CRACKING Cauliflower Tortillas

Tags

AIP, AIP Reintroduction, Autoimmune Protocol, Cauliflower, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Linga Longa, Paleo, Slow Cooked Pork, Tortilla

I wrote an edible cookbook. The pages are made out of tortillas. It’s also the Book of Love. (Batteries and hot sauce sold separately.) -Jarod Kintz, ‘Love quotes for the ages. Specifically ages 18-81′

I’m a wee bit addicted to the Linga Longa pork neck I pick up from the Eveleigh farmers markets. It’s a fantastic cut of meat, tastes out of this world and is so easy to prepare.

It’s actually a toss-up whether my slow cooked pork neck or four-hour lamb recipe is LM’s absolute favourite. Either way, we seem to rotate them week-about here at Casa TSL.

And, Greg (the Mr Linga Longa farmer, himself) knows just how much I love his pork. His is the first stall I head to every week at the markets. And, Bella loves him, too (possibly because he’s always generous with a bone or three for her).

This week, we picked up 2.6 kilos of lovely pork neck. And, the best thing is that when I make that much slow cooked pork over the weekend, I know I’ve got enough protein for several meals.

2.6 kilos of porky goodness ready to go into the oven!
(Image by TSL)

If I’m feeling lazy, we’ll just have the shredded pork over a big jumble of roasted vegetables with some apple sauce and fermented veggies. For a low effort meal, it’s pretty fine…!

But sometimes, a girl feels like experimenting. And, with LM out and about for much of this weekend past, I thought I’d try something new this week.

Enter the Cauliflower Tortilla!

Shredded pork lends itself to being rolled or sandwiched into your carbohydrate of choice. Think pulled pork sliders or Mexican tortillas…

Only, when you are on a restricted diet – grain-free, even – that just ain’t going to happen.

Until now…

Cauliflower Tortillas TSL-Sty;e…
(Image by LM for TSL)

Inspired by the likes of Joshua Weissman of Slim Palate fame, and Lauren Geertsen over at the very informative Empowered Sustenance, I had my first attempt at making cauliflower tortillas. And, let me tell you, it definitely won’t be the last time I make them. O for Oarsome!

People ask me all the time, ‘What keeps you up at night?’ And I say, ‘Spicy Mexican food, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber attacks. – Dutch Ruppersberger

I filled our tortillas with my slow-cooked pork neck, some red onion and some smashed avocado with just a squeeze of fresh lime juice. But, I reckon I could have done a slightly more anglo-style tortilla with slow cooked lamb and a little sheeps-milk yoghurt (and perhaps some fresh mint instead of the coriander), too…

• Servings: 3-4
• Time: ? hours
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

1 x cauliflower
3 eggs
A handful of fresh, chopped coriander (cilantro)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 190°C/ 375°F.  Line two baking trays with baking paper.

2. Wash, core and chop up your cauliflower into small florets. Throw it into your food processor and pulse until super-fine. Think smaller than rice kernels. It will take a little stopping and starting…

3. Bring a cup of water to boil in a medium-sized pot. Add your super-fine cauliflower, pop on the lid and simmer for 6 minutes (until cooked)

4. Drain your cooked cauliflower in a sieve. Allow to cool for ten minutes. Once cool enough to handle, pop it into a clean tea towel. Squeeze out as much of the excess water as you can.

5. Whisk your eggs in a clean bowl. Add your drained cauliflower, chopped coriander and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

6. Take your mixture and spread as evenly as possible into 8 circles onto your baking trays – four on each.

7. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Carefully flip your tortillas, rotate the trays and  pop them back into the oven for a further 8 – 10 minutes.

8. Cool on a wire rack.

9. When you’re ready to load your tortillas, heat a frying sized pan over medium heat. One or two at a time, pop the tortillas into the pan. Brown each side and serve.

E N J O Y !

 

Preoccupied With Parsley Oil…

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Easy Dinner-party Meal, Garnish, green sauce, Meat, Oil, Paleo, Parsley, Parsley Oil

(Image by LM for TSL)

If you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember that Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks movie, ‘Sleepless in Seattle’. It was released in 1993. Yep – that’s 22 years ago! Which makes me officially old. At least, according to the teenager, it does.

Destiny is something we’ve invented because we can’t stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental. (Annie in ‘Sleepless in Seattle’)

Well, that particular movie has little to do with this recipe. Other than the fact that I was reminded of it when I was considering ‘Preoccupied with Parsley Oil’ as a title for this post!

This whole preoccupation with parsley oil came about thanks to one of the AIPers at our recent picnic. She made a comment about some of my recipes being ‘dinner party-worthy’. Which I was so chuffed about! I have always thought of myself as more a wholesome every-day kind of cook…

The GREAT Parsley Oil Experiment
(Image by TSL)

To be honest, somehow the synapses just started firing in weird ways (does that happen to you?) and I started wondering about how I could make one of my world-famous-in-New-Zealand Root Vegetable Soup recipes into a slightly more dinner-party worthy meal without too much effort… We are fast approaching rugby season after all.

