PALEO SALAD DRESSINGS

One of my big frustrations with a Paleo diet is the lack of commercially available salad dressings that do not contain sugar or corn syrup.  They just don't exist.  I like olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well as the next person and enjoy exotic versions olive oil and vinegar, but I like to have some pre-mixed dressing on hand.
Here are a couple of tasty salad dressings that you can enjoy without guilt.

ORANGE BALSAMIC SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut aminos
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
zest of one Valencia orange
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons raw honey
1/8 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste

Directions: 

In a 12 oz. salad dressing cruet, combine 1/2 cup coconut aminos and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.  Zest one medium sized Valencia orange and mince 4 cloves of garlic.  Add to the liquids.  Add 2 teaspoons honey, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and salt to taste.  Shake until thoroughly blended and enjoy.

LEMON AND OIL DRESSING

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine the lemon juice and olive oil in a 12 oz. salad dressing cruet.  Run the garlic cloves through a garlic press or chop very fine and add to the lemon and oil mixture.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 2 teaspoons of finely chopped fresh basil.  Dried basil flakes will work, but lack the pungent flavor of fresh.  Shake well and allow to sit for at least an hour before serving so that the flavors can blend.

SAUSAGE STUFFED ZUCCHINI (What to do with giant zucchini.)

Anyone who has ever grown zucchini knows that, sooner or later, you turn your back on the zucchini plant and end up with a monster zuc the size of a watermelon.  This is a way to make a tasty meal out of a giant zuc and make it look like you planned to let it grow that big.

Ingredients:

1 oversized zucchini
1 pound hot Italian sausage (Try to find a brand without sugar and non-paleo fillers.  Can be in either roll or    link form.  Hot Italian sausage is spicy enough that you don't need additional spices.  If you use a different variety of sausage, you may need to season it a bit more to balance out the zucchini taste.)
2 eggs
1 large onion

Directions:

• Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out all the seeds and soft parts.  You want enough room for the filling, so carve a generous trough.  Place the two halves in a 9x13 baking pan.  Glass ones work best.

•  Remove the sausage from its casings, if necessary, and put it in a medium sized bowl.
• Dice the onion and add it to the sausage.
• Add the two eggs to the bowl.
• Using your hands, mix the ingredients thoroughly.
• Spoon the sausage mixture into the hollow zucchini.

• Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour or until the squash is soft.

PALEO WAFFLES

Every Sunday, growing up, my father made waffles.  I believe that his father had done so before him.  I am WAY too lazy for that, but I did make them occasionally, especially during peach season because waffles loaded with fresh peach slices are my favorite.  This is my first peach season since I stopped eating wheat, so I needed to devise a recipe for Paleo waffles.  Here it is:

Ingredients:

3 bananas
3 eggs
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup liquified coconut oil
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder

Directions:

Mash the bananas in a medium sized mixing bowl until they are fairly smooth.  Add the other ingredients and mix until thoroughly blended.  Preheat your waffle iron.  Spray the waffle iron with a healthy oil.  Spoon (I use a small ladle that is just the right size.) enough batter into the waffle iron to cover the grids.  Close the lid and cook for five minutes.  Repeat until all batter is cooked.  There is enough oil in the batter that you will not need to re-grease the iron between batches.  Makes about 6 waffle squares.

Serve with pure maple syrup or fresh fruit.

BOHEMIAN CABBAGE (FOR NON CABBAGE LOVERS)

With very few modifications to make it Paleo, this recipe came from my former neighbor, Nancy Davis.  Give this a try if you don't normally like cabbage.  My last batch was devoured with gusto by three non-Paleo eaters.  I wasn't a fan of cabbage before I tried this, either.

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cabbage
3 strips of bacon
1 large onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the bacon in a skillet large enough to hold all the cabbage until is is almost crisp.  Remove the bacon and drain it on a paper towel.  Chop into 1/2" pieces.

Add the olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  Slice the cabbage and onion into thin strips and add to the oil.  Cook the veggies, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn golden at the edges.

Stir in chicken stock, vinegar and bacon.  Cover and cook the mixture until tender, but still slightly crisp.  Season with caraway seeds, salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

PALEO LEMON BARS

It all started with a recipe for lemon-lime macaroon bars in the May 2013 issue of Sunset Magazine.  They sounded delicious, but there was nothing Paleo about the nearly three cups of sugar or the butter, flour or cornstarch in the ingredients.  It got me thinking, though.  The trickiest part was figuring out what to use for the filling, since the original recipe was mainly sugar.  I decided to try sweet potatoes and voila!  They worked fine.  I have now brought these to couple of non-Paleo potlucks and people have really liked them.  No one can believe that they contain no flour or sugar.

