Recipe: Paleo Chicken Schnitzel

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Chicken Schnitzel is pretty much the national dish of Australia (perhaps after pie?), which is funny, because if you ask for chicken schnitzel in the UK people think you’ve come straight from the 1970’s.

The only problem with chicken schnitzel is the ingredients. This is what’s in a fairly standard one I saw in the supermarket:

Chicken (52%), Water, Buckwheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Thickener (1404, 415, 1442), Salt, Dehydrated Vegetables (Onion, Garlic), Herbs (Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage), Spices (Pepper), Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Egg Albumen, Sugar, Colours (150a, 100, 160c, 160b), Dextrose (Tapioca, Maize), Mineral Salts (450, 500), Canola Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Soy Protein, Thickener (1404), Yeast, Vinegar, Iodised Salt, Soy Flour, Emulsifiers (411, 481, 472E), Vitamin (Thiamin, Folate), Vegetable Gum (412), Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein, Wheat Cereal, Flavour Enhancer (635)

Quite alarming when the chicken element in your chicken is barely 50%, don’t you think? Also “chicken” doesn’t really tell you too much, I think we can assume if it doesn’t say free-range, it’s almost certainly not the type of chicken I’d choose to buy. So you know what this means? Yes – it means a paleo chicken schnitzel recipe is called for!

Recipe: Paleo Chicken Schnitzel
Recipe type: Poultry
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
Ingredients
  • 2 free-range chicken breasts
  • 1 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup almond meal
  • ½ cup coconut flour
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 230C (450F) if you’re going to oven bake rather than fry
  2. Slice the chicken in half width-ways, creating two thin pieces and pound with a rolling pin (or, if you have a better equipped kitchen than me, a meat tenderiser) until it’s super thin. If you don’t want raw chicken flying around your kitchen, you can wrap it in gladwrap/ cling film for this step. You can keep whole and have proper schnitzels, or slice into strips like I did.
  3. Put the Tapioca flour (or you can use arrowroot flour if you don’t have tapioca) in a bowl, and the egg in a separate bowl. Tip – fill up the Tapioca bowl as you use it to avoid waste.
  4. In another bowl, mic together the almond meal, coconut flour, seasoning and herbs/ spices. I tend to do this in small batches too, to avoid being left with an eggy mess of excess crumb mixture I’ll have to throw away.
  5. Now for the fun part. Dip the chicken pieces in each bowl, turn by turn: start with the tapioca layer, then the egg layer and end with the crumb mixture. Maybe it’s just me, but I find this turns into a huge mess, so small batches of the dry bowls will help here.
  6. You now have a choice and whilst most people will choose to fry, I find I get far better results oven baking. The crumb is evenly golden with the inside cooked but tender. But give both a try and see what works for you.
  7. If you’re oven baking, arrange on a baking tray and cook for about 20 minutes. I always cut into the chicken in a couple of the thickest places to ensure there are no pink bits left. If you’re going to fry about 8-10 minutes in a hot pan in some coconut oil should do the trick – just make sure you turn them a couple of times.

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

Do you have a gluten-free paleo version of this recipe that you use? I'd love to hear your secret ingredients!

paleo_recipe_7_minute salmon poached_perfect

Recipe: 7 Minute Salmon

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Salmon is great in so many things – recently I’ve been having a lot of salmon salads. I’ve tried lots of different ways of cooking it, but I think I’ve got the perfect method – and best of all, it takes just 7 minutes on the stove. I find this method far more consistant than frying or baking, as it always turns out well. This poaching technique is quick and cooks the fish through, but it remains tender. I tend to make up more than I need, as it’s fine to keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, making for a quick lunch option.

I’m quite careful about the fish I get and avoid farmed fish. Look out for wild fish where you can.

Recipe: 7 Minute Salmon
Recipe type: Fish & Seafood
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
Ingredients
  • 4 wild salmon fillets
  • 3 spring onions, trimmed
  • 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
  • Squeeze of fresh lime
  • Sea salt
Instructions
  1. In a pan just big enough to accommodate the fish, arrange the fillets so they don’t overlap, and cover with cold water until they are immersed.
  2. Add the spring onions, peppercorns and lime, then the sea salt.
  3. Bring the water to the boil and as soon as it starts to boil, turn the fillets over and remove the pan from the heat. Leave the pan to stand for 7 minutes.
  4. After 7 minutes, take the salmon out of the pan and leave to cool completely. Once the salmon is cool it will be cooked to perfection.

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

How do you cook Salmon (and other fish?) I’d love to hear your tips in the comments below.

