Thai Salmon in the Bag paleo recipe fish dinner lunch foil poached-min

Recipe: Thai Salmon in the Bag

Packed with heart healthy fats and omega 3, as well as vitamins D and B12, Salmon really is much more than just protein. This recipe is fragrant and fiery, and steaming it in the ‘bag’ locks in all the goodness. Did I mention its easy too?

Thai Salmon in the Bag Ingredients:

  • 4 organic, wild salmon fillets
  • 1 scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • Small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and black pepper

Thai Salmon in the Bag How To:

Heat the oven to 180C / 350F / gas mark 4

Pop each salmon fillet onto a square of tin foil, season with a little salt and pepper.

In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Transfer to the foil, and seal tightly. Make sure there is at least a 4cm ‘ceiling’ at the top to allow the salmon to steam.

Place the parcels on to a baking tray, and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with a healthy green salad.

Thai Salmon in the Bag paleo recipe fish dinner lunch foil poached-min

Fresh Tuna and Mango Salad paleo diet recipe primal lunch dinner ideas-min

Recipe: Fresh Tuna and Mango Salad

Quick, light and zingy, this tropical inspired tuna and mango salad is perfect for Al Fresco dining. When buying tuna steaks, always select sushi grade and enjoy the full flavour the meat has to offer when cooked rare.

Tuna and Mango Salad Ingredients:

For the tuna

  • 2 medium tuna steaks
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 3cm fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • Juice ½ lime
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper

For the salad

  • 1 large handful Asian greens, i.e. rocket / mizuna
  • 100g fine green beans
  • 1 small, ripe mango, peeled and chopped into cubes
  • 8 – 10 small cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Small handful fresh coriander, torn

Tuna and Mango Salad How To:

In a small bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Rub into the tuna steaks, and leave to marinade for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile, toss together all the salad ingredients and divide into two salad bowls.

Heat a griddle to a very high heat. Drizzle with a little olive oil, wait until it starts to smoke, then throw the tuna steaks on. Flash fry for 1 minute each side, so still pink in the middle. Dice and divide into the two salad bowls.

Fresh Tuna and Mango Salad paleo diet recipe primal lunch dinner ideas-min

Spicy Coconut King Prawns paleo recipe seafood-min

Recipe: Spicy Coconut King Prawns

This recipe works great with beautifully fresh, large king prawns. Ideally, have them already cooked, but if you need to cook them yourself then allow them to cool down before you start this recipe. Remember, when buying prawns with the shell on, you’ll have to account for the weight lost when everything is peeled off. Double measurements will be required!

Spicy Coconut King Prawns Ingredients:

  • 500g King Prawns, cooked and peeled
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3cm ginger, grated
  • 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 3tsp hot paprika
  • 3tsp garam masala
  • Juice of half a lime
  • 300ml tomato passata
  • 50g coconut cream
  • Large handful of fresh coriander
  • Handful coconut shavings
  • Coconut oil

Spicy Coconut King Prawns How To:

1)     Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and brown the onions. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes to soften. Add the paprika, garam masala and lime juice, and sweat for another 2 – 3 minutes.

2)     Add the passata along with the prawns, stir, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut cream to thicken, adding more if required.

3)     Serve with the fresh coriander and coconut shavings on top.

Spicy Coconut King Prawns paleo recipe seafood-min

Chilli-Lemon Scallops with Romesco Sauce paleo diet recipe fish seafood-min

Recipe: Chilli-Lemon Scallops with Romesco Sauce

The subtlety and versatility of Scallops mean they pair well with almost any marinade. I've kept this one simple, not only to let the flavour of the Scallops to shine through, but to enjoy the full effect of this marvellous Romesco sauce. Be sure to buy top quality, thick King Scallops from your fishmonger – you’ll notice such a difference.

The main flavour in the Romesco Sauce comes from the chargrilled red pepper. Don’t be afraid to really blacken it!

