Archive for the ‘PRIMAL-PALEO’ Category
- In: MAIN DISHES | Pork | PRIMAL-PALEO | SIDE DISHES | Vegetables
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This is essentially a creamed spinach dish, but with a very special cream indeed. I decided to not stir it altogether as that does not photograph so prettily. The flavor of this creamy spinach dish will blow you away. It’s sinfully rich and ever so good! So good, in fact, I lick every bit of the sauce off the spoon and food processor bowl. Seriously good eats.
Of course, you can always stir the sauce right into the spinach. It certainly ends up mixed on my plate while eating it. 🙂 To be quite honest, ANY meat, seared chicken breast strips, beef or pork meatballs or smoked sausage would be good alongside (or on top as shown) this extremely nutritious dish.
This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly, as well as being suitable for Keto diets, Primal and Paleo followers as well.
VARIATION: This makes a great side dish without meat. In fact, that is the first way I ate it when I created this creamy sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
5 oz. lean pork bulk sausage (I use homemade sausage but any low-carb sausage will do)
6 T. my Shawarma Homemade Mayonnaise
1 avocado
16 oz. bag of frozen, chopped spinach
Water to cover spinach
DIRECTIONS: Place spinach in large saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil and cook per package directions, about 5 minutes. When done, drain spinach in strainer pressing out excess water as best you can. Set aside while you make the rest of the dish.
While spinach is boiling, roll sausage into 6 small meatballs and brown in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, turning and rolling them frequently to brown all sides. Cook until fully done (about 10-15 minutes, turn off heat remove and drain meatballs on paper towels.
In a bowl of a food processor (or blender), process the avocado with the 6 T. homemade mayo until fairly smooth. You can also just mash it well with a fork, as it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth. Add a few drops of lemon juice (to prevent darkening) and pulse.
Spoon the spinach into your serving dish, Add the thick, creamy mayonado sauce to the top as shown (or stir into the spinach if you prefer) and top with your cooked meatballs. ENJOY!
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains:
468 cals, 48g fat, 12.03g carbs, 8.66g fiber, 3.37g NET CARBS, 15.2g protein, 453 mg sodium
Indonesian Beef Soto
Posted on: March 12, 2020
- In: Beef | PRIMAL-PALEO | Soups & Stews
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Our best friends of some of 30+ years are wonderful cooks and often introduce us to interesting Indonesian foods and spices. Though he is as American as apple pie, she is American-born Indonesian and often cooks Indonesian foods. This dish came about from my exposure eating dinner with them and my reading of a number of Beef Soto recipes in cookbooks. I combined a mixture of spices traditional to the dish, and then added some veggies I thought would also be good in it. The result of this experiment was delightful, and quite simple since the grass-fed beef brisket I used in this was already cooked. This dish would also be good made with cooked lamb or venison. What a hearty, rib-sticking meal this was! You can prepare this from scratch with raw beef, but it will naturally take much longer than my version made with leftover meat, as the meat will have to be first browned in oil and then simmered in the broth/water for at least an hour to get tender before adding veggies to the pot. This dish could also be served as a dinner entree if you made it with less broth, thickened it with your favorite thickener or mashed veggie puree and served it over basmati rice (for the non-lowcarbers, of course). This dish is suitable for Atkins Induction and passes Paleo-Primal muster as well. 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
2 T. palm oil (or coconut oil)
3 oz. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped fine
10 oz. lean, cooked beef (or lamb), cubed large
8 oz. summer squash, cut up large (calaba, zucchini, or yellow)
12 cherry tomatoes
1 tsp. dried red guajillo chiles (these are mild), seeded and chopped coarsely
Guajillo Chiles
½ tsp. ground cinnamon (or 1″ stick if you prefer)
1 tsp. Thai red curry paste
Dash of chipotle chile powder (or ½ canned chipotle chile, seeded and mashed)
1 thin slice ginger, minced
½ tsp. each galangal powder (optional)
½ tsp. turmeric
around 2 c. beef stock (or water) (enough to cover meat)
DIRECTIONS: In a large soup pot, heat the palm oil. Brown the onion until it begins to caramelize. Add shallot and continue to saute until shallot begins to “toast” a bit. Add garlic and cubed meat and saute a few minutes longer. Lower heat, add liquid and the cinnamon, guajillo chiles, ginger, turmeric and galangal powder, along with the Thai curry paste. Simmer for 15 minutes if meat was already cooked, simmer for 30 minutes or longer if meat was raw when you started. This will allow the spices to mingle with meat and the meat to get tender. Add cubed squash and continue to simmer until squash is done. Add tomatoes and cook just until tomatoes have softened up a bit, but have not fallen apart. Thickening is optional, but you can if so desired. I had a dab of leftover sweet potato puree in the freezer and added 3-4 tablespoons of that for thickening my soup a bit.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 large servings, each contains:
309 calories
19.8 g fat
9.23 g carbs, 2.23 g fiber, 7 g NET CARBS
24.2 g protein
627 mg potassium
193 mg sodium
Kashmiri Mushrooms (Hedar)
Posted on: March 10, 2020
- In: PRIMAL-PALEO | SIDE DISHES | Vegetables
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We love Indian food and they often have a mushroom curry on the buffet table at our favorite Indian restaurants. This is a recipe I’ve been cooking for some time now. It was inspired by a recipe I saw in Neerja Matoo’s cookbook Kashmiri Cooking. I’ve made quite a few changes and below is how I prepare this dish. This is great with charcoal-grilled beef, lamb, chicken or your favorite curry recipe. This recipe is Atkins Induction friendly and suitable for Keto diets as well. Use coconut milk for an acceptable Primal-Paleo version.
