There is an explanation for my seeming fall into slackerdom. Did you know I have a full-time job with a two hour per day (minimum) commute?! (A total of over 420 miles per week driving – thank God for my hybrid!). Oh yes, and a husband…and a couple of kids… and a house and, and…. Then there’s the ole perfectionism which prevents me from posting until I labor over everything for a good while.
Being able to be a full-time blogger would be great and, who knows, maybe one day that will happen. But, alas, blogging is not going to replace my current day job anytime soon. In the meantime, if I’m going to post more often I’ll need to get more efficient with recipe testing and photo editing and be a little less perfectionistic about it all.
This Roasted Tomatillo Salsa is really easy and packs a punch depending on how spicy you want to make it. Roasting the veggies adds to the depth of flavor and is similar to the Roasted Tomatillo Peach Salsa from a few weeks ago. I used it to make Paleo Chicken Enchiladas Verdes which is yet another post in my queue that I am hoping to finish soon!
It’s the time of year of all things pumpkin! I am jumping on the bandwagon big time with instructions on roasting a whole pumpkin and a recipe for a paleo pumpkin spice latte. Our CSA has recently been offering THE most gorgeous pumpkins. Our farmer,Sara, explained that “Cheese” Pumpkins (presumably because they look like a big … Read more
You can take the girl out of Texas but you can’t take Texas out of the girl. I grew up eating Mexican and Tex-Mex food. But after living in New Jersey for many years I have had to learn to live without some of my favorite foods. It’s just not the same around here no … Read more
The peach kick continues with this recipe for Roasted Tomatillo Peach Salsa. Tomatillo salsa, also known as salsa verde, contains roasted or otherwise cooked tomatillos.
In spite of growing up in Texas where tomatillos were plentiful, I do not recall ever eating a fresh one. I feel a little lied to! No one told me tomatillos are delicious raw. Our CSA grows them so this was the first year we had several gorgeous, green gems lying around just calling out to be turned into salsa….or eaten fresh?
The salsa is the best I have ever made and I am a bit of a salsa snob. The combination of roasted and fresh flavors is delicious and the smooth and chunky texture makes it perfect as a dip or a relish to go on meat dishes.
We made the salsa on a weekend that included a bit of outdoor fun. The nearby Delaware Water Gap area is a gorgeous place that is only a bit more than an hour west of New York City. The funny thing is I read the “Paleo Indians” along with the Lenape tribe used to roam these hills. How appropriate! We frolicked in the river that included a few mossy rocks from which we jumped into the cool waters of the deep pool.
Later we hiked up the mountain and enjoyed the beautiful views. I love this photo of my oldest son, Benjamin, because just a couple of days after our hike he told me of his intention to become a Christian. His faith and courage are inspiring and I’m so proud of his decision.
Ben told us he is ready to be baptized but said he wants it to be private (not in front of the entire church) and he does not want anyone to get “mushy”. Good luck with that last part, Ben. 🙂
We have been on a peach kick lately. In addition to this Roasted Peach and Lemon Thyme Paleo Ice Cream, there’s been Peach Breakfast Cake, Roasted Tomatillo Peach Salsa and Vanilla Peach Freezer Jam. The peach tree in our backyard has been very “fruitful” this year and we have taken full advantage.
Not being professional fruit pickers we had to resort to some primitive methods of reaching the peaches high in the tree. Behold the “Lacrosse stick-broom handle-peach picker”.
In spite of our primitive methods we were pretty pleased with the harvest. Although to make all these recipes we definitely made use of farm stand peaches this summer. Yellow peaches have always been my favorite but white peaches have their own beauty.
In order to make the ice cream I roasted a few of these beauties. Before roasting the peaches I cut them up and placed them, skin on, in a baking dish, drizzled honey on them and roasted the peaches until they were soft and the skin peeled right off. The house smelled absolutely heavenly.
While the peaches were roasting I harvested the Lemon Thyme from our garden. It has an unusual flavor – a variation of regular thyme but, as you can imagine, with a strong lemony scent. The leaves are tinted with golden edges setting it apart from its more ordinary cousin.
When making the coconut milk ice cream I decided to use egg yolks to create more of a custard for a creamier, less icy end product. The hot coconut milk was infused with the lemon thyme goodness and honey, then used to temper the eggs to create the custard.
The soft roasted peaches were relieved of their skins and smashed with a fork then added to the lemon thyme infused custard. The peach and coconut milk custard mixture then was added to our ice cream maker and processed until we had a thick, peachy summer treat. We lined a bread pan with parchment and froze the ice cream for a few hours before serving.
