Lemon-Ginger Chocolate Fudge

I've recently fallen in love with the combination of ginger and chocolate-- the two flavors complement each other really well!  I also love the combinations of lemon (something summery to go with this warm weather!) and ginger, and lemon and chocolate... so why not make an awesome lemon/ginger/chocolate treat, especially since chocolate is now everywhere with Easter coming up soon?  I originally thought I could make little chocolate eggs, but once this started chilling in the fridge, I decided that the egg idea wasn't going to work out for me... and instead I realized I had made fudge!!  Nom!!  (Also, cool stuff: an NPR article came out a few days ago, citing some research that chocolate consumption favorably influences your metabolism and can help keep you lean.  Whoot!)  

Ingredients:
-100g dark chocolate (I used 85%)
-1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
-25g butter
-2 1/2 tbsp. ginger
-lemon zest from 1 lemon

Directions:
1.  Break up dark chocolate and place in a bowl.
2.  Combine all other ingredients in a pan over medium heat and stir well.
3.  When mixture boils, pour over dark chocolate and stir.  (You could pour it into a small tray here, but I just kept it in the bowl.)
4.  Place in refrigerate until set (4-5 hours).  Slice up and enjoy!

Quote of the Day:

"Chocolate is the first luxury.  It has so many things wrapped up in it:  Deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good."  -Mariska Hargitay

Primal Three-Cheese Aubergine Parmesan

I randomly bought an eggplant-- sorry, aubergine-- last week. Originally I was going to throw it in a curry, but that didn't pan out... so what the heck was I going to do with an entire aubergine/eggplant? (By the way, I love the fact that they call it aubergine here in the UK-- it sounds much more appetizing than eggplant.  The first time I saw it by this name in the grocery store, I became really confused because I had no idea it wasn't universally called eggplant in English.) Eggplant parmesan is absolutely delicious, but I hadn't had it in a long time due to gluten... but duh, I realized I could just substitute the flour/bread crumbs with coconut or almond flour! So here's my version of a three-cheese aubergine parmesan! (That sounds so much more impressive than eggplant parmesan.)

Ingredients:

For aubergine/eggplant:

-1 large aubergine/eggplant, peeled and sliced thinly

-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

-1/3 cup coconut (or almond) flour

-1 tsp. basil

-1 tsp. oregano

-1 tsp. black pepper

-1 egg

For sauce:

-2 cans chopped tomatoes

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1/2 large onion, chopped

-2 tbsp. basil

-2 tbsp. oregano

-2 tbsp. black pepper

-2 tbsp. olive oil

For fillings/toppings:

-1 cup grated parmesan cheese

-1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese

-100 g full-fat mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (approx. 190ºC).

2. Beat one egg in a bowl, and add a tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Combine the flour, basil, oregano, pepper, and parmesan cheese on a large plate (or in another bowl). Dip aubergine in egg, then cover in flour/cheese/herb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet.

3. Cook for 30 minutes, flipping the eggplant halfway through.

4. To create the tomato sauce, add olive oil to a pan on medium heat, then add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and spices/herbs and stir well, then let simmer for 10-15 minutes/until sauce thickens.  (I started making the sauce after flipping the eggplant-- the timing worked out perfectly!)

5. Pour some sauce along the bottom of a baking dish (I used a 19cm X 34cm one), then add a layer of eggplant and top with ricotta cheese. Add another layer of sauce, then eggplant, then add mozzarella cheese. Add sauce, then eggplant, then finally top with parmesan cheese.

6. Bake at 400º F (200º C) for 20 minutes. Let cool, and enjoy!

Check this out:
A new book on the ancestral/Paleo/Primal lifestyle is coming out at the end of April!  Instinctive Fitness, by Oliver Selway from paleotraining.co.uk, will be released on April 27, and you should definitely check this out-- if you sign up on the book's site, you can read the first two chapters now!

