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:
Nice
I’ve thought I hated liver since I was 7 years old. Traumatic experience. But last night, celebrating a friend’s birthday, I got a little wild…
Just tasted Chicken Liver Pate for the first time at a restaurant called the Lockeland Table in East Nashville, Tenn. It was beautiful. In the 44 years since my mother tricked me into tasting beef liver, I’d been chicken to try chicken liver. But! Chicken liver isn’t like beef liver!!!!
Lockeland Table’s chicken liver pate is made in tiny jelly jars.
So I googled for a recipe, and can recommend the Chicken Liver Pate recipe at a site called davidlebovitz.com.
Thank you for your book, PHD. I’ve been paleo/primal for about three years and improved several health problems, but haven’t experienced weight loss – no gain, but no loss either. Adding back rice and potatoes has been a wonderful boon without any weight gain or return of allergies, migraines, IBS, etc. – in fact, I’m slowly sliding down the scale as each week goes by – which is fine. I’d rather adopt a plan I can live with permanently than try to “diet.”
Since we’re a rice and sweet potato growing region (south Louisiana), it’s been a joy to have my favorite starches again. I’m beginning to think that while paleo and primal are a great start, they have limitations. I’ve been wary of adding too much rice or potatoes to my day … I don’t eat before 1-2 p.m. except for coffee with raw cream and tend to limit rice or potatoes to the evening meal. But I’m still working out my own tolerances, and it sure has been fun! My husband certainly appreciates it as well. As a Cajun he can look at a rice field and tell you how much gravy it needs. 🙂 (Side note: I make my roux with rice flour and coconut oil … he loves it!!)
Adding liver is challenging for many people, and I thought you might enjoy a delicious way to incorporate it.
Here in Acadiana, we call it rice dressing, but other regions call it dirty rice. Rice dressing sounds comforting and homey to me, dirty rice, not so much. I don’t measure or use a recipe, it’s more about feel and what you’re in the mood for when you make it.
Start with the Cajun trinity (chopped onion, celery and bell peppers – I actually use poblanos because I prefer the flavor, and their little bit of heat) plus garlic. I make coconut oil/butter ghee and saute the veg in it. If you cut up the liver (I try for about 1/3 of the total meats) and saute it with the veg and then pulse it in a food processor, the texture is fine and is “lost” with the other ground meats. Sometimes I use ground beef and some ground pork, but the combination is cook’s choice – ground lamb or turkey are good, too.
Brown the ground meats and add back the liver mixture. Season with salt, pepper – black and red – and whatever other herbs or spices you like. I make Cajun/Creole seasoning, too – salt, black and red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground bay leaves and some “hidden” antioxidants and power seasonings: sumac, ground nigella seeds, turmeric and green tea. I use it on everything from fish to meat to vegetables.
At this point I cool the mixture and separate it into smaller portions and freeze them. When you want to serve the rice dressing, defrost the meat, put some leftover or freshly prepared rice in a pot, add the meat mixture, saute until heated through and garnish with minced parsley and green onions. We like a 50/50 ratio of rice to meat, but again, that’s up to you. Enjoy!!
Hi Paul, Love your book. Nice to see cookbooks on the way. One thing I would love to see is just a meal plan for 10-14 days or so, showing say what exactly one should eat around the 1600 calorie range say. Perhaps you can give us a sample meal plan for your retreat. That would really help. Keep up the great work!
Despite whatever reducing your weight that you are towards
erysipelas, positions, complexion, pimples, contact us the entire group what you will really, these are pestering and also shaming types give you in just give up looking.
Even more so if they are more girl that do everybody is able to envision, similar to during your be up against.
I admit it. I didn’t understand a single word of that. Was that your intent, Leanna?
Bone Broth variation:
Roast meaty and marrow bones one hour. Scoop out marrow and keep in a covered glass dish in the refrigerator. Or, maybe freeze in ice cube tray. Add roasted bones and other non-roasted bones (including a good sized halved beef foot) to stock pot and pour half cup vinegar over all. Let sit for 30 minutes then add water (whatever your pot holds –mine is a 6 qt). Recently got that enameled cast iron from Costco. By the way, take the lid off before lifting that pot, as it is much lighter. Roast in oven or on stove top, low heat for three hours. Take out meat and fat and refrigerate for use in a meal. Continue simmering stock for desired length. I don’t use Paul and Shou-Ching’s method because it just doesn’t turn out the same. I try to let this first batch simmer for about 12 hours, then add more water and simmer that one another 12 hours. I make subsequent batches but never keep any fat that remains, as it seems to bother my joints.
