Broiled Sanma w/ Paleo Ponzu Sauce

Hey everyone, I haven't updated or kept up with my blog for a while. School, work and life has been keeping me on my tippy toes! With that said, I haven't been able to experiment much in the kitchen, which now, after saying it, is sort of making me sad... BUT on a brighter note, I am doing wonderful in school, work is exciting, life is colorful, so now I just need to squeeze in some personal kitchen time, then I'm pretty sure this is about as perfect as it gets!

Today, I am making a tried and true Boiled Sanma (Pike Mackerel) with a Paleo Ponzu Sauce. A very easy recipe that I really enjoy! So lets not delay this any longer, nothing makes a person smile more than a delicious meal!

Ingredients:
Sanma (Pike Mackerel)                     2-4 Pike Mackerel (Depending on hunger level)
Sea Salt                                                       2 tsp
Fresh Ginger                                                Small Piece
Green Onion                                                1-2 Springs
White Balsamic Vinegar                                2 tsp
Apple Cider Vinegar                                        2 tsp
Coconut Amino                                                 1 tsp

Instructions:
Sanma:
1. Dress the sanma (defrost, gut, clean) and pat it dry with some paper towels and set your oven to broil
2. Sprinkle some sea salt on the inside of the sanma to your personal savory preference
3. Set an oven safe cooling rack inside a lined cookie sheet/pan and lightly coat the cooling rack with your choice of oil (I use olive oil for ease, KG butter, coconut oil, lard, tallow all work well)
4. Lightly oil the outside of the sanma and sprinkle a little bit of sea salt over them
5. Put the sanma on the previously prepared cookie sheet
6. Put the sanma in the oven and let it broil for 7 minutes per side, flipping them carefully.
Sauce: (Prep the sauce while the fish is in the oven)
1. Grate about 1 tsp of fresh ginger
2. Finely dice a tsp of so worth of green onion
3. Mix white balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos together in a sauce plate
4. Add the freshly grated ginger and diced green onion to the vinaigrette and mix thoroughly.


After the fish is cooked, remove it from teh oven and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the skin to crisp. Lets chow! ;)


Raf

Roasted Pork Sirloin w/ Rosemary

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Paleo life is great! Recently, as you all know from my last post, I have been sort of busy. I'm prioritizing and keeping life in check, I got my camera back, so I have a picture of the finished product this time!

Today we are going to make a Roasted Pork Sirloin Roast w/ Rosemary, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside! :)

Ingredients:
Pork Sirloin Roast                                                  1.5lbs
Sea Salt (To your preference)                           1/2 tsp - 1 tsp
Fresh ground black pepper                                1/4 tsp
Garlic Powder                                                          1/2 tsp
Onion Powder                                                          1/2 tsp
Ground Coriander                                                   1/2 tsp
Ground Mustard                                                      1/4 tsp
Sweet Paprika                                                          1/4 tsp
Cayenne Pepper                                                       Dash
Rosemary Leaves                                                     1 tsp
Garlic Olive Oil                                                         1.5 tsp


Instructions:
1.) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2.) Rub the Pork Loin down with all of the above ingredients and allow it to sit for a while as the oven preheats (Around 15 minutes)
3.) Position an adjustable roasting rack in a roasting pan and sit the porkloin on the roasting rack.
4.) Put the pork roast into the oven and roast it at 400 degrees for 30 min. and turn the heat down to 350 degrees and roast for another 30 min. (If the roast is starting to crisp and brown, tent it to prevent a burnt roast)
5.) Check for done-ness, if the meat is cooked to your preference, remove the tent, and broil for a few minutes (4-5 min) to crisp the outside before taking it out of the oven.
6.) Remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for 5-8minutes before serving. Enjoy!!!!

P.S. I do not recommend consuming undercooked meat.

Raf

Moroccan chicken w/ Cauliflower Rice

Hi all, hope everyone is doing well and remaining very PAF! :) I do apologize for not updating in such a long time, life is sort of hectic at the moment. With tax season kicking in (I'm a tax accountant), just starting my masters, working out, staying on top of my everyday meals, and having my fitness business (check it out at www.get-primal.com), I am trying to prioritize! Anyhow, enough of my complaining, here is today's recipe!

