Paleo Pumpkin Spinach Curry (Chowder)

How about a quick and simple (Duh, Grok can do it) nourishing Paleo low carb soup? Yum.  It's an authentic EBTKS (everything but the kitchen sink... though I would have added it too probably if I could have unlodged it from the counter... disturbing but predictably Cindalou).  Feel free to use this as a template to get creative yourself- perhaps some turkey or buffalo sausages or shredded chicken? Or heck, a nice grass fed beef patty would do beautifully here with the curried pumpkin spinach base.  Anyways those are future pot creations I might do (it depends on what falls out of our freezer when I open the door). Gotta put that heavy stuff lower in the freezer soon (enter throbbing toe)...

 Throw in the pot:

• 1/2 c. organic plain (unsweetened) pumpkin (canned)
• 4 c. raw spinach (add near end)
• 3 softboiled eggs, divided
• 1 T. evoo
• 1 c. organic chicken broth/stock (I use homemade or gluten free versions like Kitchen Basics aseptic broth) 
• 1 small (each) red and yellow bell pepper 
• 1/4 c. whole tomatoes, smashed (I used canned)
• 1 small perch fillet (about 1-2 oz., its what I had on hand and cooks quickly)
• curry powder, cayenne, fresh pepper and sea salt to taste (I like a lot)
• guacamole (topping)

First I simmered the broth, pumpkin, spices, tomatoes, and bell peppers until the peppers were soft.  In the meantime I scooped out the softboiled yolks of some of our hens' eggs (talk about fresh- I watched an Americana plop one down.  She squatted and looked rather toliet bound if you know what I mean, very funny to watch!).  Why softboiled? I can't eat cooked egg yolks (elmer's glue anyone?).  I either take my yolks runny, soft or straight up raw.  I never get sick from it either.  As a note I can vouch 100% for the health and sanitary conditions of our eggs.

  

I add the egg whites to the soup and reserved the yolks so they do not get overcooked.  The more raw your yolk the better from a nutritional standpoint.  As with many foods cooking either destroys or inactivates many vitamins (B's in particular here) and components.

Then I added the perch and spinach, turning the heat to high.  I let the soup come to a rolling boil for about 3-5 minutes until the fish was finished (flakes easily with a fork. Like a bad case of dandruff or superficial people).  Pour the soup in your bowl and add the yolks and olive oil.  Top with guacamole and fresh pepper.  Yum (and quick)!

Curry Spinach Grass Fed Lamb [Low Carb]

I am sure there are already a million Indian lamb curry recipes out there, but I just wanted to share ours since this was fantastic. We used some ground lamb from our local grass fed farmers at John Pope's Farm here in the Carrboro area. Tim and Bob are great guys who not only treat their flock well and ensure humane Halal/Kosher slaughter for us, but they are active in local politics. A simple trip to the farmer's market here down the road becomes an adventure in current issues and the problems with farm subsidies and big government intervention, which hurts the small grass fed farmers here. Well, I'll get to the politics of that later, but for now I defer you to the video posted below. On to the oh-so-delicious and healthy hormone and antibiotic free grass fed lambies! :)

1 lb. grass fed lamb
5 cloves fresh garlic
1/2" piece fresh ginger root
2 c. frozen chopped spinach
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. organic lite coconut milk

Seasonings:
sea salt
pepper
1 T. hot curry powder or turmeric
2 T. curry powder
pinch caradmon (optional)
dash crushed red pepper flakes

In a food processor, mince the garlic and ginger together. If you like a little heat, a seeded red chili or a jalapeño would be a nice addition to the garlic and ginger for mincing.

In a large frying pan or electric skillet, saute the ground lamb with the extra virgin olive oil, and garlic-ginger mix. I cooked the lamb on medium low heat (~4 on my stove, or about 250-275 degrees in an electric skillet) for about 5-7 minutes until the meat is about half done. As the meat slowly cooks, add the spices and adjust the amounts to taste. You may want to add a little more extra virgin olive oil, I did not here.

Add the frozen spinach and coconut milk, mix well, and cover. Let cook on low heat for another 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Remember that grass fed meat cooks quickly, so always err on the side of less done. Remove the pan with the lamb from the hot eye immediately since the lean lamb will overcook.

Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and sea salt. I served this with some spicy steamed turnip and collard greens. If you a more in a mood for Mediterranean style lamb, try my Greek Lamb with Roasted Red Pepper and Kale. Personally, I have been in a curry mood since it helps to heal irritated tummy and bowels, as I discussed recently in my Curry Artichoke Bison burger recipe.

