Recipe: Paleo Amaretti

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites
• Pinch of salt
• Lemon
• 250g ground almonds
• 100g coconut sugar
• 3 drops of bitter almond aroma
• 20 whole almonds

Instructions:
1. Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff.
2. Grate the lemon zest and combine with the almonds, sugar and aroma, followed by the egg whites.
3. Form into twenty biscuits and top each one with an almond.
4. Bake for 20 minutes at 160 degrees.

Recipe: Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

• 15 cabbage leaves
• 600g mince
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 2 onions
• 5 dried tomatoes
• 1 tbsp capers
• Parsley
• Seasoning
• 400ml stock
• 1tbsp tomato puree
• Paprika

Instructions:
1. Blanch the cabbage leaves.
2. Combine the mince, egg, mustard, one onion, tomatoes, capers, parsley and seasoning in a bowl.
3. Form balls from the mixture, wrap each one in a cabbage leaf and secure with one or more toothpicks.
4.  Brown the rolls in a pan on all sides.
5. Using the same pan, brown the remaining onion, add the puree and paprika.  Add the stock.
6. Place the rolls in the sauce, cover the pan and simmer for thirty minutes.

Recipe: Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

• One bag of frozen cauliflower
• Two onions
• Two cloves of garlic
• Oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1.5l stock
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 handfull of parsley
• Seasoning to taste

Instructions:
1. Chop and brown the onion and garlic.  Add the cumin followed by the cauliflower.
2. Add the stock and simmer for twenty minutes.
3. Season to taste and puree the soup.

Optional: brown some bacon to sprinkle over the top with the parsley.

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 kilo carrots, chopped
• 750ml vegetable stock
• Garlic to taste, crushed
• Ginger, grated
• Seasoning

Instructions:
1. Brown the onions. Add thee carrots, garlic and ginger.
2. Pour the stock over and simmer.
3. Use a hand blender to get a soupy consistency.
4. Season to taste and serve.

Recipe: Paleo Plum Cake

Ingredients:

• 80g ground hazlenuts
• 80g rice flour
• 60g ground almonds
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 30g coconut oil
• 500g plums
• Cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Combine the dry ingredients with the egg, water and oil.  Mix to a dough, rest for ten minutes in the fridge.
2. Roll out the dough, reserving a third of the mixture. Prick the base and blind bake for ten minutes at 180.
3. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones.  Lay the with the cut side up on the pastry base.  Crumble the reaining third over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
4. Bake for a further 35 minutes at 180.

Recipe: Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 fennel
• 300ml stock
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Seasoning

Instructions:
1. Chop the potatoes, onion and fennel.
2. Brown the onion in the olive oil, add the potatoes and fennel and fry for two minutes.
3. Add the stock and if necessary water until the vegetables are covered.  Cover the pan and simmer for thirty minutes.
4. Chop and fry the bacon and spring onions.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the soup, puree with a mixer and serve with the bacon and spring onions on top.

Recipe: Paleo Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 250g mixed frozen berries
• 400ml coconut milk
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• 1tbsp honey

Instructions:

1. Blend ingredients in a blender!

Recipe: Paleo Tuna Bake

Ingredients:

• 300g tuna
• Onion
• Red pepper
• Chopped tomatoes
• Parsley
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Seasoning
• 6 eggs

Instructions:

1. Chop the onion and pepper and combine with the remaining ingredients apart from the eggs.

2. Transfer the mixture into one or two baking dishes depending on the size.

3. Crack the eggs over the mixture and bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes at 180 degrees.

Recipe: Honey and Mustard Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp mustard
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Combine the ingredients and use to marinade the chicken for at least two hours before cooking.

