Sunday, March 2, 2014

Tips & Tricks

The biggest adjustment in switching to a primal diet is the concept of "from scratch". If you weren't into cooking a lot before, this can be really difficult. Here are some tips to make things easier:


Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is liquid at room temperature. In the summertime, I just leave it on the counter until it's melted and in the wintertime, I sit the jar on top of the stove while I'm baking. Once melted, I pour the coconut oil into silicone molds (I have one of ~1Tbs squares, or mini-muffins are ~2Tbs) and pop it in the freezer. When the oil is solid, I have individual pre-measured portions that I can keep in the fridge, preserving the shelf life and making cooking with coconut oil much easier.


Coconut Milk
Only buy the full fat kind. In general, you want to use the solid stuff in the can (I melt it on low heat), and discard most of the coconut water. Recipes just turn out better this way.


Nut Flours
I really love baking so nut flours were a bit of an adjustment for me. My nut flour of choice is almond flour because it translates fairly easily to traditional recipes. Coconut flour has a definite flavor, texture, and absorbency issue causing everything else in the recipe to be significantly adjusted. Also note that nut flours are expensive and baked goods are still supposed to be treats, so paleo baking recipes tend to be half batch sizes.


Nut Butters
A lot of grain free baking calls for nut butters to add moisture and texture. To make, just soak the nuts in hot water and blend til smooth.


Hard-Boiled Eggs
These aren't my favorite but DH likes them for a high protein portable work snack. Some things to note: fresh eggs will always be super hard to peel. Hard boil ones that have been in the fridge for a week. I've tried the hole in the bottom and I've used vinegar. The first doesn't make it easier to peel if the eggs are fresh and the second does help keep the eggs from leaking all over the pan if they crack or you poked a hole.  The rule for eggs is to cover them with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. When they start boiling, turn off the heat, pop on a lid and let them sit for 10-15 minutes. They will cook all the way and it's harder to overcook them this way.


Starch
Starch isn't really allowed on this diet so arrowroot powder is still out. You can decide whether or not small cheats are allowed or not (I sometimes eat plantain chips which are high in starch but also in vitamins A & C). Butternut Squash bakes well into a French fry or chip and is allowed on the diet. I haven't tried it mashed yet, but the addition of bacon and garlic to mashed cauliflower made a pretty great substitute for mashed potatoes and I imagine squash would have similar flavorful results.


Homemade Chocolate
Store bought chocolate usually contains sugar, dairy, and soy. Most primal diets allow for super dark chocolate (~80+% cocoa) and 100% baking bars contain no sugar or soy.You'll be surprised by how easy homemade chocolate can be, but recipes calling for coconut oil will have the same low melting point that coconut oil does. Purchasing cocoa butter (I buy mine on nuts.com along with raw cocoa powder) will allow you to make chocolate that stays a bit more solid at room temperature.


Cooking for 1 or 2
use your fist as a guide for portions. Some things, like soup, you can make extras of and freeze for later

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