Of course, adding meatballs of any description to vegetable soup is a good way to make it more ‘hearty’. So that was a bit of a no-brainer.

But! – what if I garnished it with parsley oil? – wouldn’t that be kind of cool? And – how do you make parsley oil, anyway?

TSL ‘Anything Goes’ Meatballs in Root Vegetable Soup with Parsley Oil
(Image by LM for TSL)

That started me down a rabbit hole of experimenting with making parsley oil. And, you know what I discovered?

Making parsley oil is easy!

Et voilà! A dinner-party dish (at least for in front of the rugby!) was born.

Step 1: Take one recipe for awesome root vegetable soup – you could use this one or this one!

Step 2: Take one recipe for ‘Anything Goes’ Meatballs

Step 3: When ready to serve, garnish with parsley oil (recipe below!)

Parsley Oil

• Time: you will need to start this the day before
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

2 x large bunches of fresh, organic flat leaf parsley
3/4 x cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

1. Bring a big pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Prepare an ice bath by emptying a tray of ice blocks into a large bowl of cold water.

2. Chop the stalks off your parsley. Don’t worry about being too precise. Throw the parsley into the boiling water for 15 seconds.

3. Drain into a colander and immediately plunge the parsley into the iced water bath (to stop the cooking process). When it is nice and cold, gently squeeze the parsley between a few sheets of paper towel to release as much of the moisture as possible.

4. Chop the parsley into approximate quarters. Pop two of the quarters into your high-speed blender. Add half the EVOO. Blend for two minutes. It will be the most amazing colour!

5. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the blender and then add another quarter of the parsley and half the remaining oil. Blend for two minutes. Repeat with the last of the parsley and oil.

6. Pour the parsley oil into a glass jar, screw on the lid and pop into the fridge.

7. The next day, secure a piece of cheesecloth firmly over a bowl. Pour the parsley oil onto the cheesecloth and allow it to work its magic for an hour.

8. Discard the cheesecloth. (Don’t be tempted to squeeze out the cloth – it will cloud your oil).

9. The oil will keep refrigerated for a few days. It freezes well.

E N J O Y !

Bella likes meatballs, too…
Ever hopeful
(Image by LM for TSL)

Tomato Passata Replacement (AIP-Friendly)

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Gluten Free, Healthy Sauce, Nightshade Free, Nomato Sauce, Paleo, Sauces, Tinned Tomato Alternative, Tomato Free

(Image by TSL)

I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it. (Mae West)

A while back, I wrote a wee piece on Autoimmunity and the Removal of Nightshades from Your Diet. I’m still ‘officially’ off nightshades. I use the inverted commas because I’ve discovered that white potatoes – in moderation, at least – seem to be ok for me; and, because I’m pretty sure I’ve inadvertently had the odd nightshade when I’ve been out for a meal.

Nightshades are pretty ubiquitous and most people have no idea what they actually are.

I’m not game to ‘officially’ reintroduce nightshades for two reasons. The first is that Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) sufferers (that’s me!) tend to be particularly sensitive to them; and second, a fellow HS comrade-in-arms recently suggested to me that, when it comes to nightshades, “the dose makes the poison”. So, I’m limiting my nightshade consumption to when I’m not so in control of the ingredients in recipes.

But I miss them. Tomatoes, in particular.

In my past life, I was a lover of ratatouille. In my opinion, the perfect veggie accompaniment. But full of eggplant, capsicum and tomatoes… ALL nightshades.

And, my go-to BEST EVER Ragu Bolognese, like most good Italian meat sauces, has a generous helping of tomatoes. I used to always have a stash of portion-sized ragu in my freezer. The perfect last-minute meal stand-by… But, since going nightshade-free that is no longer an option.

(Image by TSL)

At home, I make a large batch of tomato sauce and freeze it in meal-size portions in freezer bags. (Joe Bastianich)

Well, I’ve decided that I won’t be held prisoner to my tomato-free existence any more. I want to have ragu back in my freezer again – for those nights I just can’t face cooking.

So today, I bring you my tomato passata replacement. This is the jar of goodness that you use when a recipe calls for tinned tomatoes. It’s 100% AIP-friendly. It tastes good and it’s good for you.

This recipe makes a generous amount of passata replacement. One of the biggest challenges on the autoimmune protocol is the need to plan ahead – so, with this recipe, you’ll have extra left over that you can pop into your freezer for the next time a recipe calls for tomatoes, passata or otherwise.

And, it works beautifully with my revised AIP-Friendly, You Won’t Believe Its Tomato-Free Ragu Bolognese.

