Side Dish
Wild Rice with Pistachios and Cilantro
Last week my son Benjamin posted his review of the book “The Hunger Games” followed by a recipe for Hunger Games Lamb Stew with Dried Plums. In the book, the dish is described as being served with wild rice. Now, ordinarily I would not advocate eating a lot of rice. Rice is a grain (some argue wild rice is a grass, but still) so it is not officially part of the Paleo Diet which encourages elimination of grains. Grains are the source of certain anti-nutrients (lectins, phytates, gluten, etc…) that can interfere with the absorption of vitamins and minerals. They are also not as nutrient dense as meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Additionally, grains are high in calories and carbohydrates which is not necessarily what you need when trying to lose weight or maintain your weight.
That having been said, I DO eat rice now and then. The small amount of rice in my diet is usually found underneath a big slab of raw tuna at a sushi restaurant. But when I read about the wild rice dish served with the fictional Lamb Stew with Dried Plums I figured there was little harm in creating a wild rice recipe. My boys are very active and can use energy from starchy carbs. They also think it is super cool to be eating a Hunger Games dish. Even though wild rice still has some of the anti-nutrients found in other grains, it does not contain gluten like wheat, rye or barley. So if you have room in your diet for some starchy carbs now and then, especially if you or your family are very active, then you might consider having wild rice as a side dish.
Roasted Beets with Blood Oranges
Roasted Beets has become one of our favorite side dishes. The first time I roasted beets myself was several years ago after purchasing Ina Garten’s cookbook “Barefoot in Paris”. Before going Paleo it was one of my favorite cookbooks. In fact, I liked it so much I stood in line for quite a while to meet Ina and have her sign my copy. See, I’m seriously a fan!
There are still a few recipes in that cookbook that fit with a paleo diet and roasted beets is one of them.
I love beets. See how gorgeous they are. 
I think they like having their photo taken.
Trout with Blood Orange Sauce and Cassava Bacon Hash
While perusing the fish options at Whole Foods recently, my attention was captured by the trout. According to the powers-that-be at Whole Foods (or whomever wrote the little note in front of each fish variety at least), trout goes great with sage, citrus and bacon (BACON!!!). Ordinarily I think of fish as requiring more delicate flavors. In fact, when I was living in Italy I distinctly remember the passionate view of my Italian roommates who insisted you should never, NEVER combine fish with cheese in recipes. (I did not entirely agree with that, by the way.) The given reason for this “RULE” of Italian cooking is the flavors of fish are much too delicate to withstand the strong flavor of cheese. Strong flavors supposedly overpower fish. So when I saw the bacon recommendation for trout I was intrigued. Who is this fish that defies such a universal truth?
I snapped up a couple of pounds of trout and determined to further investigate this culinary conundrum.
Another reminder of my former life in Italy was the gorgeous blood oranges I found in the produce section. Hmmm. Blood oranges qualify as citrus. I added them to my cart and began to formulate my plan for an amazing paleo fish recipe.
Better Burgundy Mushrooms
The Pioneer Woman’s Burgundy Mushrooms is an absolutely delicious recipe. I add my voice to the chorus of folks who agree this is one tasty side dish. With a few modifications it is also a great paleo side dish. A BETTER Burgundy Mushrooms recipe, if you will. I served it this past Christmas to rave reviews. … Read more
Rutabaga Hash Browns with Pulled Pork
Do you aspire to be one of those people who plans ahead? Would you like to have your weekly meals all laid out in advance? While I know it would save me time and money to do that, the fact is I am not especially talented in this area (can you say ADD?). The following recipe for Rutabaga Hash Browns with Pulled Pork is an exception. Breakfast on the Paleo diet can be a tough transition because we are so used to eating some type of grain in the mornings. But while this recipe will not solve all weekly meal dilemmas, a few quick steps the night before and you will be minutes away from an amazing, delicious, nutritious and inexpensive breakfast the next day.