Here’s the good part. Heat up a serving of the chilled gelatinous broth and pour it into your liquifying blender. Add a couple tablespoons (or more) of the refrigerated or frozen bone marrow and blend on high until completely liquified. Pour into good-sized mug, add Real Salt. Curl up in a fave chair and sip your truly delicious winter drink. YUM.
Ooops, forgot to suggest adding coarsely chopped onions, garlic, and bay leaves a few hours before simmering time ends.
Just as much as modern-day weight loss plans have a tendency to really encourage
either periodic days of going on a fast, or perhaps limiting calorific diet plan, the Paleo diet is
usually close to adequate in order to getting the complete opposing.
Have been many of us lucky enough to be able to go over and also examine our own life styles together with people each of our ancestors
and forefathers, the easy truth that individuals might understand could be that will your meals are right now there to get taken instructions as far as possible : when obtainable.
In a world with no refrigeration (or ease stores) the fact is that when some sort of fodder or maybe pick was generated within typically the group, it could be devoured while swiftly as is possible prior to
foodstuff started to give up on along with pamper.
I love wraps, but they are made of wheat and sometimes corn. I tried the rice paper, but it did not work for me. Does anyone know a PHD alternative to wheat or corn tortillas for wraps?
I haven’t tried these wraps myself, but I noticed they are mentioned in the resources section of the Hartwig’s book ‘It Starts with Food’ and they are certainly PHD compliant: ‘Pure wraps’ at http://www.improveat.com
http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/how-roll-fresh-spring-rolls/
This might help with rice paper
Dear Richard, In Australia they now make wraps out of spelt. The brand is ‘Mountain Bread’. The wraps are made of 100% spelt, filtered water and salt. They’re excellent. Not sure if they have a website but their address is 3 Pitt Street Reservoir Victoria 3073 Australia. Perhaps you can convince them to export…?
Hi
I bought the book on amazon, because I have Hashimoto´s disease and this book really help me. I have a question, what kind of cheese do you recommend to buy? Regards
Hi Clara,
All kinds of cheese are good, but aged cheese is especially helpful because of the vitamin K2.
Hi Paul and Shou-ching,
Thanks for all of your amazing research and work. It really brings together everything I’ve read about health. I went off proton-pump inhibitors cold turkey and my stomach feels fine. I am eternally grateful.
I do have a few questions – not sure if this is the place to post them.
When you say you simply boil potatoes, do you dice them first? Skin them? Does the level of the flame matter – i.e. barley simmering or full on boil? I’m a cooking newb and specifics on these basic recipes would help a ton!
Do you weight out your food when you purchase it? Are the weights given for food before it is cooked?
Thanks again!
Just want to share that I happened on a website that suggested adding grated vegetables to meatballs to make them moist. I am off a couple of the suggested vegetables — celery, carrots — because of allergies. But zucchini is safe for me, so I added a whole zucchini to two pounds of pastured ground beef, along with herbs, spices, egg, and prepared them as Paul and SC suggest using boiling ginger water. I froze the batch and have been taking a quarter pound of them for lunch at work. Add to them broccoli and rice. I heat the mixture in a small $50 convection oven (Costco), then add my fermented cilantro salsa, and eat up an amazingly delicious lunch. My meatballs are nearly dripping they are so moist. Don’t know if the convection oven makes a difference, but everything seems to taste better. Could be the moist meatballs. Doesn’t matter. Lunch is a highlight in my busy day.
Lana,
Could you please give specifics for making your cilantro salsa?
We have some Cilantro the greenhouse and it is not going to last. A fermented salsa recipe is just what I need!
Lana, just googled cilantro salsa and there were plenty of recipes. but they all called for tomatoes, which I don’t like to buy this time of year. So unless your recipe is tomato free, never mind my request..
How do I sign up to receive your blog?
Seaweed Chebe Bread
This simple basic “bread”–a pancake, really, came from Ellen Ussery, my country cousin in Virginia. When my daughter had her wisdom tooth out, I wanted her to have something soft, easy to chew, nutritious and tasty to go with her butternut squash soup so I added chopped garlic, sautéed red pepper and seaweed to Ellen’s basic batter batter.
1 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs beaten
2 tbsp melted butter, ghee or coconut oil
1 cup chopped seaweed, soaked in water until soft
3 cloves chopped garlic briefly browned in olive oil
1 chopped sweet red pepper browned in olive oil
MIX IT ALTOGETHER and fry in small batches on a greased griddle, flipping once. This cooks FAST!
Best eaten hot and is easily warmed up in a toaster oven, perhaps with some melted cheese on top. Great with yogurt or sour cream, too.
