Pork and Cabbage Fryup

The kiddos and I started a strict Whole30 challenge for the month of April to round out our first entire year of eating primal/paleo! The last couple months have been difficult due to extremely busy school and work schedules (perhaps apparent by my lack of posting here). However, I'm proud to say that even though we've treated ourselves with lots of dinners out and quick-fix meals at home, we've remained at least 90-95% paleo. We're now seven days into the challenge and feeling great. Even better, I've heard very little whining about/begging for "illegal" food items (although I did hear from a third party about someone eating a popcorn treat at school...). My oldest, Sunshine, is a real trooper. She is being exactly adherent to the rules of the game and has taken a pretty interactive role in helping me to plan meals. She also updates me daily on our progress: "21 meals down and 69 more to go".

I previously posted our recipe for Naked Momos. This is one of my family's absolute favorite meals and a quick-fix for me when prepared "lazy mom" style. Earlier this week, I really wanted momos. We didn't have all the ingredients AND I wasn't sure if coconut aminos are ok for Whole30 anyway, so I switched up the spice mixture a bit and ended up with this goregous 20-minute stir-fry. (So delicious... even the spouse suffering from simultaneous kidney+gall stones ate some...)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• 3-inch piece ginger, grated
• 1-2 T Asian spice blend of choice (I used Penzy's Bangkok Blend)
• 1 bag cabbage and carrot "coleslaw mix"

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
2. Fry pork for 1-2 minutes, then stir in ginger and spice mix.
3. Continue cooking until pork is cooked through.
4. Stir in cabbage and cook until it reaches a desired tenderness.
5. Serve. 

Massaman Beef Curry

Just when I thought I couldn't make a better curry...

In one of my earliest posts, I shared how to make a perfect Thai Coconut Curry, but I think I've actually out-curried myself. On this day, I tossed some meat and veggies into the slow cooker in the morning without really knowing what I was going to make for dinner. Coming home to a house filled with smells of a gingery-stew was lovely, but I just wasn't in the mood to eat it as-is. In 15-minutes, I whipped that "plain" stew into the best Massaman curry I've ever had!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds stew meat, cubed
• 1 onion, cut into eighths
• 2-3 carrots, cut into large chunks
• 1-2 turnips, cut into large chunks
• 1-2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 tsp Berbere spice or cayenne (optional)
• 1 T coconut oil
• 2-4 T Massaman curry paste 
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tsp coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari) 
• 1/4 cup cashews (optional)

Directions:

1. Add meat, onion, carrots, turnips, ginger, and beef broth to slow cooker. Sprinkle with Berbere spice or cayenne, if using.
2. Cook stew on low for 4-6 hours, or until meat is cooked through and tender.
3. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
5. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and mix well with the curry paste and oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oily sheen appears the coconut milks begins to separate.
6. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk along with the coconut aminos.
7. Add contents of slow cooker into the curry sauce, including the liquid. Cook 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
8. Taste and adjust. Too mild? Add more curry paste. Too bland? Add more coconut aminos. Too thick? Add a little water. Continue adjusting until you reach that taste of ultimate yumminess.
9. Serve immediately.

Note: The store bought Massaman curry paste tends to be much  more mild than the other pastes I buy. I usually have to double the amount of paste to get the level of flavor I like. I don't generally use fish sauce or lime juice in Massaman curry, but you can certainly add those ingredients instead of the coconut aminos if you like.

Laksa Lemak

Curry laksa is a spicy, coconut-curry-noodle soup from Malaysia and one our favorite weekend lunches. Lemak refers specifically to the addition of coconut milk, one of my favorite ingredients to create a rich, creamy, dish. Many traditional preparations of this dish call for tofu and mixed seafood, but I prefer a simpler style made with ground turkey, leftover roasted chicken, or even meatless. I paleo-ize the dish by using kelp noodles instead of vermicelli or rice noodles and also add cut, fresh vegetables; it's a great way to get rid of veggies in the fridge.

