Tag Archives: Recipes

Primalgirl Cooks: Paleo Pasta Part Two

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PastaAustin and Houston were amazing, thanks for asking! Okay, you didn’t ask, you’re waiting for the pasta recipe. Sorry to those of you on the East Coast, I promised you dinner for Monday night. I forgot about the time difference and the ass-pain of airport security. To those on the West Coast, you’re welcome. O_o

Here goes. Hopefully you made your sweet potato, yam or plantain flour. If you didn’t, you can experiment with other flours such as rice, quinoa, sorghum, finely milled almond flour, or other gluten-free flours that you’ve found don’t give you gastric distress. The basic recipe is as follows:

Paleo Pasta

Ingredients

  • 140 grams sweet potato flour or a combination of flours.
    (Please see note below if using almond flour.)
  • 60 grams tapioca starch
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 1 tsp salt

Note: If you want to use almond flour, I suggest making the following changes with regards to flour, unless you want to add xantham gum and/or guar gum to help the pasta hold together. All the other ingredients (eggs and salt) remain the same. Almond flour is not starchy at all and doesn’t absorb the liquid from the eggs very well. This causes a couple different problems. First off, if you simply follow the regular recipe and just substitute some almond flour, your dough will be wet and sticky. If you don’t use finely milled almond flour, or you use too much, your dough will have chunks in it and it will break apart if you try to roll it out too thin.

Option 1
Option 2
• 120 grams starchy flour
• 40 grams almond flour
• Extra tapioca or arrowroot powder for rolling out the dough
• 100 grams starchy flour
• 40 grams almond flour
• 80 grams tapioca starch
• Extra tapioca or arrowroot powder for rolling out the dough

Directions

Get your water boiling. I like to add salt and olive oil to the water, but I’m not sure it’s terribly necessary.

If you have a stand mixer, add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and blend to combine. If you’re using a regular mixing bowl, whisk or use a fork instead. (For the following steps, imagine your hands are the stand mixer’s paddle and just follow along. Go wash your hands first, though.)

Make a well in the center of the flour and dump the eggs in. Blend with the stand mixer or use a fork until it’s mostly combined. (You can finish it off when you knead it.)

Turn the dough out onto a clean, flat working surface, lightly dusted with tapioca, arrowroot or other flour if your dough is a little sticky. Knead it by hand until it’s smooth. If it feels a little dry, you can add a teaspoon of olive oil. It’s it’s too wet, add a sprinkle of whatever flour you want until it’s perfect. Your dough should feel silky and smooth and should not be sticky.

I like to wrap the dough in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. You won’t be able to roll it all out at once and it will dry out and crack if you just leave it sitting on the counter.

Either use a rolling pin and roll out about 1/4 of the dough as thinly as you can, or put small chunks of it through your pasta roller until it’s the desired thickness. Because this has eggs in it, it puffs up a bit when you cook it. If you don’t get it pretty thin, you’re going to have very thick pasta. It will take longer to cook and you may not be happy with the result.

Cut the pasta to your desired shape, using a pastry wheel, an attachment on your pasta roller or a plain old knife. If you’re making spaghetti or other long noodles, it helps to use a pasta drying rack to keep them from sticking together. However, when I started out, I simply used a cookie sheet and separated layers of pasta with wax paper. I DO love my pasta rack, though. It’s way faster and easier. Once you’ve got them hanging up, or lying flat but separated, it’s okay if they start to dry out.


To cook the pasta, put it in boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes. Ravioli will take a little longer, approximately 6 minutes. Once it has started to float towards the surface, take a piece out and taste it. Act quickly — pasta like this can quickly turn from perfect to mush if you’re not careful. Once it’s done, drain and serve with your favorite sauce.

I’ll be posting pictures of my ravioli on Facebook and Twitter tomorrow, once I get my husband up out of bed and he finds the camera for me. I’ll also try to post a recipe for my pumpkin sage cream sauce soon for those of you that are nightshade free.

Enjoy! I hope this works as well for your family as it has for mine. I’d love to hear about your experiences, the different flours you used and what you thought of the recipe in the comments.

Homemade Coconut Milk, Coconut Cream and Coconut Butter

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Coconut is amazing. You can turn it into flour, milk, oil or butter. You can drink the water. You can simply eat the coconut. You can buy it shredded or in cans. Most of us don’t think about how simple it is to make things ourselves and so we pay $14 for a jar of coconut butter or $2.50 for a can of coconut milk and resign ourselves to shelling out for it because it’s awesome.

