Permaculturist Health

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

Paleo Diet Recipes | Dr. Loren Cordain
http://thepaleodiet.com/paleo-diet-recipes/

While our books on The Paleo Diet provide much more detail on the foods you should and shouldn’t eat, here is a basic scheme of things:

Eat:

• Grass-produced meats
• Fish/seafood
• Fresh fruits and veggies
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthful oils (Olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)

Don’t eat:

• Cereal grains
• Legumes (including peanuts)
• Dairy
• Refined sugar
• Potatoes
• Processed foods
• Salt
• Refined vegetable oils (listed in The Paleo Diet Cookbook and The Paleo Diet for Athletes)

Here are a few tips to make the Paleo Diet a routine part of your lifestyle:

• For breakfast, make an easy omelet. Sauté onion, peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli in olive oil; add omega-3-enriched or free-range eggs and diced turkey or chicken breast.
• Paleo lunches are easy. At the beginning of the week, make a huge salad with anything you like. A good starting point can be mixed greens, spinach, radishes, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, avocadoes, walnuts, almonds and sliced apples or pears. Store the salad in a large sealable container. Each morning prepare a single serving from the large batch and then mix in meat (ground beef, beef slices, chicken, turkey, ground bison, pork chunks, etc.) or seafood of choice (salmon, shrimp, tuna, or any fresh fish or seafood). Toss with olive oil and lemon juice and you are set.
• For dinner, try spaghetti squash as a substitute for any pasta recipe. Top with pesto, marinara and meatballs.
• Roasted beets and their greens make a great side dish for pork. Asparagus, broccoli, and spinach can be steamed quickly. Salmon, halibut, or other fresh fish filets grill well with accompanying foil packs full of cut veggies with olive oil and garlic.
• Berries and other succulent fruits make a great dessert. Pre-cut carrot and celery sticks, sliced fruit, and pre-portioned raw nut/dried fruit mixes are easy snacks.

Here is a day’s worth of sample meals from Dr. Cordain’s latest book, The Paleo Answer:

• Breakfast: Omega-3 or free ranging eggs scrambled in olive oil with chopped parsley. Grapefruit, or any fresh fruit in season, herbal tea
• Snack: Sliced lean beef, fresh apricots or seasonal fruit
• Lunch: Caesar salad with chicken (olive oil and lemon dressing), herbal tea
• Snack: Apple slices, raw walnuts
• Dinner: Tomato and avocado slices; grilled skinless turkey breast; steamed broccoli, carrots, and artichoke; bowl of fresh blueberries, raisins, and almonds; one glass white wine or mineral water. (Clearly, wine would never have been available to our ancestors, but the 85:15 rule allows you to consume three non-Paleo meals per week.)

The best source of Paleo Diet recipes is The Paleo Diet Cookbook. But here are some to get you started.

Breakfast Recipes

So Cal Omelet

Not just for breakfast, omelets are a great source of protein, any time of day. Try this vitamin-packed dish morning, noon, or night!

• 4 Omega-3 eggs
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 c chopped spinach leaves
• 1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 small avocado
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs until foamy. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium flame and add eggs. Using a rubber spatula, tilt pan and lift edges to allow uncooked eggs to make contact with hot surface of pan. When eggs are almost set, place the spinach on one side, sprinkle with basil and pepper and fold in half. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 minute. Slide onto place and garnish with sliced avocado.

Poached Eggs with Peach Salsa

Tasty breakfast for a take-it-easy morning. Make the salsa ahead of time and your only prep time becomes the time it takes to cook the eggs.

• 2 omega 3-enriched eggs
• Flaxseed oil
• 2 T. peach salsa (see recipe below)

Bring 1/2 inch of water to boil in a saucepan. Rub a little flaxseed oil in the egg wells of an egg poacher (available at most kitchen and cooking specialty stores). Crack eggs into the egg wells and reduce heat to a slow boil. Place the poacher in the saucepan and cover. Extra large eggs take about 7 minutes for soft yolks; medium eggs, about 6 minutes. Remove egg poacher from pan with a hot glove and free the eggs with a flexible rubber spatula. Gently transfer the eggs to a plate and smother with peach salsa.

Peach Salsa

• 1 c. peeled and finely chopped peaches
• 1/4 c. chopped red onions
• 1/4 chopped yellow or green peppers
• 1 T. lime juice
• 2 tsp. fresh cilantro
• Cayenne pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, stir everything together. Cover and chill for up to 6 hours. Makes 2 cups.

