The first time I made it, I wrote it down in Notepad (like I usually do) and neglected to save it (like I too often do).

Then, I probably went to bed. Unfortunately, I sometimes have to do that.

In the middle of the night, Windows decided to install some update I that I probably needed. At least, it thought I did… Of course, my computer had to be restarted for the process to be complete, so Windows took the liberty of doing that for me, without even asking my permission first.

Of course, it took my recipe down in the process. Swallowed it whole, without even so much as an apology.

How rude!

Well, there was no way I could ever recover it… There was only one thing left to do:

Start over! Pictures and all!

For of course, I had taken pictures the first time ’round, you know. But since I couldn’t be certain that the recipe was the exact same, I just couldn’t use the first set of pictures. It just didn’t feel right…

As much as I cursed when I realized what had happened, in the end, I’m really glad that Windows destroyed my first attempt at this recipe. I hope it found it tasty too, for this is all that it’ll be getting.  There’s just no way it’s getting its hands on this one.

For let me tell you, this second attempt is FAR superior to the first one.

Both in terms of flavor AND looks!

The first thing that I made different with my second attempt is that I soaked my roast in a simple solution of salt and water for the entire night. You would not believe the difference that this extra little step makes. It renders the meat SO very tender and juicy,  unreal.

You really oughta give that a try.

The second thing that I changed was that I added coconut milk to my sauce AFTER it was done cooking. This made it extra smooth and silky and super mild in flavor. Sweet and slightly tangy and oh so delicate.

This sauce, I could’ve easily eaten with a spoon, or even drunk it with a straw!

Mind you, I think it might have been a tad too thick for that…

Trust me, this time I made sure that I saved the recipe as soon as I was done writing it.

Good thing I did that, because it would’ve been a real shame to lose it.

For believe me, this one will now be a part of my regular rotation. If not for the roast itself, for the amazing dish that I managed to whip up with the leftovers.

Just wait ’til you see that one! And yes, I made sure I saved that recipe too.  In fact, I have now changed my settings to install updates manually. Windows will not be swallowing any of my recipes whole, ever again.

I have learned my lesson! continue reading

I knew that would get your attention!

I had to get it somehow, didn’t I? For honestly, would you be reading this if I’d stopped at Beef Liver?

I doubt it.

‘Cuz chances are, like most, you aren’t big on beef liver. I totally understand that, for I’m the exact same. I could never stand the stuff. Hate it. Literally.gag.on.it.

Always have… until now.

Now, I’m not saying that this particular recipe instantly turned me into the biggest beef liver lover the world has ever known.

BUT…

The first time I ate it, I thought “no way”. Not even with bacon. I can’t eat this. Hate it. The flavor, the texture… it’s just not working for me.

But I was determined to at least finish my plate. Like any good mother would tell her child, I told myself that I was going to at least finish what I’d put on my plate. There wasn’t that much in it and I could do it. The food was good for me (plus, I’d been fasting all day that day, so I needed the food…)

And so I did. I ate the entire serving that you see portrayed here.

By the time I was done eating, I was sort of okay with the dish, but I still separated the meat from the sauce when I put away the leftovers, determined to feed the liver to the  dogs and use the sauce over a hamburger patty or something. After all, it had BACON, mushrooms and apricots in it and tasted absolutely amazing. It’s just the liver itself I had an issue with…

The next morning, I took the liver out of the fridge to give a little piece to the dogs. They went berserk for it. I never saw them going this crazy for anything before, not even baby cut carrots! (and THESE are there ultimate favorites)

So I decided to cut a little piece for myself too and tasted it cold. Well, whad’ya know, I actually sort of liked it. So I had another piece. Hmmm. Not bad. Not bad at all, I thought to myself.

Then I had this brilliant idea: I cut a few slices into tiny little pieces and added them to my morning scramble, along with a little bit of the yummy tasty sauce. (the one that has BACON in it!) 

LOVED IT! Genuinely enjoyed it.

So I had the very same thing the following morning… and then I was all out.  I ended up eating the entire recipe, after all.

And you know what? I now find myself craving this very dish, drooling mentally over this flavor combination. INCLUDING the beef liver.

I guess I’m almost a convert, now.