Roast pork rack with baked apples paleo diet recipe dinner idea

Recipe: Roast Pork Rack with Baked Apples

/0 Comments/in , , /by

We all know how well pork goes with apples – but instead of making an apple sauce, try serving it with whole baked apples instead. Simple, but delicious.





Roast pork rack with baked apples
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp celtic sea salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 bone pork rack (approx 2kg)
  • 2 red onions
  • 1 bulb garlic
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 apples (I used pink lady)
  • 200ml white wine
  • 125 ml beef stock
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 220C (430F)
  2. Using a pestle & mortar, grind the fennel and salt together
  3. Rub the oil into the pork skin, then rub in the salt mixture
  4. Peel the onions and slice into thick wedges
  5. Quarter the garlic bulb and arrange the onion and garlic at the bottom of a roasting tray, then place the pork on top
  6. Roast until the skin turns brown and crispy, approx 20 - 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C (355F) and cook for a further 20 minutes
  7. Score the apples along the centre (this will make sure they don't explode!) and place in the oven tray, around the pork. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the pork juices run clear, and the apples are soft.
  8. Once cooked, remove the pork and apples from the tray and keep warm
  9. Transfer the remaining contents of the tray into a saucepan through a sieve and add the wine to the juices.
  10. Boil over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
  11. Serve the pork and apples and top with the sauce.

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

Roast pork rack with baked apples paleo diet recipe dinner idea

Tomato & Chilli Relish Paleo diet recipe sauce dip

Recipe: Tomato & Chilli Relish

/0 Comments/in , /by

What better way to finish off a paleo burger, than with a generous serving of home-made relish? This relish is tomato and chilli – but unlike most relish recipes, I've used medjool dates instead of sugar to add some sweetness.

If you like your relish hot, add some more chillies to your mixture.

Recipe: Tomato & Chilli Relish
Recipe type: Sauces & Condiments
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • ½ eggplant (aubergine)
  • 3 medjool dates, diced
  • 80ml red wine vinegar
  • 4 chillies, chopped (try a mixture of red and green)
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • celtic sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a low heat
  2. Add the onion and garlic, and fry until they start to turn soft & translucent
  3. Add in the eggplant and dates, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often
  4. Pour in the red wine vinegar and reduce the temperature to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has reduced to approximately half its original volume
  5. Add in the chillies, fennel, coriander and tomatoes, the reduce the heat to a low setting and stir regularly
  6. After about half an hour, season, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool before serving.

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

Tomato & Chilli Relish Paleo diet recipe sauce dip

Stuffed Capsicum paleo diet recipe bell peppers dinner lunch chicken-min

Recipe: Stuffed Capsicum

/1 Comment/in , , , , , /by

I usually only use green capsicum as they’re half the price of their red and yellow cousins, but when they were on offer this week, I thought it was high time to cook something capsicumy. What better than the classic stuffed capsicum? I’d usually make this with minced beef, but I fancied a change, so thought I’d give it a try with shredded chicken instead.

I always used to cut the tops of the capsicum, stuff them, put the lid back on, then cook them standing up. However, it’s not easy to find ones that will remain standing up and also I think they’re harder to eat and not so attractive on the plate this way. I served mine sliced in half lengthways and retained the stalk party to stop the stuffing falling out, and partly because it looks good! Unfortunately cutting them for this dish means I can't use my genius capsicum cutting technique.

I used mushrooms, carrots and a zucchini for the stuffing, but this is a great way to use up whatever vegetables you happen to have.

Hint: Take care choosing your capsicums! You’ll find the ones with 4 points at the base will sit far better in the oven than those with 3 points.

I was left with loads of stuffing left over, so froze this in individual portions and will enjoy them for many lunches to come!

Recipe: Stuffed Capsicum
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
This is a great winter dish served with cauliflower rice - or a simple salad.
Ingredients
  • 3 colourful capsicums (bell peppers)
  • Dash of coconut oil
  • 2 brown onions, diced into small pieces
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 bottle of pasata
  • 1 zucchini diced into small pieces
  • 6 mushrooms, diced into small pieces
  • 2 carrots, diced into small pieces
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tsp of chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Sea salt & black pepper to taste
  • Cooked shredded chicken
Instructions
  1. Cut the capsicums lengthways, ensuring the two halves will sit nicely, before making the cut. Deseed the capsicum and trim the insides and bottom of the stalk ensuring there is lots of room for them to be filled. Put the halves empty side up on a baking tray.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 175C
  3. Fry the onions in the coconut oil over a medium heat, until the soften.
  4. Add in the tomatoes and pasata, then stir in the veggies
  5. Allow the mixture to simmer for 20-30 minutes, then add the herbs, spices and seasoning.
  6. Add in the chicken to heat up, and once the carrots have softened remove the pan from the heat.
  7. Spoon the mixture into the capsicum halves and push down with the back of a spoon, ensuring they are completely filled.
  8. Put the stuffed capsicums in the oven and cook until the capsicum has softened to your liking, ensuring they don’t burn! I should just take a few minutes.

