Sunchoke “Picadillo”

Inspired in a Costa Rican traditional dish that is originally made with potatoes, I have adjusted it to a Paleo version using sunchokes. Cauliflower can be used as well.

I discovered sunchokes just a few months ago, I saw them at the store and wanted to try something different. The first time I simply sautéed them with olive oil, garlic, thyme, and salt. I discovered that they taste a little bit like a potato mixed with an artichoke heart, so they have become my new potato.

They are very rich in inulin,  a carbohydrate linked with good intestinal health due to its prebiotic (bacteria promoting) properties.

Read more about their health benefits here.

Vegetarians, simply omit the chicken and it is still delicious.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of olive oil
1 lb of diced boneless chicken
1 lb of diced sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), or potatoes
1/2 lb of diced tomato
1/2 diced bell pepper
1/2 large red onion, sliced
2 diced celery stalks
4 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 cup of broth or water
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tbsp of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

•  In a large sauce pan brown the onions, garlic and bell peppers for 5 minutes on high heat .
• Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the rest of the ingredients except for the cilantro,  mix well and cook covered until sunchokes are tender.
• Mix in the cilantro, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes

 

Sunchokes can be eaten peeled or unpeeled

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Thai Paleo Fried “Rice”

This dish can easily be adjusted to a vegetarian or vegan version by omitting the meat and honey. I have also made it with ground chicken and turkey, but I like it much better with ground or shredded pork or left over carnitas.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
1 lb of ground pork
1 medium chopped red onion
2 medium shredded carrots
1 medium diced zucchini
4 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp of chopped fresh basil
3 tbsp of coconut aminos (soy sauce replacement)
2-3 tbsp of date paste or 1- 1 1/2 tbsp of honey
1/2 tbsp of fresh finely shredded ginger
2 tbsp of sesame oil
1 tbsp of olive or coconut oil
1 tbsp of lemon juice
Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Preparation:

• In a large skillet sauté the onions, garlic and ginger, on medium-high heat, until onions are soft
•  Add in the ground pork and continue to cook until done.
• Stir constantly and break down the large clusters of meat.
• Add the rest of the vegetables except the cauliflower and cook until tender
• In a food processor pulse in the cauliflower until it’s the size of rice.
• Add the cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients to the skillet, mix, cover and continue to cook for about 4-6 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Thai Paleo Fried “Rice”

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 lb of ground pork
• 1 medium chopped red onion
• 2 medium shredded carrots
• 1 medium diced zucchini
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp of chopped fresh basil
• 3 tbsp of coconut aminos (soy sauce replacement)
•  2-3 tbsp of date paste or 1- 1 1/2 tbsp of honey
• 1/2 tbsp of fresh finely shredded ginger
• 2 tbsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp of olive or coconut oil
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

1. In a large skillet sauté the onions, garlic and ginger, on medium-high heat, until onions are soft
2. Add in the ground pork and continue to cook until done.
3. Stir constantly and break down the large clusters of meat.
4. Add the rest of the vegetables except the cauliflower and cook until tender
5. In a food processor pulse in the cauliflower until it’s the size of rice.
6. Add the cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients to the skillet, mix, cover and continue to cook for about 4-6 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

3.1.09

 

DO NOT over cook, or you will end up with a cauliflower puree.

Not Potato Salad

Looking for something to do with that mayo recipe I posted a couple of days ago? Here is a suggestion; a lower carb alternative to the traditional potato salad

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, steamed and diced
5 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise (see recipe here)
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 to 1 tbsp of dry dill weed or 2 tbsp of fresh
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Refrigerate for an hour.
• Sprinkle with some paprika and serve

Walnut Bacon Brussels Sprouts

 

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If you are not a fan of Brussels sprouts you probably tried an over-cooked batch. When cooked to the right doneness this Bacon Brussels Sprouts will convert any “sprout-skepticall” guest.

Just 100 gr of brussels sprouts contain over 100% of your daily requirements of vitamin C, and K. Pub Med has over 100 studies regarding their health benefits, most of them claiming anti-cancerous properties. They are also detoxifying, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

Ingredients:
1 lb of brussels sprouts, cut in half
1/4 cup of walnuts
3 slices of nitrate free bacon, chopped
1/4 cup of broth or water 2 garlic cloves,
1 tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• In a large skillet brown the bacon for 3 minutes.
• Add the brussels, walnuts, oil, garlic salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes.
• Add broth, cover and cook on low heat until brussels sprouts are tender.
• Do not over cook or the sprouts will be bitter

Thyme Sweet Potato Rounds

 

Same concept as sweet potato fries, but these are easier and faster, less cutting, easier to  turn and far more flavorful

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of sweet potatoes or yams
2-3 tbsp of melted coconut or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 475
• Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices
• Combine all ingredients and spread on a cookie sheet or baking pan on a single layer.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes until tender
• Turn the potato slices and broil until golden brown

Patacones (Fried Green Plantains)

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I have been asked to come up with recipes using lesser known vegetables, I think this one is actually a fruit, but since we are not using ripe plantains and these aren’t sweet, let’s ignore the basics of botany.