Hey, I remember a time when I didn’t like blood sausage. Couldn’t even stand the smell of it. Until someone cooked it for me… you guessed it, with bacon!

Today, I not only enjoy the smell, but also love the taste of blood sausage (even sans the bacon) and I’m thinking that I need to find a good source for that too. It’s been way too long since I last had some.

So if I could be made into a blood sausage lover, surely I can learn to enjoy beef liver too.

And this recipe is the one that will take me there, I can guarantee that. I just can’t wait to make it again!

Good for me, I still have 9 packages of the stuff left in the freezer. I get the feeling this number will go down by one prrrretty soon!

Poor doggies, don’t think they’re even gonna get to see the color of it this time ’round! Well, at least, they’ll get to enjoy the smell.

And I might be a good doggy mommy and give them a tiny little piece each. But no more than one.

The rest is mine… mine, mine! continue reading

Then I go and do pretty much the exact same thing…

Sorry about that guys, it looks like I have a soft spot for this particular breakfast bake and the gorgeous slices of fried plantain that are sitting right atop it, as if basking lazily in the sun…

I just couldn’t decide which pictures I wanted to exclude. I felt like I wanted to drool over all of them for a couple of days

‘Cuz yeah, sometimes, I do drool over my own pictures. Sorry if I sound a little self-complacent here. That is not my intention.

I just want to sincerely apologize for overloading you with a bunch of pictures that pretty much all look the same…

That being said, whatever you do now, don’t you dare go look at the list of ingredients just yet.

Hey! Where d’you go?

I said DON’T!

Alright, since I’m pretty sure that you did go and take a peek, I can only assume that you know now that this one contains not only plantain and avocado, but also zucchini and… cauliflower!

Yes, yes. Cauliflower.

Weird, I know. But hear me out.

As much as I used to do almost strictly carbs for breakfast in my not so distant past, I now try and stick to “regular” food, and think of breakfast as just another meal… Nothing really particular about it.

In other words, I tend to reach for eggs, meat, veggies and a little bit of fruits and nuts for breakfast just as I would for any other meal. Sometimes, I’ll even have leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.

Tomato Olive Braised Beef for breakfast? I say yes please to that! Although I tend to go for choices that are a little less extreme, such as this beautiful Butternut Squash and Chicken Mash. That last dish would be one of my favorites to have for breakfast, right after a good workout.

But sometimes, you know, just sometimes, I feel the need to indulge in good ole breakfast classics again. Things like omelets, pancakes, and banana bread, slightly toasted with a little bit of of raw cashew butter…

Or well, things like this very instant bake.

I don’t get the urge all that often, but when I do, I’ll still try and sneak in as much nutritious food as I can into them, namely a decent amount of protein, a source of healthy fat and… as much veggies as I possibly can (without totally ruining the experience, that is!)

Protein is a real no-brainer:  eggs will get the job done very efficiently and are almost always necessary, anyway! Fat is also way too easy. Between all the coconut stuff, all the nuts and nut butters, it sometimes even gets hard to choose just one or two sources.

Veggies, however. Now THEY are little bit more challenging… there aren’t that many veggies out there that do well in cake batter!

Well, I can tell you that I just added a new one to my list, as well as a new item to the list of what amazing cauliflower can do.

I think it really deserves the title of superfood, that one! At least in my book it does…

Seriously, it didn’t detract at all from the goodness of this dish. In fact, it even contributed to it. It added just a little bit of a mysterious crunch… if you didn’t know it was cauliflower offering that bit of resistance between your teeth, you would never have guessed.

Nor would you be able to tell that there was THIS MUCH veggies in this sexy little cake! continue reading

I LOVE sausage, you see, but since I can never be too certain of what goes into that which is available at my local grocery store, I’ve pretty much crossed it off my list of approved foods.

That’s why I was especially excited at the thought of enjoying this deliciousness again. I can’t even remember when was the last time I’d had sausage.

Since I already own a KitchenAid stand mixer, I figured I would give their meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachments a try. I thought the investment was rather minimal and very well worth a shot.

I was so excited when the items came in the mail, just like a kid on Christmas day! I couldn’t wait for the week-end to finally get here!