Update on Seaweed Chebe Bread
Just like all PHD recipes, this one continues to evolve and change with each iteration. This time I roasted three heads of garlic in the oven in olive oil and squeezed that into the batter. Also added sautéed shiitake mushrooms and sautéed chopped green onions as well as the red pepper and seaweed. This is getting more and more like Okonomyaki without the Japanese mountain yams and proteins (seafood, bacon). This time we ate the pancakes as a side, topped with Greek yogurt, with a brisket of beef entree. Fabulous.
Oooooh roasted garlic. Yum! And a good way to use up all that garlic from our garden that is stored in the guest room closet!
I may try an all allium version. Roasted garlic and some onions cooked slow and long and then some onions and garlic cooked very briefly. The long cooked onions have lots of flavor the briefly cooked ones are more beneficial to gut flora. And for the briefly cooked garlic, chop it fine and let it sit ten minutes before cooking to create the beneficial allicin. The long cooked onions are something I make on days whenI am in the kitchen doing other things, then freeze in batches.
I just noticed Paul tweeted about a PHD compliant mayo that someone is trying to get going on kickstarter. I hope this project is successful.
In the meantime, does anyone have a recipe for a decent tasting mayo?
I haven’t liked any that I’ve made
I’ve posted mine here recently. I’ll try to find out which thread it’s in. It combines pure olive oil (milder tasting) and melted coconut oil, lemon juice, whole eggs, honey, dried mustard, and salt. The flavor is nice. Consistency is less creamy than storebought, but it works.
MAYONNAISE
from Marilyn at BTVC
2 large eggs, room temp
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp dried mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 1/4 c mild tasting oil (such as pure olive oil)
3/4 c melted coconut oil
Beat eggs, lemon, honey, salt, pepper, and mustard until quite frothy. (Or process in a food processor.) While continuing to whisk (or with food processor going), begin to slowly add oil, in a very thin stream. It should take at least one minute to pour the oil. Continue whisking or food-processing until quite thick. Store in a glass jar in the back of the refrigerator and use by date on the egg carton (or, with farm eggs, about 3 weeks).
Thanks so much! I’ll try this tomorrow hopefully. Maybe the addition of the coconut oil will improve the taste
I tried searching for a recipe on the blog but I don’t know how to get to the individual result from the hits you get from the search bar. Some of the comments are in the hundreds! A good testament to this blog but makes it nearly impossible to go through 😯
Thanks again
We have been moderately successful in making our own mayo now. Here’s my version….
1. place egg yolks (1 per serving) into container (I use Cuisenart Immersion Stick Blender)
2. add in 3/4 oil (light olive or coconut or combination)
3. add in 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (raw mother like Eden or Bragg’s )
4. brown mustard
5. dash of salt
(I do not use any sweetener.)
Blend until ingredients emulsify. Sometimes, I have more luck with the whole egg (including white.) If it “fails”, I make salad dressing out of it. Adding my spices such as more vinegar, a touch of honey, italian seasonings, and sometimes, red pepper and paprika.
Note: If it does fail, try adding the reserved egg white to mixture, and blend. It sometimes works. Everything does better at room temperature for this recipe.
Good luck! Lisa
Hi Paul!
Would you by any chance (with holidays approaching) give us a “report” or convenient links to such information from your site on “Sweeteners” or using the right sidebar menu add a section titled sweeteners and list archives there?
I am especially interested in learning about Stevia (all forms, including Green Powder) and Xylitol. Sooooo much conflicting information out there is really confusing me. For now, we are only allowing sparse use of raw honey. But, I find sometimes, I need alternatives as honey is so expensive. Maybe you could update us on those sweeteners you find safe to use.
With much gratitude,
Lisa
Check out the PHD compliant Primal Kitchen mayo from Mark Sisson.
You can buy it on Amazon now:
http://primalkitchen.com/products/mayo/
Just made Marilyn’s mayonnaise. Nice accompaniment to gilled salmon with rice and green beans. Thanks!
I mean GRILLED salmon. Sorry. Trying to cook and type….
yay! and isn’t it easy? i had never tried making mayo until a couple of years ago. happy you like the recipe–
st.
Yes, S, it is easy–didn’t even have to separate the eggs. Just used it again
in deviled eggs and tuna salad–very good. One thing: because it is made with coconut oil, it gets very hard in the fridge.
very firm when cold, but a little oily as it reaches room temp. glad you like it!
Hello. Just bought your book on my Kindle. Really have learned a lot. I am a diabetic and have gained a lot of weight. I am new to this type of diet but am trying to learn. As a new participant, what is the easiest way to start? I am staying away from your “do not eat” items and trying to stick to your suggested foods. But, it is hard, so much to change from a lifetime of eating wrong.
