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Mexican Chicken Soup with Chipotle and Lime paleo diet recipe lunch dinner-min

Recipe: Mexican Chicken Soup with Chipotle and Lime

Tangy, spicy, smoky… the Mexican Chicken Soup is everything Mexican cooking should be and more!

Mexican Chicken Soup Ingredients:

  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 medium dried chipotle chillies
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 200g roast chicken, shredded
  • Juice 2 limes
  • Large handful fresh coriander, to serve
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper
  • Oil (coconut or preferred fat)

Mexican Chicken Soup How To:

Slice the chipotle chillies in half, removing the seeds if you want the soup a little less spicy. Chop into pieces roughly the size of your thumb nail, then soak in cold water for 5 minutes.

Heat a little oil or fat in a large saucepan. Soften the onion for 3 – 4 minutes, then add the crushed garlic, cumin and coriander. Simmer gently for another 2 minutes, then pour in the chopped tomatoes.

Add the chillies, along with the water they were soaked in, to the saucepan. With a hand blender, blitz the soup until smooth.

Add the shredded roast chicken to the saucepan. Stir well, and simmer for 10 minutes to heat through.

Squeeze in the lime juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls, and finish with a generous helping of chopped coriander

Mexican Chicken Soup with Chipotle and Lime paleo diet recipe lunch dinner-min

Roasted Spiced Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mint Salsa paleo diet recipe fish-min

Recipe: Roasted Spiced Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mint Salsa

Drawing inspirations from the Middle East, the spices in this recipe compliment the salmon without overpowering it, which is absolutely essential when cooking a high quality piece of fish. The salmon goes lovely and crispy on the outside, but still moist in the middle – just as it should be.

Spiced Salmon Ingredients:

  • 4 thick fillets of wild, organic salmon
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • A pinch of nutmeg

For the salsa:

  • 6 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Spiced Salmon How To:

1)     Chop the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Roughly chop, then combine with the mint and parsley. Drizzle over the honey, balsamic and olive oil, and whizz together. Set in the fridge to chill.

2)     Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / gas mark 6. Add the oil and lemon juice to a roasting dish, stir, and allow to heat up with the oven.

3)     When the oven reaches the desired temperature, remove the roasting dish from the pan. Add the crushed garlic and spices, and whizz together to create a fragrant oil. Whilst the oil is still hot, throw in the salmon, tossing it in the oil to evenly coat. Return to the oven skin side down, and roast for 10 minutes.

4)     Remove the salmon from the oven – the outside should be nice and crisp, but the inside still moist. Serve with the salsa.

Roasted Spiced Salmon Fillets with Tomato and Mint Salsa paleo diet recipe fish-min

Top ten paleo diet foods list-min

The Top Ten Paleo Diet Foods

What do you think are the top ten Paleo foods, and why? Here is my list…

Paleo-Diet-Recipe-Primal-The-Top-Ten-Foods-10-min

1. Grass fed beef

Good quality grass-fed beef is a great source of protein, omega 3 and many other nutrients. It’s also extremely versatile; grill it, barbeque it, make it into jerky or grind it into mince beef to use in lots of different meals –using the leftover bones to make a nourishing bone broth.

2. Pastured Chicken

Pastured chicken is delicious as the centre of a roast dinner – and the leftovers make beautiful chicken stock. A great protein source, left over chicken is great to snack on, or turn into curries and soup.

3. Bacon

What list of Paleo foods is complete without bacon? You can even use the remaining fat to cook with.

4. Coconut Oil

As well as being a great oil to cook pretty much anything in, this saturated fat is great on it’s own by the spoonful! Coconut oil is also believed to be a great help with dementia and can even be used on your skin.

5. Avocado

Avocado is a perfect fat source and goes with almost anything. You can even cook it, or use it to make a dessert!

6. Eggs

Not only are eggs a great protein source, they are great for making paleo egg fried rice, filling for breakfast – and easy to hardboil in advance to keep peeled in the fridge as a ready snack.

7. Berries

Berries are relatively low in fructose and a great source of antioxidants.

8. Kale

Kale is a true superfood, as it is packed with magnesium, calcium, vitamins A, C and K, lutein, iron and antioxidants. You can even turn it into kale chips!

9. Onions

Onions are a sulphur rich vegetable (which Dr. Terry Walhs considers important enough to eat three cupful’s worth a day) – and just so incredibly versatile. Whether you’re making a stew – or even an omelette, onions will be a great addition.

10. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great base for lots of meals – such as beanless chilli – as they lend themselves so readily to sauce.

Do you agree with my list? What would be on your top ten list of Paleo foods?

