Creamy Paleo Caesar Salad Dressing

Sauces seem to confound people. Especially after they embrace a Paleo lifestyle. Is it clean? How do I make it Paleo? Does anyone have an easy recipe for mayo made with bacon fat?

To make a sauce or dressing Paleo, there are a lot of simple substitutions you can make like switching olive oil for vegetable oil, or simply removing the sugar as an ingredient.

When I first switched to Paleo, I spent a lot of time searching out recipes for a decent Caesar salad dressing recipe. I tried a lot of them, including ones that had me making homemade mayonnaise from olive oil, and some that had mayo made from bacon fat, and some that had me cooking coddled eggs by the dozen. Way too complicated! “We need dinner now!” screamed my family. So my search for a clean version that was simple enough to prepare on a weeknight continued.

Salad dressings are simple emulsifications, and creamy dressings are closer to what are known as permanent emulsifications. For more information on how to bind dissimilar ingredients together please see this article “Emulsion” by Danilo Alfaro in the Culinary Arts section of About.com.

With this creamy dressing recipe, we are essentially making the mayonnaise at the same time we are making the rest of the dressing, right in the blender. What’s more, is that since the dressing doesn’t contain eggs, leftovers will keep for weeks in the refrigerator, so double or triple your batch to always have some on hand. Also, since we are using Olive Oil as an ingredient, when leftovers are kept in the fridge, the oil solidifies, and prevents the emulsification from separating, meaning it’s just as creamy two weeks later, as it was the day you made it.

This simple recipe will take less than two minutes to prepare once you have the ingredients in front of you. And there is very little prep other than squeezing some fresh lemon juice. Make a batch for some salad, or marinate some chicken in some for a tasty sauté. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (Yield aprox 10oz.)

• Juice of 2 small lemons (aprox ½ cup)
• 6 whole garlic cloves
• 2TBS Dijon mustard
• 1 small tin of anchovy fillets in olive oil (2oz.)
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Procedure

Combine lemon juice, garlic, mustard, anchovies(and the oil they came in!) and pepper in a blender. Cover blender and pulse blender to roughly combine all ingredients. When combined, blend on low until smooth (aprox 20 seconds.) Scrape down sides of blender to make sure everything is incorporated. Taste and adjust to your preference with a bit more lemon juice, mustard, salt or pepper. Once satisfied with flavor proceed to next step.

With blender running on low speed setting, drizzle olive oil in until dressing is extended and well combined (aprox 30 seconds.) Use immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container to have on hand.

By Craig on Sunday, February, 08, 2015

Paleo North Carolina Chopped Barbecue Pork

Ingredients

For Pork

• 6lb boneless pork shoulder tied (also called pork butt or Boston butt)
• 2 cups organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar + 1/2 cup for later
• 2 medium carrots rough chopped
• 2 ribs of celery rough chopped
• 2 medium yellow onions rough chopped
• 6 garlic cloves rough chopped
• 1 TBS whole black peppercorns

For Sauce

• 2 cups of cooking juices from the ribs (or beef stock)
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, finely diced
• 2ea 6oz cans tomato paste
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup prepared mustard
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp black pepper to taste

In a large heavy pot add pork and all ingredients. Add enough water just to cover top of pork. Bring to a boil, skim any froth that appears. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for about 1.5 – 2hrs until tender.

While pork is boiling, preheat oven to 350 degrees, adjust rack to middle of oven.

Once pork is tender, using tongs, move it from cooking liquid to a rack set in a roasting pan. Discard all but 2 cups of the boiling liquid. Pour remaining cider vinegar over pork, and place roasting pan in oven. Roast 45 minutes until golden brown and fat is crispy. While pork is roasting, make barbecue sauce (or make up to 2-3 days ahead of time)

In sauce pan, combine reserved boiling liquid and diced garlic and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Adjust flavor of sauce by adding a touch more cider vinegar or your favorite ingredient. Place extra sauce in air tight container. It will keep well in refrigerator for up to several weeks.

Remove pork from rack and place on cutting board. Cover with clean kitchen towel or foil and allow to cool 15 minutes. Remove string from pork and using two large forks, finely shred the meat, and then transfer it to a shallow baking dish. Stir in barbecue sauce, cover and heat for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with large butter lettuce leaves for wrap type sandwiches along with an oil & vinegar cole slaw.

Serves 12

Nutrition Info

Calories 501, Total Fat 24.5g, Sat Fat 8.2g, Cholest. 148.5mg, Sodium 287.7mg, Carb. 20.4g, Fiber 2.8g, Sugars 6g, Protein 49.8g

By Craig on Friday, January, 23, 2015

Paleo Posolé with Braised Pork Shoulder, Cumin and Squash

Posolé is an ancient traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew from Mexico often found in the regions of Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Jalisco, Morelos, México and the Distrito Federal. It is traditionally made with pork or chicken and always includes hominy or maize, a large corn type grain. As the hominy cooks in the stew it begins to thicken the sauce. But, since corn products are a Paleo no-no, a substitution for hominy is necessary. A perfect substitute for this corn product is acorn or butternut squash. As the squash cooks in the stew, it begins to break down and thicken the sauce. This hearty dish is full flavored, and if spiciness or eat is a concern, be sure to reduce the amount of spice and pepper that you add. To further enhance and concentrate the flavors, be sure to make this dish at least 24 hours in advance of when you want to serve it.

Paleo Posole with Braised Pork Shoulder, Cumin and Squash

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 6)

• 2.5 lbs Boneless Pork Shoulder – tied
• 4 TBS. Olive Oil
• 1 Large or 2 Small Yellow Onions – Chopped
• 8 ea. Garlic Cloves – Crushed
• 2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 2 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 ea. Jalapeno pepper – chopped. NOTE: for milder flavor, carefully remove seeds and veins
• 4 cups Acorn or Butternut Squash – peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1” cubes
• Sea Salt
• 1 bunch Fresh Cilantro – leaves removed from stems

PROCEDURE: In large Stock pot heat ½ of oil on medium high heat. Sear pork shoulder on all sides for aprox 5-7 minutes total. Remove pork to platter and add onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes to stock pot and saut&eqcute; for 5 minutes until browned. Increase heat to medium high and add 1 cup of stock to deglaze bottom of pot. While bubbling, use a metal spoon or whisk to scrape browned bits (fond) from bottom of pot. When loosened, add remainder of stock and pork to pot. Bring contents to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Braise pork on top of stove for one hour, turning meat over in the broth every 15 minutes or so. Near end of the hour, heat remainder of oil in large skillet and sauté the squash and jalapeño pieces for 5 minutes. Add the squash and jalapeños to the stock pot. Bring stock pot to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low and simmer contents for 1 hour turning the meat over in broth every 15-20 minutes. After 1 hour, remove tied pork shoulder, allow to cool enough to handle, then cut it into 1” cubes and add it back to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. Season to taste with sea salt & pepper and stir in 6 TBS. (1 large handful) of Cilantro leaves. Serve each bowl garnished with additional cilantro leaves.

NUTRITION INFO: (Per Serving) Calories 427, Total Fat 20.8g, Sat Fat 5.7g, Cholest. 120.4mg, Sodium 87.6mg, Carb. 15.5g, Fiber 2.9g, Sugars 4.1g, Protein 43.5g

By Craig on Tuesday, January, 13, 2015