If you are able to make the change to bacon that is sourced from a local farm near you….DO IT!!!  This is what we do.  Sure it may cost a little bit more…or take a little more digging around to find a high-quality standard…but in our opinion it matters.  Worth every penny!!!  Check out the ‘Eat Wild‘ site for a farm near YOU!  Your source for safe, healthy, natural and nutritious grass-fed beef, lamb, goats, bison, poultry, pork, dairy and other wild edibles.  If you frequent farmer’s markets, this is also a great opportunity to pick up some delicious swine.  Check out Evergreen Brick Works and the St. Lawrence Market if you are in the Toronto area.  We also buy some of our meat from The Healthy Butcher, Rowe Farms, Cumbrae’s, Fresh From the Farm and occasionally Fiesta Farms.

Happy bacon shopping!!!  If you haven’t yet tried wild boar bacon…I highly recommend you do!!!  OINK…OINK…

Happy day of birth!!! I can’t believe it…how quickly the time has flown by…PALEOdISH is 2 years young today! What started out as random postings of pics of facebook…has turned into a full-on passion that I am so happy to share with many through my website.  I just got in from being out while enjoying a stroll on the beach! While walking, I had time to reflect on how grateful I am for all that I have. To all of you ~ THANKS for your support, questions and feedback…you have continued to help me learn and grow. ♥ Cindy 

New food.  Taro.  As I mentioned in a previous post, we are making it a point to try to introduce a NEW food into the mix once a week.  Why?  Well…because there are just so many amazing foods out there that we have not tried as of yet.  Oh ya..and we want to…we LOVE trying new things!  They may end up being ‘one-hit wonders’ or perhaps frequent our plates, as ‘weekly hits’, within our rotation.  So there you have it…on deck this week (which was actually last week – sorry for the late post), was taro root.  I have heard many people speak of them, and have since been curious as to how they would taste/turn-out.

Similar to that of my beet and sweet potato chips recipes…this starchy tuber was sliced into thin coins, using the ever-so-handy mandoline.  I have said it before, and will say it again…if you don’t have one of these wee tools in your kitchen yet, get one!  You can pick them up for around 15 dollars…and you will be so happy you did.  I used 1 taro root…but it was massive.  There was actually enough to feed both of us.

We REALLY enjoyed their super-crispiness and ‘nutty’ type flavour.  They were a side to our ‘akuri’ (spicy scrambled eggs), but would be just as nice solo…or paired with homemade salsa or guacamole.  Next time, I think I may even make up a larger batch and serve them as the main contender on a ‘nacho’ platter, with loads of bacon.  Oh so good ~ can’t wait!  I also wanted to point out…not all grocery stores may carry them.  You might have to do a little hunteroo at an Asian market, if there is one in your town/city. Sidenote ~ these little rascals are highly addictive!  Crunch away!!!

]]> http://paleodish.com/2012/04/09/spicy-taro-chips/feed/ 3 http://paleodish.com/2012/04/04/akuri/ http://paleodish.com/2012/04/04/akuri/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:45:50 +0000 Cindy http://paleodish.com/?p=5420 I woke up Sunday morning…to a sweet ping on my blackberry.  Yes…okay…it was nearly 11:00 am…and maybe we should have been up and at it, but we were still fully nestled under the sheets!  After all, many of you folks know how much we love our sleep around these parts.  Sleep-ins on the week-end are very much cherished and something we adore!  Coziest of cozies!!!  Anyhoo…my dear friend and co-worker Jasmine made me smile by emailing and sharing with me one of her favourite recipes.  Akuri…a spicy egg dish, commonly eaten in Parsi culture.

Jasmine had been speaking about it’s wicked-awesomeness at work…and it sounded truly incredible.  I couldn’t wait to try this new little number.  Sunday is typically our big ‘grocery shop’, so I was able to pick everything up for the dish when we were out and about.  We made this ‘scrambled egg concoction’ Sunday for dins…and again on Monday night, because we loved it like crazy!  Jokingly, we were literally arguing over who got more in their bowl.  When dins was done…both of us chuckled, as we still wanted more!! HA!