The very next Saturday, I hooked everything up and got busy testing it. Well, I must say that it does work surprisingly well!

I don’t know that I would do pounds and pounds of sausage using this gadget, but the 2 little batches that I did, for a total of 4 pounds, were a whole lot of fun to make.

First, I fed the very cold meat mixture through the meat grinder.  I was already enjoying myself, big time!

Oh, just one word of advice, here. If you don’t want to end up having to clean the mixer’s bowl, as well as all the accessories that are in it (if you store yours in the bowl, too), take a second to remove them before you start making the sausage. Otherwise, chances are bits and pieces of meat will jump out of the grinder and straight into that bowl, as if they had just entered some sort of a diving contest or something.

As the meat exits the stuffing tube, it sort of pushes the casing all by itself, so you don’t have much to do, really. Just hold it loosely in your left hand while you push the meat down the meat grinder with the other one.

Simply help shape the sausage a little bit with your fingers and push back any air bubbles that may form.

And don’t be too over concerned with the possibility that you might rip the casing. It’s a lot more solid than it appears!

Once all the meat has been extruded, divide your sausage by twisting it into links…

And Ta Da!

There you have it: delicious home made sausage! And it looks just like the real thing, too!

Only it doesn’t contain any fillers, sugar, gluten or other unwanted nasties. Oh, I so couldn’t wait to taste them.

Time to fire up the barbie!

Of course, as as soon as I put my sausage on the grill and closed the lid, this happened…

The rain had made my sausage prisoner!!! How dared it do that to me? My precious sausage! It was trapped!  The only way I could get to it was by getting seriously, and I do mean seriously wet. Just one measly little flip and I needed towels to wipe myself dry.

But luckily, it didn’t last too long.

By the time my sausage was done, the rain had stopped…

The sun was out again, and the light filled the entire room with a deep feeling of a coziness and serenity…

I was very happy to sit myself down and enjoy my very first bite of home made sausage.

It turned out absolutely delicious, if you ask me!

Just the way I like it: with a touch of Dijon mustard! continue reading

No, no… I didn’t finally get me a”him”, you guys… I just meant “him” as in “men” in general, you know.

I wanted to create something masculine.

Something rich, something robust, something BOLD!

Something a touch adventurous too, why not?

But most of all, I wanted to create something MANLY!

This was gonna be a GRAND, a SPECTACULAR recipe.

Unfortunately, I failed miserably.

Oh, not at the recipe itself, no. I failed at capturing it in a way that would really do it justice; that would convey the idea behind it as well as the grandiosity of the deliciousness that lurks beneath those innocent looking little cups.

I must’ve taken over 200 shots, for real. I even tried different colors, different set-ups. I had this particular vision in mind, you see. I wanted to sort of portray this one as if seen through the eyes of a man.

Blue is a manly color, is it not?

Hmpft. Doesn’t look like it worked all that well. Maybe that explains why I don’t have a man in my life…

Still, even though I didn’t succeed at getting my pictures just right, at least the subject of the failed photo session turned out to be everything I’d been hoping for, and more.

For this, is a very manly dessert.

Totally rich; totally bold; totally, decadently delicious.

This was my first time experiencing the bacon/chocolate combo and I wanted it to be something special. This was not something that I was ready to cheap out on, such as by dipping a slice of crispy bacon into a pot of melted chocolate and indulge right then and there, standing next to the kitchen counter.

No, I had to go all out. I had to create a masterpiece for my first experience. Make it count, you know. Make it extraordinary. Almost fairy tale-like

Need I tell you that my first experience did not disappoint? Oh my, it so did not!

Be warned though: this one is for DARK, and I do mean DARK chocolate lovers.

I elected to use cacao paste to make this and only added 2 measly little tablespoons of maple syrup to sweeten the creamy chocolate concoction. That, coupled with the addition of ancho chile powder, makes the “crème au chocolat” taste almost bitter when eaten on its own. But when you eat it in communion with the beautiful salted caramel that sits at the bottom of the cup, it simply balances everything out and little rainbows start shooting out of your eyes.

You don’t HAVE to use cacao liquor, however. You could very well substitute good quality dark chocolate if you wanted to, although I recommend going no lower than 70% cacao. If you’re gonna do that, leave the maple syrup out, though, otherwise it’ll probably end up being way too sweet.