If you've never had grass fed meat, the taste of this grass fed lamb is simply phenomenal. It tastes much better than conventional meat. It's also far more humane, as conventional meat comes from overcrowded and badly treated animals. The poorly treated animals actually have a worse nutritional profile and are higher in fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol than their free range grass fed cousins. The grain feed (corn and soy generally) given to conventional lamb, cows, chickens, etc raises their saturated fat and lowers the good Omega 3 fats in the meat. Besides all of the technical details, you literally are what you eat! - how that animal lived and ended its life is vital to your health. This is an oversight of pure Kosher laws which do not necessarily require the animal to be well treated during its life. The focus there is on the "humane" killing so the animal doesn't suffer. Historically, there was no reason for Kosher rules to specify how an animal lived; all livestock was "grass fed" and free range. There were no government subsidies for big corporate farms which shove animals through their production lines trying to increase profits. Heck, there weren't even big farms or haciendas, and the feed was not the genetically engineered mass produced soy or corn junk that it is now. Now the era of big everything and a faster tempo of life demand the utmost in efficiency (hence the big farms). This being life as it is now, it is critical to secure a meat source which is well treated during its life as well as well as painless put down. Karina touched on this in her turkey-pardon Thanksgiving post.

Many others, like By-the-Bay and Book of Yum, offer vegan and vegetarian options for the holidays. If vegan is your thing, great! If not, and you do chose to eat meat, I hope you will stop and consider the life that the animal had. You are taking in that animals energy, both mundanely, as given in the meat's fat and protein profile, but also spiritually. We try our best to "meet our meat" by really getting to know the farmers we buy from and even visiting the farms. Hogan's grass fed beef, for instance, is right across the road; they let us wander around on their pastures and take pictures with their cows- a nice luxury. If you aren't as lucky as us to have local farmers markets, don't fret- Whole Foods is very good about carrying or importing well treated "local" small farm meat at request. Online, many outlets like Slankers offer grass fed meat, though you have to pay steep shipping or buy in bulk.

For an insightful short video on the ugly political issues lurking behind our meat and produce supply, watch this:

The Problems with Farm Subsides for the Small Farmer, by Ron Paul

The whole issue of federal subsidization of American farms as a way of "making American farmers more competitive with worldwide markets" is the wrong approach. This is a classic case of "good intention, bad follow through" as my buddy Mike Keasler would say.

These federal subsides often do not help the real small farmers like all of our local lamb and beef farms out here in North Carolina. National Public Radio (NPR) just recently aired a special on this topic where an Iowa corn and soybean farmer emphasized his need for and dependency on federal money. I should point out that in the recent $286 Billion Dollar Farm Bill which just passed the Senate, federal money is taken from our taxes in order to subsidize crops (like corn) for ethanol, enlarge the food stamp program, and to encourage the further growth of (genetically engineered) wheat, peanuts, barely, oats, soy, and some fruit and other popular grains. Our taxpayer dollars are going to the growing and propagation of gluten and unhealthy soy! This is a bit ironic, being unable to consume any of what my tax money goes towards promoting.

See page 15 of the Farm Bill PDF for the summary of crops and prices with this new farm bill "safety net." I love the pro-environmental aspect of the bill which encourages alternative fuels through corn growth, however, this should be an action taken on by the industry at the people's demand for more eco-conscious energy resources. Our bloated, inefficient federal government has no place delegating tax money for this purpose. A simple economics lesson in supply and demand in the "free" market tells every ninth-grader that once the demand is present, the supply will react appropriately. These forces exist in a delicate balance. Federal subsidization disrupts this balance. The "demand" in the free market are the citizens exercising their purchasing power and demanding eco-friendly options. We all know the phrases "Put your money where you mouth is." So that's exactly what I'm doing... well, that and enjoying our grass fed local lamb :)

Farm Bill Headlines:
(MSNBC) Secretary Of Agriculture Says Farm Bill Flawed
(MSNBC) Senate rejects crop subsidy ban for fat cats

Artichoke Curry Bison Burgers [Paleo] [Low Carb]

1 lb ground bison (local if possible)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil (since grass fed meat is very lean)
1 free range egg (optional- some ground flax or psyllium powder keeps it together nicely)
1 small jalapeño with seeds
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4" piece fresh ginger root, minced
2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2-3 sliced red onion, garnish

Seasonings:
sea salt and pepper
2 T. crushed red pepper
dash hot curry powder (to taste)

Ok, I'm going to cheat here and use old instructions on how we make our burger patties. No methodology has changed, so here's the scoop:

To make burgers:
First mince or finely chop the garlic and ginger in a food processor. In a large bowl, mix fresh or defrosted meat, the minced garlic and ginger, seasonings, olive oil, and egg (if the egg is included).

If you're not using egg, you can omit it entirely or add the psyllium powder or freshly ground flax now. If you use flax, be sure to buy whole flaxseed (it is cheapest in bulk or Whole Foods brand in packages with the cereal and oatmeal). Grind the flax right before use with a small coffee grinder or blender since pre-ground flax or stored ground flax has rancid fat. The delicate Omega 3 fats in flax are easily destroyed with light, heat, and time so it is best and easiest to grind it fresh each time and ensure good quality fat. More on flax here and in my upcoming flax informational post "The Flax of Life" (Jon loves that title), but for now back to the bison:

Pat meat mixture into 4-6 patties and grill 3-5 minutes. Remember that grass fed buffalo (bison) meat is very lean and requires significantly less cooking time than normal meat; keep a close eye on it. These cook great on the grill or in a pan with a lid for quicker cooking. If you like your burgers medium or rare as I do, then pay special attention to cooking time and remove burgers when they are still raw inside - they will continue to cook afterwards.

