paleo – Page 40 – Gastography

Sundried Tomato Basil Meatballs with Walnut Pesto and Broccolini

December 31, 2012October 11, 2013Life, Recipes1 Comment

This is a great little weeknight dinner and this pesto is something you will want to have on hand. It’s great here, as well as on chicken or beef, or when used as a mix-in for all sorts of “basic” ingredients to give a little kick. Paleo friendly and gluten-free.

A note on coconut cream: Coconut cream is easy to source. Take a can of full fat coconut milk, place into a container with a lid and chill a few hours or over night. A thick layer of cream will rise to the top and solidify. This is coconut cream and it is tasty.

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Sundried Tomato Basil Meatballs with Walnut Pesto and Broccolini

Based on Sun Dired Tomato Meatballs with Creamy Pesto from Everyday Paleo

For the meatballs:

2 lbs. ground beef (or a mixture of beef, veal and pork depending on your particular culinary inclinations)
4 scallions
1 big hand full basil
1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
Big pinch salt
Black pepper
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

For the broccolini:

1 bunch broccolini
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

For the pesto:

1 c. walnuts
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 c. basil
1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes
1/2 c. coconut cream
Big pinch salt
Big pinch red pepper flakes
2 tsp. white wine vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375. While you are waiting for the oven to heat, prep your broccolini by chopping the cut ends off, placing the stalks on a cookie sheet, and drizzling with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. When your oven comes up to temperature, add the broccolini and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Bring a cup or two of water to a boil. Place the sundried tomatoes in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and let reconstitute 15 minutes. If you are using oil packed tomatoes, skip this step.

While your tomatoes are reconstituting, mince the scallions, garlic and basil for the meatballs.

When your tomatoes are reconstituted, remove from the water and mince. Add the meatball portion to a large bowl along with the other meatball ingredients (minus the coconut oil).

Mix the meatball ingredients together and form into ping pong ball sized meatballs.

Heat the coconut oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large ovenproof skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and brown on all sides.

When your broccolini timer goes off, flip the broccolini and return to the oven and cook an additional few minutes until browned but not burnt.

When the meatballs are all browned, slide the pan (if it is ovenproof, otherwise use a cookie sheet) into the oven and bake an additional 7-10 minutes.

While the meatballs are working, make the pesto. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and whiz until smooth and pesto like. Taste and add more salt/vinegar/pepper as needed until your desired taste balance is reached. You’re looking for a bright and lively pesto – something you want to eat more of before dinner. If it is too thick, thin with a bit of the tomato water if you have any on hand, or regular water. Don’t forget to adjust your seasoning after thinning. I went for a thick sauce – more of a paste – and it was delicious.

To serve, pile meatballs on top of broccolini and top with pesto. And more pesto.

Serves 2-4 for dinner (meatballs and pesto – if you’re serving 4, double the broccolini quantity) or 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch with more pesto left over.

Gluten-free Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Chard and Brown Butter Sauce

December 24, 2012October 11, 2013Life, Recipes3 Comments

Yay, gluten-free and paleo friendly gnocchi! I was so excited to find this recipe using almond flour on the interwebs, and it does not disappoint. This is a hearty, filling, and satisfying meal and comes together in just enough time for a (late) weeknight meal. And, as an added bonus, it’s chock full of vegetable goodness.

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Gluten-free Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Chard and Brown Butter Sauce

Based on Baked Rosemary, Almond Flour & Butternut Squash Gnocchi by The Urban Poser

Small butternut squash
3 c. finely ground almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 egg yolk
Big pinch salt
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. fresh basil
2-4 cloves garlic
1 bunch chard
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side up on a cookie sheet and roast 45 minutes or until softened. When the squash has been working for 10 minutes or so, toss in 3 cloves garlic still in their paper.

Scoop out about 1/2 to 3/4 c. squash and add to a large bowl with the almond flour, egg yolk, salt, herbs and roasted garlic.

Work ingredients until they are well mixed together and form into a ball. Your dough will be a bit sticky, but it should hold together well. If it is too wet, add a little more flour. If too dry, add a little more squash. Coat your ball of dough with olive oil and chill about half an hour.

