What's Wrong with Wheat?

In my search for a connection between wheat and migraines, I came across the book Wheat Belly by Dr William Davis, a cardiologist, which pointed out many diseases that are improved or cured by the elimination of wheat. (Telling someone that wheat is unhealthy causes people to question your sanity.) This led to reading about the primal diet in The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, which recommends eliminating all grains.

Pete Evans, an Australian chef and cookbook author, asked Dr Davis  to write a section about wheat for his new cookbook (coming out in 2014) . Here's an excerpt of what Dr Davis wrote:

Familiar Recipes -- Primal/Paleo Versions

I've seen quite a few weird recipes on the primal and paleo websites, and I tried some; frankly, they are mostly disappointing. Eating delicious food is one of the enjoyable moments of the day, so I like it to taste good! I also understand that it's healthy to eat the parts of the animal that Americans don't usually touch, but I'm not quite ready to eat liver and brain and sweetbreads.

So today I am going through my recipe collection from the past 35 years and separating the Primal, Almost Primal, and Not-at-all Primal, so we can eat food that we have enjoyed all these years, just without the sugar and grains. (Unfortunately, my delicious mac-and-cheese recipe falls in the "not-at-all primal" category.)  I am planning to post my converted recipes here as I type them.

Almond Joy Smoothie

Here's a tasty-looking breakfast smoothie to try, something I found on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen website that originally came from The Lucky Penny...

Almond Joy Smoothie
½ Frozen Banana
1¼ cup Coconut Milk
2 Tbs Shredded Coconut
1 Tbs Cocoa Powder
½ tsp Vanilla Or Almond Extract
2 Tbs Creamy Almond Butter
ice

Update: I didn't wait for tomorrow's breakfast; I just made this for lunch. It is delicious! Almost tastes like a chocolate milkshake so try it yourself!

VEGETABLES
Now that the Primal Lifestyle means we are eating more vegetables,  I have been collecting recipes to cook all these new vegetables. Here are recipes by vegetable-- I hope this proves useful! I will update each page with more recipes as I come across them. Leave a comment with your favorite vegetable recipe and I will add it.

Arugula

Arugula and Tomato Salad

 Wash and dry the arugula; tear into bite size pieces. Toss arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add chopped tomatoes and serve.

Asparagus

Asparagus with citrus butter

1 ½ lbs asparagus

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

¼ c fresh citrus juice

3 tbs butter

1 tsp citrus zest

Snap off the tough parts of the stalks where they break naturally. Peel up to the tips.

Soak asparagus while oven preheats to 425, then drain and put in gratin dish. (no need to dry) Toss with oil and season with salt. Bake until the stalks are tender, 20-40 minutes.

Boil the juice in a small pan until it has reduced to about 1 ½ tbs, remove from heat, whisk in butter and zest, some salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over asparagus.

Beets and Beet Greens

Baked Beets

Roast the beets in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour. The size of the beets and the altitude you live will make timing different. So the best way to determine the doneness is to pierce the root bulb with a thin sharp knife at the 30 minute marker.  Note: The softer the beet is baked the sweeter it gets. After the beets have cooled, take a knife and scrape the exterior skin off only the ones you plan to use that day. The other cooled beets can be refrigerated and used within 3 to 4 days

Bok Choy

Bok Choy

 from Chef John

3 small baby bok choy, cut stems in 1/4", cut leaves in half

1/2 c sliced red pepper

1 Tbs oil

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbs ginger (paste or fresh)

1 Tbs soy sauce

8 drops sesame oil

Sauté stems and red pepper in oil about 1 in, add garlic, ginger, red pepper, cook 1 min. Add leaves, sesame oil and soy sauce, heat just til leaves are wilted.

The miniature bok choy is often steamed and served whole.

Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli

(website says this the best broccoli of your life, from Barefoot Contessa)

2 bunches broccoli, cut into florets. Dry well after washing. 

Toss with:
about 5 Tbs oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp fresh pepper
4 cloves garlic, sliced
Roast in the oven on a cookie sheet at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. When it’s done, zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1.5 Tbs more olive oil, 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts (optional), and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add 2 Tbs julienned fresh basil, (optional) This method also works well with cauliflower.

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts

1 tbs olive oil

3 slices bacon chopped

1 lb brussels sprouts, halved

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 lb chestnuts roasted

1 tbs butter

Heat oil in large skillet, add bacon and cook until crisped, about 5 min. Transfer to paper towel. Add brussels sprouts to skillet and cook tossing frequently about 5 min. Add salt and 1 cup water, cover and simmer about 8 min until just about tender (check with a knife)

Add the chestnuts and cook uncovered about 3 min until liquid has evaporated. Swirl in the butter and scatter bacon on top to serve.

Can use store bought roasted chestnuts which come in jars.

Cabbage

Sautéed Cabbage

made with the Asian cabbage is very tender and mild flavor

1 small head white cabbage, including outer green leaves (2 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the cabbage in half and, with the cut-side down, slice it as thinly as possible around the core, as though you were making coleslaw. Discard the core.

