Shepperd's Pie, My Way

After the 'mad cow desease' scandal, 'pork pest' and numerous detections of illegal levels of dioxin in European chicken meat, I looked into how farmed animals are raised and fed. I was disgusted and realized eating any kind of farmed meat just could not be healthy. Let alone that the way animal products are produced and consumed is basically destroying the planet.
In agreeing with dr. David Servan-Schreiber, animals products should be 'occasional foods' not the main thing of our diet. Have a plate full of vegetables and a side of meat or fish (rather than the other way around). Keep your weekly intake of farmed animal products to say approximately 200 grams; if possible stick to either organic grass fed or better still, 'wild', non-processed meat products.
Scientific publications show that chemical contaminants of farmed animals accumulate in their fat and are largely to blame for the inflammation that fosters the development of cancer (Servan-Schreiber 2011:125).

A few months ago I discovered a butcher in the Netherlands that distributes outdoor reared beef of Highland Cow, a type of animal that grows up in 'the wild', grazing in Dutch natural parks. After 16 years of having no kind of meat what so ever, I decided to dust off my Shepperd's Pie recipe.

You need
•oven proof (Pyrex) pan 20 x 30 x 6 cm (7,5 x 11,5 x 2,5 inch)

Ingredients (for 4 persons)
•500 g (1.1 pounds) of minced beef
•1 small onion, chopped
•1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
•1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
•1 garlic clove, pressed
•60 g (2.1 oz) of mixed nuts (1), chopped
•50 g (1.1 oz) of raisins
•12 green olives, sliced
•1 hard boiled egg, chopped
•1 celery root, peeled and chopped (2)
•120 ml (1/2 cup) of unsweetened almond milk (3)
•2 tbs + 1 tbs of good quality virgin (coconut)/olive oil
•(Himalayan) salt and (freshly grinded) peper to taste
•1/2 tbs Herbes de Provence


Preparation
•Warm up the oven to 250°C (480 °F)
•Bring your pan to medium heat and stir fry the minced beef with a bit of salt, allowing it to release all fat
•Remove and drain the minced beef
•Warm up the 2 tbs of oil in a clean pan and fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes (3 to 4)
•Add the peppers and stir
•A few minutes later (5) add the minced beef, nuts, olives, raisins and Herbes de Provence
•Blend all ingredients and stir for an additional 5 minutes
•Taste the mixture and if necessary, add a bit of salt
•Turn the fire off and add the hard boiled egg. Mix gently
•Pour into the oven dish and disperse evenly
•Steam the celery root and mash. Add the almond milk, some salt, pepper and 1 tbs of good quality virgin oil
•Top the meat mixture with the celery root mash.
•Put in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Remarks
(1) My idea of 'mixed nuts' is: walnuts, macademia, cashew and pecan. Peanuts are not 'nuts' and in my book, should be avoided. Peanuts do not grow on trees (but under the ground) and are known to have a high dose of aflatoxin, a cancerous substance.
(2) For other 'mash' options look at Patato Blues in this blog
(3) Depending of how much the celery root preserved its moisture during steaming, you might need a little more or less. I would say, add the almond milk little by little



















Airplane Survival Kit

So, you are taking a trip by airplane.... You will need to prepare, because you will find absolutely nothing healthy, paleo, let alone organic on your tray.
Flying a North American airline? All the more reason to plan your meal(s)!

Here are a few ideas that will keep you in check, are easy to stash in your carry-on luggage and will pass security no problemo. Fill up your zip-locks and you are set to go!

  • a hard boiled egg;
  • smoked salmon (mackerel or eal)
  • a slice of Nutty Autumn Loaf 
  • a piece of cooked left-over fish or (game) meat
  • sliced fresh fruit
  • sliced carrots and cucumber
  • mixed nuts
  • dates, dried prunes and/or dried figs
  • + 70% dark chocolate

For flights to the USA, remember that the perishables you took with you and did not finish, will have to stay on board when you de-plane.




Port Baked Apples

Apple is a 'low profile' kind of fruit, that is often bypassed for more exotic types. I say it is time to get rid of its boring reputation! Here is a recipe that will knock your socks off!
Not only does it combine amazing flavors that will jump start your taste buds, you can prepare everything ahead of time, and then shove the dish in the oven, just before you sit down to have your main course. The time they take to cook is perfect for you to entertain your guests and enjoy the meal. No diving into the kitchen to give your dessert 'the last touch' while missing out on table gossip and fun.