Bacon Gravy
I use this gravy to thin out pureed scrambled eggs for my mom because she has Parkinson’s disease and can’t chew or swallow well.
2 Tablespoons bacon grease
1 piece bacon crumbled/crushed
1 1/2 Tablespoon PHD approved flour (potato flour/tapioca/rice flour mixture)
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup water
S&P to taste
Melt the grease in a pan with the flour mixture. Let the flour sizzle for about a minute to take away the the floury taste. Add the bacon crumbs. I puree them in the food processor to make them really fine for my mom. Then add the cream and water. Stir constantly until you reach the desired consistency! It gets ready real quick. Add the salt and pepper at the last. If it’s too thick, just add water. If it’s too thin, just cook it a bit longer to reduce the volume. This recipe doesn’t really keep well, so I make it fresh when I want it.
I like to use a pressure cooker. Does pressure cooked food work in the PHD?
I love your website and it’s a great read.
Have been looking for this type info for quite a while. Am going to give it a shot.Hubby & I both hypothyroid and hubby is also diabetic.
I am trying to find recipes for ground beef and ground liver that you mention in you PHD book on your website. Could you help me find them plz?
Regards,
Beth
Hi Beth,
First, in any of these recipes you can buy steak and liver and grind them yourself in a food processor. They’ll be much fresher than the store-ground meat.
Then, visit our recipes page: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/recipes/ and look for things like spaghetti (http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/02/cranky-grouch%E2%80%99s-spaghetti/), meatballs (http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/10/meatballs/), hamburgers (http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/09/hamburgers/), lasagna (http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/12/rice-noodle-lasagna/). Any recipe that uses ground beef can be turned into a PHD recipe by ingredient substitutions.
Best, Paul
PHD littlenecks and rice pasta recipe.
24 little necks
1 package rice pasta
1 cup organic white wine
1/2 organic olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves minced
3 tablespoons grass fed butter
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon black pepper
Place wine, olive oil, butter, juice of 1 lemon, and spices in stock pot. Boil on medium heat. Place littlenecks in and cover and steam 5 minutes or until they are all opened. Boil rice pasta, drain, and cover with littlenecks and sauce.
primalpsychologist.com
These coconut wraps are great! they have a plain and a curry and my husband and I like them both.
Paul,
What fruits do you recommend ?
It is ok to mix fruits with protein and carbohydrates and fats, and protein with carbohydrates?Or better to separate and eat fruits alone? I think about easier meals for digestion.
Thanks
What about arrowroot?
Please, please publish a cookbook with all your recipes. I only have access to a computer occasionally and would love to have your recipe book in my kitchen. Thanks!
CHOCOLATE STICKY RICE PUDDING
I’ve started making this and it’s very simple. I don’t have laser precise measurements, but it’s so easy you can do each ingredient to taste and I’ll give you the basic idea:
– 3 cups (before cooking) Sticky rice (sold as “sweet rice”)
– 10 0z. 100 pure cacao chocolate bar
– 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
– 3 tablespoons Butter
– 4 oz. Cream
– 6 Egg yolks
– Safe sweetener to taste (I use a combination of dextrose powder and tapioca syrup. I just used about 28 oz. of tapioca syrup and 4 oz. dextrose)
– salt to taste (salt brings out the flavor of the chocolate quite a bit)
Cook your sticky rice, yielding about 6-7 cups of cooked rice. Transfer to a sauce pan. Add butter, cream, Chocolate and stir until incorporated. Mix over low heat, occasionally removing the pan from the heat to prevent burning the rice on the bottom. Begin adding sweetener and salt until you’re just shy of the sweetness you like. I like it pretty sweet with a salty ting. Once you’re close to the taste you like add the egg yolks. To temper them I lay them on top of the warm rice and stir them just into the top layer of rice to warm them up. Once they’re tempered, stir them into the rest of the pudding. You can use even more egg yolks if you want a more custardy flavor and to add more nutrition. I think I could have put in 12 total egg yolks and it wouldn’t taste drastically different. Once you’ve fine tuned the sweet/salt you’re done!
This satisfies my desire for dark, bittersweet chocolate flavors, while being quite substantial, and the texture of sticky rice is great with dessert.
The best part about this is now that you have a TON of rice pudding, it freezes amazingly well. Scoop some into individual freezer bags and take them out whenever you want. They defrost naturally very quickly. Or heat them up. Whatever works.
All hail Chocolate our dark lord and supreme master 😈
FYI the vanilla extract I use is home made and might not be as strong as store bought, so start with a teaspoon and see where you’re at.
