Grilled Trout with Ginger and Coriander paleo fish dinner recipe-min

Recipe: Grilled Trout with Ginger and Coriander

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The meaty, Omega 3 rich trout is a highly versatile fish, and one I often use as an alternative to Salmon. In this recipe, it perfectly compliments the punchy flavours of the Ginger and Chilli. Goes great with a side of courgette (zucchini) pasta and a wedge of lime.

Grilled Trout Ingredients:

  • 4 whole trout, cleaned, skin left on
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 5cm cube fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander
  • 2 fresh green chillies, deseeded and chopped
  • Pinch sea salt
  • Pinch turmeric
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil

Grilled Trout How To:

1) Preheat the grill to medium. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and ginger with a pinch of sea salt. Add a tiny splash of water to form a paste.

2) Add the coriander, chillies and turmeric to the mortar. Grind together until everything is combined into a smooth paste.

3) Using a sharp knife, slash the trout diagonally on both sides 3 – 4 times.

4) Brush the trout both sides with a generous amount of coconut oil – use extra if desired. Rub the spice paste into the fish with your fingers, especially in the slashes.

5) Align the fish in a roasting dish and place directly under the grill. Cook for 7 – 8 minutes each side, until the skin is lovely and crisp. Serve immediately.

Grilled Trout with Ginger and Coriander paleo fish dinner recipe-min

The Paleo Guide to Cooking Oils which coconut oil olive lard tallow vegetable sunflower canola healthy-min

The Paleo Guide to Cooking Oils

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In the Paleo world, we’re not scared of fat. Quite the contrary – we embrace healthy fats and encourage liberal consumption. We worship the health giving properties of coconut oil, olive oil and grass fed ghee. At the same time, we understand the danger of rancid seed oils with a scarily high Omega 6 content. All the information about fats can be somewhat confusing – so do you know what oil to use, and when to use it?

Coconut Oil 

My personal favourite – and perhaps the all-round king of cooking oils, coconut oil really is a product that no Paleo kitchen is complete without. It’s shelf stable, rich in healthy medium chain triglycerides and doesn’t oxidise easily. It’s perfect for using in baked goods, for frying, for roasting vegetables – or just eating by the spoonful. Many people also use it as a natural moisturiser, hair product or lip balm. It’s also been proven to have antibacterial effects and is excellent for improving your gut health, boosting your immunity and improving your metabolism. If you’d rather not stock up on lots of different oils, coconut oil has to be the first on your list.

Make sure you buy the unrefined ‘extra virgin’ kind – it’s solid at room temperature and liquid at around 24 degrees C (76F). It can be pretty expensive compared to things like olive oil, which is why I buy mine in bulk!

The Paleo Guide to Cooking Oils which coconut oil olive lard tallow vegetable sunflower canola healthy-min

Ghee

Ghee always throws up a bit of confusion for us Paleo folk, not least because it’s a form of dairy and dairy isn’t part of the Paleo framework. Yes, Ghee is clarified butter – but the process that makes it removes the problematic casein and lactose content. If you don't tolerate other forms of dairy, you'll probably still be ok with ghee. I’ve recently started including it in my diet, with excellent results – and it tastes amazing too!

It has a great omega 3 : omega 6 ratio (roughly 1:1) and is rich in vitamins A, D, E and K2. It’s one of the most stable fats for cooking at high temperatures, so is great for frying and roasting. However, it is expensive, and if you can’t buy it grass fed, you’re probably better off without it altogether.

Palm Oil

Similar to coconut oil in that it is shelf stable and rich in healthy saturated fats, palm oil is generally more expensive and harder to find. It also draws about controversy because of its sustainability and the impact palm oil farming is having on Orang-utan populations. If you can find it from a verified, sustainable source, and you can afford it – then use it much as you would in coconut oil (except in baking). If you can’t, stick to the good stuff above.

Olive Oil

Probably the most popular and well known healthy oil – olive oil is one of those that you can enjoy with your conventional wisdom friends without getting into an argument about the health benefits of saturated fats. It stands up fairly well to heat, so makes a decent oil for light pan frying – but it’s much better as a dressing, drizzled liberally onto salads, meats, or used in pesto. You’ll find lots of different flavours and colours of olive oil on the shelves; just make sure you always buy ‘Extra Virgin’ and ideally organic. In my experience, the darker the colour, the tastier it will be.