The Peach and Lemon Thyme Paleo Ice Cream was served with some fresh peaches. Refreshing.
Summer brings many wonderful things. One of summer’s best offerings is the heirloom tomatoes that grace our gardens and farmer’s markets. Today’s recipe for Bacon and Heirloom Tomato Frittata with Basil is the perfect way to showcase not only the full-bodied flavor of heirlooms but their beauty as well.
In the garden this year I planted several different types of basil; sweet basil, globe basil and purple basil. This beautiful bounty has languished in my garden far too long. So for this frittata it just made sense to combine the flavors of the tomatoes with basil. The colors of the purple basil and the petite leaves of globe basil are the most unusual and striking and perfect when paired with the heirloom tomatoes.
Our family feasted on this heirloom tomato frittata prior to taking a trip to a nearby arboretum to enjoy the trees, flowers, meadows and a babbling brook. Summer is the time of year when my adopted state of New Jersey shows it is truly worthy of its nickname The Garden State. But summer moves along a little too quickly for my taste. Taking photos is a way of capturing the fleeting days of beauty and fun that passes by all too fast.
Italy holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. My husband and I met there when we were both in graduate school studying international business. That was not my first time in Italy. A semester abroad in college conferred on me what has become a life-long passion for Italy and all things Italian. Gelato, the Italian version of ice cream, also played a key role in my complete seduction. To this day whenever I indulge in gelato it brings back joyful memories of my travels and study in that most wonderful of countries. And it is something Gavin and I have enjoyed together and remember fondly.
Many years ago while back in Italy for work I travelled with a colleague who was devoted to her nearly fat-free diet. She was very diligent about eating healthy foods – albeit without much if any fat, which we know now is not ideal. We were there for three weeks and she declined gelato whenever we went out for it. She made it clear she wanted to indulge in the sweet treat but was afraid of gaining weight. While I admired her willpower and dedication to her chosen way-of-eating, I could not help but feel sorry for her. We were in Italy after all. It was GELATO!
Food is one of life’s pleasures. In spite of strict dietary requirements I still believe in enjoying life through food as long as you can do so without totally derailing your overall health. Dairy is not a food I often consume but when I do I try to ensure it is of high quality – grass fed is best and we do enjoy raw dairy when we can get it. Raw dairy is not legally for sale in New Jersey so we have to drive to nearby Pennsylvania for a great source. Wholesome Dairy Farms is our favorite place to find grass fed and raw dairy. On our last visit we were privileged to see a newly born calf. When the farmer asked if we wanted to see the baby born just hours earlier we were envisioning something smaller and more feeble. Instead, we were greeted by a rather hearty and LARGE fellow who had little trouble walking around on his own. Nathaniel was overjoyed to be able to pet the baby.
When deciding what to do with the grass fed yogurt, one of the first things that came to mind was gelato! What better way to feature this particular indulgence in high quality dairy?
While working in Milan many years ago, my apartment was in a five story walk-up on a major road. I still remember Viale Umbria with all its sights and sounds and the LONG trek up to my apartment. One of the great things about the apartment was being right above a pizzeria and a gelateria. It was at this particular family run gelateria I was first introduced to “gelato allo yogurt alla fragola” – Yogurt Ice Cream with Strawberries. It was nothing like the “frozen yogurt” in the U.S. which is often fat free or low fat. The yogurt flavor of this gelato was far more intense – very creamy and tangy. It was delicious by itself but during the summer, when strawberries were in season they were added to the mixture for an even more amazing treat.
So if you are able to tolerate dairy and find yourself with some high quality yogurt I strongly urge you to make this honey yogurt gelato. You will not be disappointed. I can’t guarantee it is exactly the same as what you would find on Viale Umbria in Milano but it is pretty close. The honey flavor is more pronounced than what is typically served in Italy but it is a truly amazing taste sensation. You can vary the amount of honey depending on your taste.
The first recipe is for the honey yogurt gelato followed by a roasted strawberry sauce that adds one more intense flavor to the entire frozen treat experience.
Before being diagnosed with celiac disease* I was in a “no man’s land”. Maybe you’ve been there too. It’s the place you end up when you don’t know what is making you sick and no one – including doctors – knows how to help you. It’s not a fun place to be. Back then, even though it was not clear what was making me sick, I must have subconsciously known it had to do with food. I simply felt better when I didn’t eat! Clearly we have to eat to live so this was not sustainable. Regardless, I got into the habit of skipping breakfast or only having coffee or a latte. To be more precise, the Triple Venti Latte (usually with an extra shot) at Starbucks was often my breakfast of choice.
