips and add to the pan once the onions turn soft.

Dice the mushrooms, zucchini, carrot and raisins.

Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly add in the coconut cream and water as necessary

Add in the vegetables, spices and season to taste.

Allow the curry to simmer for 20 minutes or so, until cooked, then serve with a side of cauliflower rice.

Paleo recipe Quick & Easy Chicken Curry Indian-min

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe paleo diet dinner lunch spaghetti-min

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe

As I wrote about yesterday, I'm currently trying to avoid tomatoes and undertake a low-salicylate Paleo diet. I usually use a lot of tomatoes in my cooking, as they are a great base for sauces and meals. My favourite dishes, ragu, bolognese and chilli all use lots of tomatoes, so I've been experimenting to find an alternative.

Since tomatoes are a nightshade, this recipe will be helpful to those avoiding nightshades too. I've also just realized that tomatoes have quadrupled in price in the last few months – so this is also good for the budget!

I used carrots and beetroot to make the “tomato” sauce, which I then used exactly as I would a real tomato sauce with the rest of the ingredients in this bolognese. I'm not that keen on beetroot on it’s own but in this dish with all of the other flavours, it was a great addition.

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
If you avoid salicylates or just don't tollerate tomatoes very well, this tomato-free bolognese recipe will meet your needs for a tomato based sauce - but without the tomatoes! It tastes great, and LOOKS very tomatoey!
Ingredients
  • Carrots (I used about 9)
  • Beetroot (I used 4)
  • Leek, diced
  • 3 diced onions
  • Parsnip
  • 7 mushrooms, sliced
  • Pork mince (500g)
  • Beef mince (500g)
  • Coconut oil
  • Coconut aminos
  • Garlic powder
  • Oregano
  • Cinnamon
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Ground chilli
  • Salt & Pepper
Instructions
  1. I peeled and roughly chopped the carrots, beetroot & parsnip and added them to a large pan of boiling water
  2. Meanwhile, in another pan I sautéed the onions in some coconut oil until they turned translucent
  3. Next, I added the mince and a splash of coconut aminos
  4. Once the meat had all browned, I added the leek, mushrooms and a small amount of each of the herbs and spices (I don’t use very much, but adjust according to how hot you like it – and how little you like beetroot!)
  5. I allowed the meat mixture to simmer on a low heat, stirring regularly, and adding water from the carrot & beetroot pan as it dried out
  6. Once the carrots and beetroot's started to soften, I turned the heat off and puréed in the blender
  7. With the tomato-free “tomato sauce” ready, I added it to the meat pan and allowed it to simmer for a few minutes before serving

If you have any suggestions for alternatives to tomatoes, please share in the comments below…

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe paleo diet dinner lunch spaghetti-min

Sausage, Red Wine & Almond Casserole paleo diet recipe-min

Sausage, Red Wine & Almond Casserole Recipe

After a barbecue at the weekend I had some left over cooked sausages that I wanted to make use of. There was also some red wine left over, so I came up with a recipe for a sausage almond & red wine casserole. I used ingredients I already had in the kitchen, so I am sure lots of tweaks could be made.

It made quite a few portions, so I was able to freeze quite a lot, to use for future meals.

Ingredients:

Barbequed Paleo Sausages
2 Red Onions
2 Brown Onions
1 clove garlic
1kg tomatoes
Tomato puree
2 handfuls of raw almonds
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 glass red wine
Chicken stock
Coconut Oil
Salt & Pepper

Method:

  • I diced the onions and browned them in a pan of coconut oil.
  • I added the crushed garlic, then the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and the stock. I let the mixture simmer for a few minutes whilst I chopped up the almonds.
  • I added the almonds and wine to the pan, and allowed it to continue simmering for a few minutes, before adding the cut up sausages.
  • I seasoned and added in the rosemary.
  • Once the sausages were thoroughly heated I served up the casserole and left the extra to cool ready for freezing.

I enjoyed the casserole on it’s own, but it would also have gone very well with some cauliflower rice.

Sausage, Red Wine & Almond Casserole paleo diet recipe-min

Paleo diet chicken stock bone broth how to make recipe-min

Chicken Stock

I had a big cooking session at the weekend and thought I’d use the leftover chicken I had to make some Chicken Stock.  When I have the time to cook I like to make things like stock or bone broth, as I can freeze large amounts and use them as the basis for many dishes over the next two or three months.  Stock forms the basis of so many meals, such as soups, sauces, stews and curries.  I always separate the stock into small batches before I freeze so I can just defrost the amount I need.Bone Broth Recipe Book Chicken Beef StockThere seem to be a lot of different ways of making stock and bone broth.  I like to keep mine as uncomplicated as possible as I’d rather add herbs and spices into the meal I use the stock for – not be limited by how I made the stock.

