Archive for the ‘vegetarian’ category

BBQ Lamb Chops w/ Root Veg Boulangère

March 20th, 2010

Grilled Lamb Chops
After all the good Irish food & drink from Paddy’s Day I figured some of you guys might need a little cleansing food for the weekend. This is a great seasonal dish highlighting some beautiful lamb and  veggies that some people may not use or even know of. I grew up eating turnips all the time. They have a delicious sweet nutty flavour. They’re in season right now but with spring just here you should take advantage of these great veggies while they last. Those of you who know my cooking style will know I’m all about simple delicious food and this definitely fits the bill. I didn’t want to mask the great natural flavour of the grass-fed lamb so I just enhanced it with some flavourful fresh garden herbs.

LAMB RECIPE:
Serves 4

2 racks of grass-fed lamb (16 chops)
1/4 tsp salt – use to season before grilling
1/4 tsp pepper – use to season before grilling

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 lemon – zested
3 tbsp olive oil

Grilled Lamb Chops
Mix all marinade ingredients together and toss lamb chops in marinade for at least 2 hours up to 6 hours, refrigerated.

Remove chops from fridge 1 hour before grilling to let return to room temp.

Preheat grill (outdoor or stove top) on medium for 5 minutes.
Season chops with S&P. Sear for 3-4 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove from grill and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.

Paleo Root Veg Gratin

Continue reading the Full Recipe Here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

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Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2010 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 1% [?]

Paddy’s Paleo Beef Stew

March 13th, 2010

Yet another beef stew!

Next week is St. Paddy’s Day so all week on my site I’ve been featuring a bunch of healthy Irish recipes. Continuing on with my Irish recipe round up…..Yep, it’s another Irish beef stew. I can’t help it–it’s in my DNA!
You’re probably familiar with my Beef & Guinness version and you may remember I made an Autumn Stew this past year. What’s the difference besides the obvious use of Guinness? Subtle differences like using more types of root veg, pearl onions and no potatoes in the stew itself (making it a perfect St. Paddy’s Paleo dish) are the main differences, which goes to show that you can take the same idea and make it different and seasonal.

Beef Stew Mise en Place

Continue reading the Full Recipe Here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

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Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2010 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 2% [?]

Grilled Steak n Cauliflower

March 6th, 2010

Peppered Steak with Roasted Cauliflower

There’s a lot to be said for mastering basic cooking techniques like properly grilling a steak, plain and simple. Here I’ve done just that yet to spice things up I roasted cauliflower with a little kick using smoked paprika. This might sound too basic but this is where choosing your ingredients makes all the difference. Grass-fed meats and organic produce are bursting with natural flavour. Delicious doesn’t have to mean complicated.

RECIPE:
2 x 6oz NY grass-fed steaks
1 tsp cracked black pepper (1/2 tsp per steak)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp grape seed oil (or olive oil if preferred). Grape seed oil gets to a higher temp before burning so is ideal for searing on high heat.

1 head organic cauliflower – cut in florets
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup green olives – halved
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
drizzle agave or honey

Continue reading the Full Recipe Here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2010 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 2% [?]

Seafood Stew

February 27th, 2010

Mardi Gras Seafood Soup

Growing up in Ireland most people assume it’s all meat n veg but being an island we have amazing seafood and a lot of my training as a chef was in seafood restaurants. This is my simplified version of a bouillabaisse. Typically, and according to tradition, there should be at least five different kinds of fish (not including shellfish) in a proper bouillabaisse. That can get pretty pricey so I thought I’d use some key seafood ingredients saving money yet without compromising flavour (which I may have used for a (my) six-pack). This version is light, fresh and brothy… just the way I roll!

If you do have a craving for some good ol’ fashioned meat try my Tomato marinated Flank Steak or Citrus Fennel Crusted Pork.

RECIPE:
Serves 4

20 mussels – rinsed
20 Manila clams – rinsed
1/2 lb large locally caught wild shrimp – P&D’d (peeled & de-veined)
1 lb white fish (Pacific cod, Tilapia, Pacific halibut) – 1″ cubes
3 cups leeks (whites only) thinly sliced, washed
1 red bell pepper – small dice
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 x 15 oz can diced tomatoes – drained
1 cup white wine (whatever’s in your glass will work) OR an 8 fluid oz bottle of clam juice*
3 cups water
about a handful of fresh basilchiffonade
2 sprigs fresh thyme (for steaming mussels & clams)
2 tbsp olive oil

*TIP: Bottled clam juice is easily found in the States though it might be hard enough to find across the pond. Steaming the shellfish in the white wine is a great alternative for making your own clam juice.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat large soup pot on medium heat for 1 minute. Add olive oil along with leeks, red pepper and chili flakes. Saute, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Cover with lid while they’re sauteing. This will keep in the moisture and help prevent them from going brown. You don’t want any colour on the leeks, just softened.
As leeks and pepper are cooking, preheat a large saute pan on high heat for 1 minute. Very carefully add mussels and clams to pan along with the wine and thyme or bottled clam juice and thyme. (Be careful of splashing the liquid.) Cover with lid and cook until all the shells are open. Give the pan a shake after 30 seconds or so to move them around. Cook for 2 minutes approx or until all the shells have opened.
NOTE: If there are any unopened or cracked shells when the majority are cooked, discard them.