My kids have to take milk to school to fulfill some bullshit calcium requirement and since they’re dairy free, we’ve been sending them off with coconut milk. I’ve tried watering down canned coconut milk but it tastes…canned. I had started buying coconut milk “drink” in tetra paks, but at $2 each, it was getting expensive. Plus, one look at the “vitamins” on the side revealed that all the additives were artificial – even in the Trader Joe’s brand. I read a post on The Primal Parent about the damage that those artificial vitamins can do and how to make your own almond milk (which I did, and it was amazing but I can’t send the kids off to school with any type of nut product). So, I set off to make my own coconut milk. I simply used shredded coconut instead of nuts and used the same procedure.

The result was the silkiest, smoothest most delicous coconut milk I’ve ever had. It was fragrant. With a flavor I’d never tasted before. It tasted…fresh. The first batch I made separated in the fridge and had to be brought to room temperature and re-blended in order to drink it so I set about tweaking it. The fat congealed in one big lump and floated to the top. Frequent attempts to shake it back into submission only resulted in the lump getting bigger, much like dairy butter. (In case you’re curious, the fat that separated was pure coconut cream — or more correctly, coconut butter, but we tend to think of coconut butter as something else — I’ll get to that later. We’ll just call it cream for simplicity’s sake.) It was richer and smoother than the coconut cream you buy in the store and didn’t taste like it had come from China, which is how the stuff I’ve found tends to taste. It was solid like a block of butter is when you first remove it from the fridge, but when it warmed up it had the consistency of whipping cream.

Coconut butter is like peanut butter — the flesh of the nut with the absolute shit blended out of it. It’s not technically “butter” any more than almond butter is butter, but it is beyond amazing. It’s also very expensive. Artisana sells a 16-oz jar of Coconut Butter for almost 14 bucks. Sure, it’s raw. And organic. So is the stuff you can make at home. I estimate you can make a 16-oz jar of the stuff yourself for less than three dollars, depending on how much you got your coconut for. I bought a jar before I started experimenting so that I would know what it tasted like. It tasted like an orgasm feels. There is no other way to describe it.

So how do you make these things yourself? Well, here are the recipes.

Coconut Butter

You’re going to feel like a dimwit when I tell you how easy this one is, but don’t. Please. We’ve become programmed to think that only the all-powerful food industry holds the secret to foods like mayonnaise, peanut butter and pickles, but they are incredibly easy — and way cheaper — to make at home.

Things You’ll Need:

  • Blender (a high powered blender like a Vitamix work the best but any old blender will do.)
  • Shredded Coconut (I use Bob’s Red Mill Fine Macaroon Unsweetened Coconut. You can use any brand you want, but make sure it is finely shredded and unsweetened.)

1. Put the shredded coconut in the blender and put on the lid. You’ll want to use at least a couple cups of coconut since it reduces and you’ll definitely want more than a tablespoon of finished product.

2. Turn on the blender and gradually turn it up to high.

With a Vitamix, you’ll have finished coconut butter in about 3 minutes. With a regular blender, it might take as long as 15-20 minutes, but it will eventually turn into butter. Turn off the blender and scrap down the sides if you need to once the butter starts to form. Blend to desired consistency (just taste it to figure out how smooth you want it).

That. Is. It.

Note: Don’t add any type of sweetener to your coconut butter. I know it looks like icing, but it isn’t. I tried to make “icing” by adding some agave nectar and strangely enough, it dried the coconut butter out. No amount of re-blending gave it back the wonderful consistency it had before I added the agave. It should be fine if you’re using the coconut butter in a recipe that also calls for sweetener.

Coconut Milk and Cream

You can use this exact same recipe to make cashew milk, almond milk or any-type-of-nut milk, including a wonderful blend of all your favorites. Just make sure you drain and rinse the nuts and use fresh water in your recipe. With coconut milk, you use the same water that you soak the coconut in. This is the only difference.

Things You’ll Need:

  • Shredded Coconut
  • Blender
  • Filtered Water
  • Tea towel (I use Flour Sack Towels. Love, love, love them.)
  • Clean glass bottle
  • Funnel if your bottle has a narrow mouth
  • Guar Gum (if you want the cream to stay emulsified in the coconut milk)
  • Sugar/Honey (optional)
  • Vanilla (optional)

You’ll have to experiment with coconut to water ratios to get the consistency that you like but here are some basics that I like:

  • Coconut milk to drink: 1 cup coconut, 4 cups water
  • Coconut milk to cook with: 2 cups coconut, 4 cups water

1. Soak coconut in filtered water for several hours or overnight. I just do this step right in my blender. Less mess, fewer dishes. Work smarter, not harder. Flip the switch a couple times during the day to mix it all up, if you feel the need.

