Healthy eating on Valentine's Day can be tricky, let alone maintaining a paleo Valentine's Day! Luckily real food is very romantic. Sure, you can eat something drowned in cream or a trussed-up confection of gluten and sugar but why not rely on the clean recipes to show you how to get it done in the kitchen on Valentine's Day without derailing your wellness goals? Love your body... tha[...]
The idea of African peanut stew has always intrigued me as a bizarre concept, and while this cashew stew goes in a different flavor direction, it really works in its own way! I researched African "groundnut" (peanut) stew online before attempting my own variation, but most of the recipes to be found were vegetarian, if not vegan. So I decided to consult an authentic source on whether re[...]
The idea for this Wild Thing Texas Chili started as my answer to the "what kind of chili do you like?" What I consider the essentials of the genre: 1) no beans (this is Texas chili, after all) with 2) a deep, complex balance of sweet, bitter, hot, and fruity flavor plus a robust, meaty kick and thick, rich red sauce to bind the other ingredients together. That being said, let's break dow[...]
Getting right down to brass tacks, because none of us have any time at all right these days (amirite?): the rich flavor of this slow cooker curry and its hands-off technique make for the perfect meal-prep situation. Load the ingredients into the slow cooker in 20 minutes flat before leaving for the office and low, slow heat does the rest while I'm gone? Sold. You could shave&nb[...]
If you've never heard of okonomiyaki, then you are missing out. I've never been to Japan but I started playing around with the concept of this savory Japanese pancake in college, because it's great dorm food: fun, filling, fast and simple to make (a tiny pan/skillet, spatula and a burner are all the equipment that is needed) while featuring whatever ingredients you have available. Okono[...]
Presenting a delicious, chewy, crackly paleo pizza crust from my friend Caitlin Weeks' book Mediterranean Paleo Cooking which launched this week! I've been seeing mouthwatering sneak peeks of this book for so long that I can hardly believe the time is finally here. This is an amazingly beautiful, thorough cookbook with over 150 Mediterranean-influenced recipes that work w[...]
I made this curried carrot fritters stack this past weekend and they're an incredibly delicious and non-traditional way to use your waffle iron. You can also shape the fritters into patties and cook them in a skillet, but on weekends I like to take things just a tad further and do things like cook fritters in the waffle iron for the extra presentation points. There's nothing traditional about[...]
Here's what you should know about me: I can't follow recipes. To me more accurate... I don't. For years--ever since I began eating Paleo and creating my own recipes for this blog--I've flipped through cookbooks, scanned recipes online, listened attentively when folks described how to make a particular dish and then gone my own way! It hasn't turned out so badly, has it? But when Simone of[...]
Or is that "MaCaZu Sauce" because it's made with macadamia nuts, cashews and zucchini? :) This post has been a long time coming. I don't typically spend much thought on sauce recipes... usually it's curries, soups, appetizers and sweet treats that catch my attention with a new spin and won't let my brain go until I've posted the recipe. but when I saw Alex's recipe for Macazu Sauce I wante[...]
A bacon turmeric quiche may sound bizarre, but if you have access to fresh turmeric then this is what you should be doing with it. I love quiche because it’s dead easy… and how many other dishes can seem effortlessly appropriate at both breakfast and lunch? Enjoy this solo or with a piping hot Americano for breakfast, then serve this with a side of seasonal salad at midday and you’re[...]
I get so much inspiration from Instagram. I've posted about Instagram fun before, but this time something caught my eye that I had to recreate: Pineapple may be my favorite fruit, and who doesn't like shrimp? Sold. I don't properly know what's in the original (is that rice?) but in my version I made the base with one of the vegetables I'm having a moment with--cauliflower!--and added quick co[...]
This Paleo "Pasta" Puttanesca (the spaghetti is actually spiralized parsnips) is very similar to my recent Paleo Chicken Scallopini recipe, and I created them so close together because they share many of the same ingredients. Buy one bunch of parsley and one jar of capers, try both recipes! My Paleo "Pasta" Puttanesca recipe is a combination of strong flavors: anchovies, capers, garlic, Greek[...]
Something about this Scallion and Coconut Rice with Pork recipe snagged my attention and wouldn't let it go. But cauliflower is a great low-carb substitute for rice in my opinion, so I made that upgrade happen in my version: Coconut Ginger Cauliflower Pork. The result was a steaming, fragrant, savory bowl of real food deliciousness. I enjoyed it for dinner and again for a late-night snac[...]
