Paleo Cookbook For Dummies (86 page)

• Make double for dinner. This way, you always have at least a day's worth of leftovers to throw in everyone's lunchbox.

• Intentionally decide which night's meal will become the next day's lunch. This smooths your menu and grocery planning.

Fresh to-go options

• Precut vegetables and fruit. Buy snack packs or cut them yourself and pack them in portion-sized containers.

• Buy single-serve store-bought packets of guacamole.

• Make a week's worth of Paleo quiches and egg muffins that you can easily grab and go.

• Pre-boil eggs for a fast protein option available throughout the entire week. You can eat them straight up or devil them (check out
Chapter 10
for a deviled eggs recipe).

• Pack chicken, egg, or tuna salad (made with a Paleo-friendly mayo like the ones in
Chapter 9
) in individual containers or stuffed into peppers.

• Make DIY plantain chips or other homemade or dehydrated veggie chips.

Nonperishables

• Put together small premade containers of homemade trail mix with nuts, coconut flakes, dried fruit, and so on.

• Consider jerky. Grass-fed beef jerky in particular makes a great option for high-quality protein you can toss into a lunchbox when you've run out of everything, including eggs!

• Keep individual packets of raw, unsweetened nut butters handy.

• Pick up dried fruits such as banana chips. Watch out for added sugars and other iffy ingredients, though!

Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

Prep time:
5 min •
Cook time:
35 min •
Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons coconut or macadamia oil, melted

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala spice blend

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground sea salt

Directions

1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2
Cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into
¹
⁄
₂
-inch wide fries. (Each potato should make 6 to 8 fries.)

3
In a gallon-sized zip-top bag, combine the sliced fries with the remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously for at least 1 minute to ensure that the oil and spices have evenly combined and coated each fry.

4
Spread the fries evenly on the baking sheet.

5
Bake for 35 minutes; check the fries to be sure that they're browning evenly.

6
Serve the fries while they're hot.

Per serving (1 tablespoon):
Calories 105 (From Fat 45); Fat 5g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 130mg; Carbohydrate 14g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 1g.

Tip:
If you like your fries to be a little crisp on the ends, you can set your oven to broil and broil them for a couple of minutes after you check them for browning in Step 5.

Vary It!
Garam masala blends usually contain cumin and other warm spices. Omit the garam masala if your family doesn't enjoy spicy foods.

Recipe courtesy Audrey Olson, author of Primal Kitchen: A Family Grokumentary (
www.primalkitchen.blogspot.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.

Barbecue Flavored Kale Chips

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

Ingredients

4 cups chopped fresh kale (stems removed)

2 tablespoons cashew butter

1 tablespoon bacon fat or coconut oil, melted

1 tablespoon macadamia oil

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

4 drops organic stevia extract (optional)

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons paprika

4 drops fish sauce (optional)

Sea salt to taste

Directions

1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2
Wash the chopped kale, and then use paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. Put the kale in a gallon-sized zip-top bag.

3
Blend the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

4
Add the blended seasoning mixture to the bag with the kale. Close the bag and massage it for a couple of minutes to get the seasoning mix into as many crannies of the kale as possible.

5
Spread the kale chips out on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, gently stirring the chips after 10 minutes. The kale will get a little limp before it starts to dry and crisp up during this process.

6
Watch the kale carefully as it approaches the 20 minute mark to make sure that it doesn't burn; you're looking for crispy chips that are dark brown on the edges, not black all the way through!

7
If needed, stir the chips and continue baking. If desired, finish the chips for 1 minute under the broiler just to crisp them a little more.

8
Enjoy your kale chips hot, fresh, and crispy straight out of the oven.

Per serving (1 tablespoon):
Calories 297 (From Fat 207); Fat 23g (Saturated 13g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 694mg; Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 8g.

Tip:
Red Boat fish sauce is a premium fish sauce made with only anchovies and sea salt. It's a great addition to your pantry for this and many other Paleo recipes!

