Korean Comfort Bowl

Bibimbap

Want a simple one bowl meal that tastes great and all the goodness you want? Try Korean Bibimbap! If you haven't had an authentic version, try to seek out a good Korean place to give it a try. Most bibimbap uses the same ingredients, but you can make this more paleo or less - use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice for the paleo feel, but I enjoy using a sushi rice to make mine. This dish does the job in filling you up, eating your colours, and giving you great flavour to enjoy what you are eating! 

 

Bibimbap (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1lb Lean Ground Beef (You can pick up grass-fed organic ground beef from Costco!)2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Small Piece of Ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about 1" piece will work)
1/2lb Mushrooms, sliced (Use your favourite kind)
4 Cups Spinach, washed well, stems removed (Any Asian Greens will work too)
4 Large Eggs
1 Cup Daikon Radish, cut julienne or grated
1 Cup Carrots, cut julienne or grated
Coconut Oil (Or Avocado Oil)
Tamari
Fish Sauce
Sesame Oil
Sea Salt

1. The first thing you need to do is prepare your rice, or your cauliflower rice, then go to the following steps.
2. Cook out the ground beef in a pan with coconut/avocado oil, making sure you break it up well. If the beef you are using is too fatty, drain off the excess fat. 
3. Add in the half the garlic, ginger, 1 Tbsp Tamari, and 1/2 Tsp fish sauce to the beef and cook for a further minute or two. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add in some coconut/avocado oil and start frying up the veggies separately. First, add in the mushrooms and stir, add in a pinch of salt and cook out until brown and set aside. Repeat again for the spinach, adding the oil first, toss in the remainder of the garlic then the spinach until wilted, but not too soft. This should take no time.
5. In the pan, fry the eggs so they are sunny side up and separated, each portion will get one egg.
6. Now it's time to put it together! In four bowls, place the rice in the bottom, top with ground beef, and drizzle some sesame oil on the beef. Place some mushrooms, spinach, carrots, and daikon radish on top of the beef in each bowl and finally top it off with the fried egg. Enjoy with some Sriracha sauce or Korean hot sauce if you have it!

Keen on Kelp

Beef & Kelp Noodles

Okay, so when you hear kelp noodles, you are probably picture some green, stringy type things to eat. On the contrary, they are actually clear, packaged in water, and they can be found in the refrigerator section in most Whole Foods, or health food stores. They are inexpensive, but they make a big meal and take on the taste of whatever you cook them in. You can have them hot (like in this recipe) or cold and they last a long time in the fridge in their original packaging. Another bonus to this ingredient is that it is high in iron, magnesium and vitamin B9!



 

Ingredients:

1 Package of Kelp Noodles, rinsed very well, and cut noodles (they are super long)
1-2lbs Beef cut into thin strips (strip loin cut works well)
1/2 Broccoli, stalk removed, cut florets into small bite-size pieces
6 Large Button Mushrooms, sliced thin
1 Shallot, cut into thin strips
1/3 Cup Tamari
Sea Salt & Pepper
Chili Peppers (optional)

1. In a large wok/frying pan, brown the beef strips until they are cooked about medium-rare. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. In the same pan, heat coconut oil, or avocado oil over medium-heat. Add in your vegetables, and stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
3. Add in the tamari and simmer for about 2 minutes over low-medium heat then add in the kelp noodles and cook out for another 5 minutes until they soften, continually stirring.
4. Add the beef back in, mix together and serve with a garnish of chillies peppers if you want to spice it up, or just simple Sriracha sauce! 

Mmmeatloaf

Mixed up Meatloaf!

The weather has taken the messy, mixed up turn for the worst...the snow has arrived! This recipe is mixed up on it's own with different ingredients used in this moist meatloaf that makes it so good to eat during these cold days of winter. 

Ingredients:

1lb Antibiotic-free Ground Pork
1lb Grass-fed (if available) Ground Lean Beef
2 Carrots, shredded
1 Small Shallot, minced
1 Cup of Mushrooms, diced small (choose your favourite kind)
1/2 lb Bacon, cut into small pieces
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

1. Set your oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan (or whatever pan you are going to make your meatloaf in), using coconut oil, or some sort of fat (like bacon grease or butter).
2. Combine all the ingredients together until they are completely incorporated. Don't squish the meat to mix it, fold it, so it won't end up being tough when cooked.
3. Place the mixture in the pan and then set in oven to bake for about 45-50 minutes. If you want to have a crispy top, for the last 5 minutes put the broiler on and it will crisp it right up, but be careful not to burn it.
4. Remove from oven when done and allow to cool before cutting into slices. Serve with a grainy mustard to dip it in, along with some sweet potatoes and some sautéed collard greens to make the meal complete!

Las-egg-na?!

Eggplant Lasagna

Sometimes when you've made the choice to eat paleo,you think of all the things that you miss...like lasagna! This version will never be compared to a true, traditional lasagna,but it makes for a solid stand in! One of the key kitchen tools that can make this easier is a mandolin - it will get the eggplant slices nice and thin for layering...if not, a very sharp knife is your eggplant 'noodle' friend. The filling is something you can experiment with - adding in your favourite veg, or switching out the meat you are using to turkey or even chicken. This is also a perfect dish to make now and freeze for future, just make sure you pack it properly before popping it into your freezer.

Ingredients:

1 Large Eggplant, trim the top stem off, cut lengthwise thinly
1lb Grass-fed Ground Beef (or ground chicken or turkey if you wish)
1 Medium-size Onion, diced small
1 Cup Mushrooms, diced (use your favourite kinds)
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
30oz (approximately) Diced Tomatoes (if you can your own tomatoes, use them!)
6oz Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Each Oregano and Basil
1 Tsp Thyme
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

1. To help the speed of cooking the lasagna when built, you want to pre-cook the eggplant slices. Line a 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or as many trays required to cook all the eggplant slices at the same time.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 375F and brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and place on the tray without stacking them on each other so they cook evenly.
3. Place eggplant in the oven and bake for approximately 3-5 minutes each side, and remove any slices that are cooking faster than the others.
4. Remove the eggplant from the oven and allow to cool.
5. To make the sauce, brown the meat over medium-high heat and drain off any excess fat that accumulates. Add in the garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Cook out for about 8-10 minutes.
6. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook filling on a simmer for a further 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Layer out your lasagna starting with meat sauce on the bottom, followed by eggplant slices, and continue to until the eggplant slices are done and you cover the top with sauce to finish. If you are okay to eat dairy, as an option you can layer in mozzarella cheese if you wish.
8. Cover lasagna and refrigerate until you are ready to cook or cook immediately at 350 for approximately 20-30 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and serve immediately, or you can allow to cool, portion and freeze servings for future meals!