2. Cook at 180 for 35 to 45 minutes.

Recipe: Paleo Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• Four courgettes
• One red onion
• Two onions
• Four carrots
• One head of broccoli
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Seasoning
• 1 litre stock

Instructions:

1. Chop the vegetables and brown in a pan.

2. Add the stock and seasoning.

3. Puree with a hand blender.

Recipe: Avocado Meatballs with Salsa

Ingredients:

• 500g minced beef
• 1 avocado
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp mustard
• Seasoning
• Parsley
• 2 tomatoes

Instructions:
1. Cut half of the avocado into twelve cubes.
2. Combine the mince, onion, garlic, eggs, mustard, parsley and seasoning in a bowl.
3. Form the mixture into twelve balls, placing a cube of avocado at the centre of each and fry for about ten minutes.
4. Meanwhile chop the tomatoes and the second half of the avocado to make a salsa side.

Recipe: Super smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 apple
• 150g mixed berries
• 5 mint leaves
• 50g sunflower seeds
• 150ml water

Instructions:
1. Chop the apple and wash the berries.
2. Mix everything in a blender.
3. Enjoy!

Recipe: Paleo Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 large apples
• 9 eggs
• 4tsp cinnamon
• 3tbsp water
• 3tbsp honey
• 3tbsp coconut milk
• 2tbsp coconut flour
• 5tsp baking powder
• 2tbsp coconut oil
• 1tbsp ghee
• 50g almonds
• 80g cranberries

Instructions:

1. Chop the apples and heat them with the water and cinnamon for ten to fifteen minutes.

2. Combine the eggs, honey, coconut milk, coconut flour, coconut oil, a pinch of salt and the baking powder. Add the apple mixture.

3. Spoon into muffin forms and bake at 180 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Recipe: Super smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 apple
• 150g mixed berries
• Handful fresh mint
• 2tbsp chia seeds
• 150ml water

Instructions:

1. Chop

2. Blend

3. Drink

Recipe: Rhubarb Compot

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of rhubarb
• 3cm ginger
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• Ice cream to serve

Instructions:

1. Chop the rhubarb into 2cm chunks and place in a baking dish.

2. Grate the ginger into the orange juice. Stir in the honey and pour over the rhubarb.

3. Bake at 200c for 30 minutes. 

Recipe: Easy Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

• Packet of cooked turkey
• Field salad
• Cherry tomatoes
• Avocado
• 2 boiled eggs
• Sweetcorn
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Chop and combine ingredients.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Paprika Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Seasoning
• 2 peppers
• 1 packet of cherry tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Chop all of the ingredients except for the tomatoes and place in the slow cooker on a low heat for seven hours.

2. Add the tomatoes and cook on medium for one more hour.

Recipe: Stuffed peppers

Ingredients:

• Four large red peppers
• 500g mince
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 cup rice
• 2 garlic cloves
• Chopped tomatoes
• Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Remove and chop the tops of the peppers. Boil them for five minutes. Drain them and put them in a baking tray.

2. Fry off the onion, mince and garlic. Add the chopped peppers, chopped tomatoes, cooked rice and seasoning. Simmer for five minutes.

3. Fill the mixture into the peppers and bake at 175℃ for thirty minutes.

Paleo Update

For a month I've been following a paleo diet now and I've lost a stone. For most of that month, I have felt really good and full of energy. I've also been cycling more and getting to at least one zumba class each week.

Since Monday, things have been manic here and due to the lack of time for planning and preparing meals, I've missed lunch regularly and I'm feeling terrible. There's not much you can buy ready made that fits in with paleo and today I gave in and took Isabella to the bakery for lunch.

I plan to follow paleo as much as possible - for example, I love my banana pudding breakfasts - but not be too strict with myself. I'd like to lose about another stone this year but for the moment, I'll be happy to maintain my current weight.

In the holidays I plan to follow paleo again and try to bulk prepare some meals for after that.

Recipe: Paleo Coconut Bread

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 capsule vanilla essence
• 3 tbsp honey
• 350g ground coconut
• 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Mix the eggs, vanilla and honey until fluffy. 

2. Mix in the remaining ingredients.

3. Transfer to a baking tin and bake at 180℃ for 45 minutes.