1. Do you consider Flax and Chia seeds healthy or unhealthy?
2. There is a photo of what looks like ice cream w/ strawberries on the back cover of your book. I’m puzzled. I have yet to find a mention of eating ice cream in the text. Is sugar OK in thing such as ice cream because of the high fat content? . . . and . . . what about such things as Stevia?
3. I’m 77 and although my blood sugar is a bit elevated (as is my cholesterol), I take no medications, have no known medical problems. I’ve been eating whole grain wheat, corn, and rice daily for over 50 years. Granted . . . I make it all at home and my wheat breads get long fermentations. Other than being about 20 pounds overweight (mostly in my belly) I’m aware of no other wheat/grain-related complications. In fact . . . I’ve tried low carb diets but have felt so bad on them that within a couple of days I’ve returned to whole grains for relief. I’ve been on PHD for a few days and must say that the addition of white rice and potatoes have made it a comfortable exercise. But . . . if Grains are so bad why I am so healthy??
4. compassion for animals makes me want to eat at least as a vegetarian. Do you think that long-fermented sourdough bread (white) and things like Tempeh and sprouted grain breads are at all “safe”? In other words . . . is there a “vegetarian version” of the PHD?
Thanks . . . . David
Here’s a recipe for starch based tortillas. I’m hoping to get some feedback and hopefully someone will tinker and improve the recipe further. Before I list the recipe, here’s a few points and/or tips.
1. I used 3 different starches because I’d read that different starches have different properties and result in a better end product when mixed…so it may work perfectly fine with just 2 or even 1 of the starches I used or even a different starch.
2. When they come off the pan they will be kind of stiff…don’t worry, they will soften up.
3. If you refrigerate them then become stiff, so before putting one in the microwave run some water over the tortilla and use your hand to spread the water around it and upon reheating it will be soft again.
4. While I do like these tortillas (especially for runny egg breakfast burritos), they aren’t the same texture as standard white flour tortillas.
5. I usually quadruple this because I have a wife and kid that like these as well and that gives a few leftover as well, but start with this just to make sure you like them first.
6. Some types of paper towels will stick to these…you have been warned
Now for the recipe:
Ingredients:
– half cup full fat coconut milk
– quarter cup water
– one egg
– pinch salt
– third cup potato starch
– third cup tapioca starch
– third cup arrowroot starch
Directions:
– Go ahead and start preheating a large pan or skillet (at least big enough to fit a standard sized tortilla) to medium heat
– Add the coconut milk, water, egg and salt together in a bowl and mix together.
– Now add the three starches to the same bowl and mix until completely smooth.
– Make sure your pan had finished heating up before continuing (I just hover my hand over the pan to guess)
– Using either a 1/3 cup scoop for smaller tortillas or 1/2 cup scoop for regular size, get a scoop of the batter and pour onto the center of the pan somewhat fast so it spreads evenly and thin
– Wait 3 minutes and flip
– Wait another 3 minutes and move to a plate and pour another scoop into the pan to start the next one
– When all of them are done and stacked on the plate, flip the stack over so you start with the first tortilla which has already softened up
You really want to see small areas of light brown color on each side of the tortilla, so if it starts getting darker then lower the heat slightly and if no browning at all then raise the heat slightly. If using different starch mixtures then the expected browning may be completely different than my results
I’ve been trying to eat more eggs and was experimenting with pancakes that were mostly just eggs with some coconut flour. They were kind of flat and eggy. One day I mashed up a ripe banana and added it to the mix. It came out wonderful. The recipe I’ve been using is now 4 eggs, 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/4 t each salt and baking soda plus some cinnamon. This makes enough for 2 in our family and are very filling. A nice change of pace from regular eggs and very easy to make. I could eat these every day. I have also used applesauce instead of banana in the mix. I top mine with a little butter and yogurt.
can you publish a cookbook with all your recipes? I only have access to a computer occasionally and would love to have your recipe book in my kitchen. Thanks!
here! Paleo Diet Plan
i love Crème Brûlée, so i can’t wait to try it.
Thanks fore the valuable list of healthy recipes. Will sure check and test them out! 🙂 🙂
Can someone give me a steer on the types of fruit that people consume outside of Beets, Advo’s etc.
Tomatoes, berries, cantaloupe, bananas primarily.
But small amounts of other seasonal fruits are fine.
I sometimes use small tidbits of other fruits in a fruit salsa sauce or ambrosia.
Refer to the list of fruits in the PHD book.
You need the book if you don’t have it.
Bright colors: orange, red, blue, purple
Citrus – use mainly lemon and lime and some orange or tangerine, for sauces and dressings.
I flavor my water with a few frozen strawberries and a frozen cube of lemon or lime juice.
I sometimes make “ice cream” with frozen bananas and strawberries.