While your dough is chilling, make the chard. Wash chard and cut into ribbons. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard, and sautee until it is wilted down. Kick the heat up to medium high and add the butter. Sautee until the butter starts to brown. Salt & pepper to taste and remove from the heat.

When your dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350. Take pinches of dough and form into grape-sized balls. Place dough grapes onto a cookie sheet, and lightly press with a fork while holding the sides so you have a gnocchi shape. I got about 45 gnocchi out of the batch. Brush the tops of the gnocchi with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Bring your chard back up to temperature and toss with the gnocchi when it gets out of the oven.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice

December 17, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This dish is tasty. Like deeply tasty, with layers of flavors, which is good ‘cuz it isn’t quick. It is however, fully satisfying and filled with stealth veggie goodness. Paleo & gluten-free.

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Spicy Ginger Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice

Adapted from Mark’s Daily Apple’s Sesame Chicken and “Rice” with Fiery Ginger and Chile Sauce

For the chicken:

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 per serving)
2 cloves garlic
4 slices ginger
4 scallions
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp. shallot
Salt & white pepper to taste

For the rice:

1 head cauliflower
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
5 shallots
5 cloves garlic
3 c. chicken stock
Salt & white pepper to taste

For the chili sauce:

2 Tbsp. sambal olek
3 Tbsp. ginger
3 Tbsp. shallot
3 cloves garlic
3 limes
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. chicken stock
Salt & white pepper to taste

Garnish:

1/2 cucumber
Big hand full parsley
Sesame oil

First, let’s prep the massive amount of shallots and garlic you’ll need. You will need roughly 7 shallots in total, all minced. Mince those babies up, dividing into 3 separate bowls (one for each component of the dish). Mince and divide a total of 2-3 inches fresh ginger and 10 cloves garlic. Divide these as well by component.

Once all this mise is done, split your scallions in half and slice into small moons. Juice your limes. Dice your cucumber. Chop your parsley. Gather the rest of your ingredients and break your cauliflower down for easy adding to your food processor.

Let’s start with the “rice”, since this takes the longest to cook. Add your broken down cauliflower to your food processor a little at a time and process until it looks like crumbly rice. This may take a few batches.

Add the coconut oil to a wok or large pan over high heat. Add the shallot and garlic (from your separated cauliflower rice bowl of mise) and stir-fry until beginning to brown and fragrant. Add the cauliflower and stir fry about 4 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add 3c. chicken stock and cook 15-20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Salt & white pepper to taste and set aside if the rest of the meal isn’t done yet.

While the “rice” is going, make your chicken. Cut the thighs into 1 inch cubes. Heat 2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the ginger slices, chicken portion of shallot & garlic and chicken cubes and stir-fry until cooked through and beginning to brown. Add your scallions and stir-fry 2 minutes more. Season with salt & white pepper.

On to the sauce. Add the sambal olek, chili sauce portion ginger, shallot & garlic, lime juice, and apple cider vinegar to the bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until a paste is formed. Add the chicken stock and whiz again to combine. Season with salt to taste.

When all your components are done, add the “rice” & chicken to a large bowl and toss to combine. Top with the cucumber and parsley and toss again. Add half of the sauce and taste. Add more if needed. To serve, place in bowls and drizzle with a little sesame oil to finish.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch with a little extra sauce.

Spaghetti Squash & Bacon Hash Browns with Eggs and Pepita Chile Sauce

December 9, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This is one of those meals that just tumbled together from different bits and bobs + my sometimes-mantra ‘put an egg on it’. I took a souped-up version of the paleo hash browns from one source, added some leftover spicy/nutty sauce, slapped on an egg (or two), and called it dinner. This meal hits the notes for protein, vegetables, freshness, gooeyness, and heat. It’s a winner.

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Spaghetti Squash & Bacon Hash Browns with Eggs and Pepita Chile Sauce

Adapted from Paleo Hash Browns by Health-Bent and Chile Pesto from Tasting Table

For the hash browns

1 spaghetti squash
1 yellow onion
2 Tbsp. rosemary
4 slices thick cut bacon
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste

For the pepita chile sauce

5 dried mixed chiles (I used 2 black chiles, and 1 long chile of indeterminate origin – the recipe called for guajillo)
3 dried ancho chiles
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. pepitas
2 limes
1/4 c. cilantro
Big pinch red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic
Big pinch salt
Big pinch pepper

Fat of choice for frying and eggs
2 eggs per person

Preheat the oven to 450. While your oven is heating, split the squash in half longwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and place cut sides down on a cookie sheet.

