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It's a Miracle!

9/7/2016

2 Comments

 
The blog has taken a bit of a hiatus this summer. I've spent most of my time with grandsons and garden, sometimes simultaneously ( but the novelty of pulling carrots and digging potatoes wears off quickly--even for city boys--when they are 6 and 8, and then Grandma has to figure out something else to amuse them).

I went a little overboard with my first garden, just like I went overboard with everything else rural when we first moved from Manhattan to a small town in the Hudson Valley 36 years ago. We had goats, a rabbit and even a pony named Smoky, which my kids rode about three times before they got bored. We ended up giving the pony and rabbit away. I would have given the garden away too, if I could have. The first year, we planted about a 1/4 acre with the usual tomatoes, cucumber, greens and zucchini, but also pumpkins and corn and, for some reason that escapes me now, horseradish. The next year, the garden was overrun with weeds and horseradish. Given that most people are not that fond of horseradish and nobody likes eating weeds, I ended up buying my veggies at the local farm stand...much less labor intensive. But I should have gotten the Mom of the Year Award for driving a goat (and her milking stand) to my daughter's kindergarten class for show-and-tell.


So now, 30 years and 364 miles away, I seem to have turned into a real gardener....in fact, a cliché of a gardener. I drool over garden catalogues in February, can't wait to put my seed order in, lovingly drag seaweed up from the beach to enrich the soil, compost each spring,  and gleefully squish Colorado Potato Beetles with my bare hands and drown Tomato Hornworms in soapy water.
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Have you ever seen a Tomato Hornworm? They're hideous, and when they take a bite out of a tomato it looks like a large rodent has done the damage. They can also decimate a tomato plant, stems, leaves, and fruit in one night. They have an incredible camouflage, blend in perfectly with a tomato plant, and you can only spot them because of their poop on the leaves. So, two years ago I found one on a tomato plant, plucked it off, put it into a jar and showed my husband. He thought it was gorgeous and begged me not to kill it. The next day, the tomatoes were virtually destroyed and I found 12 more of the monstrosities. Since the tomatoes are actually his pride and joy, he conceded to let me get rid of the hornworms but didn't want me to tell him how I had done the deed.
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By Daniel Schwen - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11470387
The next year he had the brilliant idea to plant a second patch of tomatoes, at some distance from the garden, just for the hornworms. Uh, yeah, with a sign that said "Eat these, not those"?  No, didn't happen, but I think the hornworms got the message. We haven't seen them since.

Anyway, the garden is my miracle each year. It's an incredible thrill to put tiny seeds into the ground and have them turn into the basis of a season's worth of meals just a few short months  later. This year, we grew potatoes for the first time; digging them was like searching for hidden treasure (but only for about 5 minutes for the aforementioned grandsons).

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Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil and Paleo Feta
Serves 2

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If you are eating Paleo, your pasta options are few: You can buy packaged Paleo pasta (for about 9 bucks a box!); make your own with a pasta maker, using nut flours ( I tried this, but didn't fasten the pasta attachment correctly and the dough ended up on the ceiling); pretend that spaghetti squash is real spaghetti, or...try Miracle Noodles. For me, this is the best option. And, with the addition of Jane's Healthy Kitchen Paleo Feta, I can eat my very favorite pasta dish again.
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Ingredients

2 packages Miracle Noodle Fettucini (follow the easy directions on the package, and don't be put off by the fishy smell of the noodles when you first open the package; the odor washes away)

Assorted heirloom tomatoes, about 2 pounds, chopped
Chopped fresh basil
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

One recipe Paleo Feta:
 (Reprinted with permission from Jane's Healthy Kitchen, janeshealthykitchen.com): 
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 tsp sea salt
Ground black or white pepper to taste
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar1/2 tsp vitamin C crystals
2 tsp nutritional yeast
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil3/4 cup coconut butter, softened
1. Place all the ingredients except the coconut butter in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth
2. Add coconut butter and blend until smooth
3. Refrigerate to firm up.

Recipe
To assemble dish, mix tomatoes, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Mix into Miracle Noodles (after you've followed directions on package which is basically to rinse, plunge briefly into boiling water, and then drain), then mix in chunks of Paleo feta.




Variations on a Theme

Serve these Miracle Noodles with your favorite Paleo pasta sauces like pesto or tomato sauce. One of the easiest ways to serve is to sauté some sliced onions in olive oil, add lots of sliced summer squash (and most gardeners have plenty of that by the end of summer), add some chopped basil, salt, and pepper and sprinkle with a tablespoon  or two of nutritional yeast (adds kind of a Paleo "Parmesan" taste). Then mix with a bag or two of Miracle Noodles. As an alternative, roast sliced vegetables like carrots, beets, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. sprinkled with salt and drizzled with olive oil , at 425 degrees until soft and slightly browned and then mix with the noodles. Voilà: Dinner!
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​Collard Green Wraps

So, this isn't really even a recipe. I don't know what I was thinking when I planted so many collards. I've already sent them home with our summer visitors, donated armfuls to our local soup kitchen, and still have lots in the garden. This week, I'm going to blanch and freeze most of them, but fresh leaves make really good wraps. 
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​For the wrap in the photo above, remove the rib from the center of a collard green leaf. Some people like to blanch the leaves in boiling water and then cool them. It makes for a more supple wrap, but when I want instant sandwich gratification, I don't bother with this step. Anyway, mash some avocado and spread on both halves of the leaf. Top with sliced barbecued chicken or turkey, then top with sauerkraut and roll up the leaf halves. 

No-nitrate bacon, heirloom tomatoes and avocado would also be good wrapped in a collard leaf...mmmm, tomorrow's lunch, I think.
2 Comments

Junk Food Summer

7/6/2016

1 Comment

 
In the summer of my 37th year (which would have made me 36), I discovered the Beach Boys. Oh, of course I had heard the Beach Boys before, but in my college years I disdained them as air-heady, bleached blond frat boys and leaned more towards the "deeper" music of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. And then, in 1984, I saw the error of my ways. The Beach Boys provided the perfect soundtrack for the summer my kids and I spent cruising to the local swimming hole, eating Fritos and Baskin Robbins ("Hey, Mom's letting us eat crap, " they marveled ), and singing "Help Me Rhonda" at the top of our lungs. It was one of the best summers of my life (and, fortunately, it was also the summer I started running, so I burned up all those calories).

Cracker Jack Hack

Remember the definition of hack? It's doing something that demonstrates cleverness or ingenuity; solves a meaningful problem; and is not a common solution to the problem.

So here's a perfect summer hack for that nostalgic baseball stadium staple, Cracker Jacks. The real thing is verboten: corn, peanuts, molasses, and corn syrup, but this easy substitute tastes great, doesn't need a recipe, and is actually good for you (in small portions).
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Ingredients

Paleonola Granola (available from Whole Foods or on line from Thrive Market, www.thrivemarket.com). My favorite flavor is Pina Colada, but Maple Pancake is good, too (or Original or Apple, or Chocolate, which would add a whole other dimension)
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the granola (you want just enough to make the salt adhere to the granola, but not enough to make it greasy), sprinkle on a little sea salt, mix, bake on a baking sheet for two or three minutes, cool, and it's ready to munch. Of course, you can also whip up a batch of your favorite Paleo granola recipe and proceed from there).

Krispy Kremes (Not)
Makes 6 donuts

Ages ago (40 years), my dear friend Linda and I were both pregnant with our second children and experiencing donut cravings on the very same day, so we bought a dozen and scarfed them down (yes, all of them). I was so sick after that that I could never even look at another donut. Until, that is, 16 years later when I was living in New Jersey and working in New York. Every day, walking through the concourse of Penn Station on my way home, I would pass the Krispy Kreme stand with their "Hot Now" sign and most enticing aroma. One day, it was just too much and I had to buy one and eat it on the spot. And if I hadn't been running to catch a train, I would have turned around and bought another one (or three). After that day, sad story, I was hooked, and a couple of times a week, I bought a dozen to share with my donut-loving spouse (but only 9 made it home).

So, when I embarked on my Paleo junk food quest, Krispy Kremes were at the top of my list. Thank goodness I was unable to recreate my nemesis. What you have below, is a recipe for a perfectly good donut, one which Henry, my resident donut maven, says is better than Dunkin' Donuts. I ate one, and it was pretty good, but since it was not Krispy Kreme, I didn't have another. That's o.k...Henry ate the rest.
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Ingredients

1/3 cup coconut flour
1 tsp arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 large eggs
2 tsp ghee (clarified butter), melted
3 TBS coconut sugar
1/2 cup canned, full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
Coconut oil for greasing donut pan

Glaze

1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp arrowroot powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 TBS (or more) canned coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease donut pan with coconut oil.
2. Whisk dry ingredients, then stir in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Pour into a six donut mold pan and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Cool on wire rack before glazing.

