Looking for recipes? On this page we have resources to help you find great recipes:
- A list of our food posts (also accessible via our Pinterest page)
- A list of bloggers who post Perfect Health Diet compatible recipes
- Recipes left by our readers in the comments to this page and (soon) on our forum
Our Food Posts
- PHD Baby Food, August 31, 2015
- Chilled Avocado Soup, July 6, 2014
- Coconut Fish Pie, April 14, 2013
- Leg of Lamb with Cinnamon-Thyme-Fennel Rub, April 7, 2013
- Shou-Ching’s Mom’s Kimchi, March 21, 2013
- Okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza-style pancake), March 3, 2013
- Garlic Shrimp, February 12, 2013
- Hilary Finch Hutler: Four Beef Variations, Jan 29, 2013
- Pan-Seared Scallops, Jan 20, 2013
- Muffins, Jan 6, 2013
- Caesar Salad, Apr 29, 2012
- Roast Beef, Beets, and Potatoes, Apr 8, 2012
- Food for a Fast, Mar 8, 2012
- Tom Kha Shrimp and Scallop (Thai Soup), Feb 19, 2012
- Chopped Liver Paté, Feb 11, 2012
- Ris a la Mande, Feb 5, 2012
- Bengali Fish Curry (Machher Jhal), 2: The Recipe, Dec 27, 2011
- Chicken, Shrimp, and Egg Salad, Dec 15, 2011
- Pork Spare Ribs, Dec 6, 2011
- Fermented Mixed Vegetables, Nov 27, 2011
- Meatballs, Oct 30, 2011
- Bi Bim Bap, Oct 16, 2011
- Mussels in Thai Curry Sauce, Oct 9, 2011
- Bone Broth Revisited; and Pumpkin Soup, Oct 3, 2011
- Onion Rings, Sep 25, 2011
- Chicken Wings, Sep 19, 2011
- Sarah Atshan’s Lovely Food, Sep 11, 2011
- Hamburgers, Sep 4, 2011
- Gnocchi, Aug 28, 2011
- Chocolate Chip Cookies, Jul 24, 2011
- French Fried Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes, Jul 17, 2011
- Beef Tallow, Jul 10, 2011
- Homemade Kimchi, Jun 26, 2011
- Dumpling Rolls, Jun 5, 2011
- Crème Brûlée, May 29, 2011
- Chicken Tikka Masala, May 22, 2011
- Kimchi, May 15, 2011
- Happy Mother’s Day! with Hot Chocolate, May 8, 2011
- Rack of Lamb, May 1, 2011
- Seafood Paella, Apr 17, 2011
- Pacific Sweet and Sour Salmon, Apr 10, 2011
- Creamy Steamed Egg Soup, Apr 3, 2011
- Pesto, Mar 27, 2011
- Steak Diane (Ribeye with Cream Sauce), Mar 20, 2011
- Clam Chowder, Mar 13, 2011
- Coconut Bark, Mar 6, 2011
- Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup), Feb 27, 2011
- Ice Cream, Feb 20, 2011
- Dong Po’s Pork, Feb 13, 2011
- Cranky Grouch’s Spaghetti, Feb 6, 2011
- About Green Tea, Jan 30, 2011
- Herb-Encrusted Salmon Cakes with Lemon Juice, Jan 23, 2011
- Dieter’s Dessert: Taro Coconut Cream Soup, Jan 16, 2011
- Homemade Seasoned Seaweed, Jan 9, 2011
- Ox Feet Broth, Miso Soup, and Other Soups, Jan 2, 2011
- Pumpkin Mousse (from erp), December 27, 2010
- Rice Noodle Lasagna, December 19, 2010
- Cambridge Fried Rice, December 12, 2010
- Neo-Agutak: “Eskimo Ice Cream”, December 5, 2010
- Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Puffs), November 21, 2010
- Cooking with Rice, I: Chicken Soup, November 18, 2010
You can also find pictures with links to our recipes at our Pinterest board.
PHD-Compatible Food Bloggers
Some great food bloggers post PHD-compatible recipes. Our favorites include:
- Sarah Atshan’s Nutrients, You Fools!.