Holding a colander over the soup pot drain the shellfish into the colander. This steaming liquid will be the base of your soup and it’s delicious. Add the water, bay leaves and chopped tomatoes to the soup pot and bring to a boil.
Next remove all the mussels & clams from their shells. Set the meat aside and throw away the shells or even better you could use them with your saved veg and the shrimp shells to make a seafood stock.

Making Seafood Soup

Add the white fish and shrimp to the soup and stir. (They’ll cook in the broth.) Once soup comes to a boil reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes on medium low heat.
Just before serving add all mussels, clams and fresh basil. Stir and taste. Season with S&P.

Mardi Gras Seafood Soup

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2010 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 2% [?]

Poblano Pork Stew

February 20th, 2010

Poblano Pork Stew

Being in California I’m exposed to an amazing array of fresh organic fruit n veg that I wouldn’t normally get, especially back at home so I’m taking full advantage of it. One of my weekly adventures is heading to our local farmers market and seeing what’s in season and figuring out something to make with it. You might recall a few weeks back I made a Braised Beef Rib recipe using some Poblano peppers, which actually came from my garden. Turns out I really liked their charred smoky flavour so I figured I’d have another go with them. I love roasted peppers (Roast Red pepper Hummus) and funny enough I actually made this pork dish already but my photos weren’t up to par so this is round two. With a few tweaks this turned out even better than the last time.
Lucky for you I’m a shitty photographer!

Poblano Peppers in my Garden

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2010 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 2% [?]

Shrimp & Spaghetti (Squash) Fra Diavolo

February 13th, 2010

Shrimp & Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo

You may have noticed all the different winter squash at the markets–acorn, butternut, spaghetti, kabocha, just to name a few. I absolutely love butternut squash, which is what I tend to use most often. I suppose we all tend to stick with what we know and like but lately I’ve had quite a few inquiries for what to do with a spaghetti squash, which is great because I really dig this squash too. Actually I’m really into pasta (gluten free) but I’m off heavy carbs in the evening thanks to DR, Mr. Health Habits himself with the training program I’m on so this squash, believe it or not, makes a brilliant substitute for pasta! Thought all you who are sticking to any sort of get-in-shape regiment and of course all the Paleos, would love this idea, too.

RECIPE:
Serves 2 with leftovers

1 medium spaghetti squash (preferably organic)
1 lb medium wild, locally caught shrimp (21-30’s) P&D’s (peeled & de-veined)
1 cup pasta tomato sauce (whatever you fancy)
1 tbsp capers
1/2 lemon- zested
chili flakes (as much as you can handle)

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2010 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 2% [?]

Herb Grilled Chicken with Celery Root Puree

February 6th, 2010

Grilled Chicken with Celeriac Puree

I wonder, is the Super Bowl as popular in Canada as it is here? All week I’ve posted healthy Super Bowl grub on my site but then I started thinking….if we happen to fall off the wagon a bit and chug a few unexpected beers, shouldn’t I have a ‘make-up’ recipe ready to rock for Monday? Being healthy is all about balance and planning ahead, right?

I’m still new to the Paleo way of eating but I think I’ve a good idea here. What I really try to do with food, besides creating easy healthy recipes, is to shop and eat sustainably and seasonally. With all my recipes you are encouraged to use what ever is in season in your area, which might be different than my area especially because I’m planted in sunny Southern California, as I often like to remind DR. (Better not make him too jealous or my next workout session might be brutal!)

Since the Paleo diet does not include potatoes (ouch says the Irishman) I wanted to show you an easy substitute using what I know as Celeriac, often called Celery Root. It is a kind of celery grown as a root vegetable that tastes like celery with a potato-like consistency. Common across the pond, we use as mash, in mash or even raw, grated in salads. Here’s how it stacks up against the potato:

Celery Root* Potato*
Calories 42 118
Carbohydrates 9g 27g
Dietary Fiber 2g 2g
*1 cup celery root (155g)
boiled, drained with no salt
*1 potato (136g)
boiled in skin with no salt

In California we can get celeriac all year round but the season runs about October through April. As for the tomatoes, I didn’t think it was tomato season yet we received these lovelies in our CSA box. Feel free to substitute any in-season veg for the tomatoes if you can’t get locally grown tomatoes this time of year.

