Christmas Archives - The Paleo Network

9 paleo ideas for left-over turkey

December 26, 2015/0 Comments/in Blog Posts /by Suz

If you went a bit over the top with turkey, what are you planning to do with the left-overs?

If you’ve not yet served up the original turkey, make sure you get the leftovers in the fridge within an hour or two of serving. I separate it into bones, white meat, dark meat and freeze any left-over gravy straight away.

Stock

The first thing to make is a nice rich stock with the leftover skin, bones and carcass. If you kept the vegetable peelings, throw these in too. Any stock you’re not going to use can be frozen in small batches and will be ready for use in lots of recipes.

Freeze it

I always freeze some too. Just make sure you carve it full first and freeze it in individual small portions, to keep your options open.

Curry

Curry is a great option for turkey. Depending on the spices you use, you can completely transform it. Here is some paleo curry inspiration.

Slow cooker

Your crockpot is perfect for turkey. A low slow heat should make sure it stays moist and tasty. Throw in some veg and have a hot casserole dinner ready for you in the evening.

Salad

Another easy option is a turkey salad for lunch. How about using left-over cranberry sauce as the dressing too?

Soup

Turkey is great for a soup now and especially to batch freeze for later. Try adding in lime and chili for a bit of a kick.

Turkey roll-ups

Instead of bread, how about using nori wraps to make up a perfect turkey lunch option.

Turkey chili

Add some turkey into your favourite chili recipe

Refilled sweet potatoes

These Refilled Sweet Potatoes with Turkey, Mango and Lime make a perfect comfort meal

How do you use your left-overs? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments, below!

8 Ways to Party – and Keep it Paleo

December 15, 2014/1 Comment/in Blog Posts, Eating Out, Events, Paleo /by Suz

It’s that time of year again where the party season is in full flow. It’s a time where everyone should be in good spirits, surrounding themselves with great food, music, and most importantly, great company. It can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to stay on track with your Paleo lifestyle at this time of the year, especially if your family and friends aren’t as conscious about their health as you are. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways that you can stay on your path to better health, whilst not missing out on any of the enjoyment of the holiday season.

1. Be careful at the buffet

This one is self explanatory, but if you’re at a social event hosted by a non Paleo friend or family, the chances are the buffet table will be laden with gluten, sugar, and countless additives. If you’re hungry and don’t want to miss out on the social connection of eating with friends, head straight for the crudités. Filling your plate with crunchy raw vegetables will help you stay sociable and have a full plate at the same time. You may be lucky and find some nice meats, hardboiled eggs, and maybe even some salted nuts. Just watch out for anything swimming in sauce, as its most probably ‘enhanced’ with sugar and some kind of thickening agent.

Sometimes it can come across rude asking ‘can you check the ingredients in that?’ or ‘are those sausages gluten free?’ – so it’s best to stick to the food you know will be safe. If you’re really concerned there will be nothing for you to eat, tip number 2 is something worth bearing in mind.

2. Eat before you leave

If you don’t want to risk being gluten bombed at the buffet, I’d recommend eating a good meal before you leave. It might mean changing around your meal times slightly, but it’s much better to leave the house knowing you have eaten well, rather than fret about the lack of healthy options when you arrive. If there is anything suitable for you, then hey, it’s a bonus!

3. Experiment with IF

If you’ve never tried Intermittent Fasting before, now could be as good a time as ever. If you’re going to be travelling to visit relatives, or at long events where there may be a lack of good food options, why not try incorporating a 12 – 24 hour fast into your day?

4. Paleo cocktails

If you’re at a social event where the drinks are flowing, you may be presented with a lack of options. If you want to stay alcohol free, there are plenty of great non alcoholic cocktails you can make. Equally, a sparkling water with some ice and a wedge of lime is refreshing and looks sociable.

If you want to treat yourself to a drink or two, do so. You deserve it. Just stay away from the beer and high sugar mixers if you can. Your best choices would be red or white wine, but if you’re in the mood for spirits, look towards cocktails made with tequila or rum. Try and mix them with low sugar options like sparkling water or vegetable based juices to avoid blood sugar crashes. Dark rum and coconut water is incredibly refreshing, and the electrolytes in the coconut water will counteract the dehydrating effect of the alcohol.