For glaze

1. Put coconut sugar and arrowroot in a high-speed blender and blend for a few seconds to make powdered sugar.
2. Add a small pinch of salt and enough coconut milk to make a syrupy glaze.
3. Drizzle over cooled donuts
(Note: Because coconut sugar is brown, this glaze comes out looking a little like chocolate. The donut photo was taken pre-glaze).

Duck Fat Sweet Potato Fries
Serves two

There is a little lunch place in Portland, Maine, called Duck Fat because they fry their potatoes in (duh!) duck fat. I think that they serve the best, the very best fries ever. While white potatoes aren't Paleo, sweet potatoes are. And if you make the following recipe with Japanese sweet potatoes, which are white and not quite as sweet as the orange ones, it's pretty darn close to the real thing. The duck fat makes all the difference.

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Ingredients

1 large Japanese or regular sweet potato
2 TBs duck fat, melted (if you can't get this locally, you can order on-line from Epic Provisions, www.epicbar.com, or from Thrive Market (www.thrivemarket.com)
2 TBS arrowroot powder
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, optional

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Peel and slice sweet potato as you would for hand-cut French fries.
3. Toss slices in  melted duck fat, then in arrowroot powder,and sprinkle with salt, and pepper, if using.
4. Bake on baking sheet for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until fries are nicely browned.

Paleo Doritos

This recipe is an adaptation of a tortilla chip recipe from Elana's Pantry (www.elanaspantry.com) and is published with permission. My addition of nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor.

Even if you're not following a Paleo diet, the list of ingredients in real Doritos might inspire you to try this healthy version, to wit: corn, vegetable oil, cheddar cheese, maltodextrin, wheat flour, whey, monosodium glutamate, buttermilk solids, Romano cheese, whey protein concentrate, onion powder, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, corn flour, disodium phosphate, lactose, natural and artificial flavor, dextrose, tomato powder, spices, lactic acid, artificial  color (3 of them!), citric acid, sugar, garlic powder, red and green bell pepper powder, sodium caseinate, disodium inosinate ( which spellcheck just tried to change to insinuate), disodium guanylate, nonfat milk solids, whey protein isolate, and corn syrup solids.

Whew! Better living through chemistry? I think not.

That list just makes me want to rush into my garden and eat raw kale!
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Ingredients

1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup golden flaxseed meal
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp ground cumin

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until a ball of dough forms.
3. Separate dough into two halves.
4. Place each piece of dough between two pieces of parchment paper.
5. With a rolling pin, roll each piece 1/8 of an inch or thinner ( the thinner, the crispier)
6. Remove top pieces of parchment paper and transfer the dough on the bottom sheets of paper to a baking sheet.
7. Cut into triangular wedges.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until starting to brown. Cool.
1 Comment

That's Amore

6/8/2016

2 Comments

 
Seriously, was there ever a sillier song lyric than "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore"? Well, maybe that thing about someone leaving the cake out in the rain in MacArthur Park. What does that even mean?

At least Dean Martin wasn't trying to be profound when he sang about love being like getting a shiner from a pizza. Although "pizza pie" was redundant, pizza being Italian for pie. But that's what we called it back in the day.

It was a rare treat to go the pizza parlor to watch those amazing guys throwing the dough high in the air. I always waited for them to drop it, but they never did. For me, that was the whole point of the excursion. That, and the Nesselrode pie that we got for dessert. Nesselrode, an airy concoction of puréed chestnuts, cream, gelatin,and  candied fruits, with a topping of shaved chocolate, seems to have gone the way of rotary phones and vinyl records. No, actually, vinyl is in again, so maybe someone will make Nesselrode hip, too.

But, back to the subject: Who doesn't love pizza?

Well, me, actually. Before I went Paleo, I could actually take it or leave it, mostly leave it. Henry, on the other hand, adores it, so every couple of weeks we used to get a take-out pie from his favorite pizzeria. After I ate it, I always felt like crap, but didn't connect it with the wheat or the cheese...I just thought it was the grease.

But, of course, after it became a forbidden food on my new diet, I craved it like crazy.
And, thanks to some Paleo geniuses, I can eat it.

Making your own pizza crust is easy, especially in a food processor, but if you'd rather not, Julian Bakery (www.julianbakery.com) makes a pretty good Paleo pizza crust mix (and their pancake mix is even better).

So with an easier-than- pie pizza crust (homemade, see below, or from a mix) a batch of already prepared Paleo Mozzarella (see recipe, below) and some roasted veggies or leftover roast chicken and pesto, making pizza is almost as easy as take-out, with the added bonus that you don't feel like crap afterwards. And even Henry admits it isn't bad...but he's from New Jersey and says he hasn't had a REAL Italian pizza since we moved to Maine.
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Pizza Crust
Makes one large or two small crusts

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Ingredients

2 or more cups almond flour
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

Parchment paper

1. Place pizza stone or cookie sheet in oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients in food processor.
3. Add water and olive oil to dry ingredients and process until dough forms a ball.
4. Put dough on large piece of parchment paper and cover with second piece of parchment paper.
5. Roll dough to desired thickness (you want it to be more of a flatbread pizza than a Sicilian pie). Then remove top sheet of parchment paper, prick crust all over with a fork and carefully transfer dough to pizza stone or cookie sheet in the oven (o.k. to leave it on bottom sheet of parchment paper).
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until dough  starts to turn color and crisp up.
7. Remove from oven, add toppings and put back in oven for about 8 minutes, or until cheese melts (if you are using cheese).
8. Remove from oven, slice and serve.

Paleo Mozzarella
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

(Reprinted with permission from Jane's Healthy Kitchen, www.janeshealthykitchen.com)

Ingredients
2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup canned organic coconut milk (thick)
1 cup coconut butter, softened (put jar in warm water)
2 TBS nutritional (not baking) yeast (available at natural food stores)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) powder (available at natural food stores and    pharmacies)
2/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1. Put lemon juice, coconut milk, coconut butter, nutritional yeast, salt and Vitamin C powder in food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add melted coconut oil and blend until smooth.
3. Pour into freezer-safe container and freeze for one hour.
4. Remove from freezer and allow to soften for about 5 minutes, then slice or grate as much as you need. Refrigerate or freeze the remaining cheese.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza

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Ingredients
1 recipe pizza crust, see above
Paleo mozzarella, see recipe, above
Assorted vegetables like beets, parsnips, broccoli, leeks, cauliflower, carrots, etc.
Salt to taste
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Slice vegetables, arrange on baking sheet(s), salt to taste, and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Roast until vegetable soften and brown slightly (watch carefully as they will be ready at different times--beets take the longest)
4. Follow recipe for pizza crust, topping with vegetables and cheese.

Chicken and Pesto Pizza

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Ingredients
1 recipe pizza crust, see above
Paleo mozzarella, see recipe, above
Leftover roast chicken, cut or torn into pieces
Your favorite pesto recipe ( I like mint, basil and walnuts)

1. Follow recipe for pizza crust, above, topping with pesto, then chicken and cheese.

Grilled Mushroom and Onion Pissaladière

Since it's grilling season, I've included this grilled version of a favorite French recipe. Grilling pizza dough is super easy, and takes half the time than baking in the oven. Note that the toppings are put on after the crust is completely cooked.

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Ingredients
3 TBS olive oil
12 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 TBS fresh thyme
Pitted Greek or Niçoise olives
Chopped parsley for garnish
1/2 recipe Paleo pizza dough (see recipe, above), but do not bake dough
Olive oil for oiling grill

 1. Heat olive oil and sauté onions until soft; add mushrooms and thyme and continue to sauté until mushrooms are done, being careful not to burn the onions.
2. Heat grill, brush with olive oil, and place rolled out pizza dough on grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes, then flip over for another 3 or 4 minutes until dough is crisp.
3. Spread cooked onion/mushroom mixture on crust, scatter olives on top, then garnish with chopped parsley. Slice and serve.