Fortunately, I found a better option than skipping meals in order to feel good. As long as I don’t eat grains and gluten I generally feel pretty well. These days breakfast usually consists of eggs over-medium fried in ghee with fresh tomatoes and avocado or maybe bacon and berries. There’s typically some type of protein, veggies and/or fruit and a fat. But lately I’ve been making these paleo banana mocha shakes (or smoothies) for a change of pace. The shake goes great with a couple of eggs in the morning in place of my usual coffee. But I also like to have one in the later afternoon and use some of the leftover French-pressed coffee still in a thermos from the morning. The frozen banana gives this dairy-free chocolate shake body and sweetness and it combines well with the flavors of chocolate and coffee. It’s a great way to use up those bananas you froze when they got a couple of dark spots and no one would eat them. (At least that’s what happens in our house…)
This post and recipe for Pan-Fried Shishito Peppers is by my husband G who was inspired by a young farmer at our local CSA to turn the pepper bounty from Saturday’s pick-up into a tasty appetizer. Take it away G!
What comes to mind when you hear the word “pepper”? Other than “salt,” I mean.
For some of us, it might conjure up sensations like hot, spicy, or burning. For others, it may be colors like the vibrant red of a shiny bell pepper, the brilliant green of a jalapeño, or the fiery orange of a habanero. Still others may be reminded of a country, like Mexico, the appropriately named Chile, or even…Japan?
That’s right – Japan! Land of sushi, sashimi, New York Yankee’s outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, the world’s coolest electronic gadgets, Godzilla, books that are read from right-to-left, and the tasty Shishito pepper.
We found some Shishitos at our local CSA farm (along with all sorts of fresh and beautiful produce), and filled our weekly basket with 9-10 peppers. One of the farmers said the shishito peppers are delicious when sauteéd in olive oil and salted to taste, so that’s what we did, with minor modifications.
Instead of using only olive oil, we added equal amounts of leaf lard -the highest grade of lard from the visceral – or “soft” – fat from around the kidneys and loin of the pig. It lacks any real pork or meaty flavor, making it an excellent neutral-flavored cooking fat with a high smoking point. Leaf lard is particularly prized by bakers for use in producing moist, flaky pie crusts.( We used leaf lard it in this recipe because we had it on hand. But you could use regular lard given the savory flavor of the dish.)
We purchased the lard a few weeks back at Red Apron Butchery during the book release party for the cookbook Beyond Bacon.
Pan-Fried Shishito Peppers
Here’s how I made this amazing paleo appetizer recipe:
To make the pan-fried shishito peppers, first, I heated some of the lard along with some olive oil (for flavor) in a cast iron skillet until hot. Next, I also added the peppers and fried them for about 10 minutes, adding in some minced garlic in the last minute, then sprinkling the finished peppers with fresh lemon juice and sea salt. The result was the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and spicy – enough to please most any palate.
Getting back to the original question, when I hear the word “pepper,” I instantly think back to memories of my Dad watching football on a Sunday afternoon with a plate of jalapeño peppers and sliced cheese. He’d eat the jalapeños whole, turn beet red, and sweat like a madman. It looked painful, but he said he enjoyed it. Funny, but he often complained of heartburn…I wonder if there was a connection?
A few weeks ago, G and I attended the book release party for Beyond Bacon, the amazing cookbook by our friends Matt and Stacy from Paleo Parents. At the time, we were vacationing at G’s parents’ home in Ocean City, Maryland. After deciding to leave the boys with their grandparents, we proceeded to drive across the Chesapeake Bay (via a rather scary bridge*) to Virginia. Our destination was theRed Apron Butchery for a party celebrating the book release.
Red Apron is just about the coolest butcher shop ever, filled with delicious, pastured meat products and much more.
G and I enjoyed the meat-themed ambiance of the venue. Pastured pork products celebrated in abundance! Check out G eyeing me with skepticism while trying to peek at his phone. We spied a few tongue-in-cheek album cover recreations and sampled the “Original Sin” hard cider. (Don’t tell my mom. She once photoshopped out a beer I was holding in a photo because she didn’t think it was becoming. Oh Mom.)
After waiting in a fairly substantial line of folks wanting to congratulate Matt and Stacy, I took my turn posing with the couple of hour. Stacy looked beautiful and glowing and Matt was quite the buff Crossfit guy. They were both justifiably proud of their creation!
