Tag: paleo

Pear + Radish Salad

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It’s the season of potlucks – or one of them, at least, and as such I’ve been in my typical ‘vegan veggie things in a bowl with zero gluten – but nuts, so no suitable for almost but not quite everyone’ mode.

This salad as written makes a ton. Like 2 trays full, which is overkill for a 10-person potluck. Hopefully, more will turn up – or everyone comes hungry. I’ve got too many party leftovers at my house.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan

Pear + Radish Salad

A crapton shredded kale (I used something like 6 – 8 cups because that was the size of my package – this dictated the size of my salad because I didn’t want leftovers)
2-3 cups chopped red cabbage
6 smallish pears, chopped
20 radishes (I used English Breakfast, but watermelon or another peppery variety would be even better)
2 hand fulls slivered almonds
1 hand full raw pepitas
2 hands full pine nuts
1 bunch snipped chives

For the dressing

Note: I doubled this recipe to get the amount of dressing I wanted

1/4 c. lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
1.5 Tbsp. date molasses
4-5 glugs or turns around the mixer olive oil
Hand full parsley
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. grainy mustard (if you’ve been reading awhile, you’ll know by this I always mean Maille Wholegrain because it’s my 😍)
1 green onion
Generous salt & pepper

Prep all salad ingredients and add to a vessel of some sort. Whiz the dressing together in your food processor and pour over the salad. Massage with your hands to combine and work into the kale.

Serves a party

Yogurt Leeks & Eggs

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I *think* I remember seeing a dish along these lines in the pages of one of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks – or somewhere on a Lebanese menu, and I got a craving.

Plus, I found leeks at the local grocery – Whoo hoo!

Gluten-free, paleo, (lacto ovo) vegetarian, keto

Yogurt Leeks & Eggs

4 oz. sliced button mushrooms
2 leeks
1-2 Tbsp. ghee
2 eggs per person
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. your favorite curry powder
Salt & pepper
Hand full fresh herbs (I had parsley & chives)
Yogurt (I used non-dairy)
Lemon powder (or sumac)

Chop your mushrooms, wash your leeks and slice into thin moons, chop your herbs.

In a large pan, heat the ghee over medium – medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sautée 3-5 minutes or until no longer dry and starting to soften. Salt & pepper.

Add the leeks and spices, stir, and sautée 15-20 minutes or until the desired doneness is reached. Top with the fresh herbs, taste for seasoning, and give one last stir.

Make a well in the leeks for each egg, crack the eggs into the depressions, salt & pepper, cover and cook until the eggs are to your liking.

Serve each portion with a Tablespoon or two of yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon lemon powder for garnish.

Serves 2 for lunch

Eggplant Pizza Boats

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The idea for this low carb, Keto-friendly dinner came from a good friend who was looking for something tasty to eat while on a Whole30 – and started making stuffed zucchini pizzas.

I had eggplant and went a little nuts in the veggie aisle. Yum.

Also: I found a fantastic lactose-free sharp cheddar cheese that doesn’t kill my stomach. Win-freaking-win, and I’m happy it costs an arm and a leg, so I won’t be buying it every week!

gluten-free, paleo, Keto-ish

Eggplant Pizza Boats

1 large Italian (dark purple) eggplant
1 lb. ground beef
4 oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2-1 c. marinara
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
4 tsp. dried oregano
4 inches 2 in. diameter stick style pepperoni, chopped
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
Hand full green olives, chopped
Double hand full lactose free cheese, shredded
Salt & pepper
1 Tbsp. fat of choice
Green onion, chopped (optional topper)
Parsley, chopped (optional topper)
Big pinch red pepper flakes

Preheat your oven to 200C while you prep all your veggies.

Halve the eggplant lengthwise, scoop out a fair amount of the middles (reserve middles, chop & add to veggies), and bake 20 minutes or until mostly soft.

While the eggplant boats are baking, make the stuffing by sautéing the mushrooms, onion, pepper, and garlic in the fat until soft. Salt & pepper as you go. When desired doneness is achieved, remove from pan and reserve.

Put the pan back on the heat and add the pepperoni. Give that a couple minutes to start rendering and add the beef. Brown, adding the spices a half at a time and tasting as you go. You want this mix to be a hair salty.

When your desired brownness is reached, add the marinara, nutritional yeast and olives and stir to combine. Add the veggies back in. Taste. Season more if needed.

Pile into the boats and top with shredded cheese.

Bake 20-30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Top with chopped parsley & green onion if desired.

Serves 4 for dinner/lunch

Lazy Brunch Pumpkin Fritters

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Is there anything more relaxing than a lazy brunch? I made this fall-inspired treat on a rainy Sunday, and it hit the spot – even for DH, and he’s not a huge fan of zucchini.

Serve with your favorite toppings – creme fraiche, smoked salmon, fluffy eggs, bacon, pico – whatever you have in hand that needs to be used up.