(Almost) Everything Pizza

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Ingredients
2 TBS grapeseed or coconut oil
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
1 tsp dried or 1 TBS Fresh thyme
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems removed and chopped, leaves sliced in strips
12 oz white mushrooms
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 eggs (optional)
1 TBS ghee (optional)
1 recipe pizza dough, see above
1 recipe Paleo mozzarella ( there will be cheese left over, so freeze the rest for your next pizza night)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté onions in oil until soft.Add thyme and water, cover, and cook over a low flame 20 minutes to caramelize. Add chard stems and cook over, uncovered, until softened. Add sliced mushrooms, cook until soft, then add sliced chard leaves. Cook briefly, until leaves wilt. Set aside.
2. Cook bacon until crisp, then remove to paper towel to drain.
3. Make pizza crust, then add vegetables and cheese and continue baking according to crust  recipe (do not add bacon)
4. If using eggs, fry in ghee
5. When pizza is done, scatter bacon on top and top the whole thing with fried eggs. Salt and pepper to taste, cut and serve.
2 Comments

The Proof is in the Pudding

5/25/2016

2 Comments

 
We were one of the last holdouts on our block, but my mother wanted to watch Queen Elizabeth's coronation, so in 1953, when I was 6, we succumbed to the 20th century and bought our first TV...and I succumbed to the seductive power of advertising.

The first product I lusted after was Premier Rice Pudding, which came in a can. I whined and cajoled until my parents gave in. Needless to say, it was vile ( I didn't know it contained raisins, ugh!) and turned me off to pretty much anything in a can, except tuna, for a very long time. Family legend has it that my great-grandmother, who lived to be 106, never ate canned food, but she put sugar in everything she cooked, so go figure.

I was also seduced by Winky Dink's Magic Screen. Winky Dink and You  was a 1950's kids' program that sold a green plastic sheet that adhered to your tv screen by friction, and a box of crayons with which to draw on said screen. You could help Wink on his adventures by drawing bridges so he could get over raging rivers, trails connecting him to buried treasure, etc. My parents finally got me a Magic Screen set after I drew all over the television.

Right now, I kind of want to boycott TV or maybe take my crayons and write epithets all over the screen during news broadcasts. I can't bear listening to what some of the candidates are trying to sell us, and the idea that this will continue for almost 6 more months (and only get uglier, I'm afraid) until Election Day.....

So, I really need some comfort food right about now, and pudding is perfect. I remember one election result, years ago, that upset me so much that I made and consumed tapioca pudding, right out of the pot, for months. It was all I could stomach.

So if you are having a queasy election cycle, or even if you're not, here are some comforting pudding recipes for you.


Butterscotch pudding
Makes 4 large or 6 small servings

The original, non-Paleo recipe comes from a favorite cookbook called Short and Sweet by Melanie Barnard. It is full of easy dessert recipes, many of which can be adapted with Paleo ingredients. This luscious pudding is one of them.
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​Ingredients

2/3 cup coconut sugar
2 TBS arrowroot powder
2 cups canned organic coconut milk
2 large egg yolks, beaten
1 1/2 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Whisk coconut sugar and arrowroot in a saucepan.
2. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk until smooth.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and whisk about a half cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks and then return the yolk mixture to the pan.
5. Cook, stirring, for about one minute, until it is smooth and starting to thicken.
6. Remove from heat and add ghee and vanilla. Do not stir. Let stand for two minutes, than gently whisk until just blended.
7. Divide into ramekins. Either serve warm or chill for several hours.

Text excerpted from SHORT AND SWEET © 1999 by Melanie Barnard. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.


Double Chocolate Pudding
Makes 4 large or 6 small servings

​This one also originally came from Short and Sweet. And, although I have fond memories of the My-T-Fine Instant Pudding of my childhood, this one is SO much finer (and mightier).
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Ingredients

2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
3 TBS arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups full fat coconut milk
3 oz. Paleo-friendly bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Coconut cream from top of can of coconut milk for garnish, optional

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the coconut sugar, cacao, arrowroot and salt.
2. Whisk in one cup of coconut milk until smooth, and then whisk in second cup.
3. Set pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to whisk and boil for another minute.
4. Remove pan from heat and add chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Let stand for 5 minutes until chocolate is melted and then stir gently until pudding is smooth.
5. Pour pudding into dessert bowls. Let cool for about 20 minutes to serve warm, or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with unsweetened coconut cream, if desired.

Text excerpted from SHORT AND SWEET © 1999 by Melanie Barnard. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
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Spiced Pumpkin Custard
Makes 6 servings

Think Thanksgiving: This is pumpkin pie without the crust and it smells so yummy while it's baking. In fact, if my family lets me get away with it, I might just skip the crust and serve this for our next Thanksgiving feast.
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Ingredients

1 cup coconut cream (from top of canned organic coconut milk) plus 1/4 cup coconut water from the same can
2/3 cup canned organic pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of sea salt
Coconut cream from top of can of coconut milk for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, stir together coconut cream and coconut water and bring to a simmer.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, coconut sugar, spices and salt.
4. Slowly whisk the the hot coconut cream into the egg mixture.
5. Divide the custard into heat-proof ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking pan half filled with hot water (so water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins). Bake custards until they are nearly set in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes.
6. Remove ramekins from the water bath. Let cool for a few minutes to serve warm or refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Garnish with unsweetened coconut cream, if desired.

​Text excerpted from SHORT AND SWEET © 1999 by Melanie Barnard. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Chia "Tapioca" Pudding
Makes 4 servings

​So, creamy tapioca pudding is probably my number one comfort ( read nursery) food. And, since tapioca is not a grain or legume and is gluten-free, it is grudgingly acceptable to Paleo experts. "Grudgingly" because this starch is low on nutrients and high on nothing but carbs. On the other hand, chia seeds have protein and healthy fatty acids. So, substituting chia for tapioca in this classic recipe makes sense, and while it tastes yummy, I'm probably not likely to binge on it. It's also healthy enough to have for breakfast.

But, if we have catastrophic election results in November, that will be me inhaling pots of REAL tapioca pudding (well, real Paleo tapioca pudding, using coconut milk and coconut sugar), carbs or no carbs.

It's a whole lot less complicated than moving to Canada.
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Ingredients

1 can organic full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup white chia seeds
5 TBS coconut sugar
Pinch of sea salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
Unsweetened coconut cream (from top of can of coconut milk) for garnish, optional

1. Mix coconut milk, chia seeds, coconut sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Whisk 1/2 cup of the milk mixture into the beaten egg, one or two tablespoons at a time.
3. Add egg mixture back into saucepan and cook over low heat  for one or two minutes until mixture is thick.
4. Pour into ramekins and let sit until cool. Garnish with a dollop of unsweetened coconut cream if desired.
2 Comments

Traveling While Paleo, or How to Survive Paris When There is a Patisserie AND a Boulangerie on Every Block (and sometimes two or three!)

5/4/2016

1 Comment

 
A year ago this month, we were on our way to Europe, my first international trip since "going Paleo." And, I have to confess, I was feeling a little anxious about food, since I had eliminated so many categories of edibles from my diet.

But I had decided to "pick my poison." I knew that a French chef's head would pop off if I requested a meal with no grains, no dairy, no soy, so corn, no garlic, no alcohol, no sugar,no potatoes, no tomatoes, no peppers, and no eggplant, so I decided to draw my line in the sand with no gluten (sans gluten, in French) and no garlic. And, of course, I did not order wine.

In her book, "The Gluten-Free Bible," Jax Peters Lowell provides international gluten-free dining cards in 17 different languages ( including Swahili and Thai). The cards state that the bearer will become ill if they eat any foods with wheat, rye, oats, etc. I felt comfortable enough speaking French that I didn't need the card, but I did make a copy of the one in Dutch (fortunately, nearly everyone in Amsterdam speaks English).
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Which leads me to Piece of Advice Number 1:
​Do your homework. I cannot emphasize this enough. I spent weeks looking up menus on the Internet and sending emails to restaurants in both our destination cities (Amsterdam and Paris) and it was so worth it! Most of my correspondents were happy to accommodate me. It also helped to improve my written French and added new words to my vocabulary. For me, half the joy of traveling is in the planning, so the research was not onerous at all.
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Piece of Advice Number 2:
Don't deprive yourself. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so sample the native cuisine judiciously as long as it's not something that will send you to the hospital if you eat it. Indulge yourself a little. If dairy doesn't push you over the deep end, pop a Lactaid (but bring some with you because it's hard to find abroad) and sample (not gorge on) the magnificent Goudas in the Netherlands or the creamy Columiers in France.

