Interesting Things I’ve Had Recently

Updated 11/25/2012

Italian Cardones Cardones (or Cardoons) are a vegetable. The plant is native to Europe, but when Italian immigrants came to the US they found a similar plant (some people call this plant burdock) which most Italians call Cardoons.You can pick burdock plants while they are young, clean the stalks, and eat them. They have a more pronounced flavor than the Cardones you buy at Wegmans. To cook them, it is best to first boil them in water to get the stalks soft. Next, pat them dry with a paper towel, dip into a scrambled egg to wet, then coat with a mixture of almond flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Fry the coated Cardones in oil on the stove top until brown and crispy. Delicious! Rating = 5.

Thanksgiving Pie Paleo-Style – This recipe can be made using pumpkin, butternut, squash, sweet potato, etc.  Basically, any sweet-ish squash-like thing will work.  You can  use fresh or canned squash/potato (see shopping page on where to buy canned pumpkin/sweetpotato/butternut squash).  Crust: Grease pie pan with some coconut oil and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put into food processor or blender – 4 pitted medjool dates, 1C almond meal OR 1.5 C almonds, and 1 Tbl coconut oil. Puree until almost nut butter consistency. Smash into pie pan and bake for 6-8 minutes (adapted from http://stevepaleo.blogspot.com).  While baking, you can start on the filling.  Filling: Puree together the following (No, I didn’t bother to clean out the food processor after making the crust):  2 cups fresh, cooked and cubed squash OR 1 x 15oz can of pureed squash, 2 eggs, 3 Medjool dates (more if you like sweet pie), 1/4 tsp salt, and spices that you like (such as 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp orange zest, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, etc; I don’t like the traditional pumpkin pie spices (clove, nutmeg, etc) so I just added vanilla / cinnamon/ orange zest). After everything is well-mixed, I stirred in about a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut to add some texture. This is totally optional.  Add your filling to your pie crust (adapted from UC Berkeley Simply Healthy Cookbook). Topping (optional): I topped the pie with some chopped, roasted pecans.  Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes until the filling is firm. Rating = 5

Grilled Cactus Paddles – Clean off all the spines with a sharp knife, rinse, and pat dry. Brush both sides with olive oil and grill approximately 10 minutes each side. These have a slimey consistency that makes okra seem dry.  The flavor is fine, but the texture was not good.  I also coated some small chunks in almond flour and tried to fry them thinking this would reduce the liquid a little. Instead it tasted like slimey green beans coated with almonds. Now, I haven’t yet given up as I have found some recipes where the paddles are purees and used in a salsa or other mixture and this might be okay.  Also, I can imagine they would bee good if you needed to thicken a sauce.  So far, however, I wouldn’t recommend them. Rating = 1.

Beasty BBQ sauce – http://civilizedcavemancooking.com – I made it with some substitutions to eliminate the additives. In a saucepan throw together the following: 3 diced tomatoes, 1 diced onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 6oz can tomato paste, 1C chicken or beef stock, 2 Tbl apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbl olive oil, 2 Tbl paprika, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 peeled lemon or lime deseeded, 1tsp ground mustard seeds (you can just grind them in a coffee grinder), and for sweetness you can add a couple of chopped apples and/ or some dried fruit (I used dried figs). Heat to a boil, cover, let simmer for about an hour. Let it cool a little and then puree it in a blender or food processor.  It can be stored in the fridge or frozen if you make a lot. Rating = 4.

