Q: What does one do with kefir when you’re tired of drinking it?
A: Kefir makes a great salad dressing for delicate early season greens and salmon.
Gluten-free, paleo if you use non-dairy kefir
Probiotic Salmon Salad
3 Tbsp. kefir
Juice of half a lemon
Big pinch sea salt
Few cracks black pepper
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. avocado oil mayo
1 clove garlic, grated
3 Tbsp. chives, chopped
4 c. salad greens
2 Salmon filets
2 Tbsp. fat of choice
4 Tbsp. hemp seeds, divided in half
Thaw your fish if frozen and pat dry. Salt and pepper each side.
Set a large pan over medium-high heat. Add your fat of choice. When the fat comes up to temperature, add the salmon skin-side down. Cook 3 – 4 minutes without touching. Gently flip and cook an additional 3 – 4 minutes or until your desired doneness has been reached.
While the salmon is working, add the greens to a large bowl.
Whisk together the kefir, lemon juice, honey, mayo, garlic, chives, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Combine the greens with the dressing. Split between two bowls.
When the salmon is finished, place on top of the salad. Sprinkle half the hemp seeds per dish and enjoy.
I had forgotten how quick, inexpensive and versatile a simple can of tuna was until I found myself without a good lunch protein and with zero desire to leave the house. Cue pantry staples FTW.
Gluten-free, Paleo
Simple Tuna & Grape Lunch
1 4-oz can Tuna
1 stalk celery
1/2 cup grapes, sliced
1/5 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup avocado oil mayo
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tbsp fermented hot sauce
Big pinch Kosher salt
Few cracks black pepper
Plantain chips or something else for scooping
This was a surprisingly satisfying dinner. I had no idea what to expect from the jicama risotto, but it was good – the jicama had a really mild taste (mostly tasted like the broth I used), and served as a nice “starchy” base for my veggies, fat and decadent seafood.
1 jicama
2 – 4 ounces bacon
1/2 c. bone broth
1 bunch broccolini
1 shallot
Scallops (6 – 10 per person)
Kosher salt
White pepper
Black pepper
First, prep your jicama. Peel [I used a knife because my peeler wasn’t cutting it (ha)], and cut into large pieces. Feed through the shredder disk of your food processor. If you want smaller “rice” bits, pulse a couple times with the cutting blade.
In a large pan (I used my wok), heat the broth over medium-high. Add the jicama and cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or so – until the broth evaporates. Hit with salt & white pepper a couple times during cooking to season.
While the “risotto” is working, brown the bacon and set aside. While the bacon is working, chop the broccolini and thinly slice the shallot. When the bacon is done and you have removed it from the pan, halve the fat leftover, kick the heat to medium-high, add the broccolini, and sauté 5 – 6 minutes, or until the broccolini starts to look a bit softened. Add the shallot, hit with salt & pepper, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the broccolini is softened and the shallots start to brown (about 10 minutes).
When the broccolini is finished, remove and add the rest of the fat to the pan. Salt & pepper the scallops and cook over medium-high until just firm, flipping once during cooking to get a nice sear on both sides. Scallops take 3 – 5 minutes to cook through.
To serve, top the risotto with the broccolini and scallops and top with crumbled bacon.
This is a great quick dinner to dress up a Monday that needs a little oomph. The spaghetti squash can be made ahead, and the rest comes together in 10 minutes or so.
Gluten-free, paleo
This picture is terrible. I blame hunger.
Paleo Shrimp Scampi
1 spaghetti squash
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and cleaned
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 c. stock or white wine
1/4 c. chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. grass fed butter
Salt, black pepper & red pepper flakes
Sheep pecorino (optional)
Halve your spaghetti squash lengthwise and place face-down in a shallow dish or two bowls. Add a Tablespoon of water to the dish and prick the backs of the squash with a fork a few times. Cover tightly with saran wrap and microwave on High 20 minutes (or until soft). Remove and unwrap to cool.
While your squash is cooling, clean and peel the shrimp if you haven’t already; chop the garlic and chop the parsley.
