recipes | Madison Paleo

Mayo is back!

Do you miss mayo because you’re avoiding soy and canola oils? The new paleo-friendly mayonnaise from Primal Kitchen (an enterprise of Mark Sisson from Mark’s Daily Apple) is now available locally at Willy Street Co-op! It tastes amazing, and uses only quality, real food ingredients suitable for paleo/primal diets: avocado oil, organic cage-free eggs, organic egg yolks, organic vinegar (from non-GMO beets), sea salt, and rosemary extract.

Making your own paleo mayo isn’t difficult, but the option to purchase is a convenience many have been waiting for. Previous options, even “made with olive oil” products, are still mostly soy or canola! Often, they also contain sugar, stabilizers, and other junk. I’m happy to report that this is the real thing.

The glass jar contains mayo with a superb silky texture, amazing tangy taste, and none of the worries about poor fat choices or unwanted ingredients. This is easily the best mayonnaise I’ve ever tried, and it worked well both on lettuce wraps and in a tuna salad. It’s a delicious, nutrient-dense food made the way you would if you had the time.

If you don’t live near Willy Street, ask your store to carry it, or you can order from Amazon.

Here’s a good way to enjoy Primal Kitchen paleo mayo:

Joe’s salmon spread

15 oz can traditional style wild salmon, drained
1 cup Primal Kitchen mayo
¼ cup diced carrots
¼ cup diced celery
¼ tsp white pepper

Add more mayo if needed. Mix and stuff lettuce leaves, or spread on your choice of wraps.

My favorite cookbook: “Paleo Takeout” by Russ Crandall

Obviously, there’s no single best cookbook for everyone. There isn’t even a perfect paleo cookbook for everyone. Until now, I’ve refrained from singling one out in a general way, but I’m ready to declare a favorite, at least for now: Russ Crandall’s “Paleo Takeout: Restaurant Favorites Without the Junk” is just that good.

Recently purchased for our home collection, my family has fallen in love with these recipes. The first week, my wife couldn’t stop cooking through them day after day, and we’ve yet to find a clinker. The concept is paleo re-creations of takeout favorites, and as such it succeeds. But I wouldn’t call these substitutes or approximations. The flavors are authentic, if sometimes superior to the originals, and they’re made with such wholesome ingredients that there’s never any “I shouldn’t have” feeling afterward!

Our favorites so far include: Egg Foo Young, Honey Sesame Chicken, Pad See Ew, and Thai Green Curry. (Can you tell we started with the Asian recipes?) There are also “American Classics” such as pizza, wings, burgers, chili fries… all made clean and nourishing. There are even recipes for making your own sauces, condiments, and sides – without the usual junk.

Some recipes include limited dairy or rice, always with alternatives if you want to keep it strict. His reasoning is fully explained in the front pages, along with the expected author’s personal story, introduction to paleo, guide to cooking techniques, etc. Front and back cover flaps double as durable bookmarks.

I’m someone who expects nice full-color pictures of each dish, and “Paleo Takeout” doesn’t disappoint there. Taking it a step further, there’s a cute recipe index in the back that looks like a takeout menu! This book will be much more than just a source for whimsical party recipes. Already it’s one of our go-to cookbooks for everyday use as well as entertaining. This would be a perfect gift for anyone who enjoys takeout, even if they’ve never heard of paleo.

Joe’s Easy Oyster Stew

Oyster stew has been a holiday tradition in my family, but I wanted a version without the milk or cream in my Mom’s, or the various scary ingredients in the canned. Mine does use ghee, but you could easily substitute any other fat if that doesn’t work for you: butter, bacon drippings, lard, duck fat… It also takes advantage of canned coconut milk and oysters for convenience, but would be even better with fresh. Best of all, you can enjoy this whenever you want – because you can literally throw it together in a few minutes!

Joe’s Easy Oyster Stew

1 14 oz can coconut milk
1 8 oz can boiled oysters
2 Tbs ghee
⅛ tsp white pepper
⅛ tsp sea salt

optional: ½ cup jelled bone broth and/or ¼ tsp gelatin for additional body and nutrition

Mix ingredients in a saucepan and heat to serving temperature. Flavor is better if simmered for 10-15 minutes.

Paleo Pizza Roll-ups

Try my easy and delicious pizza alternative: sausage wrapped in kale leaves:

1. Steam lacinato (“dinosaur”) kale leaves and lay flat.

2. Mix your favorite spices into plain ground pork and form a giant patty. I like sea salt, oregano, basil, garlic and fennel seeds. (Skip fennel if doing AIP.) Or use ready-made sausage that you trust.