Summer Brussels Sprout Medley

08/22/2011 3 Comments

The perfect summer companion to your favorite fish or grilled foods.

Sautee a red onion in 1 tbsp of coconut oil along with 2 – 3 strips of bacon, depending on your taste. We modify our coconut oil based on the bacon grease, if it’s less marbled, we use up to a tbsp of coconut oil, if not, much less.

On medium heat, saute onion and 3 cloves of fresh finely chopped garlic with bacon and oil plus your liking of fresh thyme, and a bit of caraway seed – a little bit of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and stir in your flash boiled brussels sprouts.  Stir in for two minutes or so and reduce heat to medium or a little less.

To flash boil sprouts:  heat small pot with salted water and once boiling add sprouts, boil for 5 minutes and reduce heat, cover for another 5 – 10 minutes depending on how much you are making.

We made 2 cups which were enough for the two of us, at boiling 7 minutes and covered for 5 before adding to the wonderful stirred veggies as you see above.

If you love brussels sprouts, this is an easy and delicious dish…we hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.

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Pan Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes

07/18/2011 5 Comments

We love sweet potatoes, as you know. We make lots of great dishes with them, including a delicious Filipino dish called Ube, but today we are going to share a new way to enjoy these ultra delicious potatoes.  We like eating these before or after a long or high intensity workout.  Along with Taro, Green Plantains, and Cassava we consider these excellent sources of low glycemic carbohydrates (or “safe starches”).  Sweet Potatoes are also high in caratenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

This dish boasts fresh ingredients, coconut oil and is jam packed with perfect carbs and glucose.

Here’s what you will need to make this complimentary dish to your favorite protein:

This side dish feeds 2 – 3 people 

  • 3 medium to small purple sweet potatoes, raw
  • 1 full stalk of fresh curry leaves
  • 2 medium sized stalks of fresh rosemary, blades only
  • 1 large white onion, sliced
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • pink Himalayan sea salt to taste
  • 1 tsp capers, drained
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup of cooking sherry (optional) if you don’t like sherry, use water, but the sherry really does add amazing flavor
Heat coconut oil in a large skillet, once really hot add fresh curry leaves, rosemary, capers and onion. The curry leaves will get nice and crispy…you want that. :-) Continue to cook on medium – high, depending on your skillet.
With a vegetable peeler peel sweet potatoes and then slice them with a mandolin. Once the onion slices are golden brown, add potato slices and toss until they get a little brown. Then add the sherry, salt and pepper, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 20 – 30 minutes.  Depending  on your skillet and your stove, you may need to add a sprinkle of water or two within the cooking time.  Make sure to check often to ensure that you are not burning them.
This is a great side dish and we hope that will enjoy it as much as we do.
As always, our best and live healthy. Jo and Henry

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Bison Masala with Fresh Curry Leaves

06/20/2011 2 Comments

Fresh curry leaves are fabulous…they actually do not have anything to do with “Curry” they are little gorgeous green leaves that enhance your dishes. 

The leaves are highly valued as seasoning in southern and west-coast Indian cooking, and Sri Lankan cooking, much like bay leaves, and especially in curries, usually fried along with the chopped onion in the first stage of the preparation. They are also used to make thoran, vada, rasam and kadhi. In their fresh form, they have a short shelf life, and they don’t keep well in the refrigerator. They are also available dried, though the aroma is largely inferior.

The leaves of these little lovelies, Murraya Koenigii, are also used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine. Their properties include much value as an anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anti-hypercholesterolemic etc. Curry leave also contain iron. They are most excellent if you throw them into hot oil before you begin adding your other ingredients. The flavors are so subtle, they really do bring out other spices in a gorgeous way. A must try if you haven’t yet.

This is one of my top favorite sauces that Henry has made for me so far.

Blend the following ingredients very well in to a paste: 

  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 8 Thai chilies
  • 1 tsp Garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • Salt/pepper

Secondly, heat a tablespoon of coconut oil, once the oil is hot, add fresh curry leaves, peppers and 1/4 onion, diced.

Finally add bison/ground beef, add masala paste, garnish with cilantro and enjoy! We served our with some fresh boiled beets.