And maybe pick one thing that you absolutely cannot resist. For me, France's iconic baguettes and croissants were out of the question, but not so the jewel-like macarons in the windows of every patisserie in Paris. Thankfully, these lovely indulgences are made with ground almonds (Paleo!), without a smidgen of grains. They are sweetened with sugar ( not Paleo, but I'm o.k. with small doses once in awhile)and flavored with fruits, chocolate, or spices. Sorry, no macaron recipe here, because they are incredibly labor-intensive (trust me, I know: on a pre-Paleo trip in 2012, Henry and I took a macaroon-baking class. It was great fun, but not something I need to do again). If you are so inclined, however, there is at least one Paleo macaron recipe on the web.

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https://www.pexels.com/photo/food-dessert-sweet-macaroons-6747/
Piece of Advice Number 3:
​Realize that every place you visit is so much more than the sum of its cuisine. There are so many gifts for the senses, that I promise that you will not mourn the untasted pains au chocolate, brioches, or Brie ( well, at least not for long). After several pre-trip emails back and forth to one of Amsterdam's most highly rated Rijstaffels (Indonesian restaurants which are a remnant of the time when Indonesia was a Dutch colony), it became clear that there was nothing on the menu that did not contain rice and/or soy sauce (which makes me really, really ill), I knew I would have to skip that particular culinary adventure. But truly, the walks along Amsterdam's canals, the Rembrandts in the Rijksmuseum and the spectacular displays of tulips in Kuekenhof gardens more than made up for it. It's hard to feel deprived with so much beauty surrounding you.


Piece of Advice 
Number 4:
Rent an apartment, rather than stay in a hotel. This gives you the greatest flexibility around meals. We did this in both our destinations, and found ourselves in a lovely little place overlooking a quiet canal in Amsterdam and an elegant (but not pricy) flat in the heart of Montmartre. We took advantage of farmers' markets, delis, wonderful little greengrocers and fabulous rotisserie chicken stands (especially in Paris) and put together our own delicious Paleo meals.

Roast Chicken with Braised Carrots and Radishes
Serves 4

We bought a wonderful herby roast chicken from my favorite purveyor, Les Rôtisseries du Roy, around the corner from our apartment in Montmartre. It was pricy, 23 euros, but it was "bio" (organic) and so luscious that a few days later we bought another one. With fresh greens and tiny haricots verts , followed by fresh strawberries (all purchased from the greengrocers across the street, which had more than freshness and locale going for it: I shopped there every day because the proprietor responded to my attempts to speak passable French in, well, French!), it made a perfect Parisian meal.
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Ingredients

1 organic roasting chicken, 4-5 pounds
1/2 lemon
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 TBS dried herbes de Provence

1 bunch baby carrots, peeled
1 bunch radishes, leaves and stems removed, cut in half lengthwise
2 TBS ghee or duck fat
1/2 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Squeeze juice from lemon half over chicken and then place in cavity, along with rosemary sprigs.
3. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence and put chicken on a rack in a roasting pan
4. Roast for 1/2 hour,  baste with pan juices, then turn over
5. While chicken is roasting, melt ghee or duck fat  in heavy pan and sauté carrots and radishes for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add water and cover pan. Braise for  5 minutes, then remove cover. Cook another few minutes until most of the water has evaporated and  vegetables are tender.
5. Roast chicken for another 1/2 hour, basting from time to time, then turn chicken breast side up again. Cook for another 20 minutes or so until leg joint moves easily and juices run clear (not pink) when you pierce the thigh.

Dutch Baby with Cinnamon Apples
Serves 3-4

In the Netherlands, they serve small pancakes called pannenkoeken. Needless to say, I didn't sample them. While this recipe is not from the Netherlands ( its origins may be Pennsylvania Dutch) it is something I used to make with my kids when they were little. It makes a great brunch dish, with bacon and soft-scrambled eggs on the side.
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Ingredients
For apples:
2 large sweet,tart apples, like Pink Lady, cored and cut in chunks. Do not peel.
2 TBS ghee
1 TBS coconut sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For pancake:
1/4 cup ghee
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup canned organic coconut milk
3/4 cup almond flour

Coconut sugar for sprinkling, optional

2-3 quart capacity oven-proof frying pan or wok (3 inches deep, at most)

1. Melt ghee in large pan; add coconut sugar and cinnamon and stir.
2. Add apple chunks to pan, stir until they are coated, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally  until apples are tender, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4.Put ghee in pan and place pan in pre-heated oven.
5. Put eggs and coconut milk in the food processor, blend, then gradually add coconut flour.
6. Remove pan from oven and pour in batter. Return pan to oven immediately and bake until pancake browns and puffs up, about 20 minutes.
7. Serve immediately, topped with cinnamon apples and sprinkled with additional coconut sugar if desired (Dutch Baby will deflate a bit after you remove it from the oven. Not to worry, it's still delicious).


1 Comment

Orange You Glad?

4/20/2016

2 Comments

 
When my son was about 7, he regaled us with knock-knock jokes, some of his own divising , which were actually quite hilarious. His 4-year-old sister, whose sense of humor and irony had not yet caught up with his, did not want to be left out of the fun, so she made up her own. I can't remember his jokes, but none of us has ever forgotten this one of hers:

"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Snoopy."
"Snoopy who?"
"Snoopy do the dishes!"
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This was met by blank stares and a long silence from all.

"LAUGH!", she barked in her most imperious voice.

And so we did. And every time she repeated it, we dutifully responded. To this day, we refer to it as her Mafia Knock Knock Joke.

Fast forward 35 years, and her two sons, ages 6 and 8, are heavily into Knock Knocks.
This is their current favorite, which inspired this post.

"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Banana."
"Banana who?"
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Banana."
"Banana who?"
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Banana."
"Banana who?"
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Orange."
"Orange who?"
"Orange you glad I didn't say banana again?"

And speaking of Orange, the below photo is a preview for my next post, "Traveling While Paleo." Last year, we were in Amsterdam on King's Day (sometimes known as Queen's Day. It depends on the gender of the current Dutch monarch). People  wear orange to celebrate the King's birthday, not because he is inordinately  fond of citrus, but because the royal family belongs to the House of Orange. It is a happy and sometimes rowdy day. People drink and smoke weed on the streets, there are blocks-long yard sales,  music, tacky orange souvenirs like feather boas and oversized plastic spectacles, and orange-festooned boats plying the canals all day and into the night. And everyone is even more friendly than usual. It's a wonderful city that I hope I have a chance to revisit some day.
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Ambrosia Pizza
Serves 4

Remember ambrosia from the 1950's? In our house it was made with two of my then-favorite foods, canned mandarin oranges and sweetened shredded coconut. It was a real treat because we usually weren't served dessert (which may or may not account for my wicked sweet tooth today). You can indulge in this version of ambrosia because all the sweetness comes from fruit, including the salted caramel sauce which is made from dates
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Uncooked Ambrosia Pizza
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Cooked Ambrosia Pizza
Ingredients
For pizza crust
( This will make enough for 2 small crusts; cut dough in half and freeze second half for another purpose)

2 or more cups almond or cashew flour
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
Parchment paper
Pizza stone or cookie sheet

Topping
1 blood orange, peeled and pith removed, sliced horizontally
1 naval or cara cara orange, peeled and pith removed, slice horizontally
2 clementines, peeled with pith removed, segmented
1 banana, sliced
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut chips, lightly toasted in toaster oven

Caramel Sauce
6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (if dates are hard, soak for a few minutes in boiling water and then drain)
2/3 cup water
Pinch coarse sea salt

1. Put pizza stone or cookie sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine dry ingredients for crust in food processor.
3 Add water and olive oil to dry ingredients and blend until dough forms a ball. Add more flour if necessary.
4. Cut dough ball in half and freeze second half for another purpose. Re-form remaining dough into ball.
5. Put dough on large piece of parchment paper and cover with second piece of parchment paper.
6. Roll dough to desired thickness (flatbread  thickness is good for this recipe).
7. Remove top piece of parchment paper and slide bottom piece, with crust, onto pizza stone. Prick crust all over with a fork.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes until crust starts to color and crisp up.
9. Remove crust from oven.
10. Arrange orange slices, clementine segments and banana slices on crust.
11. Bake for 8-10 more minutes until crust is crisp and fruit softens.
12. Meanwhile, make caramel sauce. In food processor or blender, combine chopped dates, water and salt. Blend until it is the consistency of a smooth sauce. Add a little more water if necessary.
13. When pizza is done, remove from oven and sprinkle with toasted coconut chips. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Cut pizza into four slices and serve.
​

Banana Bread Pudding
Serves 2

I adore bread pudding. Pre-Paleo, I ordered it whenever I was lucky enough to find it on a dessert menu. Actually, I adore all of those nursery/comfort food puddings like tapioca, rice, and butterscotch...which gives me an idea for a future post: Paleo Puddings!