Dice the onion and chop the rosemary.

When the oven is hot, put your squash in and roast 20 mins. Flip the squash over and cook an additional 15 minutes. You will know the squash is done when you can run a fork across the flesh and it shreds into threads. Set aside to cool.

While the squash is working, dice and fry the bacon over medium heat, setting aside on paper towels to drain when browned. Drain all but a Tablespoon of fat and sautée the onions until softened and just beginning to turn golden. Add the rosemary and salt & pepper. Remove to a large bowl, and add the bacon.

Now make the sauce. Bring the water to a boil. While you’re waiting, de-stem and seed the chiles and place in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over top, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit 15 minutes.

While that is going, toast the pepitas a in a dry pan until just beginning to brown. Add to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Chop the garlic and cilantro and add to the pepitas. Add the olive oil, the juice of both limes, and the red pepper flakes. Whiz until a paste is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

When the chiles are done, pick out of the water and add to the paste. Whiz until combined. Add 1/2 c. of the chile liquid and whiz to combine. Add the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If your sauce is too thick, thin with a bit more chile water – you’re looking for a hearty sauce; more like a loose-ish paste than a spready sauce.

Back to the hash browns.

Your squash should now be cool enough to handle. When it is, shred with a fork into the bowl containing the onions & bacon. Mix everything together, salt and pepper if needed, and add the garlic and chili powder.

Form the spaghetti squash mixture into small patties (you should be able to get about 9) and fry over medium-high heat in a few Tablespoons fat of choice until beginning to brown on each side.

As that is working, fry eggs to your desired doneness in your favorite egg frying fat.

Serve hash brown patties topped with a smear of sauce and eggs, 3 per person + 2 eggs.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch, with plenty of leftover sauce.

Sweet, Spicy & Earthy Potato Lunch

December 1, 2012December 29, 2014Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

Yet again, I have no idea what to title this recipe. It’s a sweet/spicy/earthy/savory pile of sausage goodness heaped on top of a baked sweet potato, and it’s delicious. I made this one day for lunch with a leftover baked sweet potato that came with whatever lunch I ordered Monday from the healthy delivery place, some sausage I didn’t use with last night’s dinner (more on that later), and some of my emergency freezer greens. Dead simple, wholly satisfying, and damn nutritious.

A note on sausage: Buy the best you can. If your town has a butcher, get it there. Your belly will thank you. I grew up eating sausage from the grocery store – I didn’t even know butchers still existed and that they were places I could actually visit – and since I discovered that they a: do exist, and b: are more than happy to help you, I’ve never looked back. Fresh sausage made from good ingredients is a million times better than the mass-produced crap stuffed with fillers you find with a brand on it. Except Neese’s (and to a lesser extent Bass) – if you’re from the south, you know what I’m talking about. That stuff is delicious. When we lived in Miami, my favorite sausage (that I didn’t make myself) was the hot Italian from Laurenzo’s. Now that we’ve made the move to Brooklyn, we have fallen in love with Fleisher’s. Fleisher’s makes better sausage than either my hubbs or I do, and from top quality ingredients – a win-win no-brainer. Don’t think your town has a butcher? Hit Google. I’m willing to bet it does, especially if your town has European immigrants (even “generic” immigrants that have been here for generations). Got Italians? You’ve definitely got a butcher. Eastern bloc peeps? Yup, butcher. Germans? Poles? Old people? Rednecks? Hunters? Anybody that likes traditional style foods? Butcher. Hipsters? Definitely a butcher. Even Whole Foods makes sausage, and it isn’t half bad. Not as good as sausage from a business that has been making it for forever (or a new up-and-comer that thinks outside the box), but still better than something made in a huge factory with a label.