Out of interest, I had a look at the ingredients in the ready-made supermarket Chicken Stocks.

Campbell’s Real Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock (97%) (Water, Chicken, Herb Extracts), Glucose, Salt, Yeast Extract (Contains Barley), Natural Flavour.

Continental Stock Pot Chicken

Concentrated chicken stock (67%) (vegetables (onion, carrot, garlic), water, chicken, herbs, spices), salt, flavours (contain wheat), sugar, vegetable fat, yeast extract, thickners (xanthin gum, locust bean gum), natural colour (carotene)

Massel Chicken Stock

Water, Maltodextrin (Corn), Sea Salt, Natural Vegetable Flavours, Dehydrated Vegetables (Onion, Red Bell Pepper), Vegetable Proteins (Soy), Sugar, Yeast Extract, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Black Pepper.

Coles Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock* (97%) (Water, Chicken, Onion, Carrot, Celery, Bay Leaf), Natural Flavours, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Powders (Onion, Garlic, Sweet Corn), Black Pepper, Vegetable Extract Powder

*Reconstituted from concentrated stock

The shop-bought varieties have so many more ingredients than my home-made version.  I can’t understand why sugar and flavours need to be added to stock, never mind “vegetable” fat, soy and colours (dare I ask what colour is it before they add the colouring?)  I might be wrong, but I’d be surprised if the manufacturers went to the same lengths I do to get good quality free ranged chicken…

I much prefer making my own as it uses up leftovers that could otherwise be wasted – and as it pretty much looks after itself, it isn’t much effort to make at all.

Chicken Stock
Recipe type: Poultry
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
  • Left over roast chicken carcass
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 onions
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 2 bay leaves
Instructions
  1. I had already roasted a chicken and had a few other pieces left over, so I broke it up and put it in my largest pan.
  2. I roughly chopped up a couple of carrots, a couple of onions and some celery – without peeling them.
  3. I added a couple of bay leaves to the pot and added water until the pot was almost full.
  4. I then bought it to the boil, before reducing the heat to a simmer and then I reduced the heat further.
  5. Every so often I skimmed the top with a spoon to get rid of any residue that rose up.
  6. I let this continue for three or four hours whilst getting on with the rest of my cooking, adding water as required.
  7. I then strained the mixture and discarded the bones and vegetable remains, leaving the stock.
  8. I cooled this quickly by putting the pot in a sink of cold water before refrigerating it.
  9. Once cool I separated it into individual sized portions to freeze until I need them.

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I’d love to hear how you make stock and what you use it for?

Paleo diet chicken stock bone broth how to make recipe-min

Paleo pizza recipe grain-free

Paleo Pizza

I had some grain loving friends coming round for dinner at short notice, so I wanted to make something that didn't look Paleo at first glance – and also used things I already had.  Pizza seemed like a good choice, as it seems like such a non-Paleo food!  Of course, my pizza used almond meal instead of flour and good quality grass fed meat.

This was the first time I've tried a Paleo pizza and I'll probably experiment with the crust a little next time, perhaps adding coconut flour.  I'm wondering if I could even make it on sliced eggplant and do away with a traditional base altogether?

Paleo Pizza
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Ingredients
For the base:
  • 300g Almond meal
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, basil & salt
For the sauce:
  • Tin organic diced tomatoes
  • Tin tomato paste
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
For the topping:
  • Onion
  • Capsicum
  • Mushrooms
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Beef
  • Kangaroo Steak
  • Coconut Oil
Instructions
  1. I preheated the over to 180 degrees.
  2. I put the crust ingredients in a bowl and mixed them together with a wooden spoon until a ball emerged.
  3. I then greased a baking tray with coconut oil and pressed out the dough trying to cover as much of the tray as possible, whilst keeping the dough relatively even.
  4. I put the base in the oven for 15 minutes until it started to turn crispy.
  5. I put the sauce ingredients in a pan and simmered for about 15 minutes. I then used my blender to achieve a "sauce" consistency
  6. I sliced, then browned the meat in a pan of coconut oil before setting it aside.
  7. I then fried the vegetables in coconut oil for a few minutes.
  8. Once everything was ready I spread the sauce on the crust and added to meat and vegetables.
  9. It was then returned to the oven for another 20 minutes, cut and served!

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It was very well received – as demonstrated by no leftovers – and prompted lots of questions about paleo!  It's nice to make things like this that show how broad paleo food can be.  A nice occasional treat!

Have you tried a paleo pizza?  I'd love to hear how you made yours?
Paleo pizza recipe grain-free