INGREDIENTS:
2 c. mushrooms, wiped and cut into halves (leave whole if small)
2 T. butter, unsalted
2 oz. yellow onion, cut in thin slivers
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Pinch black pepper
Pinch turmeric
½ tsp. my Garam Masala spice blend
Pinch Sharwood’s red-label Tandoori Spice (or regular mild curry powder if unavailable)
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
¼ c. heavy cream
¼ c. chicken or beef broth/bouillon (preferably homemade)
DIRECTIONS: Wipe mushrooms clean of any dirt with a soft, clean dish cloth or paper toweling. If you wash mushrooms, they do not saute as nicely. If washed and then stored in the fridge, they will get slimy and rot faster. Remember: dry mushrooms are delicious mushrooms. 🙂
Halve the mushroom if extremely large, otherwise leave whole. Set the cleaned mushrooms aside. Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion, garlic and spices and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute, stirring until mushrooms are done (about 3-4 more minutes). Lower heat, add bouillon and cream. Simmer on lowest heat possible to slightly thicken. Use your favorite plan suitable thickener if still not thick enough for your preference.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Serves 4, each serving contains: (this only serves 2 for hubby and I, we love it so!) 119 calories 11.5 g fat 3.45 g carbs, 0.7 g fiber, 2.75 g NET CARBS 1.88 Protein 33.6 mg. sodium
Montreal Baked Chicken
Posted on: March 1, 2020
This Atkins Induction friendly recipe is super easy…..super good! It has been one of the most popular posts on my blog. Since I’m making it for dinner tonight, I thought I post it again for those who may have somehow missed this flavor delight. The secret to the crisp skin is to bake at high heat to start, then lower. This recipe is Induction friendly and I’m proud to say it also appears in Jennifer Eloff’s Low Carbing Among Friends, Volume 2. Order any of these cookbooks (set pricing available) from Amazon or our direct order site: http://amongfriends.us/order.php
VARIATION: A pinch of garlic powder and 1-2 T. Parmesan added to this is very good!
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken cut up (I pull out the back, neck and fat to make chicken stock)
1 recipe my Montreal BBQ Sauce
DIRECTIONS: Cut up the chicken (I cut breasts in half, remove back, making 10 pieces) and place pieces in a zipper plastic gallon bag. Mix up the marinade and add to bag. Manipulate well with your hands and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. When ready to cook Preheat oven to 475º. Place pieces of chicken on metal baking pan large enough the pieces don’t overlap, for best browning. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and baste with juices in the pan. Lower heat to 350º and continue baking for 20-30 minutes longer. Time will vary due to size of chicken pieces and of course, ovens will vary.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 10 meaty pieces or 5 servings. It would be impossible for me to calculate the exact figures for a serving because that depends upon the pieces of chicken eaten. But to give you a rough idea, each 2-piece serving will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 393 calories, 28 g fat, .26 g carbs, .1 g fiber, .16 g net carbs, 33.12 g protein, 642 mg sodium. Basically, take the nutritional info for the particular piece of chicken and add in the nutritional info for 1T. of the sauce (.16 net carbs) shown on that recipe.