Needless to say, bread pudding has not been part of my repertoire lately, but that's about to change. This one is especially easy, because it uses the basic 90-second microwave banana cake  from my birthday cake post of last month (really a banana bread, if you don't frost with coconut whipped cream) as the base.
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Ingredients
For banana bread

1 tsp coconut oil
4 TBS almond or coconut flour
3 tsp coconut flour
1 TBS flax seed meal (ground flax seed)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
1/2 banana, mashed with a fork
1 TBS raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 TBS coconut oil, melted in microwave
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

1. Melt the 1 tsp coconut oil in a 2-cup microwave-safe glass measuring cup. Carefully rotate the cup until the bottom and sides are coated with oil. Pour out and discard the excess.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add mashed banana, honey, vanilla, egg, 2 TBS melted coconut oil, and grated lemon rind to the dry ingredients and mix until well-combined.
4. Pour batter into greased measuring cup and microwave for 90 seconds. Check cake, and if top is still wet, microwave in 20 second increments until done. Do not overcook.
5. Let cool in cup for 1-2 minutes, the put small plate over cup and turn over. Banana bread will slide onto plate. Let cool completely.

For pudding
1 recipe Paleo microwave banana bread (above)
2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 banana, sliced
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 TBS maple sugar or coconut sugar
1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
Boiling water
1/2 cup cream from top of canned coconut milk, sweetened to taste with maple syrup for topping pudding, optional
2 four-inch oven-proof ramekins

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Grease ramekins with ghee
3. Slice, then cube banana bread. Gently toast bread cubes until slightly dry, then divide evenly between the ramekins. Top with banana slices.
4. Beat the egg, egg yolk and maple sugar until smooth. Add the 1 cup coconut milk and mix until well-blended. Strain the mix and pour over cubed banana bread.
5. Put the ramekins in a baking dish. Boil water and pour into baking dish, being careful that water does not get into ramekins. Water should reach one inch up the sides of ramekins.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until custard is set. Serve warm with sweetened coconut cream, if desired.
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Duck Burgers à l'Orange

Roast duck à l'orange always seemed like a major big deal to me...a lot of work for not such a great finished product. Not so with this recipe: duck burgers are as easy as hamburgers and would probably do well on the grill if it ever gets warmer (we are having a very nice winter this spring on the coast of Maine).
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Ingredients

1 pound ground duck ( I get mine from the poultry farmer at our local farmer's market)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS ghee (clarified butter)

For sauce
1 TBS coconut sugar
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed
3/4 cup or more chicken broth, plus 2 TBS more broth
1 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
Grated rind of one orange
Salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves for serving

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix ground duck, salt, pepper and thyme, and form 4 burgers.
3. Heat heavy skillet (cast iron is best) and add olive oil and ghee
4. Add burgers and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until seared.
5. Place skillet in oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until burgers are cooked medium-well (poultry burgers should not be rare). A screen pan cover is really helpful in keeping fat from spattering all over your oven.
6. Meanwhile, make the orange sauce. Combine coconut sugar, vinegar and orange juice in small pot over medium heat until syrupy. Add the 3/4 cup chicken broth and simmer, stirring. Dissolve the arrowroot in the additional two TBS chicken broth and mix into simmering orange/ broth mixture. Add grated orange rind and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Add more broth if it seems too thick.
7. Serve each burger on a large lettuce leaf wrap with orange sauce on the side for dipping. This is good served with sweet potato or Japanese yam fries and a steamed green vegetable.

2 Comments

Little Passover on the Prairie

4/6/2016

5 Comments

 
Passover, which marks the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt,  is my favorite holiday (because it's all about freedom, family and delicious food) and has been the source of many precious memories over the years, but my most memorable Passover happened quite by accident.

My husband, two kids and I were getting ready to drive from upstate New York to our relatives on Long Island, but we awoke that morning to find ourselves completely snowed in. We could barely open the door to let the dog out, and the car was buried. There would be no driving that day, and that night was the first Seder, the traditional Passover meal.

We would just have to figure out how to make our own Seder, but in anticipation of our trip, which was going to be of several days duration, the refrigerator was pretty much empty.

For some reason, there was a lamb shank in the freezer, some eggs, a quarter of a jar of horseradish and a sorry-looking sprig of parsley in the refrigerator...those would do for the Seder plate. We also had some apples and walnuts for charoseth (symbolizing the mortar used by the enslaved Israelites in the construction of Egyptian storehouses) No wine...but apple juice could pinch hit (what household with little kids doesn't have apple juice?). We had Haggadahs (books with the order of the Seder ritual) and the kids had made Passover plates in Hebrew school.

O.k., that was a start. But what would we do for matzo?

We'd make our own, of course...it's just flour and water, after all.

But how about chicken soup with matzo balls?  For me, it wasn't a  Seder without this Jewish staple. I rummaged through the pantry and did find a half- empty box of matzo meal and a few bouillon cubes...ugh, the sorriest matzo ball soup ever. What we needed was a chicken, but the roads were completely impassable and, according to the radio, even more snow was forecast.

But, I kid you not, in the middle of all this, there was a knock on the door: Our neighbors were WALKING into town ( a good two miles, as we lived in the sticks) through several feet of snow...and did we need anything? 

(Do you remember Laura Ingalls Wilder's The Long Winter--the  sixth book in the Little House series--when the train finally makes it to the town after months of blizzards and the Ingalls family gets their Christmas presents and turkey in May? It was kind of like that, minus seven months of snow and the belly-gnawing hunger that comes from subsisting  for most of that seven months  on bread made with wheat ground in a coffee mill).

Well, yes, we needed a chicken!

Several hours later, we had our bird, the feast could proceed, and we celebrated our unforgettable Little House on the Prairie Passover.
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​Matzo Hack

Frankly, our Little House matzo was inedible. Probably more like hard tack, which was appropriate, given the Laura Ingalls Wilder thing we were doing. If you want to make your own Paleo matzo, go to Elana Amsterdam's website, www.elanaspantry.com, as she has a really doable recipe which I can vouch for. There is also a matzo recipe in a Paleo book that just came out, The New Yiddish Kitchen,  by Simone Miller and Jennifer Robins, but I haven't tried any of the recipes yet.

I recently learned what the word "hack" means (doing something that demonstrates cleverness or ingenuity; solves a meaningful problem; and is not a common solution to the problem) and I came up with my own. 

Paleo Coconut Wraps (available from www.julianbakery.com), when lightly toasted, make an acceptable matzo substitute. It won't be strictly kosher, as matzo must contain grain, but it will be Paleo and it won't taste like hard tack (and it's square, like real matzo!).

All you have to do is prick the wrap lightly with a fork (so it looks more like, well, matzo) put it on the tray in the toaster oven (don't put directly on the rack, as wrap contains coconut oil which could drip on coils and cause a fire) and toast VERY carefully for about 15 seconds, as it can burn easily. And handle carefully, as it is even more fragile than real matzo.

That's it...easy, right? Pretty good when spread with ghee and sprinkled with coarse sea salt, too!
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​Here are some of my family's favorite traditional recipes. The Elana's Pantry website is the definitive Paleo site for other Passover favorites (her matzo balls are spot on) so I  encourage you to check it out. 

​My Mother's (and most likely My Grandmother's) Sweet and Sour Pot Roast
Serves 6-8 ​

Since this is even better the next day, heated up, it's a good idea to make it the day before.