- Hilary Finch Hutler’s TummyRumblr.
- Russ Crandall’s The Domestic Man.
- Josephine and Henry Svendblad’s Nutty Kitchen.
- Francesca, “The Italian Paleo,” at Francesca Eats.
- Louise Yang & Jeremy Herndon, Ancestral Chef.
- Paul Halliday, Living in the Ice Age.
- Gary, 10 Minute Meal.
- Patty & Ron Strilaeff’s Chowstalker has a Perfect Health Diet category: PHD on Chowstalker.
Also, those who follow my personal Facebook page know that Sarah Atshan frequently tags me with pictures of the very lovely PHD food that helped her lose 120 pounds. Visit Sarah’s Facebook page to check out her food.
via this link:
I understand that you’re saying it’s how high that the temp reaches that matter vs. duration regarding toxicity. But you still want the beans to be cooked. So you’ve actually tried at 15 mins, and was it successful/delicious?
Hi susan,
Yes, the red lentils were fully cooked. I could no longer make out the individual lentils since they had completely disintegrated into the cooking water.
And to clarify — since I have an old-fashioned pressure cooker, not an instant pot — that’s 15 minutes at full pressure, not counting heat-up and cool-down times (during which certainly some cooking happens, albeit not as quickly as at full pressure). I don’t know how the instant pot works, but if the heat-up and cool-down phases happen very quickly, you might have to adjust the time at full pressure up a little bit to compensate.
Best,
-Eric
… I should also add: The time to taste fully cooked, at any temperature, will always be less than the time to achieve full detoxification. (So if it doesn’t taste cooked, it’s not safe.)
ERIC I seem to have missed the first part of this thread. I thought legumes were off-limits. I have a pressure cooker. Please Clarify.
Hi Suzie,
Like grains, legumes are a high-toxicity food; however, legume toxins are generally much easier than grain toxins to inactivate with careful preparation. Good steps to take include:
(1) Limiting to the safest legumes — these are probably lentils, chickpeas, and mung beans.
(2) Pre-soaking overnight prior to cooking.
(3) Not eating the seed coat. Hulled legumes are popular in India, and can be found in pretty much any Indian store: hulled lentils = “masoor dal”; hulled mung beans = “moong dal”; hulled chickpeas = “chana dal”.
(4) Cooking thoroughly, with a pressure cooker.
All the legume toxins that I was able to find when I searched the literature a year ago would be effectively removed by (1)–(4). However, legumes are not as well-studied as, say, rice, so there is still the possibility of unknown toxins.
Best,
-Eric
Eric, thanks for clarifying, and that’s impressive!
Yes, IP works the same as yours, it actually takes quite a bit of time to reach full pressure. If I program 15 mins, it will actually take about 40-45 mins total, including ramp up time and natural steam release time after the 15 mins has run.
Hi Paul,
I see you include a lot of dairy products in your diet. I’ve been told that dairy is bad for autoimmune diseases (celiac and hashimotos), I also get a headache when I eat dairy. I would love to include it in my diet, is there a way to reverse a dairy allergy and is it bad for people with autoimmune issues? Thank you for clarifying!
great question Kristin,
if you do not get an answer from Paul,
please post up your query on the official PHD facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/perfecthealthdiet/
(closed group, so you will need to join).
You should get more of a discussion happening on this on the fb, i hope, as i am interested to know more as well.
…in fact, worth posting up now
…in fact, worth posting up now
I requested to join but haven’t heard back yet. Your welcome to post the question if you are already a part of it!
It can take a few hours, but less than a day to get added.
I see a few new members have been added in the past 24 hrs…
So if you did not get added, I would try again, something may have gone wrong with your request
someone else actually has posted your query. & there are a few comments/responses.
you can find it here;
https://www.facebook.com/groups/perfecthealthdiet/permalink/937572239683899/
of course you still need to be a member of the group to view it.
…that last comment was for Kristin
Does anyone have a comment about “WEDO Banana Flour” or any experience using it? I only use flour occasionally, either a scant amount to thicken a sauce (in lieu of arrowroot or potato starch) or for rare paleo baked treats. I understand that it’s on the heavy side, but it’s supposed to be high in resistant starch.