This Chicken Scallopini is quite non-traditional. But that never stopped me before, and this version is delicious in its own way. I'd say it tastes both rich and fresh at the same time... although you might think that those are mutually exclusive characteristics! Traditional scallopini is made with noodles, mushrooms, broth, white wine and cream. Very heavy, and not Paleo in the slightes[...]
The past two Saturday mornings I have happily toted my mat across town for a group yoga session and core workout under huge, spreading oaks in Golden Gate Park. It's a perfect way to kick-start the weekend, and has left me feeling refreshed, centered and energized both times. Yesterday I arrived back at my apartment afterward craving something with tons of texture and flavor, but with a plant-[...]
Sometimes I get a craving for Indian food. Warm, thick, spicy, creamy... and vindaloo--a tangy, spicy curry from Goa, India that was originally brought to the region by Portuguese colonists--is a particular favorite of mine. There are plenty of great Indian restaurants in San Francisco, but the only way I really know I'm eating clean these days is to make it at home. Luckily, this re[...]
I love traditional recipes that require almost no adaptation to align with a Paleo nutritional approach. Jamaican Rundown is a great example of such a recipe. With a simple list of ingredients and minimal seasoning, it uses the flavors of real food (assisted by a cooking technique that specifically enhances flavor) to achieve a result that's thick, rich, and complex. The dish gets its nam[...]
I've had a ramen obsession for the past week, and San Francisco is a great place for it: there are interesting ramen joints in a variety of styles in every part of the city. But no Paleo ramen to be found, which is why I set out on a journey to make my own. Ramen (paleo ramen or not) is all about the broth. If you're unable or unwilling to make a gorgeous, nutrient-rich broth... time to[...]
I'm all about the easy soups and stews this winter. Preferably the kind that involves minimal chopping of ingredients, and while this recipe does require peeling and cubing sweet potatoes, the namesake ingredient (onions) are the type that comes out of a bag. This Sambar gets its flavor from a healthy dose of Indian spices and tamarind. So glad I'm finally using up my tamarind paste! It has[...]
Maybe Paleo Pad Thai is an oxymoron. But if this is wrong then I don't want to be right. ;) Although ingredient substitutions have been made due to dietary consideration (this is Paleo Pad Thai, after all) I've made every effort to adhere to a traditional Pad Thai recipe in every other way. I did a bit of research in preparation for developing my own Paleo Pad Thai recipe and discovered t[...]
Piping mashed potatoes through a cake decorating tip is quite a bit easier and less ridiculous than it sounds. In fact, this was the part of the recipe that was the most downright fun. All that's required to achieve an effect at least as good as mine is a steady hand and confidence. You'll find your rhythm in piping out the type of ribbons you like the look of best. I love this French riff[...]
I don't know when I first tasted chicken and biscuits. Maybe my beloved Texas grandmother made it for me, I can't be sure. What I very much DO know is that this is the perfect dish to serve on a cold winter night, preferably in front of a roaring fire. Like a deconstructed chicken pot pie, you top this unfussy recipe with biscuits instead of a crust. Tip: this dish is a great way to make use o[...]
I'm a bit of a baking addict, but this is my effort to cook more savory dishes. Meet a gorgeous, aromatic riff on beef massaman curry that's paleo (goodbye potatoes, sugar, and peanuts) and is a good introduction to cooking with ingredients you may not have much experience with, such as star anise, green cardamom pods, and kaffir lime leaves. It's worth noting that everything in this reci[...]
Pizza exposes the chip on my culinary shoulder (maybe it's never far from the surface). Anyone who knows me might be under the misconception that I "hate pizza"... maybe because I'm always shaking my head whenever anyone wants to go to a pizza joint. However, it's a bit more complicated than simple dislike. Pizza is like kids' food: cheap, sloppy, unarguably delicious. It's dough, tomato sauce[...]
I haven't posted many salads on this site, in fact, this may be the first one ever. It makes use of one of my favorite ingredients: shirataki noodles. They're thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from the konjac yam (devil's tongue yam or elephant yam). The word "shirataki" means "white waterfall", describing the appearance of these noodles. L[...]