Stuffed Delicata Squash

Delicata is my new favorite squash. It is easier to handle and faster to prepare than other squashes and while I still love butternut squash, sugar pumpkins, and acorn squash, I cannot believe I was only recently introduced to delicata.

Stuffed Delicata Squash

Ingredients

• 2 delicata squash
• 1 lb ground bison
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (optional)
• 1tbsp fresh thyme (optional)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Since delicata skin is edible, you an avoid the whole peeling exercise. I simply cut off the top and bottom, slice length-wise, and scoop out the seeds. Takes 5 minutes tops.
3. Don’t waste the seeds! You can bake them in the oven with the squash and they make a great snack. I sprinkle mine with paprika after they’ve turned golden brown.
4. Warm the coconut oil and coat the delicata halves. Place face up in an oven dish.
5. Set the timer for 40 minutes and put the delicata in the oven.
6. On the stove top, add onion and bison to a pan. Cook until bison no longer pink.
7. Add tomatoes and fresh herbs.
8. When delicata are done, stuff them with the ground bison and put back in the oven for 10 minutes.
9. Serve with some sautéed greens like spinach or rainbow chard.

Stuffed Delicata Squash

A Hearty Breakfast: broiled salmon over roasted beets, butternut squash, and braised kale

A hearty primal breakfast that goes well with cup of tea 🙂
This recipe was inspired by Samovar‘s Paleolithic menu item and motivated by my need for a late morning, after workout breakfast that would survive the journey to the gym and to work and that I could eat cold happily.

Serves 4 people or 4 meals for one person

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets
• 1 butternut or other winter squash
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 lb of salmon
• coconut oil
• any herbs you want for the salmon

A salty miso sauce goes great with this dish, if you are including miso in your primal diet (you may be interested in reading this article to learn why eating miso might not be that bad even though it is soy-based).

Preparation

broiled salmon over roasted beets, butternut squash, and braised kale

I prepared all the vegetables ahead of time and then made the salmon in the morning right before heading out because it only takes 10 minutes

Vegetables

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Fill a large pot on the stove with water and put burner on high
3. Peel and chop the butternut squash into cubes. If you purchase pre-chopped butternut from the store, you get to skip this masochistic step.
4. Peel and chop the beets
5. Spread the squash and beets on a cookie sheet with some coconut oil
6. Put in the oven for 20 minutes or until you can poke with a fork easily
7. While the vegetables are roasted in the oven, let’s braise some kale
8. Fill a bowl with ice and cold water and place next to the stove with the pot of now boiling water
9. Place each leaf of kale into the boiling water for 5 one-thousands and then place in the ice water
10. Lay kale leaves out on a hand towel to dry and cool
11. When the roasted veggies are done, let cool
12. Chop the red bell pepper up into squares
13. Chop the kale leaves
14. Plate the vegetables or arrange in a to-go container

Salmon

1. Smother the salmon in coconut oil or butter and season with herbs of choice
2. Switch the oven to broil on high
3. Cook salmon for 7-10 minutes

Simple & Sweet Dessert: Peaches with Balsamic Glaze

Since experimenting with making “ice cream” from blended frozen bananas and other fruit, I’ve gotten creative with toppings. This sweet treat is easy to make and a great topper to a meal.

Ingredients

• a frozen banana (I usually slice the bananas into small pieces before freezing so they are easier to blend)
• 1/2 cup of almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 peach
• a drizzle of balsamic

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice the peach and place on cookie sheet; drizzle with balsamic
3. Put peaches in the oven for about 20 minutes, till soft and gooey
4. While peaches are cooking, place banana, vanilla, and almond milk in a blender and blend until smooth but still really thick
5. Place “ice cream” in a cup and top with warm balsamic-glazed peaches and enjoy!

Curry Butternut Squash Soup with Brussel Sprout Bacon-Bit Salad

Perfect dinner for a cold winter day!