Animal Fats

Animal fats are much maligned in conventional wisdom, but why so?

Avocado Oil, Walnut Oil and Macadamia Oil

Experiment with these as dressings and enjoy their unique flavours – but don’t attempt to cook with them. They’re not the most heat stable, and besides, they’re expensive so why would you want to? Buy them in dark bottles where possible to minimise oxidation.

So tell me, what’s your favourite cooking oil? If you can’t see it listed here, it’s probably not Paleo. So that means stay away from the Canola oil, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Oil and Margarine!

Raw Chocolate Maple and Pecan Fudge recipe paleo primal sugar free sweet streats dessert-min

Recipe: Raw Chocolate Maple and Pecan Fudge

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Makes roughly 20 squares
The classic combination of Maple and Pecan tastes like heaven in this silky smooth raw chocolate fudge. I added Lucuma for a touch extra sweetness and to ramp up the levels of iron and calcium, but its not essential.

Raw Chocolate Maple and Pecan Fudge Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup pecan butter (best when home made!)
  • ½ cup coconut butter
  • ½ cup raw cacao powder
  • 100ml maple syrup (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lucuma powder (optional)

Raw Chocolate Maple and Pecan Fudge Ingredients:

1) With a fork, combine the pecan butter and coconut butter. If you don’t have coconut butter available, I guess coconut oil would work just as well, however you may want to use a little less.

2) Whisk in the cacao powder until smooth. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and lucuma if using, and whisk well until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.

3) Line a baking tray with some parchment paper. Pour the mixture out evenly, then transfer to the freezer for an hour or so. When completely set, remove, leave for 10 minutes at room temperature, then fall in love.

Raw Chocolate Maple and Pecan Fudge recipe paleo primal sugar free sweet streats dessert-min

Curried Tilapia in Coconut Sauce fish paleo dinner recipe lunch-min

Recipe: Curried Tilapia in Coconut Sauce

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I love Tilapia, but this recipe also works great with halibut, monkfish, mullet, or any other sustainably caught, meaty white fish. Serve with a heap of cauliflower rice and fresh veggies.

Curried Tilapia Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 cardamom pods, crushed
  • 4 curry leaves
  • 2 x 400ml cans coconut milk (or 1 can coconut milk and 400ml water)
  • 4 large tilapia fillets, each cut into 2 / 3 palm sized pieces

Curried Tilapia How To:

1) Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy based pan. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 – 3 minutes. Turn the heat down low.

2) Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the cardamom pods and lightly toast for 30 seconds, before pouring in the coconut milk. Add the curry leaves, and simmer for 15 minutes.

3) Add the tilapia to the pan and stir well. Turn the heat up to medium, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the fish is completely cooked through. Serve with a heap of cauliflower rice.

Curried Tilapia in Coconut Sauce fish paleo dinner recipe lunch-min

Secret Green Smoothie vitamin c paleo diet recipe primal juice juicing-min

Recipe: Vitamin C Secret Green Smoothie

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Not only is this delicious smoothie bursting with over 100% of your daily requirement of vitamin C – you’d never know it was hiding a bunch of greens in there too! When I made it, it came out a wonderful deep red, thanks to just a touch of beetroot and a dash of pomegranate juice. A great way to load up on greens without drinking something, well, green! This is very low sugar for a smoothie as well, as it’s a good balance between fruit and veg.

Green Smoothie Ingredients:

  • 200ml water
  • 50ml pomegranate or acai juice
  • 1 large handful fresh spinach
  • 1 handful fresh blueberries
  • ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • ½ orange, peeled
  • ½ raw beetroot, peeled and chopped

Green Smoothie How To:

1) Whizz together all ingredients in a high powered blender. Serve over a touch of crushed ice
2) Enjoy!