Now, the caramel might look like it’s really complicated to make, but really, it’s not so bad. If you have a candy thermometer, use it. If not, just boil the syrup for about 10 minutes and start dropping a little bit of syrup in a glass containing icy cold water. When the syrup forms some kind of a soft ball that can be squeezed flat between your fingers, it’s ready to go.

Oh, and if you don’t have vanilla beans, don’t sweat it. They do add a lot of flavor, not to mention a bunch of super sexy black little specks, but you could very well use vanilla extract, too. Or just plain leave it out if you don’t care for it.

Last but not least, the bacon…

I have to admit that a lot has to be said for the combination of flavors and textures here. Bacon and chocolate do work surprisingly well together. But if it’s a tad too weird for your taste, you can very well just leave it out. Hey, you’re not gonna hurt my feelings!

I would definitely NOT ditch the salt, though.

Speaking of which… if you don’t have Fleur-de-Sel, coarse sea salt would work just as well, or even kosher salt. Just don’t go using regular, iodized table salt. I don’t think it would do this decadent treat justice.

One last thing. If you do do the bacon and have a little bit of time ahead of you, I would definitely wait until the last minute to cook the strips that would get used to garnish the top. That way, it would remain super crispy and even a tad warm. Oh my. That’s got to be TO-DIE-FOR. Otherwise, just do like I did and cook it ahead of time. It still works, trust me, although the bacon does become a tad chewier once cooled.

Oh, sorry. Just one more thing. For real this time. DO let these babies get back to room temperature before you serve them. This means take them out of the fridge AT LEAST an hour prior to serving them, preferably 2 to 3. Your mouth will thank you for it…

You know the stuff that’s inside a Canadian Zero Candy Bar? Or maybe you’re more familiar with Icy Squares, or Ice Cubes?

Oh yeah!

It’s THAT creamy and silky smooth and delicious!

Only it tastes like a thousand times better… continue reading

Okay, maybe not boring, but not the most exciting, let’s say.

Mind you, I edited the pictures for tonight’s post to the sound of Christmas tunes, and not just any Christmas tunes might I add: I whipped up Disney Jingle Bell Fun (ahem, much to my son’s dismay, as you can very well imagine…) so that made things so much livelier for me!

And no, in case you’re wondering, I’m not crazy. Well, maybe a little, but we won’t go there. I only happen to really like Christmas AND Christmas music and this particular album has got to be one of the joyfullest (if that wasn’t a real word, it is now!) album there is out there.  It’s in my top 5 that’s for certain!

But hey, Christmas isn’t for another 6 months, so let’s get back on track here, shall we?

Apparently, bean sprouts are okay to eat when you’re following the paleo lifestyle. How relieved was I to read that, even though it feels kind of strange and unnatural to me. I mean, bean sprouts are sprouted soy beans, are they not? And soy is a big no no under the paleo rules.

But, according to the research that I did before I went ahead and indulged in one of my top favorite sprouts, the theory wants that, once sprouted, the bean becomes a plant and therefore, is no longer considered a seed, which makes all sprouts safe to eat.

Even bean sprouts.

YAY? YAY!

Because bean sprouts are GOOD! I could easily sit myself down with a package and wolf the whole down thing in one single sitting.

Add some roasted cashews and toasted sesame seeds,  as well as a tangy pineapple dressing to the equation, and I find myself  in bean sprout heaven!

Speaking of roasted cashews, I’ve been trying to get my hands on some that had been roasted in “safe” oil, with no luck. Typically, all roasted cashews list canola, peanut or sunflower as part of their ingredients.

So I decided to make my own at home.

Cashews are one of those nuts that doesn’t dry roast too well. You need to roast in in some kind of hot fat to insure uniform coloring. What better than beautiful, magical coconut oil to get the job done? It works magnificently well and even confers a little bit of a rich, creamy coconuty taste to the already super delicious nuts.

And you don’t need much either. Just make sure you keep moving the nuts around until they get the coloration that you want, then remove them and place them on a paper towel to drain. Oh, and sprinkle them with a little bit of sea salt at this point, too!

Then try not to eat them all while you’re working at the rest of the salad.