Quote of the Day:
"I don't believe in low-fat cooking."  -Nigella Lawson

Tikka Masala-Inspired Coconut Beef Curry and "The Six C's"

I have nothing but positive memories of Indian food-- in fact, some of my fondest memories of high school and college are connected to Indian restaurants! Going out for Indian was a tradition in high school after speech tournaments, and it's also a tradition with my friends at Penn-- we go to Sitar for pretty much all celebrations (my friend from Penn visited me here a few weeks ago, so of course we went out for Indian!). I also love Indian restaurants because I can always find something on the menu, and I've never gotten a bad reaction reaction (i.e. "been glutened") from one either. When I first came here, I couldn't find spices at reasonable prices in Tesco or Sainsbury's (note: they're reasonably priced at Lidl, which I didn't find out until later), so I stocked up on (cheap!) Indian spices at a Middle Eastern market-- my first week in Edinburgh was spent eating ghetto versions of my favorite Indian dishes. Indian food every day? Dream come true! (Here's my recipe from last spring for butter chicken/murgh makhani.)

I could go on about how much I love Indian food all day, but instead I'm going to give you two recipes that work amazingly together: Tikka Masala-Inspired Coconut Beef Curry and "The Six C's."

The first dish is inspired by chicken tikka masala, which A) is my favorite Indian dish, and B) was allegedly created in the UK, and was even called "Britain's true national dish"! Beef is not typically used in Indian cuisine, but I had a pack of minced beef, so I decided to make beef tikka masala. Then I realized there's no one recipe for tikka masala (tikka refers to the meat or marinade, and masala just means "mixture of spices"), so I looked up a bunch and formed my own; but instead of using yogurt as a base for my curry, I went with coconut milk instead so any non-dairy eaters can enjoy this too (and I also threw in some extra coconut in general). I also didn't marinate the meat first because I used ground beef-- so this is more like a chili, I suppose; but if you use other cuts of meat, definitely make a marinade first. I wasn't totally sure what to call this recipe-- it's not beef tikka masala for the aforementioned changes and ground beef isn't typically used in curries, but it's not really chili either... But I decided to call it a curry, so here's my Tikka Masala-Inspired Coconut Beef Curry. (By the way, don't believe the "Red meat will kill you!" articles that have been everywhere lately-- that study was an example of bad science. Check out responses from Robb Wolf, Denise Minger, Gary Taubes, Chris Kresser, J. Stanton, Stanley A. Fishman, Zoe Harcombe, and Dr. Joe Leonardi.)

Ingredients for Tikka Masala-Inspired Coconut Beef Curry:

-900 g minced beef

-1 large onion, chopped

-2 tbsp. coconut oil

-1 can of stewed tomatoes

-2 tbsp. tomato paste

-1 cup full-fat coconut milk

-2 tbsp. garam masala

-3 tsp. coriander

-3 tsp. cumin

-3 tsp. paprika

-3 tsp. turmeric

-2 tbsp. ginger

-3 tbsp. garlic

-2 tsp. cayenne pepper

-2 tsp. black pepper

-2 tsp. curry powder

-2 tsp. chili powder

-3 tbsp. lemon juice

-3 tsp. cinnamon

-3 tbsp. slivered almonds (optional)

-3 tbsp. unsweetened coconut flakes (optional: add more for garnish)

1. Heat coconut oil in a pot. With the heat on high, add in onions and stir frequently, then keep adding in spices and stirring until onions appear to be done.

2. Add in beef and cook until brown.

3. Add in tomatoes and stir well. Then add in coconut milk, almonds, and coconut flakes. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for approximately 45 minutes.

I originally wanted to serve this over cauliflower rice, but my lack of food processor and the fact that I was using frozen cauliflower led to an epic fail. So I decided instead to do mashed cauliflower with some spices. It coincidentally turned out that all of my ingredients started with the letter "C"... So here's "The Six C's": Cumin-Coriander-Cinnamon-Curry Coconut Cauliflower!

Ingredients for "The Six C's":

-750 g cauliflower (I used frozen)

-1/2 cup coconut milk

-2 tbsp. cumin

-2 tbsp. coriander

-3 tbsp. cinnamon

-2 tbsp. curry powder

1. Boil cauliflower in a pot until soft. Drain water.

2. Mash cauliflower, slowly adding in the coconut milk. Stir and add in the spices. Keep stirring and mashing until you get the consistency that you want. (I left my cauliflower a bit chunkier, but you can certainly mash until very smooth.)

2012 Paleo Community Survey:

Naturally Engineered has just released the second annual Paleo Community Survey. It only take a few minutes to fill out, so it'd be great if you can do it! Click!

Quote of the Day:

"This curry was like a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony that I'd once heard... especially the last movement, with everything screaming and banging 'Joy.' It stunned, it made one fear great art. My father could say nothing after the meal." -Anthony Burgess

Recipe: Chunky Chivey Coffee Chili

Today is the one year anniversary of Paleo at Penn! I can't thank you all enough for reading my blog and being so supportive-- this last year of blogging has been a total blast!