5. Throw your own

If you really can’t face a non Paleo party, why not throw your own instead? You don’t have to make a big fuss about the health benefits of your food – simply serve up lots of tasty meat, veggies, and Paleo friendly drinks and nibbles. You’ll be able to spend good quality time with your friends and family, whilst being able to enjoy clean, wholesome food at the same time. Chances are, they’ll be none the wiser either!

6. Take advantage of the extra free time with long walks

We know how important it is to move often, so try and incorporate a good amount of movement into your day where you can. If you can’t get to a gym, you can’t beat a long walk with friends or family. Alternatively, head to your local park in the morning for a few sprints and pull ups using tree branches. You’ll have some extra free time (hopefully!) so put it to good use with a bit of exercise every day.

7. Sleep well

Again, take advantage of the extra free time and focus on getting some good quality sleep. Aim for at least 8 hours a night, and as you have no work to set an alarm for, wake up when the sun wakes up to reset your circadian rhythm.

8. Don’t worry too much!

Last but not least, if you do fall off track, don’t beat yourself up about it. Wake up the next morning, and get back on the Paleo wagon. After all, you have eaten healthily for the other 364 days of the year – we’re all entitled to ‘off’ days every now and then. Simply put it to the back of your mind and move on. The most important thing about this time of the year is the people you spend it with, and a bit of a slip up every now and then won’t hurt you.

Recipe: Christmas Lemon and Thyme Guinea Fowl

December 24, 2013/0 Comments/in Cooking, Dinner, Ex, Food, Paleo, Recipe, Wild Game /by Suz

If you fancy a change from all the turkey you will inevitably consume over this festive period, I have two words for you. Guinea Fowl. When cooked and seasoned correctly, the delightfully rich and gamey taste of this bird seriously rivals the more ‘traditional’ poultry we know and love. The classic combination of lemon and thyme freshen this up somewhat, and it provides a great centre piece to all your favourite Christmas vegetables.

Guinea Fowl Ingredients:

1 Guinea Fowl (roughly 1kg)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lemon
4 cloves garlic
Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Guinea Fowl How To:

Preheat an oven to 180C / 350F / Gas mark 4. Collect the zest from the lemon.

Cut the lemon in half and stuff it inside the guinea fowl, along with the garlic cloves and 4 of the thyme sprigs. Squeeze the juice from the leftover lemon half all over the bird, and rub in the remaining thyme leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place the bird in a roasting dish and cover with foil. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes.

Remove the foil, and roast for a further 20 minutes. Check the bird is cooked through by piercing the thigh with a skewer – the juices should run clear when cooked.

Christmas Menu Plan

December 21, 2013/0 Comments/in Blog Posts, Cooking, Events, Ex, Food /by Suz

What are you cooking this Christmas? Are you going with a traditional menu, or perhaps you're serving up something completely alternative?

It can be hard to stick to your good Paleo intentions over Christmas – particularly if you’re having to cater for lots of relatives, who perhaps don’t follow a healthy lifestyle like you do.

Traditional Christmas recipes are often full of the dangerous white stuff – sugar. How can you take the sugar out of the equation, without taking the fun away too?

Sarah Wilson has got a great festive ebook, to go along with her “I Quit Sugar” series. The “I Quit Sugar Christmas Meal Plan” contains three entire, step by step, Christmas meal plans that you can follow, or mix and match. There is a big buffet menu, a sugar free version of the traditional Christmas menu – as well as a summer barbeque menu for those of us celebrating from the Southern Hemisphere. The meal plans are organised to be made in advance, leaving the big day itself a lot less stressful!

The book also features a leftovers menu (we know we all end up with enough food to last the rest of the year!), homemade sugar free gifts (much better than buying gifts), cheat dishes, fermented recipes (great for your gut health) and bonus recipes from other bloggers (including Gwyneth Paltrow).

