The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages (17 page)
Authors: Loren Cordain
BOOK: The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages
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In the past decade, perhaps the single most important dietary recommendation to improve your health and prevent chronic disease is to increase your dietary intake of EPA + DHA. Thousands of scientific papers on a variety of diseases unmistakably show the health benefits of these fatty acids. In randomized clinical trials in patients with preexisting heart disease, omega 3 fatty acid supplements significantly reduced cardiovascular events (deaths, nonfatal heart attacks, and nonfatal strokes). Omega 3 fatty acids diminish the risk for heart disease through a number of means, including a reduction in heartbeat irregularities called arrhythmias, a decrease in blood clots, and a reduction in inflammation, a condition that is now known to be an important cause of atherosclerosis, or artery clogging.
Besides lowering the risk for heart disease, regular consumption of fish or supplemental omega 3 fatty acids may be helpful in preventing, treating, or improving a wide variety of diseases and disorders, including virtually all inflammatory diseases (any disease ending with “-itis”): rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorders (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis), and periodontal disease (gingivitis).
In addition, mental disorders (including autism, depression, postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and impaired cognitive development in infants and children) respond positively to these healthy fatty acids.
Finally, acne, asthma, exercise-induced asthma, many types of cancers, macular degeneration, preterm birth, psoriasis, insulin resistance, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, cancer cachexia, intermittent claudication, skin damage from sunlight, IgA nephropathy, lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and migraine headaches also improve with omega 3 fatty acids.
Wow! What a list! Have I missed anything?
More important, fish and seafood just taste good. Think about the endless possibilities of how these high-protein, low-fat, omega 3-enriched foods can be incorporated into the Paleo Diet. One of my favorites is cold steamed crab legs for breakfast along with some seasonal fruit. What better way to start your day than with low-fat, high-protein seafood and a delicious serving of fruit? You will be energized all morning long, and this combo of modern-day Paleo foods will reduce your appetite and help the pounds melt away effortlessly.
This omega 3-, vitamin-, and mineral-packed recipe offers a simple way to impart the taste of fireside cooking indoors. SERVES 4
1 pound wild Alaskan king salmon fillet
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon paprika
4 large fresh basil leaves
1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 1 hour
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cover the flesh side (not the skin) of the salmon with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the lemon juice. Sprinkle with dill and paprika. Press the basil leaves lightly onto the flesh.
Place fillet, flesh side down, on plank. Rub the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on the skin. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Check that the salmon is done by lightly flaking with a fork.
Remove from oven, tent with foil, and set aside for five minutes. Turn skin side down and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
The secret to the incredible flavors in this dish is the use of parchment paper to wrap and seal the fish. This is a great recipe to prepare for special guests. You’ll have them thinking you’ve spent hours cooking when in reality you were only in the kitchen for thirty minutes. SERVES 4
4 large carrots
2 leeks, roots and top green portions removed
4 pieces parchment paper
4 6-ounce Chilean sea bass steaks
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Peel carrots and cut into matchsticks. Cut leeks into matchstick pieces to match carrots. Cut each piece of parchment paper into a 12-inch square. Place equal amounts of carrots and leeks on each of the four squares.
Place one sea bass steak on top of each mound of veggies. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, ½ tablespoon (1½ teaspoons) wine, and ½ tablespoon lemon juice and drizzle the mixture over each piece of fish. Sprinkle with garlic powder, dill, and black pepper. Gather the sides of each parchment square together and tie with a piece of kitchen twine.
Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Open parchment and transfer fish and veggies to plates.
This unique recipe combines fish with a flavorful soup to warm you up on a chilly day. Enjoy with your favorite Paleo salad (see chapter 9) for a vitamin- and protein-packed meal. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 4-ounce barramundi (sea bass) fillets
½ cup chopped oyster mushrooms
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 large zucchini, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups Chicken Broth (page 193)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
4 lemon wedges
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add fish and cook for three minutes, skin side up. Turn and continue cooking for one minute. Remove from pan and place in baking dish. Cover and place in oven to keep warm.
Pour the remaining tablespoon of oil into pan. Add mushrooms and cook for five minutes. Stir in shallot and continue cooking for one minute. Place carrots, zucchini, and tomatoes into pan and cook for two minutes, stirring once to brown evenly. Pour in broth. Turn heat to high and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for twenty minutes.
Pour soup into bowls and top with fish. Garnish with parsley, lemon wedges, and cayenne pepper.
These flavorful morsels are a gift from the sea. The mild flavor of the scallops infused with the sweet and spicy flavors of the other distinctive ingredients produces a mouthwatering dish. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
2 large peaches, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
2 pounds sea scallops
Juice from ½ lime
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add shallot and cook for two minutes. Combine with ginger and stir for half a minute.
Place peaches in skillet and continue cooking for three minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Remove peach mixture and place in a small bowl. Cover to keep warm.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet. Place scallops in a single layer and cook for four to six minutes, turning once. Return peach mixture to pan, covering shallots evenly. Remove from heat and drizzle with lime juice.
The flavors in this dish do indeed snap your senses to attention. It’s perfect for any meal, but for Paleo Dieters who love fish for breakfast, this meal can be made quickly and easily to help start your day off right. SERVES 4
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 red snapper fillets, 4-6 ounces each
Set grill to medium flame or preheat oven to broil.
Combine oregano, marjoram, paprika, white pepper, and turmeric in a small bowl. Brush oil onto fillets and coat them evenly with spice mixture.
Grill or broil for eight minutes, turning at the halfway point.
A fisherman’s favorite, trout can now be bought in most supermarkets. Most available trout, however, is farm-raised and fattened on cereal grains, which significantly reduces the level of omega 3. Whenever possible, get wild fish to ensure the most nutritious meal possible. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large leeks
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup Chicken Broth (page 193)
4 river trout fillets, 4-6 ounces each
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Remove roots and green top portions from leeks and dice. Place in skillet and sauté with carrots for four minutes, turning once.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.
Add trout to pan, cover, and cook for five minutes. Sprinkle with pepper to taste.
This sea bass, found in northern Italian waters, offers a subtle flavor while providing you with a great source of omega 3s. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 branzino fillets, 4-6 ounces each
¼ cup minced fresh basil
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add onion and sauté for five minutes. Place tomatoes in skillet and continue cooking for five minutes.
Move tomato and onion to side of pan and add fillets, skin side down. Cook for five minutes and turn once. Turn skin side down again and top with tomatoes and onion.
Sprinkle with basil and dust lightly with freshly ground pepper.
The unique pairing of pork with the mellow flavor of fish makes a flavorful dish reminiscent of Southern cooking and surf and turf. You’ll enjoy the down-home taste of this easy-to-prepare meal. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce leftover pork tenderloin, diced
2 scallions, diced
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground cloves
Cayenne pepper, to taste
4 6-ounce sole fillets
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