It seems like almost every Paleo/Primal site/blog out there has a chili recipe. Since coming to Edinburgh, I've been eating a lot of chili because A) It's awesome, and B) I can make a huge thing of it and eat it for a few days. I've made quite a few variations of it thus far, but I think I've found the perfect recipe, which combines two of my favorite things: beef and coffee. (That might sound like an odd combination, but coffee-rubbed steaks are quite popular, so I figured I'd try coffee chili... and I'm glad I did.) So here's my Chunky Chivey Coffee Chili!

Ingredients (serves about 4):

-900 g (approx. 2 lbs) minced/ground beef

-1 can tomato sauce/paste

-1 onion, chopped

-1 tomato, chopped

-6 tsp. chives, chopped

-3 tsp. chili powder

-3 tsp. paprika

-3 tsp. garlic powder (or chopped garlic)

-3 tsp. basil

-3 tsp. oregano

-4 tbsp. ground/instant coffee (I love the flavor coffee gives to this dish, but you don't have to put this much in if you want a more subtle coffee taste.)

1. Cook beef in a pot on the stove until no longer pink. Drain the fat.

2. On low heat, mix in vegetables, spices, and coffee. Cover and let simmer for 30-35 minutes. Enjoy!

Quote of the Day:

"Among the numerous luxuries of the table... coffee may be considered as one of the most valuable. It excites cheerfulness without intoxication; and the pleasing flow of spirits which it occasions... is never followed by sadness, languor or debility." -Ben Franklin

Recipe: Sweet Potato Clapshot

Clapshot is a traditional Scottish side dish made with potatoes, swedes (a.k.a. rutabaga or Swedish turnip), and chives; this is also known as "neeps and tatties." Since I don't eat regular potatoes (and I know many of you don't as well), I decided to make this with sweet potatoes... then add my own spin to it.

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

-1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled

-1 large swede/rutabaga, peeled and cut into small chunks

-3 tsp. chives

-2 tbsp. butter

-salt and pepper, to taste

1. Boil the sweet potatoes and swede in separate pans until cooked.

2. Drain the water and combine in one pot. Add in the butter. (Optional: Pour in a little heavy whipping cream for a creamier texture.)

3. Mash the sweet potatoes and swede together until smooth. Stir in the chives and a little salt and/or pepper... and serve! (Optional: Garnish with more chives.)

For a not-so-traditional version, add in the following:

-1/2 an onion, finely chopped

-2 tsp. basil

-2 tsp. oregano

-1 tsp. garlic powder (or finely chopped garlic)

Quote of the Day:

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art." -La Rochefoucauld

Primal CocoNutty Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients (makes 24):

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup almonds, chopped

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups almond flour

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Beat butter for 30 seconds in a bowl. Add in chopped cranberries and baking soda. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and almond flour. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips, and nuts. Mix until smooth.

3. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place spoonfuls of cookie mixture on tray.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Let cool (because they're pretty crumbly when still hot) and enjoy!

Quote of the Day:

"I always had the will to win. I felt it baking cookies. They had to be the best cookies anyone baked." -Bette Davis

Paleo Food: It's Everywhere!

I'm going to give you three ingredients lists for some pretty awesome dishes, but don't click on the links until I tell you:

-Basil Grilled Chicken: black pepper, chicken breasts, fresh basil leaves, butter, grated Parmesan, garlic powder, salt

-Mahi Mahi Lettuce Wraps: mango, plum tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, cilantro leaves, limes, salt and pepper, mahi mahi fillets, olive oil, lettuce leaves

-Country Style Fried Cabbage: green cabbage, bacon fat, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper (to taste)

Those lists only contains proteins, vegetables, fruits, fats, and seasonings (and a tiny bit of dairy for those of you who choose to consume it).... so they sound completely Paleo/Primal to me. Actually, they sound straight-up delicious! While I love sharing awesome recipes, these three are pretty special-- don't click the links yet-- because of where they come from. No, they're not from Everyday Paleo. No, they're not from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations or Primal-Palate or Nom Nom Paleo. They're from..............

Paula Deen, y'all.

