PALEO ZESTY LIME AND CORIANDER AVOCADO STUFFED WITH SPICY TUNA

Love this zesty lime and coriander avocado stuffed with chili spiced tuna tossed in a hint of mayo made with my glorious hens yolks and avocado oil, gorgeous just gorgeous.

The Science Bit...

This meal gives an abundance of healthy good monosaturated fat, loaded with potassium, folic acid and vitamin K, C, E and B6, high in fibre, lowers blood cholesterol and produces compounds necessary for the liver to cleanse toxins from your system, and that's just from the avocado!  The chilies, garlic and spring onions in short are liver and blood cleansing and improve blood circulation, now for the tuna which is loaded with vitamin A, E, K, iron, calcium, magnesium phosphorus, potassium, selenium, fluoride and if fresh Omega 3 & 6 and one lime is your full RDA of vitamin C, finally the egg yolks are rich in protein with B12, iron, lecithin and zinc...

SUPER FOOD

Ingredients

(serves 1)

1 ripe hass avocado

1 spring onion finely sliced

1 fresh chili finely diced

1 clove garlic finely diced

1 small sweet pepper finely diced

1/2 lime juiced

sea salt and fresh black pepper

2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped

For The Spicy Tuna

1 tuna steak steamed or

1 tin of spring water tuna drained

1 spring onion finely sliced

1 red chili finely diced

 1 tbsp coriander chopped

Sea salt and Black pepper

1/2 lime juiced

1 tbsp homemade avocado oil mayonnaise recipe below

3 egg yolks

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

300ml oil (or rapeseed)

Sea salt

White pepper

To make the mayo whisk all the ingredients together except the oil, then drizzle the oil in slowly while whisking all the time or using a food processor until all the oil has been incorporated.

This is really quick to prepare, once you have finely diced the chili, garlic coriander, pepper, slice the spring onion and leave to one side while you steam the tuna or open a can, place the tuna in a bowl and add the chopped chili, spring onion, coriander, salt, pepper and mayo, mix together and put to one side.

Cut the avocado in half and scoop out, place on a plate and mash smooth with a fork, add the chopped chili, spring onion, garlic, sweet red pepper, lime juice coriander and season with salt and black pepper, mix together spoon the avocado guacamole back into the skins and spoon on top the spicy tuna, sprinkle over a little chili and coriander and the lime juice to finish.

PALEO COCONUT PAN FRIED CHICKEN WITH NECTARINE CHILLI AND LIME SALSA

Zesty zingy and sumptuous, this is a great dish, the creamy richness from the crispy coconut met with the sharpness from the fresh nectarine or peach chili and lime salsa work really well together giving a unique twist on the sweet and sour notes and the fresh chili in the salsa brings a wallop of fire.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

4 x 4oz chicken breasts

1/2 cup coconut milk powder

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 tbsp grated coconut

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coconut oil

Salsa ingredients

1/2 white onion finely chopped

1 red or green jalapeno finely diced

1 nectarine or peach finely diced

1 small clove garlic finely diced

1/2 lime juiced

1 tbsp chopped coriander

Salt

Black pepper

First loosely wrap the chicken breast in clingfilm and gently bash flat skinless side up, with a rolling pin or meat mallet, this rolling pin is my nan's and I love that.

Mix the grated coconut, milk powder and flour with the salt, pepper, turmeric and garlic powder.

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour and gently pat off any excess.

Add the coconut oil to a medium hot pan and fry the chicken breasts, two at a time for approx 2-3 minutes each side, once cooked remove the chicken tent with foil and pop in a pre-heated oven 100 degrees just to keep warm while you cook the other two chicken breasts. Next make the salsa this only takes a minute.

Mix all the diced salsa ingredients together season with the lime juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Slice the cooked chicken breast on the diagonal for presentation then drizzle with the fresh peach chili lime and coriander salsa.

PROPER OLD FASHIONED RHUBARB CREAM ICE CREAM

This ice cream recipe lived up to all my glorious childhood memories of sunny days spent on a windy beach with Nan and Grandad, the wind breakers all set up, buckets and spades and no sand! and frustratingly waiting for lunch time so I could eat the picnic I had helped Nan make along with the constant asking of (can we have a ice cream yet!) knowing I  had to wait till after our picnic lunch for our ice-cream!

Ingredients

(makes 1 litre)

600ml rich Jersey cream

200ml Jersey milk

3 large egg yolks (55g) ish

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g fine caster sugar

600g rhubarb

150g caster sugar

If you do not have an ice cream machine don't worry you just place the ice cream in a tub in the freezer and every half hour stir the ice cream, you will need to repeat this until the mix becomes soft ice cream.  The advantage of a ice cream maker is it removes the chances of ice crystals forming in the ice cream because it freezes the ice cream fast.