Suggestions for fermenting veggies?
I have probably asked about this before, but does anyone know an alternative to flour tortillas? I don’t like the corn variety and have tried rice paper without success.
Several months ago I was searching for the perfect gluten free cake recipe for my daughters first birthday (not dry or eggy etc etc as some GF baked goods can be). I think I found it! It’s coconut flour based and has strong vanilla flavor– you really can’t tell its GF!! I found it on urban poser.com:
http://theurbanposer.com/summer-berry-trifle-wcoconut-flour/
She has other excellent recipes as well so take a peek! I have made this recipe probably 20 times now since January for family birthday parties etc (just the cake part, not the berries and cream, although that would be delicious too). I make it as she does in a square 8×8 glass pan (recipe is for only one layer, so I make one layer then freeze it then make second layer another day- this is the only way for me with a toddler keeping me busy 😀 ). I’ve also made it as cupcakes very successfully- but I recommend parchment cupcake liners as normal paper ones stuck for me. You can play around with recipe (don’t alter dry- wet ratio too much since coconut flour is persnickety like that, but you can try fat and sweetener substitutions). I usually make mine with the following changes (same amounts always): olive oil instead of coconut oil (both are good- olive oil seems to make more moist- might be too moist for some but I love it), maple syrup instead of honey (not sure if maple syrup is recommended though on PHD). I’ve also made them with butter but they turned out slightly dense, though still delicious! I serve this to everyone- including gluten eaters and it always gets great compliments! And because it uses coconut flour instead of other gluten free flours, it is very gentle on my blood sugar which is super!!
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! But not too often!! 😉
KH
Speaking of cakes, I just made a chocolate beet cake with chocolate avocado frosting that was outstanding! The frosting is heavenly! My husband doesn’t follow PHD, but he says it’s one of the best and moistest chocolate cakes that he’s ever had.
Here’s the cake recipe. It contains a small amount of apple juice and fresh dates, which may not be strictly PHD, but in such small quantities as contained in a slice, not enough to worry about IMHO:
http://paleospirit.com/2015/paleo-chocolate-beet-cake-recipe/
The frosting is really amazing, and I think is just a fabulous dip for strawberries and fruit (or to eat straight as mousse!) in addition to being a perfect cake topper. Note: ignore the cake recipe, it’s loaded with sugar. Just follow the frosting recipe and replace the maple syrup with raw honey:
http://www.coffeeandquinoa.com/2014/03/fudgy-chocolate-beet-cake-with-chocolate-avocado-frosting-vegan-and-gf/
Just finished your book. I have followed a Paleo diet for several years, and stopped all grains and beans 1.5 year ago. I am jumping back with rice and potatoes. A little concerned about a reaction to potato as a night shade veg., but will try and see what happens. I appreciate the input on yams vs sweet potato and will try that first. I am allergic to all types of eggs – what do you recommend as a substitute?
Thanks.
Hi Kathy,
First, when you do reintroduce eggs, do it by (a) discarding the whites, (b) mixing the yolks with coconut milk and food, and (c) heating/cooking them. This may decrease the undigested protein content by as much as 99% and make them tolerable to you.
There is no good substitute for eggs, but fish roe would be the best.
I recently found this great (and super easy!) recipe for Chicken Adobo. I had never had it before so I can’t compare it to other versions, but I thought this was excellent! It is very vinegary though. However, this version uses rice vinegar which is milder than others like apple cider vinegar (which other recipes I viewed called for). This one also uses coconut milk, which I understand isn’t the most traditional preparation, but so delicious I think! My husband and toddler agree- they love it served over rice. The best part is you can marinate overnight or in morning, then before dinner you just dump chicken and marinade into pan and cook! Easy!
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013419-chicken-adobo
A few notes on recipe-
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. I’m pretty sure it needs to be skinless otherwise your sauce will be way too oily.
I cooked mine longer than recipe says to soften chicken further, but not necessary.
I didn’t use any chiles (because of my toddler) and it was great.
I also didn’t bother with last step of broiling chicken to make crispy (not needed).
FYI to all who’ve been wanting an Instant Pot. I received an alert that Amazon will be selling the 7 in 1 6 qt model tomorrow, black Friday, for the reduced price of $87.
I just read your book, The Perfect Health Diet, after someone mentioned it as one of the best paleo books in an Amazon review of another paleo.
I’ve been trying your diet for a while now, although not too hardcore. When I eat at my mom’s for family meals, it is impossible to stick to it. She loves crackers and croissants and cookies.
It seems and feels reasonable. The hardest thing for me to get over was legumes. It seems unnatural not to eat beans.
My wife (Chinese) likes it better than paleo too, since we can eat white rice and potatoes.
