Perfect for when you’re on the go, this Paleo friendly lunch box is a great balance of protein, essential fats and slow release carbohydrates to keep you at your best. Did I also mention it was super tasty? Make extra to see you and your family through the week! Mexican Rice Ingredients: Half a cauliflower […]
Chicken soup is the ultimate comfort food. This recipe serves four, but make as much as you can and freeze the rest to pull out on a rainy day.
• 40g (1.5oz) butter (or use coconut oil if dairy free)
• 2 small onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 2 small carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 1 litres (1.5 pints) chicken stock
• 300g (0.7lb) cooked chicken, skinned and shredded
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large pan over a medium heat, melt the butter, then fry the onions, celery and carrots until they become soft.
Add in the chicken stock and keep stirring whilst bringing the mixture to the boil.
Once it has boiled, reduce the heat to a simmer for ten minutes (until the vegetables are soft) and season to your taste.
Add in the cooked chicken pieces and just before serving, stir in the parsley.
Serve & enjoy!
So, whilst green beans and French beans are technically legumes, they are more pod than bean and contain less phytic acid and lectins than other legumes. So on that basis, if they're local, fresh and in season, many people choose to enjoy them on a Paleo diet. What do you think about beans?
This is a wonderfully summery side dish, the crunch of the French beans works wonderfully with the juicy, full bodied tomato.
1) Boil some water in a pan, then add the French beans and simmer for two minutes. Drain, then rinse the beans under cold water.
2) Heat a little olive oil in a non stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes until slightly softened and golden. Add the French beans to the pan, coating well with the existing contents. Sauté for a further minute or so to heat through.
3) 30 seconds or so before you are due to serve, add the chopped tomatoes so as just to heat them through but not damage the texture. Season with the salt, pepper and parsley, then serve.
The beauty of pesto is, after hundreds of years, there is still no definitive recipe. It's all about personal preference; chopping, changing, tasting and seasoning as you go along. Bearing this in mind, this recipe is subject to tweaking as you please – be sure to share what you did differently and how it worked out!
1) In a food processor, blitz together the basil, pine nuts, walnuts and garlic until coarse.
2) Mix together the olive oil and lemon juice. Gradually, add this to the mixture, blitzing regularly, until the pesto reaches your desired texture. Often, you won’t need to use all of the oil and will have some left over to use as a salad dressing.
3) Season to taste with salt and pepper
This recipe works great with beautifully fresh, large king prawns. Ideally, have them already cooked, but if you need to cook them yourself then allow them to cool down before you start this recipe. Remember, when buying prawns with the shell on, you’ll have to account for the weight lost when everything is peeled off. Double measurements will be required!
1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and brown the onions. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes to soften. Add the paprika, garam masala and lime juice, and sweat for another 2 – 3 minutes.
2) Add the passata along with the prawns, stir, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut cream to thicken, adding more if required.
3) Serve with the fresh coriander and coconut shavings on top.
Completely unique in flavour, fennel is one of my favourite vegetables to have as a side with chicken and lamb. You don’t need much in the way of spices, as it does the talking all on its own. It's very much ‘love it or hate it’ though, just to warn you!
1) Preheat an oven to 200C / 400F / Gas mark 6
2) Remove the stalks and the hard bottom from the fennel bulbs. Cut into wedges.
3) Combine the olive oil with the lemon juice, then drizzle over the fennel wedges. Season well, then add to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, turn, then for another 20.
4) Meanwhile, in a pan, dry fry the flaked almonds over a medium heat until the turn golden brown. When the fennel is nice and crispy, toss the almonds on top. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh parsley.
What’s your verdict on fennel? Do you love it, or hate it?
Let’s face it; sometimes, we all crave a bit of chocolate. Even we Paleo folk have our weaknesses. Fortunately though, our chocolate fixes don’t have to be laden with sugar and dairy. In moderation, raw cacao is extremely healthy, bursting with antioxidants and beneficial phytochemicals. There are loads of different ways you can enjoy it, and for me it's much more delicious than the cheap and nasty stuff people buy stacks of in the supermarket. What better way to enjoy it than as part of some delicious, no bake, easy to make, mini macaroons?
Makes 12
Cover a flat baking tray with some baking parchment.
Mash the banana in a large bowl. Whisk in the almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla if using to form a paste.
Add the cacao powder to the mix, one spoonful at a time, stirring well.
Stir in the coconut, making sure all the mixture is well combined (I used my hands for this part!). Form the mixture into 12 mini ‘macaroon’ shapes, and place on top of the baking parchment.
Leave in the fridge for at least an hour to fully set. If you can’t wait that long, 10 minutes in the freezer is just as good!
Let’s face it, even the freshest fillet of white fish can taste somewhat plain when eaten on its own. Tartare Sauce has been traditionally served with fish for years, but of course, the shop bought stuff is a no go. Luckily, I have a recipe on hand that is Paleo approved and delicious at the same time!
1) Mix the mustard powder with a dash of water to form a paste. Whisk in the egg yolk and a little seasoning if required.
2) In a measuring jug, combine 150ml of olive oil with the juice of half a lemon, watching out for pips. Slowly add this to the egg, a little bit at a time, whisking together well.
3) Rinse the capers. Stir them into the mixture, along with the tarragon, gherkins and parsley. Taste and check – you may want to adjust the acidity slightly depending on your preference.
So tell me… what’s your favourite fish to have with Tartare Sauce?
It’s no secret that living Paleo can sometimes leave us longing for a thick, creamy, indulgent dip for crudités, sweet potato fries or even barbequed meat. Baba Ganoush has to be one of the best things you can do with an aubergine – so good, in fact, it’ll have your non-paleo friends throwing away their hummus and sour cream and raiding your fridge instead.
To roast your aubergines, preheat your oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Cut the aubergines into halves, removing the stem. Scoop out the seeds, then cut into half again. Lightly score the flesh with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut too deep. Pop into a roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast for approximately 30 minutes until tender. Leave to cool.
Peel off the skin of the aubergines. Chop into chunks, and drain off any excess liquid. Throw into a food processor, and blitz with the cashew nut butter and lemon juice.
When smooth in texture, but not too fine, throw in the garlic, herbs, and cumin. Blitz again just enough to combine the flavours. Remove from the food processor and serve.
It is so hard to find a tomato ketchup recipe that doesn't add in lots of sugar! Finally with a lot of tweaking, I’ve come up with my favourite Paleo tomato sauce recipe. A home made burger just isn't the same without tomato ketchup.
Chop up the tomatoes and capsicum and along with the onion and garlic, bring to the boil in a pan of the red wine vinegar.
Stir occasionally, allow the mixture to reduce to a thicker consitancy.
Remove from the heat and puree in a blender to your desired level of smoothness, before returning to the pan over the heat.
In some muslin or a tea strainer, add the seeds, peppercorns, cloves and ginger and add to the pan.
Reduce the heat to simmer and cover until it thickens up to your liking.
Once ready, remove the muslin or strainer and bottle the ketchup and store in the fridge.
I’d love to hear how you make ketchup? What do you do differently?