Gluten-free, Paleo, low carb, Whole30

Lazy Brunch Pumpkin Fritters

2c. shredded zucchini
6T. canned pumpkin purée (the 100% pumpkin kind, not the one that’s pre-spiced for pie)
1T. garlic powder
1T. onion powder
1t. curry powder
1T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2c. almond flour
1/3-1/2c. coconut flour
1 egg
Ghee for cooking

Toppers – I served with smoked salmon and soft scrambled chive eggs

Shred your zucchini, lay on a towel or paper towels, and press the water out.

Add to a large bowl with the rest of the critter ingredients. Stir to combine.

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add a couple Tablespoons ghee.

Form the critters into palm-sized patties as you go. Brown, flip, remove to a plate until everything is finished.

Serve with toppers.

Serves 2-3 for breakfast

Fig + Rosemary Faux-Meal

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I’ve been on a fake oatmeal jag again lately – something about the calendar hitting October and my brain screaming it’s Fall and you should be snuggling in for a winter hibernate despite the fact that it is still 96F and bright sunny where you live.

I may *live* in the land of Summer, but in my mind, it’s PSLs all the way down.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan if you consider figs vegan

Fig + Rosemary Faux Meal

1 faux-meal base from my poorly named and now re-named No-Atmeal
1 fresh fig
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (2 would be great if your macros allow – mine did not and I would have loved a little more)
1/2-1 tsp. date molasses (same here – I went light; would have loved more)
Nut milk (enough to cover the top of your faux-meal in a thin layer – optional, but I want to believe it adds creaminess)
Halved pecans (walnuts would also work)
Slivered almonds (optional but I love the texture)
1-2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (I did 2 and loved the piney kinda savory taste going on)
A pinch of salt

Prepare the faux-meal like the recipe, omitting all toppers and spice. Top and spice with these ingredients instead.

Serves 1 for breakfast

Macros for the slack topper portions: 480 calories, 28g carbs (not net carbs), 40g fat, 9g protein

Mushroom Lime Salad

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This recipe was inspired by an Instagram pic posted by one of my absolute favorite veg bloggers, @heidijswanson from 101 Cookbooks.

Aaaand now that I’m actually looking at the recipe for her salad, she’s got a lot more going on flavor-wise. Mine turned out great – but I bet hers is even more exciting. I was super curious to see if lime + roasted mushrooms would be a good combo, and I’m happy to report it is!

And I bet you could make this even more Fall-feeling with a creamy dressing or some butter in the roast. Or roasted garlic. Everything’s better with roasted garlic.

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, Keto, Whole30

Mushroom Lime Salad

500g your favorite mushrooms (I used half crimini and half button, but fall wild mushrooms would be amazing here)
1 lime
1/2 bunch chives
1 big hand full roasted salted peanuts
1/2c. baby greens or a nice herby salad
Chili garlic spice mix (I use a prepackaged blend)
Your favorite sprinkleable stock starter (I used chicken here – but only because I ran out of my favorite roasted mushroom & onion)

Preheat your oven to 200C and prep a baking sheet with foil.

Quarter the mushrooms and lay in a single layer on the sheet. If you want to bump this up into a full meal and you’re not veg, add chicken breasts to one side of the pan.

Sprinkle everything liberally with the chili garlic spice blend & stock starter and bake for 25 – 35 minutes or until the chicken is done (~25 mins) and the mushrooms are nice and roasted (~35, maybe 40 minutes).

To serve, plunk the warm mushrooms on a bed of baby greens, and sprinkle all with snipped chives, chopped peanuts & lime juice.

Serves 2 for dinner with meat; you may want more greens if veg

Spice Cake Faux-Meal

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This recipe was inspired by a carrot cake oatmeal posted by Sukkari Life, the sudden bloom of PSLs (yes, we get Pumpkin Spice Lattes here in Doha), and the wishful thinking October brings for lower temperatures (it was only 97F today).

And … it has a vegetable + a fruit, so it’s a healthy breakfast!

Gluten-free, low carb, paleo, Whole30 (with substitutions), vegetarian, vegan (with substations)

Spice Cake Faux-Meal

2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal
3 Tbsp. grated carrot
3 Tbsp. unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. butter (sub if vegan)
1 c. your favorite milk (I used hazelnut)
Pinch salt
Pecan halves
Pepitas
1 Tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. date molasses (sub if Keto or Whole30)

Sautée the carrot in the butter over medium heat until soft or just browning.

Add a generous pinch salt and stir.

Add the applesauce, chia, coconut, flaxseed meal and milk. Stir to combine.

Bring up to a bubble and add the spices. Stir.

When the mixture has been cooking a minute or two and has thickened, cut the heat. Let sit a minute or two.

Scoop into a bowl and top with the nuts, tahini and date molasses (if using).