Secret Green Smoothie vitamin c paleo diet recipe primal juice juicing-min

YOUR Quick 20-Minute Paleo Dinner Ideas fast no time recipes-min

YOUR Quick 20-Minute Paleo Dinner Ideas

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I recently asked the followers of the Paleo Network's Facebook page for their favourite quick paleo dinner meals and got some great replies (and only one “McDonalds” comment!) – here are 70 of them…

Steak & beef ideas

This was by far the most popular meat people use for a quick dinner, here are some of the responses:

  • Reheated beef stew that I make sure I have frozen
  • Steak and salad
  • Steak, eggs and broccoli.
  • Steak and salad
  • Steak and steamed veggies
  • Steak with a side order of steak
  • Sautéd kale & cherry tomatoes w garlic, onion & olive oil, sweet potato rosti & BBQ grilled steak – quick, easy & yummy
  • Steak and sweet potato
  • Grass fed beef broiled topped with egg. Sweet potato coins, Raw red onion slices on top of fresh spinach, grated carrots, sliced avocado with fresh lemon juice and thinly sliced elephant garlic. Yummy!
  • Bbq steak sliced placed on a large salad topped with a soft boiled egg and crumbled blue vein. Yummo!
  • Steak with Morton Bay bugs, Sweet Potato Mash and steamed beetroot and zucchini…..exactly what I'm having tonight!!
  • Steak or pork chop, pan fried with cumin seeds … then cabbage, kale spring onions and broccolini all sauteed in the pan juices…. super quick and absolutely delicious!
  • Steak on the BBQ on salad. That's what we are about to have.
  • Bison burgers with caramelized onions and grilled zucchini slices.
  • Steak and broccoli

YOUR Quick 20-Minute Paleo Dinner Ideas fast no time recipes-min

Fish & Seafood

Another popular choice:

  • Salmon cooked on the sandwich press and steamed veg
  • Shrimp
  • Coconut salmon and green salad!
  • Tuna and salad
  • Steamed shrimp with broccoli/cauliflower!
  • Salmon with lemon, parsley and garlic, spinach and kale
  • Salmon and salad, bacon & eggs, ham & salad
  • Oven Grilled salmon or any other fish and greens or salad to go with it.
  • Baked Salmon vegies and dip
  • Half an avocado with fresh prawns
  • Grilled salmon with green veg
  • Salmon steak on a bed of English spinach with avocado and mango and drizzled with fresh lime….nom nom nom!!!!

Lamb Dinner

Lamb chops are so quick to cook, I thought a few more people would have suggested this:

  • Lamb chops, cauliflower rice and sweet potato mash
  • Lamb chops and sweet potato mash
  • Lamb tangine
  • Lamb chunks braised in onion garlic and ginger cooked with prunes
  • Sliced cold lamb roast with salt and fruit/veggie juice.

Chicken & Turkey

Lots of great ideas here too:

  • Chicken broccoli and kumara gets boring but fast and effective haha
  • Baked chicken with kumara all in one tray
  • Grilled chicken breast and sweet potato mash with steamed veggies.
  • Paleo turkey nuggets pan fried in coconut oil. Yum!
  • Baked chicken thighs with green beans & shallots sautéed in coconut oil.
  • Chicken breast meatballs with herbs, sundried tomatoes, onion, garlic and Parmesan served with walnut salad. Or poached chicken breast and steamed veggies.
  • Ground turkey, kale, Brussels Sprouts, bone broth fried over mashed parsnip
  • Chicken (scrambled eggs with onion, spinach, bacon)
  • Chicken Red curry on a bed of grated zucchini
  • Salad & coconut chicken
  • Salad and chicken Sandwich using lettuce instead of bread! Mmmm
  • Chicken thigh marinated in my garden herbs and a big salad
  • Spiced grilled chicken tenderloins on a mango, avocado, lettuce, tomato salad. With orange balsamic dressing… yummo…
  • Chicken breast, grape tomatoes and shallots. Cook in oil of choice in a pan and any spices you like on top of stove. Easy peasy.

Eggs

I use eggs a lot when I need to prepare something to eat in a hurry, as do you by the looks of it:

  • Eggs and almond butter
  • Bacon and eggs
  • spinach and mushrooms sautéed in ghee with soft boiled eggs= Heaven. It's the perfect meal.
  • Eggs and shrimp for my daughter, eggs and salami for my son… lol. Add chicken broth to it and stir, microwave if you are in a rush. Cook over a pan if you have more time. Quick and easy. You can also add in frozen/non-frozen veggies, herbs, etc. Apple slices, Clementine, other fruit on the side.
  • Squashed avocado with boiled eggs and steamed carrot and broccoli- all together it's DA BOMB
  • Eggs and anything or everything.
  • Eggs and sautéed sweet potatoes!
  • Omelette!!
  • Omelette filled with vegies, or meat and a big salad.
  • Onion, sweet potato, mushrooms, turkey bacon, all fried up with two whole and two egg whites cracked on top

