rosemary & garlic parsnip chips
bacon & guacamole pepper poppers
SERVES 2 TO 4
Toss the chips about every five minutes while cooking so they’ll get evenly crispy and crunchy.
1 pound parsnips
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 With a potato peeler, peel the outer skins of the parsnips and discard. Continue peeling until you’ve whittled the parsnip down to nothing but a nub.
3 Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil. On the baking sheet, toss the parsnip shavings with the minced rosemary and garlic along with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a hefty pinch of salt.
4 Bake until crispy, tossing occasionally for about 25 minutes.
MAKES 2 QUARTS
With its roots in Sunday brunch and the post-debauchery remedy of choice, the Bloody Mary cocktail is a favorite of many. We’ve un-cocktailed the drink and thrown in some fresh cherry tomatoes. The result is an awesome anytime snack.
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
IN EACH QUART SIZED JAR, ADD:
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon celery seeds
1 Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place them in canning jars.
2 Combine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and sugar in a sauce pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar and salt dissolve.
3 Pour vinegar solution into the jars.
4 Add in horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and celery seeds. Fill the jar the rest of the way with water.
5 Seal the jars, give them a good shake, and place in the fridge. Tomatoes will be ready to eat in one day. Keeps in fridge for up 5 days.
MAKES 24 HALVES
Take the best parts of eggs benedict and leave the rest behind. Buttery, smooth yolks topped with salty, crispy cured ham. If you can’t find pancetta, you can substitute prosciutto or bacon.
12 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 slices pancetta
Salt to taste
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Place eggs in a large pot of water and bring water to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and continue to cook until the eggs are hard-boiled, about 11 to 12 minutes. Remove eggs from the water and place in an ice bath (a bowl full of water and ice). The ice bath will stop the cooking and make the eggs easier to peel.
3 Meanwhile, place the pancetta slices on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy, about 10 minutes. Crumble the crispy pancetta and set aside.
4 Peel the eggs and slice them in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks out into the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add the melted butter, cayenne pepper, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
5 Fill the egg white cavities with the yolk mixture, and top with the crumbled, crispy pancetta.
6 Serve close to room temperature as the yolk filling will harden when completely chilled.
SERVES 4
The prebake step of the pepperoni is super important if you want a crispy pepperoni “crust.” Once you top the pepperonis they just don’t crisp up much…
8 ounces pepperoni slices
1 cup Pizza Sauce (page 263 or store-bought)
Toppings of choice
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Lay the pepperoni slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until crispy–about 4 minutes each side. Start prepping your toppings while the pepperonis are in the oven.
2 Place a spoonful of pizza sauce on each pepperoni slice and top with your toppings.
3 Place the baking sheet back in the oven, and let the toppings get warm and melty, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
All the toppings should be sliced, chopped, or diced super, super small and thin. Since you’re making little petite pizzas and they’re only getting a few minutes of oven time, you want make sure they’re small enough to get cooked through.
olives • peppers • onions
bacon • mushrooms
sausage • pineapple • ham
pesto • proscuitto • dried figs
artichokes
One of the most frequently asked questions we get is, “What the heck can I eat for lunch?” We always answer that we eat dinner’s leftovers. But obviously, that isn’t going to cut it 100 percent of the time. Easily found grocery store items that you can whip together in a hurry without a lot of fuss or prep involved makes eating Primal/paleo more lunch-able.
roast beef • salsa • onion • bell pepper • avocado • cilantro
ham • salami • mustard • lettuce • onion • banana peppers • olive oil • dried oregano
chicken or turkey • bacon • avocado • hot sauce or salsa
ham • cucumber • carrot • avocado • green onion • cilantro • chili garlic sauce
chicken or turkey • pesto (or basil leaves) • bacon • lettuce • onion
corned beef or pastrami • spicy mustard (or thousand island) • sauerkraut
roast beef • lettuce • tomato • onion • dill pickle • yellow mustard
ham • mango chutney • sliced apple • red onion
roast beef • prepared horseradish • lettuce • red onion
SERVES 4
Only a few ingredients needed for this super easy and extremely tasty recipe. Plus no oven required! Make them for yourself without feeling guilty—all the necessary food groups are provided in one convenient package.
1 pound baby bell peppers
3 Haas avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce or Sriracha
Salt to taste
½ pound sliced bacon, cut into strips
1 Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until browned, then remove from pan and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
2 Cut each pepper in half lengthwise and remove the white membrane and seeds. Place on a serving plate or baking sheet.
3 In a bowl, mash together avocados, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, and salt.
4 Use a spoon to stuff the guacamole into the halved peppers. Top with crispy bacon.
5 Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. Wait to crisp up the bacon and top the peppers with it until you’re ready to serve, otherwise the bacon will get mushy and lose its lovely crunch.
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN CRACKERS
These are quite addictive, so be prepared to inhale. And if you aren’t prone to sharing, you should eat these hunched over in the back of a closet, where no one can find you.
¼ cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons butter, softened
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon powdered mustard
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Buzz until a ball of dough has formed.
3 Line a baking sheet with a silicone pat or parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls on the baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between each.
4 Bake until crispy, about 10 minutes.
FOR THE BEEF
1 pound london broil
CHIPOTLE LIME JERKY
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
BREAKFAST JERKY
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup beef stock
JAMAICAN JERK JERKY
1 teaspoon molasses
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon lime zest
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 Place beef in freezer for 30 minutes. The colder the meat, the easier it is to cut in thin slices. Once it’s semi-solid, slice the beef against the grain into thin strips.
2 Prepare any of the flavors listed to the left by combining the ingredients together in a food processor and blending until smooth. Each spice mixture makes enough for 1 pound of beef.