I’m new to PHD and working my way into it but meanwhile I wanted to share a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Muffins that I successfully converted to gluten free.
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup light brown sugar OR equivalent in powdered stevia
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, squeezed to drain exess water
2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Oil a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
In a bowl combine and oil and eggs. Add sugar; mix.
Stir in vanilla and zucchini.
In a separate bowl, combine cocoa, flours, baking soda and spices; gradually stir into liquid mixture to combine.
Stir in nuts (if using).
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
For muffins: grease about 8 muffin molds (if not using nuts) or 10 muffin molds (if using nuts) and pour in batter to about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
3/4 cup light brown sugar is obviously not PHD, however the powdered Stevia that is 1:1 replacement for sugar (ie Truvia) is not that great for you. Arguably better than sugar, but it’s main ingredient is erythritol, not Stevia which is fine in it’s natural form.
A quick google of erythritol and you will see you don’t want this to become a staple in your diet.
The recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Muffins can also be made lower fat by replacing 1/4 cup of the oil with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.
Hi, is there such a thing as weight gain version of the diet ? thank you very much
Hello, I wondering your thoughts on the use of arrowroot in baking recipes (bread).
I have been reading your book and I’m blunderingly started your plan today. I’ve been trying to do Atkins for over 10 years now. I do great for a month, fall off, eat junk for a couple weeks, rinse, repeat. I lose like 10 lbs and then start gaining it right back. Finally, I’ve decided I have to try something different. I’m borderline diabetic so I guess I will see what my blood sugars do with adding in the starches. I’m terrified. 🙂 Is there a forum somewhere that you know of for support? I haven’t been able to find anything yet. Thank you!
Hi Terri, welcome! For a forum, try our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/perfecthealthdiet/.
Best, Paul
Thanks, Hybrid. I look forward to trying this recipe.
Hi!
How do you use the magnesium powder in bulk? Add it to foods? What kind ans how often should I take it?
Thank you!
Hi KJ, you want to take 200 mg per day per our advice and can sprinkle it on foods. Best, Paul
I am curious… when you say 1 pound a day of sweet potato, do you mean weigh a sweet potato u cooked and if it weighs a pound that would fulfill the daily quota? Or rice? Do you weigh 1 pound of rice cooked and eat that throughout the day?
Hi, i note that some gluten free carbs are ok- would you include 100% rye bread in this?
Wheat, barley and rye all contain gluten.
There are many good Chinese, Vietnamese and other Asian and Pho restaurants in my area. Are there any dos and don’t about take out to remain PHD compliant?
Hi Suzie,
Generally Asian restaurants are PHD compatible but for the oil they use. You can ask if they use healthy oils, or omega-6 rich seed oils.
Best, Paul
Hi Paul,
I have Hashimotos. I am very lethargic and brain foggy in the morning.AIso, I find that butter really warms me, olive oil not at all, but I have to be so careful with saturated fat because my skin will get yellow and I will get pain under my ribs. What are your meal recommendations(breakfast is difficult, so tired and out of it) and something to keep the liver from clogging.
Thanks,
Cindy Bishop
Hi Cindy,
Supplement choline, inositol, vitamin C, pantothenic acid, taurine, glycine, N-acetylcysteine. Eat 3 egg yolks and 2 tbsp vinegar per day. These will help your fat tolerance. PHD generally, circadian rhythm entrainment, intermittent fasting.
Best, Paul
Paul,
I’m quite pleased to have started eating liver. Previously, I would just take copper because I couldn’t think of a good way to eat it, since I’ve never liked the taste. After making a liver meat loaf and eating it for two weeks or so, it tastes very palatable! Much better taste perception from the first serving, possibly because my body appreciates the nutrients. So I thought I’d share the recipe.
Following your suggestion I boiled the liver then rinsed it. Then I blended it into a puree with the tomatoes and water, a simple process.