Soup Recipes

Chicken Vegetable Soup

We ought to have the category of Paleo Comfort Food. This soup would fit in there perfectly.

• 6 c. water
• meat of 1 whole chicken, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 6 fresh tomatoes, diced
• 2 small zucchini, sliced thin
• 3 carrots, diced

In a large pot, combine water, chicken, garlic, onion, bay leaf, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering about 2 hrs. or until chicken is tender. Remove bay leaf and discard. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer about 20 min. or until veggies are tender. Serves 6.

Gazpacho

The recipe for this cool, summertime soup came from Cooking Healthy with One Foot Out the Door by Polly Pritchford and Delia Quigley.

• 4 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 cup unsalted tomato juice
• 2 T. lemon juice
• Pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
• 1 sprig fresh parsley
• 4 ice cubes
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until vegetables are small but not pureed. Serves 2.

Salad Recipes

Salmon Caesar Salad

Everyone loves a fresh Caesar salad. The omega-3s in this recipe, combined with the freshest of ingredients, will quickly become a regular part of your Paleo meals.

• 4 6-ounce portions salmon fillet, skin on
• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• ¼ small red onion, diced
• 2 T. cold-pressed flaxseed oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp. mustard seed, crushed
• 1 T. lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to broil. Brush flesh side of salmon fillet with 1 T olive oil. Place in baking pan flesh-side down. Brush skin with remaining olive oil. Broil for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. In large bowl, mix together lettuce and onion. Combine flaxseed oil, garlic, mustard seed, and lemon juice in small jar and shake well. Toss with lettuce and onion. Serve topped with salmon fillet and season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Serves four.

Shrimp-Stuffed Avocados

This quick and easy recipe works great for a salad or appetizer.

• 4 large avocados, peeled and halved, seeds removed
• 1 1/2 c. small salad shrimp, cooked and washed
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 T. onion powder
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 T. paprika

Set avocados on serving plate with cut side facing up. Combine shrimp, lemon juice, onion and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Spoon shrimp mixture onto each avocado, covering generously. Sprinkle the top of each stuffed avocado with paprika before serving. Serves 4.

Spinach Salad with Crabmeat

This vitamin-packed salad works well as an entree and tastes delicious with the fresh, homemade dressing. Make the dressing ahead of time to speed up your prep.

• 2 large bunches fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
• 1 Walla Walla, Vidalia, or Maui sweet onion, sliced small
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced thin
• 2 hardboiled omega 3-enriched eggs, sliced thin
• 1/2 pound cooked, shredded crabmeat

Tear spinach leaves into small pieces and mix with onions, tomatoes, and crabmeat. Just before serving, toss with spinach salad dressing (recipe below) and top with egg slices. Serves 4.

Spinach Salad Dressing:

• 3 T. dry mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T. black pepper
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 c. burgundy wine
• 1 c. fresh tomatoes, pureed
• 2 c. flaxseed oil
• 1 c. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in blender. Pour into a cruet and shake well before each use. Makes 5 cups.

Vegetable Dish Recipes

No Big Dill Carrots

Delicious veggies even the kids will love.

• 2 c. baby carrots
• 1 T. dried dill
• 1 T. lemon juice

Steam baby carrots and serve topped with a sprinkling of dill and lemon juice.

Ratatouille

This Paleo-friendly favorite works well as a main dish, side dish, or even a filling for an omega 3-omelet.

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 T. olive oil
• 2 green peppers, seeded and cut into strips
• 1 lb. sliced zucchini
• 1 lb. diced eggplant
• 1 large tomatoes, skinned and wedged
• 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer until vegetables are tender (about 30-45 min.) Serves 6-8.

Beef/Chicken/Fish Main Dish Recipes

Fajita Stir Fry

This dish is an interesting fusion approach to stir fry. Traditional Latin spices combined with the kick of dark Jamaican rum make for an interesting marriage of flavors.

• 4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 T. lime juice
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 pounds skirt steak, pounded thin and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into small wedges
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into quarter-inch strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into quarter-inch strips
• 1 medium plum tomato, diced
• 2 T. dark rum
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Place meat in bottom of glass dish. Combine 2 T oil with garlic, lime juice, chili powder, and cumin in jar and shake well. Pour over meat and marinate at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium flame. Add meat strips in single layer and cook without stirring, one minute. Turn and continue cooking for one additional minute. Add onion and peppers and continue to cook for four minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine tomato and rum in small bowl. Stir with fork and pour into skillet. Cook one minute. Sprinkle with cilantro. Remove from heat and cool three minutes. Serves four.

