As you've gathered from the title of today's blog, I've gone Paleo. Don't worry. Not forever. I won't spend the rest of this blog judging you for eating cheese or putting your eggs on toast. I'm only doing it for Lent as a way to get myself back in the groove of full-on healthy living after an intense year. The following are a few selections from:
Adventures in a Cave (wo)Man's Kitchen
Chipotle Braised Bone-in Chicken Breast
with a fresh salsa salad and homemade sweet potato crisps
Modified from here. To sum up: I used all olive oil to keep the chicken Paleo and chipotle paste instead of powder. And always about 3x as much lime as any recipe calls for. :)
Pan-fried Pork Sausage in a Fresh Tarragon Jus
with a sweet potato and carrot puree and just-right steamed green beans
It is riDONKculously hard to find breadcrumb-free sausages in our Waitrose (they were everywhere in Oxford's Covered Market, so I guess I got really spoiled!). But, I did eventually find this lovely brand: Debbie & Andrew's.
This was probably my favorite meal since starting the challenge (I've already recreated it once). So comforting after a long, stressful day!
Sesame Encrusted Lamb Meatballs
with a toasted cashew salad (lime vinaigrette) and dry roasted courgette (olive oil and lime drizzle over everything)
Majorly modified from here. To keep it Paleo, I used food-processed cashews instead of breadcrumbs. Also, I didn't include the currants or Penn would've killed me. Finally, I would suggest using fewer sesame seeds in your crust. They were a bit overpowering in my version.
(Obviously these are pictures of Penn's plate above, since I can't have yogurt as a Cave Woman. So, he got a spiced yogurt dip and I made a lemon mayo drizzle for mine. Both were delish!)
Cilantro Pesto Chicken Tenders and Endive Salad with Crispy Chorizo, Toasted Walnuts and Baby Plum Tomatoes
drizzled with a balsamic and lemon reduction and strong olive oil
Penn got to have sharp cheddar crumbles on his salad, too. He's also to thank for the ingredients in the salad: it was all his idea.
LOOK at that glisten-y chorizo! For the pesto, just blend a massive pile of cilantro (stems and all) with loads of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, S&P and whatever fatty nut you have lying around (I'm not talking about your crazy Uncle Joe. I mean pine nuts, cashews, walnuts . . . you get the idea).
And when all else fails, Paleo breakfasts RULE.
Over-Easy Eggs with a Sweet Potato, Paprika Sausage and Baby Asparagus 'Hash'
don't forget the crispy bacon and pan-seared tomato halves
Just chop up the hash ingredients and fry up in a lightly oiled, hot pan.
My name at work now is 'Gourmet Cave Man'.