Paleo Diet Recipe Vegan Vegetarian Primal Vegetable Bake-min

Recipe: Vegetable Bake with Tomato & Basil Sauce (Vegan & Vegetarian)

I wanted to share with you one of the recipes from my new Vegan and Vegetarian Paleo recipe ebook. Whilst Vegetarian and Paleo might not seem to naturally go together, by avoiding grains – and making sure you get some good legume-free protein into your diet, it is possible to follow a Vegetarian Paleo diet.

My Paleo Vegetarian and Vegan recipe book shows how to transition into Paleo and is packed with recipes for grain, legume and dairy free recipes. Recipes demonstrate good Paleo protein sources and there are also plenty of Vegan options (i.e. no eggs or dairy). For those looking for a gradual transition into full Paleo, the book also details how to properly prepare grains and legumes, for those who aren't ready to give them up on day one.

If you're interested in the recipe ebook, you can find it here.

This recipe is a vegetable bake, full of flavours. Whether you're vegetarian or not, this makes a great Paleo dinner!

 Vegetable Bake Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

  • 1 large eggplant (about 500 g or 1lb), trimmed & sliced in 1 cm thick rounds
  • 2 large zucchini (about 500 g or 1lb), sliced lengthways in ½ cm thick strips
  • olive oil, to brush
  • 2 red capsicum (bell pepper)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, halved & sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 x 400g (or 1lb) tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 cup basil leaves, torn
  • ½ cup pitted black olives
  • ½ cup semi-sundried tomatoes in olive oil*
  • handful baby basil leaves, to serve
  • sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

 * If you can’t find them in 100 % olive oil reconstitute sundried tomatoes in olive oil (to cover) with a clove or 2 of smashed garlic and a sprig of oregano.

The Paleo Primal Diet Vegetarian Vegan Recipe Ebook

Vegetable Bake How To:

Preheat oven 180ºC (350ºF) and put the racks in the top and bottom thirds. Prepare 2 slide trays with baking paper and arrange the eggplant on one and the zucchini on the other in a single layer. Brush liberally with olive oil, season, add the capsicums to the tray and bake for 30 minutes. Remove. Place the capsicums (bell peppers) in a plastic bag and tie shut. Sweat for at least 20 minutes before roughly peeling them (the skin will slip off easily), tearing into quarters and discarding the seeds and stalk.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, covered, for 10 minutes, or until they’re very soft. Remove the lid, add the garlic and stir for a minute then add the tomatoes and basil with some seasoning. Cover, adjust the heat to keep the tomatoes at a steady simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.

Grease a 20 cm2 (8 inches) dish. Arrange the eggplant in one even layer over the base (you can squish them a bit) then spread a quarter of a cup of the tomato sauce over the top. Next, arrange the capsicum (bell pepper) in a single layer, then the zucchini. Spread the remaining tomato sauce over this then arrange the semi-sundried tomatoes on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 15 minutes out of the oven in a warm place.

Serve warm, garnished with baby basil leaves and accompanied by a green salad.

Paleo Diet Recipe Vegan Vegetarian Primal Vegetable Bake-min

Paleo tomato ketchup sauce red recipe primal diet

Recipe: Paleo Tomato Ketchup

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.

Paleo Tomato Ketchup Ingredients:

  • 15 Medium Tomatoes
  • 2 Onions, Chopped and Fried in Coconut Oil
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, Crushed and Fried in Coconut Oil
  • 1 Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper)
  • 100ml (4floz) Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Paprkia
  • Pinch Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns
  • 6 Cloves
  • 3cm (1 inch) Peeled & Chopped Ginger

Paleo Tomato Ketchup How To:

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?

Paleo tomato ketchup sauce red recipe primal diet

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe paleo diet dinner lunch spaghetti-min

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe

As I wrote about yesterday, I'm currently trying to avoid tomatoes and undertake a low-salicylate Paleo diet. I usually use a lot of tomatoes in my cooking, as they are a great base for sauces and meals. My favourite dishes, ragu, bolognese and chilli all use lots of tomatoes, so I've been experimenting to find an alternative.

Since tomatoes are a nightshade, this recipe will be helpful to those avoiding nightshades too. I've also just realized that tomatoes have quadrupled in price in the last few months – so this is also good for the budget!

I used carrots and beetroot to make the “tomato” sauce, which I then used exactly as I would a real tomato sauce with the rest of the ingredients in this bolognese. I'm not that keen on beetroot on it’s own but in this dish with all of the other flavours, it was a great addition.