In a bowl whisk the sugar, vanilla, cream and milk together, place in a saucepan warm through for five minutes, do not allow to simmer, take of the heat while, next place the egg yolks in a bowl with the pinch of salt, pour the hot cream over the egg yolks whisking all the time, return the mix to the pan and bring up to 85 degrees slowly, keep whisking all the time, cook for 5 minutes, this is to sterilise the egg yolks and cream, once you have done this take off the heat and leave to cool on the side for up to 1 hour before using or putting in the fridge and use over the next 48 hours, this is your ice cream.

Chop the rhubarb into  generous cubes, sprinkle with the sugar and approx 50ml water, simmer for around five minutes with a lid on the pan until the rhubarb is super soft and no liquid is left, blended the rhubarb to make the texture super smooth in the ice cream, leave to one side to cool.

Now to turn this gorgeous custard into scrumptious ice-cream, I used my ice cream maker machine, I poured in the vanilla cream base and added 600g of the rhubarb compote to the mix and just turned on the ice cream maker for 20 minutes, well I must admit to eating a third of the mix before it went into the ice cream maker because it was so gorgeous!!!  Place your soft scoop ice cream into a tub and place in the freezer until needed, and enjoy.

BEEF SHORT RIBS BEST EVER BRAISED IN AU JUS

WOW WOW WOW gorgeous American beef short ribs, slowly braised in beef stock releasing all their gorgeous flavours into the au jus, this is such a simple dish to cook with the most outstanding results.  The tender braised beef just falls off the bone and served with rich and butter creamy Yukon mashed potato this is a winner winner dinner all round.

INGREDIENTS

(serves 6-8)

2 racks beef short ribs (butchers)

2 glugs of oil

1 knob of butter

2 ltr beef stock

3 carrots

1 onion

1 leek

2 celery sticks

1 small bunch thyme

salt & pepper

8 lrg potato's

100g butter

1/2 tsp vinegar (optional)

From your butcher or supermarket 2 whole racks of beef rib, divided the rib into individual single short ribs by cutting next to the bone on each rib so that you ensured each rib has one side meat and lots of meat on top of the bone.  

Seasoning these beautiful ribs is important, take a cup full of all purpose flavour, a generous sprinkling of salt and white pepper then toss the cut ribs into the seasoned flour, bash off any excess flour and now these babies are ready to be brown off.

Meanwhile in a pan add a glug of oil and knob of butter and gentle soften the fine chopped onion, carrot, celery and leek, don't let the onion colour, once softened place in your braising tin.  

In a medium high hot pan with a hint of oil pan fry the ribs in batches so not to over load the pan and brown off each side of the ribs, this really does add so much more flavour to the au jus.  Once browned off place all the short ribs into your braising tin.  De-glaze the pan with some of the stock making sure you get all the cooking juices from the pan, add this to your braising tin along with the rest of the beef stock and herbs.

Cover the braising tin with foil and cook at 160 degrees for around 3 hours until the meat wants to fall off the bone, served with mashed potato's seasoned with salt and white pepper and loaded with creamy butter, my nan always added a dash of vinegar which I like to do but that is optional.

Just gorgeous real comfort food and the au jus with the mashed potato is divine, this is a step up from my braised steak, the added flavour from all the bones just can't be beaten for flavour.

PALEO SWEET POTATO & BACON PAN FRIED CAKES

Just outstanding and fabulous, this is a left over meal, if I have a baked sweet potato I always bake a few extra so that you can make another meal.  The left over sweet potato is transformed by adding pan fried bacon along with raw onion, chillies and coriander, these potato cakes deliver a sweet salty creamy filling with a really gorgeous crispy pan fried crust which just makes these super yummy!  Bring these up a notch with a poached egg or to really va va voom this serve with hollindaise sauce.

INGREDIENTS

(makes 4)

2 baked sweet potatoes

4 rashers of sweet cure bacon 

1 tbsp seed omega  or avocado oil

1 small onion finely chopped

2 fresh chillies fine chopped

1 clove garlic grated

2 tbsp chopped coriander

1 egg beaten

salt and black pepper

This is just as easy to make from scratch if you don't have leftover backed potatoes.  Scoop out the sweet potato filling of the potatoes into a large bowl, pan fry the chopped bacon in the half the oil until crispy, add to the bowl along with the raw onion, garlic, chillies, coriander, beaten egg, salt and black pepper, mix well. 

 With your hands or using a ring shape the sweet potato into 4 large or 8 small potato cakes, if I am in a perfectionist mode then I like to use rings to shape the potato cakes and cook them in, this is because the rings hold the cakes together well while cooking, but if I am in rustic mode I form the cakes by hand and I am just very careful when I turn the cakes as they want to loose their round shape a little that's all.  