Sweet, Spicy & Earthy Potato Lunch

Paleo, gluten-free & loaded with nutrients

Half of a baked sweet potato
1 tsp. coconut oil
1/2 c. frozen broccoli raab
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 stem rosemary, diced
1 sausage, slipped free from it’s casing
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
Big pinch chili powder
Big pinch curry powder
Sprinkle chipotle powder
Salt & pepper to taste

In a medium skillet over medium heat, put your sausage on to cook, breaking it up as you go. Add the onions and sautée until everything is nice and brown. Set aside.

Set your broiler to high and place the sweet potato half a few inches from the heating element (5-6 inches) to reheat.

If your pan is dry, add the coconut oil. If you still have some sausage fat, use that instead. Add the broccoli raab and sautée until well thawed and beginning to brown, adding the garlic about halfway through. Salt & pepper to taste.

By now, your potato should be warm and just starting to turn golden at the edges. Pull it from the oven and sprinkle with the chili powder, curry, and chipotle powder. Top with the broccoli raab and sausage.

Serves 1 for lunch

Romanesco, Radicchio & Yellow Pepper Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette & Avocado

November 25, 2012October 11, 2013Life, Recipes1 Comment

This hearty warm salad makes a great weeknight meal. It’s light but filling and the warm roasted veg really hits the spot. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free & paleo-friendly.

Romanesco, Radicchio & Yellow Pepper Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette & Avocado

1 head romanesco
1/2 head radicchio
1 yellow pepper
5 scallions
1/4 c. blanched, slivered almonds
Big hand parsley
1 avocado
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Salt & pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette

1 Tbsp. white wine vinaigrette
2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tsp. honey
3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Turn your broiler onto high while you separate the romanesco into pretty little florets. Alternately, you can chop the romanesco. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and salt & pepper. Broil 10 minutes, flip and broil an additional 10 minutes until softened and browned.

While your romanesco is going, halve and slice the radicchio; chop the yellow pepper; and slice the scallions. Heat a large pan over medium heat with a Tablespoon of coconut oil and add the veggies, reserving the dark green scallion tops for another use. Sautee until the veggies are browned and softened. If you want a little char on your radicchio, kick the heat up a notch – charred radicchio is fabulous. Salt & pepper to taste.

While that is kicking, toast your almonds in a dry pan. Remove from the heat and chop.

Chop the parsley and scallion tops and set aside.

Make your vinaigrette. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together – salt & pepper to taste.

When the romanesco is done, add to the veggies in the pan. Turn off the heat. Chop the avocado and add to the mix, along with the almonds and parsley scallion mixture. Toss to combine and drizzle the vinaigrette over top. Toss again and taste for seasoning.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

_DS32847w — Vibrant color on a cold day? Yes, please.

Caramelized Vegetable & Tomato Ragu with Sausage & Egg

November 17, 2012December 29, 2014Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

I’m on a bit of a runny egg kick. Blame it on the weather (we got snow in NYC this last week thanks to my first Nor’easter since moving back up to the frozen North), but I want runny yolks and the silky body they bring to otherwise humble ingredients. The main portion of this dish was initially supposed to be a more runny tomato ragu, but since I inexplicably fail at making any form of marinara, it turned out more substantial – almost like a stew, but not quite as wet. This is a main that needs no starch for backbone – it gets along just fine without. Gluten-free & paleo-friendly.

Caramelized Vegetable & Tomato Ragu with Sausage & Egg

1 head fennel, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Coconut oil
White wine
4 links Italian sausage
1 red pepper, sliced
1 head collards, big vein removed and ribboned
28 oz. can San Marizano peeled tomatoes
1 palmful red pepper flakes
2 eggs per person

Add all your chopped veggies to a enamel dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat with a bit of coconut oil in the bottom. Sautee, stirring often to avoid burning and deglazing the pan with white wine if things are getting too sticky, until the whole mess is nicely browned and cooked way down. The finer you chop the veg, the quicker the cooking will go – I like roughly 1/2 inch pieces or a little under. I’m not 100% sure how long my veggies took to cook, but it was awhile. Maybe half an hour? 45 minutes? You’re looking for a color here, not a time. Everything should look deeply caramelized, and kind of melted together. Not burnt, but nice and brown and cozy.