That's right, those are Paula Deen's recipes, so go ahead and click on the links and check them out now (because they really do sound yummy!). While I absolutely love Paula Deen and would love to do an entire Paula/Paleo post, I actually have a point I'm trying to make here: Paleo/Primal food is not strange, and you can find recipes everywhere, including Paula Deen's site!

I had dinner with some of my hallmates a few nights ago, and I had mentioned to them earlier about Paleo (it came up when I wouldn't take free granola bars that people were handing out on campus), and they were shocked that my dinner plate looked so normal. I had a big salad with baby spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, and sliced up beef in extra-virgin olive oil-- and I'm sure it looked just like the salads other people in the dining hall were eating! I'm not sure what my friends were expecting, but it led to a more thorough discussion about my lifestyle and made them realize that people on the so-called "Caveman diet" don't just eat raw meat or do the whole reenactment thing. In my personalized version of Paleo/Primal, I eat "normal" things like salads and cooked meat and all types of veggies and fruits, and sometimes I even have cheese or dark chocolate. Breakfast for me is bacon and eggs, which is pretty much identical to breakfast plates all over the world. I usually don't have to make too many modifications to things at restaurants (it's pretty easy to just get a protein with a side of veggies), and most of my meals look "normal" to most people.

A lot of people have no idea what to eat when starting their Paleo/Primal journeys, or they feel totally overwhelmed when going out to restaurants or having friends over. Some other people think they can only eat things labeled Paleo/Primal (like "Paleo [adjective] Chicken" or "Primal [adjective] Tomatoes") or that exclusively come from Paleo/Primal blogs and books. However, as demonstrated by the Paula recipes, you can find suitable dishes pretty much everywhere without those labels. It's really not that hard: proteins, veggies, fruits, good fats, nuts, seeds, (maybe dairy). So easy, a caveman can do it! With all of those food groups, I really don't think Paleo is restrictive at all-- there are so many options, and now with so many cookbooks out on the market (by the way, check out Make It Paleo, which just came out!), I don't see how people can become bored with this lifestyle. In fact, Robb Wolf's Food Matrix creates 81,000 different meals!

While the internet is an amazing resource for Paleo/Primal recipes, a lot of the food people eat is already totally okay. My dorm had a Mexican food night earlier this week, and I had awesome dinner: chopped beef, chicken and veggies, and guacamole (pssh, who needs chips for guac when you can eat it with a spoon!?). How is any of that difficult, strange, or restrictive? If you already eat from the Paleo food groups, you're doing well: you can get Paleo foods pretty much everywhere without people looking at you like you're insane. "Weird" foods are things that come in packages, are loaded with chemicals, and don't resemble anything that can be found in the wild. I think it's more bizarre for a vegan to eat something like "meatless meatballs" than for a Paleo enthusiast to eat cow heart or chicken liver. What the hell is a "meatless meatball" anyway?

With the holiday season quickly approaching, you're probably going to face situations like potlucks or dinners* with friends and family. Dishes don't need to be "Paleo" this or "Primal" that-- just make real food. No one's going to think it's strange if you show up to dinner with a protein or veggie dish that isn't swimming in chemical-laced sauces-- real food is what nature has intended us to eat, and so many people eat real food every day without even realizing it. We're kicking around doing a potluck on my floor soon, and one of my hallmates was like, "I look forward to trying your Paleo food." My response was simply, "It's not Paleo food-- it's just real food."

*Note: There probably are going to be situations where there might not be Paleo/Primal options (like if there's no salad and all of the protein is breaded or sauce-covered), so plan ahead and bring your own dish so you know there's definitely going to be something you can eat.

I absolutely love this chart from FitBomb:

While it's definitely accurate, there's a lot more overlap between Paleo and other ways of eating than most people think.

If Paula Deen can make Paleo-friendly recipes, then it's pretty much guaranteed that you can find Paleo-friendly recipes everywhere. So the next time someone calls your way of eating restrictive, weird, or boring, instead of saying, "I don't eat grains, processed foods, legumes, [dairy], sugar, etc.," go with, "I eat so many different types of fruits and vegetables, lots of animal protein, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, [some dairy], and most things found in nature." People will be more open to the idea of things you do eat instead of things you don't. Positivity is key!

Good luck, and wow your friends and family with some awesome Paleo/Primal dishes this holiday season.