In fact, I think that if you’re gonna have some left to put in the salad, it might be a good idea to make some extras…

Just sayin’, you know! continue reading

Once again this year, I couldn’t resist going out and bringing a few back home with me.

Then, as is always the case after I’m done eating it, I regretted having bought it in the first place.

Not that I don’t like lobster, no, that’s not it. It’s just that I find it’s a tad overrated.

Sure, it’s really tasty and its flesh has the most interesting texture to it. Especially the tail…

BUT! The thing is you have to work extremely hard and risk suffering multiple finger injuries (at least when you’re me) to actually get to that flesh. For me, that fact alone puts a serious damper on the whole tasting experience.

Unfortunately, my gripe against lobster doesn’t quite end here.

Every single time I clean them, I end up dirtying up the entire kitchen. It seems like every inch of every surface, including but not limited to the kitchen counter, cupboards and kitchen floor, get completely covered in lobster goo.

And did I mention it really stinks up the house?

If that alone wasn’t enough, I find lobster to be ridiculously expensive. Even when you buy them in the prime of their season and that the critters go for absolutely crazy low prices, it’s still way, way pricey for the ridiculously small amount of meat that you get out of them when all is said and done.

But hey, you can’t say that the little buggers aren’t super cool to look at… and at least this time, I managed to get a good portrait!

And also too, well, I have to admit that they ARE super delicious.

That would probably be the reason why I keep going back for more. Year, after year, after year. And sometimes, more than once per season, too!

Of course, I always buy more than I need so I can have some leftover meat (and curse a little bit more while cleaning the couple extra beasts) and create some sort of a lobster dish.

This year, I opted for a salad, complete with beautiful grilled pineapple, chunks of creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber and loads of crisp, fresh lettuce. While I must admit that it was absolutely fantastic, I’m sure that it would be just as delicious with shrimp. Or crab. Or even fresh tuna, for that matter.

So if you’re not a fan of lobster, or can’t be bothered cleaning it, by all means, go ahead and switch things up a bit. But if you’re a big lobster fan, go ahead and throw it in, for the combination of flavor between lobster and grilled pineapple is just plain extraordinary.

In fact, I wish I hadn’t tasted it… it’s only giving me one more reason to buy lobster again next time it’s in season.

Oh, wait! It’s STILL in season.

Darn. I wish I hadn’t realized that.

Or that I have a pineapple sitting on the kitchen counter as I type.

Uh oh! I smell… trouble! (or make that lobster…) continue reading

How cool is that? A natural tenderizer that’s also super nutritious on top of being super flavorful!

I call it a major WIN!

To be honest, I sort of knew about it already but never really felt the need to investigate and make some actual research on the subject until after I made those meatballs.

There was something sort of mystical about them… They were just so tender, so delicate in texture: they would just sort of melt in your mouth as soon as they’d hit your tongue, yet they held their shape really well until that moment where they landed in your mouth.

I thought the pineapple might be responsible for that, so I looked it up on the Internet, and indeed, I was right : pineapple contains a special enzyme called bromelain, which is quite efficient at dividing the amino acids found in meat, thus making it more soft and tender.

It sort of pre-digests the protein for you, if you will…

Left to interact with it for too long, bromelain will turn your meat into some sort of a mushy, non palatable mess, so you don’t want to overdo it.

Bromelain works in these capacities due to its ability to separate amino acids. The compound separates the all-important peptide bonds that link the proteins in collagen. Since the collagen gives the muscle tissue its shape, once it’s broken down, the muscle tissue begins losing firmness. If you left meat for a day or two covered with bromelain, it would be noticeably mushy, so much so that you wouldn’t want to eat it. When used shortly before cooking, however, bromelain efficiently softens the steak for chewing, but leaves it firm enough to enjoy its taste. The enzymes are neutralized by heat of about 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius), so they stop working once cooked. (source: How Stuff Works )

In short, just allow Mr. Pineapple and Ms. Meaty Protein to play together for a couple of hours and you’ll get a piece of meat that’s nice and soft in your mouth but still firm enough to hold its shape when stuck onto your fork!

In the case of ground meat, however, it looks like things might be a little bit speedier, so don’t let it rest for too long, else you’ll end up with fancy dog feed, me thinks. 