Thank-you SO much Jasmine for introducing us to this goodness.  A terrific alternative to reg scrambled eggs.  Try ‘em…give it a go and spice up your life a little.  A total game changer in our opinions.  Excellent solution to those looking for a quick, easy and delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner idea!  Hope you like…

A few weekends back, when we were at T & T (to pick up our weekly dose of coconut water), I was strolling through the produce section and decided it was time to try something new.  Trust me, when I say there are LOADS of foods at this market that we have not tried.  From different types of Chinese lettuce to quail eggs…this place is a haven for experimentation.  While being surrounded by many types of fish, fruit and meat, of which I have never tasted…I needed to keep my zoned-out being intact.  While regaining focus, like I said, cooking up an inaugural dish was my motive…so I picked up some baby bok choi.  Why this…you may ask?  Well…I figured similar to that of kale or spinach…it would be super easy to sauté in no time flat!  A good newbie, that was uncomplicated in nature to prepare.

I was right.  Yummy deliciousness with as few as 5 ingredients.  A simple side dish that is best when eaten right away (not ideal for leftovers).  Both of us really enjoyed the combo of flavours and actually made it again later that week.  Loosen up…give unfamiliar territory some time.  My advice to you is to move slowly into perhaps incorporating at least one new food item into your weekly meal schedule.  This doesn’t have to be something extreme…it could be as simple as using coconut oil for the first time to roast some veggies, rather than your usual olive oil.  Don’t limit yourself.  Eating Paleo def isn’t boring…and it blows my mind when people suggest such a notion.  Open your eyes…and your home and let something ‘different’ find it’s way to your plate!  It may just end up being one of your all-time favs!

Next up for me…BEEF CHEEKS!!!

Indian food.  Love it.  We are very fortunate to live in a city where there are several really amazing and authentic Indian restaurants that serve incredible food.  But, what about making it at home I thought one day?!  From there, I decided to do a little research and ultimately came up with this aloo gobi recipe of my own.  We subbed the ‘usual’ white potatoes with sweet potatoes…well because I am just a bigger fan of these tubers.  However, you could also take this exact recipe and use white potatoes if you wish…it’s totally up to you!  Guaranteed to fill your kitchen with a blended and equally fantastic aroma of Indian spices.  Give it a go…and see (smell) for yourself.

Having heard this…you may then wonder, what made you decide to give this dish a go in your own kitchen in the first place?  Well…the answer to that is, Dusty and I had eaten cow tongue a couple times before at this really nice Japanese restaurant.  I am fully up for trying pretty much anything once.  Worst case scenario…if I don’t like it…I won’t make it again.  Pretty simple.  When cooked properly, beef tongue is extremely tender, tasty and basically melts in your mouth.  I wanted to try making it myself.  Something many will never get to experience, because they are simply ‘too scared’ to try new things.  Come on…live a little.  Funny and ironic though, as many of those same people, are cool with eating things like processed hot dogs and other ‘crap food’ with a million and one ingredients in it, that they can’t pronounce!  YUM!!  

Well would you lick at that!  (Thanks Amy Kubal for the pun)  Off topic already.  Okay, back to the tongue (all sarcasm aside).  Beef tongue is part of the cow that has been consumed by various cultures for many years now.  It is a fatty muscle, that is high in protein and B-12 and low in sodium and carbohydrates.  Super nutritious and even more delicious.  About a month ago, while roaming the farmer’s market one fine Saturday morning…I must have had tongue on my mind.  I decided to ask the farmer at the Green Gate stand if they had any tongue left for the taking.  I was indeed in luck, as she replied…’I think we have one left!”  I must have been up and at it earlier than usual that weekend, because they usual sell out quickly.  A minimal eight dollars and change later, and I was off to continue to rest of my shopping.

It came frozen in butcher paper…and stayed that way for a few weeks before I decided to cook this bad boy up.  A huge fan of shredded pork, I knew that I wanted to make this in a similar fashion.  I had also just made a huge batch of my homemade guacamole and salsa…so I thought the shredding of the meat would be the perfect technique to create some lettuce tacos.  The Crock-Pot…aka, the Original Slow Cooker (now my new BFF) had to be a part of this first time experience as well.  NOW, I want to take all of you a a visual and descriptive journey of how to make your own beef tongue…without being frightened.  Come along and have a read, as I break it down into easy-to-follow steps!

