In my previous post, Holiday Turkey Brine, I provided a recipe for a turkey brine mixture that can also be turned into a gift. Today I am sharing the process I use for brining the turkey.
Instructions For Brining a Turkey (up to 20 pounds):
The paleo diet has been the catalyst for eating an incredible amount of vegetables. I would venture to say I eat more vegetables than most vegetarians I know. In fact, the paleo diet has led me to eat veggies I had purposely avoided, (kale), ones I simply ignored, (beet greens), and others I did not know even existed, (pink banana squash). The following recipe includes a food I was never motivated to try until now: Broccoflower.
Broccoflower is in the same family as cauliflower and broccoli. Because the two are so closely related they are easily cross-pollinated. The result is something that looks like green cauliflower. Romanesco broccoli is very similar to broccoflower but looks a little different due to an interesting pattern displayed by the floret. I found the broccoflower to be truly a cross between broccoli and cauliflower in both appearance and taste. It was milder than cauliflower and the texture, especially of the stalk parts, was very similar to broccoli. In the following easy recipe I employed the same “ricing” technique I have used with cauliflower. But the green color of the broccoflower really added to the aesthetics of the dish.
Thai food is one of my absolute favorites and fortunately it is extremely paleo-friendly. One of the first thoughts I had when investigating the paleo diet and discovering the benefits of coconut products was, “I can eat thai food without guilt now!”
One of our family’s favorite restaurants of all time is Origin Thai. Their French-Thai menu contains amazingly delicious dishes that serve as inspiration for future culinary adventures. I would love to be able to make Origin Thai’s Royal Massaman Curry completely from scratch because it has been one of our favorites over the years. But if you are anything like me you have to be strategic about how and when to make more elaborate dishes. This recipe for Thai Curry with Squash and Avocado is inspired by the original recipe but should be placed in the “semi-homemade” category.
This Banana Squash and Leek Soup recipe is the result of a few different factors coming together. It is the first year we have grown leeks in the new raised garden beds and I needed a suitable venue for these beauties.
Secondly, I impulsively purchased a gorgeous pink banana squash and found myself wondering what to do with such an enormous vegetable.
And, of course, the weather is getting cooler and the family is ready for some seasonal soups. So combining the banana squash and leeks to create a hearty paleo recipe just made sense. Add some bacon and all is right with the world!
Ever since the paleo diet unshackled me from the fear of eating animal fat I have been on a mission to indulge in foods previously avoided. Barbecued pork ribs is one of those foods. My goal with this recipe was to create something delicious that would be paleo, which means, among other things, having very little or no sugar. It was also important the dry-rubbed ribs be good enough to be eaten without sauce. Of course, barbecue sauce is pretty indispensable in the minds of most people and my family is no exception. So I have also included a spicy barbecue sauce recipe that contains no high fructose corn syrup and only 2 tablespoons of sweetener.
As a displaced Texan living in the Northeast I am always on the lookout for great barbecue, Tex-Mex and Mexican food. I love where I live but there is a definite dearth of these types of restaurants – at least not with the quality I expect. Okay, I admit it, I am a food snob … Read more
Even though I am originally from Texas where beef barbecue is king, I attended grad school in South Carolina and developed a serious appreciation for pulled pork with mustard based sauce. This recipe for Ancho Chile Pulled Pork Barbecue contains a decent amount of mustard and vinegar for a REALLY tangy taste reminiscent of Carolina Pulled Pork. The ancho chile powder and tomato paste mellow out the mustard a bit which gives the sauce a unique flavor. Almost every barbecue sauce you find in the grocery store is full of high fructose corn syrup. Eating Paleo means eliminating sugar as much as possible so this recipe contains no sugar yet does not sacrifice flavor.
Another great aspect of easy pulled pork recipes is cost. The pork shoulder and pork butt are fairly inexpensive cuts of meat. I purchased the 9 pound pork shoulder at $1.29 per pound. This Paleo barbecue recipe makes more than 12 servings which means it is seriously economical. You will likely also have left over sauce you can use to spice up other dishes.
While the squash and zucchini plants have suffered some damage from the dreaded vine borers, the kale plants are still going strong. I used to say “I don’t DO kale” but have come around to the dark green side in a major way. The following recipe came to mind when I realized that one of the benefits of kale is its ability to stand up to heavier sauces in its raw state. Warm bacon dressing is used with spinach in part because it tastes good and also because spinach is more substantial than lettuce and can tolerate that type of dressing. Kale is even more hearty so I decided to try out a warm andouille sausage dressing that would match up well with the texture and taste of this particular green.
G and I have been getting very comfortable with the concept of eating “dinner for breakfast” so it no longer seems weird to us to have kale in the morning. This recipe also calls for fried eggs which is something easy to make in the morning and it really goes well with the salad. G doesn’t like the egg on top of the salad and just eats it separately. Personally, I think the egg on top is delicious and the egg yolk adds a nice creaminess to the dressing.
Ingredients
My sons and I took a jaunt into New York City yesterday for a screening of the film “Farmageddon“. We met up with my husband, G, for dinner at Lupa Osteria Romana that same evening. Lupa, one of chef Mario Batali’s endeavors, is one of my favorite restaurants in New York. I have eaten there a … Read more
Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic is a classic French dish. This Paleo version of the recipe stands out in my mind as one of the all time biggest hits with my husband. The first time he tried it he could not stop remarking, in between bites, on how good it was. Even if garlic … Read more
