The Paleo Pact

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Cauliflower Mash

Miss mash? You’re not alone and we have you covered!

White potatoes are not considered Paleo-friendly (at least not in the stricter schools of Paleo) as they are not easily digestible by the human body (are considered antinutrients) and break down into sugar. Dr. Loren Cordain writes about this in detail in his interesting post titled, Why Potatoes Are Not Paleo.

In this recipe, mash is recreated using cauliflower, which boasts large quantities of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber, and tastes just as good!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups raw cauliflower, cored and cut into 1/4 inch florets
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dozen black peppercorns
1 tablespoon grass-fed butter (optional)

RECIPE

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the cauliflower florets, the coconut oil and the salt and pepper in an oven-safe dish and place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender enough to have a skewer poked through it.

Remove the dish from the oven and allow the cauliflower to cool for a few minutes, before placing it in a food processor, together with the coconut milk (and butter, if you desire a creamier finish).
Pulse for about 1 minute or until smooth.
Plate and enjoy alongside protein and vegetables.

This recipe makes 1 serving.

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Raisin Walnut Cookies

Cookies are always a favorite to bake when we have guests coming over, and this gluten-free, egg-free and refined-sugar-free recipe, that follows the base recipe featured in our book Quick & Fantastic Paleo Cookies, is a safe bet to serve on virtually any occasion.

Raisins offer a natural sweet sensation while providing the body with numerous vitamins and dietary fiber. Walnuts also offer natural healing properties and together add delicious flavor to a cookie I can’t get enough of.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup grass-fed butter, kept refrigerated
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1 ½ tablespoons honey or raw agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ tablespoons water
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened, dried raisins
1/2 cup walnut pieces
Arrowroot flour as a non-stick base for rolling

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place parchment paper or foil sheets over your baking sheet to prevent your cookies from sticking.
Combine the tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt in a small bowl.
In a food processor (or using a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar for approximately 2 minutes, or until fluffy.
Add the dry ingredients, water, agave and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
Lightly dust arrowroot flour on a clean counter.
Place the cookie dough, raisins and walnuts on the dusted counter and combine them using your hands.

Using a rolling-pin, roll the cookie dough until 1/4 inch thick and then cut out your cookies using a cookie cutter.
(If ever the dough is too sticky to handle, simply add a small amount of arrowroot flour at a time until it becomes manageable.)
Place the cookies on your lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe makes about a dozen cookies.

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Coconut Shrimp

During my days living in Hawai’i I ate a fair amount of shrimp. Those shrimp shack takeout stands make a wonderful plate lunch, enjoyed with the sound of the ocean in the distance. But the best thing of all was the story behind the only shrimp shack that was run by a woman on the Island of O’ahu, Big Wave Shrimp.

It had been her life long dream to run her own business, but it wasn’t really heard of to do so at the time. Luckily she had a very supportive husband who spent all his savings buying her a truck to turn into the Big Wave Shrimp shack. Many years later, the truck still operates on the North Shore, serving up plate after plate of her famous coconut shrimp to locals and tourists alike.

With that I have set myself up for a challenge–and I don’t proclaim to beat her recipe by any means–but this is a little taste of the coconut shrimp flavor I so vividly remember.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon grass-fed butter
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 cup cooked shrimp (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons coconut milk (canned and full fat)
1/8 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Black pepper (optional)

RECIPE

In a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the garlic and stir before adding the shrimp.

Continue to cook on medium heat until the shrimp is thoroughly heated, then sprinkle the shredded coconut over the shrimp and cook for another few minutes, stirring often, until the coconut begins to brown.
Add the coconut milk, stir and let simmer for a few minutes before sprinkling with crushed black pepper, as desired, and enjoying warm.

Enjoy it and Mahalo,

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Christmas Pie

Merry Christmas to You, our wonderful Paleo friends!

Since Christmas is a time to be thankful, we wanted to let you know just how grateful we are to you for sharing this journey to health with us. Your friendship, comments, advice and support are what keep us going and words can’t adequately express just how appreciative we are, Thank You.

Christmas Traditions

Christmas is different in every household. Mince Pies were a staple holiday treat throughout my childhood in South Africa. My boyfriend’s Italian heritage meant that family style pasta was a tradition at his family Christmas gatherings. What is your Christmas tradition? We would love to hear it! And have you been able to make that tradition Paleo?

A Taste of the Holidays

Since I left South Africa (over eight years ago now) I have craved Mince Pies. I’m not quite sure why they are not a huge hit here like they are back home, but I am determined to change that!

Mince Pies are not mincemeat pies–they are the traditional English Christmas treat with stewed fruit and festive spices–or in other words, pure deliciousness!

This year I couldn’t let another Christmas go by, so I put myself up to the challenge and not only did I make my first Mince Pie ever, I made it Paleo (and alcohol-free):

INGREDIENTS

Pie Filling

1/2 cup water
6 apples, cored and chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup honey or raw agave nectar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup grass-fed butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pie Crust
+ Everything included in the Paleo Pie Crust recipe

RECIPE

In a medium pot or large sauté pan, bring all of the Pie Filling ingredients to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the filling is cooking, make the Paleo Pie Crust.
Once the Pie Crust has baked, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Let the pie filling mixture cool before scooping it into the baked Paleo Pie Crust.