Chicken Marsala

This family-favorite chicken dish will please young and old alike. The mellow flavors of mushroom and marsala combine to make this a moist and succulent dish.

• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded with meat tenderizer tool
• 1 cup assorted wild mushrooms, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• ½ cup marsala wine
• ½ cup homemade chicken broth (recipe is in Chapter 7 of The Paleo Diet Cookbook)
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add chicken breasts and cook 10 minutes, turning at halfway point. Remove from pan and tent with foil. Add mushrooms to pan and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in shallots and cook one additional minute. Pour in wine and broth, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low flame for 20 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape browned bits from surface of pan and mix with liquid. Place chicken back into skillet and cook for five minutes. Sprinkle with oregano. Serves four.

Toad in the Hole Trout Almondine

This recipe is from the 1930s-era  Toad in the Hole Restaurant in Hollywood, CA, which was owned by my grandfather, Loren McHuron.

• 6 fresh, whole, boned trout
• 1 T. flaxseed oil
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1 c. sliced almonds
• 1/4 c. raisins
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 fresh lemon, thinly sliced
• 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley
• 10-12 seedless red grapes

Wash trout thoroughly and set in large baking dish greased with flaxseed oil. Heat olive oil in skillet and gently sauté almonds for 5 min. Add raisins, onions, parsley, and pepper and mix well.  Removed from heat and stuff inside each trout. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. or until trout flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with lemon, fresh parsley sprigs, and grapes. Serves 3-6.

Stir-Fried Beef with Vegetables

This recipe is perfect for two, but it’s easy to double (or triple) when you’re cooking for friends.

• 12 ounces boneless sirloin steak, trimmed of all visible fat, thinly sliced into small, bite-sized strips.
• 2 T. canola/olive oil mixture
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1/4 c. burgundy wine
• 1 yellow onion cut thinly into wedges
• 1 red pepper, seeded and cut into slender strips
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 ounces thinly sliced carrots
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 3 T. lemon juice

Sauté the beef in half of the oil with garlic and half of the red wine until the beef is browned. Remove from skillet. Heat the residual oil in the skillet. Sauté the onion, red pepper, celery, and carrots until the onion is tender – about 4 minutes. Add the remainder of the red wine. Add the mushrooms and lemon juice. Stir-fry mixture for approximately 3 more minutes. Combine the vegetables with the meat. Serves 2.

The Paleo-Correct Meatloaf

Just like Mom used to make, only healthier!

• 2 lbs. extra-lean ground beef
• 2 red onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 3 omega 3-enriched eggs, beaten
• 2 T. flaxseed oil

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Spread mixture evenly in an 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 min. or until well cooked. Serves 8.

Kenny’s Barbecued Spicy Chicken

Nothing’s better than Paleo food on the grill on a summery day!

• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 T. fresh orange juice
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Mix well to produce marinade. Place the chicken in the bowl, coat thoroughly and marinate for 1-2 hours. For grilling: Fire up the barbecue and grill the chicken on medium heat, turning constantly while basting with the marinade until the breasts are cooked. For broiling: Broil on medium heat, turning constantly while basting with the marinade until done. Serves 4.

Dessert Recipes

Cantaloupe Stuffed with Blackberries and Pecans

Cantaloupe isn’t just for breakfast any more – in this recipe, it makes a wonderfully cool dessert (that you could also eat for breakfast).

• 1 cantaloupe
• 1 c. blackberries
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• mint or spearmint leaves for garnish

Cut cantaloupe in half (use a serrated knife) and scoop out seeds. Fill each cavity with blackberries and pecans. Garnish with mint or spearmint leaves. Serves 2.

Cherry Berry Medley

Berry lovers will find this recipe to be the perfect, satisfying ending to a Paleo meal. The unusual pairing of fruits makes for a surprisingly delicious combination.

• ½ cup Bing or Rainier cherries, pitted and chopped
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup golden raspberries
• ½ cup blackberries
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp clove powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 T chopped fresh mint leaves, plus four leaves for garnish

Combine cherries and berries in medium bowl. Add vanilla, clove, cinnamon, and chopped mint, and gently toss. Chill 30 minutes. Garnish with mint leaves just before serving. Serves four.