This baby is made with roasted beetroot and pumpkin. The roasting really brings out the flavour of the vegetables. And, then we add fresh herbs to make the whole thing sing…

Tomato Passata Alternative (AIP Friendly

• Servings: 2 - 4
• Time: 90 minutes minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

500g x beetroot (about 3 generous-sized beets)
500g x pumpkin (about 1/3 medium-sized pumpkin)
1 x onion
2 x Tablespoons fat + extra for drizzling (I used coconut oil)
1 x generous handful flat leaf parsley
1 x generous handful fresh basil
2 x cloves garlic
500mls x water
Salt

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180°C/350°F.

2. Slice off any beetroot leaves and give the beets a good scrub under water with a brush. Wrap them individually in foil. Pop into a roasting dish.

3. Slice the pumpkin into two. Drizzle with a little fat. Add to the roasting dish.

4. Roast until cooked – about 60 minutes. I check every 20 minutes and test with a sharp knife.

5. Let the beetroot and pumpkin cool on the bench. Once cool enough to handle, peel the beets (I use plastic gloves to prevent my hands from staining) and remove the pumpkin skin.

6. Peel and finely dice your onion. In a large-ish pot, heat your fat over a medium-low flame. Add the onion and sauté gently until translucent.

7. While the onion is cooking, pop your beetroot, pumpkin, parsley, basil and garlic into the bowl of your food processor. Blend thoroughly until smooth.

8. Add your pureed vegetables to the sautéed onions. Stir.

9. Add water and stir until smooth. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.

10. Check for seasoning and salt to your taste.

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable

 

‘I Can’t Believe it’s Liver!’ Duck Liver, Thyme and Orange Pâté

Tags

AIP, AIP on the go, Autoimmune Protocol Reintroduction, Duck Liver, Health, Liver, Nutrition, Offal, Pate, Travelling with AIP

(Image by TSL)

I was chatting with The Bacon Mum after our recent Autoimmune Connection session and she mentioned one of her secret-squirrel tips for travelling on a restricted diet was to freeze individual portions of liver pâté and then have them on hand for breakfast with slices of apple… Genius!

I know eating organ meats of any description can be one of the biggest hurdles for anyone embarking on an AIP caper. For many, there’s often something off-putting about offal. In fact, in an effort to get his head around the subject, my good mate, Rory over at The Paleo PI has created an Offal Rating Scale…

Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liverslices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencods’ roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine. (James Joyce, Ulysses)

I grew up eating my Mum’s chicken liver pâté. In fact, I’d hazard a guess that her chicken liver pâté might even be the most requested dish in her recipe repertoire. Within our family, at least. It’s SO good!

Just writing about it makes me wish I was sitting in the kitchen in Auckland with my Mum eating her pâté…

But I’m not. Sadly. And, when we were growing up, I don’t think even my Mum knew just what a favour she was doing for us. Liver is such a nutrient dense food.

Want to know just how nutrient-dense? According to the good peeps over at Weston A. Price: – 

Liver contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. It provides:

– An excellent source of high-quality protein
– Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
– All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
– One of our best sources of folic acid
– A highly usable form of iron
– Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
– An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
– CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
– A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.

So, if you take away nothing else from this post, it should be this:

Eat. More. Liver.

And, if you find the idea of eating liver a challenge, I think pâté is probably one of the best ways to ease your way into it.

And, it’s even easier when you use poultry livers (from happy birds, of course!) Duck and chook livers are creamier and more subtle in flavour than those from lamb or beef. Especially with the addition of a little enhancement by way of citrus or even alcohol*…

Instead of chicken livers (à la my Mum), I picked up some gorgeous duck livers from Feather and Bone. The ducks from whence these livers came were pasture raised at Jum Jum Farm. Very happy ducks!

Here at Casa TSL, we’re continuing with our reintroductions, so this number has butter in the recipe, which is traditional for liver pâté. I used some lovely Pepe Saya cultured butter in mine. SO good, but it is entirely possible to make a very good pâté without any dairy – just substitute the butter for lard, coconut oil or – even better – duck fat! 

Unsure how to eat your pâté when you are off bread? – Easy, tastes great with fresh apple slices or try it with carrot and celery sticks. Or, smear some on cucumber slices.

Duck Liver, Thyme and Orange Pate

• Servings: 5 - 6 ramekins
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

175g x best butter, unsalted
500g x fresh duck livers (can substitute chicken livers)
1 x onion
2 x cloves of garlic
2 x sprigs fresh thyme
1 x Tablespoon fresh orange juice
zest of one orange
2 x Tablespoons cognac
60g x clarified butter/ghee, melted (optional)

Method:

1. Start by completing your mise en place (which is just a fancy chef word for preparing your ingredients). Clean and trim your duck livers. Peel and finely chop your onion and garlic cloves. Zest and juice your orange.

2. In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of your butter until melted and foaming. Add half the duck livers and fry until golden but still pink in the middle. About 2 minutes each side.