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Ingredients
3-4 pound beef brisket
2 TBS coconut or grape seed oil
2 large onions, sliced
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (I use Imagine brand), plus more if needed
1 bay leaf
2 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS coconut sugar
2 TBS Paleo-friendly ketchup (or make your own, just google Paleo ketchup for recipe)
1/3 cup raisins
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, brown onions in oil, then remove them from pan (leave oil in pot)
2. Brown brisket on all sides in the same pot, then add onions back
3. Add stock and bay leaf
4. Cover tightly and simmer for one hour, adding hot stock from time to time to prevent burning
5. Add vinegar and brown sugar, cover pot, and simmer for another hour.
6. Add ketchup and raisins, cover and cook for another half hour until meat is tender.
​

​Flo's Kisses
Makes 24 kisses

When my cousin Rick brought his fiancée, Flo, to Passover, we knew she would fit right in with the family, because she loved good food, just like the rest of us.
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Over the years, Flo's Kisses, chocolate chip meringues, have been a hit on the dessert table, rivaled only by my Aunt Toby's chocolate mousse (see recipe, below). The little kids, especially, gobble them right up. And they recently became even sweeter when Flo told me that she still has the original recipe card, written in her late mother's handwriting, carefully preserved in plastic wrap, and that in her family they were called Prawny's Kisses, named for a cousin who loved prawns. 

These become Paleo by using coconut sugar (which makes them darker than those used in the original recipe) and Paleo-friendly chocolate.

Do not try to make these on a damp or rainy day. They'll end up really sticky instead of crisp.
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Ingredients
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup coconut sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz. chocolate chips or 4 oz. chocolate medallions (Foods Alive, www.foodsalive.com, makes Paleo friendly chocolate medallions made from cacao beans, coconut sugar and cacao butter; there are several other brands of chips that are made without soy or dairy, although they do contain sugar. Not strictly Paleo, but so much better than commercial brands, that they'll do in a pinch. If you use the medallions, break each one in half)

Parchment paper lined baking tray

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
2. With hand mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form
3. Fold in the coconut sugar, salt, vanilla and chocolate chips or medallions
4. Drop by tablespoon full onto parchment lined pan
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. Cool for 5 minutes.


Aunt Toby's Chocolate Mousse  
Makes 6 servings

What? You don't think chocolate mousse is a traditional Passover food? You would if you attended our family Seders. My Aunt Toby, who is almost 92, has made this luscious dessert for the last 50 years or more. Trust me, if the Israelites had tasted it, it would be part of the Seder plate. And this Paleo version ( which uses coconut milk instead of heavy cream) is kosher for Passover, because there is no dairy in it.
​
Note: This recipe contains raw eggs, as do most traditional mousse recipes. Not recommended for young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.
​
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​Ingredients

3 eggs, separated; put each egg yolk in a separate small bowl
4 oz. Paleo-friendly chocolate, like Foods Alive Chocolate Medallions
1 1/2 tsp coffee (liquid)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cream from the top of one can unsweetened organic coconut milk (Native Forest or Natural Value are good brands), refrigerated over night. 
Maple syrup (Note: depending on the sweetness of your chocolate, you may want to add maple syrup to the coconut milk as you whip it, before you add it to the rest of the mousse. Foods Alive Medallions, which I used in this recipe, are 66% cacao, so I added 2 1/2 TBS of maple syrup)

1. Carefully melt the chocolate over hot water in a double boiler, or in a microwave. Stir in the coffee and let cool.
2. Use hand mixer to beat egg whites into stiff peaks.  
3. In a separate bowl, whip coconut milk until fluffy (with maple syrup if you think the  chocolate isn't sweet enough)
4. After chocolate has cooled , beat in egg yolks, one at a time, with an electric beater. When all of the yolks have been incorporated into the chocolate, beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Carefully fold beaten egg whites into the chocolate, then fold in half of the whipped coconut milk into the mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least two hours).
6. Sweeten the rest of the whipped coconut milk with maple syrup ( if you haven't already sweetened it) and refrigerate. This will be the topping for the mousse.
7. Serve mousse with sweetened whipped coconut milk on top.
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5 Comments

It's My Party and I'll Eat Cake if I Want to

3/23/2016

4 Comments

 
I've gotten away from baking cakes lately (unless I'm baking with my grandsons) but I make exceptions for birthdays.

Back in the day, everyone had a favorite: My son wanted a Bûche de Noël, my daughter pined for strawberry shortcake (in February), and my (first) husband waxed nostalgic for his mother's banana cake (which apparently was a vanilla cake with sliced bananas between the layers). My (present) husband also has fond memories of his mother's banana bread, so I've combined the two in the recipe below and called it Paleo Mother-in-Law  Banana Birthday Cake. And my siblings and I love anything lemon, so of course I had to include a lemon cake, too. But the kids are grown up, my grandsons' other grandmother bakes their birthday cakes (she is a whiz at sports-themed decorations), and it's just Henry and me here to celebrate. That's why I love the idea of baking a cake in a glass measuring cup in the microwave... About ninety seconds baking time, exactly two delicious servings (except for the Strawberry Short Cake, which makes 1 serving) and no leftovers to tempt us.

Henry grills a pretty good burger, and our grandsons think his macaroni and cheese (made with Velveeta) is pretty fantastic, but a birthday cake, even a microwave one, is beyond him. Hence, I found myself last week baking my own and decided to go all out with four cakes!

And then my sister called to wish me a happy birthday and reminded me about the pink elephant cake I requested from Carol Ann Bakery in White Plains, NY, where we grew up.

"I can still taste the pink buttercream!," she exclaimed.

OMG, how did she remember that cake? It was 59 years ago, which would have made me 10 and her 6. As soon as she said it, I was transported back and I too could taste the buttercream. I had seen the cake, which was two or three layers with pink marshmallow buttercream elephants climbing up a (real) champagne bottle, in the bakery window and begged for one just like it for my birthday. I got it, minus the champagne bottle, of course...pretty sure it was Coca Cola, instead!

You will not find a recipe for Paleo Pink Elephant Cake here, however. Some things are best served by memory.
​

​Strawberry Shortcake

The photo on the left, below, is my daughter on her second birthday, 37 years ago. From the time she could talk, she requested that cake for every birthday. The photo on the right is her son, my younger grandson, picking strawberries here in Maine last year. You can bet that those berries (the ones that were left after he and his brother filled their bellies in the field) went into some delicious Paleo shortcakes.
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Ingredients
For biscuit
1 large egg white
3 TBS almond or cashew flour
2 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
1 tsp coconut sugar
1 1/4 tsp ghee, refrigerated until cold
1 tsp ghee for greasing measuring cup

For strawberries
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 tsp coconut sugar

​For whipped topping
Cream from top of one can organic coconut milk (refrigerate for a few hours so cream will be solid)
Maple syrup to taste
(Note: Since this cake is only one serving, you may not want to use all the whipped coconut cream...that's a lot of calories! Save the rest for another day)

1 whole strawberry for garnish

1. Mix sliced strawberries with 1 tsp coconut sugar ( or more, depending on the sweetness of your strawberries) and set aside
2.Melt the 1 tsp ghee in a two cup glass measuring cup in the microwave. Carefully rotate the cup until the melted ghee coats the bottom and sides. Pour out and discard excess.
3.Whisk egg whites until frothy; set aside
4. In a bowl, whisk almond (or cashew) and coconut flours, baking powder, salt and 1 tsp coconut sugar
5. With your fingers, mix in the cold ghee until mixture is crumbly. Put in refrigerator for 10 minutes, then remove and fold in egg white.
6. Scoop batter into the greased measuring cup and microwave for 60 seconds. Remove from microwave and check for doneness. It may need a little more time, but microwave in 20 second increments. If it cooks too long, biscuit will harden.
7. Cool in cup for 1-2 minutes, then place small plate over cup and turn over. Biscuit will drop onto plate. Do not assemble cake until,biscuit is fully cooled.
8. Remove can of coconut milk from refrigerator and scoop cream from the top into a bowl. Using hand mixer, mix until fluffy. Stir in maple syrup to taste.
9. To assemble short cake, place biscuit on a plate, top with sliced strawberries and the strawberry syrup that has accumulated in the bowl, then top with whipped coconut cream and garnish with whole strawberry.
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Paleo Mother-in-Law Banana Birthday Cake
2 servings

Ingredients
For cake
4 Tbs almond or cashew flour
3 tsp coconut flour
1 TBS flax seed  meal (ground flax seeds)
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
1/2 banana, mashed with a fork
1 Tbs raw honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 TBS coconut oil melted in microwave
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp coconut oil for greasing measuring cup

For whipped topping
1 recipe whipped coconut cream topping (see Strawberry Shortcake recipe, above)

For banana filling and topping
1/2 banana, sliced
​
1. Melt the one tsp coconut oil in 2-cup glass measuring cup in microwave.  Carefully rotate the cup until the oil coats the bottom and sides. Pour out and discard the excess.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add mashed banana, honey, vanilla, egg, 2 TBS melted coconut oil, and grated lemon rind to the dry ingredients pand mix until well-combined.
4. Pour batter into greased measuring cup and microwave for 90 seconds. Check cake and if still wet, microwave in 20 second increments until done. Do not overcook.
5. Let cool in cup for 1-2 minutes, then put small plate over cup and turn over. Cake will slide onto plate. Let cool completely.
6. Slice cake in half, horizontally, to create two layers.
7. Smooth half the whipped topping on the top of the bottom layer, cover that with sliced bananas and place top layer on top of the bananas
8. Smooth the rest of the whipped topping on the top layer, then garnish with the rest of the sliced bananas.



