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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

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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

paleo network which type onion use yellow brown sweet red white shallot-min

Which type of onion should you use?

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So you’ve got some red onions left over and no time to pop out to buy yellow ones – can you use them? Well onions aren’t all made the same, whilst it’s not the end of the world if you use the “wrong” type, for best results you’ll appreciate selecting the most appropriate type of onion for each recipe.

paleo network which type onion use yellow brown sweet red white shallot-min

Firstly, how to pick a good onion?

Make sure there are no obvious bruises or softness that may indicate the onion is old. They should feel heavy, firm and not have too strong-an onion odour before you peel them.

Brown Onions

Also known as yellow onions. These are the work-horse of the onion family and for me, the type I use most frequently. They can be used in many different dishes and are fairly sweet. The longer you cook them, the sweeter they'll be.

White Onions

Cook these exactly as you would brown onions, but you'll find them less sweet and with a sharper flavour. They'll hold their texture far better on cooking than the brown onion. If you're going for a raw recipe like a salsa, these would be my preference.

Sweet Onions

Whilst these may look similar to yellow onions, they are, as the name might suggest, even sweeter. These are another good option to eat raw in things like salads.

Red Onions

These taste similar to the brown onion, but won’t become as tender. They’re great for dishes requiring vibrant colour. The flavour can be toned down by soaking them in water before use, making them great to add to colourful salsas and salads.

Shallots

These are a lot milder and great for more delicate recipes where you don’t want a strong onion flavour to take-over.

What type on onions do you use in which dishes? Do you eat them raw?

Recipe Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs-min

Recipe: Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs

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If you’re looking for a ‘stir fry’ recipe with maximum flavour, look no further. This recipe is quick, easy, and comes with incredibly deep and complex flavours. Garlic, Tamarind, Mushrooms, Fish Sauce, Peppers, Shallots and Ginger all work in harmony and make this stir fry incredibly unique. As you’ll know if you've used tamarind before, it can be very sour – so if you’re cooking with it, you’ll need a little sweetness just to balance it out. I find a 1:1 ratio works well, but you may need to adjust this depending on your palate.

The key to this recipe is the gentle cooking. Don’t go mad and raise the heat too high, or the garlic will burn and turn bitter.

Recipe: Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
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Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, diced
  • 3 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3cm chunk root ginger, finely chopped
  • 4 shallots, finely sliced
  • 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
  • 1 red pepper, deseeded and slices
  • 8 mushrooms
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • 2 tsp raw honey
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
  • Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. ) Gently heat the coconut oil in your largest wok. Add the chicken thighs, garlic, ginger and shallots, and cook gently for around 10 minutes, until the chicken is browned and the shallots start to caramelise. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  2. ) Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a saucepan. Add the tamarind, honey, fish sauce and sesame, and mix together until thoroughly combined. Keep on the heat for a few more minutes, until it starts to reduce down. Taste, and adjust to your liking.
  3. ) Check the chicken is thoroughly cooked through. Add the tamarind sauce to the pan, and toss the ingredients together. Serve garnished with a little fresh coriander.

Next on my list is using fresh tamarind fruit, rather than the paste. I’d love to know if you've ever tried it, and how it turned out!

Recipe Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Thighs-min

Braised Wild Rabbit with Glazed Apples, Bacon and Shallots paleo dinner recipe winter-min

Recipe: Braised Wild Rabbit with Glazed Apples, Bacon and Shallots

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Many people are put off eating rabbit because they are, let’s face it, incredibly cute. However, wild rabbit is one of the most sustainable meats you can buy, and you can guarantee it will have enjoyed a diet free of GM foods and artificial hormones. When simmered in a flavoursome liquid, it becomes incredibly tender. And who doesn’t love smoky bacon and sticky, caramelised apples to go with it? Feel free to add some root vegetables into the pot with your rabbit to enhance the flavour – carrots, swede and parsnips would all work.

Recipe: Braised Wild Rabbit with Glazed Apples, Bacon and Shallots
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
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Ingredients
  • One large rabbit, jointed and chopped into 5cm dice
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 200ml apple juice
  • 250ml home made chicken stock
  • Few sprigs fresh thyme
  • Few sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 200g smoky bacon
  • 4 medium shallots, chopped
  • 2 large apples, chopped into wedges
  • Pinch cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Heat the coconut oil in a casserole dish. Add the rabbit, and cook for 5 minutes or so until browned. Pour in the apple juice and stock, before adding the thyme, rosemary and bay. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for an hour.
  2. minutes before serving, heat a little extra coconut oil in a frying pan. Add the bacon and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to release its fat. Add the shallots and apples, a sauté for a further 7 or 8 minutes until sticky and caramelised. Finish with a good pinch of cinnamon, and serve alongside the rabbit.

Braised Wild Rabbit with Glazed Apples, Bacon and Shallots paleo dinner recipe winter-min

paleo recipe Roasted Brussels Sprout, Shallot and Sesame Slaw-min

Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprout, Shallot and Sesame Slaw

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Brussels sprouts are one of the most humble, least glamorous vegetables around. They’re often overlooked in favour of other members of the brassica family; but personally, they’re one of my favourites. Rather than just steaming them, I thought it would be great to roast them in a little oil and turn them into a kind of ‘slaw’. I paired them with the natural sweetness of shallots and the rich, smoky umami of sesame. The result is a wonderful side dish which is simple to make and full of flavour; it works great alongside some griddled chicken thighs or steamed fish.

Serves 2

Slaw Ingredients:

  • 16 medium sized Brussels sprouts
  • 2 medium sized shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

Slaw How To:

1)    Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts, then chop very finely to make a ‘slaw’ like texture. Do the same with the shallots, and combine them with the garlic in a roasting dish. Toss in the olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

2)    Transfer the roasting dish to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir well, then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

3)    Finish by tossing in the sesame oil and seeds.

paleo recipe Roasted Brussels Sprout, Shallot and Sesame Slaw-min