And the rest

A few paleo versions of non-paleo favourites cropped up to:

  • Taco salad.
  • Paleo fajitas.
  • A salad with whatever meat I have cooked in the fridge.
  • Jamaican curry
  • Soup, salad, raw veggie tray, stir fry…
  • Cabbage and bacon
  • Fajitas and a great salad.
  • Meat & veg. Who knew?
  • A frittata loaded with veg, a chicken stir fry or Thai curry, grilled chicken and salad, or chicken thigh fillets marinated in coconut milk, ginger and chilli then grilled and served with steamed Chinese greens. So many quick, delicious, and stupidly easy meals to make!!
  • Paleo chilli con carne
  • Paleo bratwurst & sauerkraut
  • Left over spaghetti squash with 3 over easy eggs…salt and pepper of course.
  • I make a stir fry….ANYTHING!! use eggs, meat, veggies, coconut aminos and spices…. The great thing about paleo….you can make dinner quickly and it is ALWAYS great!!! I keep my veggies cleaned…ready to cook or make salad. Always have a meat ready to cook…whether it is beef, chicken, fish or deer meat.
  • Whatever animal is unlucky and slow enough to be near my chompers

So over to you. Please share your answer in the comments below: “You've got 20 minutes to put dinner together – what's your favourite quick paleo meal to make?”

Slow Cooked Chicken Livers with Cayenne and Paprika paleo diet recipe offal organ meat nutrition primal-min

Recipe: Slow Cooked Chicken Livers with Cayenne and Paprika

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After finally acting on my resolution to use more offal in my cooking, I went to the butchers and purchased some chicken livers (along with some other interesting looking cuts, which I’m sure you’ll read about soon!). My first attempt was pretty unsuccessful; the meat was tough, and although the flavour was good, it felt like it hadn't quite reached its potential.

Next time around, I told myself, I would cook them much more slowly, so that they are ultra tender and full of rich flavour. I paired them with the smoky and pungent flavours of paprika and cayenne, which turned out to be a match made in heaven.

Slow Cooked Chicken Livers Ingredients:

  • 750g organic, free range chicken livers
  • 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped into slices
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 200ml tomato passata
  • Olive oil
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Slow Cooked Chicken Livers  How To:

Cut any stringy bits away from the livers, then cut into strips. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy based frying pan to a high heat, then brown off the offal by cooking for 2 minutes each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium, add a little more olive oil, then add the onions. Fry until softened, for about 5 minutes, then add the paprika and cayenne. Fry gently for another couple of minutes, before adding the passata and about 200ml water.

Return the offal to the pan along with the peppers. Lower the heat to its lowest setting, stir well, and leave to simmer very gently for around 2 hours. Check occasionally, adding more water if needs be. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Slow Cooked Chicken Livers with Cayenne and Paprika paleo diet recipe offal organ meat nutrition primal-min

Why You Should Get Rid of Your Microwave radiation safety paleo diet healthy-min

Why You Should Get Rid of Your Microwave!

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Microwaves – probably one of the most celebrated and widely used 20th century inventions in the western world. The chances are, even if you don’t use it, you’ll have one in your house and office. They’re quick and convenient, but they pose all sorts of health risks, and are best avoided at all costs. But just what is it that’s so bad about them?

They’re radioactive, and mess with your heart rate and blood cells

On average, microwaves produce 2.4 GHz radiation, which can have serious impacts on your body. A study by Dr. Magda Havas of Trent University has shown that this amount of radiation can cause ‘immediate and drastic’ changes to your heart rate. Another study by Dr. Hans Hertel shows that this radiation alters the balance of red and white blood cells. Research also indicates that microwave radiation can lead to blood sugar spikes connected with diabetes in susceptible individuals.

They zap nutrients right out of your food

Due to the dielectric heating of foods when cooked in a microwave, a startling amount of the nutrients are lost in the ‘cooking’ process. Studies have shown an approximate 40% drop in the levels of vitamin B12 in meat when heated in a microwave as opposed to traditional methods. Even more shockingly, broccoli was found to lose up to 97% of its antioxidants when microwaved, as opposed to just 11% when steamed. As the Paleo diet focuses on eating clean, nutrient dense foods, microwaving doesn't make much sense does it?