I do not have pictures, because my best friend has my camera at the moment doing who knows what!

Ingredients:
Free range chicken thighs (Skinned and debone)                         about 1 - 1.5lbs
Salt                                                                                                                     1 tsp
Black pepper                                                                                                 1/4 tsp
Ground Tumeric                                                                                        2 tsp
Ground Coriander                                                                                     1 tsp
Ground Cumin                                                                                            1 tsp
Ground Ginger                                                                                            1 tsp
Garlic Powder                                                                                             1/2 tsp
Onion Powder                                                                                             1/2 tsp
Lemon zest                                                                                                  Half a lemon

Instructions:
1.) Mix all ingredients together other than lemon zest. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30min - an hour
2.) Before grilling, add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.
3.) Grill the chicken thighs for 3 minutes per-side or to your personal preference. (I never recommend eating undercooked chicken.)
4.) Serve it up with a side of cauliflower rice and enjoy a simple yet very delicious meal!

-Raf

Chocolate Chipotle Chicken

 

Sometimes, we all want a little variety in our life. My variety today would be Chocolate Chipotle Chicken. The cut of chicken I decided to use was chicken thighs, because they tend to retain the most moisture and stay juicy. I started out by skinning and deboning the thighs.

Ingredients:

Free-range Chicken thighs/breast                            1lb

Salt                                                                                       To taste
Fresh ground black pepper                                         1/4 tsp
Garlic powder                                                                  3/4 - 1 tsp
Onion powder                                                                  1/2 tsp
Ground coriander                                                            1/2 tsp
Ground cumin                                                                   1/2 tsp
Dried oregano leaves                                                     1/2 tsp
Ground cloves                                                                   1/4 tsp
Ground cinnamon                                                            1/2 tsp
Fresh ground dried chipotle pepper                        2 peppers
Mexican chili powder                                                    1/2 tsp
Sweet paprika                                                                   1/2 tsp
Cocoa Powder                                                                   1 tbsp
Fresh squeezed lemon juice                                         1 tbsp

 

Instructions:

1.) Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for half an hour.
2.) Pre-heat a skillet on medium to medium-high heat and grease the pan with your choice of shortening. I prefer to use grass-fed tallow. If not, KG butter wouldn't be a bad choice.
3.) Pan-fry the chicken on both sides until it is slightly brown. I never recommend anyone eating undercook chicken at any given situation. Safety first! ;) Enjoy!

 

-Raf

Comfort Food: Chicken Soup

On some days, whether it be a cold muggy winter day or a day when you need to feel some extra warmth and comfort, nothing beats comfort food. Thanks to my brother of reminding me of the most famous of all comfort foods, a chicken soup. He gave me the idea, so this is all accredited to him :)



Ingredients:

Free Range Chicken breast (cubed)                                                                           1 lb
Pacific Free Range Chicken Broth                                                                              32oz
Leek (Sliced)                                                                                                                          1 stalk
Garlic (crushed)                                                                                                                    4 cloves
Carrots (sliced/cubed)                                                                                                       1 cup
Fresh dill (Chopped)                                                                                                            1 tbsp
Fresh curly parsley (chopped)                                                                                          1 tsp
Salt & Pepper                                                                                                                       to taste
White pepper                                                                                                                       1/4 tsp
Garlic powder                                                                                                                      1/2 tsp
Onion Powder                                                                                                                      1/2 tsp
Dried tarragon                                                                                                                       1/2 tsp
Dried Oregano                                                                                                                      1/2 tsp
Cayenne Pepper                                                                                                                     1/4 tsp
Sweet paprika                                                                                                                       1/4 tsp
Dried Majoram                                                                                                                        1/4 tsp
Celery seed                                                                                                                                 1/4 tsp
Dried savory                                                                                                                              1/2 tsp

 

Instructions:

1.) Start by browning both sides of the leek in a pot.