Lemon Cream Cake
2 servings

Ingredients
For cake
4 TBS almond or cashew flour
4 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt
Juice and grated zest from 1/2 large lemon
2 eggs
3 TBS raw honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp coconut oil to grease measuring cup

For whipped topping
1 recipe whipped coconut cream topping (see Strawberry Shortcake recipe, above), combined with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 thin slice fresh lemon, for garnish
​
1. Melt the 2 tsp coconut oil in a 2-cup glass measuring cup in a microwave
2. In a bowl, whisk together the almond (or cashew) flour, the coconut flour, the baking powder and sea salt
3. Add lemon juice and zest, eggs, honey and vanilla extract and mix well until all ingredients are combined
4. Pour batter into greased measuring cup and cook in microwave for 90 seconds. Check cake and if still wet, cook in 20 second increments until cake is done. Be careful not to overcook.
5. Let cool in cup for 1-2 minutes, then put small plate over cup and turn over. Cake will slide onto plate.
6. When cake is completely cool, slice in half horizontally to create 2 layers.
7. Smooth half the whipped topping over bottom layer, and place top layer on bottom layer.
8. Top with the rest of the whipped topping and garnish with lemon slice.



Bûche de Noël
2 servings

Spoiler alert: This cake is pretty labor intensive for a tiny little cake, but I wanted to see if it could be done in a microwave. It can, and it is delicious, but I think that when I  make it again, it will be a full-sized cake, baked in the oven (which only takes 15 minutes). So, for the holidays next winter, I will include a recipe for a full-sized Bûche de Noël for your enjoyment ( just be sure to invite a lot of people over because you do not want leftovers of this creamy, chocolaty delight calling to you from the fridge, trust me).
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​Ingredients
For cake
1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
1 tsp tapioca flour or arrowroot flour
2 eggs, separated
1/2 TBS cacao or organic cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp coconut oil for greasing glass loaf pan

Parchment paper to line bottom of pan
Clean dish towel for rolling cake

For vanilla filling
1/2 cup cream from top of can of organic coconut milk (put can in refrigerator for a few hours to harden cream)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

For chocolate frosting (from Elana's Pantry, www.elanaspantry.com)
1/4 cup Paleo-friendly chocolate chips or chunks (I use Foods Alive Chocolate Medallions, which are sweetened with coconut sugar)
2 TBS coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sprig of fresh mint for garnish
​
1.  Melt coconut oil in glass loaf pan (8 1/2 by 2 1/2 by 4 1/2); swirl oil around so sides and bottom of pan are greased, cut parchment paper to size and put in bottom of pan
2. Whisk together the maple or coconut sugar with tapioca or arrowroot to make powdered sugar, or shake these ingredients in a covered jar until combined.
3. With hand mixer at high speed, mix egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup powdered maple or coconut sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
4. In a separate bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat yolks until they are thick. At low speed, beat in 1/4 cup maple or coconut sugar and 1 1/2 TBS cacao or cocoa powder. Fold yolk mixture into whites and spread batter over parchment paper in loaf pan.
5. Microwave for 60 seconds, then check. If still very wet on top, microwave in 20 second increments. Take cake out when still slightly damp on top. It will firm up when it cools.
6. Sprinkle dish towel with additional cacao or cocoa powder. Invert the cake onto the part of the towel covered with the cacao powder, then peel off parchment paper.
7. From the narrow end, roll the cake in the towel. Place on a rack to cool.
8. For vanilla filling, beat 1/2 cup hardened coconut cream, 1/4 cup coconut sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract in a small bowl with mixer at medium speed until mixture is fluffy
9. For chocolate frosting, melt chocolate chunks with 2 TBS coconut oil and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in microwave in 20 second increments. Stir between increments.Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
10. To assemble Bûche, unroll cake and remove towel. Spread top with vanilla filling and roll up again, from narrow end. Place cake seam-side down on small plate and spread with chocolate frosting. Garnish with mint sprig and serve.


4 Comments

Fat Tuesday 

3/9/2016

3 Comments

 
O.K.,  Mardi Gras has come and gone  this year, but  there's no reason you can't celebrate all things Louisiana any time. And gumbo is especially delicious and warming when the weather is a bit chilly.

I love New Orleans... It's one of my favorite U.S. cities because of the food, the people, and the spirit. And, of course, it's very French.
​
In our house, we have another reason to love Louisiana: Our little dog, Pippa, comes from the state, via two great organizations, Mutts4Rescue and Rescue Road Trips . It was love at first sight when we spotted her on the Internet. This little girl was abandoned next to a dumpster and rescued and fostered by some very generous people, and we are so very grateful for her presence in our lives. She makes us laugh every day and I think she embodies the spirit of New Orleans: "Laissez les bons temps rouler!" (Let the good times roll...which Pippa thinks means unraveling the roll of toilet paper and decorating the house with it...Hey, SHE'S having a good time!). I have no idea what ingredients went into her DNA, nor do I feel like spending the $100 it would cost me to find out (actually, $200, because our other dog, Bix, is also of mixed lineage and I don't play favorites).

Anyway, celebrate your own good times with these Louisiana favorites.
​

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Paleo Gumbo
Makes 6 servings

I ate gumbo all over New Orleans, and I think that this Paleo version compares with the best of them. A word about okra, which is an essential component of this dish. Eaten by itself, this vegetable is an acquired taste. I didn't grow up in the South, so I had never seen it before my mother placed this slimy, hairy disgusting vegetable on my plate when I was about 8 or 9. I don't know what she was thinking: it was completely gross. We had the one-bite rule in our house, which meant that even if you didn't like something, you had to at least taste it. So, with tears running down my cheeks, I put a bite of okra in my mouth and promptly vomited (yes, at the table). That was the first and last time my mother ever served it. But years later, I ate pickled okra (delicious). And curried okra in Indian restaurants is fabulous, as is this gumbo. So, I am an okra convert.
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Ingredients
1 lb. raw shrimp in shell
5 cups water
8 oz. bottled clam juice
2 onions, one quartered and one chopped
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup bacon grease (or coconut oil)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb Paleo-friendly spicy sausage, sliced (I used Island Acres Farm Lemon-Pepper Chicken Sausages from my local food co-op, which are fully-cooked, but you can also use uncooked. Just make sure that sausages are free of bread crumbs and other non-Paleo ingredients)
1 10 oz. package frozen, sliced okra, or a pound of fresh okra, sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sea salt
A few grindings of black pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
A few drops Paleo-friendly hot pepper sauce, like Frank's
Chopped parsley for garnish
Cauliflower rice for serving ( 1/2 cauliflower head, broken into flowerets and processed in food processor until it resembles grains of rice. Sauté in a little coconut oil until "rice" is cooked through).


​1. Shell and devein the shrimp. Put the shelled shrimp in the refrigerator.
2. To make the broth, put the shells in a pot with the water, the clam broth, the quartered onion and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Strain,  reserve the broth, and discard the shells, onion and bay leaf.
3. To make the roux, melt the bacon grease (or the coconut oil) in a heavy skillet and stir in the coconut and almond flours. Stir constantly over low/medium heat until the roux is smooth and the color of peanut butter. (The nice thing about a Paleo roux is that it takes a lot less time than one made with wheat flour, which could take 30 minutes or more). Turn off the heat and keep stirring for a few minutes more.
4. In a heavy soup pot, melt the ghee and sauté the chopped onion, celery and green pepper (the "Holy Trinity" of Cajun cooking) until they are soft, but not brown.
5. Add the sausage and  the okra. Cook until the okra stops giving off white "threads."
6. Add remaining bay leaves, salt, black pepper, cayenne and a few drops hot pepper sauce. Add stock and tomatoes, bring to a boil, partly cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
7. Whisk the roux into the mixture and bring to a boil, stirring. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for another 40 minutes. Stir from time to time.
8. While gumbo is cooking, make the cauliflower "rice" (see directions, above).
9. Add the shrimp to the gumbo and cook until shrimp turn pink, about 2-3 minutes.
10. Put cauliflower "rice" in bowls and top with gumbo. Garnish with chopped parsley. Provide hot sauce at the table for those who like their gumbo really spicy.
​


Paleo Beignets
Makes 12

Beignets are traditionally served with café au lait at the world-famous Café du Monde in New Orleans. They're actually fried dough with powdered sugar...so, not Paleo. In keeping with the New Orleans theme of this post, I tried this recipe for baked beignets from Paleo Fox and ...o.k., they weren't exactly Café du Monde, but they were yummy. They were more like...