RECIPE:
Serves 2

2 x 4-6 oz organic/grass fed chicken breasts

1 tbsp fresh marjoram
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 large garlic clove – minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lemon – zested

2 medium celery roots (you’ll probably have some left overs but that’s grand!)
low-sodium chicken broth
S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Begin by mixing all the marinade ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add chicken breasts and coat. To store, either place in a Zilpoc bag or cover in a bowl in the fridge. Turn occasionally to make sure all sides are marinating.
NOTE: This can and should be done ahead of time to get maximum flavor. I would suggest marinating for at least 4 – 24 hours.

To cook celeriac:

Top and tail celery root and using a small kitchen knife carefully peel the outer layer. (Top & tail is common chef lingo, which means trim the top and bottom.)

Organic Celeriac aka Celery Root Prepping Celeriac

Once all peeled roughly chop root in equal size pieces and boil in salted water (maybe a couple of teaspoons) until fork tender. Drain and return to same pot. Mash, add broth, taste & season.

I made the little blistered cherry tomato thingy by sauteing some cherry tomatoes on medium heat in olive oil under they begin to break down. Once they soften add a drizzle of red wine vinegar and a pinch of S&P. These will add a nice contrast and burst of flavor with the chicken and celeriac.

Farmers' Market Cherry Tomatoes

Preheat grill pan or outdoor bbq and when hot sear chicken on both sides. Cook to internal temp. 160F, 8-12 minutes approx. Let rest for 3-4 minutes after cooking before cutting.

Grilled Marinated Organic Chicken

Tasty and easy! Let me know how you got on with the celeriac. Cheers!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter. When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Slow Cooked Chicken with Wild ‘Rooms & Tarragon

January 16th, 2010

Slow Cooked Chicken with Wild Rooms & Tarragon Slow Cooked Chicken with Wild Rooms & Tarragon

On a recent visit to Austin my brother-in-law gave me a packet of dried morels and asked me to create a dish for them. Though this is a dish I’ve made many many times I thought it would be the perfect recipe for the morels plus it’s fairly fool proof. (Let’s see if Ron will try his hand at cooking this!) Luckily, braising meats is dead easy, eliminates the risk of drying out meat and always adds great flavour. The key with slow cooking, as I’ve mentioned before, is layering flavours. Searing the chicken, sauteing the mushrooms, adding garlic, well you get it. The more flavours you add the more intense and tasty the end result will be. Stands to reason, right?

I recently made this for a drop-off menu (did you know I can make dinner for you and drop it off?) and they said their 2 year old loved the mushrooms (if you’re a parent, this got the tot’s seal of approval) and they said it was even better the next day. Gotta love delicious leftovers!

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2009 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 2% [?]

Winter Split Pea Soup

December 12th, 2009

Split Pea Soup

Winter is arriving if not already here for a lot of you (apparently there’s snow in Houston?) so this is defo soup season. You all know there’s nothing better than a delicious bowl of homemade soup with a nice sangwich. I remember growing up in the tropical Isle of Ireland and the odd day it might be cold and wet my Mum would always make us soup for lunch. It’s always been one of those things that was a staple in our house as any leftover veg from dinner would be made into a delicious soup the next day. Those were the days.

This soup recipe is one of my faves and you’ll definitely love the fresh pea flavour and earthy texture. Off you pop and get the pot out.

Continue reading the full recipe here and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the HEALTHY IRISHMAN Newsletter!

When you do you’ll receive a FREE Entertainment Booklet with recipes and tips for your next dinner party.

Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2009 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved

Popularity: 2% [?]

Sesame Street v.s. Childhood Obesity

November 10th, 2009

grover sesame street exercise

Sesame Street has joined the battle against childhood obesity.

First, it was Grover getting into the gym and pumping some iron.

Then, it was the Cookie Monster kicking his cookie addiction and switching to a diet heavy on fruits and vegetables.

Things were looking good in this battle between fit and fat.

Unfortunately, not everyone believed in the cause. There were traitors amongst us….

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But luckily, for every Stephen Colbert, there is a Michelle Obama, willing to stand up against video games and Twinkies and Big Gulps.

On this weeks 40th anniversary show, First Lady Michelle Obama helped a group of children plant a vegetable garden on Sesame Street.

And just like those vegetable seeds will eventually take root and grow into mature plants, let’s hope that the message of eating healthy and exercising daily will take root in the minds of a new generation of Sesame Street viewers.
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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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