Monday 20 May 2013

Who says Salads are Bland?

Well sure.. if you get the usual  salad comprised of a couple sad chunks of lettuce, a slice of cucumber and some soggy tomatoes then ok..  I could see your point..  but salads dont have to be like that...
In fact I can make a whole meal based around salad!

So here's a little inspiration next time you feel the need to up your veggi intake.....

Honey Mustard Prawn & Scallop BAS (Bad Ass Salad)

Whats in it?
Mixed loose-leaf lettuce, baby tomatoes, avocado, strawberries topped with hot grilled peppers, onions, Scallops & prawns then drizzled with a honey mustard dressing

 photo BAS.jpg


Strawberry Prawn BAS

Whats in it?
Mixed looseleaf lettuce, baby tomatoes, strawberries, cucumber, grilled asparagus, mushrooms, chives  & red peppers with piles of prawns & topped with a strawberry vinaigrette.

 photo PrawnBAS.jpg

Summer Flowers BAS

Whats in it?
Pea shoots, pea flowers, Nasturtium leaves & flowers, Strawberries, blueberries, sweet peppers, cucumber, radishes, & topped with grilled scallops with a strawberry & lime glaze.

 photo bas2.jpg

Still think salads are bleah?


Friday 12 April 2013

K.I.S.S. Chili Con Carne

No Beans
No Tomatoes
No Powders
No Frills

Just real proper Keep It Simple Stupid Chilli

Ingredients needed

1 Kg of Beef Chuck Shoulder or other flavorful  slow cooking cut
A good selection of dried chilies
2-3 cups of real beef stock

Yes.. thats all.. No tomatoes or beans. Just real beef & chili goodness

Start with a good selection of Chilies

In this case I used
Chipotle dried Chilies
Ancho Grande dried Chilies
Cascabel dried Chilies
Mulato dried Chilies
Pasilla dried Chilies
Guajillo dried chilies
and
1/2 a fresh Scotch Bonnet (only recommended if you like really hot chili)
 I also added a spoon of Achiote seeds.


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Throw into a pot with your beef stock and simmer on low for about 40 minutes or long enough to soften up the dried chilies.


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Using an Immersion blender to grind up into a smooth(ish) paste.


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While the sauce is simmering is a good time to cut up your beef, I like to make nice large chunks about 1.5" -2" square. You can also pre-heat the oven to 200F

Once your sauce is ready, take a oven safe heavy pot ( I use a cast iron dutch oven) and put on the stove top with some beef tallow or oil of choice. Once its good & hot, toss your beef chunks in and give a few minutes to sear on one side. This allows it to build that nice meaty flavour without the problem of drying out the meat you get when searing all over.
Once you have a nice sear on 1/4 or so of the meat surface, add the sauce & give a good stir then pop the lid on, leaving slightly cracked and stick in the oven to slow cook for the next 2.5-3 hours.


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Check for tenderness at about 2.5 hours & pop back in the oven as needed. when the chili is done, the meat should be lovely & tender.

Dish up & enjoy however you like.
Top with sour cream, creme fresh, grated cheese, cilantro or just plain.


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If your in the UK I can highly recommend Chillies On The Web for all your dried chillie needs. And no I dont get anything for recommending  them. I was just really impressed with their products & service!


Thursday 11 April 2013

Lush Marrow Custard

Bone marrow... full of minerals and other goodness. And something Ive just recently started adding to my kitchen (mostly because ive finally found a source of  good bones that the dogs haven't been able to get with the sad puppy eyes)

For those of you that don't yet know of the yummy benefits of bone broth & marrow, I highly recommend this article to get you up to speed. http://nourishedkitchen.com/bone-broths-adrenals-bones-teeth/

But back to my first kitchen experiment with marrow..

This is pretty straightforward to make & the resulting custard is very similar to creme brulee without the crisp sugar crust.  In fact I don't see any reason you couldn't add the sugar crust if you wanted to but it was delicious on its own.
Bring marrow bones to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. While you’re waiting on the marrow preheat oven to 350°F and place four ramekins in large roasting pan. In large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, milk/coconut milk, vanilla, honey and salt. When the marrow is ready, scoop the bones out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl to drain. After they’ve cooled a bit use a butter knife to extract the marrow. Place it in a small bowl. Set aside for a minute while you pour the egg mixture into the blender or get out an immersion blender. Spoon marrow – but not the oil that has collected at the bottom of the bowl – into the mixture and blend until smooth. Pour custard mixture into cups, dividing equally. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set in center, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Top with fruit, if desired.