Serves 4

Note that many recipes exist for homemade rempah (laksa paste). I have also seen pre-packaged laksa paste, but have yet to find a paleo-friendly brand available locally. Since I always have Thai curry paste on-hand, I use that as the spice mixture for my laksa. Not authentic, but good enough.

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 "scoop" red or panang curry paste (start with 2-3 tsp)
• 1-2 cans coconut milk
• 4 cups chicken broth (rich, homemade broth is the best)
• 1 package kelp noodles, rinsed and drained 
• 1-2 T fish sauce
• 1-2 tsp lime juice
• chilies or sambal oelek for more kick (optional)
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
• 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut, if necessary
• 2-3 T fresh basil or cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground turkey and fry until cooked through. If using leftover chicken, add it to the pan and continue to the next step.
3. Add curry paste and mix well to distribute throughout the meat.
4. Add the coconut milk. I usually begin by adding one can of coconut milk. After everything else has been added, I test taste to see if I want to add more. I usually end up using half of the second can.
5. Add the chicken broth, kelp noodles, fish sauce, lime juice, and chilies, if using. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Test taste and if necessary, adjust the flavor with more curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, and/or chilies. I like to get the coconut gravy tasting "perfect" before moving the next step.
7. Add the vegetables and simmer until they reach a desired doneness.
8. Stir in cilantro, if using.
9. Serve immediately.

Asian Lettuce Wrap

Time was ticking away. The girls were complaining of hunger pains, despite the jumbo, protein-filled breakfast they had eaten only a couple hours before. And in reality, I didn't have much time to cook something up and still call it lunch. I had been immersed in the Share a Primal Recipe thread  at Mark's Daily Apple where hundreds of mouth-watering, paleo recipes have been posted.

With a couple of Asian inspired recipes fresh in my mind (and a nearly empty fridge), here is what I cobbled together: a messy, but tasty lettuce wrap filled with sesame-cucumber salad, Asian noodle salad, and bacon!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• one serving of Sesame-Cucumber Salad (recipe below)
• one serving of Asian Noodle Salad (recipe below)
• 8 large, sturdy lettuce leaves
• 8 slices of bacon, fried

Directions:

1. Build wraps using the bacon and salads. Serve immediately!

Note: Other meat, such as roasted chicken could be easily substituted for the bacon.


Sesame-Cucumber Salad (inspired by Melissa at The Clothes Make the Girl)

Ingredients:

• 1 T tahini paste
• 1 T cashew butter, unsweetened
• 1 T coconut aminos
• 1 T rice vinegar, unsweetened
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 cucumber, sliced in thin strips by hand or with a  mandolin slicer

Directions:

1. Combine the tahini, cashew butter, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Mix until well blended.
2. Stir in the cucumber.

Asian Noodle Salad (inspired by Melissa at The Clothes Make the Girl)

Ingredients:

• 2 T coconut milk
• 1 T tahini paste
• 1 T cashew butter, unsweetened
• 1 T lime juice
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• 1/2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 package kelp noodles, boiled for 10 minutes and drained
• 1 cup coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

Directions:

1. Combine the coconut milk, tahini, cashew butter, lime juice, coconut aminos, garlic, and ginger. Mix until well blended. The sauce with thicken quickly, but thin out when combined with the noodles.
2. Stir in the noodles and cabbage.

Mixed Seafood Red Curry

On the tail of my previous post about making a perfect Thai Coconut Curry, I thought I'd give an example of the deliciousness you can create with a little imagination. This rich red curry is so gorgeous, I serve it plain and always want to eat the whole batch in a single sitting.

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 2 T red curry paste 
• 1 can coconut milk
• kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• 1 Japanese eggplant, cut into chunks
• 1 cup fresh green beans, end trimmed and cut in half
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 2 heads baby bok choy, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup baby tomatoes, whole
• 1/4 pound salmon, cut into chunks
• 3 sea scallops, cut in half
• 3 large prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 3 tsp lime juice
• 2-3 cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
3. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and kaffir limes leaves (if using) and mix well with the curry paste and oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oily sheen appears the coconut milks begins to separate.
4. Add the vegetables and fry 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the seafood and fry 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk along with the fish sauce and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through and the vegetables are at a desired doneness.
7. Taste and adjust. Too mild? Add more curry paste. Too bland? Add more fish sauce and/or lime juice. Too thick? Add a little water. Continue adjusting until you reach that taste of ultimate yumminess.
8. Stir in cilantro and serve immediately.