While all that is happening, get your additions going. Slip your sausage links out of their casings and sautee in a large pan, breaking it up as you go. Remove to a towel to drain. Add the pepper and collards to the sausage fat and sautee until softened, about 10 mins. Taste everything for salt at this point and add if needed.

When your veggies are cooked down to your liking, add the sausage, collards, and pepper to the pot. Open your can of tomatoes and crush each one into the pot. Alternately, you can crush these separately with a potato masher, but where’s the fun int that? Add the liquid from the can along with the red pepper flakes, pop the lid on, lower the heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

To serve, spoon into a bowl and top with two fried eggs.

Serves 2 for dinner + 2 lunches

Good for what ails you Cabbage, Kale & Apple Hot Toss

November 12, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This is one of those super comforting good for what ails you meals for chilly nights when all you want to do is curl up with some runny egg yolks and huddle under the blankets. It won’t be winning any beauty pageants, but it is warm, filling, comforting, gluten-free & paleo-friendly.

Good For What Ails You Cabbage, Kale & Apple Hot Toss

1 head Savoy cabbage, cored and sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
1 bunch Lactino kale, washed and sliced into ribbons
1 Tbsp. carraway seeds
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. white pepper
Salt to taste
2 eggs per person
Bacon
Coconut oil

In your largest skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. coconut oil. Once the oil is melted and the pan is hot, add your cabbage, onion and kale. I happen to like my apples on the disintegratey side, so I added them at this point as well. If you like firmer apples, wait until 5 minutes or so before the end of cooking.

Sautee 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, until browned and softened. I hit the mixture twice during cooking with the spices and some salt; you might want to add all of it in the beginning. Either method works, just taste as you go.

In a separate pan, crisp your bacon. Set aside and add the eggs to the hot fat. Fry till your heart’s content.

Serves 2 for dinner or 1 for dinner with 2 lunch portions left over.

Creamy Squash Ribbon Red Pepper Pasta (Paleo)

November 3, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

This paleo-friendly, gluten-free & vegan pasta is a diabolical way to sneak zucchini and other soft squashes past the squash texture-averse. By cutting the squash in ribbons, the squishy texture disappears and they become more palatable (even for Southerners who grew up hating the gloppiness and squeek of squash casserole). The ribbons also look like pasta; more important than looks alone, your belly is also tricked into thinking it has just consumed a mound of pasta. Yum all around. The creamy sauce helps with this as well and doesn’t taste like coconut – with the nut butter, peppers and other spices, it ends up tasting savory and rich.

I loved this pasta; my squash-averse DH ate it warily, but didn’t have any real complaint about it other than he knew it was squash. I’m sure the presence of a big ol’ slab of London broil on the side did wonders for the pasta’s begrudging acceptance.

Creamy Squash Ribbon Red Pepper Pasta

Adapted from Paleo Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Steak and Pasta from PaleOMG

2 zucchini
2 yellow summer squash
1 roasted red pepper
1 bunch spinach
1/4 c. almond butter (to be paleo, use almond butter – I happened to only have peanut on hand, so I used peanut. The original recipe called for a full half cup almond and would be thicker with the full amount. I halved because I was using the wrong nut butter)
1/2 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. golden mustard (or your favorite mustard – I use Golden’s spicy)
1 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
Salt & pepper to taste

First, prep your noodles. I used a wide speed peeler to make long, wide noodles. If you can use a mandoline without slicing off a digit, the julienne setting makes nice matchstick noodles. I prefer less blood in my dinner, so I went the slow route. It didn’t take that long. If you’re not into wide noodles, stack those babies up and slice lengthwise.

Make your creamy sauce. Add the coconut milk, almond butter, spices, garlic, aminos, red pepper and mustard to the bowl of a food processor. Whiz until thoroughly combined. Taste. Add salt and pepper (and any additional amounts of spice) until you’re satisfied.