What you need
•baking dish
•pestle and mortar (1)

Ingredients (serves 4)
•4 large baking apples (such as Jonagold, Brambley)
•4 tsp coconut cream + a bit more for greasing your pan
•1/2 tsp of grounded cloves (1)
•1/2 tsp of grounded bay leave (1)
•3 tbs almond slivers
•1/2 tsp of grounded cinnamon (1)
•2 tbs agave nectar
•2,7 ounces (75g) of  raisins, minced
•juice of 1 orange
•juice of 1 lime
•1 cup of port wine

Putting it together
•Preheat the oven to 350F (180C)
•ground the bay leaves and cloves
•mix the cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, coconut cream and agave nectar to a paste together with the minced raisins
•mix the the orange juice, lemon juice and port wine
•add 2 tbs of almond slivers
•let the flavors do their work for a minimum of 30 min.
•wash your apples with warm water and dry them
•use a knife to remove the core of the apples (2), making sure the top opening is wide (creating a sort of funnel)
•take a sharp kitchen knife and make a careful incision in the skin of the apple, all around the middle (this will prevent them from exploding in the oven). Look at the detailed picture.
•grease your baking pan with some coconut cream and place the apples inside of it
•stuff the coconut/raisin mixture into the hole of the apples and afterwards, gently pour the liquid port mixture,  a little at the time, into each apple. A lot of the fluid will just sit in the pan. That is fine.
•place the apples in the preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes (check with a toothpick; it they are soft, they are ready)
•put the apples in a bowl and pour the juice from the pan over them


(1) Grinding a dry bay leaf or a clover can be a bit of a hassle and is time consuming. So yes, if you do not own a pestle and mortar, you are pressed for time and you are in a country where you can find a mix called 'spice',  you can replace all the above dry ingredients by 1 1/2 tsp of spice.
(2) I don't like using an apple corer to remove the inside of the apples because it is difficult not to damage the bottom of the apple. If you get a hole on the rear end of the apple, your mixture will leak once in the oven. You want the mixture to stay inside the apple for the best result.
A grapefruit knife (knife with a bent tip) will make the job easy, but a regular small kitchen knife will probably do as well.










Towering Cholocate Indulgence

This weekend we were invited to dinner at a friend's house and I offered to take dessert. This wasn't me just being nice, I was just being selfish act, trying to look out for myself!
What is nice about this recipe is that you can basically prepare everything ahead of time and then last minute, give it the 'finishing touch' .
You can work with the basics of my Wicked Chocolate Cake, so far one of the most popular cakes in my blog.

You need
•parchment paper
•a round 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan
•food processor
•food ring tall 5,5 cm/2 inch and diameter 8 cm/3.15 inch

Ingredients (makes dessert for 4)
•1/2 cup (120 ml) of sunflower seed oil (1)
•2/3 cups (94 grams) of coconut flour
•1/2 cup (45 grams) unsweetened good quality cacao powder
•1/2 tsp baking soda
•1/2 tsp sea salt
•6 medium sized eggs
•3/4 cup (180 ml) agave nectar
•1/2 cup (120 ml) water
•1 tbs vanilla extract

Ingredients for filling and frosting
•8 ounces (230 grams) fat juicy dates, spitted
•4 ounces (115 grams) of dark (70 % or more) chocolate
•3 tbs (45 ml) of sunflower seed oil (1)
•pinch of black pepper

Ingredients for decoration
•20 pistachio nuts, unsalted and chopped

Baking the cake
•Preheat the oven to 170C (350F)
•grease the pan and line bottom and sides with parchment paper (cut a round circle for the bottom and then a strip to cover the side. The grease will make the paper stick to the pan).
•combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside
•whisk the eggs and once they are fluffy add the wet ingredients, bit by bit, letting them blend in nicely
•add the dry ingredients into the wet, allowing them to mix well till the batter has become a whole
•pour into the pan and make sure the mixture is spread evenly
•bake for 40 min (or until you insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean)
•take it out of the oven and allow it to cool down for about 15 min. Then take it out of the spring form, put it on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.

Date jam
•put dates into a food processor and section them to a paste
•scrape the dates out of the processor and put them into a small pan
•heat the pan slowly and add some water (probably about a medium glass), bit by bit, till you reach the ideal consistency to spread and a bit more (when the date paste cools down, it will harden some. So do not let it cool down completely before you apply it to the cake).

