Going Veggie Paleo

Okay, so here’s my latest thing: going Veggie Paleo. Have you heard about the Paleo Diet? Well, it’s the same thing, except with a reduced amount of meat, dairy, and eggs for environmental/health purposes.

I don’t follow the diet to the “T,” as it can be really hard to adapt to a highly social lifestyle, but I do try to follow as much as I possibly can. It’s made me feel tons better, and guess what, my husband, who has no food allergies at all, says he feels better too.

So in celebrating the Veggie Paleo diet, I’ll be sharing a couple of super easy recipes that work for me after a long day at work.

Tip: Make sure you buy fresh fish that has not been sitting/melting into a bunch of styrofoam. Bring your own glass/stainless steel container to the market. Pick a safe fish–avoid farm raised fish and large fish (Google “low contamination fish types”).

Grilled Fish with Mango Compote and Boiled Sweet Potato

If timed properly, can be done in as little as 20 minutes.
If timed properly, can be done in as little as 20 minutes.

Ingredients

2 pieces of fish, approximately 100 gms each

Seasoning: sea salt, pepper, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme

3 tablespoons of butter

Compote: half a mango, splash of ume plum vinegar, dash of salt, dash of honey, a few cranberries

Approximately 10 small pieces of sweet potato

Method

1.Turn on oven to approximately 160. I honestly don’t think it is necessary to completely pre-heat for such simple dishes. I turn it on and then place the fish in when I am done prepping.

2. Wash and start to boil the sweet potatoes in just plain water.

3. Prep the fish by rubbing a little butter on the bottom of a baking pan, and then placing small lumps of butter all over fish. On top of the butter place the seasonings.

4. Place fish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes.

5. While fish is cooking, cut one half of a mango. Scrape the side so that the flesh is pulpy and watery. Add the ume plum vinegar, honey, and salt. Adjust to taste.

6. When fish is half way done (5 minute mark), take out and turn over. Make sure the butter spreads evenly.

7. When fish is completely done, take out, and  place the compote on top with a few cranberries (try to get low/no sugar cranberries).

8. Serve with halved sweet potatoes with a sliver of butter atop the crevice.

Peace,

Daisy

Missing Aussie Xmas: Pavlova

The one thing I totally miss about December in Melbourne is the amazing pavlova my cousin-in-law, Tony, makes. He knows I hate passion fruit so I get a version with strawberries and blueberries and loads of cream. Feeling sorry for me, a friend made me some during thesis chapter hibernation. I’m almost embarrassed to admit I finished it in 24 hours!

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup of Castor sugar
1 tsp of white vinegar
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of whipping cream
Fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, passionfruit, bananas, blueberries
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius and place the rack in middle of the oven.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed or you will get major arm fatigue until the whites form soft peaks.
Gently sprinkle the sugar in a spoonful at a time and keep whipping until whites make glossy stiff peaks.
Sprinkle the vinegar and fold in gently with a plastic spatula. Add the vanilla and gently fold the mixture again.
Spread the meringue in a circle on the foil to make a circle leaving a slight well in the middle and bake for an hour until peaks are pale eggshell coloured.

Leave to cool in the oven with the door open.

Whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it forms peaks.

Before serving, spread cream using a spatula and arrange the fruit you’ve decided to use on top. Eat!

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Kiss kiss,
Bubbles