Ingredients:

Crust

2 cups shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups almond flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 large eggs

Filling

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons each lemon and lime zest

1/4 cup each lemon and lime juice

• Peel a couple of sweet potatoes.  Cut them into large chunks, place them in a large saucepan, cover with water and boil until soft (about 20 minutes.)  Mash the sweet potatoes thoroughly until smooth.  You want to avoid leaving any large chunks that could ruin the texture of the filling.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread the coconut on a low sided baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
• Combine the coconut and other crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
• Grease the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Spread the crust mixture evenly across the bottom of the baking dish.
• Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until light golden brown.
• Remove crust from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
• Blend the sweet potatoes with the other filling ingredients and beat until smooth.
• Pour the filling over the crust.
• Bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven if the filling starts to crack.  You don't want it to become too dry.
• Let cool and chill for several hours.  Cut into bars and serve.

If any of you out there are cooking for people who don't like coconut, you can substitute extra almond flour for the coconut and ghee for the coconut oil.  The texture of the crust will be more cakelike, but it still works.

PALEO BANANA MACADAMIA NUT PANCAKES

Banana macadamia nut pancakes were popular in our house long before we adopted a Paleo diet.  Since bananas are the main ingredient in Paleo pancakes, it seemed only natural that we ought to be able to make a macadamia nut version.

Ingredients

Three bananas
Three large eggs
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Coconut oil

• Chop your macadamia nuts into small pieces.
• In a medium sized bowl, mash the three bananas.
• Add the almond butter and eggs and stir until well blended.
• Melt a teaspoon or so of coconut oil in a large skillet.  Spread the oil evenly over the skillet with a spatula.
• Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil to make 4" pancakes.
• Cook over medium heat until golden brown on the bottom (usually when bubbles pop and the batter no longer fills the hole.)
• Turn over and cook for another minute or so on the other side.

Serve with real maple syrup or your favorite fruit.

HAZELNUT FRIED ZUCCHINI

No one who grows zucchini ever has the right amount of the stuff.  One day it's not quite ready and the next day you're overwhelmed.  Turn your back on a fingerling and the next day it's the size of a watermelon.  Here's a recipe for Paleo eaters and anybody desperate for something to do with a slightly oversized zuc.  This reminds me of the deep fried zucchini I used to get at some fast food restaurant a long time ago.

Ingredients

One large (not watermelon sized, mind you) zucchini

One cup  (or so depending on the zuc) hazelnut flour/meal

Salt

Spike, spicy Mrs. Dash or other peppery spice blend

Two eggs

Olive oil

• Slice the zucchini into 1/4 inch think rounds.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat until mixed.
• Pour some hazelnut flour into a shallow bowl.
• Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large frying pan over medium heat.
• Dip the zucchini in the egg and then roll in the hazelnut flour.
• Place the zucchini in the frying pan and sprinkle with salt and spice mixture.
• Fry until golden brown on both sides (about 5 minutes per side.)
• Place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

It works better if you only put a small amount of hazelnut flour in the bowl at a time.  Otherwise, it absorbs the egg and starts to form a dough.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN THIGHS

This recipe is a Paleo riff on a recipe I found in the April 2013 issue of Sunset Magazine combined with a recipe my friends serve at Passover and modified in accordance with my recollection of the foods I tasted when I visited Morocco.  It's a filling, quick dish to prepare with an exotic, slightly sweet (from the fruit) flavor.  You don't have to be committed to Paleo eating to enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound peeled carrots (use mini carrots or cut larger ones into 2 inch pieces)
1 hand full dried apricots
1 hand full prunes
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup blanched and toasted almonds

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, blend the cinnamon, coriander, cumin, salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the chicken and toss until the thighs are coated with the oil/spice mixture.  Let them marinate for a bit if you have the time.
• Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or dutch oven.  Cook the chicken, skin side down, until the skin is crispy (about 4 minutes.)  Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Add the carrots, apricots and prunes to the pan and stir fry until the carrots begin to soften.  (Another 5 minutes or so.)
• Add the raisins and almonds and place the chicken, skin side up, on top of the carrots.
• Roast in the oven until the chicken is cooked through (20-30 minutes.)