First step.  If frozen, start by de-thawing meat in the fridge.  Open package and stare at the tongue for a few minutes.  To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to react when seeing it for the first time.  I had seen photos before of what a cow’s tongue looks like, so I suppose I wasn’t surprised.  It didn’t really bother me in the least.  I actually thought it was kinda cool!  AND…YES, it totally looks like a tongue, because IT IS ONE. Skin and taste buds to boot.  Don’t worry, you don’t eat that part.  Sorta neat to run your fingers over though.  I wanted to totally take side profile shot with the cow tongue looking as though it was coming out of my mouth. Dusty fully caboshed the idea.  HA!  He said I was getting carried away (maybe he was right!?)  Next, I gave it a wee rinse, and threw it in the Crock-Pot.

Continue by pouring in your broth (can use homemade or store-bought).  I actually had some store-bought beef broth on hand, so I went with that.  Next, add in loads of whole garlic cloves, some chopped up celery, several halved shallots, a sprinkle or two of whole peppercorns and finally a few bay leaves.  As you can see, the bay leaves are not in the photo, because they were somewhat of a late addition.  I added them in after the pic was taken.  Once all the previously mentioned items are in and floating around and hangin’ with the tongue, put the lid on and set it to cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.  I originally set mine for 8 hours, but actually ended up leaving it on a little longer.  It cooked for a total of 9 hours!!!  I figured the longer the better in this case.  I was right…the beef ended up being so juicy and succulent.

Soooooooooooooo…after the 9 hours of cooking away in the Crock-Pot, the house smelled incredible.  We were in and out all day, and every time we walked in the door…we were welcomed with such a comforting aroma.  When your beef tongue has finished cooking, take a pair of tongs and remove it from the liquid and place it on a wooden cutting board (or similar surface).  I think this next little piece in the process is where some folks may get a little squeamish.  Dusty was fully game to eat the end-product, but truthfully wasn’t a huge fan of what needed to be done next.  Oh yes…the removal of the ‘taste buds’, aka taking the ‘skin’ off the tongue.  With a eye (and a hungry belly) focused on the meat inside, I took a very sharp knife and actually cut and sectioned the tongue into quarters.  This size of chunks was much more manageable to work with.  Again, I wasn’t exactly sure how I would do with such a task, but I was totally good.  The ‘skin’ actually peeled off super easy, with minimal effort to be honest with you.

Now…come on…take a look at this beautifulness.  What is not to love right?!?   Once you have removed and discarded ALL the skin, you are ready to start shredding the meat.  Take a fork or two and basically start running them through the chunks of meat, to pull it all apart.  Do so, until you have reach your desired shreddedness (new word).  This step is also quite simple, as the meat basically just falls apart, because of the slow/low temperature cooking time it spent in the Crock-Pot.  Chunk by chunk, continue the same thing, until the whole tongue turns into a nice yummy pile of meat on your cutting board.  Of course at this point I had to sneak a wee nibble and taste.  If somewhat walked into your kitchen and did the same, I assure you that they would probably mistake the tongue for a pot roast or something of that sorts.  Be patient…we are almost there.  At this point, you could eat it just like this (plain), if you so chose to…but we decided that we wanted to spice up our life a little further.

If you have two sets of hands in the kitchen…one of you could be shredding the tongue, while the other is slicin’ and dicing’, while getting prepared to sauté up the veggies on the stove-top.  In a cast-iron pan (preferably), heat some coconut oil or butter on medium.  Next, add in the thinly sliced onion, bell pepper, hot red pepper and cook until softened.  From there, I took a large slotted spoon and removed all the ‘original’ ingredients from the Crock-Pot cooking.  Why waste food right?!  So I scooped out all the cooked garlic cloves, celery and shallots and transferred them into the cast iron pan to join the party.  Continue cooking on medium-high heat for a few more minutes.  After that, take your shredded beef tongue and add it into the pan.  Take a spoon and mix thoroughly, until all the ingredients are combined. Finally, sprinkle in your desired spices and continue to stir.  Once everything looks good-to-go, garnish with some fresh cilantro.  Wash your lettuce leaves to get them ready as well.  Finally, FINALLY…load ‘em up with the spicy shredded beef tongue and top off with some homemade guac and salsa.  Enjoy!  “Be brave.  Try it.  You won’t be disappointed!”