If you want to check out the Christmas Meal Plan ebook, you can find it here.

What are your menu plans this Christmas? I’d love to hear what you’re organising, so please share in the comments below!

The Paleo Guide To Christmas Dinner

December 19, 2013/0 Comments/in Blog Posts, Cooking, Ex, Food, Paleo, Recipe /by Suz

So on the face of it you might be thinking Paleo and Christmas don’t go together. Perhaps you need to have a week or two “off” your Paleo diet until the festivities are over? Not so fast! Your Christmas Dinner might just be a lot more Paleo than you realised!

Turkey

Turkey is a fantastic Paleo meat! Make sure your turkey is from a good source and fully pastured (you might need to order this in advance to ensure you get a good one!) and you’ll have a great high protein, low carb meat to base your lunch around.

Gravy

Use the meat juices to make a beautifully Paleo gravy. Once you’ve made a proper gravy, you’ll wonder how you used to eat instant gravy mixes!

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce and turkey is an amazing combination – and of course cranberries are Paleo – just make your own sauce instead of buying a sugar laden version, perfect for Christmas dinner

Paleo Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

750ml (3 cups) of cranberries
Juice of two oranges
1 tsp orange zest, finely grated
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Paleo Cranberry Sauce How To:

Boil the orange juice and add the cranberries. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 – 10 minutes until the berries have all burst and released their flavour. Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon and zest. Stir and allow to cool before refrigerating. Will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Potatoes

Potatoes are off the menu – but all is not lost! Just replace them with sweet potatoes which are perhaps even more delicious.

Brussels Sprouts

Sprouts are a perfect green, so pile them up high! If you’re not so keen on the taste try cooking them up with a bit of ginger for a great taste.

Christmas Pudding

Traditional Christmas puddings are often very wheat and sugar based – but who says you have to be traditional? How about chocolate avocado mousse for afters?

What is on your Christmas dinner menu , I’d love to hear in the comments below? Are you making some changes and keeping it Paleo?

Recipe: Roasted Festive Spiced Nuts

December 17, 2013/0 Comments/in Cooking, Ex, Food, Paleo, Recipe, Snacks, Under 30 Minutes /by Suz

Hot, roasted spiced nuts, gently seasoned with fragrant, festive spices. Wonderful as a gift to friends this Christmas – if they make it out of the house, that is! Portion control went out of the window for me as soon as I removed these from the oven, and anything that was left was immediately demolished by the rest of my hungry family!

Spiced Nuts Ingredients:

400 grams mixed raw nuts (I used a mix of Almonds, Brazils and Pecans, but Cashews, Walnuts and Macadamia would work great too!)
1 egg white
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unrefined molasses
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp sea salt

Spiced Nuts How To:

Preheat the oven to 150C / 300F / Gas mark 2. Line a large ovenproof tray with some baking parchment.

In a bowl, whisk the egg white until it becomes foamy. Stir in all the remaining ingredients, bar the nuts at this stage.

Now add the nuts to the spice mixture, using your hands to really coat them well. Lay them out on the baking tray, and place in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, until golden brown. Stir once halfway through the cooking time.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

9 Ways to Keep it Paleo This Christmas

December 15, 2013/0 Comments/in Blog Posts, Eating Out, Ex, Paleo /by Suz

With all of the festivities at this time of year, you might be worried about keeping it Paleo? Well, with a bit of planning and organisation, there’s no need to worry about foregoing your health this Christmas.

Remember how you feel after you eat gluten/ drink alcohol/ eat something that doesn't agree with you.
Organise to host your own party/ dinner, early, to ensure you have control over the menu. You’ll be surprised how many friends will ask you for the recipes!
If you’re going out of Christmas events try eating before you leave, as when hunger strikes it’s harder to avoid the bad options
Call the venue ahead to check on the menu options, and see how they can accommodate you. You’ll find many places happy to tweak their Christmas menu to accommodate.
If you’re going to a friend's event, bring your own dishes to ensure there will be some good options you can have
Don’t let anyone pressure you into eating badly – often people seem keen to sabotage the good efforts of others (perhaps because it makes them feel better about their own bad choices) – so be prepared!
Don’t be afraid to lie – sometimes it’s just easier to say you have an allergy or intolerance instead of explaining why you eat this way (have you ever done this?)
If you have the chance to organise a Christmas event yourself, choose a venue with more paleo options – or better still arrange an event that isn't based around food.