Tip:
If you don't care for stevia but still want a little sweetness to your barbecue flavor, you can substitute a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey in your seasoning mixture.

Recipe courtesy Audrey Olson, author of Primal Kitchen: A Family Grokumentary (
www.primalkitchen.blogspot.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.

Lunchbox Stuffed Peppers

Prep time:
35 min •
Yield:
4 servings

Ingredients

¹
⁄
₄
cup Paleo mayonnaise

5 hard-boiled eggs, diced

¹
⁄
₄
cup unsweetened pickle relish

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

8 mini sweet peppers, about 3 inches long, tops and seeds removed

Directions

1
In a medium bowl, combine the mayo, eggs, and relish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2
Using a small spoon, scoop the egg salad into the peppers until just filled to the top.

3
Enjoy immediately or save in the fridge for a future packed lunch.

Per serving (1 tablespoon):
Calories 192 (From Fat 126); Fat 14g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 246mg; Sodium 317mg; Carbohydrate 8g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 9g.

Note:
Chapter 9
has some Paleo-approved mayo recipes. Bubbies relish (
www.bubbies.com/prod_pure_kosher_dill_relish.shtml
) is one option for a live, lacto-fermented relish that is free of sugar.

Vary It!
Substitute canned tuna in water or leftover baked chicken (diced) for the eggs.

Recipe courtesy Audrey Olson, author of Primal Kitchen: A Family Grokumentary (
www.primalkitchen.blogspot.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.

Parsnip Hash Browns

Prep time:
15 min •
Cook time:
15 min •
Yield:
3 servings

Ingredients

3 parsnips, peeled

4 tablespoons coconut oil

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground cloves

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground nutmeg

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1
Using a box shredder, shred the parsnips until you reach the core.

2
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil and then add the spices.

3
Toss the parsnip shreds into the pan. Stir and turn frequently. The parsnips will begin to brown, crisp, and clump together. Use a spatula to shape them into three hash brown cakes about the size of your palm.

4
Continue turning the parsnip cakes for another couple of minutes, until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside. Serve immediately.

Per serving (1 tablespoon):
Calories 274 (From Fat 171); Fat 19g (Saturated 16g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 395mg; Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 7g); Protein 2g.

Note:
Because parsnips are naturally slightly sweet but not overly starchy, this recipe is a palate-pleasing yet less-carby alternative to potato hash browns.

Vary It!
You can substitute butter or ghee for the coconut oil. You can also try replacing the spices with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt before pan-frying for a savory take.

Recipe courtesy Audrey Olson, author of Primal Kitchen: A Family Grokumentary (
www.primalkitchen.blogspot.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.

Sautéed Kale with Bacon and Mushrooms

Prep time:
5 min •
Cook time:
10–15 min •
Yield:
6–8 servings

Ingredients

6 cups chopped fresh curly kale, stems removed

4 tablespoons macadamia oil

8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, sliced

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup chicken broth

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Directions

1
Wash the chopped kale and then use paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible.

2
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms, onions, and garlic for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and browning.

3
Add the bacon and maple syrup to the pan and stir to combine, sautéing an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

4
Add the kale. Add the chicken broth
¹
⁄
₄
cup at a time and cook until the kale is fully wilted, about 4 minutes. (Adding the broth gradually keeps the other ingredients from boiling.)

5
Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, stir briefly, and serve hot.

Per serving (1 tablespoon):
Calories 123 (From Fat 81); Fat 9g (Saturated 6g); Cholesterol 3mg; Sodium 156mg; Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 4g.

Tip:
Adding bacon to cooked greens is a magical way to mask the earthy flavor of the greens and even inspire those you're serving to ask for seconds.

Tip:
Substitute butter or ghee for the macadamia oil.

Recipe courtesy Audrey Olson, author of Primal Kitchen: A Family Grokumentary (
www.primalkitchen.blogspot.com
)

Raspberry Peppermint Sorbet

Prep time:
15 min, plus churning time •
Yield:
6 servings