Because heat is the only way to stop the action of bromelain, I think it’s best to form your meatballs and cook them as soon as your ingredients have been mixed together or,  at the very least, within the hour.

Also, seeing as how those meatballs balls were extremely delicate, I chose to bake them as opposed to pan fry them.

Oh, I COULD have pan fried them if I’d wanted to, but after testing a few (for taste, you know) I decided that I just didn’t have the necessary patience, nor was I delicate enough to get the job done right.

So I took a chance and popped them in the oven, which totally paid off!

I couldn’t have been more satisfied with the results I got. They came out perfectly browned and crispy.

And did I mention tasty?

Oh yeah, that too! continue reading

Well, it got delivered as promised, bright and early the very next day.

That’s right. Delivered right to my front door at no extra cost. How’s that for customer service?

To give you an idea of what to expect if you ever order a half pig, this is what the entire order looks like. It didn’t come in these container, however… I bought them myself to make storing, organizing and finding my meat easier.

The order actually came in cardboard boxes with my name on it, just like the one on the left.

Oh, and also too, every single piece of meat has my name on it. Don’t ask why, but I really like that. To me, it says that this particular meat has been prepared especially for me, according to my own specifications. It makes me feel sort of privileged... 

Upon taking the inventory, I realized that getting  a whole side gives you a lot more variety of cuts to choose from. However, because I had specified that I wasn’t too big on bones, I got mainly boneless cuts again, which is fine with me in this case. In fact, I don’t think I’ll be making that many modifications next time I place an order. I’m quite satisfied with what I got.

The only thing is, just as with the beef, I’ll make sure to tell them that I want to I keep as much as possible from my carcass, INCLUDING bones and fat.

Nose-to-tail is the way to go!

Speaking of which… would you believe that, a few days after receiving this order, I was contacted by the lovely folks over at Paleo Parents who offered me a review copy of their soon to be released book Beyond Bacon: Paleo Recipes that Respect the Whole Hog.

Can you say EXCITED? I was OVER THE MOON!!! I’d been drooling over it for weeks, if not months. I sooooo can’t wait to get my hands on that book and tell you all about it.

But for now, let’s take a look at the complete inventory of what was in my boxes this time. continue reading

Trust me guys, when I say “Knock–You-Right-Off-Your-Feet”, I really mean “Knock-You-Right-Off-Your-Feet”.

These brownies seriously threw me straight to the ground with every single bite I took . I still don’t know how I even managed to not eat the entire pan right then and there, after I took the first bite.

In fact, I don’t even know how it is that I was able to only eat 3 squares out of the whole pan. And that’s over the course of a week, too! The rest got either given away or sent to the freezer.

I really hope that they freeze well and that I haven’t just wasted half the batch by throwing them in there, ‘cuz that would be a hell of a shame.

I mean, these guys are absolutely perfect in every possible way. At least, as far as I’m concerned.

They simply have everything I like in a brownie: an INTENSE, dark, super chocolate-y flavor followed by a nice, subtle touch of sweetness, a crazy dense but super moist and chewy texture, all that topped with a dreamy creamy and decadently smooth, melt-in-your-mouth frosting.

Honestly, this recipe is FAR superior to my previous, non-paleo version, in every possible way. It doesn’t even compare.

I know that back then, I said that those brownies were really great, but I wouldn’t even consider making them again now that I’ve tasted these.

They do have SOME similarities, though.

Just like the previous version, these do get better, tastier and richer after a couple of days sitting in the fridge and are to be enjoyed cold.

Mind you, I haven’t tried them warm, but I can’t really imagine them being good. I think they truly are at their best when they are completely chilled.

However, they are super delicious and ready to eat after having spent only a few hours in the fridge.

Oh, and that frosting?

It does taste as good as it looks, maybe even more.

I’d even say it should come with a warning…

Bottom line, this is now my official go-to brownie recipe. Now, all I need to do is work on different versions of this.

Spicy Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl or Almond Joy Madness, perhaps?

Oh, I know… Salted Caramel and Crispy Bacon!

YUM!

Did I ever tell you guys just how much I enjoy baking?

Yeah… thought I had! continue reading