3. Repeat with the second half of duck livers.

4. Pop the cooked duck livers and all the lovely juices into your food processor.

5. Heat another tablespoon of butter and add the onion, garlic, fresh thyme, orange juice and zest. Cook on a medium-low heat until the onion is translucent.

6. Add your cognac. Give the mixture a good stir to release any sticky bits in the bottom of the pan.

7. Remove and discard the thyme stalks. Add the contents of the flying pan to your food processor along with the remaining butter. Mix thoroughly. I scrape the sides of my food processor and mix again to ensure a smooth consistency.

8. Taste for seasoning. Hold yourself back from eating too much! Spoon into ramekins and refrigerate.

9. Optional – If you are serving at a dinner party or want to be fancy-schmancy, cover the top of your pâté with a little melted clarified butter/ghee. It’ll look great and it will last a little longer, too.

E N J O Y !

* the alcohol is cooked off

World FAMOUS Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Sultanas, Capers and Hazelnuts

Tags

AIP Reintroduction, Al Brown, Cauliflower, Dairy Free, Healthy Salad, Paleo, Roasted Cauliflower, Salad, vegetarian

(Image by TSL)

I’ve promised you this salad for a while now. Ever since it became my ‘go-to’ dish over the Christmas break. It’s so easy to make. And, if you’ve never tried roasted cauliflower florets before, you’re in for a treat!

Trust me when I say, “It’s a winner!”

I was going to post it last week, but I got a little side tracked by the gorgeous wee baby cauli’s at the markets. And, instead I gave you my Whole Roasted Cauliflower. (I know! Two cauli’ recipes in the same month. What is the world coming to?)

This week I picked up the ‘Mama Cauliflower’ at the markets. A lovely big one. And so, today I am pleased to give you my take on an Al Brown recipe my Mum cut out of the paper…

Cauliflower is available year-round here in Sydney, but it seems to be absolutely everywhere I look at the moment. Which doesn’t upset me one bit. I L O V E cauliflower.

To be fair, it’s a recent love affair that has sprung up over the past couple of years as I discover the incredible versatility this benign-looking vegetable brings to my cooking repertoire…

SO good!
(Image by TSL)

I used to be into ‘forbidden fruit’, but I’ve moved on to ‘verboten vegetables’
― Josh Stern

You can eat it raw – as part of a crudités selection (GREAT with homemade aioli!). You can add it to salads.  And, of course, you can use it in your cooking – whole, cut into steaks, mashed, roasted, steamed. It’s a particularly good base for herbs and spices, too.

Cauliflower has lots of vitamin C and B6. And it offers useful quantities of folate, protein and fibre, too. It is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables. And, in the past, here at Casa TSL it may have been overshadowed by its green cousin broccoli…

But no more! Broccoli-shmoccoli!

Well. Not really. Just for today’s post…

Just one observation – cauliflower seems to shrink when it is roasted. Do make sure you get a large one for this recipe, or even consider two.

And here it is. Your Roasted Cauliflower Salad. As promised. I hope you like it.

Oh! – and if you omit the nuts, this baby is AIP compliant, too!

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Sultanas, Capers and Hazelnuts

• Servings: 2 - 4
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Adapted from a recipe by Al Brown

Ingredients:

1 x large cauliflower
6 x Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
2 x Tablespoons capers, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 x cup hazelnuts (omit if in the elimination phase of AIP)
1/2 x cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Juice of one lemon
Salt

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180°C/350°F.

2. Wash and cut your cauliflower into small florets. Pop into a roasting dish with 4 tablespoons of the EVOO. Salt generously and mix well. Roast for 30 – 45 minutes until a little brown and crunchy.

3. While the cauliflower is roasting, dry fry your hazelnuts until toasted to your liking. Pop the nuts aside. Using the same pan and a drizzle of EVOO, fry your capers off in a little olive oil.

4. When the hazelnuts are cool, roughly chop.

5. Mix the roasted cauliflower, capers, raisins, almonds and parsley in a bowl. Finish with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and a generous serve of salt.

E N J O Y !

The HUMONGOUS Homemade Mayonnaise Post (2 Recipes!)

Tags

Aioli, AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Homemade Mayonnaise, Honey Mustard Dressing, Mayonnaise, Paleo, Salad Dressing, Sauce, Tartare Sauce

Model: the teenager
(Image by LM)

Homemade mayonnaise is the second-most important salad dressing to learn how to make from scratch.

At least, that’s what I think. The first is a really good house-made vinaigrette. Your stand-by, if you like. The one you make all the time.

But, a mayonnaise is arguably the MOST important sauce. Because it is just so versatile.

If you’ve never made real mayonnaise from scratch, you don’t know what you’re missing. Really. There is just no comparison with the bought stuff that comes out of a bottle.