Quote of the Day:

"The body is like a piano, and happiness is like music. It is needful to have the instrument in good order." -Henry Ward Beecher

Recipe: CocoNUT-Flax Chicken

If you miss breaded chicken, then this is the recipe for you! Instead of using bread crumbs or cornflakes (or any other gluten-heavy grain), try grinding up nuts and mixing them with ground flax and shredded coconut for a delicious Paleo "breading."

Ingredients:

-flax seed, ground

-almonds

-pecans

-unsweetened shredded coconut

-4 chicken cutlets

-2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Grind nuts until a thin flour is formed, then combine on a plate (or in a bowl) with flax and shredded coconut and mix well.

2. Crack two eggs on a plate and add water to make an egg wash. Dip the chicken breast into the egg wash, then place it in the nut/flax/coconut flour and coat well. Place on greased pan.

3. Cook for 20 minutes (10 on each side) until slightly brown. Serve alone or with greens and enjoy!

Quote of the Day:

"Good health and good sense are two of life's greatest blessings." -Publilius Syrus

(This post is featured in Primal Cave #12.)

Recipe: No-Bake CocoNUT Cookies

Ingredients (makes 12)

-1/2 cup walnuts

-1/2 cup pecans

-1/2 cup almonds

-1/2 cup flax seeds

-1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

-1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

-8 oz raw almond butter

-4 tablespoons coconut oil

1. Grind the nuts, seeds, and coconut flakes in a food processor (or by hand) until a thin flour is formed.

2. In a large bowl, combined the nuts/seeds/flakes with the cocoa powder, almond butter, and coconut oil. Mix well.

3. Scoop out about a tablespoon of mixture and set on tray. (Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes or cocoa powder over each "cookie".) Refrigerate until firm.

Quote of the Day:

"Watch what you eat, get off the couch and start being inconvenient. Eat real food, practice functional movement and stand up for environmental preservation, sustainable agriculture, peace and social justice." -Frank Forencich, Change Your Body, Change the World

(This blog is featured in Primal Cave #11.)

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Chia Mousse Cake

Many people have probably only heard of chia seeds in the context of those Chia Pet commercials; however, these seeds had been eaten by the Mayan and Aztec civilizations for thousands of years! While there has been some debate about whether they're considered Paleo or not (Cordain says "further human trials" should be done, Sisson says "you can certainly give chia a shot," and Gedgaudas calls them a "great source of mucilaginous fiber" and recommends them in one of her recipes), I figured I'd "give them a shot" with a recipe I modified and Paleo-ified from The Chia Company. The chia seeds give the cake a very interesting texture, and it's definitely worth trying. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-7 oz. unsweetened 100% dark chocolate

-1/2 cup butter

-5 large eggs, separated

-2 cups assorted nuts and/or seeds (I used almonds, walnuts, pecans, and sunflower seeds)

-1 cup and 2 tbsp. Stevia

-1/2 cup and 1 tbsp chia seeds

-coconut flakes or other toppings (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil, then line it with a sheet of wax paper. Soak chia seeds in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes. Grind nuts well.

2. Melt butter and dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and let cool.

3. Beat egg whites and 1/3 cup of Stevia until soft peaks form. Beat the remaining Stevia and egg yolks in a large bowl.

4. Pour melted chocolate over egg yolks and fold. Next, fold in the chia seeds and ground nuts. Finally, fold in the egg whites.

5. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 50 minutes. Let cool, then top it with unsweetened coconut flakes, melted dark chocolate, homemade whipped cream, or anything else... get creative and enjoy!

Quote of the Day:

"A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison." -Sir Francis Bacon

Recipe: Chicken Saltimbocca

Chicken Saltimbocca is traditionally made with prosciutto and sage cooked in white wine and butter, and some recipes call for cheese such as mozzarella or provolone as well. I slightly altered the recipe found in The Paleo Diet Cookbook by Dr. Cordain and used ham instead of turkey breast (or prosciutto) and used multiple sage leaves instead of just one.

Ingredients (serves 4):

-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-4 thin slices of ham

-extra virgin olive oil

-fresh sage leaves

-black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Heat olive oil in skillet on medium; cook sage leaves for thirty seconds on each side and let drain on paper towel.

2. Season chicken breasts with black pepper. Place one piece of ham on each chicken breast and cook in skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side.

3. Place chicken in baking dish and place sage leaves on each chicken breast. Cook in oven for 15 minutes and enjoy!

Quote of the Day:

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." -Virginia Woolf

(This post is featured in Primal Cave #9.)