Add the butter to a large pan over medium heat and melt. Add the shrimp, a couple big pinches kosher salt, a pinch red pepper flakes and a few grinds black pepper and sautee until just starting to turn pink. Add the lemon juice and stock/wine and keep cooking until the shrimp is pink through and the liquid has reduced a bit. Hit with salt, pepper and red pepper again if needed.
When the squash is cool enough to handle, shred with the tines of a fork to form noodles and dump into the pan with the shrimp. Toss to combine. Taste and add more salt/red pepper/black pepper if needed. Add the parsley and toss again.
Serve sprinkled with cheese if you are eating cheese.
I happen to love Jamie Oliver’s recipes – and am a big fan of his efforts to bring attention to what children are eating in school. He has one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes (a lovely confection involving homemade noodles, mascarpone & caramelized peppers) that my mind still wanders to when it conjures up a noodle craving. Some day, I’ll tackle a paleo-fied version! I also love how he thinks about ingredients and writes recipes – his site is one of my go-to sources when I’m feeling underwhelmed by the forces of inspiration.
This recipe is based on one of his – it’s paleo-fied and uses more budget-friendly canned tuna (sacrilege!) in place of fresh, though I imagine this dish would be even better with the fresh.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with chiles
Kosher salt & black pepper
Possibly some vinegar
Water
Meatballs
1 can water-packed tuna, drained
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ounce salted almonds
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. fresh herbs – I used basil, though parsley was what I really wanted (and didn’t have)
1 egg
1 tsp. black pepper
Zoodles
1 large zucchini
Dice the onion and garlic and add to a medium pan over medium/medium-high heat, along with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Sautee the veggies until beginning to brown at the edges, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the oregano, tomatoes, salt, pepper and half a can of water and bring to a boil. Hard simmer/low boil 15 minutes, or until the water reduces out. Taste for salt/acid and add vinegar if needed.
While the sauce is working, knock out the meatballs. First, chop your almonds fine – or blitz them in a food processor – or bash them in a mortar – or in a baggie – just get them into tiny pieces. Chiffonade the basil. Combine all meatball ingredients in a small-ish bowl and work with your fingers until combined.
In a large pan over medium heat, bring 2 Tbsp. olive oil up to almost-shimmering. Add the meatballs as you form them into ping pong sized balls. You should get 6-7 meatballs of this size. If you want to serve more than 1 hungry person, consider doubling the meatball recipe.
Fry the meatballs until browned, jiggling the pan around every few minutes to hit all sides.
Make zoodles in the fashion you prefer while the meatballs are cooking. I used my bff the spiralizer and they came together in about a minute. If you like cooked zoodles, throw into the pan during the last minute or two of cooking – I happen to like them raw, so added mine directly to the bowl.
Serve the zoodles topped with the meatballs and sauce – makes enough to serve 2 (zoodles and tomato sauce) – I ate all the meatballs myself and was happy with dinner. I imagine you could stretch the meatballs to feed two. This dish would be killer with the macadamia nut ricotta I made recently, too.
Burger, meet your new BFF: crab salad. I’ve been seeing variations on a “sushi” burger for awhile now on the Internets and had passed it off as a too-decadent (expensive) dinner for a weeknight. Well, no more. The Asian flavors and crabby sweetness of this salad were a nice addition to what would otherwise just be yet another basic burger/dinner staple ’round these parts. I see this simple salad in my (distant) future for many hot summer nights – kicked up with some cool celery and spooned over some sort of crunch – a plantain chip, shattery tortilla or nut cracker would be delightful here.
This recipe serves 2 for dinner or 1 for dinner + 1 for lunch. For a side, some broccoli slaw would be fantastic here; but I wasn’t starving to death, so I served on its own.
Crab Salad “Sushi” Burger
Make The Aioli
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2/3 c. neutral oil (like grapeseed or avocado)
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (Red Boat ftw)
1 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. sriracha (if you’re feeling froggy, the Whole30 sriracha from Nom Nom Paleo is fantastic)
1 tsp. mustard (I use Gulden’s)
1 tsp. kosher salt
Combine everything but the mayo in a bowl or jar – I use the container that came with my immersion blender. Whiz with the immersion blender, adding oil in a steady stream until everything comes together and thickens up.
