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Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes paleo recipe-min

Recipe: Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes

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Warning: these are not pancakes as you expect them to be. When I created this recipe, I had no idea how to define the crisp, flavour packed savoury parcels of eggy goodness I had just created. In all honesty, they probably lie somewhere between a pancake, a fritter and a mini omelette. But the important part is they’re nutritious, colourful, and damn tasty. Make a batch for the whole family for the perfect weekend breakfast.

Recipe: Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes
 
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Ingredients
  • • 1 smoked haddock fillet
  • • 6 mushrooms, finely diced
  • • 1 red onion, diced
  • • Large handful spinach, chopped
  • • Coconut Oil
  • • 8 large, free range eggs
  • • ¼ cup + 1tbsp coconut flour
  • • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat a little coconut oil in a large frying pan. Add the haddock fillet, and fry for around 5 minutes on both sides – until cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan, which can stay on the heat. Remove the skin and flake with a fork.
  2. Return the flaked haddock to the pan and add the mushrooms and red onion. Cook for 2 / 3 minutes, until the mushrooms have reduced. Add the spinach and cook for a further 30 seconds or so until lightly wilted. Pour pan contents into a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coconut flour, cider vinegar, sodium bicarbonate and salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly until lump free, before pouring the contents into the large bowl containing the haddock.
  4. Return the pan to the heat and add a little extra coconut oil. Scoop around ⅛th of the mixture into the pan to form one pancake, and repeat for as many as you can fit comfortably in the pan – you’ll probably have to cook them in batches. Cook for 3 minutes each side, until golden brown and well risen. Serve immediately!

Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes paleo recipe-min

Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma paleo diet recipe dinner-min

Recipe: Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma

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Back in the days where I used to eat a more typically SAD diet, one of my favourite curries was a Rajma – a spicy, fragrant vegetarian dish made with kidney beans as the main ingredient. Even though beans are out of the question on the Paleo diet, I wanted to try and recreate the delicious, heady flavours of the Rajma I used to enjoy so often – and make it healthy too. After perfecting the spice blend, I opted to go for Beef as the protein of choice in this dish, as it adds much greater depth of flavour than the lifeless kidney beans ever did. I also included aubergine, as the texture somewhat mimics that of the beans. I think I've finally nailed the beanless Rajma – but I’ll let you be the judge of that!

Recipe: Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma
 
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Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
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Cook time: 
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Ingredients
  • • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • • 1 tbsp ghee / coconut oil
  • • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • • 5cm piece of ginger, peeled
  • • 4 red chilli peppers, deseeded and chopped
  • • 2 tsp garam masala
  • • 1 tsp turmeric
  • • Pinch of salt
  • • 1 x 400g chopped tomatoes
  • • 500g diced beef
  • • 2 medium aubergines, diced
  • • A good handful fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
  1. In a large cooking pot, toast the coriander and cumin seeds very lightly for roughly 2 minutes. Grind to a powder, then set aside.
  2. Raise the heat of the pot to medium, and add the ghee / coconut oil. Fry the onions for around 5 minutes, until softened.
  3. Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic cloves with the ginger and chilli to make a paste. Add a touch of olive oil if needed. Add this to the onion, and sauté for a further couple of minutes, before adding in the toasted cumin and coriander, along with the garam masala, turmeric and salt. After a minute, pour in the chopped tomatoes and around 200ml hot water. Stir well. Add the diced beef, then cover and leave to cook on a medium heat for around 20 minutes.
  4. Remove the cover, stir, then add the diced aubergine. Return the lid to the pot and cook for another 15 minutes, before serving garnished with the fresh coriander.

Spicy Beef and Aubergine Rajma paleo diet recipe dinner-min

Slow cooked Garlic-Balsamic Lamb with Parsnip Mash paleo dinner recipe-min

Recipe: Slow cooked Garlic-Balsamic Lamb with Parsnip Mash

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Perhaps the ultimate post workout meal, this slow cooked dish is packed with protein and has a decent amount of complex carbs too. Not only that, its bursting with Vitamin B12, Niacin and Zinc – and best of all, its hassle free. Whack it all in a pot around midday, and don’t worry about it again until you get hungry in the evening.

