Without further adieu, below you’ll find a recipe for my most favoritest (yes, I know that’s a double superlative and ‘favoritest’ isn’t a real word) hors d’oevure/snack/small meal:

Smoked Salmon Tartines

• 1 recipe All-Purpose Primal Crackers
• Smoked Salmon/Lox (Costco carries an excellent-tasting, wild option)
• Cream Cheese
• Red Onion, sliced thinly
• Fresh Dill
• Capers
• Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper

Take a cracker, layer with cream cheese (you can simply skip this step if you’re avoiding dairy), salmon, red onions, capers, fresh dill, and sprinkle with salt/pepper.  Enjoy!

• 1.5 cups nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, etc.)
• 4 egg whites
• 2 Tbs. oil (melted butter, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, etc.)
• Dried spice(s) of choice:  dill, parsley, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic
• Salt, pepper to taste

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grind nuts in food processor until you have a relatively fine cornmeal-like texture, and place in mixing bowel.
3. Add dried spice(s), salt, and pepper to nuts and mix to combine.
4. Add egg whites and oil of choice to nut mixture, and mix to combine.  The mixture should be moist and sticky, but not liquidy (think pancake batter).  If your mixture is too dry, add more oil.  If it is too wet, add more ground nuts.
5. Place mixture on center of parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Place a peace of wax paper or plastic wrap on top of the mixture, and use a rolling pin to roll out the mixture until it is 1/8^th inch thick.
7. Remove top sheet (wax paper or plastic wrap), prick dough with a fork and place in preheated oven.
8. Bake at 325 degrees F, for 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
9. Remove from oven, and cut into desired size/shape while still warm.
10. Set aside, and let cool
11. Serve as an accompaniment to your favorite dips and cheeses, or my personal favorite—with smoked salmon.

]]> http://thelabelsayspaleo.com/2010/04/18/all-purpose-primal-crackers/feed/ 13 http://thelabelsayspaleo.com/2010/01/21/budget-paleo-dinner-for-2-22person/ http://thelabelsayspaleo.com/2010/01/21/budget-paleo-dinner-for-2-22person/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:22:36 +0000 georgianicole http://thelabelsayspaleo.com/?p=580 Want more Budget Paleo fun? Want to be trendy by using a hot TV chef’s recipe? Here’s Curtis Stone’s recipe from his appearance on The Today Show’s segment “Showdown! Chef’s best meals for under $10.” If you are going so strict as to not include wine of any sort in your paleo diet, just leave it out. A little creative license never hurt anyone.

Curtis Stone’s total meal cost: $8.87
Slowly cooked pork shoulder with braised cabbage

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2-pound pork shoulder
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 onion, peeled and cut and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 stick of celery, cut and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• Sprig of thyme
• 1 cup of red wine
• 2 cups of veal or chicken stock (brown)

For the braised cabbage

• 3 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
• 8-ounce head of cabbage, cored, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Sprig of thyme

DIRECTIONS

To prepare the braised cabbage:
Sauté the bacon in a heavy large wide pot over medium heat until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate. Add the carrots, onions and leeks to the same pot and sauté until the leeks soften, about 3 minutes.

Separate the cabbage leaves, add the garlic and thyme and add them to the pot. Cook until the cabbage wilts, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sherry and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon and season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the pork shoulder:
Place a large cast-iron casserole dish over a high heat, season pork with salt and pepper, place fat side down into the hot pan. Brown all sides. Remove from, the pan and pour off excess fat. 

Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft, add the garlic and herbs and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add pork. Deglaze with red wine and reduce for 5 minutes. Add stock and cover and slowly cook for 2-3 hours until pork literally falls apart when picked up.*Remove from pot and strain, discard and remove vegetables. Strain and remove jus. Place a small saucepan over a medium heat and jus for 10-15 minutes. Place a large nonstick sauté pan over a high heat. Once the pork is cool, break into 4 pieces. Place the pork into a hot pan and sauté until the outside is crisp. Remove from the pan and serve with braised cabbage.

*Does this remind anyone of Ryon’s post?