Soup Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash (if you want to save yourself time you can buy the pre-peeled or cubed at the grocery store)
• 1 can of coconut milk
• ~2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbsp of fresh ginger root
• 2 cloves of garlic
• red cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Brussel Sprouts Ingredients

• bacon
• brussel sprouts
• 2 onions
• a handful of dried cranberries

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400
• Peel and cut butternut squash into cubes. Spread evenly onto a baking tray and roast until you can easily pierce with a fork.
• For the caramelized onions for the brussel sprouts, slice an onion and add with a little coconut oil or butter to a sauté pan (good caramelized onions can take an hour)
• While the butternut squash is roasting, chop an onion and add to a soup pot on low heat.
• Then chop garlic and ginger and add to the pot. Let simmer for a bit.
• Add almost all the chicken broth and about half the coconut milk to the soup pot and stir (I leave some of it out so once the butternut squash is added I can add less or more depending on how thin or thick or creamy I want the soup)
• Slice brussel sprouts in half and chop bacon into bit-size pieces. Spread evenly on a tray and put in oven for about ~30 min
• Add the butternut squash to the soup pot and use immersion blender to mix with broth and spices. Add remaining chicken broth and coconut milk to achieve desired creaminess and consistency.
• Add caramelized onions and dried cranberries to brussel sprouts for the last ~7 minutes.
• …and serve!

butternut squash soup and brussel sprouts with bacon bits

My Favorite Paleo Restaurants in Melbourne

The Grain Store – http://www.grainstore.com.au/ 

This is by far my favorite restaurant for breakfast and lunch in the city. My first visit I was anxious about the food options–it’s called the “grain” store, after all. How could it Paleo friendly? Turns out, I had absolutely nothing to worry about. I ordered the chili and fennel sausage with puréed vanilla parsnips and a poached egg. It was amazing! The Grain Store’s lunch menu also has some great Paleo options.

Spudbar – http://www.spudbar.com.au/

Spudbar was my choice for a quick and cheap meal. I order the sweet potato with slow cooked lamb, spinach, and beetroot. It is filling, tasty, and Paleo.

Meatball & Wine Bar – http://www.meatballandwinebar.com.au/

With locations in the CBD and Richmond, the Meatball & Wine Bar is a great place to enjoy a Paleo dinner. All their meatballs are gluten-free. I order my choice of meatballs accompanied by the vegetable of the day, hold the bread and parmesan cheese. The orange fennel salad is also delicious.

Nani’s Chocolate Chicken – http://www.nanischicken.com.au/

I ended up at Nani’s after a scenic bike ride along the beach from St. Kilda Pier to Half Moon Bay and was pleasantly surprised. Nani’s comes across a little as a fast food place, but the food quality doesn’t reflect that and is a great deal for the price. I split a half chocolate chicken with my friend and the roasted veggies side. The roasted veggies do include red potatoes, but you can avoid them easily if you want to. If you ever find yourself in Blackrock, Nani’s is worth a visit.

Hooked – http://www.hooked.net.au/

It can be difficult to find seafood restaurants that are not expensive, yet serve more than fried fish and chips, but Hooked manages to do both. You can get a number of types of grilled fish over a salad that isn’t just lettuce for a price that leaves my stomach and my wallet satisfied.

The Beer & Burger Lounge – http://tbbl.com.au/

If you are craving a good burger, the Beer & Burger Lounge in Richmond is a good place to go. They have a game burger of the day–I tried an Ostrich burger for the first time–and when I ordered the burger with no bun they asked if I wanted it over a salad instead. I appreciate that they plated the burger and toppings over a salad because some burger places will just hand you the meat, a tomato, and a piece of lettuce.

Easy Paleo Breakfast – Sunny Side Up Egg with Caramelized Onions over Arugula

The sweetness of the caramelized onions compliments the bitterness of the arugula in this recipe for a simple, easy morning meal (or midday snack!).

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion
• 1 egg
• coconut oil
• handful of arugula
• bell pepper ring slice (optional)

Preparation

• Slice the onion thinly and separate the layers so you end up with a pile of long curly onions
• Add a little coconut oil to a pan on medium-low heat
• When it melts, add the onion, stirring every so often for 20 minutes or longer (see Cooking Light’s most common cooking mistakes #18).
• Then crack the egg in the pan. I used a bell pepper ring so I could make the egg in the same pan without it wandering over to the onions.
• Once the egg is cooked, place the onions and egg over the arugula and enjoy!

Lotus Root in Buddha’s Feast

Maybe you have tried the so-called “Buddha’s Feast” or “Buddha’s Delight” vegetarian, soy-sauce based stir fry dish at your local Chinese restaurant. I’d been craving veggies all week and decided to take that healthy dish for a spin tonight – my spin on the dish: adding lotus root.

Slices of lotus root

What is lotus root? It is a starchy root vegetable that has a chewy-crunchy texture and is good for your respiratory system. When sliced, it looks like a rotary telephone’s dial pad. (This is why, as a kid, I used to call my grandma’s meat and lotus root broth “Telephone Soup”). Lotus root is an inexpensive veggie that can be found in Asian supermarkets: 2 pretty substantial roots cost a total of $2. More info on the veggie here.