Serves 4

Garlic-Balsamic Lamb Ingredients:

  • 1 Lamb Shoulder Joint, roughly 1kg
  • Glug olive oil
  • 4 Red Onions, Sliced
  • 2 Bulbs (approx. 16 – 20 cloves) Garlic, peeled
  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 Bay Leaves
  • 200ml Balsamic Vinegar
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 4 Large Parsnips, peeled and chopped

 Garlic-Balsamic Lamb How To:

1)    Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F. Arrange your onion slices at the bottom of a cooking pot, and drop in just a splash of hot water. Rub the lamb shoulder with a good amount of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then place on top of the onions. Cook for 20 minutes then remove from the oven.

2)    Lower the heat of the oven to 110C / 120F. Add the thyme, bay, garlic cloves and balsamic, before covering the pot and returning to the oven for around 5 hours. Don’t fret if it’s any longer, as the meat will just become all the more tender. Check every now and then if time allows.

3)    Around 15 minutes before serving, steam your diced parsnip. When this is nice and soft, transfer it all to a bowl before mashing with a little olive oil and seasoning. Serve alongside the lamb, which should fall easily off the bone.

Slow cooked Garlic-Balsamic Lamb with Parsnip Mash paleo dinner recipe-min

Sirloin Steak with Chimchurri Sauce and Caramelised Onions paleo recipe dinner grass fed beef-min

Recipe: Sirloin Steak with Chimchurri Sauce and Caramelised Onions

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Let’s face it – there’s nothing better than a tender, succulent piece of grass fed steak. My particular favourite is a dry aged sirloin, but I also love fillet and porterhouse on special occasions. If you've never heard of it before, Chimchurri sauce is an Argentinian recipe made from a blend of olive oil, garlic and herbs – the South American version of pesto. It’s perfect for steak, but works well with fish and chicken too. The caremelised onions in this recipe add a real depth of flavour and complement both the steak and the Chimchurri effortlessly.

Serves 2

Sirloin Steak Ingredients:

  • 2 sirloin steaks (ideally grass fed, even better if they’re aged for around 28 days) – approximately 200g and 1 – 1.5cm thick
  • Sea salt, 1 clove garlic, plenty of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  •  1 large red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

 For the Chimchurri:

  •  1 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 cup fresh coriander
  • ¼ cup fresh oregano
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Juice 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 hot red pepper (I used a jalapeno), deseeded and finely chopped

 Sirloin Steak How To:

1)    An hour before cooking, marinade the steak by crushing the garlic clove in a mortar and pestle and mixing it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper to make a paste. Rub this well into the meat, and then leave the steak at room temperature.

2)    To make the caramelised onions, gently heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a heavy based saucepan. Add the onions to the pan, and leave to cook very slowly for at least half an hour – this brings out the natural sweetness. Stir regularly, and season with a little salt and pepper along the way.

3)    Meanwhile, make the Chimchurri by blending all the ingredients apart from the olive oil and hot pepper in your food processor. Transfer this to a sauce bowl, then stir in the olive oil. Finish with the red pepper, if using.

4)    To cook the steaks, heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over the highest heat. Sizzle for a minute each side for rare, then serve and leave to rest for 5 minutes before eating. Serve topped with the caramelised onions and with the Chimchurri on the side.

Sirloin Steak with Chimchurri Sauce and Caramelised Onions paleo recipe dinner grass fed beef-min

Chilli and Cumin meatballs with a mango and pomegranate salsa paleo dinner recipe-min

Recipe: Chilli and Cumin meatballs with a mango and pomegranate salsa

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This meatball recipe took a little while to perfect, but when I finally got there, the results were outstanding. The heat of the meatballs is balanced perfectly with the natural sweetness of the mango salsa (with an added ginger kick!). They can be pan fried or oven baked, and freeze really well too. Go on, whip up a big batch!

Meatballs Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

  • 600g lamb mince
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp hot paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander

For the salsa:

  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 large mango, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  • Juice and zest 1 lime
  • Large chunk fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Meatballs How To:

1)    To make the meatballs, mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl with your hands until thoroughly combined. Roll into golf ball sized meatballs – this recipe makes about 12.

2)    To bake, line them on a baking tray topped with parchment paper and place on the top shelf of the oven at 180C/350F. To fry, heat a good chunk of coconut oil in a large, heavy based pan, and sizzle for around 12 minutes until thoroughly cooked through.

3)    Whilst your meatballs are cooking using your chosen method, begin making the salsa by gently heating the coconut oil in a saucepan. Add the diced mango and cook for around 5 minutes until lightly caramelised. Add the pomegranate molasses and a splash of water and stir, before mixing in the remaining ingredients. Remove from the heat, and serve alongside the meatballs and veggies of your choice.

