okra and tomatoes

Yesterday at the grocery store I picked up some fresh okra. I’m familiar with okra, but I’ve never worked with fresh okra before, so I was pleasantly surprised that it was so good and so was the family – it disappeared and I wasn’t able to have leftovers for lunch!

Here in the South, okra goes with tomatoes like peas and carrots, so I took some inspiration from multiple recipes and came up with the following:

Primal Okra and Tomatoes

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt*
• 1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning*
• 3 tablespoons butter*
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound fresh okra, sliced (1/4 inch)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium tomato, chopped

Mix the yogurt and the Greek seasoning in a bowl and set aside.

In a skillet, melt the butter on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and cook until it softens. Stir in the okra and the seasonings: cumin, ginger, coriander, black pepper, chili powder, and salt. Stir well to ensure the seasonings are incorporated well throughout the okra. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the tomato and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of the spiced yogurt.

This is one of those recipes that you can’t really mess up, so experiment with the spices and amount of tomatoes. If you like it spicier, add more chili powder. If you like it less spicy, remove the black pepper and the chili powder. Add more tomatoes if you want it to be more of a stewed consistency.

*For a paleo version of this dish, ditch the yogurt and exchange the butter for a more preferable oil.

swiss chard

Today was my first day to work with Swiss chard and as I’m sitting digesting a wonderful meal I’m wondering what took me so long? You’ve probably seen it in your local grocery store, but if you’re like me you’ve strolled right past it because, let’s face it, mom never cooked it. If spinach and a beet got together one night, played a little Barry White, had a little wine, and made some sweet music, the fruit of this unlikely (but beautiful) union would be Swiss chard. It’s no surprise, then, that Swiss chard is actually very closely related to both spinach and beets. Creepy.

According to Mark’s Daily Apple, Swiss chard delivers 716% of your recommended daily allowance of vitamin K, 110% RDA of vitamin A, 52% RDA of vitamin C, as well as a healthy dose of magnesium. In addition, he lists Swiss chard as one of his “16 Most Powerful Foods.” With that kind of reputation, how can we not include it in our weekly rotation?

Trolling around the net I found a lot of complicated recipes with Swiss chard that included many other ingredients. I tend to stay simple for my weeknight side dishes, so none of those really jumped out at me. I also saw from several sources that you can use it anywhere you use spinach. While probably true, it didn’t inspire me. So after perusing my pantry, I came up with this dish:

Primal Swiss Chard

• 1 bunch of Swiss chard, soaked and rinsed well
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease*
• Crushed garlic, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Crushed red pepper, optional

Trim the ends of the red stalks on the Swiss chard. Then cut the stalks away from the leaves. Cut the stalks into about 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the leaves across about every 2 inches. Set the stalks and the leaves aside separately.

Melt the bacon grease in a skillet (one that has a lid) over medium heat. Throw in the onions and cook them until they are soft. Add the garlic (and peppers if you like spice) and cook for a minute more. Add the stalks and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Turn the heat down to low and add the leaves. Place the lid on the skillet and let it set for about 3-5 minutes or until the leaves are wilted (not cooked!). Add some salt to taste and give it a stir until the salt is incorporated and the leaves are mixed well with the onions and stalks. Serve warm from the skillet.

Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

*The meaty taste of bacon grease goes well with the hearty flavor of Swiss chard, but honestly, you can use whatever oil you like. This is the only ingredient that makes this a primal recipe instead of paleo.

leftover chunky salsa

One of the reasons I go with a chunky salsa to top off meats and such is that I like the texture of the fresh veggies. They add a satisfying crunch to any bit of grilled meat or fish. However, after sitting in their own juices and the acid overnight they will start to go soft very quickly. I usually try to finish off any leftovers within 12-18 hours, no more than 24.  After that you end up with a tasty mush.

A great use for leftovers is to use them to spice up your eggs in the morning: scrambled, omelette, or frittata.  Here’s what I do:

1. Drain the salsa in a strainer. Save the juice to drink if you like.
2. Add the drained salsa to a heated pan with oil. Saute just long enough to heat it through. Remove from the pan.
3. Add some more oil to your pan and prepare your eggs how you like them.
4. Top your eggs with the heated salsa (if it juiced back up feel free to take it for another drain).

You’re going to love how this turns out!