Copyright 2013, Nourished Kitchen, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be republished without express, written consent.
Bring marrow bones to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. While you’re waiting on the marrow preheat oven to 350°F and place four ramekins in large roasting pan. In large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, milk/coconut milk, vanilla, honey and salt. When the marrow is ready, scoop the bones out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl to drain. After they’ve cooled a bit use a butter knife to extract the marrow. Place it in a small bowl. Set aside for a minute while you pour the egg mixture into the blender or get out an immersion blender. Spoon marrow – but not the oil that has collected at the bottom of the bowl – into the mixture and blend until smooth. Pour custard mixture into cups, dividing equally. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set in center, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Top with fruit, if desired.

Copyright 2013, Nourished Kitchen, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be republished without express, written consent.
Bring marrow bones to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. While you’re waiting on the marrow preheat oven to 350°F and place four ramekins in large roasting pan. In large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, milk/coconut milk, vanilla, honey and salt. When the marrow is ready, scoop the bones out with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl to drain. After they’ve cooled a bit use a butter knife to extract the marrow. Place it in a small bowl. Set aside for a minute while you pour the egg mixture into the blender or get out an immersion blender. Spoon marrow – but not the oil that has collected at the bottom of the bowl – into the mixture and blend until smooth. Pour custard mixture into cups, dividing equally. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set in center, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Top with fruit, if desired.

Copyright 2013, Nourished Kitchen, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be republished without express, written consent.

Preheat oven to 350°F and place four ramekins in large roasting pan. 

Boil a kettle of water.

Toss the following together in a blender (or a bowl if using an immersion blender.)

Aprox 1/3 cup of fresh Marrow (uncooked, I just used a butter knife to dig out of the bones)
1/2 cup Double Cream
1/4 cup Milk
6 egg yokes
seeds from 2 Vanilla Pods (or 1 T. of Vanilla Extract)
3 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt (or Celtic Sea Salt)


Zap it till smooth & creamy

Pour custard mixture into cups, dividing equally.
Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups.
Bake until custards are set in center, about 30-35 minutes.
Remove from water and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. can be served hot or cold
Top with fruit, if desired.

I served it cold & topped  it with Raspberry's and a scoop of Clotted Cream for a decadent desert.
 photo marrowcremebrulee1_zpsa797a3c2.jpg

Monday 8 April 2013

NO Grains?.. what do you eat?

So ive noticed a common reaction when I mention I dont eat grains.
"Gasp! What do you eat then?"

Now im not sure where this idea came from that  without grains theres somehow nothing left to eat...
That somehow life isent worth living without a slice of toast or a pile of pasta.
But heres a thought.. try eating that toast without anything on it.. thats right.. no jam, no cheese.. not even a pat of delicious  butter.. Kinda bland isent it?
And that pile of pasta.. dosent taste that great  without the meaty bolognese sauce or a rich carbonara does it?
Truth of the matter is that most Grain dishes are merely the delivery service for more flavorful foods.
Id rather just eat the yummy more nutritionaly dense stuff thank you very much....

So what do I eat?.. All of the below list for starters (and no, this is not an all inclusive list, just a taste of what I eat)
Lets start with vegetables.
 Artichokes
Acorn Squash
Asparagus
Bok Choy
Broccoflower
Belgian Endive
Broccoli
Black Salsify
Brussels Sprouts
Butter Lettuce
Buttercup Squash
Butternut Squash
Beets
Bell Peppers
Crookneck Squash
Cucumbers
Collard Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Carrots
Celeriac (Celery Root)
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Chives
Chinese Eggplants
Fennel
Fiddlehead Ferns
Endive
Eggplant
Garlic
Ginger
Galangal Root
Jerusalem Artichoke
Jalapeno Peppers
Kohlrabi
Kale
Leek
Lettuce
Lambs Lettuce
Mushrooms
Morel Mushrooms
Mustard Greens
Olives
Onions
Okra
Parsnips
Pearl Onions
Potatoes
Pea Pods
Peas
Pea shoots
Pumpkin
Purple Asparagus
Radishes
Rutabagas
Radicchio
Red Leaf Lettuce
Rhubarb
Salad Savoy
Snow Peas
Sorrel
Sweet Peppers
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Spring Baby Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Shallots
Sugar Snap Peas
Summer Squash
Tomatillo
Tomatoes
Turnips
Watercress
Winter Squash
Zucchini.....
Sounds really limited dosent it? & thats not even taking into account of all the  wild growing  things I  add to my diet like Nasturtium flowers & leaves (yes, there edible & lovely in a salad) Nettles, Wild rose petals, Dandelion  leaves, Fire-weed shoots,  Chanterelle Mushrooms and many more.