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

Stuffed Capsicum paleo diet recipe bell peppers dinner lunch chicken-min

fail-proof poached chicken paleo recipe shredded poultry lunch dinner-min

Recipe: fail-proof poached chicken

/2 Comments/in , , , , /by

I don’t know about you, but I find chicken cooked in the oven can be a bit dry and fried chicken can be a little greasy (not to mention make an complete mess of the kitchen) , so lately I've been poaching chicken instead. This is my favourite way to cook chicken that I'm going to be shredding, or adding to a recipe that calls for pre-cooked chicken.

Recipe: fail-proof poached chicken
Print
Ingredients
  • Chicken (as much as your recipe calls for)
  • A splash of white wine
  • Water
  • A couple of bay leaves
  • A small piece of fresh ginger
  • A few black peppercorns
  • Sea salt
Instructions
  1. Dice the chicken up into roughly equal sized pieces.
  2. Arrange the chicken at the bottom of a pan, trying to make sure none of the pieces overlap
  3. Pour the wine over first, then add cold water until the chicken is completely submerged by about 5cm of water.
  4. Throw in the bay leaves, ginger, peppercorns, then season.
  5. Bring the water to a boil, then when it boils reduce the heat and allow it to simmer.
  6. If you’re going to use the liquid, you’ll want to spoon off the scum that will come to the top.
  7. Simmer the chicken for a few minutes until thoroughly cooked. Ideally, you’ll want to use a meat thermometer to ensure it’s cooked all the way through before removing from the heat, otherwise, test the largest piece to ensure it’s cooked all the way through, and the juices run clear.
  8. Once cooked, drain the chicken pieces and shred, or use as they are.

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

fail-proof poached chicken paleo recipe shredded poultry lunch dinner-min

Recipe Egg-y Tomatoes breakfast paleo network-min

Recipe: Egg-y Tomatoes

/0 Comments/in , /by

I know so many people find breakfast the hardest thing about eating a low-carb paleo diet. Well, if my 80 paleo breakfast ideas haven't given you any ideas, here's a recipe for you.

I love having eggs for breakfast as I find them so filling – and a great way to get a good amount of protein in, first thing in the morning. This recipes disguises the eggs with a homemade tomato puree and is super quick and easy. There really is no excuse not to start the day on a good breakfast, however busy you are.

This would go really well with some fresh salmon (make sure it's wild and local), or some paleo sausages.

I'd love to hear what a typical breakfast looks like for you. Do you tend to have the same thing most mornings? Or perhaps you just have leftovers from the night before?

Recipe: Egg-y Tomatoes
Recipe type: Breakfast
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Print
A really quick and simple option for a paleo breakfast on a busy day.
Ingredients
  • 3 medium tomatoes
  • 45ml (3 tablespoons) EV olive oil
  • 6 free-range eggs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Blend the tomatoes in a bender and put to one side
  2. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, before adding the blended tomatoes.
  3. Season to taste
  4. Stir the mixture whilst the excess liquid evaporates
  5. Once the mixture dries out, after about ten minutes, beat the eggs and stir into the tomatoes
  6. Keep stirring until the eggs are cooked through
  7. Serve & enjoy

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

Recipe Breakfast Tomato Eggs Low Carb Paleo Network Primal Diet-min

Recipe Coconut milk berries icy poles popsicles ice lollies lolly Paleo Network-min

Recipe: Coconut Icy Poles

/1 Comment/in , /by

What to do when you've made more coconut milk than you can possibly use? Make coconut ice lollies of course! I already had some moulds for icy poles and some wooden sticks, so it couldn't have been easier. This would work great with coconut yoghurt too, next time you make a batch.

Recipe Coconut milk berries icy poles popsicles ice lollies Paleo Network-min

Recipe: Coconut Icy Poles
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Desserts
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Print
Leftover coconut milk or yoghurt? Don't waster it - throw it in a popsicle mould instead!
Ingredients
  • coconut milk
  • handful of berries
  • handful of coconut flakes
Instructions
  1. Put some berries at the bottom of each mould
  2. Next add a pinch of coconut flakes to each section
  3. Finally top with the coconut milk (or yoghurt)
  4. Put in the sticks and freeze until solid

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

Recipe homemade coconut yoghurt paleo network-min

Recipe: Homemade Coconut Yogurt

/6 Comments/in , , /by

I think I've finally perfected my coconut yoghurt recipe – well, to be honest I actually bought a thermometer (mine is similar to this one). I tried to wing it without one, but really, if you want to do this properly, you've got to get the temperatures right.

