The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages (20 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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Combining the unique flavors of these fresh herbal ingredients makes a simple yet palate-pleasing side dish. Served with a meat or seafood main course, it is the perfect complement to any Paleo meal. SERVES 4
½ cup fresh basil leaves
½ cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup mâche (lamb’s lettuce)
1 cup arugula
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 lemon wedges
Combine basil, mint, lettuce, and arugula in a large bowl. Toss with walnut oil and lemon juice. Garnish with lemon wedges.
Spinach salads are a Paleo Diet favorite. The ingredients in this salad will make your taste buds come alive, and the iron and the vitamins will boost your health. SERVES 4
4 cups torn spinach leaves
1 cup hulled and quartered strawberries
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 ounces cashews, toasted and chopped
Combine spinach with strawberries in a large salad bowl. In a small jar, combine oil, basil, pepper, and lime juice and shake well. Toss with spinach and berries and sprinkle with cashews.
Pair this salad with your favorite seafood dish, and you will have created an exquisite, Paleo-style surf and turf. The protein alone will have your muscles singing with glee. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1½ pounds flank steak, pounded with meat tenderizing tool
4 cups mixed green lettuces
2 tablespoons cold-pressed flaxseed oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 small avocado, cut into 4 slices
½ cup pitted and chopped cherries
Combine olive oil, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and red wine in a small jar and shake well. Place steak in large bowl and pour in oil mixture. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours. Remove from refrigerator thirty minutes before cooking.
Preheat oven to broil. Broil steak for twenty minutes, turning at the halfway point. Remove from oven and set aside.
Place lettuce in a large serving bowl. Combine flaxseed oil and lime juice in a small jar and shake well. Toss with lettuce. Slice steak into strips and arrange on top of salad. Add avocado slices and cherries.
There is no limit to the amount of imagination and variation you can use to create your personal favorite salads. Here is one combination of sweet and savory fruits and veggies for your consideration. Experiment until you develop your own signature salad. SERVES 4
4 cups wild, organic mixed green lettuces
¼ small red onion, sliced
4 large strawberries, washed and sliced
2 ounces raw pecans
½ medium avocado, sliced
¼ cup raspberries
4 lemon wedges
Olive oil, to taste
Drain washed lettuce in a salad spinner. Place lettuce in a large shallow bowl. Arrange red onions, strawberries, pecans, avocado, and raspberries over lettuce.
Serve with lemon wedges and a decanter of olive oil on the side. Dress salad to taste.
10
Paleo Vegetable Dishes
The abundance and the versatility of vegetables
offer infinite tastes, textures, colors, and flavors. Imagine a mouthful of fresh local organic carrots and zucchini with a hint of garlic and a touch of ginger. How about a bite of delicate broccoli and cauliflower florets caramelized with orange zest and a hint of walnut oil? Perhaps a side of thyme-infused squash with tomato and sliced almonds? You can enjoy veggies crisp, fresh, delicious, and cooked with ease.
offer infinite tastes, textures, colors, and flavors. Imagine a mouthful of fresh local organic carrots and zucchini with a hint of garlic and a touch of ginger. How about a bite of delicate broccoli and cauliflower florets caramelized with orange zest and a hint of walnut oil? Perhaps a side of thyme-infused squash with tomato and sliced almonds? You can enjoy veggies crisp, fresh, delicious, and cooked with ease.
Preparing vegetables with a light touch ensures that they deliver their nutritional benefits to you in a tasty way. Just because vegetables can be considered nature’s preventive medicine doesn’t mean they have to taste like medicine. Vegetables are a net alkaline-yielding food, which means that if we eat them, our bodies are far less likely to lose calcium from our bones, which in turn helps us to maintain strong skeletons. On the other hand, diets that are low in vegetables and high in grains, cheeses, and processed salty foods create an acidic condition in the body, which may lead to osteoporosis, high blood pressure, kidney stones, and other diseases of acid-alkali imbalance.
Equally important, vegetables, with their rich supply of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber, play a huge part in helping us fight heart disease and cancer. These Paleo nonstarchy carbohydrates also help to normalize blood glucose and insulin levels, which in turn promotes weight loss and decreases your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, eating these important foods will keep you energized all day long.
The distinction between low carb and low starch is important. It’s one of the significant ways the Paleo Diet differs from other popular diets. Some low-carb diets advise their followers to minimize or eliminate certain, or sometimes all, carbohydrates, including fruits and vegetables. The Paleo Diet offers limitless options for eating nonstarchy veggies and fresh fruit, balanced with lean natural proteins and healthy unrefined fats.