Real mayo’ tastes A M A Z I N G

And, it is surprisingly easy to make. Don’t believe me? I managed to use a little elbow grease and whisk up made-from-scratch mayo’ while on the boat bobbing around at sea over the Christmas holidays in New Zealand. Not an electric hand beater or blender in sight…

I don’t remember my Mum ever buying ready-made salad dressing. And, even my Dad is slightly famous for his take on the eponymous Highlander sweetened condensed milk dressing that is seemingly part of every childhood in New Zealand…

Highlander Sweetened Condensed Milk
Highlander Sweetened Condensed Milk Salad Dressing: some variation of
1 can condensed milk
1/2 can vinegar (pretty sure my Dad swears by malt vinegar!)
1 tsp mustard powder
(Image from here)

And, the bought mayo’ – even the high-end boutique-style expensive kind – is usually made with canola oil. And, we don’t touch canola oil here at Casa TSL. No we don’t. Because it’s a highly processed polyunsaturated vegetable oil.

Of course, the downside is that real mayonnaise also contains egg yolks. So, it has to be said that it’s only acceptable autoimmune protocol fare if egg yolks have been safely reintroduced.

And, it almost goes without saying that you want to ensure your eggs come from happy chooks and are as fresh as possible.

This weekend just past, we celebrated the teenager’s birthday by way of a BBQ lunch. It was a scorcher! 34° (that’s about 93° for you Americans!) here in Sydney. LM threw a few steaks on the barbie and I whipped up my take on a Waldorf salad – celeriac, celery, green apple (all julienned with the mandolin); mixed with parsley, celery leaves, a few activated walnuts and dressed with my super special TSL dressing, which uses mayo’ as a base…

My take on Waldorf Salad
(Image by LM)

I first learned about the wonder that is mayonnaise made with my stick blender from the lovely Barbra and Jack over at CutterLight blog. They posted a recipe. It blew my mind that making a mayonnaise – from scratch – could be THIS easy. No more slowly drizzling my oil into the food processor. No more worrying about the chance of it curdling. No more ‘mayonnaise elbow‘!

Since then, I’ve played with the recipe. Tweaked it to accommodate my dietary quirks and tastes.

So, here’s my take on mayonnaise made with a stick blender. I promise it tastes great and it’s a doddle to make!

Homemade Mayonnaise

• Servings: 2 cups
• Time: less than 10 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

 Ingredients

2 x egg yolks – as fresh as possible and at room temperature
1 x Tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar
1 x Tablespoon water
Generous pinch of salt (I use Himalayan sea salt)
1 cup macadamia nut oil. Avocado oil works well, too.
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:

1. Pop your egg yolks, vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, and salt into a tall beaker. I used the one that came with my stick blender. Very slowly, pour in your macadamia/avocado oil so that it settles on top of the other ingredients.

2. With the blender held against the bottom of the beaker, pulse until the mixture begins to emulsify. 3 or 4 pulses should do it. Keep pulsing until most of the mayonnaise is emulsified. This won’t take long. Definitely less than a minute. Slowly move the blender up and down through the sauce to mix thoroughly.

3. Transfer the mayonnaise into a bowl. Using a hand whisk, slowly pour in the olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk until very well combined.

4. Taste for seasoning.

E N J O Y !

Vulgarity is the garlic in the salad of life.– Cyril Connolly

I’m particularly partial to garlic and love a good aioli. And, for the uninitiated, aioli is just a fancy (French) term for garlic mayonnaise.

Aoili – bash 3 fresh garlic cloves with 1/4 of a teaspoon sea salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the garlic to your egg-yolk mixture at step I. You will not need any more salt.

Tartare Sauce is a wonderful addition to fish and marries beautifully with ox tongue.

Tartare Sauce – make mayonnaise as above. Stir in chopped gherkins, drained capers, freshly chopped parsley and chives along with a little finely diced shallot.

For my Waldorf Salad dressing, I wanted something just a touch sweeter. Like his father, the teenager has a bit of a sweet tooth. I also wanted something a little more runny. So, here’s the mustard mayo’ dressing that I folded through my salad…

Honey Mustard Mayonnaise Dressing

• Servings: 1/2 cups
• Time: less than 2 minutes
• Difficulty: really easy
• Print

1/2 x cup fresh homemade mayonnaise (see recipe above)
1 x teaspoon seeded mustard
1/2 x teaspoon runny honey

Method:

1. If you are making this dressing immediately after making homemade mayonnaise, use the same bowl. Whisk the ingredients together.

2. Taste for seasoning.

E N J O Y !

 

“Holy Herbed Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Batman!”

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Cauliflower, Cauliflower Recipe, Herbs, Paleo, Vegetables, vegetarian

(Image by TSL)

Ever since I came back from my Christmas break in New Zealand, I’ve been meaning to post about my take on Al Brown‘s roasted cauliflower salad. And I will. Promise.

