Roasted Marrow Bones

If it seems crazy to you that we'd eat the marrow out of bones, let me remind you that this is about as primal and ancient a dish as it gets. Many animals, and our very own ancestral humans, crack open the bones of animals and suck out the delicate marrow. For primal hunters living off the land, the marrow served as an excellent source of nutrition - protein, healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins, etc etc etc.

Now, I'm all for modernizing so I get my bones pre-cut from the grocery store and roast them prior to consumption. Your butcher can also be a good source for marrow bones - ask for beef, veal, lamb, etc. And the best part - they're super cheap!

If you've never had bone marrow you may be wondering how to eat it or serve it and you've got a few options. Note that the marrow is very rich with a high fat content so you likely would only eat 1-2 bones depending on their size. And here's how:

1. Serve 1-2 marrow bones as a standalone appetizer. You can leave them plain or make an oil-based sauce as a topper (e.g. olive oil, parsley, and garlic or even an olive tapenade, etc).
2. Serve 1-2 marrow bones on a bed of simple greens with a dressing of olive oil, lemon and salt.
3. Scoop out the marrow and serve it rubbed over a steak (grill the steak first).
4. Scoop out the marrow and serve it spread on Paleo crackers.

So many ideas! Now if you make these, save the bones in the freezer when you're done eating the marrow and you can use them to make a healthy and budget-friendly stock. Stay tuned for the bone broth recipe!

Ingredients

• Marrow bones (I used beef)
• Coconut oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line a roasting pan with foil
2. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan (on the foil) with coconut oil so the bones won't stick to the foil
3. Arrange your bones in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Roast for about 15 minutes, until you see the marrow begin to bubble

There are special marrow spoons you can buy for eating it out of bones, but a seafood pick/fork, espresso spoon, or even chopstick would work fine. You can also go primal and suck it directly out of the bone when no one's looking. 

Enjoy!

Grandma's (Paleo) Meatballs

My Gramma was pretty much the coolest human being who ever lived. Over the course of my entire life, she stuffed me full of delicious Italian food. Being that she was the first generation of Italian immigrants born in the USA, that Italian food was pretty dang good. Gramma didn't exactly know the meaning of Paleo when she was alive, but she knew the secret to making moist and delicious meatballs. Unfortunately for those of us who eat Paleo, those meatballs were stuffed with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoned bread crumbs.

But guess what? If you strip both those things away, and swap in a little seasoned almond flour for the breadcrumbs, you'll be on your way to meatballs just the way Gramma used to make 'em - only Paleo style.

Why is my gramma giving metal fingers?
Because she's a M*****F****** BOSS, that's why!

But on to the recipe! Here are a few general notes for the best gaddang meatballs you've ever had in your entire life.

General Notes:

1. Instead of boring ground beef, use meatball mix, which is equal parts beef, pork and veal.
2. You need the egg AND the almond meal. Don't leave either one out. They'll bind the meatball and keep it spongy and moist. No one wants a gristly meatball. Blech.
3. Use your hands to mix everything up - but don't overdo it. (And if you hate getting meatfingers, try wearing rubber gloves like I do. I have a thing about getting meatfingers, don't ask.)
4. When rolling your balls, keep a light touch. Baddabing!
5. Don't skip the sear. That delicious brown crust will take the meatball to the next level.
6. Simmer your balls in (what better be) a delicious homemade sauce for 2 hours MINIMUM, though I usually go for 3. They'll be so tender it'll make you want to cry.

If you break any of these meatball commandments, Grammies will come haunt your ass. That's 4 feet 10 inches of pure Eye-talian spitfire. Trust me, you don't want that.

Need a tomato sauce recipe? Try Hand Crushed San Marzano Tomato Sauce. Just swap the pork out and the meatballs in. (Or leave it. You can never have too much meat, suckas.)

Ingredients

• 2 lb meatball mix (or just plain ground beef if you suck at life)
• 1 onion (grated or minced)
• 5 cloves garlic (grated or minced)
• 1 cup seasoned almond flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and combine with your hands. (See note #3 above regarding meatfingers. Yuck.)
2. Roll the balls gently with your hands. If they stick to your fingers, coat your hands very lightly with a bit of the olive oil. I like big balls (zing!) so I make them about 2" a pop. I get about 18 large meatballs out of 2 lbs of meat. Set the balls aside on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
3. Heat about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Sear the outside of the meatballs in 2 batches until they have a nice brown crust. 
4. Drop them in your saucepot when done and simmer on the stove for 2-3 hours.

(NOTE: You can add other meats to your pot along with the meatballs. I like tossing in sausages, pork bracciole, and even spareribs. Just remember to sear everything in the frying pan before you put it in the pot.)

the beauty of the meatball mix

That's my grammies' own big aluminum pot.
So many thousands of meatballs have passed through this pot.
It's like the holy grail of meatballs.

Buon Appetito!

Recipe Test - Asian Beef with Broccoli

I never thought I would eat something even remotely resembling this after switching to Paleo. When I took the first bite, a stream of happy expletives came pouring out of my mouth that I will spare you all from reading.

Let's just say, I F%$@#* LOVED IT!

I got this recipe from a blog (cupcakesomg.blogspot.com) who adapted it from the Make It Paleo cookbook (that I don't own, but hey, my birthday is coming up). I didn't change anything, but I did figure out how to cut down on prep time with some shortcuts which I will share at the end. This meal does come together very quickly. I also served mine over cauliflower rice, you know, so I could get the full Chinese Food Takeout experience - so I will add those cooking steps in as well.