Why You Should Get Rid of Your Microwave radiation safety paleo diet healthy-min

They transfer carcinogens into food

If you reheat your food in any kind of plastic wrap, or even in a plastic tub, all sorts of chemicals can leak into your meal. In a study by the Russian government, levels of BPA, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), benzene, toluene, and xylene were discovered in microwaved food.

And it’s not just the food itself you need to worry about..

Perhaps most shockingly of all, as microwaves are supposedly ‘safe’ to use in the home – they can leak radiation and electromagnetic emissions directly into your kitchen. You wouldn’t eat your food in an electromagnetic power plant, so why put yourself in the same danger in your kitchen?

Our hectic lives mean that sometimes we just don’t have the time to prepare healthy, delicious meals for the whole family every evening. Sometimes, meal planning and cooking food in large batches is one of the best ways of saving time whilst ensuring every one eats healthily. But what if you want to reheat that food? Personally, when I’m batch cooking, I tend to mainly make stews, curries, casseroles, even soups. These are really easy to reheat using a traditional saucepan and stove, and can be ready in minutes. Also, I tend to peel and chop my veggies when I have the time so they are ready to roast, boil or steam when I want them. I’ll often roast up some sweet potatoes or squash in their skin – and when I want to eat them, I’ll just throw them in a hot oven for five minutes to heat through before peeling. When it comes to meat, I’ll often chop this up and leave it in the fridge ready to cook. Stir fries are a brilliant way to quickly cook your protein, especially if you dice it finely. Steak, Lamb, Salmon and Tuna are also excellent choices if you’re in a rush, as they can (and should!) be eaten rare, so will only take a couple of minutes to cook each side.

What are your thoughts on microwaving food? Is it something you still do or did you give it up along with the grains and sugar?

Jerk Pork Chops paleo recipe dinner-min

Recipe: Jerk Pork Chops

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Jamaican style ‘Jerk’ is one of my favourite marinades in the whole world. It goes great with pork, chicken and fish, so I always make double quantities and keep some in the fridge. Everyone has their own take on the recipe, but this is mine; spicy and full bodied, just as it should be.

Jerk Pork Chops Ingredients:

  • 4x 200g pork chops
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Juice of ½ orange
  • 2tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2tbsp tomato puree
  • 1tbsp black-strap molasses
  • 1 scotch bonnet chilli (keep the seeds)
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 4cm knob of ginger, peeled
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp allspice berries
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Jerk Pork Chops How To:

Slash the pork chops with a sharp knife

Grind down the allspice berries and the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Add to a food processor along with all the marinade ingredients. Rub into the meat, making sure to work the marinade into all the incisions. Leave to marinade overnight.

Heat a griddle to a medium – high heat; not so hot that you tarnish the flavour. Grill the chops for 5 minutes each side. Works even better on the bbq!

Jerk Pork Chops paleo recipe dinner-min

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb paleo recipe dinner-min

Recipe: Slow Roast Leg of Lamb

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Nothing beats tucking into a joint of lamb, full of flavour that just falls straight off the bone. Be sure to buy top quality, well hung meat from your local butchers for optimum flavour and texture. The beauty of slow roasting any joint of meat is that you can just pop it in the oven, get on with your day, and let it fill your home with wonderful aromas. This one’s no exception.

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb Ingredients:

  • 1 leg of lamb, 1.25 – 1.5kg in weight
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • Small bunch of fresh rosemary
  • Zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 anchovies
  • 500ml tomato passata
  • Black pepper

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb How To:

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas mark 6. Strip the leaves off the rosemary and set aside. Scatter the twigs and the chopped onions in a roasting tray.

In a food processor, blitz the rosemary leaves, anchovies, garlic and lemon to a paste.

Slash the skin of the lamb with a sharp knife, making small incisions as you go. Rub the paste all over the meat, ensuring a complete and even coating. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes to colour the meat.

Lower the heat of the oven to 150C / 300F / Gas mark 2. Remove the lamb, and add the tomato passata, stirring the residual juices in well. Slow roast for 3 – 3/12 hours, basting whenever you get the chance.

Slow Roast Leg of Lamb paleo recipe dinner-min