It’s just that I got a little side tracked this week…

While I was at the farmers market on Saturday, I found the most perfectly formed little cauliflowers. I bought one, thinking I would make the salad. Only, when it came time, I couldn’t bring myself to chop it up. It was so pretty. TRULY! And, then I told myself that, “Really, it was too small to do justice to a salad”.

And, so this wee number for whole roasted cauliflower was born.

Bella sunning herself next to my hanging herb patch by Missy K
(Image by TSL)

I have a super-special mate (Australian vernacular: mate = friend!). Here at Casa TSL, she is affectionately known as Missy K. And, among other things, Missy K is known for giving awesome pressies. This Christmas just past, she made me a hanging herb garden. She’s the ultimate D.I.Y. lawyer!

I love my hanging herb patch.

The best thing about having herbs growing in your garden (or, in my case on my wall) is that you use them more often in your cooking. And, when I say more often, I really mean all the time.

Which can only be good for me. 

Now that I have such a variety of gorgeous smelling greenery, I’m experimenting. I’m branching out from my usual – parsley, rosemary and thyme. In the past, I might have bought some coriander (cilantro) for a recipe. Now I have it all in my wee garden. At my fingertips.

So, for this recipe, I used oregano. And, the house may have smelled the littlest bit like a pizza parlour while the cauliflower was cooking…

In fact, LM walked in the door and wanted to know what smelled so good!

Whole roasted cauli’ is a great way to experiment with herbs and spices. I’ve kept this number AIP-friendly (the toasted hazelnuts are completely optional). If you prefer a different herb, then just switch it out. Thyme would work equally well.

And, if you’re fine with nightshades and seed spices, then have a play. The potential flavour combinations really are endless. Think about adding some of the following:

– Ground cumin

– Turmeric

– Fennel seeds

– Ground coriander

– Cinnamon

– Mustard seeds

– Paprika

Whole roasted cauliflower is an impressive way to serve your vegetables. This little number would be a great addition to a dinner party table. It looks fabulous.

Herbed Whole Roasted Cauliflower

• Servings: 4
• Time: 50 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

1 x organic cauliflower
Salt (I use Himalayan sea salt)
2 x Tablespoons coconut oil or lard
Small handful of fresh oregano, finely chopped (can substitute 1 x teaspoon dried oregano)
2 x cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of half a lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), for drizzling
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Small handful hazelnuts (optional – omit for elimination phase of AIP)

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180°C / 350°F. Remove the outer leaves of your cauliflower and pop into a roasting dish.

2. In a frying small pan, dry fry your hazelnuts over a low-medium heat. Keep your eye on them – they will burn quickly. Once toasted, roughly chop and set aside.

3. In the same pan, gently melt one Tablespoon of fat. Pour the melted fat over your cauliflower. Season generously with salt. Pop into the oven and roast for 35 – 40 minutes until golden.

4. When your cauliflower is almost ready, melt the remaining fat. Stir in your oregano, minced garlic, and lemon zest.

5. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and reduce the temperature to 160°C / 320°F. Pour the herb-infused fat over the top of your cauliflower and pop back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

6. Serve the cauliflower with a drizzle of EVOO. Squeeze over the lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley and optional toasted hazelnuts.

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable.

MARVELLOUS Minted Zucchini and Broccoli Rice

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Broccoli, Grain Free, Greens, Paleo, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Whole 30, Zucchini

(Image by TSL)

At the beginning of the week, I roast a ton of vegetables so I can use them for the next few days. I also plan out meals in advance. (Gail Simmons)

I’m a wee bit like Gail Simmons. On a Sunday night (usually), I’ll roast a massive bunch of veggies – sweet potato, pumpkin, onion, leek, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi – I don’t discriminate. Whatever is in season and in the pantry. I’ll add some seasoning – most often a combo’ of fresh rosemary (I adore rosemary!), a little garlic and salt and pepper. It’s part of my weekly cooking regime.

And, the roasted veggies last a few days. They can be added to salads, simply reheated or made into hash. They are a trusty stand by.

Last week the unthinkable happened. Just back from our summer holidays, I roasted a chook. And I burnt it. Thinking I was having an off day, the next night I attempted to slow cook a couple of shoulders of lamb. Burnt again.

I thought I had lost my cooking mojo…

And then LM suggested it might not be me, it might actually be our oven.

Over the weekend we trotted out to acquire an oven thermometer. And what do you know? – when I set the oven for 180° C, my thermometer read 280° C!!! LM was right!

I think our oven thermostat has blown. And now I’m waiting for an oven whisperer.

So, necessity being the mother of invention and all that…

It’s true. My weekly veggie roast off has meant I haven’t been experimenting with my veggies as often as I should. So, this week, because I am sans oven, I bring you my Minted Zucchini and Broccoli Rice.