2. When you’re ready, turn the blender on high for 2-3 minutes in a Vitamix, a little longer (say 5 minutes) in a regular blender.

3. Set up your glass bottle, funnel and tea towel. 4. Strain the coconut milk by pouring it slowly into the funnel and squeezing the excess liquid into the bottle. You can discard the leftover pulp or use it for recipes. (It’s rather tasteless at this point) Repeat until all the milk is strained.

5. When you’ve finished straining your coconut milk, you have several options. If you want it unflavored and unsweetened, or you want coconut cream you can go ahead and drink it now or put it in the fridge. Otherwise, you’re going to need to return it to the blender. This is what I do.

6. I add 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tablespoon of regular sugar and 1/4 tsp of guar gum while the blender is on. That way the guar gum doesn’t clump. I usually mix the guar gum with the sugar and add them together. It seems to work quite well.

7. When the coconut milk is flavored/sweetened to your taste, pour it back into your glass bottle.

A note on using Guar Gum: The following pictures are of freshly made coconut milk using guar gum. Notice the separation on the left. Even though you’ve used guar gum, the coconut milk will separate several times. Just give it a little shake to remix it. The guar gum keeps the fat from clumping when you refrigerate it and will eventually keep it emulsified once the temperature has dropped. If you don’t use any, you will end up with a clump of coconut cream that will not mix back into the milk unless you bring it to room temperature and reblend it. Using Xanthan Gum makes a product thicker and is not what you want in this case, unless you want to thicken the coconut milk up. I caution against this, though. If you want thicker coconut milk, use more coconut and less water. Xanthan gum gives your finished milk a slimy feel, especially if you use too much. Be careful with the amount of Guar Gum, too. The same thing can happen. A scant 1/4 tsp in 4 cups of water is enough.

8. Your fresh coconut milk will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it, but be prepared for some separation when it thaws.

Let me know how it turns out for you! Try making some other nut milks. My favorite is cashew milk. Just make sure you soak the nuts for about 12 hours and dump the water out and rinse before beginning. Nuts contain phytic acid and other anti-nutrients you don’t necessarily want to drink.

Save yourself some time:

Once you’ve made your nut butter, leave some in the blender and add water. Blend for a minute or so and then strain. Instant nut milk! Plus you’ve used up the last bits in the blender and made cleanup easier.

Primalgirl Cooks: Paleo Holiday Brussel Sprouts

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Paleo Holiday Brussel Sprouts

Let me start by saying, I don’t think there is anyone on this planet who hated brussel sprouts more than I did. I have tried them at various times throughout my life, prepared by different people and never had one I liked. Until I added bacon to them.

I don’t know what made me experiment with brussel sprouts, perhaps it was one last ditch effort to enjoy a vegetable that my whole family loves and insists on having at every holiday. I came up with the perfect recipe for the holidays – the combination of the cranberries, bacon and walnuts is truly epic and compliments (while masking) the taste of the sprouts. Adding the balsamic vinegar reduction was the coup de grâce, though, it completely changes the entire flavor. This recipe can be a main dish in itself or makes the perfect accompaniment to any dinner.

If it’s any testament as to how freakin’ delicious this is, I would willingly eat this a couple times a week. The leftovers are even better the next day, reheat beautifully and make a great lunch. This can be made up in advance and gently reheated in the microwave or oven. The measurements are subjective; if you love walnuts, add more. If you hate cranberries, use raisins or leave them out. You really can’t mess this up. Using 1 lb of bacon and 2 lbs of sprouts will yield about 10-12 side dish servings or 4-6 main dish servings.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs brussel sprouts, washed, trimmed and quartered
  • Bacon (I use an entire pound. The ‘ends and pieces’ nitrate-free bacon from Trader Joe’s is awesome for this. Use less if you want, but at least 5-6 slices.)
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth, bone broth or stock
  • 1/4-1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/4-1/2 cup organic dried cranberries
  • Salt, to taste. (Warning: add this LAST — after the bacon — or you’ll regret it!)

Directions:

  1. Wash, trim the ends and quarter the brussel sprouts. Set aside.
  2. In a large frying pan, cook the bacon until the fat releases. I like to chop it up before I cook it, but you can always crumble it afterwards. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Leave the bacon fat in the pan. Use it ALL, trust me.