A Perfect Thai Coconut Curry

Thai Curry is probably the most frequently cooked dish in my house. I could make a different curry each night of the week and would never get tired of the creamy deliciousness! The basic ingredients of a Thai Curry are curry paste, coconut milk, and protein and/or veggies. From there, you can mix and match to create an endless variety of gorgeous meals.

Here's an overview of the different types of Thai curries (from mild to spicy) and the most common combinations:

• Yellow Curry (Kaeng Kari). This is generally a mild Thai curry and turmeric in the paste results in a bright yellow color. Yellow curry is most often made with chicken, onion, and potatoes. For a paleo version of this basic recipe, I substitute rutabaga or other paleo-friendly root vegetables for the potatoes. I also like making a yellow curry with shrimp and baby sweet tomatoes.
• Massaman Curry (Kaeng Matsaman). This Thai curry is Muslim in origin and the paste contains "warming" spices like cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and nutmeg. Massaman curry is a great winter curry and is most often made with beef, nuts, onion, and potatoes. I generally make massaman curry with beef, onion, and cashews then serve it over mixed raw cut veggies although again, paleo-friendly root vegetables can be substituted for the potatoes.
• Panang Curry (Panaeng). This Thai curry is one of my favorites and can range from quite mild to fiery hot. Panang curry paste has similar ingredients to red curry paste (and in some cases, recipes even call for red curry paste), but the preparation of a panang curry makes it distinct. While the other curries tend to be served in a bowl with a creamy coconut gravy, panang is a "dry" curry made it less coconut milk and served on a plate. Panang curry is often made with beef or chicken and peanuts. I like substituting cashews for the peanuts and I think pretty much any veggie tastes great in a panang curry.
• Red Curry (Kaeng Phet). This is a spicier Thai curry made with red chilies and is usually prepared with chicken or seafood and bamboo shoots. I like adding red bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli although like the panang, I will use any veggie in a red curry.
• Green Curry (Kaeng Khiao Wan). This is one of the spiciest Thai curries made with green chilies and I believe the most common in Thailand. It is made with a variety of meats but almost always contains eggplant. In addition to eggplant, I like making it with chicken and adding other green vegatables like fresh green beans, zucchini, baby bok choy and broccoli.

Note that I do not make my own curry paste. There are plenty of recipes for each type of curry paste, but most pre-packaged pastes are paleo-friendly (but read the ingredients to be sure) and I've never been quite able to attain the same tastes with my homemade curry paste. So I take the easy road here.

Ingredients:

• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 "scoop" curry paste of choice (start with 1-2 tsp - you can add more later)
• 1 can coconut milk
• kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• chilies or sambal oelek for more kick (optional)
• 2-3 cups vegetable(s) of choice, chopped
• 1 pound meat of choice, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1-2 tsp fish sauce
• 2-4 tsp lime juice
• 2-3 T fresh basil or cilantro, chopped (optional)
• cashews (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add curry paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. The paste will become fragrant and may begin popping and sizzling.
3. Add about 1/3 can of coconut milk and kaffir limes leaves (if using) and mix well with the curry paste and oil. Fry for 5-10 minutes or until an oily sheen appears the coconut milks begins to separate.
4. Add the vegetables and fry 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the meat and fry 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the remaining 2/3 can of coconut milk along with the fish sauce and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are at a desired doneness.
7. Taste and adjust. Too mild? Add more curry paste. Too bland? Add more fish sauce and/or lime juice. Too thick? Add a little water. Continue adjusting until you reach that taste of ultimate yumminess.
8. Stir in basil or cilantro and cashews (if using).
9. Serve immediately over Cauliflower Rice, Spaghetti Squash, or a mix of chopped raw vegetables.