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Cooking with Apples Series: Gala Red Cabbage

06/07/2011 Leave a comment

Cooking with apples adds interesting flavor and texture and is an amazing addition to dishes especially for pork, poultry and fish. This is my mom’s goody – but oldie.

It’s best if you use tart apples such as Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith apples unless you want to make something very sweet and more pulpy.

The rich red color of red cabbage reflects it concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols, which contribute to red cabbage containing significantly more protective phytonutrients than green cabbage. Interest in anthocyanin pigments continues to intensify because of their health benefits as dietary antioxidants, as an anti-inflammatory, and their potentially protective, preventative, and therapeutic roles in a number of human diseases. WHFoods: Cabbage Nutrition

Ingredients

  • 1 large Gala apple, cored and peeled, and shredded
  • 1 large red cabbage, cut in half, chopped into thin slices
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 3 whole cardamom pods
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Pink Himalayan sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 pinch of caraway seeds

In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat coconut oil on medium – high, add onions and saute until very glossy, then you add cabbage, water and all other spices. Cover, and reduce heat to low – medium and cook for about 15 minutes. Now add shredded apple and vinegar stir thoroughly until all ingredients are blended and all water has evaporated. Check to make sure that it tastes to your liking and serve. 

This side dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare and cook and is very easy. Enjoy, we served it in the last post as accompaniment to our pork shoulder.

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Indian Spiced Ground Pork and Okra

05/28/2011 2 Comments

We came up with a new interesting and satisfying dish that will beautifully showcase and compliment the amazing Gruener Veltiner Grand Reserve 2006, as promised on our last post.

This wine brings out each and every spice and magnifies it’s taste to the utmost senses;

Here is what you need to put this awesome meal together:

Take all the ingredients and mix them in a blender into a masala paste.

  • 1/2 Cup Aroy-D Coconut Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Strained Tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1 large red onion
  • 1 bunch of Cilantro
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 3 Cardamon Pods
  • 4 garlic cloves

Sautee the following until glossy golden and add the masala, then add the 1 lb of ground pork and 1 pound of okra.

  • 6 Serrano Peppers (Less if you don’t like it very spicy)
  • 4 green onions
  • 1 Red Anaheim Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Cook on medium – low for a few more minutes and serve.

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Cuban Ground Beef – Picadillo de carne

04/25/2011 6 Comments

So this time we thought that we would share a different way to prepare ground meat…Cuban Style. This dish is not only extremely delicious, easy to make, but also very light.  We served ours with some white cauliflower rice (without bacon), and some traditional Colombian Patacones, twice fried green plantains; watch for our recipe.

We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 1 lb grass fed ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork sausage
  • 2 Large Yellow Onions
  • 6 Cloves of Garlic
  • 2-4 Serrano Peppers (depending on how hot you’d like this)
  • 2 Limes
  • 2 Large Tomatoes or 1 cup Organic Strained Tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp Virgin Coconut Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Combine ground sausage and beef with juice from 2 limes and salt.  Make sure the mixture is well combined.
  2. Finely chop Onion, Peppers, and Garlic and combine together with meat.
  3. Cover meat, refrigerate, and allow the meat to marinate for at least 1 hour
  4. Heat Coconut Oil in a large pot on medium-high heat, add ground meat, stir often to avoid meat from clumping together.  Reduce heat if meat begins to clump and stir well to make sure .  Cook for 5-8 minutes.
  5. Add Tomato and allow to simmer, if meat becomes to dry you should add a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of water.

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Platanos Maduros Caldenses – Colombian Sweet Plantains

04/11/2011 6 Comments

This is a modified version of a very typical dish from the Caldas region of Colombia.  This may seem like a dessert, but it is always served as a side dish and usually accompanied  by rice and meat.  We were feeling a little homesick and had to indulge; yet, still managed to make this dish in a healthy Paleo 2.0 fashion.  We served ours with a King Salmon and super fresh Bok Choi from our friend Nancy’s garden with Mushrooms.  Delicious! (thank you Nancy, Rob and Kelly)

Ingredients for 6 servings (1/2 plantain per serving)

  • 3 large and very ripe (black and yellow and NOT green) Plantains
  • 6 Tbsp Labne Cheese (Lebanese cream cheese)
  • 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • Salt to taste