Serve with sides of your choice. Since I prefer my meat on the less dead side (there are more enzymes which have not been destroyed by cooking and it tastes better to me!), I like these burgers best fresh. They do fine as reheated leftovers, but nothing really compares to a fresh juicy burger! If you like a tangy flavor, drizzle some gluten free and corn syrup free bbq sauce over the burgers. I use the Kraft light bbq sauce since it is gluten and dairy free.

Jon actually made these burgers with my instructions and it was a nice break for me. The curry powder adds a great flavor and it's not "spicy" hot like some people might assume. As many of you have heard and as our local blogging nutritionist Melissa at Gluten Free for Good has said before, curry powder has a wide array of health benefits. The active ingredient in curry, curcumin, has been shown to protect the brain for Alzheimer's, help heal digestion and inflammation (that's a huge Celiac concern), and prevent tumors. It has even been rumored to help STDs and skin cancer. I can't even do it justice here with my limited time, so I'll rant more on it in the future (you're spared for now!) The World's Healthiest Foods site has a good little summary here.

Once you're finished reading up on the healthy side of curry, throw a hearty dash or two into your burgers, whether vegetarian/vegan bean or tuna burgers, or carnivorous high B12 grass fed beef or bison patties or a low fat turkey and spinach burger. Grill on. Yum!

Rotisserie Rosemary Lamb [Paleo] [Low Carb]

semi boneless leg of lab (ours was about 2.6 lbs- try to get well treated, grass fed and local roasts when possible)

Seasonings:
dried rosemary
cayenne pepper
hot curry powder
crushed red pepper


You'll need special equipment for this one, of course! I used our baby George Foreman rotisserie which fits a medium to large sized chicken (~6 lbs max). The instructions here are easy: Wash off the raw lamb and mount it on the rotisserie bar. Secure the meat with the rotisserie skewers and mount the assembly into the cooker, as shown below.

I mixed all of the seasonings in a plastic bowl and dry rubbed the mixture onto the meat. The fat in the lamb kept the meat moist as the roast rotated. Cook the roast depending on its weight. Our 2.6 lb leg with bone cooked for about an hour. If you aren't sure about exact timing, then err on the side of less done. Charred lamb is never good :)

I served this with my Grapefruit and Cranberry Glazed Green Beans and Molasses-Maple Pecan Carrots.

Spiced Pumpkin Chowder with Collards

1 large can (29 oz) solid packed pumpkin (or fresh cooked pumpkin)
1 can (15 oz) unsweetened organic coconut milk
1/4 c. unsweetened organic cranberry juice
1 ear fresh corn, sliced off the cob
2 c. chopped fresh collards
1 can (15 oz) organic black beans, drained
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 organic carrots
lime (garnish, optional)
2-3 cloves fresh garlic
1/2" piece fresh ginger

Seasonings:
2 T. curry powder
dash cayenne pepper
pepper
sea salt

Combine all ingredients except collards, corn,and beans in Vitamix. Blend on high speed for 6-7 minutes or until steaming. While the soup is mixing, slice corn off the cobs by holding the cob vertical and grazing the knife down toward the cutting board. Set corn aside. When soup is finished, pour it into serving bowls and add a spoonful of hot beans, a handful of collards, and a few spoonfuls of fresh corn kernels. Garnish with lime wedges if desired. This goes great on its own or with Indian chicken satay skewers.

*Or you can use low sodium gluten free chicken broth or vegetable broth (we use Pacific free range organic low sodium broth)

Indian Chicken Satay Skewers

This whole Indian food theme is in honor of my mom who LOVES Indian food but claims she can never make it herself. I lured my family to come up to NC to visit for the weekend for "a little wedding planning," but really it is just a scam to get them up here to be treated for once. I mean how awful could it be to beg someone who works their rear off to relax and indulge in delicious healthy [gluten and dairy free] meals? :)

Actually, I have an enormous ego and this is all about dragging my family out here to witness my passion and have fun trying their own hand at an easy and healthy gluten free lifestyle- cooking, working out, relaxing on our Co-op lawn to free jazz music.... Sounds good, I'm in! Who else?

I want to spread the blessing of being gluten free- going GF was the best thing that has happened to Jon and myself in the recent past. We get more more variety, we are healthier and eating more veggies, and best of all I can finally be creative! Now, without further ado...

Indian Chicken Skewers


2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders (tenders work best)

8-10 bamboo skewers
sea salt and pepper

Seasonings:
cayenne pepper
rosemary
garlic powder

Spiced Dipping Sauce:
1 T. hot curry powder
1 T. cumin
1 T. fresh ground pepper
2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Impale raw chicken breasts (sliced into strips) or tenders on skewers and sprinkle or rub dry spices onto chicken. Spray grill with nonstick spray and grill chicken 5-7 minutes or until juices run clear. Mix curry, olive oil, and cumin until a paste is formed; add a few drops of water to adjust the consistency if needed until the paste is "saucelike." Serve these with the dipping sauce, Spiced Pumpkin Chowder with Collards, Curry Cauliflower, and grilled artichokes for a full course Indian meal.