3 In a zip-top plastic bag, toss the beef strips with the spice mixture, making sure to coat the meat entirely.
4 Place beef in dehydrator and dry to manufacturer’s recommendations.
5 Store between pieces of waxed paper at room temperature for up to 2 days. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate to store for up to 1 week.
SERVES 2 TO 3
FOR THE CHIPS
1 large jicama
2 cups palm shortening
FOR THE BARBECUE SPICE BLEND
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon mustard powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Cut off the top and bottom of the jicama. Cut the jicama in half lengthwise. Peel off the skin with a potato peeler. Use a mandoline to slice the jicama as thinly as possible.
2 In a large sauce pot, melt the palm shortening and get the temperature to hover around 250–275°F. (You will need an oil or candy thermometer to help keep the temperature constant.)
3 In small batches, place the jicama slices in the hot oil, flipping them every so often, and fry until slightly brown around the edges, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the chips and place onto a wire rack set on a baking sheet.
4 Combine the ingredients for the spice blend, and sprinkle over the fried chips.
MAKES 8 SLICES
FOR THE FOCACCIA
½ cup very warm water
1 teaspoon honey
1 ¼-ounce package Fleischmann’s RapidRise yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
½ cup tapioca flour
½ cup potato starch
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE TOPPING
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup kalamata olives, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt to taste
1 Place water and honey in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Whisk to combine. Let sit for a minute or two to allow yeast to activate (noticeable by the pale foam that will develop on the surface of the water). Whisk in the olive oil and egg.
2 In a large bowl, whisk tapioca flour, potato starch, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt together.
3 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk thoroughly.
4 Preheat oven to 325°F. Place a sheet of plastic wrap tightly over the bowl of dough, and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place such as the top of the pre-heating oven or in a warm, draft-free corner.
5 Line a baking sheet with a silicone pat or parchment paper. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and shape into a 1-inch-thick disc.
6 Use your fingers to create dimples on the top of the dough. Drizzle olive oil on top, and sprinkle with chopped olives, rosemary, and a hefty sprinkle of salt.
7 Bake until the bottom of focaccia has browned, about 30 to 35 minutes.
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN CRACKERS
FOR THE CRACKERS
1 cup tapioca flour
¼ cup potato flour
¼ cup potato starch
⅓ cup water
¼ cup high oleic sunflower oil, plus more for the pan
1 egg
FOR THE EVERYTHING SPICE TOPPING
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with sunflower oil.
2 In a large bowl, whisk together tapioca flour, potato flour, and potato starch.
3 In another bowl, whisk together water, oil, and egg.
4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk well to combine.
5 Knead the dough a few times, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it’s about ¼-inch thick. Sprinkle on the spice topping and cut into desired shapes.
6 Lay the crackers onto your prepared baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 15 to 18 minutes.
MAKES ABOUT 12 OUNCES
Our (extremely limited and unscientific) research shows that almost every household has at least one spouse or partner that’s PBO, Peanut Butter Obsessed. In our house, it’s the mister who’s smitten with the pea paste. This recipe is an ode to him and those who share his nutty obsession.
8 ounces raw macadamia nuts
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 Preheat oven to 300°F.
2 Place macadamia nuts on a baking sheet and toast until slightly brown, making sure to shake the pan several times during cooking, about 20 minutes.
3 Add toasted macadamia nuts, tahini, sunflower butter, honey, and salt to a food processor and buzz until smooth.
4 Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
MAKES ABOUT 24
Trail mix almost always consists of something sweet, something salty, something crunchy, and something chewy. Whenever Megan eats trail mix, she almost always scrounges around the bag, meticulously selecting and creating the perfect mouthful of flavors and textures. In this recipe, we combine those most glorious ingredients into a two-bite package, and all the hard work is done.
1½ cups chocolate chips
APRICOT & ALMOND
¼ cup almonds, roughly chopped
¼ cup dried apricots, finely chopped
CHERRY PISTACHIO
¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
¼ cup dried cherries, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
CASHEW COCONUT LIME
¼ cup cashews, roughly chopped
¼ cup unsweetened dried coconut
1 teaspoon lime zest
BANANA PECAN
¼ cup dehydrated bananas, chopped
¼ cup raw pecan pieces, chopped
1 Line a mini-muffin pan with paper liners.
2 To melt the chocolate, microwave the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl in 15 second intervals, stirring well between intervals. The chocolate should be melted in about 45 seconds.
3 Spoon about a tablespoon of melted chocolate into each muffin liner.
4 Each flavor combination makes enough for about six trail mix cups. So increase or omit as desired.
5 Toss together the nuts and fruit (and zest). Place mixture into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to make sure all of the goodies are glued down into the melted chocolate.
6 Place the muffin pan in the refrigerator until the chocolate is firm.
SERVES 6 TO 8
Yay for homemade gelatin snacks! This easy-to-make after-school snack works wonderfully with all sorts and combinations of juices. Here are some great flavors to try:
Concord Grape, Peach and Mango, and Blueberry and Pomegranate
You can also play around with replacing half the water with a non-sweetened, flavored sparkling water. Flavors like Peach and Pear, Raspberry Lime and Orange Vanilla work wonderfully.
12 ounces frozen juice concentrate, thawed
24 ounces water, divided in half
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
1 In a medium sauce pot, combine thawed juice concentrate and 12 ounces of water over high heat. Heat until the juice starts to simmer.
2 Meanwhile, add the other 12 ounces of water to a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. Uniformly sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let sit for about 2 minutes.
3 Pour the hot juice mixture into the baking dish and whisk to combine.
4 Pop in the refrigerator and chill until firm. It’ll be ready to eat in about 3 to 5 hours.
