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Puerto Rican Plantain Lasagna (Pastelon)

January 19, 2013 in Ground Meat

Plantain lasagna? Really? Yes! And what a delicious and comforting meal! Perfect for this time of year! This is another recipe modified from one that Gloria sent me (thank you Gloria!). I made this for my mother-in-law’s birthday while she was visiting and it was a hit! My mother-in-law was amazed—mostly at how you don’t even miss the cheese with the combination of egg and plantain. It’s quite filling and my husband was delighted with a freezer full of leftovers to bring to work for lunch.

Serves 8.

Ingredients:

6 ripe plantains (should be nearly completely black)
8 eggs
2 lbs ground beef
1 medium yellow onion
½ cup red pepper, diced
½ cup green pepper, diced
½ cup of chicken broth
½ cup dry wine (white or red)
4-5 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 small (6oz) can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
½ tsp salt, to taste
¼ tsp pepper, to taste
3-4 Tbsp coconut oil

Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of coconut oil and ground beef garlic, red and green pepper, onions and bay leaf. Brown the beef, breaking up with a large spoon, 8-10 minutes.
Add broth, wine, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10-20 minutes while frying the plantains, stirring occasionally. Before adding to your pastelon, add ¼ tsp salt, to taste, depending on how seasoned your broth is.
Now would be a good time to preheat the oven to 350F.
Cut the plantains in half and peel. Next cut each half into ¼”-thick slices (about 4 slices per plantain—it’s okay if they aren’t all evenly thick).
Heat 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil in a frying pan or skillet or griddle (more if using cast iron or stainless steel, less if using non-stick). Place the slices into the hot oil and fry 3-4 minutes per side to lightly brown. Set aside. (You will probably have to work in batches, topping up the coconut oil in the pan between each batch).
Beat or whisk 4 eggs (you may wish to add a dash of salt and pepper). Pour onto the bottom of a large rectangular casserole dish or lasagna pan. Place in oven for 6-7 minutes until set, but not completely cooked. Remove the pan from the oven and prick the eggs with a fork several times all over the surface. (Alternatively, you could cook in the microwave for about 1 minute).
Lay half of your fried plantain slices over the egg in a solid layer (like noodles). Pour the meat sauce over the plantain layer (spread out to a uniform layer). Next layer the rest of the plantain slices over the top of the meat sauce (like your second layer of noodles).
Beat or whisk the last 4 eggs (again, you may wish to add a dash of salt and pepper) and pour over the top of the pastelon.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Tags: Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Grain-free, Healthy, lasagna, paleo, Paleolithic, pastelon, pie, plantain, puerto, Recipe, rica, rican
45 Comments »

Egg-Free, Tomato-Free (Hidden Liver) Paleo Meatloaf

April 13, 2012 in Ground Meat, Main Dishes, Organ Meat

I have grown very fond of grinding up liver in my Magic Bullet (you could also use a Food Processor or a Manual Meat Grinder) and mixing it with ground beef in any heavily seasoned recipe (try it with my paleo tacos). I love that the liver is there (I usually use either a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of liver to ground beef), adding valuable nutrition to my meal, but my family loves the fact that they can’t taste the liver at all (this is especially true if you use a mild liver like lamb’s, calf’s, or chicken). So of course, meatloaf seemed like a great opportunity to incorporate more liver into our meals.

People either love or hate meatloaf. I think the dislike of meatloaf stems from traditional recipes so full or oatmeal or bread crumbs or sugar that the flavor of the meat is completely lost. Paleo meatloaf recipes tend to have little to no fillers, so the flavor and spices can really shine through. This recipe is heavily seasoned enough to mask the liver flavor but mild enough that you still get that delicious meaty taste. I definitely recommend using fresh herbs here if you can. I also measure my herbs after they are chopped. I also recommend mixing the meat and spices ahead of time and letting them sit in your fridge for a few hours for the flavors to combine. If you’re pressed for time, you can skip this step, but otherwise, it’s definitely worthwhile.

This recipe also happens to be egg-free because the binder isn’t really needed. You may add egg or flaxseed meal if you like to get a bit denser meatloaf, but it isn’t necessary. I also avoided the use of tomatoes because I don’t tolerate them well (and they really aren’t missed here at all). If you like, you can serve this meatloaf with some organic, no sugar added ketchup on the side (I buy mine at Whole Foods but I also really like the recipe from Eat Like a Dinosaur). You can also make this recipe autoimmune protocol-friendly by omitting the flax meal/egg, the cayenne and paprika (which is how I normally make it). Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 pound liver
2 stalks celery
1 medium carrot
1 medium yellow onion
2-3 Tbsp tallow (or you could use extra virgin coconut oil)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup fresh parsley
3 Tbsp fresh basil
3 Tbsp fresh oregano (or use about 1½ Tbsp Dried Oregano)
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or use about ½ Tbsp Dried Whole Leaf Thyme)
1 Tbsp fresh chives
2 tsp Paprika (optional, leave out if you don’t eat nightshades)
1 tsp Fennel Seed
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional, leave out if you don’t eat nightshades)
½ tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Blackstrap Molasses
2 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
Optional: either ¼ cup Flaxseed Meal or 2 eggs (for a denser loaf)