One suggestion for the book: add a section for exercise recommendations.
Right, now to go find some recipes.
We have been using the bone broth we made as part of the liquid for cooking rice – much easier for us than making a separate soup, and makes the rice delicious.
Ralph, when I rarely consume rice, that’s what I do too and what a difference in flavor (kinda like risotto). You could even toast the rice on low heat in butter or ghee or coconut oil before adding the stock and add in shredded coconut for delicious coconut rice. It’s lovely.
BTW, if you’re the same Ralph that talked about Clinton being a vegan or not, Dr. Mark Hyman just posted this, and I thought you’d find it interesting…on being a “pegan” (see his Rule 5 toward the bottom of the article); this may be why Clinton still may refer to himself as a vegan even though he eats lean animal meat…
http://drhyman.com/blog/2016/01/22/is-meat-good-or-bad-for-you/
I’m guessing neither of you is Asian (and I’m not either), but Asians love rice just by itself (meaning, as part of a meal, but unflavored), and I have evolved into that as well. High quality short grain rice from Niigata, Japan, steamed without any flavoring, is one of the best things ever. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do whatever you want with rice, but try finding some of the really good stuff before you write it off 🙂
PeterC, oh, I like it and haven’t written it off. I do use it, but only occasionally, and as discussed over in the regular comment section, while it is a safe starch, it is not (nutritionally speaking) the very best safe starch choice, according to what I’ve gleaned from Paul’s comments, unless I’ve misunderstood them. It is however a viable option and a convenient one too. I just give preference to the other options, both due to taste and overall nutritional and micro-nutrient (including carotene, anthocyanins, minerals, etc) delivery.
My first choice way of using white rice is in risotto because it makes a nearly complete meal by way olive oil, alliums, loads of other vegetables and full fat dairy. (I made it earlier this week with loads of leek, fennel, peas, artichoke hearts, chanterelle mushrooms, Qt+ homemade chicken stock, lemon juice and zest, cream cheese and parmesan — heaven!) Add a salad and a bit of meat and you’re done, not to mention that risotto is incredibly delicious and freezes well. I have ready to go meals in the freezer with it.
All that said, rice i’s good, but there still are better choices for most of us. Also, it’s my understanding that actually it should not be eaten on its own in a meal, unless there is enough acid (by way of vinegar or citric acid) and fat in the whole meal. Otherwise, it should be topped or cooked with butter/other good fat and acid. Per PHD it should always be consumed with those two items and with a whole meal (and ideally reheated following 12 hour refrigeration). It’s probably also ok in a full fat dessert (like rice pudding, for example) shortly following a whole meal.
I am talking about eating it as part of a complete PHD meal. The rice itself is unadorned. If the other components of your meal include acid and fat, you are fine.
Ok, but why would you want to? Food should be as delicious as possible. I’m not saying that your special Japanese rice isn’t delicious, but most people are going to make standard white rice that they have easy access to, and it’s easy to get tired of it plain which could set someone up for going off plan. I’m in the camp that says make your food as delicious and enjoyable as possible, so you can sustain the program for life. Eating PHD shouldn’t feel like being “on a diet”. Even the 2T minimum recommended of added fat per day adds a ton of flavor to food, so I say cook the rice with butter or oil or coconut milk, or add it after, but make it yummy. If I’m using it as a bed for a stew or braised dish, then yes, I would make it plain (assuming that there is adequate fat and acid in the braised topper).
You’re really missing the point. I am talking about a meal. Some protein, some vegetables, some sauce, and a starch. The starch in this case is plain white rice. I find it incredibly delicious and so do more than 3 billion people in the world who eat this way.
It’s not “being eaten on its own.” It is being eaten as part of a meal. All of these things are going into your stomach together. It doesn’t matter if the fat and acid are directly on the rice or are eaten with it.
Actually, I don’t think we missed the point. You’ve indicated that you like your rice plain and you eat it as part of a whole meal, and that’s great.
Here’s my point. Many people who are new to PHD may not understand that PHD is not about denial of flavor or healthy accoutrements. If people prefer to eat their rice made with broth and/or butter instead of just water, I say bravo; this should be encouraged, especially for newcomers who typically struggle to get their broth in. IMO making rice, risotto, soup or whatever with it is a great way to consume it.
Also while we don’t aimlessly pile on the fat on PHD, I think it may give some people the wrong idea to say that rice should be eaten plain, without fat. Added fat should be consumed, 2-4T per day per PHD. However, on most nights if I’m having a simple dinner, there is very little or no added fat on anything, and I do trim excess fat from my meat, as recommended for weight conscious folks. But if there is one thing on my plate that I do feel begs for added fat for both flavor and nutrition, it’s usually the starch. So rice and potatoes, or whatever starch, is usually my primary vehicle for added fat. I’m guessing that I’m not unique, since many are attracted to PHD at least partially for weight loss.