Assemble The Salad
Add to a small bowl:
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 6 ounce can lump crab meat, drained and picked through for shells
1 tsp. minced or grated ginger
zest of half a lime
2 tsp. sriracha
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Pinch kosher salt
3-4 Tbsp. aioli
Mix until combined, adding aioli until your desired cohesiveness is reached. Stash in the fridge for half an hour or so to give the flavors a chance to meet and mingle.
Make Your Burgers
You’ll need:
1 lb. grass fed ground beef
Salt & pepper
1/4 to 1/2 avocado per person
Form ground beef into 2-4 burger patties. Salt & pepper both sides.
Cook 3-4 minutes per side in a large pan over medium-high heat.
While the burgers are working, slice avocado and set aside.
When the burgers are finished, top with generous spoonfuls crab salad + sliced avocado + more aioli and go to town.
Serves 2 for dinner if you want big burgers; 4 if you want quarter pounders.
This light and refreshing lunch incorporates some of the gorgeous Coriander-Carrot Vinaigrette from Gluten Free Girl and the Chef I made last week to accompany Quinoa with Southern Greens & Eggs, blending those sweet and bright flavors with the crisp bite of fennel and apple and the soft pliancy of toasted chickpeas.
A satisfying lunch that won’t leave you feeling bogged down and bloated.
Gluten-free. Easily modified to become vegetarian or vegan by omitting the tuna.
Chickpea, Fennel, Apple & Tuna Salad with Coriander-Carrot Vinaigrette
The recipe for Coriander-Carrot Vinaigrette can be found here.
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 pouch water-packed tuna
3 Tbsp. beet horseradish
1/4 Granny Smith apple, diced
1/4 bulb fennel, shaved
2 tsp. sriracha
2 tsp. lime juice
1 tomato, chopped
3 Tbsp. carrot-coriander vinaigrette
Citrus salt to taste
Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Add to a dry pan over medium heat and toast until beginning to brown. Add to a large bowl when done.
While the chickpeas are working, chop the tomato, shave the fennel, and dice the apple. Add to the bowl when done.
Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to coat. Taste for seasoning and add lime juice and/or citrus salt as needed.
This dish was intended to be a showstopper. Picture it: Miami, 2011. A group of 40 seasoned foodies gathered on a sweltering late July Saturday in a Midtown penthouse with sweeping views for a potluck promising gastronomic delights. A XX-something year-old me with my Darling Dedicated Husband sous, bustling around to make sure our dish turns out right.
I’m happy to say that my two weeks of freaking out trying to make sure our dish not only fit the ‘avant garde’ theme of the potluck, but was damn tasty, paid off. The dish was a smash success and avant garde enough to wow. Go, me. I even managed to make 40 servings that were just the right size — a little cup full — so no one was completely stuffed after eating it. More on the potluck.
This recipe is not a quick cook by a long shot and the broth makes a big batch. Freeze the leftovers in quart freezer bags to pull out and thaw as necessary. Although it takes a long time to cook, this broth is totally worth it. Definitely the best broth I have ever made by far.
So nice, I just had to take another shot of that scallop
Ramen with Kickass Broth, Fresh Bacon and Mousseline “Scallop”
Don’t be afraid of the long ingredient list. This dish, while not quick, is well worth the extra effort. Makes a great showstopper for company, and the extras can be dressed up in a million different ways.
1.5 lbs. scallops
1.5 lbs. crab (I used 8 ounces claw meat and 16 ounces lump meat)
3 large egg whites
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
5 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. white pepper
Juice of half a lemon
2 oz. Wakame seaweed
1 1/4 gallons water (16 cups)
1 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, ground into as fine a powder as you can get them
5 pounds chicken wings and necks
1/2 pound chicken wings
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup usukuchi (light) soy
1/3 pound double-smoked bacon
Ramen noodles
Enough house bacon to make a nice garnish, sliced into small batons and fried
Finely diced chives (optional, for garnish)
Finely diced red jalapeños (optional, for garnish)
1.5 lbs. scallops
1.5 lbs. crab (I used 8 ounces claw meat and 16 ounces lump meat)
3 large egg whites
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
5 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. white pepper
Juice of half a lemon
About half an hour before you want to start making your mousseline, put the bowl of a large food processor, the blades, and another large bowl in the freezer.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
In the food processor (out of the freezer), puree the scallops and egg whites until smooth. With the motor running, add the cream, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Blend to combine.