  3. Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

    In a small saucepan, reduce the balsamic vinegar over low to medium heat. You’ll need to whisk it so it doesn’t burn. You’ll know when it’s done, it will become thick and syrupy, like in the picture. Remove from heat and whisk in the chicken broth to deglaze the saucepan. Set aside.

  4. Saute the brussel sprouts in the bacon fat for a few minutes (I do this for 2-4 minutes). Make sure they’re all coated with it’s saturated goodness.
  5. Add the vinegar reduction and broth to the sprouts and mix it all up. Cook over low to medium heat until the sprouts are done the way you like them, approximately 5-10 minutes. You can cover the pan to speed up the cooking time, but I like to let the broth evaporate off. Don’t worry if there’s some liquid left, the cranberries will soak it up. Add more chicken broth if the pan dries out.
  6. When the sprouts are cooked, add the walnuts, cranberries and bacon back in and stir. Cook for a minute to heat through. Taste and add a pinch of salt if you want. You should find that any liquid left in the pan gets all soaked up. Serve and enjoy!

The bane of children everywhere turns delicious when bacon is added.

Dairy / Recipes

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Notice there are no eggs. Eggs are not dairy. They come from chickens, not cows.

Quite a few of you have been asking me for recipes. You might be considering going Primal or Paleo, but are afraid that your choices will be too limited. I’m going to be including some recipes that contain dairy to get you started. You may be considering ditching the grains and sugar, but giving up dairy is just too much to bear. That’s how I felt, and I still eat (organic) dairy. However, my weight loss has plateaued, so I have to try something different. My mission is to lose 10 pounds over the next couple of months and I think that cutting out dairy and adding in a little Intermittent Fasting is the way to go. I’ll let you know how that goes. O_o Notice my plan does not include killing myself at the gym. You’ll be happy to know that primal fitness doesn’t include long, back breaking hours on the treadmill.

I guess it’s good to publicly state a goal. I am giving myself 3 months (to the end of June) to lose 10 pounds. I know it can be done, but since it’s the final, stubborn last 10 pounds, it will be an experiment.

So back to Dairy. Can you eat cheese on a Primal diet? Yes. Dairy is controversial in the Paleo community but is an “acceptable indulgence” in the Primal world. Dairy (even full-fat) does illicit a small insulin response, so indulge responsibly. The following is taken from Mark Sisson’s Definitive Guide to Dairy:

“…Dairy, especially raw and/or fermented full-fat dairy, resides in a Primal gray area. The literature, the evolutionary reasoning, and the anecdotal reports all unanimously point to sugar, cereal grains and legumes,processed foods, and industrial vegetable oils as being net negatives on the human metabolic spectrum, but dairy is somewhat different. The other Neolithic foodstuffs we can rule out because the science condemning them is fairly concrete and they weren’t on the menu 20,000 years ago. Heck, they weren’t just off the menu; they were basically unrecognizable as food in the raw state. Dairy, on the other hand, is a relatively recent food chronologically, but it is most assuredly and obviously a viable nutritive source in its raw form. It’s full of highly bioavailable saturated fat, protein, and carbs – in equal portions. You could conceivably survive on milk alone…Milk is baby fuel. It’s literally meant to spur growth and enable a growing body. Our bodies definitely recognize dairy as food, even foreign bovine dairy. But is it good nutrition?  I don’t know. I’m not sure anyone really does, in fact, which is why I place dairy firmly in Primal limbo.”

Moo.

So, my philosophy is, if you’re not lactose or dairy intolerant and you’re not on a weight loss mission, then go ahead and include dairy in your diet. Just don’t make it the focus of your meals. I struggle to get enough fat in my diet and often rely on dairy products to bridge the gap. Remember, you want dairy from organic, grass fed sources. And make sure you get full fat products! The lower the fat content, the higher the sugar and that is definitely something you want to avoid. I have heavy whipping cream in my coffee, my kids drink whole milk and we only eat cheese, yogurt and kefir made from whole milk. The fat is what we want, after all, so why would we substitute it for sugar? Making sure everything is organic, or comes from trusted sources, ensures that we’re not ingesting any antibiotic residue. Happy milk comes from happy cows, right?

Raw or fermented dairy is the best. In fact, if you are lactose intolerant, you should be able to eat raw dairy without any problems. There are plenty of lactose-free products on the market, but these have been heavily processed and contain tons of sugar.

The first 2 recipes I’m going to include on this blog contain dairy and they’re ones I eat weekly. I’ll post them in separate entries so you can bookmark them if you want to make them over and over again!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Blue Cheese Dressing – coming soon!

Even when I do give up dairy, I’m not giving up the heavy whipping cream in my coffee. I just don’t want to.