1.    Chop onion, celery and carrot as finely as you have the patience for. Heat tallow (or coconut oil) in a frying pan over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté until soft and starting to brown, about 8-10 minutes.
2.    Finely chop parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, and chives. Crush garlic. Grind fennel seeds in an herb grinder, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle (I use my Magic Bullet).
3.    Grind liver in a Magic Bullet, Food Processor or Meat Grinder (you can also always ask your butcher to grind it or you can chop it into very small pieces manually). Liver has alot of liquid in it, so don’t be surprised if you end up with something that is more like a puree than a grind.
4.    Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together very thoroughly (I find it easiest to just get my hands in there). Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours and up to overnight to let the flavors combine.
5.    Preheat oven to 350F.
6.    Press meat mixture into a large Loaf Pan. If you’re worried about juices spilling over, place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet or in a larger baking pan before placing in the oven.
7.    Bake for 1 hour 40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160F.
8.    Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving (the juices are really yummy with some mashed cauliflower!). Enjoy!

Tags: ancestral diet, Dairy-free, egg-free, Gluten-Free, Grain-free, ground meat, legume-free, liver, meatloaf, nightshade-free, paleo, Paleolithic, primal
27 Comments »

Paleo Tacos

March 23, 2012 in Ground Meat, Stir Fries and One-Pot Meals

This is one of my family’s favorite meals. We ate tacos as salad or lettuce wraps long before we transitioned to paleo (because we just like it that way!), so this is a pretty familiar presentation. I even started making my own seasoning a few years ago because the pre-packaged seasoning that I liked had MSG as an ingredient (which gives me migraines). We serve this meat wrapped in lettuce leaves (bib, boston or romaine work well) and love to top with chopped tomatoes, homemade guacamole, and sliced black olives (and the girls sometimes get a little grated raw grass-fed cheddar cheese). Other great toppings would be salsa, chopped bell peppers, chopped cucumber, or plain coconut milk yogurt. It also cooks up quite quickly so I find it an easy meal to put together mid-week. It also reheats well, so I will often double this recipe and try and squeeze three meals out of it. Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (I use grass-fed)
½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 Tbsp cooking fat (I use tallow but Refined Coconut Oil would work too, omit if you are using fairly fatty ground meat)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Paprika
1½ tsp Ground Cumin Seed
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper(optional)
¼ tsp Dried Oregano
½ tsp Salt(to taste)
½ tsp ground Pepper

1.    Heat cooking fat in a skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron works well here). Add ground meat, garlic and onion. Cook, stirring frequently to break up the meat, until fully cooked, about 7-8 minutes.
2.    Add spices to beef. If you meat is really dry, you might want to add 1-2 Tbsp of water. Stir to fully incorporate.
3.    Turn temperature down to medium and cook another 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it smells so delicious you just can’t wait another second!
4.    Serve on lettuce leaves with your favorite paleo-friendly taco toppings. Enjoy!

Tags: Dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Grain-free, guacamole, legume-free, lettuce, paleo, Paleo Diet, Paleolithic Diet, Paleolithic Nutrition, primal diet, Recipe, tacos
5 Comments »

Meatballs with Asian Dipping Sauce

February 29, 2012 in Ground Meat

As I try and incorporate more and more grass-fed meat into my family’s diet, I find myself experimenting more and more with ground beef recipes (since it’s the cheapest way to eat grass-fed). This flavorful dipping sauce is based on homemade mayonnaise (didn’t I say that once you master the art of homemade mayonnaise that a whole new world of dips and sauces opens up?!). See my recipe for Paleo Mayo for some extra tips on making mayonnaise at home.

Ingredients (Asian Dipping Sauce):

¼ cup Coconut Aminos or Reduced Sodium Tamari Soy Sauce
½ Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Fennel Seed, ground with the side of a knife, spice grinder or in a mortar and pestle
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Mustard
¼ cup Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup avocado oil
2 egg yolks

1.    Whisk garlic powder, cloves, cinnamon and fennel seed into soy sauce and fish sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Add honey and whisk to dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
2.    Combine sesame oil, olive oil and avocado oil in a measuring cup (or other good vessel for pouring).
3.    Combine egg yolks, vinegar and mustard in a food processor or blender. Blend on low speed until thick. Slowly pour in oil mixture, blending continuously, until your mayonnaise is formed (should take 2-3 minutes to add all of the oil). If you have a cheap blender like mine, make sure to give the motor breaks so that it doesn’t overheat your mayonnaise.
4.    Stir cooled soy sauce mixture into mayonnaise. Refrigerate until meatballs are ready to eat!

Ingredients (Meatballs):

1 lb lean ground beef (preferably grass-fed)
½ cup Pecans (optional)
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped
½ tsp dry Rubbed Sage (or chopped fresh)
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp fresh cracked Pepper
1 egg
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or other good cooking fat)

1.    Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.    Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (cast iron is great here). Sauté chopped onion until soft and nicely browned. Let cool.
3.    Grind pecans (if using) in a food processor or blender until the texture of coarse sand.
4.    Mix ground pecans and sautéed onion with ground beef, spices and egg. I find it easiest to do this part with my hands.
5.    Form meat mixture into 1” balls and place on prepared baking sheet. You should get about 20 meatballs.
6.    Bake for 14-16 minutes, until fully cooked.
7.    Serve with Asian dipping sauce and enjoy!