Scallops Ingredients:

  • 12 King Scallops
  • Juice 2 lemons
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley

Romesco Sauce Ingredients:

  • 6 Dried Nora Chillies
  • 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 small ripe tomatoes, quartered
  • 50g roasted blanched almonds
  • 50g roasted hazelnuts
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil, plus extra
  • 2 tbsp Sherry balsamic vinegar

Romesco Sauce How To:

If it’s easier for you, make the Romesco sauce the night before to save cooking time on the day. Alternatively, make in advance the same day.

Drain the Nora Chillies. Blitz in a food processor with the garlic clove until smooth, adding a little olive oil if necessary. Set aside.

Heat a griddle, or if you don’t have one, a frying pan, to a very high heat. Throw in the pepper, whole, and griddle for around 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from the heat when sufficiently blackened. Transfer the pepper to a large bowl, and cover with cling film for 5 minutes to steam. Remove the cling film and leave to cool. The steam will loosen the skin, making it easy to peel.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and add the shallots. Soften for 2 – 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and a splash of cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes, allowing to thicken. Stir in the chilli and garlic puree.
Blitz the almonds and hazelnuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped – don’t over process and turn to flour. Peel the pepper, remove the seeds and chop. Add this to the food processor, along with the tomato chilli sauce, and process again until combined.

Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl, and stir in 2tbsp each of olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season to taste.

Scallops How To:

Combine the lemon juice, crushed garlic, chilli and parsley. Toss over the scallops, and leave to marinade for at least an hour in the fridge.

Flash fry the Scallops for 1 and a half minutes each side. Remove from the heat, and serve alongside the Romesco Sauce.

Chilli-Lemon Scallops with Romesco Sauce paleo diet recipe fish seafood-min

 

Roasted Spiced Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mint Salsa paleo diet recipe fish-min

Recipe: Roasted Spiced Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mint Salsa

Drawing inspirations from the Middle East, the spices in this recipe compliment the salmon without overpowering it, which is absolutely essential when cooking a high quality piece of fish. The salmon goes lovely and crispy on the outside, but still moist in the middle – just as it should be.

Spiced Salmon Ingredients:

  • 4 thick fillets of wild, organic salmon
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • A pinch of nutmeg

For the salsa:

  • 6 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Spiced Salmon How To:

1)     Chop the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Roughly chop, then combine with the mint and parsley. Drizzle over the honey, balsamic and olive oil, and whizz together. Set in the fridge to chill.

2)     Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / gas mark 6. Add the oil and lemon juice to a roasting dish, stir, and allow to heat up with the oven.

3)     When the oven reaches the desired temperature, remove the roasting dish from the pan. Add the crushed garlic and spices, and whizz together to create a fragrant oil. Whilst the oil is still hot, throw in the salmon, tossing it in the oil to evenly coat. Return to the oven skin side down, and roast for 10 minutes.

4)     Remove the salmon from the oven – the outside should be nice and crisp, but the inside still moist. Serve with the salsa.

Roasted Spiced Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mint Salsa paleo diet recipe fish-min

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Tom Yum-min

Recipe: Tom Yum

Ahh Tom Yum. There’s nothing quite like coming in from work and getting cosy with a bowl of it. Fresh, fragrant, and full of the vibrant flavours that make Thai cooking so special, this Paleo friendly recipe is sure to get those tastebuds tingling. Serve with some cauliflower rice for the perfect dinner.

Tom Yum Ingredients:

  • 750ml homemade chicken stock
  • 16 prawns, shelled and cooked
  • 2 stalks dried lemongrass, chopped
  • 5cm fresh galangal, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 5 dried kaffir lime leaves
  • 2 red birds eye chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • Juice 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp thai fish sauce (be careful for additives)
  • Large handful fresh coriander, to serve

Tom Yum How To:

In a large saucepan, combine the stock with the lemongrass, galangal, garlic and lime leaves. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 8 – 10 minutes until fragrant.

