The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages (21 page)
Authors: Loren Cordain
BOOK: The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages
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Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add onion, garlic, tarragon, and oregano and sauté while stirring for two to three minutes. Add broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots and continue cooking for three to four minutes.
Once the veggies begin to stick to the pan, stir and continue cooking until slightly charred. Turn off heat and cover; let sit for five minutes.
Squeeze lemon wedges over veggies, drizzling juice evenly. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
Everyone loves fresh coleslaw in the summer. With the addition of Omega 3 Mayonnaise and a bit of ginger, you can enjoy a healthy version of this picnic side dish. Make it the day before you plan on serving to allow the lemon juice to tenderize the cabbage. SERVES 4
½ head red cabbage, washed and shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Juice from ½ lemon
2 scallions, chopped
½ cup Omega 3 Mayonnaise (page 196)
¼ cup diced dried pineapple
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Combine the cabbage and carrots in a large flat bowl. Add ginger, lemon juice, scallions, and mayonnaise. Toss thoroughly. Stir in pineapple pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Cover and refrigerate for twenty-four hours, remixing every few hours. Remove from refrigerator five to ten minutes before serving.
Roasting the broccoli and the onion allows the flavors to mellow and combine to produce a wealth of flavor. This is further accented by the rich flavor of roasted walnuts. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup Chicken Broth (page 193)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 tablespoons roasted walnuts
Preheat oven to broil. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add onion and sauté for five to eight minutes, until translucent. Add broccoli and stir until well coated.
Place skillet in oven and broil for ten minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven, cover, and let sit for two minutes. Combine broccoli and onion mixture with broth and lemon juice. Puree in a blender until smooth.
Pour soup into serving bowls and garnish with lemon zest and walnuts.
Brussels sprouts are high in fiber, vitamin A, potassium, and calcium. Their delicate leaves balance perfectly with the crunch of pecan and the slightly sweet essence of shallot. SERVES 4
8 ounces raw Brussels sprouts
1 ounce raw pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 small shallots, minced
1 tablespoon walnut oil
Remove stem ends of sprouts and cut a crisscross in the bottom of each to ensure even cooking. Fill a 2-quart saucepan with 1 quart of water and bring to a boil. Insert steamer basket, add sprouts, and steam for ten to twelve minutes. Plunge sprouts into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Peel the outer leaves from each sprout and set aside. Chop sprouts and combine with pecans.
Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame, adding the chopped sprouts and pecan mixture. Cook and stir for five minutes. Add shallots and stir an additional minute. Just before serving, add the sprout leaves and cook for one minute. Toss thoroughly with walnut oil.
For a sweet twist on this vitamin-packed veggie, we toss broccoli with orange juice, resulting in a lovely caramelized dish. SERVES 4
2-3 broccoli heads, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon walnut oil
Preheat oven to broil. Place broccoli in large bowl and toss with olive oil and pepper. Drizzle with orange juice and orange zest and mix thoroughly. Arrange broccoli pieces evenly spaced on a rimmed baking sheet.
Broil for ten to twelve minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Remove from oven and toss with walnut oil.
Preparing spinach with a quick sauté enhances its flavor while maintaining its superlative nutritional benefits. Spinach is a great source of iron, and you can quadruple its absorption by combining it with a food high in vitamin C, like red bell peppers. SERVES 4
2 bunches spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
1 lemon, cut in half
Wash and drain spinach using a salad spinner.
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Stir in garlic for one minute. Toss in the spinach, basil, and cilantro and mix thoroughly for two minutes. Remove from heat. Top with pepper slices.
Squeeze half of the lemon over the greens and slice the remaining half to use as a garnish.
Dandelion greens enhance the flavor of many dishes, particularly when combined with complementary herbs and spices. A bit of juice from a freshly squeezed lime and some red chili pepper flakes add even more zing to this tangy vegetable. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch dandelion greens, coarsely chopped
½ lime, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add onion, cover, and cook until soft. Add greens and stir, allowing them to cook for two minutes.