What did I do with that chicken after it was all roasted up? Well, the first day I just had it as it was. Day Two I chowed down on a drumstick as a snack. I let it sit in my fridge until Day 4 (maybe pushing it? Even in a tightly sealed container?) and then realized I needed to get that bad boy eaten. I was running late in my evening plans after an extended evening at the dog park. I was hungry. I also wanted something a little sweet but with enough fat and flavor that I would really feel satisfied. My dad was the master of our kitchen when I was growing up. His most memorable meals were the ones where he was forced to get creative with leftovers. With that in mind, I took inventory of my fridge, asked Dad to watch over me from above and provide a little inspiration, and off I went with a pot and no plan.

I’m going to give you the “recipe” in just a second but let me get this out first. Some of your best meals will come out of thin air and you may never be able to reproduce them again. Accept it. Reproduction isn’t really the point, anyway. Feeding yourself and your family is the goal. Adding some personal style to that is just coconut “buttercream icing” on the paleo cake. What I’m trying to say is, don’t be afraid to throw a bunch of paleo goodness together and see what happens. Keep your ingredients the same but play around with different spices.  Get crazy at a comfortable pace. But in the end remember to KISS…Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Today's Last Minute Lunch

One Pot Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Curry

(for one, multiple for multiple people)

• Heat medium sized pot on medium to m/high heat
• Throw in some coconut oil
• Take a couple spoonfuls of spaghetti squash & throw in pot – I cooked mine when I was cooking the chicken
• Grab some of the chicken & pull off in bite-sized pieces. Throw in pot.
• Throw some broccoli in the pot
• Cut up half a bell pepper — mine was orange & I actually used kitchen shears to cut it up because I didn’t want to dirty a cutting board. Lazy or genius, you decide.
• Toss in a couple baby bella mushrooms. Again, cut into pieces with the shears.
• Stir.
• Add some coconut milk. I decided I wanted a soupier curry so I added enough to meet my soupy liking.
• Here’s where the flavor really comes into play: plop in some curry paste (brand recommendation below). However much you want to suit your own personal taste & tolerance for spice. I’m a 5th+ generation Texan. Therefore, bring on the heat!
• Simmer for a few minutes so everything is nice and hot and the flavor has time to seep into the food. If you’re really starving, just get the curry paste melted into the coconut milk. Have more time? Lower the temp a little and let simmer for 10 minutes. Bored waiting? Just eat when you’re ready!

How easy was that?

I did the same basic recipe for lunch today. (See image above.) Only, instead of the spaghetti squash I used chopped up cabbage. Oh, and this time my bell pepper was yellow. After it was all cooked I realize I should have used a red bell pepper so that I had some extra color to my dish. Easy lesson learned for next time!

My favorite red curry paste, Mae Ploy.

As for the curry paste, my favorite brand is Mae Ploy red curry paste from Thailand. The ingredients are: Dried red chili, garlic, lemongrass, salt, shallot, galangal, shrimp paste (shrimp), kaffir lime peel, pepper. No preservatives or colorant added. No sugar either. The 14oz container has lasted me about 5 months and it cost around maybe $5 or less? It’s available at HEB…well, the one at Parmer & McNeil anyway.

First things first, Elana is adamant about choosing the proper almond flour. Apparently the ever-prevalent Bob’s Mill doesn’t cut it; I worried my Central Market bulk section almond meal was too coarse as well. So I ordered her recommended Honeyville Grains Almond Flour at $26.99 for 5 lbs ($5.40/lb, cheaper than CM’s $6.99/lb, but doesn’t include shipping, which would be divided across everything you order) and I’m very happy with it so far.

So, here we go:

The tart is a remarkably simple combination of grapeseed oil, water, almond flour, herbs, and salt. Literally.

Since I hadn’t baked ahead, I stuck it in the freezer to cool …

… while I made the (wild, obviously) smoked salmon, browned leeks, egg, and dill mixture:

I put it all together, baked for 25 minutes, and voila!

In the meantime, I also made another crust, this one the “simple savory” one (add baking soda and shallots, remove other herbs), to freeze for the future … so I don’t have to freeze it. Hm, odd logic, but whatever. It’s much prettier and deeper than the first (this is my first pie crust EVER, people, give me a break).

Mmmm … see, you can have your tart and eat Paleo too!