Serves 1 for breakfast

East of the Border Bowl

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This meal is straight out of that twilight time between sleeping and awake – at 3 am – and I’m glad it turned out so well! Korean food and Mexican totally don’t sound like complementary flavors, but this dish works. And it’s delicious.

gluten-free, paleo, keto

East of the Border Bowl

1 spaghetti squash
1 Tbsp. garlic ginger paste
Big handful parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos or soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground chicken
1 packet (4 Tbsp.) your favorite taco seasoning blend (check your labels!)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. neutral oil
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, sliced
2-4 Tbsp. gochujiang tahini sauce 

Cook your spaghetti squash until soft, using your favorite method. Shred and reserve half.

Dump half into a large pan over medium-high heat with the sesame oil. Fry until just beginning to brown. Add the soy sauce and stir. Add the parsley and half the garlic and cook, stirring 1-2 minutes or until fully incorporated. Add the rest of the garlic, toss, pull from the heat and set aside.

Put your pan back on the heat and add the Tablespoon neutral oil. Add the chicken and onion and break up with a spoon. Add half the seasoning and work to brown, breaking the chicken up as you go. Add the rest of the seasoning in thirds and cook until browned.

To assemble the bowls, split the squash between two, top with chicken, and arrange the peppers and scallions. Each bowl gets 1-2 Tbsp. sauce.

Serves 2 (bowl) with 2 servings leftover chicken 

Roasted Tropical Salad

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This recipe came about because I was craving pineapple that had been on fire, but can’t be trusted to not try and eat my bodyweight at a churrascaria. Enter the oven – the broiler would have been even better, but come to find out, that’s not something my (European) oven cannot actually accomplish. Boo. The funny things you find you miss when living abroad.

This salad is pretty great, can be dressed up a million different ways, and would make a good addition to any potluck or Summer (even if only in spirit) gathering.

gluten-free, paleo, Whole30 (check your labels), vegetarian and vegan (with omissions)

Roasted Tropical Salad

1 bell pepper (green was less pretty than anticipated; opt for another color if making for a group)
2 medium carrots
1 shallot
1 can pineapple chunks in juice

Chop the above ingredients, sprinkle with a little oil + salt, pepper and chili garlic seasoning and roast in a 200C oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the pineapple gets to your desired brownness.

Toss with the following (chopped):

8 ounces shredded red cabbage
Big handful cilantro
1 jalapeno
Thumb ginger
2 cloves garlic

Add the roasted veggies and toss again.

Whisk together the dressing: 

Juice of 1 lemon or lime
2 Tbsp. pineapple juice
1 Tbsp. coconut aminos or soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (check your labels for Whole30; omit for veg)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

Toss bowl of veggies with dressing.

Top with the following optional ingredients:

1 big handful pepitas
2 tsp. sesame seeds
Roast chicken

Serves a crowd at a party, or 4-5 for a meal depending on what you add. 

Not Quite Barbacoa

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This is another of those ‘I went to the store wanting to make 1 thing, but they didn’t have half the ingredients so I adapted’ recipes. What I *wanted* was a nice barbacoa. Preferably nicely spiced and not bland (which is what usually happens when I try to make it).

Buuuuutt … the canned chipotles I saw a few weeks ago in one of the markets seem to have evaporated. Dried chilis are not happening. Should have learned my lesson from the enchiladas Turkiladas I made a few months ago and grabbed chipotles when I saw them.

Such is life. Teachable expat moments – even if I learn my lessons slowly.

This beef turned out pretty darn good, though – despite having to go back to olden times and use the oven (gasp!) instead of my electric pressure cooker that decided to up and die on me in the middle of cooking DH’s rice. The day before I was set to make this dish. I’m still not thrilled, and finding a replacement has proven itself a challenge – good thing people have been cooking meat in a liquid low and slow for thousands of years. (still whining though).

Gluten-free, paleo, keto

Processed with MOLDIV

Not Quite Barbacoa

4 or so lb. beef roast
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. Thai roast chili paste (see pic)
3 Tbsp. harissa paste (see pic)
1 – 2 onions
4 – 6 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. neutral oil
1 c. beef broth
Extra water on hand

First, preheat your oven to 300F.

Then, make a spice rub out of the oregano, salt and pepper. Rub the beef on all sides with the mixture. Heat the oil in a large pan over high and sear the beef on all sides.

While the beef is working, thinly slice the onions and place in a single layer over the bottom of a casserole dish or dutch oven. Add bay leaves down the center of the pan.

In a small bowl, combine the chili and harissa pastes.

When the beef is done, frost like a cake with the seasoning paste, taking care to flip and get the bottom of the beef as well. Sprinkle any remaining spice rub over top.

Add 1 cup beef broth to the pan around the sides of the beef.

Cover and braise 4 hours. Check to see if the meat will shred and add half a cup or so of water if the mixture is looking a little dry. Chuck back into the oven until the meat will shred, checking every hour – mine took 6 hours to just shred, but honestly I could have left it in a little longer.

Shred the beef, adding more water to the onion mixture if it looks too thick – you don’t want the beef swimming in liquid, but you want enough that it stays juicy.

Makes a big meat you can nibble at all week – I served mine in lettuce wraps, over zoodles, over cauliflower mash, over roasted butternut squash, and DH had his with rice.