In your largest skillet over medium – medium-high heat, add the squash noodles. A dry pan is fine here; you’re going to be adding the sauce momentarily. Toss the noodles a time or two so each is kissed by heat. Add the spinach and sauce and toss (carefully with tongs or you’ll break all your noodles up and throw the spinach around the room) frequently until it all looks cooked. You’re not cooking the noodles to death and you’re not serving them raw – think al dente with wilted spinach. This process should take 5-8 minutes, depending upon how hot and crowded your pan is.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Restrictive But Delicious – ‘Paleo’ Tortillas

October 27, 2012October 11, 2013Life, Recipes1 Comment

I struggled in naming this recipe. This is a straight-up paleo recipe – restrictive, delicious – but so much more. I’m trying to steer clear of the ‘paleo’ label, but I find much of what I’ve been making lately falling firmly in that category. The hubbs and I are trying something different this fall – gone are the whole grain and lentil-heavy dishes of previous seasons; in are the veg and meat-laden dishes prescribed by the followers of paleo-style diets. We’ve decided to limit our intake of dairy to good-quality butter, to forego glutinous starches, to limit our intake of non-gluten substantive substances like lentils, beans and legumes (except for the occasional quinoa and near-weekly sushi nights). We shall see how this goes long-term, but so far we’re kind of liking it. Finding the right fat-to-everythingelse ratio has been challenging (for the hubbs at least, who was making some kind of crazy-ass bulletproof coffee drink with butter and coconut oil and who seems to need more than a salad & exercise goo as fuel for a long run). I seem to be faring better in the switch – other than not being able to cuddle with chickpeas and lentils lashed with greek yogurt, not a huge change (except for upping my meat intake, which isn’t the easiest thing when meal planning – I love me some vegetarian dishes).

For those of you that enjoy my mostly vegetarian dishes, never fear – I’m not abandoning those at all. I will most likely be posting more side dishes that can easily be bumped up to become vegetarian mains. Like this one. These ‘tortillas’ are really, really good. Tortillas isn’t quite the right term, here – they’re more like a crepe – but whatever the taxonomy, they work just fine as a taco wrapper. They taste a little coconutty, a little spicy, and a lot good. I could easily see this basic blueprint morphing into a sandwich wrapper or a pancake with very little trouble. Come to think of it, these would kick ass in place of a crepe in one of those huge cone-shaped sandwiches. Some grilled veggies, something in place of the hummus I’d naturally gravitate toward, a little balsamic, a little garlic… that sounds like sandwich heaven. Ham and cheese also comes to mind, for the non lactose-averse.

Enough with the daydreaming; I’m making myself hungry. I was first introduced to these tasty babies through PaleOMG’s recipe for Pork Avocado Cream Enchiladas. I’m a sucker for avocado crema. Love, love, love it. I could eat it on anything – and have, actually (as a pasta sauce, burger topper, by the spoonful, in ice cream, etc.). I’m also a huge lover of all things tacos, so this was a no-brainer. The entire dish was fabulous – so fabulous, I made the tortillas again for lunch the next day with the tweaks I’d envisioned the night before and polished off every last bit of the leftovers taco-style in a single sitting. Yum. So without further ado: tortilla-y crepes.

Restrictive But Delicious Paleo Tortillas

6 egg whites
3 Tbsp. coconut flour
6-8 Tbsp. coconut milk
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Big pinch salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried, ground chipotle
1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. If your batter is too stiff, add a little more coconut milk or some water until it thins out to the consistency you want – somewhere between what you woud use for a thick pancake and a crepe – not too watery, and you’ll have a huge mess; not too pasty, or you’ll have a hard time spreading into a thin layer and you will end up with a pancake.

In your largest skillet, heat 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add a ladelfull of your batter and circle with your spoon to spread into a thin layer (newspaper thin is ideal).

When you can see the edges are browning and just beginning to turn up on the sides (everything will be smelling really nutty at this point), very carefully reach your thinnest most flexible spatula under and flip. Be gentle; these babies want to tear if they’re not quite ready to go. Brown on side 2; transfer to a plate to await filling. This week was all about shredded pork; next week I’m playing with an eggless version for ground beef tacos.

Serves 2-3, depending upon how hungry you are and how carried away you get with the batter on the first few. I ended up making 3 large tortillas and 1 baby tortilla because I’ve only made pancakes like twice in my life and had zero idea of portion size. If you’re a pancake maker, think silver dollar pancake size servings and you will be fine.

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