Everyday Paleo (19 page)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 16–18 minutes

Serves: 4

• 1 apple
  
• 2 shallots
  
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil
  
• Cinnamon and sea salt
  
• 4 big pork chops
  
• ¼ cup white wine
  
• Slivered toasted almonds
  

1.
Slice the apple as thinly as possible and then cut the slices in half.

2.
Thinly slice the shallots.

3.
In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of the coconut oil over medium heat and add the apples and shallots. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the apples are tender but still a little crisp.

4.
Remove the apples and shallots from the pan and add the last tablespoon of coconut oil.

5.
Generously sprinkle cinnamon on both sides of the pork chops and lightly sprinkle on sea salt if desired.

6.
Rub the cinnamon and salt into the pork chops and place the chops in the hot oiled pan. Sear on each side for 2 minutes.

7.
Add wine to skillet and make sure you bring the wine to a boil to cook off the alcohol.

8.
After adding the wine, add the apple-shallot mixture back to the pan, cover and cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes. Depending on the thickness of your pork chops, it might need more or less time.

9.
Serve the pork chops with plenty of the apple and shallot mixture, and add a sprinkle of slivered toasted almonds on top.

Collard-Wrapped Tilapia

How do you make fish exciting? There are 10 million ways, so do not get me started, but this recipe is simple, fun, and surprising. It will be a sure way to get your little ones interested in eating seafood.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

• 4 collard green leaves
  
• 4 tilapia fillets
  
• Sea salt, paprika and black pepper to taste
  
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  

1.
Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.
Blanch the collard green leaves in boiling water for just a few seconds, remove and lay flat.

3.
Cut off the tough end piece of the collard greens and place one tilapia fillet in the center of each collard green, season the fish with the salt, paprika, and pepper, top with ½ tablespoon of coconut oil, and wrap firmly in the collard green.

4.
Place all the wrapped fish in a large glass baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Spice-It-Up Salmon

This recipe belongs to John. When I first met him, he was living off white rice and burnt chicken (the first meal he ever made me), and I must say I am more than impressed with how his cooking skills have improved over the years, and now I am happy to let the man cook for me. Maybe John will author the next
Everyday Paleo
cookbook from a man’s perspective?

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2–3

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  
• 2 pinches of sea salt
  
• Ground black pepper to taste
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  
• ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
  
• 2 pinches of cumin
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil, enough to make a paste
  
• 2 wild-caught salmon fillets
  

1.
Heat your grill to medium.

2.
In a small bowl add the crushed garlic cloves and all other spices. Add enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a paste—a couple tablespoons typically.

3.
Place the salmon fillets skin down on a large sheet of tin foil. Fold the sides up on the tin foil to make a tin foil “tray.”

4.
Rub the spice mixture on top of the salmon fillets and place the tin foil tray on the bottom rack of your grill. Cover the salmon loosely with more tin foil and close your grill.

5.
This is where you have to be careful because all grills cook differently, and all salmon fillets are different. It will typically take about ten minutes of cooking time. Make sure that the salmon is warm all the way through but still a bit pink in the middle.

6.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Skillet Salmon with Baby Bok Choy

Here’s another “what the heck is in my fridge” meal that turned out better than good. I made this for John when he came home for lunch one day, and he stood at the kitchen counter and ate it until it was gone, saying nothing. That’s the best compliment I can get! Thanks John for always being my biggest fan.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10–12 minutes