Cabbage Salad

Now I must admit the name doesn't do it justice! But it tastes good! Especially with homemade burgers or steak.

Cabbage Salad
1/2 white cabbage
2 carrots
1 small onion
Fresh parsley
1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

1) Shred the cabbage as thinly as possible and grate the carrots and onion.
2) Mix it all together and add the juice of 1 lemon, a good swig of olive oil and salt and pepper and a handful of chopped parsley.

Cottage Pie

A paleo twist to a good old classic!

Having a few problems with my camera at the moment but will get some photos up as soon as it is working again!

I made this out of a few left overs I had but it was so good I will definitely be trying it again! The sweetness of the suede really adds something to this - I'd choose this over potato any day!

Cottage Pie


500g beef mince
2 sticks of celery
3 carrots
1 onion
garlic
mixed herbs
1 tin tomatoes
salt and pepper

1 suede
butter

1) Dice the onion and fry in a little olive oil with the garlic until soft.
2) Add the mince and season with a bit of salt and pepper. When brown drain any excess fat.
3) Add the carrots and celery, diced small, add more salt and pepper to taste and mixed herbs.
4) When the vegetables are softer add the tin of tomatoes and some water if necessary. You want it to be quite liquidy so you can reduce it. Simmer with the lid off for about 20 mins until the water has gone and the sauce is quite thick. This process will really bring out the flavour.
5) Peel and cut the suede then boil for about 20 mins until soft enough to mash, and mash with a little butter and salt and pepper.
6) line an oven proof dish with the mince and then top with the suede and grill till brown.

Meatballs and Ratatouille

These meatballs were delicious, if I do say so myself!

I decided to make a ratatouille with them as I had the perfect ingredients for that, but I think they would also be delicious in a tomato sauce with thinly sliced courgettes - see recipe below.

Meatballs
500g lean mince beef
1 teaspoon of dried garlic
1 teaspoon of dried chili
1 tablespoon of mixed dried herbs
salt and pepper to season

1) Add all of the seasoning to the beef and work through with your hands until evenly distributed.
2) Roll the meat into balls.
3) Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins.

These measurements are very rough - feel free to play around with them, adding different spices and herbs if you prefer.

Ratatouille
2 courgettes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 aubergine
1 onion
Garlic
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Mixed herbs
Balsamic vinegar
1 tin of tomatoes

1) Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the garlic and diced onion. Cook until soft.
2) Add the peppers, courgettes and aubergine - all cut into nice big chunks. Season with salt and pepper and mixed herbs.
3) When the vegetables are softer add the tin of tomatoes. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar then simmer with the lid off until reduced - if necessary add some water in with the tin of tomatoes.

Sliced Banana and Almond Butter

This is a delicious snack I have recently discovered. Almond butter is just like peanut butter, but with almonds! Perfectly paleo and even more tasty if you ask me. It tastes great spread onto banana slices and sprinkled with a bit of shredded coconut too.


My next thing to try with almond butter is a satay style sauce...will keep you posted!

Year of the root vegetable!

So you have probably heard about my butternut squash obsession by now...well in 2011 I have decided to branch out a bit! I do have some love for the good old parsnip, but I am developing a new love affair with the swede too. Last night I had mashed turnip with beef stew and tonight I shall be trying a celeriac for the first time!

Mashed Turnip 
So easy, it doesn't really need a recipe!

Ingredients 
Turnips
coconut milk (optional)
Salt and pepper

1) Peel and cut the turnip into chunks
2) Boil for 10-15 mins until tender
3) Drain, add the salt and pepper and a dash of coconut milk and mash

Yum, yum, yum!

Perfect Paleo Roast

I think the perfect paleo meal has to be a good old Sunday Roast!

I usually do this with chicken, but as its Christmas we thought we would treat ourselves to a pork joint. Now I won't pretend it was as lean as it could have been, but like I said, it's that time of year, we are allowed to cut ourselves a bit of slack!

Ingredients
Pork roasting joint
Parsnips
Beetroots
Carrots
Onions
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1) Peel the beetroots and cut them in half. Peel the carrots and cut into big thick strips and do the same with the parsnips (I tend not to peel these). Peel the onions and cut into quarters.
2) Place the pork in the oven on its highest setting for the first 15 mins, then turn down to about 220 degrees for the remaining cooking time.
3) When the meat has 1 hour to go, add the vegetables to the same pan with a little olive oil if necessary and season with salt and pepper.

That is it! It's so easy. Cooking the mean and vegetables together not only makes the veg taste great, but saves on washing up too! You can follow this recipe substituting the pork for any other meat - chicken is a personal favourite! Perfect to beat the Sunday evening blues on these cold, snowy winter days.

Mushroom madness!

Firstly, I have been so awful at blogging recently...I have been creating some delicious meals and not sharing them with you! But this is it, I'm back and and here to stay!

So, apart from my butternut squash addiction, which I continue to battle, but it just keeps tempting me in...mashed, roasted, chipped, you name it, I love it!

Anyway, now, I just can't stop stuffing mushrooms!

Here is one of my faves!

Ingredients
Big field mushrooms
Onion
Garlic
Red pepper
Carrots
1 tin of tomatoes
Turkey mince
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley

1) Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until brown and season with salt and pepper.
2) Add the turkey mince cook until brown.
3) Add the diced red pepper and carrots and salt, pepper and parsley and cook until soft.
4) Add the tin of tomatoes and a few table spoons of water then simmer with the lid off until it reduces and the sauce thickens.
5) Grill the mushroom for about 2-3 minutes on each side, then stuff with the mince and grill for a final 2-3 mins.

Now I do have some photos but I must apologise for the terrible photography skills but you will get the idea!