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and begins to brown. Season, to taste, and serve warm.

Carrots

Whole carrot salad - tabouleh style

A delicious way to use the leaves of organic carrots - serves 2-4, depending on the size of carrots
Ingredients:

3 carrots with their leaves
4 fresh mint leaves (can be replaced with another herb, to taste)
1 handful of raisins
1 dash olive oil
1 dash lemon juice

1 pinch salt

Preparation: Chop the carrot roots (with their peel on if they are organic) in the food processor (pulse) until they have a couscous texture. Put aside in a bowl. Chop finely the carrot leaves with a knife, like you would do with parsley. Remove the hard stems if there are any. Add to bowl with the carrot “couscous”, raisins and chopped mint leaves. Season to taste with lemon juice, olive oil and salt.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower and Apple Soup

1 head cauliflower (cut up, including the stalk, in 1/2" slices)

2 sweet apples peeled and cut into 1" chunks

1 onion cut into 8 chunks

1/4 c sliced fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, peeled

salt

3 tbs olive oil

5 c chicken stock

grated nutmeg for garnish

Roast cauliflower with apples, onion, ginger, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt, Add oil and toss. Roast for 40 min, toss occasionally until cauliflower is lightly browned.

Transfer in batches to a blender, puree until very smooth, pour into saucepan. Reheat the puree, add salt to taste, serve with a garnish of nutmeg.

Collards

Collards

2 bunches collards (3/4 lb each) cut out ribs, roll and slice

Boil in a pot of salted water 5 minutes. Drain.

1 Tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c chicken stock

1 Tbs cider vinegar

1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes

Sauté then add collards, add chicken stock, cook about 10 min. Add cider vinegar, hot pepper flakes. Serve with pan juices. Can add 1/2 lb diced smoked sausage while sautéing collards.

Corn

(Corn is not considered "Primal" so I don't include a lot of recipes)

Corn with Creamy Grits

2 c corn grits, preferably stone ground

2 large ears corn

6 tbs butter

salt and pepper

Soak the grits overnight in 1 ½ quarts water. The next day, skim off any hulls floating on the surface. Pour into a medium pan and simmer over moderately high heat, stirring constantly for 5 min. Then cover and cook on low for about 1 hour. Add hot water as needed. While the grits cook, husk the corn and cut the kernels away, for about 3 cups. Stir the corn into the grits and continue cooking about 15 minutes. Add butter, salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Serves 6

Eggplant

Eggplant Gratin

2 ½ lbs eggplant

¼ c olive oil

1 large onion sliced

4 eggs

1 c milk or light cream

1 c fresh grated parmesan

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

10 large basil leaves, torn

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 2 quart gratin dish. Cut eggplant into rounds or slices ½” thick. Salt and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat 1 Tbs oil in large skillet, add the onions, cook until soft and gold, about 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl. Beat eggs with the milk, stir in the cheese, vinegar, ¾ tsp salt and fresh pepper.

Rinse the eggplant and dry with paper towel. Heat remaining oil in the skillet, add the eggplant and immediately turn it over so all the pieces are coated with the oil. Cook over medium heat, until the eggplant is golden, about 25 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, then toss with the onions and basil. Put in prepared dish and pour the custard over the top. Bake until golden and puffed, 30-40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Fennel

Autumn Slaw with Fennel, Apple, and Cider Dressing

Makes 6-8 servings

Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider or apple juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste

Slaw:
4 green onions, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, thinly sliced (reserve fennel fronds)
1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored, thinly sliced or julienne
6 cups shredded red/purple cabbage
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces
2-3 tbsp chopped reserved fennel fronds

Red Cabbage & Fennel Citrus Slaw
1/2 of a head red/purple cabbage
3 large carrots, peeled
1 large (or 2 medium) fennel bulb
1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained, coarsely chopped
5 green onions, trimmed, then cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Juice and grated zest of 2 large lemons
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Using a knife or food processor, shred the cabbage and carrots. Trim the top of the fennel and reserve 1/4 cup of the leafy sprigs (these are called “fronds”). Grate the fennel bulb. Combine cabbage, carrots, fennel, fennel fronds, and all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well, Season with salt. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Citrus Fennel Salad

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 orange, peeled, sliced in segments

1 grapefruit, peeled, sliced in segments

 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 scallion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: toasted chopped walnuts

Directions

 In a small dish, slice the grapefruit and orange segments in a bowl, squeeze as much juice from the membranes of the fruit. Remove the fruit segments to a serving bowl, leaving the juice in the original dish. Mix the olive oil with fruit juices, set aside.

Place the sliced fennel into the serving bowl with the fruit. Pour the olive juice dressing over the fennel and fruit. Toss well.

Add the chopped scallion and cilantro to the fruit and fennel.

Toss again, then season with salt and pepper and top with chopped walnuts if desired.