Typically, I buy more salmon than I can eat in one sitting.  No…my eyes aren’t bigger than my stomach, it’s just that I also happen to enjoy salmon cakes.  On the second day, my leftover salmon gets morphed into a different form, yet equally delicious meal.  The binder for this Paleo version of salmon cakes is almond flour.  I’m still trying to find something that will yield a super-crispy finished product, but for now, ‘kinda crispy’ will just have to do.

Budget friendly tip:  Don’t have any fresh salmon on hand?  No problem, use canned salmon instead!

Salmon Cakes

• 16 oz. fresh or canned salmon
• 1/4 onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 egg
• Approx. 1/2 cup almond flour
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs olive oil (Paleo) or raw butter (not Paleo)

1. Mix all ingredients except almond flour.
2. Add almond flour until mixture begins to stick together.
3. Form patties by taking a handful of the mixture and pressing it together with your hands.  You want the patties to be approx. 1 inch thick.
4. Heat EVOO or butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
5. Place patties in pan, and cook until golden brown.  Flip, and repeat the process with the other side.
6. Serve with dilly-mayo recipe below

Dilly Mayo

• Fresh dill, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayo (make sure this is a Paleo friendly brand)
• Lemon juice
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and serve with salmon cakes.

The food? Bolga’s soup, Faux-caccia Bread, Sauteed Kale, and Cheeeeeze. With leftover Thanksgiving desserts. In our haste to eat and drink everything in sight, we have no photos. Sign of a good night?

RECIPES:

1) Bolga’s Soup

Here’s the thing about Bolga: she’s based on Olga’s Soup, the magically delicious soup from a Men’s Health recipe. If you could read the accompanying article online, which you can’t, you would know that Olga is incredibly forceful about her NO SUBSTITUTIONS rule. Olga uses cannelini beans, which are NOT Paleo. She also doesn’t use any meat. So I ignored the beans, added some browned ground beef, and re-christened the soup Bolga. Creative, I know.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil (more or less)
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (I omitted)
• 2 celery stalks (I used 4)
• salt & pepper
• 1 bunch parsley chopped, stems discarded
• 3 cabbage leaves, chopped (I used 6)
• 1 bunch chard, choppped
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 1 lb of lean ground beef, browned in a pan to pinkness in the centers before being put in the soup (I use grass-fed, free-ranging Springerhill Ranch, available at Randall’s for $5.79/lb)
  

Directions:

1. Put about a third of the olive oil in the bottom of a deep pot over medium heat. Add half each of the chopped onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften (about 10 minutes).
2. Add half of the remaining oil and repeat the process, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Add the last of the oil with the parsley, cabbage, and chard, and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened but not browned. Adjust the heat as necessary.
3. Add the ground beef, tomato paste, and any spices–I sprinkle in some cayenne, basil, and oregano, and use garlic salt instead of regular salt.
4. Keep cooking, tasting, and seasoning as necessary, until all the vegetables are very tender and the soup is hot.

2) Faux-caccia Bread

I make this bread all the freakin’ time, so I must admit that I no longer measure. It’s quick, easy, and pretty hard to mess up …

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs or 4 egg whites (works either way)
• 2 cups nut/flax meals — I suggest 1 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup flax meal, 1/2 hazelnut flour. But you can play around with flours for different flavors and textures–I’ve also used all almond (heavy), pecan, and coconut flour (gross). I DO NOT suggest chia powder for any more than 1/8 cup because I think it gets bitter.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (not technically paleo)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt (not necessary with flax meal)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 355 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. What happens if you don’t? No idea, but not willing to risk it.
3. Spread bread batter onto parchment. Spread with fork or spoon. May have to grease the spoon with some of the oil. For crispier bread, spread thinly, for bigger bread, spread more thickly (duh?).
4. Bake 12-16 minutes.

Try not to eat the whole pan. It’s. The. Hardest. Part.

3) Cheeeeeze

Ah, cheeeeze. The first time Lisa and I had it, we were nowhere near Paleo (she was vegetarian), but both of us thought it might actually taste better than regular cheese. Still true.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cashew pieces
• 1 TBSP tahini (make sure it doesn’t have soy!)
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp onion powder
• pinch cayenne

Directions:

Blend/food process. Devour.

And that, my friends, is what we ate. You should eat it too!