Recipe Coconut Yoghurt Easy Probiotic Natural Homemade Paleo Network-min

Firstly, why coconut yogurt?

Well, if you haven't already tried it, it's so delicious! But so expensive to buy. I've found one really good brand, CoYo in some health food shops, but it's never going to be more than a very occasional treat.

The thing with coconut yoghurt is that it's great if you don't tolerate dairy well, given that it's made with coconut milk rather than dairy. It's also a great way to get some probiotics into your diet and of course, coconut is a great source of fat.

I love this yogurt on it's own, but it's great with fruit, or frozen as a paleo desert! It would be great with a paleo no-oatmeal for breakfast too.

So here's how I make it (trust me, it's easier than it looks)…

Recipe Coconut Yoghurt Probiotic Natural Homemade Paleo Network-min

Recipe: Homemade Coconut Yogurt
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Print
This coconut yogurt make take a little time to prepare and wait for - but it's easy and oh so worth it!
Ingredients
  • 6 cups coconut milk (see my instructions to make this yourself)
  • 1 medium can of coconut milk
  • half a vanilla bean pod
  • 3 tablespoons of natural gelatin
  • a live yoghurt culture
  • You'll need:
  • glass mason jars with air tight lids
  • a candy thermometer
  • a whisk
Instructions
  1. Make the coconut milk the night before, following the instructions in my recipe
  2. The next day put the coconut milk in a pan, adding in the vanilla pod. This is where the temperature becomes crucial. Put in your thermometer and don’t take your eyes off until it hits 82 degrees C (180 degrees F). You’ll need to whisk the mixture constantly during the 15 minutes or so it takes to get to this temperature: burning and sticking to the pan does not make a good coconut yogurt!
  3. Once you reach 82C (180F) take the pan straight off the heat and alow it to cool naturally. But keep monitoring the temperature – you’re aiming for it to cool to 38C (100F).
  4. Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature and keep an eye on it – once it’s reached this temperature, turn it off.
  5. Once you hit 38C (100F) remove the vanilla pod, as it’s now served its purpose. Pour a big size dollop of the mixture into a bowl and add in your culture, whisk it in thoroughly until it’s completely mixed in. Now, add this bowl back into the main coconut mixture, and thoroughly mix in with your whisk.
  6. Mix the gelatin into the coconut mixture and keep whisking until you’re sure it’s totally dissolved and mixed through.
  7. Spoon the mixture into your air-tight jars or bottles and put them in your (now turned off) warm oven.
  8. Leave the jars in your oven overnight, to let the culture do their work. The following morning, put the jars in the fridge to allow them to thicken up (the gelatin will help make this happen)
  9. If you want to add a sweetener like honey, mix it in at this stage. Otherwise, all to sit in the fridge for about 4 hours.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!

recipe paleo coconut milk make your own homemade-min (1)

Recipe: DIY Coconut Milk

/0 Comments/in , , /by

I've written a lot before about some of the dodgy coconut milk on the shelves of your local health food store. You really have to check the ingredients carefully, it's near impossible to find one without the mysterious “guar gum”, not to mention stabilizers, emulsifiers and a host of chemicals I'd rather not consume. If you want to learn more about some of the dodgy ingredients, you'll need to read this.

So whilst you can find the odd brand without all of the added nasties, it's surprisingly easy to make your own coconut milk. You just need a bit of time!

Recipe Coconut Milk Easy DIY Natural Homemade Paleo Network-min (1)

Recipe: DIY Coconut Milk
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Print
This simple recipe makes about 4 cups of coconut milk, just scale as required. Whilst it's easy to make, it does need some time - so ideally make it the day before you're going to need it.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup coconut flakes
  • 4 cups distilled water
Instructions
  1. Soak the coconut flakes for about four hours in the water.
  2. Once the flakes have gone mushy in the water, put in your blender, and blend for a few minutes until it's a nice evenly mixed in texture.
  3. You'll then need to strain the mixture. I like to do this through a cheesecloth as it's much easier on the washing-up than using a sieve!
  4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within three days or so.
  5. Oh - and the contents of the cheesecloth? Don't waste it! You can use the leftover coconut pulp in your paleo baking!

WANT ME TO EMAIL YOU THIS RECIPE?

Enter your details and check your email!