(Images by TSL)

I don’t want any vegetables, thank you. I paid for the cow to eat them for me. (Douglas Coupland)

Unlike Mr Coupland, I want LOTS of veggies in my day. I want extra veggies with my veggies.

And, unless you’ve been living under a rock in the past year or two, you’ll know that cauliflower rice has become a mainstay in the grain-free world as a rice alternative. It’s such a winner that conventional eaters have been adopting it as another way to eat veggies AND it has brought the humble cauliflower into the spotlight.

Suddenly cauliflower is sexy!

We eat an awful lot of cauliflower here at Casa TSL. It probably won’t surprise you to know that my favourite way to eat it is in fact: roasted.

(Image by TSL)

But this week, I had some lovely organic broccoli and zucchini that I had picked up at the markets on Saturday. Clearly roasting is currently out. And the idea of stir-frying them wasn’t pushing my buttons. I hit upon the idea of ricing them like cauliflower…

And it works!

And although the recipe is not particularly difficult, there is some chopping involved. Namely of the zucchini. I didn’t actually test my theory, but I think whizzing the zucchini in your kitchen whiz might not work because of it’s high water content. Do let me know if you’re feeling adventurous…!

Anyhoo – don’t quote me on it, but in ‘chef-speak’, I think this fine chopping might be known as ‘brunoise’…

brunoise
noun
finely diced vegetables used to flavour soups and sauces.

Brunoise of zucchini – I could be a chef!
(Image by TSL)

Not a bad wee alternative to cauliflower rice!

Minted Zucchini and Broccoli Rice

• Servings: 4 - 6-ish as a side
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

1 x large onion
1 x large head of broccoli
2 x zucchini (I used one enormous one!)
2 x Tablespoon fat of choice (I used duck fat)
2 – 3 Tablespoons bone broth (water will do at a pinch)
a generous handful of mint, finely chopped
Salt
Freshly ground pepper (not for the elimination phase of AIP)
Optional: 1/4 cup activated almonds, chopped (not for the elimination phase of AIP)

Method:

After chopping up the cauliflower…

1. Wash and coarsely chop your broccoli. Throw it into your kitchen whiz (food processor) and pulse until ‘rice-like’ in texture

2. Dice your onion finely. Heat your fat in a large frypan. Add onion and saute on a low-medium heat until translucent.

3. While the onions are cooking, wash and finely dice your zucchini. When the onions are softened, add your zucchini and broccoli. Stir thoroughly.

4. Add your bone broth and season with salt.

5. Cover the pan for 7 – 8 minutes to allow the vegetables to cook through.

6. When cooked, stir through chopped mint. Taste for seasoning. Garnish with nuts (if tolerated).

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable

FANTASTIC Fennel, Celery, Apple and Pomegranate Salad

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Fennel Salad, Festive Salad, Healthy Salad, Paleo, Salad, Summer Salad

(Image by TSL)      

Fun fact #1 about pomegranates: Pomegranates are awesome.
Fun fact #2: Pomegranates are like little explosions of awesome in your mouth.
Fun fact #3: A lot of people think you’re not supposed to eat the seeds of a pomegranate – but that’s not true, people who tell you that are liars, and they don’t know anything about life, and they should never be trusted. (Tahereh Mafi)

This post comes to you largely because of the lovely Erin over at Enjoying This Journey.

Erin and I have never met in the real world. And, it is entirely possible that we never will. She lives with her family on a wee homestead in the U.S. And, I live in a wee townhouse in central Sydney. But, still – she is my friend. My blogging friend. And, we both happen to follow the Autoimmune Protocol.

I love this blogging world that has opened up to me over the past few years. I love the fact that I have connected with people all over the world. And, I love that I have connected with some who are not so far away, too. It’s bloody brilliant!

Back to Erin and her pomegranates. Erin loves pomegranates. I get the feeling they may even be her favourite food. And, I will admit that I find them hard to resist, too – their beautiful, jewel tones coupled with their bursts of intense flavour in your mouth (channelling Nigella Lawson!). There’s something festive about them, too.

And, they’re even good for you – arguably the most powerful anti-oxidant of all fruits with seriously potent anti-cancer and immune supporting effects. True!

A pomegranate is filled with rubies when you open it up. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend – but not for me. I love rubies; they’re great over necks, you know. (Lynda Resnick)

Erin is collecting pomegranate recipes.

And, even though it’s completely the wrong time of year for her to be thinking about summer salads up there in the northern hemisphere, I thought I’d give her a wee something to bookmark for later.

Because, I am definitely thinking of salads down here. We’re having a very hot start to summer…

This little number is fresh and crunchy. It’s the perfect counterpart to my Slow Cooked Pork Neck (which is on permanent rotation around here), but would be equally good at a barbecue, too.