We are all individuals and one of the great things about PHD is that there is tons of flexibility within the general framework. What tastes great and is preferable to one person may not be to another.
I respectfully submit that you are indeed missing the point.
Have you ever had Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, or Indian food (among others)?
They would be shocked that you consider them to be denying flavor.
These cultures all create incredibly delicious, flavorful meals, coincidentally or not, along PHD guidelines, by pairing, for the most part, plain white rice with vegetables, protein, and sauce.
The delicious white rice serves as a counterpoint to the flavors of the other parts of the meal and is eaten together with those pieces.
This perfectly follows PHD guidelines and is delicious.
Do you mean cook with water only??? No salt, broth, butter…
Recently I’ve been trying to cut out dairy but the hardest part has been my morning coffee which I used to love with heavy cream. I’ve been meaning to do this for years but never followed through! My impetus now is that my daughter who just turned 2 often has temporary little bumps around her mouth which I’m thinking are dairy related but it’s been difficult to figure out!
Anyway long story short- back to my coffee- I found this recipe that uses egg yolks with sugar, then add strong coffee. Basically like a custard. You could replace the sugar with a PHD approved sweetener and just add as much coffee as you like. They call for 4 egg yolks but you could just do 3 for the General PHD recommendation.
I made it this morning using less than half the sugar and it was still very sweet so you don’t need much! And it tasted like liquid coffee ice cream! Delicious and creamy! So if you’re looking for a way to consume extra egg yolks or if you’re dairy free but miss creamy coffee, you could try it. Some sites suggest heating yolks to a safe temperature in case of salmonella, but I’m not worried about that if it’s just for me. So that’s your personal call.
http://food52.com/recipes/9338-zabaglione-al-caffe
Question:
Can I eat chick peas and/or Hummus on this plan?
It is one of my favorite “healthy” snacks…
Thanks!
Dee Dee
Dee Dee, my understanding is that while legumes are not considered an “A” grade food source, if individually tolerated they are not necessarily to be avoided so long as they have been prepared properly, i.e., a long soak followed by a long slow cook. And of all the legumes, my understanding is that lentils and garbanzos are perhaps the safest among them.
Re: hummus: I know, it’s yummy! I used to make it with garbanzos, and probably still could, but I found a recipe that uses steamed parsnips instead, and I’ve found it to be every bit as delicious as the classic, maybe even moreso. So if you’re feeling adventurous, here’s the recipe that I use:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/winner-aarti-sequeira1/parsnip-hummus-recipe.html
While tahini is not considered grade “A” by PHD because of the omega components, I still use it for hummus (pretty much the only time that I use it, which is rarely). I bet that Jerusalem Artichoke would be another great substitution choice! Possibly even celery root too. Enjoy!
Hi Susan,
For legumes, it’s safest to soak and then pressure cook (not to use a slow cooker); the higher cooking temperature achieved in a pressure cooker is more important than a longer cooking time.
Lentils are perhaps the safest, but I would place mung beans next (before garbonzos). Hulled legumes (such as red lentils) would be safer than unhulled.
Best,
-Eric
Thanks Eric; I’d thought that the book said low and slow, but that might have been before the introduction of the Instant Pot.
I don’t cook beans myself, I just avoid them, except for lentils which I occasionally/rarely consume. I usually opt for the TruRoots brand that is both organic and sprouted. Do you still recommend pressure cooking them if they are pre-sprouted, or is a quick cook adequate?
And for UNsprouted legumes In general, is 120 mins in an Instant Pot on high pressure adequate, or should it be longer? And if doing that, how long would you pre-soak?
Hi Susan,
I’d still pressure cook them for maximal safety, even if sprouted.
Note that pressure cooking is dramatically faster than normal cooking — 120 minutes in the pressure cooker would definitely be longer than necessary. I’m not sure exactly how long is necessary for full detoxification… but if I had to guess… I would say about 15 minutes in a pressure cooker for hulled lentils (a.k.a. red lentils) or for hulled mung beans (a.k.a. yellow mung beans), assuming in both cases that you pre-soak them; other legumes, including regular (unhulled) lentils or mung beans, would probably require longer cooking times (perhaps half an hour or an hour?).
I’d pre-soak overnight prior to cooking (24 hours).
Best,
-Eric
15 minutes seems surprising short to me. That’s how long it takes to steam a cheesecake in it, and that would otherwise be about 1-1.5 hrs in the oven.