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe
Recipe type: Dinner
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
If you avoid salicylates or just don't tollerate tomatoes very well, this tomato-free bolognese recipe will meet your needs for a tomato based sauce - but without the tomatoes! It tastes great, and LOOKS very tomatoey!
Ingredients
  • Carrots (I used about 9)
  • Beetroot (I used 4)
  • Leek, diced
  • 3 diced onions
  • Parsnip
  • 7 mushrooms, sliced
  • Pork mince (500g)
  • Beef mince (500g)
  • Coconut oil
  • Coconut aminos
  • Garlic powder
  • Oregano
  • Cinnamon
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Ground chilli
  • Salt & Pepper
Instructions
  1. I peeled and roughly chopped the carrots, beetroot & parsnip and added them to a large pan of boiling water
  2. Meanwhile, in another pan I sautéed the onions in some coconut oil until they turned translucent
  3. Next, I added the mince and a splash of coconut aminos
  4. Once the meat had all browned, I added the leek, mushrooms and a small amount of each of the herbs and spices (I don’t use very much, but adjust according to how hot you like it – and how little you like beetroot!)
  5. I allowed the meat mixture to simmer on a low heat, stirring regularly, and adding water from the carrot & beetroot pan as it dried out
  6. Once the carrots and beetroot's started to soften, I turned the heat off and puréed in the blender
  7. With the tomato-free “tomato sauce” ready, I added it to the meat pan and allowed it to simmer for a few minutes before serving

If you have any suggestions for alternatives to tomatoes, please share in the comments below…

Tomato-Free Bolognese Recipe paleo diet dinner lunch spaghetti-min

Paleo Breakfast Salmon Burgers recipe mushrooms-min

Paleo Breakfast: Salmon Burgers Recipe

I've been trying out lots and lots of new ideas for Paleo Breakfast Recipes (more on that soon!) and was particularly pleased with Sunday's creation. I could eat eggs every day, but I know a lot of people get fed up with eggs – and believe it or not bacon, so this Recipe is something different.

For more breakfast recipes, check out my brand new Paleo Breakfast Recipe Book – I hope you love it as much as I do!

With just three “main” ingredients, it couldn't be much easier to make either.

Ingredients: –

Two large Portabella mushrooms
Two large tomatoes (as close in size to the mushrooms as possible)
Salmon (I used two pieces from the fishmongers, about 500g)
Coconut Oil
Salt (I used Celtic seat salt)
Fresh Lime
Paprika

Method: –

• I preheated the oven to 200C (400F) whilst I washed the tomatoes and mushrooms.

• I cut the stalks off the mushrooms – carefully – and set them aside (to add to a batch of Paleo Chilli; waste not want not)

• I then cut the mushrooms into two slices. Once I’d cut off the top and bottom, I cut the tomatoes into four slices each.

• I had intended to use a biscuit cutter, but I actually found it easier to use a large glass (similar in diameter to the mushrooms), to cut 8 rings out of the salmon.

• I arranged the mushrooms, tomatoes and salmon onto a baking tray and brushed with coconut oil, then topped with a little salt.

• I cooked for about ten minutes, then assembled the burgers, starting with the bottom slice of the mushroom, alternating the tomato and salmon – and ending with the mushroom top.

• I served with a squeeze of lime, a pinch of paprika (and some spinach leaves).

This was a really simple breakfast to make, but looked impressive and was very filling.

If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think of the Recipe, below! What do you think about fish for breakfast?

Paleo Breakfast Salmon Burgers recipe mushrooms-min

Nightshades and paleo diet alkaloids inflammation sensitivity-min

Nightshades and Paleo

Perhaps you avoid nightshades yourself, or have noticed a lot of people do?  Is there any reason for avoiding them?

Nightshades are in the Solanaceae family, which comprises 2,800 types of plant.  The common nightshades include potatoes (which aren't consumed on a Paleo regime, so I won’t be talking about them), tomatoes, all types of peppers/ capsicum, eggplant, tomatillos, tamarios, paprika and cayenne.   Sweet potatoes are related, but belong to the Convolvulaceae family, so aren't classed as a nightshade.  Similarly black pepper is not classed as a nightshade as it belongs to the Piperaceae family.

Nightshades contain alkaloids, which the plant produces as a defence mechanism.  Some alkaloids have been shown to interact with nerve activity and inflammation, which may impact conditions such as arthritis and gout, as well as gut irritation.  Many people have no sensitivities to Nightshades, but those that do may find avoidance very beneficial.  Cooking decreases the alkaloid content by up to 50%, so for those with border line sensitivity, this can be a good option.

If you think you may have a sensitivity, eliminating nightshades for 30 days before reintroducing should give a clear indication as to the effect these plant have on you.  If you find you do have a sensitivity, you might chose to avoid them on a more permanent basis.

Do you eat Nightshades?  Do you have a sensitivity to them?

Nightshades and paleo diet alkaloids inflammation sensitivity-min