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp ginger, minced
• 1-2 lbs. beef, cut into 1" cubes
• 4-6 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds, for garnish

1. Cut cauliflower into florets (discard the stem and leaves) and pulse in a food processor until you get the consistency of rice.
2. Heat about a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower and a few pinches of salt and saute a few minutes until soft, but not mushy. Let stand off to the side in a bowl. You can clean out the pan by wiping with a paper towel and prepare for the next cooking steps.
3. Heat sesame oil in a wok or skillet over high heat.
4. Add garlic and ginger to wok, and saute for 2 minutes until oil is infused.
5. Add steak, stirring until browned on all sides.
6. Once steak is seared, add broccoli. Continue to saute over high heat.
7. Add green onion, and an extra tablespoon of oil if needed.
8. Add coconut aminos and season with salt, pepper, (and red pepper flakes).
9. Continue to saute another 2-3 minutes, until all the flavors are combined.
10. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve over cauliflower rice.

And now time for the SHORTCUTS! mmmm... shortcuts

1. Buy bagged cauliflower and broccoli that are already cut into florets.
2. Use a garlic press to crush the garlic instead of mincing.(Don't try it on the ginger;  I did and all it did was smush it and squeeze out the juice.)
3. Instead of fresh garlic you could also substitute a tsp of garlic powder.
4. Use about a tsp of powdered ginger instead of peeling and mincing fresh.
5. Buy beef that is already pre-cut - usually called stirfry beef.

Recipe Test - Garden Burgers

I found this recipe in paleomagonline.com last summer and had to share as it is the most delicious burger I have ever tasted! I love that it is jammed packed with healthy veggies.

To cut down on my prep time, I use my minichopper to prep all the veggies.

Ingredients

• 1lb lean ground beef
• ¼ cup Red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup Carrot, finely chopped
• ½ cup Yellow squash, finely chopped
• ½ cup Zucchini, finely chopped
• A handful of broccoli florets, finely chopped
• ¼ cup packed Spinach, finely chopped
• 6 Basil leaves, finely chopped
• 2 TBSP Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Granulated onion (I just added some onion powder instead)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• Ground pepper
• Coconut oil
• 1 Avocado, sliced

1. Heat coconut oil in pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion, cook for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add carrot, cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add zucchini, yellow squash, and broccoli, cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add spinach, cook for 1 minute.
6. Remove pan from stove, allow veggie mixture to cool.
7. In large bowl, combine ground beef, veggie mixture, basil, parsley, salt, pepper, onion powder; mix well. Break the mixture into 4 equal-sized pieces and form into loosely-packed patties. Make a small well in the center of each patty by pressing down lightly with your thumb (this will keep your burgers from puffing up in the middle and give a flatter surface).
8. Grill for about 5 minutes per side. (If possible, brush your grill with coconut oil for extra flavor.)
9. Top with avocado slices.

Grilled Steak with Sesame Sauce and Grilled Scallions

I picked up the summer eats edition of Fine Cooking Magazine and am using it for tons of inspiration. Last week I made a delicious paleo-friendly version of their sesame sauce for grilled steak and scallions. Asian cooking is way out of my comfort zone but I've been trying hard to expand my horizons and am extremely pleased with how this dish came out. It's also the first time I've used my bottle of organic coconut aminos, so that was pretty exciting.

Ingredients

• 1.5lb steak (flank, skirt, london broil)
• kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp organic coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil, plus more for the grill
• 1/2 tsp and 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 cloves garlic and 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Asian sesame oil
• 1.5 Tbsp palm sugar (or use honey)
• 1 tsp organic arrowroot powder
• 1/3 cup water and 1 tsp water
• 20 scallions, roots trimmed
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Season the steak with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp coconut aminos with 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil, and 3 cloves of the crushed garlic. Pour into a large zipper bag. Seal the steak inside the bag and massage the marinade into the meat. Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
3. In a small saucepan, heat 1.5Tbsp of the grapeseed oil, 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1/2 tsp ground ginger over medium heat until garlic begins to brown around the edges. (Don't let the garlic burn.) Add 1/3 cup water, the remaining 1/4 cup coconut aminos, vinegar, sesame oil, and palm sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the 1 tsp arrowroot powder with 1 tsp water to form a paste. Stir it into the sesame mixture and cook about a minute more until it returns to a boil and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Heat your grill to medium-high. Clean and oil the grill grates.
6. Toss scallions with about 1/2 tsp oil and some salt to coat.
7. Grill your steak to desired doneness (about 4-6 minutes per side). Transfer to a large cutting board and brush with about a third of the sesame sauce. Let the meat rest and prepare your scallions.
8. Lower the heat to medium and grill the scallions until they are tender and have good grill marks (about 2-4 minutes per side).
9. Transfer to a large platter and drizzle with a few spoonfulls of the sesame sauce.
10. Toast the sesame seeds either in the oven, in a small pan on the stovetop, or create a little bowl out of aluminum foil and put it on the grill.
11. Slice the steak thinly and serve with the scallions. Drizzle the remaining sesame sauce on top and sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds.

Instead of regular sea salt, I tried out my special black lava sea salt and rubbed it into the steak.

Whisked up the marinade.

I ordered the coconut aminos from Amazon and found the sesame oil in the grocery store in the asian cooking aisle.

The start of the sauce...

Mmmm... sesame sauce!

Be sure to whisk the arrowroot powder completely into the water and avoid clumping.

Make sure your grill is nice and hot to sear in the flavor to the meat.