"Kichel!" said my husband at first bite. And he was right. They tasted just like the old Manischewitz Egg Kichels, airy, eggy cookies which were the same as Stella d'Oro Egg Biscuits (only one company was Jewish and the other Italian). Drizzled with honey, they also reminded me a little bit of Mexican sopapillas. And, true confession here, I like the idea of beignets better than the real things (too greasy), so these Paleo quasi-beignets are just perfect for me! Add a cup of café au lait (half coffee, half warmed full-fat canned coconut milk) and you can almost hear the Zydeco!

French lesson for today: Zydeco is the music of French-speaking Creoles in southwest Louisiana. The word comes from the French "les haricots"--pronounce the "s" like a "z"--meaning "beans," more specifically from the phrase "Les haricots sont pas  salés (the beans aren't salty) a colloquial expression meaning "Times are hard."
​
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Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 large eggs
Raw honey, for drizzling
Powdered maple sugar (2 TBS maple sugar, mixed with 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot).

Equipment: 12 silicon muffin cups, cookie sheet;  OR pastry bag and greased cookie sheet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine coconut oil, coconut milk, salt and vanilla in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and let boil vigorously for 5-6 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, pour into food processor and add the tapioca flour all at once. Process until thoroughly mixed and it starts to thicken.
3. Put mixture back in saucepan and heat over medium heat , stirring, until it thickens into a sticky dough.
4. Put dough back in food processor. Process for 2-3 minutes, then add eggs and process for 2-3 minutes longer until thoroughly mixed.
5. Put the silicon cups on a cookie sheet and fill the cups half full ( I have just discovered these and I think they are fabulous. You don't have to grease them and the beignets pop right out when they are baked) or, as in the original recipe, spoon dough into pastry bag and pipe into squares on a greased ( with a little coconut oil) cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Turn off oven and leave in for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
8. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with powdered maple sugar (and try not to eat 4 of them in a sitting, as I did!).
​
3 Comments

California Dreamin'

2/24/2016

4 Comments

 
As I write this, I am flying to the West Coast to visit my brother and sister.

One thing I love about California (other than the fact that my siblings live there and in February it's warmer than in  Maine) is that I don't feel like a freak when I eat in a restaurant.

Remember the first diner scene from "When Harry Met Sally?":

"I'd like the...apple pie à la mode but I'd like the pie heated and I don't want the ice cream on top, I want it on the side and I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it, if not then no ice cream, just whipped cream but only if it's real, if it's out of a can, then nothing."

That's me in most restaurants, except it would never be apple pie à la mode, more like:  " I'll have the Cobb salad, without the blue cheese and tomatoes... Could I get avocado instead and some cucumbers,and is the bacon no-nitrate bacon? If it isn't, then no bacon. Oh, and no dressing. Could I get lemon juice and olive oil instead?"  Or:  "Could you please tell me if the Hollandaise is made with flour? If it is, I'll just have the Eggs Benedict without the English muffin and without the Hollandaise and is the bacon no-nitrate? Because if it isn't, then skip the bacon." And then, what you are left with is two poached eggs on a plate, right?  But this usually doesn't happen to me in California, because they "get" Paleo and the menu offerings are often geared to the way I eat.

On a visit last year, I ordered Steak Frites (steak and French fries), without the frites in a Belgian restaurant. " I can bring you some steamed vegetables instead," suggested the waiter (without my even asking) and he brought a huge bowl of beautiful,fresh, steamed veggies, enough to feed the whole table, at no additional charge. In a non-fancy fish restaurant (that is also a fish market), you get  to choose the kind of fish you want, how it is cooked, and whether you want it in tacos, accompanied by rice and salad, or just served over salad ( Paleo!). It is pro forma for burgers to be offered on a bun or "in the grass" (no bun and served on a salad) pretty much everywhere in Southern California.

There are even Paleo food trucks, including my favorite, "Not So Fast." What follows is my adaptation of this fabulous Not So Fast bowl that I've been dreaming of since my visit last year and intend to pursue the minute my plane touches down in San Diego in a few hours.

Paleo Food Truck Pork Belly, Sweet Potato Hash, Mixed Greens
and Fried Egg Bowl (or Fabulous Food Truck Bowl)
Serves 2

Update: Oh, no! "Not So Fast" is out of business! But, to the best of my memory, here's the bowl that you can dream about, too.
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Ingredients
1 lb pork belly, in one piece
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp coconut sugar
A few grindings of black pepper
2 medium sweet potatoes or Japanese yams, cubed (I used Japanese yams, which look like regular white potatoes, except that they're not)
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
A few grindings black pepper
2 TBS coconut oil
A few large handfuls mixed baby greens, baby kale, arugula, etc.
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
2 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
Hot sauce ( made with Paleo-friendly ingredients), optional
​
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1. The day before you are going to make the bowl, score fat side of pork belly and use fork to prick holes on the lean side. Mix 2 tsp salt, coconut sugar and pepper and rub into all sides of pork belly. Put it into a zip lock plastic bag and let sit in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

2. After meat has marinated for its allotted time, preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove pork belly from bag. Dry thoroughly with paper towels and put on a rack in a roasting pan.

3. Roast for 1 1/4 hours, or until top is crisp and browned.

4. Meanwhile, salt and pepper sweet potato cubes and melt coconut oil in frying pan. Sauté sweet potatoes, stirring frequently until almost done.

5. Add shallots and sauté with sweet potatoes until both are nicely crisp.

6. Dress salad greens with oil, lemon juice and salt, toss, and divide into two bowls.

7. Divide sweet potatoes and put on top of salad in bowls.

8. Slice pork belly and put two or three slices on top of each portion of sweet potatoes.

​9. Melt ghee and fry eggs, then top each bowl with a fried egg. And avocado slices. Add your favorite Paleo-friendly hot sauce , if you like, and serve.
​

BBQ Chicken Pizza
Serves 4 (or 2, with leftovers...this pizza is pretty good cold the next day)

I first encountered the California Pizza Kitchen years ago in Baltimore, not in California, and, although I was not exactly a pizza fanatic at the time,their BBQ chicken pizza blew me away. Here's a Paleo version that's even better:
​
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Ingredients
​

For crust
2 or more cups almond flour
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour or arrowroot powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
Parchment paper

For topping
1 1/2 cups cut up roast chicken
1/2 cup prepared or homemade BBQ sauce (a little cheat here if you don't make your own--the sauce I found, Scratch, did contain organic cane sugar, but otherwise was close enough to Paleo-friendly)
3/4 cup Paleo mozzarella cheese , grated( see Paleogram post from 12/30/15, Meat-free Mondays)
2 cups mixed baby salad greens
1/2 avocado, sliced
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1.Place a pizza stone in the oven, then preheat to 375 degrees. 
2. Combine dry ingredients in food processor
3. Add water and olive oil to dry ingredients and combine until dough forms a ball. Add more almond flour if necessary.
4. Put dough on a large piece of parchment paper and cover with a second piece of parchment paper.
5. Roll out to desired thickness (you want it to be more of a flatbread pizza than a Sicilian pie).  Then remove top sheet of paper, prick crust all over with fork and carefully transfer dough to pizza stone in oven, removing the bottom sheet of parchment paper. 
6. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until crust starts to turn color and crisp up
7. Mix chicken with BBQ sauce and scatter over pizza then top with grated Paleo mozzarella.
8. Put back in oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes, until cheese melts.
9. Remove from oven and top with salad greens and avocado.
10. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
11. Slice and serve.
4 Comments
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      Deborah Shepherd

    New recipes and Paleo adaptations of family favorites I've been cooking for years that I hope will work for all of us, whether Boomers or beyond.

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