Category: paleo

Mediterranean Antipasto

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This antipasto was an attempt to recreate some of our favorite dishes that typically are mainstays at your favorite Italian/Mediterranean restaurant, without the cheese and pasta.  As far as I’m concerned, it was a success––it didn’t last long in the house.  We saved a small portion to share with family, and almost a week later, it was still crispy and crunchy, so I would definitely suggest this as a candidate for weekly meals or leftovers if you’re planning ahead.  We had to do some shopping around to find clean proscuitto, but Applegate makes one we love, and we’ve been able to find their products pretty regularly at the local organic market, and even sometimes larger chain supermarkets.  The benefit of this is how simple to put together.  This took us maybe 15 minutes to make in total.

Ingredients
1 English cucumber
1/2 red bell pepper
1-2 slices red onion (depending on how much you like onion)
1 cup kalamata olives
3 slices proscuitto
1 oz anchovy (tinned in olive oil)
Method


Chop red onion, cucumber, red bell pepper, and olives into small chunks.  Slice proscuitto into thin 1/4″ strips, and finely mince anchovy.
Mix together thoroughly, and enjoy!  The flavors will blend more as it sits, so preparation about an hour before mealtime is probably preferred.  There’s no need for olive oil or salt or anything.  This is an easy home run to impress family and friends.

Also, please enter to win a copy of Diane Sanfilippo’s Practical Paleo if you haven’t already.  The giveaway ends ENDED September 28th, 2012!

Bulgogi Inspired Skirt Steak

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Bulgogi is one of my favorite Korean dishes.  Once upon a time when I tutored English to international students at a large, public college, my Korean student insisted that I must try it.  He was right.  It took me months to try it (at a street fair, nonetheless) but I’m so glad I did.  This recipe doesn’t look absolutely fabulous, but trust me, the taste is there.  A wok would probably help the cooking process and the overall look, but alas, no wok yet.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 tbsp coconut vinegar
1 tbsp onion powder (we ground dried, chopped onion)
4 tbsp grated apple
1 tbsp pressed garlic
1/4 tsp ground ginger
2 pinches of ground black pepper
1 egg white
skirt steak
Method

Prepare the marinade of coconut vinegar, coconut aminos, onion powder, grated apple (we used our microplane), pressed garlic, ground ginger, black pepper and egg white.  I once read about the benefits of using egg white and baking soda to tenderize meat, but I just skip the baking soda.  Bonus points if you have a soda bottle in the house and separate your egg like this.
While that’s going on you’ll want to also slice your skirt steak into approximately 1/2″ strips.  When you’ve completed both of these tasks, marinate the beef for approximately 30 minutes.
Once you’ve finished marinading the beef, preheat a skillet (or preferably wok if you have it) to medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil/coconut oil/ghee.  Cook beef until heated through and then it is ready to serve.  
Enjoy over a bed of greens, or in a lettuce wrap. 


Jalapeño-Lime Skirt Steak with Bell Peppers and Onions

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This recipe was a quick to put together; we marinated the skirt steak, seared it on our cast iron skillet, and then threw it in the oven in our awesome new cookware.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 jalapeño, diced
1 skirt steak
1/2 large onion, halved and sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced 
    Method
    Place steak in a large zip lock bag.  Add coconut oil, sea salt, black pepper, lime juice, garlic, and jalapeño to the bag for the marinade.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes in the marinade.  We placed our steak in the refrigerator, which solidified the coconut oil; it might be better to leave it on the counter for this time.

    Put the cast iron on the stove and preheat to medium-high heat and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side.  First things first you should also set the oven temperature to 350ºF.  We let the steak rest for a few minutes while preparing the onion, jalapeño, and bell pepper.

    Place the skirt steak into the oven and cook for 30 minutes.  We took the skirt steak out when the internal temperature hit 135ºF.

    Slice the steak and serve over the vegetables.  Enjoy!  And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out our give away of Diane Sanfilippo’s Balanced Bites here!

    Our First Giveaway! (CLOSED) Diane Sanfilippo’s Practical Paleo!

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    We’re finally doing our first giveaway!  We were fortunate enough to receive Practical Paleo early and review it (read that review here).  This was a great experience, and we frequently reference back to the book.  If you’re looking for a book that is informative, fun, and full of delicious recipes, this really needs to join your library.  

    We’re so convinced that we are giving a copy away!  The giveaway starts today (Friday the 14th) and will end on the 28th.  Then we will announce a winner and they’ll be the lucky recipient of a copy of Diane’s book!  Just take a look at the entry form below and get started.  ‘Like’ us and Diane on Facebook, and then comment at the bottom to let us you’ve done that.  Bonus entries go to those who follow us on twitter, and you can get an extra entry each day by tweeting the giveaway.  We’re so excited!
    (Apologies for all of the exclamation points––they’re a little over the top, but so are we.)
    UPDATE:  Thank you to everyone who entered!  This was a great time, and we will definitely be doing more of this in the future.  Keep your eyes on the prize, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to get updates on the next one.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    Fiery Harvest Turkey Legs

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    Turkey legs are probably one of my favorite foods.  From the first time going to the Renaissance Faire to Thanksgiving, they stand out a lot in memorable moments growing up.  I always get a drumstick at Thanksgiving, and I always pass out promptly 45-60 minutes later for a few hours; there’s something about the leg that really makes you feel like a caveman/carnivore.  This was a fun experimentation with different spices and flavors, and I think it turned out fantastic.  I can’t wait to make this again sometime soon.

    Fiery Harvest Turkey Legs:
    2 turkey legs (approx 1.75lbs)
    2 tbsp ghee/bacon fat/coconut oil
    1 tsp whole coriander
    1/2 tsp whole cloves
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1/4 tsp ancho chili pepper
    1/8 tsp garlic
    1/8 tsp smoked paprika
    First you’ll want to take all of your dry ingredients and add them into your mortar and pestle and crush into a fine powder.  While you’re working on that, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
    After you’ve mixed the ingredients, heat your fat and brush it on all sides of the legs as well as the inside of the baking dish you’re using.  Then cover legs with the dry rub.
    Now they’re ready for the oven.
    Bake for 90 minutes, and enjoy how the house starts to smell.  We took the opportunity to go for a run, and when we got back it was magical.
    When you’ve wrapped that up, let them sit for around 5 minutes to cool, and dig in.  Silverware is optional.  
    Also, keep an eye open for our upcoming giveaway––it should be live on Friday! NOW! Enter here!(Closed 9/28/12)