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):
Texas has a robust pecan industry and, not surprisingly, pecan pie is very popular there. Not far from my hometown is the famous Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas. They have been using Texas pecans since 1896 in their fruitcakes, pecan cakes and pecan pies that ship all over the world. When I was growing up there, pecan trees, which are native to Texas, were in my front yard. I still remember the little old man coming over and using a “pecan picker upper” to harvest some from under our trees. A few days later he would show up at our doorstep with a homemade pecan pie just for us! It was his way of saying thanks and the gesture was much appreciated.
Unfortunately, celiac disease or gluten intolerance means having to avoid gluten in a pecan pie even if it comes from a famous bakery, a nice neighbor or a well-meaning host at a party. If you want a standard pecan pie there are about a zillion recipes in cookbooks and online. But almost every one of them will have a wheat flour crust or, minimally, will be chock full of sugar, sugar and more sugar. “Low carb” recipes often have tons of artificial ingredients that make me think “why bother?” This recipe is different. It is not only gluten-free but also takes into account my desire to stay as close to paleo as possible. So gone is the corn syrup, brown sugar and processed white sugar. The filling is sweetened only by dates, applesauce, pure maple syrup and a little molasses. Oh and there’s a bit of rum too. But that’s optional. Sort of.
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.
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.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love beer.
My wife, too, enjoys a high quality beer now and then. But her gluten intolerance made me feel…well, guilty if I was sitting across from her at the dinner table, sipping a cold, tasty bottle of beer while she downed another glass of ice water.
So when she discovered gluten-free beer, I was all for giving them a try.
Chocolate Paleo Snack Cake is fast becoming my boys’ favorite snack during our after school “tea time”. Before moving on to homework or other activities after school we take a few minutes for tea and a snack and share with each other about our day. I have overheard my sons proudly telling their neighborhood friends they can’t come out to play until after tea time. It’s become something we all look forward to even when the snacks are very simple.
On the afternoon of the first day of school, per Sweet Pea’s request, I got a little fancy and decked out the table for a more formal tea time. He was TOTALLY into it as you can see.
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 adopting the paleo way of eating, my husband and I have noted, with pleasure, the progress our two boys have made in terms of the vegetables they enjoy eating. One of the things that has surprised us the most is how much they like beet greens. We discovered this mild tasting green when we grew beets for the first time this past summer. We had been eating all kinds of other greens but had not really thought about using the oft ignored tops of the beet root itself. One night, not wanting them to go to waste, I sauteed the beet greens in butter in the pan containing the meat drippings from a turkey breast I had just cooked. I was halfway expecting the family to turn up their noses but was pleasantly surprised when everyone agreed they were delicious. Unlike some of the other greens like kale or chard, beet greens have a very mild flavor which makes them more appealing to picky eaters.
The good news is you can follow a strict Paleo diet and still enjoy awesome tasting pancakes – Paleo Pancakes! The bad news is…well, there IS no bad news. After trying several different recipes for coconut flour pancakes I have finally found one that truly stands out. They are so good I was motivated to go out and buy a new griddle because I know I will be making them quite frequently. (Big Boy is thrilled!)