Fennel, Celery, Apple and Pomegranate Salad
(Image by TSL)

I picked up some gorgeous looking organic fennel at the markets on Saturday. And, rather than braising or roasting it, this time I thought fresh might just be best.

I got the LM two thumbs up. Always a good sign!

And, normally, I would have used my mandolin for all the slicing involved. But this time, I did all my chopping, slicing and dicing by hand. Just to see if I could. And it worked. Quite a calming process, really…

FANTASTIC Fennel, Celery, Apple & Pomegranate Salad

• Servings: 4-ish
• Time: 45 minutes tops
• Difficulty: REALLY easy. Even easier with a mandolin
• Print

Ingredients:

3 x small/medium fennel bulbs
3 – 4 celery stalks
Leaves from 3 – 4 stalks of celery
1 x Fuji or Gala apple
1 x shallot
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate (or more if you’re greedy like me)
Zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper (omit black pepper for strict AIP)

Method:

1. Wash and thinly slice your fennel and celery. Peel and thinly slice your shallot. Wash, core and slice your apple into match sticks. Coarsely chop your celery leaves and parsley. Throw all your chopped ingredients and lime zest into a large salad bowl. Mix with your hands.

2. Add your lime juice and EVOO to the bowl. Toss through.

3. Check for seasoning. Top your salad with the pomegranate seeds.

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix recipe roundtable.

‘O for OARSOME’ Ottolenghi-Inspired Kohlrabi, Carrot and Apple Salad

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, How do I prepare kohlrabi?, Kohlrabi, Paleo, Salad, Slaw, Summer Salad, What is kohlrabi?, Yotam Ottolenghi

(Image by TSL)

Ugly vegetables deserve love, too (TSL)

I may have mentioned before that this autoimmune protocol caper that I’m on has had a side benefit that I never expected. I am far more open to experimenting with new, previously unknown ingredients vegetables.

And, even before I committed to the full on elimination process, I was introducing less common veggies into my life. I’ll definitely be making my Simple Sorrel Pesto again, now that nuts have been successfully reintroduced. And, I have been waiting for my recently acquired plantains to ripen so that I can make Knock Out Plantain Hotcakes again, too…

This week I picked up some sexy-ugly looking kohlrabi at the farmers market. I see them sitting there every week and I have never bought one. To the best of my knowledge, I’ve never actually tasted one, either. Until today, that is.

Purple Kohlrabi
(Image by TSL)

Have you ever eaten kohlrabi?

These bulbous-shaped vegetables come in green or purple. They can apparently be eaten raw or cooked, and taste a little like broccoli stems, although I think they are a wee bit sweeter.

I have always associated kohlrabi with my German heritage (my Mum grew up in Germany), and it turns out I was right to do so. The word kohlrabi is German for ‘cabbage turnip’ (kohl as in cole-slaw, and rübe for turnip). Don’t get confused, though – the kohlrabi is not a root vegetable. Rather, it’s a member of the Brassica family – like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale – which all grow above ground and are known for their antioxidant properties. In other words, kohlrabi is really good for you!

Specifically, fresh kohlrabi is a very rich source of vitamin-C which helps the body maintain healthy connective tissue, teeth, and gums. All pretty good stuff (says the girl with periodontal issues!)

As far as actual preparation goes, it transpires the humble kohlrabi is a rather versatile vegetable when it comes to how to eat it. They can be eaten raw—peeled, sliced and added to a salad or used for serving with a dip – or, they can be cooked. A truly multi-seasonal vegetable! They can be steamed, boiled, baked, grilled, mashed, stir-fried or roasted. You can even eat the leaves – think sautéed with a little bone broth and onions.

Kohlrabi, Carrot and Apple Salad
(Image by TSL)

My first recipe for kohlrabi was inspired by the delicious Yotam Ottolenghi. He’s a big fan of this old-world vegetable. I wrote about my gorgeous piece of pork neck that I slow-cooked earlier in the week, and today I wanted a bit of crunch to go some of the porky leftovers. And so, this salad was born.

And, I have to say, this is definitely not the last time I’ll be cooking with kohlrabi. It may well be my new favourite thing…

O for Oarsome Kohlrabi, Carrot and Apple Salad

• Servings: 6-ish
• Time: 30 minutes tops
• Difficulty: REALLY easy with a mandolin
• Print

Ingredients:

2 x large kohlrabi
2 x apples (I used granny smiths)
3 x medium carrots
1 x large handful coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish 1 garlic clove, crushed
50ml apple cider vinegar
50ml extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper (omit pepper for AIP)

Method:

1. Peel the kohlrabi, wash and core the apples, peel the carrots. Shred on a mandolin (preferred option!) or julienne into match sticks by hand.

2. Mix all the julienned vegetables together in a large bowl. Add the coriander, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Stir well. Taste and season generously. 

E N J O Y !

This recipe features in the Phoenix Helix Recipe Roundtable