- In: PRIMAL-PALEO | SIDE DISHES | Vegetables
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If you’re tired of the same old steamed broccoli, the usual cheese sauce and the not so unusual broccoli casseroles, give this recipe a whirl. It’s easy and ready in minutes. The sweetness of the caramelized onions in this sauce really smooths out the oft-perceived bitter taste of broccoli in an amazing way! This dish is Atkins Induction-friendly and suitable for other Keto diets as well. Primal-Paleo followers will want to sub in coconut milk for the cream and of course ghee for the butter.
INGREDIENTS:
9 oz. broccoli, cut up into large pieces or small spears
2 T. butter, unsalted
2 oz. yellow onion, sliced thin
½ clove garlic, minced
½ c. heavy cream
½ c. water
Dash pepper
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS: Cook broccoli stems until completely done and drain well a few minutes. Lay broccoli stems decoratively on your serving dish. In non-stick skillet over med-high heat, saute onion and garlic in butter until the onion begins to brown and caramelize. Lower heat and add cream and Parmesan. Add pepper and taste. Add pinch of salt if needed. Simmer a few minutes and it will slightly thicken. Add water. Simmer a few more minutes. Should be the right thickness when done. If the water made it too thin, add a bit of your favorite thickener. Dip or pour over broccoli and serve.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings each containing:
164 calories, 13.1 g fat, 9.4 g carbs, 2.57 g fiber, 6.83 g NET CARBS, 4.5 g protein, 73 mg sodium
Classic Shrimp Scampi
Posted on: February 19, 2020
My father introduced us to this dish when we lived in Hampton, Virginia. Of course, we had all the fresh seafood there in the world anytime we wanted it. What is amazing about Shrimp Scampi is how easy it is to make. Traditionally served over white rice, as a low-carber, I decided to spoon mine over a batch of my Foolproof Mashed Cauliflower. It was quite good actually. I like to add a bit of my Seafood Spice Blend to most of my seafood dishes, but it is not seen in most shrimp scampi recipes. Occasionally I like to add a splash of a couple tablespoons of white wine to this dish, but do not always do that, so I don’t show it in the ingredients below. Your call there. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and other Keto diets, as well as for Primal and Paleo followers. Those still on Atkins Induction should not add the white wine here.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 T. butter, unsalted
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c. parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper
¼-½ tsp. my Seafood Spice Blend
1 oz. (optional) dry white wine, (Pinot Grigio, Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc are good)
DIRECTIONS: Preheat broiler. In a large skillet melt the butter over high heat. Add garlic and let saute a couple minutes. Add shrimp and saute until the begin to get opaque and golden on the edges. Add black pepper and spice blend. Saute couple more minutes. Finally add parsley and stir to blend. Remove and pop into broiler long enough for the shrimp to begin to brown just a bit. Remove from oven and serve immediately over bed of mashed cauliflower (or rice for non low-carbers at the table)
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 3 servings, each contains: (does not include mashed cauliflower, 1 cup of it would add around 2.8 net carbs to each serving)
306 cals, 18.1g fat, 3.73g carbs, 0.43g fiber, 3.3g NET CARBS, 31.4g protein, 233 mg sodium
Chicken in Sofrito Cream
Posted on: February 15, 2020
This was absolutely delicious and so incredibly quick to make! I keep the Sofrito Sauce made up in my freezer in a plastic zip bag and just break off what I need for a recipe. Once my chicken was seared, this took all of about 8-10 minutes to simmer to delectable deliciousness. This recipe is suitable for all phases of Atkins and Keto diets. Primal followers can enjoy if you do dairy but Paleo folks will want to use coconut milk instead of cream.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large chicken breast, skin on (1o oz. of deboned meat)
1½ T. butter
1 c. homemade chicken stock
½ c. heavy cream (use 2 T. less if still on Induction)
Sprinkle xanthan gum
2 T. Sofrito sauce
DIRECTIONS: Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Slice meat at an angle laterally into 4 smaller filets. I pounded mine, but that isn’t necessary. Just a habit with me and chicken. 🙂 Sear the chicken in the hot butter, both sides, until golden. Lower to medium when both sides are golden and the meat is fully done. Add chicken stock around the meat. Add cream and Sofrito sauce and simmer a couple minutes. Lightly dust with xanthan (less than 1/8 tsp.). Simmer until it slightly thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve at once with you favorite sides or a nice salad.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes two adult servings, each contains:
590 calories
46.3 g fat
2.6 g carbs, 0.3 g fiber, 2.3 g NET CARBS
37.4 g protein
470 mg sodium