Top the mixture with a thin crumbled layer of unbaked Paleo Pie Crust dough to ‘seal’ the pie.

Place it in the oven to bake for another 30 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: The pie filling can also be made in advance and refrigerated for a few days, or frozen and used later when a Christmas Pie craving kicks in.

May this Christmas be your sweetest ever,

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Apple Thyme Roast Chicken

There is just something special about serving a golden-brown roast chicken. Whether you are cooking up a feast for yourself, or preparing a festive dinner, a stuffed chicken roast makes a wonderful center stage to any meal, and is truthfully quite easy to make.

This recipe combines the sweet flavors of caramelized apple with the savory taste of thyme to form a delectable combination that looks good and tastes great. Plus, with those two ingredients added to the dish, you suddenly have a protein dish that is enriched with vitamin C, iron, manganese and fiber.

INGREDIENTS

1 whole baby chicken (about 3.5 to 4 lbs), fresh or defrosted, neck and giblets removed
1/8 cup grass-fed butter, slightly melted so that it’s workable
4 teaspoons thyme spice
1 apple, sliced
1/8 cup honey or raw agave nectar

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the chicken upside down in the center of a large oven dish and separate the legs.
Reach under the skin and coat the chicken with a generous amount of grass-fed butter on all sides.
Sprinkle the chicken exterior with two teaspoons of thyme spice.
In a small bowl, mix the apple slices with the honey/agave and another teaspoon of thyme spice.

Once mixed, place the apple and honey/agave mix in the opening between the chicken legs.
Place the stuffed chicken in the oven for 25 minutes.

Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F and continue to cook the chicken for about another 45 minutes to an hour.
Once the chicken is well cooked (the interior temperate on a thermometer reaches 165 degrees F), remove the bird from the oven and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
When serving, scoop the stuffing out with a spoon and serve it alongside the chicken.
Drizzle the natural juices from the oven dish over the chicken pieces to provide extra flavor and moisture to the dish.

Note: While this recipe calls for the removal of the neck and giblets to make room for the stuffing, these parts of the chicken are excellent sources of protein. They can be added to the dish when the oven temperature is turned down part way through the recipe, or kept separate and cooked later on the stove top. To learn more about Nose To Tail eating, click here.

Enjoy this healthy home-cooked chicken roast,

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Cranberry Nut Cookies

December wouldn’t be complete without melt-in-your-mouth festive cookies, which is why we’ve got you covered with this Paleo version that is free of gluten and made with natural sugars, natural flours and grass-fed butter.

This recipe follows the base cookie recipe featured in our eBook, Quick & Fantastic Paleo Cookies, but works in the festive flavors of cranberries and almonds.

Cranberries boast high quantities of fiber, manganese and vitamin C and, together with almonds, make a tasty and nutritious treat.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup grass-fed butter, kept refrigerated
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1 ½ tablespoons honey or raw agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ tablespoons water
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Arrowroot flour as a non-stick base for rolling

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place foil or parchment paper sheets over your baking sheet to prevent your cookies from sticking.
Combine the tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt in a small bowl.
In a food processor (or using a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar for approximately 2 minutes, or until fluffy.
Add the dry ingredients, water, agave and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
Lightly dust arrowroot flour on a clean counter.
Place the cookie dough, cranberries and almonds on the dusted counter and combine them using your hands.

Once combined, using a rolling-pin, roll the cookie dough until 1/4 inch thick and then cut out your cookies using a cookie cutter.
(If ever the dough is too sticky to handle, simply add a small amount of arrowroot flour at a time until it becomes manageable.)
Place the cookies on your lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe makes about a dozen cookies.

Happy National Cookie Day!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Cheese, Butter and Living Paleo

So you love cheese and butter? Who doesn’t! Here’s the deal–a true Paleo diet does not include either–neither were available in Paleolithic times and our bodies are subsequently not naturally adjusted to eating these dairy bi-products.

That said, some of you are lactose tolerant (though I am not one of you lucky folks) and some of you may be able to consume small amounts of cheese and butter without feeling the after effects in and on your body.

While I am not an advocate of dairy and I strongly promote the use of coconut oil and ghee butter as an alternative to traditional dairy butters, if you do decide to indulge now and then, do yourself this one favor–buy grass-fed.

Why is grass-fed better?

Grass-fed dairy, just like grass-fed meat is the product of healthier animals. Rather than being fed grain or vegetarian diets that typically include modified starches and corn meal, grass-fed cows roam free, eat naturally and live healthily. It’s only logical that their milk and meat is therefore more healthy for us as well.

Research has shown that grass-fed dairy contains a lot more CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) and natural vitamins than grain-fed butter. It also has a much better ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids. Choosing grass-fed means that while you indulge in dairy, you are actually getting some benefit: CLA has been shown to improve heart health, K2 vitamins reduce arterial plaque and aids the body in using calcium correctly, and Omega-3 fatty acids support our metabolism, reduce inflammation and fuel our bloodstream and brain.

The great news is, grass-fed butter and cheese is more accessible than you would imagine. These products are typically available in any grocery store or online at one of these great pasture butter and cheese suppliers:

Organic Valley

Kalona Supernatural

KerryGold

Just steer clear of margarine…

Camilla Carboni