Chilli and Cumin meatballs with a mango and pomegranate salsa paleo dinner recipe-min

Paleo recipe Creamy Coconut Slow Cooker Beef dinner crockpot-min

Recipe: Creamy Coconut Slow Cooker Beef

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Curries made in the slow cooker are one of my favourite things to make – not only are they much less hassle than a regular curry that requires constant babysitting, the extended cooking time allows the flavours to really develop. Beef is a great meat to use in the slow cooker, especially the cheap cuts like shin or chuck, as you can guarantee melt in the mouth consistency every time. This recipe is indulgently creamy with just the right amount of spice.

 Slow Cooker Beef Ingredients:

  • 200g block creamed coconut
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced
  • 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tbsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground fenugreek
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 500g diced beef, suitable for slow roasting (I used the shin – cheap and oh so tender when cooked slowly!)

 Slow Cooker Beef How To:

1)    Gently melt the creamed coconut in a pan with approximately 200ml of warm water. Stir, and add more water to generate your desired consistency.

2)    Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy based pan to a medium heat. Add the onion and soften for 5 minutes, before bringing the heat down low and adding the chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry gently for a further 5 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn't burn.

3)    Add the spices to the pan and fry for another two or three minutes, before adding the diced beef to the pan. Toss well to coat it in the spices and lightly brown the meat on all sides.

Add the coconut milk and stir well. Now transfer the whole contents of the pan to your slow cooker, and let it cook on a low heat for around 8 hours (or until you run out of willpower!). Serve over a big heap of cauliflower rice.

Paleo recipe Creamy Coconut Slow Cooker Beef dinner crockpot-min

Poached Beef Tongue paleo recipe dinner lunch-min

Recipe: Poached Beef Tongue with a Fresh Herby Salad

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Beef tongue is one of those wonderful cuts of offal that, with just a little love and careful attention, can be transformed from butcher’s cast off to a tender, delicious and incredibly cheap source of protein, zinc, and vitamin B12. It is considered a delicacy in many traditional cultures, and is widely renowned as one of the most flavourful cuts of beef.

To cook my beef tongue, I simmered it in the pot with veggies and herbs for 3 hours to make it ultra-flavoursome and tender. I’d definitely recommend cooking it for as long as you can, perhaps even in the slow cooker. One tongue comfortably serves two people, with leftovers!

Beef Tongue Ingredients:

  • 1 Beef Tongue, cleaned and prepared (ask your butcher)
  • 2 White Onions, Diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
  • 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Star Anise
  • Approx 1 litre beef stock / broth

For the salad:

  • 1 large handful spinach
  • 1 large handful rocket
  • 1 small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • 8 spring onions, diced
  • Juice half a lemon
  • Quarter cup of olive oil

Beef Tongue How To:

1)    Add all of the ingredients (except the salad) to your stock pot. Bring to the boil, before covering and leaving to simmer for around 3 hours. Check every so often and top up with a little hot water if necessary.

2)    Make the salad by throwing together all of the greens and herbs with the spring onions. Divide into two separate bowls.

3)    Drain the contents of the pot, reserving a couple of tablespoons of the liquid. Place the tongue on a chopping board, before slitting the outer membrane and peeling it off. Slice thinly and add to the green salad, along with the vegetables from the pot.

4)    Whizz together the reserved liquid, lemon juice and olive oil. Drizzle liberally over the salad before tucking in.

Poached Beef Tongue paleo recipe dinner lunch-min

Paleo recipe Texan Style Sweet Potato and Bison Burgers beef grass fed-min

Recipe: Texan Style Sweet Potato and Bison Burgers

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As you may already know, I’m a MASSIVE fan of cooking with Bison. I find it has a richer taste than beef, and for that reason it pairs exceptionally well with smoky flavours like bacon and paprika. You’ll find them all, and more, in these delicious burgers; and best of all, you’ll have them on the table in less than 15 minutes. I served mine in my favourite lettuce leaf ‘bun’ with a fried egg and some extra crispy onions – delicious!