Also called “TOSTONES”, these are a popular dish in many Latin American countries.

Ingredients:

Green plantains
Olive oil or coconut oil
Salt

Preparation:

• Peel plantains the easiest way to peel them is to cut the ends and cut a slit lengthwise on the peel and separate peel from flesh
• Cut into 1 inch thick round slices
• Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add  the plantain slices to the hot oil and fry, turning frequently, until all sides are slighty golden brown
• Using a tortilla press , rolling-pin, or the bottom of a heavy drinking glass flatten the slices
• Fry slices again on both sides until slightly crispy and well browned
• Drain on paper towels and serve with chimichurri or your favorite dipping sauce

 

For those that do not know what a plantain is, it actually looks like a big banana with a much thicker skin

 

 

Cauliflower Rosted Garlic Soup

 

 I was trying very hard to make this one pretty, so I bought purple cauliflower. Well, the cauliflower didn’t stay purple and the soup didn’t turn out all that pretty but at least it was very tasty.

Note to self: Next time just buy the cheap, plain, white cauliflower and invest some money in prettier bowl

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 cauliflower head, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

2 heads of garlic

5 cups of broth (vegetable, chicken or bone)

1/2 tbsp of dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

 

• Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit
• Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact.
• Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the top of the cloves.
• Drizzle some olive oil on the exposed side of the cloves.
• Wrap in a parchment paper and then in aluminum foil.
• Place in a baking pan, cut side up and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until garlic feels soft when pressed.
• In a large saucepan  sauté the onions in olive oil until tender, add the rest of the ingredients, except the garlic and cook until cauliflower is soft.
• Remove from heat and add garlic.
• Using an immersion blender or a regular blended, combine ingredients until a creamy soup is formed

 

Tip: I bet this would taste good with a little bit of bacon… but so would everything else

Sweet Potato Sage Hash

 

Before I started on The Paleo Diet, I never really gave sweet potatoes much thought, now I put them on everything and could probably never go back to liking regular potatoes again.

There is nothing a potato can do that a sweet potato can not do better… mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato hash, sweet potato soup, baked sweet potato and now potato hash.

I serve this as a side dish, but it can easily spice up your breakfast as well

Ingredients:

3 tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil
2 cups of shredded carrot
2 cups of shredded sweet potatoes or yams
1 cup of shredded onion
2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup of water  or favorite broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• On medium to high heat, saute the onions, sweet potato, carrots and olive oil.
• Cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly, add the water, sage, salt and pepper and continue to cook until tender.
• Serve warm or cold as a sweet potato salad

 

Orange Sesame Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are a very versatile meat, they can be prepared as a sweet, savory  or spicy dish and served as an appetizer or an entrée.

They are naturally low in sodium, high in protein and contain iron, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, selenium, and folate.

Ingredients:

12 chicken wings
2 tbsp of sesame oil
1/4 cup of orange juice
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp of date paste (see recipe here)
1 tbsp of parsley flakes
Red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375 F
• Toss all ingredients together except for the sesame seeds.
• Bake for 30 minutes
• Broil until skin is crispy (optional)
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds
• Serve as an appetizer or as an entrée over cauliflower fried rice or cabbage salad

Basil Garlic Asparagus

 

I know that asparagus season is almost over, so I thought I could squeeze this one in still.

They are a natural prebiotic because they contain inulin, a type or carbohydrate that doesn’t get broken down in the first segments of our digestive tract, it passes undigested all the way to our large intestine. Once it arrives at our large intestine, it becomes an ideal food source for certain types of beneficial bacteria (like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli) that are associated with better nutrient absorption,and digestive health.

So simple, yet so  tasty.

 

Ingredients:

1 lb of asparagus spears
1 tbsp of fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp of olive oil
Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Steam asparagus until tender.
• Drain and transfer asparagus back to the pot while it is still very hot.
• Remove from heat.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, toss and cover.
•  Let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving

Recipe also works great with green beans (non-paleo)