Just before serving, drizzle with lime juice on top and sprinkle with chili pepper flakes.
If you’re missing your mashed potatoes, here’s a flavorful but simple idea to use in lieu of that high-glycemic starchy vegetable. The addition of squash helps to thicken this dish without the use of processed starches. Served with a rare filet mignon and a fresh salad, this dish will surely satisfy the meat-and-potato lovers at your table. SERVES 4
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 large zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, diced
½ cup Chicken Broth (page 193)
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fill a 2-quart pot with 1 inch of water and insert steamer basket. Bring water to a boil. Add cauliflower and steam until tender, about ten minutes. Remove cauliflower and set aside to cool. Add zucchini rounds to pot and steam until soft, about ten minutes.
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add garlic and cook while stirring for five minutes. Turn off flame and cover. Drain zucchini and let cool for five minutes.
When both cauliflower and zucchini are cool, place in blender and add broth. Add garlic and oil mixture. Puree until smooth. Spoon entire mixture back into pot and heat over low flame, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with chives and pepper to taste.
For anyone who is an aficionado of Southern cooking, it might be surprising to find a reference to this cuisine in keeping with the Paleo Diet. Traditional recipes include hog jowls or feet. In lieu of fatty pork cuts, diced lean turkey sautéed with garlic and onions, and then charred, imparts a savory, smoky flavor to this dish without the saturated fat. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
4 ounces Roasted Turkey Breast, diced (page 90)
2 bunches collard greens, coarsely chopped, with stems
removed
Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Stir in onion and sauté for five to eight minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and continue stirring for two to three minutes.
Increase heat to high and stir for one minute, lightly charring the onions and garlic. Stir in thyme and basil, reducing flame to medium. Add turkey and cook for two minutes.
Toss in collard greens and cook while stirring for two minutes, making sure to mix all ingredients well.
Eggplant recipes often call for large amounts of salt and/or oil, because eggplant acts as a sponge, soaking up almost all the oil you give it. However, with just a little olive oil and a slower cooking time, eggplant has enough time to sweat, which results in a salt-free, tender dish. Nell’s inspiration for this dish was a Chinese fast-food take-out option from a place in New York City’s Chinatown. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large eggplant, cut into ½-inch slices after stems
have been removed
4 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Heat oil and garlic in a cast iron skillet over medium flame and stir for one minute. Add eggplant slices. Cover and turn every five minutes for twenty minutes. (The eggplant may stick slightly at first; just keep cooking and turning.)
Sprinkle with basil and oregano, cover, and continue cooking for five minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes before serving.
Leeks, a member of the onion family, are mild and sweet. Cooking them slowly in liquid develops their subtle flavor. The addition of shallot, white wine, and a hint of garlic turns this dish into the perfect accompaniment for a Paleo main course. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large leeks, roots and top green portions removed
½ cup dry white wine or Chicken Broth (page 193)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Heat olive oil and shallot in a covered cast iron skillet over medium flame for one minute. Stir in garlic and continue cooking for one minute. Move the garlic and shallot to the sides of the pan to make room for the leeks in the center. Cut leek stems in half lengthwise and place in pan cut side down. Cover and cook for two minutes, turning once.
Remove from heat and turn leeks cut side up. Spread shallot and garlic evenly on top of leeks. Add wine or chicken broth to pan. Cover with foil, place in oven, and steam for forty-five minutes. Leeks are done when tender and fragrant. Remove from oven and cool for five minutes. Cut leeks in half widthwise before serving. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.
Although this recipe calls for chard and/or kale, don’t hesitate to try all sorts of leafy green vegetables: spinach, mustard greens, dandelion greens, or beet greens. The greater the variety, the better. SERVES 4
2 bunches rainbow chard or kale, or any combination
of greens
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly ground flaxseed
Remove stems from greens and finely chop. Set aside. Coarsely chop the leaves and set aside.
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add chopped stems and sauté for two to three minutes. Turn off heat and cover.
Before serving, turn the flame to medium, and add leaves, stirring for one to two minutes. Sprinkle with ground flaxseed.
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