Onto the “Buddha’s Feast” dish! Aside from the vegetable ingredients listed below, all you’ll need is a pinch of salt and a couple of splashes of light soy sauce (If you want to adapt this to paleo, just cut out the soy sauce and cook the lotus root with a pinch of salt and a couple of splashes of water instead).

Ingredients and instructions:

• Baby Bok Choy: Saute leaves of baby bok choy on low heat until they soften a bit (try to make sure they’re still crispy in texture); cook with a small pinch of salt.
• Mushrooms: Saute an assortment of mushrooms of your choice; don’t need to add seasoning – just enjoy the mushroomy taste on its own.
• Lotus Root: Slice lotus root into thin pieces (keep the rotary telephone dial pad look! See image below) and saute – add a couple of splashes of light soy sauce. If you accidentally add too much soy sauce, add drinking water to the pot. The goal is to soften the lotus root as it cooks, without burning it.
• Arrange on a plate and enjoy!

Buddha’s Feast with lotus root

7-Minute Breakfast: Egg, Kale, and Tea

Egg and kale cooked for breakfast

Autumn is in the air! This is the time of year that I look forward to a warm, cozy breakfast to start the day off right. In about 7 minutes, using only one small pot, you can whip up some lightly scrambled eggs (in this case, 2 of them) and sauteed kale for a hearty breakfast. Add a steaming mug of fragrant green tea for an extra toasty morning.

Rosemary Thyme Lamb Cutlets with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Spinach Salad

Ingredients

Lamb Cutlets

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4-6 lamb cutlets

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp honey
• coconut oil

Salad

• spinach
• pine nuts
• unsweetened dried cranberries
• olive oil, red wine vinegar, pepper for vinaigrette

Preparation

• Mix the thyme, rosemary, pepper, olive oil, and chopped garlic in a bowl. Marinate the lamb cutlets at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Heat oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit
• Wash sweet potato and cut off any bad spots. You can peel them all the way if you want.
• Cut sweet potato into chunks/wedges that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
• Cover a baking tray with foil and spread sweet potato chunks in a single layer on the tray. Drizzle with coconut oil and honey and stir until evenly coated.
• I cooked the potatoes for about a total of 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, I took them out to toss them , turned the oven up to 400 degrees, and then I started the lamb on the stove.
• Heat some coconut oil in a pan on the stove. When it’s hot, add the lamb cutlets and cook about 3 minutes per side to brown.
• Transfer pan with lamb cutlets to the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on whether you want them rare or medium.
• Take lamb and potatoes out of the oven. Let lamb rest for 10 minutes.
• Add spinach, pine nuts, dried cranberries and dressing in a bowl and toss.
• Plate and serve 🙂

Rosemary Thyme Lamb Cutlets

Rosemary Thyme Lamb Cutlets

Bison Burgers over Arugula

Ingredients

Burgers

• 1 lb ground bison
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1 egg

Toppings

• bacon (nitrate-free)
• 1 onion
• coconut oil

Salad

• your favorite tomato (I used sun sugars)
• arugula

Preparation

1. Caramelized Onions: I do the onion first, since it takes the longest. Slice the onion. I cut the onion in half and then carefully slice thin pieces. I then use my hands to pull the pieces apart and you end up with something that reminds me of spaghetti.
2. Put a pan on medium/low heat and add a little coconut oil. After the coconut oil melts, add the onions. Stir occasionally while you are cooking everything else.
3. Burgers: Mix the ground bison, chopped garlic, and the egg in a bowl. Form patties with the mixture.
4. Place patties on the grill (or equivalent–I used a cast iron stove top grill pan). How long you cook them will depend on how thick you made your patties and how rare you like your burgers. I did mine about 4 minutes per side and they came out medium rare and delicious.
5. Salad: Put a handful of arugula on a plate with sun sugars (you can slice the tomatoes if you like) and place bison burger on top.
6. Add caramelized onions and bacon!

Note: Do not try to rush the cooking of caramelized onions or you will end up with sautéed onions (this is Cooking Light’s most common cooking mistakes #18).

“If you want real, true, sweet, creamy caramelized onions to top your burger or pizza, cook them over medium-low to low heat for a long time, maybe up to an hour. If you crank the heat and try to speed up the process, you’ll get a different product―onions that may be crisp-tender and nicely browned but lacking that characteristic translucence and meltingly tender quality you want.”

Bison Burgers