Cooking paleo with sweet potatoes
Before I went paleo I ate a lot of white potatoes. Now, I eat
Before I went paleo I ate a lot of white potatoes. Now, I eat
In my experimentation to make the perfect grain-free cracker, I came up with these cracker-balls, which if I do say so myself, are delicious!
I used white potatoes and sweet potatoes, but I think you could easily use parsnips or even pumpkin or squash. The key is in the dehydration to give the crunchy end result. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use your oven on a low heat instead (though I've not tested this method). If you’re keen to try a dehydrator (and I highly recommend them), you can go really cheap like this one, or go all out on an Excalibur like this. There are so many ways to use them.
I’ve fallen a little bit in love with carob recently. It’s a richer, less sweet alternative to chocolate, and it makes wonderfully intense brownies and ‘hot chocolates.’ I’ve adapted my go to raw chocolate brownie recipe to include carob instead of cocoa, but the secret ingredient in these is the sweet potato. Not only does it bind the brownies together effortlessly, it brings the sugar content right down as it is a direct alternative to honey or extra dates. Whip up a batch of these in 10 minutes and munch on them throughout the rest of the week!
As you may already know, I’m a MASSIVE fan of cooking with Bison. I find it has a richer taste than beef, and for that reason it pairs exceptionally well with smoky flavours like bacon and paprika. You’ll find them all, and more, in these delicious burgers; and best of all, you’ll have them on the table in less than 15 minutes. I served mine in my favourite lettuce leaf ‘bun’ with a fried egg and some extra crispy onions – delicious!
1) Gently heat your coconut oil in a frying pan, before adding the diced red onion. Cook for 5 minutes, to soften, before adding the garlic and cooking for an extra couple of minutes.
2) Add the mushrooms and bacon to the pan and cook for a minute or so, until the mushrooms begin to reduce in size. Add the spices to the pan, and give the contents a good stir so that the flavours combine well, before transferring the contents into a large mixing bowl.
3) Add the bison, sweet potato and egg to the bowl, and mix well with your hands. Form the ingredients into 8 – 10 palm sized balls. Keep in the fridge ready for when you want to cook them.
4) When you want to cook your burgers, simply heat some coconut oil to a medium heat in a frying pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you’ll have to cook the burgers in batches – just ensure there is adequate space between each one, as they’ll get wider as you cook. Fry for 5 – 6 minutes on each side, gently pressing with the side of a spatula to iron them into a more conventional burger shape. Alternatively, they taste even better on the bbq!
I find myself wanting to eat baked goods like muffins, cookies and cakes very rarely now I’m Paleo. There’s always an abundance of ‘real food’ like meats, veggies, eggs, fruit and nuts sitting in my fridge, and nine times out of ten I will always go for something from this list rather than starting a batch of Paleo brownies or cupcakes. There are times, however, when the aspiring chef within you wants to make a sweet treat for the whole family; but its often a battle finding a recipe that is full of goodness.
These sweet potato muffins are one of the exceptions to the rule. They pack in a ton of goodness from the nutrient dense eggs, coconut flour, flaxseed and the sweet potatoes themselves. The sweet potato and cinnamon combination is divine, and the chocolate chips add an extra bit of indulgence. Give them a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Makes 8
1) Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Line an 8 hole muffin tray with paper or silicon cases.
2) In a bowl, combine the sweet potato mash with the coconut oil, eggs, almond milk and honey. Whisk together until smooth.
3) In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed, coconut flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, before folding into the wet ingredients to make a batter. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4) Pour the muffin batter into the cases, filling to about 2/3rds of the way up. Bake on the top shelf of your oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
A great way to use up leftovers from a roast dinner – substituting the turkey for chicken or any other free range bird will be just as good! This recipe is an easy lunch to do the night before, as you can simply bung the sweet potatoes in the oven to roast whilst you carry on enjoying your evening. When it’s done, whip it out of the oven, and the rest will take minimal effort to finish!
Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Pop the sweet potatoes in the oven, and leave to roast for around 45 minutes, depending on size. Remove, and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
When cooled slightly, but still soft, cut a slit across the sweet potatoes lengthways with a sharp knife, taking care not to break the rest of the skin. Scoop out the insides and transfer to a separate bowl.
Combine the sweet potato with the mango, onion, lime and coriander. Mash together, then add the shredded roast turkey.
Return the filling to the sweet potato skin, and look forward to a healthy lunch the next day where all you need is a spoon!
If you’re primal and allow yourself dairy, one of the best choices you can make is full fat, probiotic Greek yoghurt. It works perfectly as part of a marinade for these Monkfish skewers – however if you don’t do dairy, I’d be interested to know if you can think of any alternatives to use in place of it here – let me know what you think in the comments, below.
Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Arrange the sweet potato wedges in a roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Place in the oven for around 30 minutes, or until cooked. Leave to cool.
In a food processor, combine the ginger, garlic, lime, turmeric, coriander and yoghurt to make a marinade.
Place the Monkfish and onion wedges into the roasting dish with the sweet potatoes. Pour over the marinade and coat well.
Arrange the skewers by alternating between the fish, sweet potatoes and onions. Aim to fit around 2 / 3 of each item on to each skewer.
When ready to cook, either place on the bbq and keep turning until cooked through, or grill for 2 – 3 minutes either side.
Do you cook with Monkfish? I'd love to hear your favourite fish recipes – and where you source your fish from. Leave me a comment, below!
Earthy and wholesome, these sweet potatoes make a lovely side dish to chicken, pork or lamb. Add red and green capsicum (bell peppers) for a real explosion of colour!
1) Heat a pan to a medium heat with a little coconut oil.
2) In a bowl, combine the onions and sweet potatoes with the lemon, turmeric and cayenne. Add the garlic and ginger and mix together.
3) Fry for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are nice and crispy.
Don’t forget to share in the comments what you enjoyed them with!
I thought I’d share with you another recipe from my new Paleo Vegan and Vegetarian recipe ebook. The recipes in the book are designed for Vegans and Vegetarians keen to ditch grains and legumes – and adopt more of a Paleo diet. In the book I aim to show how even without meat, making the right choices, it is possible to avoid grains, legumes and dairy. If you’re interested in the book and more of a vegetarian paleo approach, you can find it here.
This recipe is for sweet potato boats, loaded with a roast capsicum stew & labana – and will wow anyone you serve it to, vegetarian or not!
Cheap to make and wonderfully comforting, this vegetarian curry is great on its own or as a side to some chicken drumsticks. Great for curling up in front of the fire with on a cold winter’s day.
Heat a large pan with some olive oil to a medium heat, then add the onions and cook until golden. Throw in the garlic, ginger and spices, and cook for 2 – 3 minutes more.
Add a little more oil, then throw in the cauliflower florets and sweet potatoes. Allow to colour and pick up the flavours for 3 – 4 minutes.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, stir, and cover with a lid. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Thicken with coconut cream just before serving.
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