I try to source only  pastured meat where possible, buying from local farmers that care for their animals. I often buy unusual cuts  and offal meats where available.
Beef
Rose Veal
Chicken
Lamb
Rabbit
Venison
Turkey
Goose
Duck
Pheasant
Pigeon
Partridge
Pork
Boar
Bison
Prawns
Fish (Pretty much anything edible as I like trying new things)
Squid
Octopus
Scallops


Fruits are dependent on season & I will get more of stuff thats in season (I eat a lot of strawberries in the summer as I can get them from the farmer just down the road :) )
Apples
Apricots
Asian Pear
Avocados
Bananas
Black Currants
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Cherries, Sour
Clemintine
 Gooseberries
Cranberries
Coconut
Dates
Elderberries
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Huckleberries
Honeydew Melons
Kiwifruit
Key Limes
Kumquats
Lemons
Limes
Mango
Mulberries
Nectarines
Oranges
Papayas
Passion Fruit
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Persimmons
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Pummelo
Quince
Raspberries
Red Currants
Tangerines
Sharon Fruit
Strawberries
Watermelon

So that's just the basics, I haven't even listed stuff like dairy, nuts, spices or oils.

I will be posting pictures of some of my meals, with descriptions & even recipes when available (although I do tend to cook a lot without following a recipe).  


Sunday 24 March 2013

Primal Dog 1.0

This is my heart dog, Tam. 
Hes a 8.5 year Old English Mastiff. He weighs a lean & muscular 170lbs (12stones)  photo Bigbone3.jpg I started feeding him Primal when he was about a year old (before that he was on a high quality dog food called Orijen) 
Within a few months we saw marked improvements in overall health, coat etc even though he had seemed perfectly healthy before hand. 
I think people dont always realize how much healthier we and our companions can be when we think were already healthy. 
So many things that just seem normal maybe arnt but because they creep up on us gradually we just attribute to regular aging & wear & tear or simply don't notice them at all. 

A few months ago we had to take Tam to the vets as he had sprained his hock (note to anyone thinking of getting a mastiff.. They are not an agile breed LOL) 
Now keep in mind that mastiffs have an expected life expectancy of between 8-10 years. The Vet thought he was about 4 years old.....& was shocked that not only was he past 8, but he had no signs of the osteoarthritis & joint issues that are prevalent in the larger breeds and practically a given once they are older. 
 In fact, aside from injury's sustained as a direct result of gravity vs. 170lbs of bullheadedness, Tams never had to visit the vet for any health issues. 

& Yes.. that is a whole cow leg bone......

Saturday 23 March 2013

It starts here.

You may be wondering, whats a "Primal Dog and whats that got to do with this blog?

A long time ago I started researching dogs health in relation to food & nutrition, what I found was scary and that information led me to  feeding my dogs a Primal diet (Sometimes referred to as BARF aka Bones and raw food) 


On seeing the obvious health benefits this provided I thought.. if Animals  do better being fed what nature intended they eat, and not some processed dried crap out of a bag...  how much sense does it make that  maybe some of the same ideas might also apply to humans?. after all despite the increased Government/Doctor induced  guidelines on  "healthy eating" and emphasis on lots of "heart healthy whole grains, low fat everything and imitation sweeteners. you've got to admit  that people are getting fatter, sicker and more stressed. 
People spend hours every day running on a treadmill and wondering why they cant loose the weight. Foods that claim to be healthy "diet" foods leave them hungry and craving more. 
Heavy work loads lead to stress and exhaustion. 

The Conventional line of thinking obviously isent working.  

And what do they call the process of doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results?... Thats right... insanity....

So I thought.....
Life should be about being able to enjoy your time here.
Life should mean eating things that make you happy and make you feel healthy and alive.... (Not to mention full!)
Life should be full of joy and time to play.

So a year ago I changed the way I eat to what some call a Primal Way of Eating.
In simple terms I cut out grains, processed foods and anything that wouldn't have been available 100 years ago.

I eat High Fat/Moderate Protein/Low Carb delicious whole food.
I source all my meat from local sources that pasture their animals and treat them humanely.
I dont count calories and I don't do cardio..(In fact I bloody hate running.. Unless there's a  pissed off Grizzly charging me,, Im not running!)
I don't exercise any more than I used to.

Ive  gotten rid of the chronic inflammation issues i had been having with my shoulder and some other issues. I have more energy & I just feel better in general. And ive lost over 50 lbs in the last year.. without even trying. 
So this blog is my attempt at creating a space to chronicle my journey and  encourage me to continue making positive changes to create  a more relaxed and healthy life for myself, my Dear Husband and my 2 dogs who I will introduce later.