Paleo Cookbook For Dummies (74 page)

Ingredients

2-pound rack of lamb

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons dukkah

Pepper

Directions

1
Dry the lamb thoroughly with paper towels. Liberally sprinkle it all over with salt and refrigerate it for 4 hours to 2 days.

2
Remove the lamb from the fridge at least 1 hour before you cook it. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees, with the oven rack set in the middle. Place a wire rack on a foil-lined baking tray.

3
Coat the lamb with the dukkah and the pepper and place it on the wire rack.

4
Insert an instant-read, in-oven thermometer probe into the thickest part of the lamb. Aim it toward the center, away from the rib bones. Place the lamb in the oven.

5
Bake for 60 to 90 minutes. Remove the lamb as soon as the thermometer registers 130 degrees for medium rare or 140 degrees for medium.

6
Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice between the ribs before serving.

Per serving:
Calories 928 (From Fat 374); Fat 42g (Saturated 15g); Cholesterol 417mg; Sodium 568mg; Carbohydrate 0.5g (Dietary Fiber 0.5g); Protein 129g.

Note:
Dukkah
is an Egyptian spice blend.
Chapter 15
has a recipe for homemade dukkah.

Tip:
Instant-read, in-oven thermometers let you keep track of your food temperature without having to continually open and close the oven (letting out heat). I talk more about meat thermometers in
Chapter 21
.

Recipe courtesy Michelle Tam, author of Nom Nom Paleo (
http://nomnompaleo.com
)

This recipe has been vetted by the team at Whole9 (
http://whole9life.com
) and is considered acceptable for a cleansing 30-day Paleo launch.

Chocolate Chili

Prep time:
20 min •
Cook time:
2–3 hr •
Yield:
8 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)

2 pounds ground beef

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

One 6-ounce can tomato paste

One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes

One 14.5-ounce can beef broth

Directions

1
Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat and add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add the onions and, stirring with a wooden spoon, cook until they're translucent, about 7 minutes.

2
Add the garlic and, as soon as it's fragrant (about 30 seconds), crumble the ground beef into the pan with your hands, mixing with the wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it's no longer pink.

3
In a small bowl, crush the oregano between your palms to release its flavor. Add the chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, allspice, and salt. Mix with a fork and then stir into the ground beef.

4
Add the tomato paste and stir until combined, about 2 minutes.

5
Add the tomatoes with their juice, the beef broth, and 1 cup of water to the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for at least 2 hours.

Per serving:
Calories 472 (From Fat 342); Fat 38g (Saturated 16g); Cholesterol 88mg; Sodium 1,056mg; Carbohydrate 14g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 20g.

Recipe courtesy Melissa Joulwan, author of Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat and The Clothes Make the Girl (
www.theclothesmakethegirl.com
)

This recipe has been vetted by the team at Whole9 (
http://whole9life.com
) and is considered acceptable for a cleansing 30-day Paleo launch.

Spicy Stuffed Eggplant

Prep time:
10 min •
Cook time:
20 min •
Yield:
4 servings

Ingredients

2 large eggplants

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon dried thyme

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

¹
⁄
₂
pound ground beef, cooked

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2
Wash the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the pulp, chop it coarsely, and set it aside. Leave a scooped shell about
¹
⁄
₂
-inch thick.

3
In a large skillet, heat half the oil. Place the eggplant shells cut-side down in the oil and cook for about 5 minutes. With tongs, transfer the shells cut side up to a shallow, ovenproof dish.

4
Add the remaining oil to the skillet and sauté the onions and garlic for 2 minutes over medium heat.

5
Add the eggplant pulp, tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat until most of the moisture evaporates and a stew-like mixture remains.

6
Remove the skillet from the heat and mix in the beef. Stuff the eggplant shells with the meat mixture and bake for 15 minutes.

7
Top with the parsley and serve.

Per serving:
Calories 539 (From Fat 356); Fat 40g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 38mg; Sodium 306mg; Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 10g); Protein 21g.

Recipe courtesy Mark Sisson, author of Primal Blueprint and Mark's Daily Apple (
www.marksdailyapple.com
)

This recipe has been vetted by the team at Whole9 (
http://whole9life.com
) and is considered acceptable for a cleansing 30-day Paleo launch.

Beef Stuffed Zucchini

Prep time:
25 min •
Cook time:
30 min •
Yield:
8 servings

Ingredients

4 large zucchini

2 pounds ground beef

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

1 large shallot, minced

¹
⁄
₄
cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1 egg, beaten

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Chop about half the seeds for the stuffing and put them in a large bowl; discard the remainder. Place the zucchini shells in a shallow baking dish.

3
Add the ground beef, garlic, coconut aminos, shallot, parsley, chili powder, egg, salt, and pepper to the zucchini pulp and mix well.

4
Sauté the meat mixture in a large sauté pan until the meat is lightly browned.

5
Divide the meat mixture among the zucchini halves, piling the filling up over the top of each shell.

6
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the zucchini flesh is tender. The zucchini gets very soft after baking, so be extra careful when serving.

Per serving:
Calories 330 (From Fat 168); Fat 19g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 98mg; Sodium 386mg; Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 31g.

Vary It!
You can easily substitute bell peppers for the zucchini in this recipe.

Tip:
Garnish the zucchini boats with the Fried Sage Leaves from
Chapter 10
before serving.

Recipe courtesy Arsy Vartanian, author of Rubies & Radishes (
www.rubiesandradishes.com
)

This recipe has been vetted by the team at Whole9 (
http://whole9life.com
) and is considered acceptable for a cleansing 30-day Paleo launch.

Chapter 15

Paleo Perfect Spice Blends

In This Chapter

Utilizing spices that heal the body

Stirring up spice blends to make your meals pop

Think about all the little things that make a big impact in your life — a simple walk on the beach or maybe a smile from someone you love. Well, spices are kind of like that: just small things that make a big difference.

Spices crank up the flavor in any dish. Bursting with sweetness or warming with heat, spices turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Adding spices lets you create really great dishes with few ingredients; the spices take away the need to add a lot of extras like rich sauces and condiments.

Cayenne pepper, chili pepper, chipotle powder, and paprika are considered
nightshades.
This label means that if you have an autoimmune or inflammatory condition, these spices may aggravate your symptoms, and you should avoid them.

Tapping the Healing Power of Spices

Many cultures have used spices to heal for thousands of years. That's why I love to add lots of spices to my meals; in fact, my spice drawer is probably the busiest drawer in my kitchen! The following are my top picks for healing spices:

Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is serious about balancing blood sugar. Its active ingredient,
cinnamaldehyde,
decreases blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglycerides and increases good cholesterol. This wonderful spice may also help treat cancer because it may slow the development of new blood supplies to tumors.

Cayenne:
Cayenne lowers blood pressure and has even been known to stop a heart attack! Cayenne thins phlegm and eases its passage through the lungs, and it improves digestion and relieves nausea and gas.

Black pepper:
Pepper is a great spice to maximize your digestion. It helps move food along the colon at a good pace, and the quicker and smoother the ride, the healthier your colon.

If you have digestive complaints, black pepper can be irritating to the intestinal lining.