2.) After browning the leek, add broth into the pot and bring to a simmer.
3.) Add in the rest of the ingredients except the chicken.
4.) After the broth comes to a boil, add chicken and reduce to a simmer.
5.) Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the carrots begin to soften. Enjoy!!!! :)

 

-Raf

GF Beef heart Chorizo w/ eggs

Everyone has a favorite ethnicity of food. One of my favorites would have to be authentic Mexican food. So tasty!!!! As I walked the aisles of my local grocery store yesterday, I saw Chorizo, and I instantly wanted Chorizo and eggs. As I proceed to  investigate the ingredients on the different chorizos available, none of them are paleo/primal friendly. Most of the Chorizo has MSG in it. NO BUENO!! There is only one guarantee that your food is paleo, and that is to cook it yourself.

Today, I will share my Chorizo recipe and it is absolutely fantastic :)

Ingredients:
GF Beef heart (Diced in small cubes, 1cm cubes)                     1lb
Minced Garlic                                                                                       4 cloves
Garlic powder                                                                                       1 tsp
Ground Coriander                                                                                1/2 tsp
Ground Cumin                                                                                         1/2 tsp
Ground black pepper                                                                           1/4 tsp
Ground white pepper                                                                           1/4 tsp
Salt                                                                                                               1 tsp
Ground cinnamon                                                                                 1/2 tsp
Ground cloves                                                                                         1/4 tsp
Oregano leaves                                                                                       1 tsp
Thyme                                                                                                        1/2 tsp
Sweet paprika                                                                                         1 tbsp
Mexican chili powder                                                                          1 tbsp
White vinegar                                                                                           2 tsp

 

Instructions:

1.) Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl thoroughly.
2.) Pre-heat a skillet and fry the mixture together until thoroughly cooked.
3.) Hearts tend to have a lot of blood and juices when they are being cooked. So cook the mixture on medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed.
4.) Serve it on a plate and enjoy some Paleo Chorizo!

Paleo Mayonnaise/Ranch dressing

My friend J requested that I post a recipe of my Paleo Mayo, so of course I will do it for her! :) It is rather simple! There are many variations out there, they are all great, but here is my variation that suits my palate :)

Ingredients:
Egg yolk                                                 1
Extra light tasting olive oil         1 Cup
Dijon Mustard                                   3 tsp
Lemon Juice                                           1 tsp
White pepper                                     1/8 tsp
Garlic Powder                                    1/4 tsp
Onion Powder                                    1/4 tsp
Coconut Palm Sugar (Optional)    1/4 tsp
Salt                                                               To taste

Instructions:
1.) You will need a hand mixer, food processor, or some sort of blender for this, or else be prepared for an arm workout.
2.) Start by whipping the yolk, and lemon juice together.
3.) In order for the emulsification process to work, you have to be patient and take things slow. Start by adding a few drops of olive oil to the egg yolk and lemon juice mixture while mixing it on medium to high speed. Add a few drops or drizzle at a time.
4.) Do not add more oil until the previously added oil is well blended. As the process goes on, the mixture will thicken and look more like Mayonnaise.
5.) After all the oil is added, add in the rest of the ingredients and blend it well. You have your Paleo Mayo! :)

Ranch Variation:

I love ranch dressing. It is one of the things that I miss the most after going Paleo. So what do you do? You create your own! It is pretty close to the real thing, but without the dairy, it is still lacking! (Buttermilk and sour cream) 

Ingredients:
Paleo Mayo                                       Serving as above
Garlic powder                                                                   1/4 tsp
Parsley (Dry works, or fresh minced)                 1/2 tsp
Dried Chives (fresh work as well, minced)        1/2 tsp
Dried dill (Fresh work as well, minced)                1/2 tsp
Ground Black pepper                                                      1/4 tsp
Worcestershire sauce*                                                      dash
Cayenne Pepper                                                                 1/8 tsp
Paprika                                                                                     1/4 tsp
Tabasco sauce                                                                     Dash

**Can sub Worcestershire sauce with a small amount of canned anchovies (1/8 tsp or less) and 1/4 tsp of tamarind. I see Worcestershire sauce at the store that is pretty Paleo friendly.

Instructions:
1.) Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for an hour or so.
2.) If the consistency is too thick, you can add a small amount of almond milk to thin it out. ENJOY!!!

-Raf