]]> http://paleodish.com/2012/02/07/spicy-shredded-beef-tongue/feed/ 2 http://paleodish.com/2012/01/24/baked-chicken-thighs/ http://paleodish.com/2012/01/24/baked-chicken-thighs/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:51:32 +0000 Cindy http://paleodish.com/?p=5181 Chicken thighs…marinated three ways to suit your fancy.  Up until a few weeks ago, I wasn’t even sure if I really cared for good ol’ thighs to be honest with you, as I had never really had them before.  This may be somewhat surprising, but I had previously just overlooked their goodness.  Who knows why?  Basically, the inaugural recipe of such began when I was at the butcher shop, unable to find some chicken breasts for dins one evening.  Sitting lonely, neighbouring the section which once sat the breasts, were some boneless, skinless chicken thighs.  Without much thought, I snagged them and was on my way.

With this new (to me) poultry part in my possession, I decided to get a wee bit creative and whip up some simple, yet flavourful marinades to soak these bad boys in.  I had 12 chicken pieces in total…and decided to separate them equally into three Ziplock bags, containing different marinades.  Funny enough, as it turned out, the night I intended on baking them, I got tied up and just turned to having leftovers that night.  Regardless, they were all ready to go (minus the actually cooking process), so the chicken thighs were fortunate to be able to sit, immerse in the liquid concoctions overnight in the fridge.

Fast forward through the magical world of the www.  Verdict…2 thumbs up!  They turned out super moist and tender, totally filled with an abundance of juicy flavour.  They def get additional bonus points, if you are on a budget, as chicken thighs are a very affordable option.  Similar to that of their white meat counterpart, they can either come with the bone-in or boneless…and also with skin-on or skinless.  The choice here is ultimately yours…personal preference I suppose.  I think I want to try boneless chicken thighs, with the skin-on next time!  Lastly, I must also mention that these delicious chunks of meat serve as terrific leftovers.  I found myself quickly grabbing a couple thighs in the morning for breakfast, as I was literally darting out the door for work.  A super sweet option for those who are often on the go!

Marination is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origins of the word allude to the use of brine (aqua marina) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor by immersion in liquid. The liquid in question, the ‘marinade’, can be acidic with ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine or enzymatic (made with ingredients such as pineapple or papaya.)^[1] Along with these liquids, a marinade often contains oils, herbs, and spices to further flavor the food items.

It is commonly used to flavor foods and to tenderize tougher cuts of meat.^[2] The process may last seconds or days. Different marinades are used in different cuisines. For example, in Indian cuisine the marinade is usually prepared with a mixture of spices. (Source: Wikipedia)

Note:  I will try to be as accurate as possible, but not gonna lie – mostly eyeballed it, test-tested and hoped for the best when it came to the amounts of olive oil and balsamic that I put in!!!  I will make these again in the next week or two, and re-jig the recipe to include the exact measurements for y’all.

Marinades (12 chicken thighs total – each marinade was made for 4 chicken thigh pieces each.  You may want to adjust, depending on your quantity)

Balsamic

• coconut/olive oil – generous amount to coat
• balsamic vinegar (equal parts oil and vinegar)
• 3 shallots – finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves – crushed
• 2 tbsp grainy mustard – good quality
• coarse sea salt and ground pepper

Lemon

• coconut/olive oil – generous amount to coat
• 1.5 lemons – squeezed
• 3 tbsp Italian seasoned herb mix (dried basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, black pepper)
• 3 garlic cloves – crushed
• coarse sea salt and ground pepper

Smoky

• coconut/olive oil – generous amount to coat
• 2 limes – juice squeezed
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 shallots or small white onion- finely sliced
• handful of fresh cilantro – finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground chipotle
• 2.5 tsp of chili powder
• coarse sea salt and ground pepper

Prep

• for each individual marinade – measure and pour all ingredients into a large Ziploc bag
• add chicken thighs into the bag and zip closed
• use your hands to shake and ‘massage’ the marinade mixture into the chicken pieces
• allow to soak and absorb all the flavours for at least 2 + hours (I let marinade for 24 hours – the longer, the better)
• when ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees
• remove chicken thighs from bag, and place in a single layer, in an oven-proof dish (Corningware), covering with the liquid marinade
• bake for approx. 30-45 minutes, until juices run clear (watch them, as you don’t want to overcook/dry-out)
• broil for an additional 3-5 minutes if you want the outside crispy (optional)
• remove, set aside and serve
• enjoy!