Paleo Chocolate Cake – I’m still experimenting with this recipe but so far, so good. The original recipe came from http://paleospirit.com/2011/chocolate-paleo-snack-cake/. The cake has a very moist texture, almost akin to cheesecake. I think by cutting down on the liquids and maybe adding more oil I’ll be able to get it to a brownie-like texture. Ingredients: 10 medjool dates, 1 ripe banana (or 1C applesauce), 1/2C coconut oil (NOT melted), 2 tsp vanilla extract,1/2 tsp salt, 1/2C strong brewed coffee, 1/2C unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 egg yolks, 1/2C coconut flour, 3 egg whites .  Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and brew your coffee. In a blender or food processor, puree the dates and then add all the subsequent ingredients one at a time (except the egg whites) in the order listed.  In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff and then fold in the first mixture with the egg whites.  Do not overmix and do not let the batter sit around – get it into a greased pan (8 in diameter-ish) and right into the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Notes: The steps here are important because you are not using any regular leavening agent (notice no baking powder/ soda/etc!); you are getting the lift from the egg whites and by creaming together the coconut oil and sugar sources (dates/banana). I suspect you could easily substitute any liquid for the coffee – water or coconut milk would be obvious choices. Rating = 5.

Wild Boar Burgers – These are a cheaper alternative to Elk Burgers and provide an great source of lean protein (29g protein per 4oz burger).  The flavor, however, is stronger than Elk or Veneson.  If you pair it with some strong spices, it’s not bad for something a bit different. Rating = 3.5.

Elk Burgers – these are a typical red meat with a flavor that is slightly stronger than bison.  I ate mine with Harrisa sauce on them to cut the flavor a bit, but a red wine sauce would do the same thing.  Tasty and good for something different. An excellent source of lean protein.  Rating = 4.

Cacao Goji, MOM’s, These are cubes make up of dates, sunflower seeds, raisins, apricots, cacao powder, sesame seeds, coconut, and goji powder. They have a firmer texture than a Lara bar, are not too sweet, and have a nice combination of flavors.  This is an ideal treat because it’s tasty enough to make you feel like you had something a little special, but not so tasty that you’ll eat the entire container in one sitting.  Another perk is that all the ingredients are organic.  Rating = 5.

Umeboshi Salad Dressing – (adapted from edenfoods.com recipe) – 3-4 tsp of Umeboshi plum paste, 4 Tbl roasted Tahini, 2 Tbl scallions chopped, 2 Tbl parsley chopped, 3/4 C water, 1 tsp Sherry vinegar, lemon juice to taste. Blend it all together in a blender or food processor and enjoy!  Rating = 4.  PS -You can get the Umeboshi plum paste at MOM’s and the Tahini at Giant.

Almond Date Cookies – (adapted from http://helenaounxoxo.com) – Preheat oven to 400C. Lightly grease cookie sheet with coconut oil. Beat 4 egg whites until stiff. Mix 2C almond meal (not packed),18 chopped dates, and 1/4 tsp salt. Fold egg whites into dry ingredients.  Flavor as desired – the original recipe calls for 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon. You can leave these out and just roll the cookies in cocoa nibs or coconut (or both). My favorite so far is to add 1 tsp Mahlab (ground black cherry pits – order from kalustyans.com) and then roll in coconut. If you make quarter-sized balls, they will cook in about 15 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen small cookies. Rating =  5.

Chokecherry Tea –This is a tea that was used by a Lakota people and is reported to contain a lot of vitamins, antioxidants, etc. It has a a really nice light cherry flavor, and is a great way to wind down the evening with a caffeine-free cuppa. You can order it at http://www.siouxtrading.com/chokecherry-tea/ Rating =  4.

Aloha Annas -These are an awesome fruit that tastes like a cross between a kiwi, a grape, and deliciousness.  You eat them skin and all – just like a grape. I opened the package and within a few minutes all the awesome goodness was gone.  They have a very short season, so get some now at Wegmans! Rating =  5!!!!

Fruit Leather – I had a bunch of apples that were looking pretty sad, so I cored them and put them in the food processor (skins and all). Once mushy, I put them in my dehydrator and let the magic happen over about 6 hours.  The result was a pretty tasty dried fruit snack with no additives or preservatives.  I tossed it in the refrigerator and it kept for a few days. Rating =  3.5.