Preparation Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Gently warm Coconut Oil until it melts
  3. Cut each plantain lengthwise through center (avoid cutting in two pieces)
  4. Use a basting brush to generously coat Plantains with oil
  5. Stuff Plantains generously with Labne Cheese
  6. Dust with cinnamon
  7. Place in casserole and bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown

Seriously enjoy- Henry and Jo

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Coconut Frog Legs

04/04/2011 1 Comment

This is one of our favorite things to eat. The meat is very tender and tastes a little like Halibut cheeks meets super tender chicken. We purchase ours from a local Asian market as they otherwise sometimes difficult to find. The frog meat is very lean and will work well with more complex side dishes if you so choose.

Our recipe yields 18 pair…yummmm!

What will you need?

  • several packages of frog legs, you’ll have to thaw them out as they are most likely frozen
  • plenty of coconut oil
  • some sea salt
  • 2 eggs
  • plenty of coconut flour (at least 1 cup, depending how many you’re making)
  • 1 cup of coconut flakes
  • 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 sprinkle of chili powder
  • 1 pinch of fresh black pepper

Here’s how to make them:

Mix coconut flour, black pepper cayenne, chili powder and sea salt – set aside for battering.

Dry the frog legs off with paper towels, quickly dip into fork whipped egg, and roll legs into the coconut batter mixture, dip them into the egg once more and roll into the coconut flakes. Pat gently before placing them into the hot coconut oil.

Heat your favorite pan, we used our cast iron skillet, and put enough coconut oil in so that the legs are 1/4 covered – make sure that you heat pan to get very hot, then reduce heat to medium heat. Place your frog legs into the hot oil carefully, until they are golden brown, 3 – 5 minutes on each side should do it. 

Place onto paper towels and serve with your favorite side dish. We’d love to hear from you when you make yours. Enjoy! Jo n Henry :-)

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Happy Birthday Henry!

03/29/2011 Leave a comment

Henry with our little nephew Gabriel

It was a big week last week, among many things, most importantly it was Henry’s 40th birthday. He has never looked better, since we have switched  to a Primal/Paleo way of life about 2 years ago. He has gotten so much stronger, his workouts are amazing – thanks to many including Robb Wolf, Martin Berkhan, and our amazing friend Zach Kepes.

My parents were still here with us to help celebrate, and his brother, sister-in-law and our sweet 5 month old nephew drove in to see us too. We had a wonderful group of people share in Henry’s festivities, among them two wonderful people who brought their AMAZING homemade beef jerky, thanks so much Amy and Angelo of Latest In Paleo, you are amazing!

We had so much stuff to do, so we decided to make food that we could prepare before the arrival of Henry’s guests. So here is what we served:

Juicy Roasted Pork Shoulder

Delicious Cubed Pork in Sauerkraut

Cevapi, we added veal this time

Persian Cucumber Salad

Some delicious and refreshing Tabouleh, fresh strawberries, black berries and a few other amazing things.

My dad cooking cevapi

I made him some Paleo Carrot Cake with fresh whipped raw cream, BUT forgot to take a picture. I will be making that soon again and share the recipe with you.

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Baked Taro Chips

03/21/2011 13 Comments

Behold the Baked Taro Chips!

We make these anytime we want some sturdy dipping chips.  These are awesome to make ahead of time for guacamole, salsa or a great yogurt dip.  They are hardy and very tasty, easy to make and a must try.

Taro root is a great alternative to potato chips but must be cooked properly to avoid toxicity!

B

Ingredients

  • 1 Large Taro Root
  • 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

How to make these amazingly tasty and easy treats:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (we heat ours to 400 convection)
  2. Remove outer peel from Taro Root, we used a vegetable peeler
  3. Use a mandolin to cut into thin uniform slices
  4. Warm Coconut Oil in Microwave or with warm water and brush chips with Coconut Oil
  5. Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper
  6. Place sliced taro on oven racks or sheets and rotate the baking sheets in position to make sure that all chips cook evenly.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes per side, check often to make sure you don’t burn them!

Thanks Amy for the awesome Lucky Bamboo; it’s very happy in the Nutty Kitchen. :-)

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