PALEO SHAKE AND BAKE

In my pre-Paleo life, one of our favorite easy dinners was shake and bake chicken Parmesan.  We had really missed that dish, so I was excited when I happened on the idea of using crushed pork rinds for breading.  This was not quite as crispy as the original, but still pretty tasty.  Please excuse my photo of the leftovers.  I'll eventually remember to photograph food when it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs with skin on
1/2 a bag of regular pork rinds
1 15 oz can of Italian style diced tomatoes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Empty the can of diced tomatoes into the bottom of a 2 quart casserole.
Put the pork rinds into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until reduced to fine crumbs.
If you are the sort of person who eats a little dairy now and then, mix in some grated Parmesan cheese (about 50/50) with your crumbs.
Add the chicken pieces to the bag and shake until the chicken is coated with crumbs.
Place the chicken in the casserole on top of the tomatoes.
Sprinkle any remaining crumbs over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes.

If you like your food spicy, you can make a Mexican version by using tomatoes with jalapenos and pork rinds with chili.

Ack! Another Blog

Ack!  I'm starting another blog.  Why?  I have a Pinterest page for Paleo recipes I like (http://pinterest.com/renecanham/paleo-recipes/) and I refer people to it, but sometimes I devise my own recipes and I need somewhere to post them so that I can share them easily.

"What's this Paleo thing all about?" you may ask.  Before humans invented agriculture, we lived by hunting and gathering.  We ate what was easy to obtain -- meat, fish, fruit, veggies and nuts.  We got lots of exercise chasing down prey and dragging it home.  We didn't need to worry about high blood pressure and diabetes. Then humans invented agriculture.  This allowed us to grow more humans in a given area but, like feed lot cattle, we developed a lot of health problems.  Our bodies just weren't designed to live on a diet of starches that turn to sugar in our systems.  Our cells became inflamed.  We developed all sorts of metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes.  The Paleo diet attempts to recreate the natural hunter-gatherer diet by eliminating foods containing grains, legumes, dairy and sugar and sticking to meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and nuts.  In combination with a CrossFit exercise program, which simulates the type of exercise  required by a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, the results can be amazing.

In June of 2012, I had just returned from two months in Italy.  I had to do something about my health.  I weighed 202 pounds (down from 222 when I retired in July of 2011) and suffered from high blood pressure, acid reflux, high cholesterol, joint pain and high blood sugar.  I started CrossFit at the beginning of June and saw a difference right away.  At the end of October, I adopted the Paleo diet.  By the end of March 2013, I was down to 155 pounds without ever having felt hungry.  On the Paleo diet, you can eat if you are hungry.  You just don't eat unhealthy food.  I was perhaps the worst possible candidate for such a diet, since I loved carbs and hated vegetables, but I learned something after a couple of days.  Eating carbohydrates is addictive.  Eating all those high glycemic index foods messes with your hormones.  You can't tell whether or not you are full.  You just want to eat more.  After a couple of days without grains, I stopped craving bread, potatoes and pasta.  My blood pressure is now normal.  My cholesterol is at a lifetime low and my "good cholesterol" looks like that of an athlete.  The acid reflux went away as I lost weight.  I have more energy.  There is no way in hell I would ever go back.

It's not just me, either.  My partner, Scott, has lost 45 pounds without going to CrossFit and cheating at every opportunity.  Other friends and relatives have had similar successes.  It works.  I'm not obsessive about it, either.  I'm pretty good about staying away from the grains, but I have a little piece of chocolate every evening and wine or beer with dinner.  Once in a while I eat cheese.

If you want to give this program a try, I have a couple of recommendations:

Find a good CrossFit gym.  They are not all the same.  Find one where you get good coaching and plenty of stretching and warm up before the workout.  A good gym will be supportive of people at all fitness levels.  You cannot be too out of shape to start CrossFit.  It is infinitely scalable and a good gym will work around your injuries and weaknesses.

Get your body fat percentage tested.  This will tell you what your goal weight should be.  What really matters is not your weight, but your percentage of body fat.  Muscle weighs more.  As you get stronger, you might not need to lose as much as you think.  It's good to know how many calories your body burns at rest.  You need to consume at least that many calories if you want to burn fat when you exercise.  Your body fat percentage is your best benchmark for success.

OK - Enough preaching!  From now on, this blog will be all about food as I try to convert a lifetime's collection of recipes for Paleo eating.