Heat the remaining oil to a medium heat and pan fry the potato cakes for approx 5 minutes each side, I try to only turn the potato cakes once so that they keep their shape better and you ensure a crispy crust.  Serve as they are with salad or as I suggested above with a poached egg and hollindaise sauce for a more sumptuous dinner.

LOBSTER MAC 'N' CHEESE

I used to believe you could never make anything better than mac'n'cheese, I still stand by this!  But you can make mac'n'cheese differently bringing a whole new equal to the table, this is proved in the eaten with this mac'n'cheese with lobster.  My next mac'n'cheese cooking/eating excitement is going to be a pattie griddled crispy mac'n'cheese with a gooey cheesy soft middle mac'n'cheese burger, can not wait to cook this!!!

INGREDIENTS

(serves 4)

4 ptn macaroni pasta

50g butter

50g plain flour

1 ltr gold top creamy Jersey milk

1 onion

1 clove

1 bay leaf

400g-500g cheddar cheese

200g Parmesan

1 lobster tail steam cooked

100g panko breadcrumbs crushed

1 tbsp snipped chives

1 tsp butter

salt and white pepper

First bring the milk up to almost a simmer and take off the heat, take the onion and using the clove as a stud pin the bay leaf to the onion and pop into the milk, leave to infuse for half an hour.  Meanwhile make the roux by melting the butter and adding the flour, cook on a really low heat for five minutes,this is to cook out some of the flour flavour.  Increase the heat to a mild-medium and add a ladle of infused milk, remove the onion, stir in well, repeat this until all the milk has been incorporated.

On a gentle simmer keep the milk sauce cooking for twenty minutes stirring most of the time, next add all the cheddar and half of the Parmesan cheese and stir in until melted, season with salt and pepper and taste, you can add more seasoning, cheese or a different cheese if you like.  Leave to one side.  Next in a dry frying pan add a tsp of butter and gently toast the breadcrumbs, remove and place in a bowl cool for a few minutes then mix in the remaining Parmesan cheese, this is for the extra layer of crispy cheesy topping on the mac'n'cheese.

Next pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees, then put a large pan of seasoned water on to boil and cook your macaroni al-dente.  Pick the meat from the lobster tail and  break into bite size pieces.  Now we are ready to assemble the dish and bake  Take the cooked macaroni and add to the cheese sauce, mix well making sure you coat all of the pasta generously, then fold in the lobster tail meat, pour all of this into a baking dish and top with the Parmesan bread crumbs, bake for approx twenty minutes until your Parmesan crust has a lovely nutty brown cheesy crusty to it, sprinkle over the snipped chives enjoy... :-)

PALEO SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH CHILLI OIL AND GARLIC

Outstanding versatile spaghetti squash, what a great vegetable, if I was blindfolded I may have be forgiven for thinking I was eating a new style of pasta!!!  Rubbed with a hint of oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, then baked in the oven for around 1hr 20 minutes this squash will give you the freedom to have spaghetti bolognese or carbonara while remaining gluten & grain free.  This squash is so versatile not only will it act as your pasta you can also stuff the centre with meatballs mariana, chilli beef, mushroom stroganoff or any pasta sauce of your choice.  This is a winner winner paleo dinner.

INGREDIENTS

(serves 2)

1 spaghetti squash

50ml olive or avocado oil

sea salt & black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE

300ml olive or avocado oil

6 cloves garlic fine chopped

4 fresh chillies fine sliced

sea salt 

fresh ground black pepper

50g Parmesan cheese (optional)

I can not source these squashes locally as I live in a village in the uk, so for me I have to grown my own which makes me so happy, but makes these truly seasonal, which I do love, but it also means I only have a 6 month window to gorge stuff and satisfy my greed and enjoy these gorgeous squashes with my favourite pasta sauces.

To roast/bake just cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds, then drizzle with a little oil and season with salt and pepper, turn over and pop in the oven for 1hr to 1hr-20mins,

For the best cooking results cook the oiled a seasoned squashed face down on a sheet of tin foil, this gives you the very best seasoned and steamed moist spaghetti squash results that you can use as a pasta substitute.

Once you have baked your squash, take the oil, garlic and chilli add to a saucepan and just slowly warm up, don't over heat or the garlic and oil will burn and be bitter, so keep below a simmer, then when ready to serve, take the spaghetti squash and fluff up the spaghetti filling in the skin or scoop out and pile high on a plate and drizzle over the gorgeous simple olive or avocado oil, garlic and chillii sauce.  If I am feeling naughty I will dress this with a few shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese...

PALEO FABULOUS FAST CUP OF SOUP

I love this super fast take on a cup of soup, if everyone knew how quick and simple and outstandingly sumptuous this is they would never entertain the processed supermarket choices again, with just a little forward planning, using leftovers from other dinners in the week and keeping some simple stock items in your fridge and larder ready to go, means this gorgeous soup is ready in under five minutes.