Bison Burgers Ingredients:

  •  1tbsp coconut oil, + extra for frying
  • 1 large red onion, finely diced
  • 2 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 6 – 8 button mushrooms, finely diced
  • 4 rashers smoked bacon, chopped
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 500g bison mince
  • 1 medium sweet potato, grated
  • 1 egg, beaten

 Bison Burgers How To:

1)    Gently heat your coconut oil in a frying pan, before adding the diced red onion. Cook for 5 minutes, to soften, before adding the garlic and cooking for an extra couple of minutes.

2)    Add the mushrooms and bacon to the pan and cook for a minute or so, until the mushrooms begin to reduce in size. Add the spices to the pan, and give the contents a good stir so that the flavours combine well, before transferring the contents into a large mixing bowl.

3)    Add the bison, sweet potato and egg to the bowl, and mix well with your hands. Form the ingredients into 8 – 10 palm sized balls. Keep in the fridge ready for when you want to cook them.

4)    When you want to cook your burgers, simply heat some coconut oil to a medium heat in a frying pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you’ll have to cook the burgers in batches – just ensure there is adequate space between each one, as they’ll get wider as you cook. Fry for 5 – 6 minutes on each side, gently pressing with the side of a spatula to iron them into a more conventional burger shape. Alternatively, they taste even better on the bbq!

Paleo recipe Texan Style Sweet Potato and Bison Burgers beef grass fed-min

paleo recipe slow cooker Jamaican goat curry crockpot dinner-min

Recipe: Slow Cooker Jamaican Goat Curry

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Ever tried goat? I’ll admit, it can be a bit of a challenging meat. It took me quite a few visits to my butchers before I finally learnt how to use it properly. Through experimenting, I’ve learnt that it requires an extended, slow cooking method in order to make it tender. The meat itself is incredibly flavoursome, and excellent when paired with bold flavours. Goat Curry is a popular dish in the Caribbean, so that’s exactly where my influences came from when creating this recipe.

Goat Curry  Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 large white onion, finely diced
  • 8 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 100g ginger, grated
  • 4 scotch bonnet chillies (use less if you prefer your curries less spicy) deseeded and chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 500g goat shoulder meat, chopped into cubes
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 x 400ml can chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml beef stock
  • Juice half a lime
  • Fresh coriander

 Goat Curry How To:

1)    Heat the coconut oil in a large pan. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli, and cook for another 2 / 3 minutes.

2)    Add the goat meat to the pan and lightly brown on the outside. Throw in the allspice, cumin and coriander, ensuring the meat is evenly coated.

3)    Transfer the contents of the pan into your slow cooker. Add the thyme, bay leaves, chopped tomatoes and beef stock and stir. Cover, and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

4)    When ready to serve, squeeze in the lime juice and garnish with plenty of fresh coriander.

paleo recipe slow cooker Jamaican goat curry crockpot dinner-min

Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot paleo dinner recipe-min

Recipe: Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot

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Perfect for those long, lazy Sundays when there isn't anything to do but sit and wallow in the wonderful fragrances spilling out from your oven, this no fuss ‘One Pot’ is about as simple and as satisfying as it gets. The unique flavours of the root vegetables marry together perfectly with the light citrus ‘zing’ – and best of all it saves on the washing up!

Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot Ingredients:

  • 1 medium (approx. 1.5kg) chicken
  • 3 red onions
  • 2 oranges
  • 3 / 4 medium sized parsnips
  • 2 medium sized swedes
  • 3 / 4 carrots
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 large handful fresh lemon thyme
  • Half a lemon
  • 1 glass of white wine (or stock / water if preferred)
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

 Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot How To:

1)    Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4. Take your largest lidded ovenproof cooking pot, halve two of the onions and one of the oranges and lay them at the bottom of the pot before resting the chicken on top.

2)    Peel and roughly chop the remaining onion and the rest of your veg. Nestle them in the pot along with the chicken.

3)    Stuff the chicken with the garlic cloves, bay leaves, half of the thyme and the lemon. Squeeze over the juice of the remaining orange and scatter the rest of the thyme into the pot. Season well, before pouring in the white wine / stock.

4)    Cover and bake for an hour, before removing the lid and raising the heat to 220C / 450F / Gas Mark 7. Cook for a further 25 minutes, until the chicken is nicely browned. Baste the meat and stir the veg once or twice if needs be.

5)    Check the chicken if fully cooked through by piercing the breast with a knife. If the juices run clear, then you’re ready to serve. Enjoy alongside your favourite greens or a fresh salad.

Citrus Chicken, Parsnip and Swede One Pot paleo dinner recipe-min