Guacamole is another one of those things that is definitely worth making instead of buying. That way, you can be sure what’s in it – and know that it won’t contain any nasties!
This is how I make mine.
Guacamole Ingredients:
4 chillies, finely sliced
Small bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
3 tomatoes, finely diced
Sea salt to taste
1 red onion, finely diced
Juice of ½ lime
4 ripe avocados
Guacamole How To:
Use a pestle and mortar to grind together the chillies, coriander (cilantro), tomatoes, sea salt and onion, until you reach a paste consistency.
Add the lime juice, and a dash of water if required, to make the mixture more fluid. Finally, mash in the avocados, just before you’re ready to serve!
Guacamole is great with almost any Paleo meal, and a great dip for raw vegetables – particularly alongside some homemade Pâté!
Guacamole is one of those foods best made fresh. It will store in the fridge for a short time, but won't look as appealing! If you need to make it up in advance, using more lime will help it to keep that bit longer.
Do you make your own dips? I’d love to hear what your favourites are, in the comments below!
Hummus (or houmous, if you prefer) used to be one of my go-to dips before I went paleo. With the main ingredient being mashed chickpeas – yep there’s no doubting that they’re legumes* – it’s most definitely not on the paleo menu. Which is a shame because this Middle Eastern sauce is great as an appetizer or a dip for raw veggies.
Besides, even if it were paleo – have you checked out the ingredients recently? These are the ingredients of two of the popular brands of hommus sold in my local Coles supermarket:
Hummus (or houmous, if you prefer) used to be one of my go-to dips before I went paleo. This recipe takes out the chickpeas (no legumes here!) and uses paleo alternatives to make this delicious hummus!
Ingredients
3 small zucchini’s, peeled and roughly chopped
Juice of a lemon
50ml (3 tablespoons) Tahini
30ml (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
Paprika or cut chives, to serve
Instructions
Put the zucchini and lemon in your food processor and blend
Add the tahini, olive oil, cumin, seasoning and garlic. Blend until smooth
Put in the fridge for half an hour or so before serving
Top with paprika or chopped chives, to serve
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*And what’s so wrong with legumes I hear you say? Well legumes contain phytates and lectins which are to be avoided as they inhibit nutrient absorption and cause inflammation.
Almonds really do have to be one of the most versatile foods in the world, and are life savers for those following a Paleo diet. Whether you use them for Paleo baking as a replacement for flour, or enjoy as a dip for veggies, you may be surprised to know they make a delicious Almond Pâté! Great as a dip for crudités or just on its own as an appetiser.
The secret to a good paleo pizza is in the pizza sauce! This combination of onion, garlic, oregano and basil is super easy to make and creates a perfect base for your toppings. No one will ever suspect your pizza isn't made the conventional way with gluten heavy flour! Find out how to make my grain-free paleo pizza base here
mix the ingredients together thoroughly with a whisk
spoon the pizza sauce out onto the pizza bases as required
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I've seen a few brands of tomato paste with added herbs – make sure the one you use is plain, with nothing added.
You don't need to cook the pizza sauce, as you'll be cooking it with the pizza. But if you want a thicker sauce, you'll want to heat and stir it until it thickens up. This is great to freeze in small pizza-size batches, so it's ready to go whenever you fancy a home-made paleo pizza! Frozen, it should last for up to three months.
What to do with used glass jars and bottles? How about making up seasoning mixes to give for gifts, or to keep in your own pantry. Stored in a cool dry place, these should last for up to six months.
The chili seasoning mixes in my local supermarket do contain the ingredients you’d expect, like paprika, chili, cumin, oregano, pepper and garlic, but they also contain “Spices” (why not specify which spices? Seems a bit suspicious to me) and” Anti-caking Agent (551)”. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not consume anti-caking agent.
As well as using better ingredients, it’s also far cheaper to make your own and you can experiment to find your favourite blend.
I’m growing a few different types of pepper in my veggie bed, so when these are ready, I’ll be dehydrating them and adding them to this recipe. In the meantime, I buy ready dried peppers. I’ve got an Indian shop and a much larger Asian supermarket near me, so I tend to try this with a few different varieties of chili peppers. I’ve seen so many varieties – Cayenne, Serrano, Cascabel, Habanero, Tabasco, Poblano, Guajillo, Jolokia, Chipotle, Ancho, Ayenne, Bullseye and Bullhorn – so see what’s available near you and try a few different blends.
In a hot pan, toast the chili peppers for a few minutes, taking care not to allow them to burn. When the smell starts to release, remove them from the pan and allow them to cool.
Toast the cumin seeds in the same pan, again stirring constantly to ensure they don’t burn.
Remove the seeds from the chilli peppers to be used in another recipe. If you want your seasoning extra hot, you may like to add in a few of these seeds.
With a pestle and mortar (if you’re old school, if not, try a blender) grind up the chilli peppers and cumin seeds into a powder.
Add in the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Make sure you store in an airtight container (like a jar) to keep it dry.
Shake the container before using to ensure thoroughly mixed.
Note: If you want to use fresh chili’s, dry them thoroughly in a dehydrator first, then roast them. It’s essential you ensure they are fully dry first, otherwise your mixture could go mouldy.
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.
If you're eating the same old salad day in, day out, it's time to change it up! This Tuna and Celery Salad is a personal favourite – and the homemade dressing finishes it off nicely.
When buying canned tuna make sure you get a good brand. Wild Planet Wild Albacore Tuna is a good go-to brand as it's wild and line caught. You'll need to refer to my paleo mayonnaise recipe too, but don't worry, it's so simple you'll never buy shop mayonnaise again!
Combine lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the tuna, capsicum, celery and some seasoning and combine.
Arrange lettuce leaves on a plate and the tuna mixture on top. Mix mayonnaise and capers together in a small cup and drizzle over the tuna. Finish with olive oil, salt and pepper.
A ranch dressing is great to go with crudités of raw vegetables like carrots, cucumber and broccoli. Unfortunately ranch dressing is usually not paleo thanks to all of the dairy, as it's typically made with buttermilk – or sometimes yoghurt or sour cream. The other problem is the shop bought stuff. Yuck! Have you seen the ingredients?
This is the list of ingredients in the popular Paul Newman brand of ranch dressing:
It couldn't get simpler than this! pound the ingredients with a pestle and mortar until it becomes powdery and evenly distributed.
Rub the mixture over the meat or fish and allow it to marinate for 2 - 3 hours if you can (but if you're in a hurry, 30 minutes will just about do it!)
What to do when you have too many tomatoes? Make salsa of course! Salsa is a great dip and I often serve it with my home-made burgers. This recipe plays it safe, but for an extra kick, add some finely chopped fresh chilli to the mixture!
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