Super quick filling natural and sumptuous lunch or mini dinner, full of fresh ingredients and vegetables, this is just as quick as making a cup of coffee, yet so much more nourishing, filling and soul satisfying, I always feel fabulous and invigorated after this.

INGREDIENTS

250ml chicken stock

1 stick of asparagus

3 mangetout pods

1 tbsp coriander

1/2 tsp tom yum paste

1/2 tsp tamarind

1/4 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp harissa

1/2 tsp grated ginger

pinch turmeric

pinch crushed chillies

75ml coconut milk

2oz poached chicken (optional)

The key here is to have poached a chicken earlier in the week and have the stock in the fridge ready to go and some of the left over meat.  In a pan bring the chicken stock and coconut milk to a simmer, add the asparagus and mangetout roughly chopped and simmer for 3 minutes until just cooked, meanwhile add the rest of the ingredients, pour into your large mug and enjoy with a deep spoon and chop sticks.

This is a super light meal or snack full of goodness and antioxidants, a really gorgeous cup of abundance that you just can't beat, one of my top favourites.  This can be easily transported to several different flavours ideas like the addition of fresh prawns, different stir fry vegetables or swap out the coconut milk for a turn towards Japanese Ramen.

SOFT SHELL BLUE CRAB FISH FRY

Such a rare treat, I used to go to Billingsgate Fish Market on the Isle of Dogs to buy these gorgeous blue soft shell crabs, but I don't get to go there that often anymore so when I was able to buys these on holiday in the USA I was super excited at the chance to cook these spiced sichuan seasoned fried soft shell crabs, they are just divine, you get to eat the whole crab, this is because during June these wonderful crabs shed their shell/carapace.  The reason it is hard to find these wonderful crabs is because they are in high demand and the natural supply is limited.  This is a good thing I feel.

INGREDIENTS

4 soft shell crabs

 150g Yellow corn meal

150g potato flour

 generous pinch of salt

pinch sichuan pepper

1 tsp ground black pepper

pinch garlic powder

pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp onion powder

1 lemon quartered

3ltrs ground nut oil

This is a very simple cook, bring your oil up to 200 degrees, in a shallow tray mix the corn meal, potato flour, salt, pepper, sichuan pepper, garlic and onion powder and cayenne pepper, take your soft shell crabs and generously coat in the seasoned flour dusting all the nooks and crannies, then gently tap the crabs to shake off any excess flour, the reason for the potato flour is because it acts a little like tempura batter when fried at a high heat giving your crabs a glorious light airy crisp coating fully of spiced seasoned flavour.

I serve this with a drizzle of fresh lemon juice and a lovely lemon mayonnaise dip.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES FROM THE CRAZY FISH SHACK

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

This are so amazing that I ate way to many and fell off grid!  While on holiday in Florida we found a lovely old wonky wooden Crazy Fish Shack by the side of the road in Lake Wales, Orlando, the shack has some of the best ever fried green tomatoes I have ever eaten, they were fried perfectly in a crispy seasoned flour, then finished with a with a great spicy seasoned dusting.  The crispy coating and gorgeous crisp green fried tomatoes just belong together, so as soon as I got home these were one of the first things I wanted to cook, and they tasted fantastic, thanks to the chef's from the Crazy Fish who were great and gave me their family recipe for dredging and seasoning, which I now get to share with you guys, hope you enjoy these as much we have, these are another family favourite.

INGREDIENTS

(side order for 4)

6 green tomatoes

FOR THE SEASONED FLOUR

300g all purpose flour

100g fine cornflour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch cumin

2 eggs beaten

500ml buttermilk

2ltr ground nut oil

SEASONING

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 pinch garlic powder

1 pinch celery salt

1 tbsp fine fine chopped coriander

Standard set up for (naughty) gorgeous crispy American fried food, take your three shallow bowls place the buttermilk in one, the beaten egg in one and the flour with all the seasoning in the final bowl.  Slice the green tomatoes around half the thickness of pound coin (3ml), you should get 6-8 slices per tomato.  Lay on paper roll and pat dry, this is important as it will help the dredging set on the tomatoes.

Heat the oil to 190-200 degrees, place a plate at the end of your three bowls, then take a slice of green tomato, dip in the buttermilk, then the flour, bash off excess flour, then dip in the beaten egg then the flour again and tap off any excess, gently lay on the plate while you repeat the dipping and coating with the rest of the sliced green tomatoes.  When ready gently drop into your hot oil, don't overload the fryer as this will give you a soggy fried tomato, best to fry in small batches, once fried remove and place on paper roll to soak up any excess oil, then sprinkle generously with your seasoning, sprinkle with the fine chopped coriander and serve immediately with a lovely dip, I love a spicy mayonnaise dip with a hint of lime.