On a whim (see how I don’t plan!) I bought a waxed turnip. (I previously titled this post “Turnip Hash Browns with Pulled Pork” because I was a little mixed up about the terms. See explanatory post.) According to my crumpled receipt, which I just fished out of the bottom of my purse, I paid $1.52 for this 2.21 lb purple and white beauty. It is lower in overall calories and carbohydrates than white potatoes but high in vitamin C. Before I went to bed I peeled it and put it through the shredder on my food processor. (You could use a box grater.) It went into a big container and then my refrigerator. I ended up with about 7 cups of shredded rutabaga.
Next, I rubbed a 3 lb boneless pork butt (cost me $6) with some Tsardust Memories Russian Style Spice Seasoning from Penzey’s. It’s one of the spices I got on my recent trip to a Penzey’s retail store. It’s not critical that you use this exact spice. I was just experimenting and thought it might work well and it did. I also don’t remember the exact measurement but I basically covered the pork in a light layer. (Maybe 1 tablespoon?) The Tsardust Memories mix contains the following spices: salt, garlic, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg and marjoram. I added about a 1/2 cup of chicken stock (you could use water) and cooked it on low heat overnight.
Here’s what it looked like in the morning:
Twice-Baked Cauliflower
The inspiration for this Twice-Baked Cauliflower recipe came from my oldest son, Ben, who turns 11 years old today. Happy Birthday, Benjamin! In addition to being an all-around great boy, Ben has bowled me over with his new-found fondness for cauliflower. This is a kid whose pre-paleo vegetable repertoire primarily consisted of canned green beans and the (very) occasional carrot stick. But since we have been following the paleo way of eating he has tried, and liked!, many new things. Ben also enjoys Cauliflower Rice and Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” both of which are dairy free. However, he eats full fat dairy and gave me the idea of trying a mashed cauliflower dish using Greek yogurt. 
We are going all out with the dairy on this one so steer clear if you have an intolerance. I guess you could call this Primal Twice-Baked Cauliflower.
Even though the cauliflower is technically only baked once, the flavors are definitely in keeping with the spirit of the “Twice-Baked Potatoes” we all know and love. This much lower carb version has tons of flavor and is beautiful enough for special occasions. We even served it at Christmas dinner. The colors were perfect and my in-laws loved it which is always a good thing.
Gluten-Free Skillet Cornbread And Cornbread Dressing
I have been eating Paleo for many months now and that means I do not eat grains. Having been recently diagnosed with celiac disease it has become clear the removal of gluten from my diet has been instrumental in the general improvement in my health. I strongly believe the benefits of Paleo go way beyond the inherently gluten-free nature of this way of eating. Having said that, I will admit a willingness to indulge in eating other gluten-free grains on rare occasion.
Thanksgiving is one of those times.
Now, this does not mean I am willing to throw Paleo eating out the window even if only for the Thanksgiving meal. So we will keep everything totally Paleo but for one thing – cornbread dressing. I NEED to eat cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving. It is in my genes. It just is. So I searched far and wide for a good cornbread recipe. I found one at a blog called The Art of Gluten Free Baking. The recipe ingredients and directions have been altered a bit with the specification of coconut crystals in place of sugar, Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream and more milk to thin the batter because of the extra thick nature of the Greek yogurt. The easy recipe results in a gluten free cornbread that is very moist and tender. I like the fact it uses masa flour because it was just about the only non-Paleo food I did not throw away. It is a very fine flour similar to regular wheat flour and is used in its place in this gluten-free cornbread recipe.
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Pepper
Broccoli Rabe sautéed in olive oil and garlic is my all time favorite vegetable side dish. It was not something I ate growing up in Texas. In fact, even though it is quite popular in Italy (known as rapini), I do not recall eating it when I lived and worked there either. It was not until I moved to the Northeast U.S. that I discovered the deliciousness that is broccoli rabe. At home my husband G and I sometimes fight over who gets more of this dish. (“I think you got more than I did!”) And our two boys are starting to enjoy broccoli rabe too which means there will either be more fighting or I will have to remember to make bigger batches in the future.
For the Love of Bitter Greens
Broccoli rabe (aka rapini) is a highly nutritious, bitter green. My taste for bitter greens may have started when I was about eleven years old and my mother had me and my siblings help her gather, cook and eat dandelion greens for a graduate school class project.
Banana Squash and Leek Soup with Bacon
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!