Add the prawns and chillies to the pan, and leave to simmer for another 5 minutes until the prawns are fully heated through. The chillies should turn the broth a light red.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and fish sauce. Serve with lots of fresh coriander torn on the top.

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Tom Yum-min

Recipe Smoky Chilli Squid paleo fish seafood-min

Recipe: Smoky Chilli Squid

Seafood is a great source of omega 3 and other nutrients. Fresh Squid can be great, and I particularly like this recipe. The longer you leave this one to marinate, the better.

Smoky Chilli Squid Ingredients:

  • 2 whole squid, skinned and cleaned
  • 1 fresh red chilli, chopped and deseeded
  • 1 red pepper, chopped and deseeded
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves smoked garlic
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Small handful fresh coriander

Smoky Chilli Squid How To:

1)     In a food processor, blitz together all the ingredients except the squid.

2)     Place the squid in a resealable plastic bag. Pour over the marinade, then leave in the refrigerator for as long as you want, preferable overnight.

3)     When you’re ready to cook, heat a griddle to a high heat. BBQ the squid for 3 – 4 minutes each side, brushing every now and then with the leftover marinade.

Do you often have seafood? What is your favourite?

Recipe Smoky Chilli Squid paleo fish seafood-min

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Crunchy Cashew Fish Fingers Bites Nuggets-min

Recipe: Crunchy Cashew Fish

Quick, comforting, and bursting with flavour, this recipe works great with any white fish and makes a fail safe dinner for the whole family.

Cashew Fish Ingredients:

  • 400g sustainable wild white fish, cut into palm sized pieces
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 tsp black mustard seed
  • 3 tbsp cashew nut flour
  • A pinch cayenne pepper
  • A handful of crushed cashews
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • Olive oil
  • A handful of fresh coriander

Cashew Fish How To:

1)     In a mortar and pestle, grind down the black peppercorns and mustard seed. Transfer to a bowl with the cumin, coriander and cayenne, then add the cashew flour.

2)     Heat a pan to a high heat, then dry fry the crushed cashews until golden. Set aside. Add a little of the oil, then sauté the onions for around 5 minutes. Set aside with the cashews.

3)     Add the rest of the oil to the pan. Toss the fish in the cashew and spice mix, then fry for 2 – 3 minutes each side, until lovely and crisp.

4)     Return the onions and cashews to the pan. Season, and finish with the fresh coriander.

Paleo Diet Recipe Primal Crunchy Cashew Fish Fingers Bites Nuggets-min

Recipe The Paleo Diet Seafood Fish Chowder-min

Recipe: Paleo Seafood Chowder

Seafood and fish are so nutritious and packed with Omega 3. Chowder is great as a meal on it’s own, or as a starter in a small serving size. With fish and seafood, it’s especially important to use really good quality ingredients. Rather than farmed fish, try to get wild/ line caught fish. Or perhaps it’s time to go fishing?!

This is my version of seafood chowder, but it’s so easy to adapt and I would recommend basing it around whatever fish and seafood you have locally, that it of the best quality you can find.

Seafood Chowder Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • Approx 16 rashers of bacon (thinly sliced)
  • 1 leek, diced
  • 1 small sweet potato, diced into chunks
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • ½ litre (1 pint) of stock (I used my homemade chicken stock, but vegetable or fish stock would work well)
  • ½ litre (1 pint) of coconut milk
  • Your choice of fish; I used:
  • 150g (5 oz) barramundi
  • 100g (3.5 oz) salmon
  • 150g (5 oz) smoked haddock
  • 150g (5 oz) fresh prawns
  • 15 clams
  • 15 muscles
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 lemon

How To:

In a pan, melt the coconut oil and sauté the onions until they become translucent. Add in the bacon and stir until it cooks thoroughly.

Add in the leek and garlic and keep stirring.