Chocolate frosting
•melt the chocolate in a small saucepan at low heat
•add the sunflower seed oil bit by bit
•add a pinch of black pepper

Putting it all together
•cut out 4 round cakes using the food ring and then slice each cake (now cool) in half
•spread the date jam on the cake and then top it with the next layer. Save the prettiest, flat layer for the top.
•just before serving, pour the hot chocolate over the cake tower and sprinkle the pistachio nuts on top

Tips & remarks
•I bake in an electric oven where the heat spreads very evenly. I have baked in a gas oven before and notice that for some reason, there is some 'heat loss'. So I have had to increase the heat in a gas oven by 5C/41F
•Unsalted pistachio nuts are difficult to find where I live. So I have sometimes bought the salted ones, rinsed them with water and let them dry before chopping them. Worked like a charm.


(1) Hard core paleo diets like to stay away from seed oils because they are extracted using heat. You could use coconut oil instead (keep away from the ones that have been chemically deodorized). 













Red Cabbage Slaw

Red cabbage is an amazing source of vitamins and minerals that will promote your well-being:
•it is low in fat
•it has anti-aging effects
•it is good for eyes and skin
•enhances immunity
•cleanses the body
•has anti-cancer agents

And don't you find it incredibly colorful and beautiful? One look at it and it makes me want to prepare it in some sort of way. That is sometimes tricky. Not everybody likes it cooked (me, for one, I definitely do not).

Here is a salad that passed the test of my friends, more than once. It is very simple, really fresh and tasty.

Ingredients
•half a head of red cabbage. Quartered, cored and shredded.
•2 Granny Smith apples. Cored and diced
•150 g of walnuts, quartered
•3 tbs of apple vinegar
•5 tbs of grape seed oil or extra virgin olive oil
•peper and (Himalayan) salt to taste

Putting it together
There is absolutely no science to it. Just toss all ingredients together and presto! Except I have a few tips for you:
•warming the walnuts in a pan will enhance the flavor. When the walnuts start releasing the 'nuttig' odor, they are ready. No need to 'roast' them. Let them cool down before adding them to the salad
• the red cabbage will need at least an hour to 'absorb' the flavors of the dressing and nuts, so make sure to toss and mix all ingredients well, a little while before serving
•add the apple at the very end. Red cabbage has the tendency to turn everything red....






Minnesota Wild Rice

Depending on who you read, quinoa and wild rice can be part of a paleo/primal diet...or not.
One thing is for sure, wild rice is not related to Asian rice types. It is also very high in protein,  amino acids, dietary fiber and very low in fat.
According to Mark Sisson, wild rice falls under the same category as sweet potatoes: 'primal', yes. But not every day.
I was introduced to wild rice a long time ago, on my first trip to Minnesota, where my husband grew up. I love everything about it: the way it looks, its unique taste and its cultural background. So I prepare it as a treat, maybe once a month.
There are many things you can make with wild rice. I once got wild rice meal from my Saginaw friend Patti to make yummy pancakes! In the Duluth area, people use it for soups -I don't particularly like it that way. My favorite is as a side dish for fish, fowl or meat.

Wild rice is found in the midwest of North America and it is harvested by several native american cultures, still today. For some tribes, such as the Ojibwa, it is considered a sacred component of their culture. The way the wild rice is harvested is prescribed by state and tribal laws; it is done by canoeing in between the plants and bending them with wooden sticks (called knockers).

Ingredients (serves 4)
•190 g (1 cup) of wild rice;
•1 l (4 cups) of water
•pinch (1/2 tbs) of (Himalayan) salt
•250 g (8,8 oz) of fresh mushrooms (1), sliced
•1 medium onion, chopped
•100 g (3,5 oz) of slivered almonds
•freshly ground pepper
•6 tbs of coconut oil

Putting it together
•Rince the rice thoroughly in a strainer; place it in a (heavy) saucepan, add the water and the salt and bring to a boil. Cook for aproximately 45 minutes or until the rice has 'puffed'.
•Remove from heat, put the rice back in the strainer and pour some cold water over it, to stop it from getting too soft;
•in a saucepan, fry the chopped onions, the almond slivers and mushrooms with the coconut oil
•add the rice and mix it with the rest of the ingredients
•add pepper and (extra) salt to taste

(1) Depending on availability and budget, you can use different kinds of mushrooms for color and more (or less) exotic flavor. In autumn, where I live, mushrooms are abundant. So if possible, I will mix brown buttons mushrooms, shiitakes, portobello and chanterelles because of their colors, textures and most importantly, their amazing health benefits.