And finally:

If you do fall off the wagon, tomorrow is another day. Don’t beat yourself up over it – but don’t let the slip justify more bad eating! Move on and eat well again.

How do you find sticking to a Paleo diet at this time of year? What are your top tips for success?

How To Recover From An Un Paleo Christmas

December 25, 2012/8 Comments/in Blog Posts, Ex, Food, Paleo /by Suz

How's your Paleo diet going this Christmas?

Did you keep it Paleo, or did all the SAD traditional food get the better of you this Christmas?

No matter what your intentions or plans, at this time of year it can be easy to get swept along with family and friends – and find yourself eating all the foods you'd normally avoid. Be it tradition, peer pressure or a one off – at this time of year above all others – it's easy to fall off the Paleo wagon.

So what now if your Paleo diet has gone by the wayside?

How does it make you feel? Chances are a rare gluten exposure will make you feel far worse than it would have before you went gluten-free. Once you get gluten out of your system, a one off exposure often seems to have a far bigger impact that it did when you regularly ate gluten-laced food. If you're used to a relatively low carb diet a sudden influx of sugar can leave you feeling moody, tired and lacking in energy – and above all crave another sugar hit. A vicious circle you don't want to get into!

Perhaps you're thinking that as you've been eating un-Paleo, you might as well continue until the weekend? Or New Year? Or until those cakes and chocolates the neighbours brought have finished?

But the best course of action is to get straight back onto your Paleo diet. If you can't bear to throw away the remaining non-Paleo food – give it away to your non-Paleo friends or neighbours! Remove the temptation.

Bone broths are a great nourishing way to get back into a good dietary routine – particularly if you've had a bad reaction to a gluten exposure.

How was your Christmas? Did you keep it Paleo? I'd love to hear your comments below.

12 Gifts For The Health Conscious Foodie

December 20, 2012/5 Comments/in Blog Posts, Ex, Paleo /by Suz

Whilst you can follow a healthy Paleo Diet with little more than a chopping board and a few pans, there are some great kitchen gadget and tools that surely any foodie would love in their kitchen.

Here’s my list. What’s on yours?

1. Dehydrator

I've had good results making jerky and kale chips in my oven, but I would love to try a dehydrator

2. Vitamix Blender

The Rolls Royce of blenders, able to grind nuts into nut butters and even cook soup. I want one!

3. A Good Set Of Knives

I really miss a good knife set, but have yet to find a good brand available in Australia (without needing a small mortgage). Any recommendations gratefully received!

4. Pressure Cooker

I've seen so many recipes that use a pressure cooker to make exceptionally tender meat – and I’d love to try it out for myself.

5. An Old School Mincer/ Meat Grinder

Even though I have a good butcher, I’d love to be able to make my own minced/ ground meat

6. A Big Slow Cooker/ Crockpot

I didn't realise how much I’d love this method of cooking, when I bought my small slow cooker. I wish I’d bough a much bigger one, as whenever I cook I always like to make enough for lots of future meals at the same time.

7. A Heavy Hardwood Chopping Board

A good chopping board last for years and is so much more hygienic than those nasty plastic chopping boards.

8. Mandoline Slicer

A great way to cut up vegetables evenly

9. Meat Thermometer

The best way to cook a perfect roast is using science after all!

10. Sausage Stuffer

Once I have my meat grinder, I’d love to make my own Paleo Sausages.

11. Water Filter

I have a Brita water filter jug in the fridge – but what I’d really like is a water filter on my tap, to ensure all the water is filtered before it leaves the tap.

12. Salad Spinner

This would be great for summer and making sure the kale is dried properly before making kale chips.

Do you have any of these items? How do you find using them?

What would be on your Paleo diet kitchen wish list?

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