Dump the crab into your chilled bowl, picking through the meat to ensure there are no shells.
Fold your mixture into the crab and set in the fridge to chill while you prepare the terrine.
To make a quick & dirty terrine, take two small disposable aluminum meatloaf pans and line them with enough plastic wrap to completely cover the bottom and sides and fold over the top. Wetting the
pans slightly before placing the plastic wrap will help the plastic wrap stick in the corners.
Gently fill your terrines – this recipe makes enough to just about fill two of the meatloaf pans, or one large bread pan. Fold the ends of the plastic wrap up on the top and cover with tinfoil.
Place in a large roasting pan, and add hot water halfway up the sides of the terrines to make a water bath.
Bake until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 140 degrees F.
While your mousseline is baking, prepare the terrine “lids”. Cut cardboard (I used the container from a 12 pack of pop) so it fits as snugly as you can get it in the meatloaf pans. Make sure the edges of the “lid” aren’t getting hung up on the inner lip of the terrine. Cover with tinfoil and set aside.
When your mousseline has reached 140 degrees, pull from the oven and remove from the water bath. Cool and add your terrine “lids”. Weight both (I used 2 15-ounce cans of beans for each terrine) and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
To make the “scallops”, unmold each terrine and cut into 8 equal pieces widthwise. Use either a very small round cookie cutter or a film canister with the end snipped off (I’ll give you one guess as to which method I used) to carefully punch out your scallops. This quantity makes 40-something small scallops, with enough scraps leftover to completely fill a quart freezer bag.
Kickass Broth Adapted from David Chang’s Ramen Broth 2.0 from Lucky Peach Volume 1
2 oz. Wakame seaweed
1 1/4 gallons water (16 cups)
1 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms, ground into as fine a powder as you can get them
5 pounds chicken wings and necks
Kickass Broth Seasoning Adapted from David Chang’s Tare 2.0 from Lucky Peach Volume 1
1/2 pound chicken wings
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup usukuchi (light) soy
1/3 pound double-smoked bacon Make The Broth
Heat the water in your largest stock pot to 150 degrees F. Add the seaweed, turn off the heat, and let steep 1 hour.
Fish out the seaweed and discard. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes and scrape off any chicken scum that has risen to the top. Add the mushrooms and kick the heat down until the pot is very gently simmering. You’re looking for an occasional lazy bubble to rise to the top. Simmer gently for 5 hours, checking every once in awhile to make sure you’re neither too cold or too hot.
Strain and chill. For a more refined stock, strain, chill and remove the fat that solidifies on the top.
Make The Seasoning
Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Place the chicken wings in an oven-safe pot or steep-sided pan that is large enough to hold them without overlapping. Roast 5 minutes just to get the fat to start rendering out.
Crank the heat to 400 degrees. Cook, flipping occasionally, until the chicken is deeply mahogany–you’re not going for burnt, but the more color on the chicken = the better the resulting taste. This process took me around 40 minutes.
Remove the chicken and deglaze with the sake, scraping the browned bits of lovely goodness off the bottom of the pan. Set the pan over medium-high heat, and add the remaining ingredients (including the chicken).
After your mixture comes to a simmer, kick the heat back until you have the barest of simmers going. You’re not looking to reduce the liquid, just infuse it. Keep at a bare simmer for an hour and a half.
Strain and chill. Skim the fat that rises to the top.
If you’re feeling really froggy, you can save that fat to use as a topper for your ramen. Conversely, if you’re feeling really rushed for time, you can skip the skimming step and all will be well.
Finish The Broth
Season the broth with seasoning sauce until it tastes perfect to you. You may need additional salt or some heat, you may not. We added all of the seasoning sauce to the whole batch of broth and the taste came out perfect. And there you have it, a whole big pot of fabulous, rich, flavorful broth.
Cook The Noodles
Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse in cold water to stop them from clumping and divide into your serving bowls.
Assemble The Dish
Add broth to your noodles until only a small island of noodle is left peeking out. Top the small island with a mousseline scallop, garnish with fresh bacon, chopped chives and jalapeños.
Gastography 