Liver Meat Loaf:
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 lb liver
1 large onion, chopped fine
14 oz can tomato, any type
1 c water
1 c arborio rice
1 t salt
¼ t fresh ground black pepper
1 T Penzey’s spice mix, such as Krakow Nights
1 T Mexican oregano, dried, or other herbs
To cover: 1 c tomato sauce
Boil pot of water, add liver and cook three minutes, drain and rinse with cold water
Fry chopped onion in hot stainless steel frypan with no oil, until brown on edges and starting to get soft
Place tomato and water in blender jar. With blender running, add liver piece by piece until blended to batter-like consistency.
Mix onion, beef, liver puree together with rice, then sprinkle and mix in salt and seasonings.
Place in baking dish so as to be about 2 inches thick, cover with tomato sauce, and bake at 300 for 1.5 hours or until done.
Serve hot, generously drizzled with cream of tomato soup, grated parmesan, and fresh ground black pepper, or with mix or catsup and sriracha sauce, or topping of choice.
Neglected to specify the rice is uncooked. It absorbs the moisture from the liver puree.
Hello,
Can you tell me if rice miso soup can be used ?….ingredients say soya included, however TCM seems to merit it.
Also when weighing is it pre -cooked or cooked weight?
Many thanks,
Hi Diana,
Yes, miso soup is OK. Weights are fully hydrated weights, which usually means uncooked but in the case of rice means cooked.
Best, Paul
Hello, my husband and I are just starting to implement this diet and I’m trying to ‘get the hang’ of foods and recipes. In the book I find mentioned ‘rice flour’ but I bought several things at the store that contain ‘brown rice flour’. Is this a no-no due to the fact that it is ‘brown rice’ or can they be used the same?
Hi Cindy,
White rice flour would be better, and is available at most supermarkets or online (scroll down to “flours and starches” here: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/food/).
Best,
-Eric
Hi, sorry if i missed it in the book, my main language is french, what about filet mignon? Any good for beef meal
What about green and yellow split peas?
Soak overnight and cook in a pressure cooker.
Hi:
I’m still slowly easing into the PHD…still need to reduce meat & increase veg intake & start with the supplements. After a week or two of clogged sinuses I am feeling much more chipper & lively. I have had migraines + exhaustion/fatigue almost constantly for the last year & they are both easing up. All my efforts at shopping & cooking are giving me more energy & I’m finally sleeping through the night & I have a social like again. I’m also able to have a little alcohol without an instant headache, a bonus. The only big outstanding is more exercise. I find the eating plan ( I don’t like diet) as I like to call it easy enough to follow & I’ve been able to adhere to it even when occasionally eating out with friends or while on the road as eating in is not always possible. I haven’t lost any weight yet, but hoping to get rid of those stubborn 15 pounds with some more time. Thanks for doing all the research & writing & I’m so happy to not have to give up rice, potatoes, dairy & wine.
I will keep you updated.
-Mimi
Hi Mimi,
Thanks for the report, please keep us posted on your progress! For the clogged sinuses be sure you are getting enough vitamin A (liver, orange plants; you can supplement if you don’t eat liver) and sunshine on bare skin.
Best, Paul
Paul,
I am a biochemistry grad student and sometimes I have to eat quickly and on the go.
Are there any good PHD-friendly snacks or recipes that I can use to make PHD-friendly snacks?
Hello there 🙂
Was wondering, should I keep the rice cooking water ? Feels like that’s what’s containing most of the starch plus some oligoelements, but I’m not sure…
Have a nice day ! 🙂
PAUL >>>
WHICH Are Your TOP 5 PHD Recipes that you love to have and eat and you could eat basically every day?
I want to master 3 to 5 recipes that I could just have basically every day without getting tired of. 😀 And also see what are the bare essentials that I need to buy to cook them effectively and quickly. 😀
I lost your recipe for a Shephard’s-pie like baked fish dish, I think with a mashed baked yam crust, coconut oil, hard-boiled eggs. I’d like to make it again. I think it was on your site in 2013
You should release a cookbook. Also, come up with some recipes that use less ingredients, takes no time to prepare.
Hi Paul, I remember some time ago you and Shou-Ching were planning on releasing a recipe book. Is that still on your to-do list? We can never have too many recipes!
After many many years, I too came back here to find the answer to that question!
Hi Patrick, hi Tony,
We had an interruption making a cancer therapy and building a company, but yes, we do plan to get back to the cookbook.
Best, Paul