Pour in the stock and add the sweet potatoes, thyme and bay leaf, cooking for about 40 – 50 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, then, add in the coconut milk, chopped fish and seafood and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Season to taste, add a squeeze of fresh lemon and top with the parsley. Serve immediately.

What do you make with seafood? Which fish and seafood have you found it is easiest to obtain un-farmed?

Recipe The Paleo Diet Seafood Fish Chowder-min

Paleo iodine wraps nori-min

Paleo Iodine Wraps

Since my new supply of himalayan salt arrived with a big warning on the outside “this does not contain iodine”, I've been craving salty foods.  I'm sure this is psychosomatic, but it has lead to quite a lot of reading about iodine deficiency in the last week.

Himalayan-Salt-Iodine-paleo iodine wraps-min

It does appear to be quite possible to become deficient in iodine when eliminating regular iodised salt and conventionally raised animal products.  Apparently they started adding iodine to salt many years ago – and to animal feed, as many people were deficient in the mineral.  Iodine plays a crucial role in thyroid function and is an essential mineral.  I had quite extensive blood work a couple of months ago but for some reason, despite my thyroid function being tested, iodine levels were not part of the tests.  I will get my levels checked out, but in the meantime, I need to make sure I get enough iodine, be it from my diet, or supplements.  Kelp Supplements seem to be quite popular, so perhaps they will be a good choice?

Wild caught fish is a good source of iodine, but I don't incorporate this in my diet regularly – this is probably something I need to change.  Seaweed is supposed to be an excellent source of iodine, so to that end, I created “Paleo Iodine Wraps” for dinner this evening, using Nori sheets.

The wraps were going to contain beef, but I actually found some fresh turkey today – and it was on sale, so I had to buy it (I've got no idea why it's so hard to find turkey in Australia – it's got such a fantastic nutritional profile!).  As you might have noticed I'm quite keen on putting fruit in with savoury dishes, so thought I'd experiment with some apricot to go with the turkey and seaweed flavours.  I'm really enjoying coconut aminos at the moment, so I used it to marinate the turkey and beef in.

Paleo-Iodine-Wraps-Ingredients-1024x1024-min

Ingredients

Fresh Turkey
Thinly Sliced Beef
Onion
Capsicum (bell pepper)
Zucchini
Mushrooms
Tomato
Lettuce
Avocado
Nori Sheets
Coconut Oil
Coconut Aminos
Coriander (Cilanto)
Himalayan Sea Salt
 

Method

I cut the turkey and beef into thin strips and let them marinate in the coconut aminos for a few minutes, whilst I prepared the rest of the ingredients.

I cut the onion, capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms and apricots into strips and then stir fried the meat in the coconut aminos and a spoonful of coconut oil.

Once the meat browned off I set it aside, and stir fried the vegetables and apricots in the same oil.  I added the salt and some coriander to this and kept the vegetables on the heat for a few minutes.

Whilst the vegetables finished cooking, I cut the lettuce, tomatoes and avocados into strips, since these did not require cooking.

Paleo-Iodine-Wraps-Making-1024x1024-min

When the vegetables were ready, I assembled all of the ingredients on one edge of the nori sheets, and rolled them until they resembled (paleo!) sushi rolls.

I was pleased with this impromptu dinner and will add it to my list of good foods to make for on the go!  I think these would store fine in the fridge overnight, so would be another good option for work lunches – or even as a grab and go breakfast.  I really liked the contrast of the seaweed taste with the sweetness of the apricot.  I think next time I'll use fish instead of turkey and beef to full embrace a sea theme for this dish – and to get in a bit more iodine!

Paleo-Iodine-Wraps-1024x1024-min

I've not checked yet, but hopefully if I incorporate Nori a few times a week, I won't have to worry about iodine deficiency.

I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on Iodine intake and deficiency, is this something you actively address in your diet?

Paleo iodine wraps nori-min