Incorporating vegetables into your diet, combined with eliminating the antinutrients found in grains and legumes, allows your body to absorb all the vitamins and minerals that veggies have to offer. You’ll feel satisfied without feeling stuffed. The diversity of vegetables that you may choose from is enormous. Try something new. Have you ever tasted kohlrabi or Belgian endive? How about daikon radishes, bok choy, or bamboo shoots? We encourage you to explore ethnic markets and check out their produce sections. The only vegetables that are taboo on the Paleo Diet are potatoes, all beans, and other legumes, for the reasons previously mentioned. People with autoimmune diseases may want to reread chapter 1, because there are a few additional vegetables that you may want to avoid.
Are you new to the kitchen? Unsure how to use the oven and range? Cooking with vegetables is a great way to test the waters. Because most vegetables can safely be eaten raw, preparing them is easy. You don’t have to worry about undercooking them or making a big mistake in the ingredients ratios, as you do with meats or when baking. Vegetable preparation can become something that you and even your kids can learn to do with ease in a very short period. Approach it playfully and plan on having fun with the creation and consumption of every new dish.
The simple act of cutting veggies julienne style completely revolutionizes the appearance of this quite basic dish. An inexpensive mandolin can be purchased to julienne your veggies, or simply cut them into matchsticks using a sharp knife. An important part of this recipe, and of almost any stir-fry, is to allow the vegetables to brown. Once they are added to the pan, let a minute or so pass without stirring. In the immortal words of Julia Child, “Don’t crowd the pan!” SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 medium yellow squash, julienned
2 medium zucchini, julienned
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame and sauté ginger and scallions while stirring for two minutes. Add orange zest and garlic and mix lightly for about one minute. Toss in carrots and peppers. Stir so that all veggies come in contact with the pan at some point and continue browning.
Leave veggies to cook for one additional minute without stirring. Place the squash and zucchini in the pan and mix evenly for one minute. Cover and cook over medium heat for ten minutes; stir once. Veggies are done when tender. Remove from flame and let cool for two minutes.
Because there is no room for pasta in the Paleo Diet, spaghetti squash is very handy as a vegetable side dish or as a base for your favorite Paleo sauce or protein. Here’s a simple recipe that is tasty enough to be enjoyed alone but uncomplicated enough to be added to a more adventurous meal. SERVES 4
1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Halve spaghetti squash lengthwise. Using a fork, remove seeds and discard. Fill a large glass or ceramic baking dish with 1 inch of water. Place both squash halves, cut side down, into pan. Bake for forty minutes. Squash is done when skin is easily pierced with a fork.
Remove squash from pan and set aside until cool enough to handle, for five to ten minutes. Using a fork, scrape out the strands of squash, which will now resemble spaghetti, onto a large, flat serving dish. In a small jar, combine basil, oregano, and cilantro with the two oils and shake well. Pour over squash strands and mix well.
Baby vegetables are fully ripe, miniature vegetables, cultivated to perfection. They often have a sweeter taste than their larger counterparts. Deep green zucchini combined with bright orange carrots makes a lovely presentation. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 ounces baby zucchini, cut into ¼-inch rounds
8 ounces baby carrots, sliced in half
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Preheat oven to broil. Combine olive oil with garlic in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Add vegetables and mix in dill and thyme. Broil for ten minutes.
Stir vegetables, then continue broiling for one minute. Vegetables are done when easily pierced with a fork. Cool for five minutes before serving.
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the tastiest. A simple prep of steamed squash accented by fresh tomatoes and thyme with a snappy finish of toasted hazelnuts takes just minutes to prepare and is a colorful addition to any plate. SERVES 4
2 large zucchini, cut into ½-inch rounds
2 large yellow squash, cut into ½-inch rounds
2 tablespoons flaxseed oil
1 large heirloom tomato, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons roasted hazelnuts
Fill a 2-quart saucepan with 1 quart of water. Insert steamer and bring water to a boil. Add zucchini and yellow squash and cover. Steam ten minutes and stir once.
Drain squash and place in medium bowl. Add oil and mix well. Toss with tomatoes and sprinkle with thyme, parsley, and hazelnuts.
Sunchokes (better known as Jerusalem artichokes) are a great part of the Paleo Diet. They make a delicious substitute for white potatoes without the negative consequences of a high glycemic index and saponin content. This side dish is one easy option. SERVES 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
8 ounces sunchokes, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 fresh parsley sprigs
Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, oregano, basil, and tarragon and stir for one minute. Add sunchokes and continue to stir for eight to ten minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat and sprinkle with pepper. Garnish with sprigs of parsley.
This recipe is based on a restaurant favorite that is topped with Parmesan cheese—a Paleo Diet no-no. The simple addition of garlic and tempting virgin olive oil will keep you from missing the cheese. SERVES 4
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ sweet onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup diced baby carrots
Lemon wedges, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
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