Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (11 page)

Frozen Fruit

Once upon a time, our family subsisted on “healthy” smoothies. Our freezer was packed with packages of frozen fruit, and it seemed like our blender was always whirring away on the counter. These days, we make smoothies only as an occasional treat, but I still keep a few bags of frozen berries in the fridge for those occasions when we need a burst of sweetness in a recipe or an icy treat like
Summer Berry Soup
or
Strawberry Banana Ice Cream
.

Acids

Acids are a key component in cooking, and one of the most valuable flavor enhancers in your pantry. A splash of acid often adds much-needed tartness and brightness to your finished dishes. Plus, acids are responsible for tenderizing your proteins, keeping your sliced apples from turning brown, and making vinaigrettes possible. Use acidic ingredients such as vinegar or citrus as a counterpoint to the sweet, salty, or bitter notes in your cooking.

Vinegar lends a delicious acidity to your foods. Stock up on a variety of vinegars: apple cider vinegar, aged balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white vinegar, to name just a few. Each has distinct notes that can wake up your dishes in unique ways. For example, apple cider vinegar can lend your food a fruity sweetness, while aged balsamic vinegar offers a deep, dark, tangy-sweet intensity.

Similarly, a fresh squirt of citrus can nicely balance out the flavors in your recipes. That’s why I keep a big bag of limes in my refrigerator (and “borrow” lemons from my neighbor’s tree).

Remember: salt isn’t the only ingredient at your disposal to adjust the flavors of a dish; acids can be an equally powerful seasoning.

Salt

Some Paleo eaters avoid salt entirely, but I use kosher salt (the airy, flaky Diamond Crystal brand) in most of my savory dishes. I like its coarseness, which makes it easy to pinch and sprinkle. (This may explain why it’s the standard cooking salt used by most chefs.) Plus, unlike table salt, kosher salt is free of additives, and it’s not highly refined or processed. For a few recipes that call for a finer grain of salt or more complex flavor profiles, I opt for sea salt or flavored salts rather than processed table salt. Note, however, that kosher salt and sea salt have virtually no iodine content, so make sure you’re getting enough iodine from other sources like seafood.

Spices + Seasonings

Think Paleo food is bland? Nothing could be further from the truth. To be sustainable, Paleo eating has to be tasty, and spices go a long way toward perking up our palates. Seek out your local spice purveyor and follow your nose. Stock up on curry powder, red chile pepper flakes, Chinese five spice, cumin, cinnamon—whatever floats your boat. And don’t be afraid to use them in your dishes. In our kitchen, we have two spice drawers, and they’re overflowing with fragrant seasonings and blends.

Fish Sauce

Fish sauce (called
nước mắm
in Vietnamese) is a staple ingredient in a number of Southeast Asian cultures. Anchovies and salt are fermented in wooden barrels and then slowly pressed to produce the intense, savory liquid. Yes, it smells a little gross, but don’t judge a condiment by its nose. Just a splash of the stuff can lend a deep umami quality to all your dishes.

Sadly, most of the fish sauce in supermarkets and Asian grocery stores are full of additives: hydrolyzed wheat protein, sugar, MSG, chemical preservatives—you name it. Luckily, new Paleo-friendly fish sauces are becoming more widely available.
Red Boat Fish Sauce
—made with just anchovies and salt—is my favorite brand. Make sure you always have a bottle of this magical liquid at the ready.

Anchovies

Keep a few tins of anchovies packed in olive oil in your pantry. If you don’t have fish sauce, use some minced anchovy to subtly deepen the umami in your dishes.

Capers

I used to abhor capers and pick them out of my food, but over the years, I’ve come to develop a fondness for these bright and tart bursts of flavor. Stock a jar in your pantry in case of flavor emergencies.

Coconut Aminos

This dark, salty, aged coconut tree sap tastes remarkably similar to soy sauce, but without gluten or soy.

Thai Curry Pastes

Raid your local Asian grocery for Paleo-friendly curry pastes. You’ll be thankful for them when you realize you have guests coming over for dinner and no clue what to serve.

Mustard

The sharp, vinegary tang of Dijon-style mustard goes well with more than just sausages and roast beef. It acts as a tasty emulsifier in marinades, mayonnaise, and vinaigrettes, too.

Prepared Sauces + Dressings

It’s always better to make your own sauces and dressings from scratch, but to stay sane, I keep a few bottles of marinara sauce and various salad dressings in the pantry. All feature Paleo-friendly ingredients, and enable me to quickly throw together a meal.

Tomato Paste

Just one spoonful will add depth and umami to your stews and braises.

Coconut Milk

When choosing coconut milk, always pick the shelf-stable, full-fat, sulfite-free variety in BPA-free cans.

Coconut Flour + Almond Flour

I use these gluten-free flours sparingly, but once in a while, I’ll grab some coconut flour or almond flour to whip up baked goods or to add a crunchy crust to savory dishes.

Arrowroot Powder + Tapioca Flour

Pure arrowroot powder is a gluten-free starch made from the pulp of arrowroot tubers. Tapioca flour is a similar starch, but it’s derived from cassava root. A light dusting of either starch on the outside of your favorite protein yields a thin, crunchy coating on deep-fried items. Also, both can be used interchangeably as Paleo-friendly thickeners for sauces, puddings, and other foods. Note, however, that both arrowroot powder and tapioca flour lose their thickening power at high temperatures, so take your dish off the heat as soon as it’s ready.

Animal Proteins

Read about how to stock your fridge and freezer with healthy and sustainable meats, poultry, seafood, and eggs
here
and
here
.

Think that vegetable and seed oils are made by taking a bunch of garden-fresh veggies like kale and cabbage and squeezing ’em really, really hard until they release a stream of golden ooze? Nope. The vast majority of vegetable and seed oils found on supermarket shelves are highly processed with chemical solvents and full of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These oils are so unstable that even when stored at room temperature, they oxidize and turn rancid to some degree. Heat accelerates this oxidation, and the formation of free radicals will assault the healthy cells in your body.

Instead, choose healthy saturated fats that remain stable when exposed to heat. And don’t be afraid of the word “saturated.” Most people assume it means that the fat is super-duper artery clogging, when it actually refers to the fact that there are no double-bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. In other words, the chain of carbon atoms is fully “saturated” with hydrogen atoms, making it more chemically stable.

Still skeptical? A meta-analysis of more than twenty studies covering a third of a million people over twenty-three years of age found that “[t]here is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.”
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Ghee

Ghee—a traditional Indian preparation of clarified butter—is infused with the rich flavor of butter, but without the potentially problematic milk solids. It’s incredibly versatile, and over the years, ghee has become my favorite high-temperature cooking fat. My recipe for ghee is see
here
. (Of course, if you’re okay with high-quality butter from grass-fed cows, more power to you. I happen to love cooking with it, too.)

Rendered Animal Fats

Lard, tallow, bacon drippings, and duck fat are wonderful cooking fats that infuse your foods with incredible flavor. But just to be clear, I’m talking about fats from grass-fed or pastured meats—not the pro-inflammatory animal fats from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) beasties.

Coconut Oil

At long last, scientists are finally recognizing the virtues of coconut oil and lauding this highly stable saturated fat for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Coconut oil can also help with insulin control and protect against liver damage.

Macadamia Nut Oil

With its mild flavor, macadamia nut oil is a wonderful alternative to coconut oil—especially for those who can’t stand even the faintest taste of coconut.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Extra-virgin olive oil is best used uncooked or for low to medium-temperature cooking. I love drizzling the stuff on roasted vegetables and mixing it with acids to make flavorful salad dressings.