Paleo Cookbook For Dummies (56 page)

Bacon Butternut Squash Soup

Prep time:
15 min •
Cook time:
1 hr •
Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1
1
⁄
2
tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1
⁄
2
pound bacon

1 small onion, chopped

1 small apple, peeled and chopped

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon to taste

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2
Toss the squash and carrots with the coconut oil. Arrange the mixture in a baking dish and roast uncovered for 35 minutes or until tender.

3
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Sauté the onion and apple in the bacon fat until tender, about 5 minutes.

4
Add the squash, carrots, chicken stock, and coconut milk and bring to a boil, stirring often.

5
Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend your soup until smooth. (Alternately, you can blend the soup in a food processor or blender in several small batches and return it to the pot.)

6
Bring the blended soup to a simmer and season with the salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve in large bowls garnished with crumbled bacon or freeze and save for later.

Per serving:
Calories 396 (From Fat 248); Fat 28g (Saturated 15g); Cholesterol 42mg; Sodium 1,574mg; Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 2.5g); Protein 19g.

Recipe courtesy George Bryant, CEO and author of Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations (
http://civilizedcavemancooking.com
)

This recipe has been vetted by the team at Whole9 (
http://whole9life.com
) and is considered acceptable for a cleansing 30-day Paleo launch.

Provençal Vegetable Soup

Prep time:
20 min •
Cook time:
30 min •
Yield:
4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ghee

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts, washed and chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium zucchini, chopped

2 medium summer squash, chopped

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

3 sprigs fresh thyme

¹
⁄
₄
cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1
Heat the ghee in a large stockpot. Add the leeks and sauté until soft, about 7 to 8 minutes.

2
Add the carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

3
Add the remaining vegetables, the vegetable stock, and the herbs. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

4
Salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Per serving:
Calories 196 (From Fat 42); Fat 4.5g (Saturated 2.5g); Cholesterol 9mg; Sodium 686mg; Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 4g.

Tip:
If you can't get your hands on any fresh tomatoes, substitute jarred diced tomatoes.

Recipe courtesy Arsy Vartanian, author of Rubies & Radishes (
www.rubiesandradishes.com
)

This recipe has been vetted by the team at Whole9 (
http://whole9life.com
) and is considered acceptable for a cleansing 30-day Paleo launch.

Tomato Fennel Soup

Prep time:
20 min •
Cook time:
30 min •
Yield:
4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ghee

3 shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bulbs fennel, chopped

8 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

Juice of 1 lemon

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon dried basil

4 cups vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1
Heat the ghee in a large stockpot. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

2
Add the garlic and fennel; cook another 3 to 5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

3
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

4
Salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Per serving:
Calories 258 (From Fat 51); Fat 6g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 9mg; Sodium 1,283mg; Carbohydrate 44g (Dietary Fiber 8g); Protein 6g.

Tip:
If fresh tomatoes aren't in season, substitute jarred diced tomatoes.

Recipe courtesy Arsy Vartanian, author of Rubies & Radishes (
www.rubiesandradishes.com
)

This recipe has been vetted by the team at Whole9 (
http://whole9life.com
) and is considered acceptable for a cleansing 30-day Paleo launch.

Summertime Watermelon Soup

Prep time:
10 min, plus chilling time •
Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients

5 cups seeded and cubed watermelon, divided

2 cups peeled and diced mango, divided

¹
⁄
₄
cup lime juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon honey

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

1
Blend 3 cups of the watermelon and 1 cup of the mango in a food processor or blender until smooth.

2
Dice the remaining watermelon and mango into smaller pieces and stir into the puree. The soup should be chunky.

3
In a separate bowl, combine the lime juice, mint, ginger, honey, and cardamom. Add to the watermelon mixture and stir well.

4
Chill for at least 2 hours and serve.

Per serving:
Calories 85 (From Fat 4.5); Fat 0.5g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 2.5mg; Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 1.5g); Protein 1.5g.

Recipe courtesy Alissa Cohen, chef and author of Living on Live Food (
www.alissacohen.com
)

Chapter 8

Packing Nutrition into Paleo Salads

In This Chapter

Cleansing your body the natural Paleo way

Adding some raw vegetables to your meal plan

Nothing cleanses the body like a healthy salad. The raw nutrition, water content, and fiber blend together to act like a scrub brush for your intestines, leaving your skin glowing, your hair shiny, your eyes bright, and your body lean.

Salads' crunchy textures and flavors are also appealing; plus, salads are a great way to get in a couple of servings of vegetables. Vegetables are protective against just about every disease, and you can make salad at home in about five minutes.

If you have digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, Crohn's disease, leaky gut, colitis, diverticulitis, diverticulosis, or ulcerative colitis, raw vegetables can irritate your gut. Well-cooked vegetables are a better choice for you until your gut begins to heal — and it will.

Seizing the Versatility of the Salad

Salads are one of those foods that just have to be redefined. They're far from being a boring, tasteless sidekick to a main meal. You can experiment with all different kinds of lettuce bases, like romaine, mesclun, spinach, or kale. You can spice salads up with exotic, fiery, or sweet spices and add any protein from meat to fish or eggs.

Salads are also the perfect food to tote along to a picnic or potluck. You can make a bright, beautiful display with a special dressing. (For Paleo-friendly dressing options, check out
Chapter 9
.) I often bring the
Kale with a Kick Salad
in this chapter to picnics or potlucks, and it's always a hit. People are amazed the kale can taste so good, and I love the conversation it sparks about nutrition and less-familiar healthy foods.

You can find more great Paleo salad recipes online at
www.dummies.com/extras/paleocookbook
.

Kale with a Kick Salad

Prep time:
10 min •
Cook time:
4 min •
Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients

2 strips bacon

1 cup diced avocado

¹
⁄
₂
cup diced red onion

1 cup diced tomato

One 8-ounce head kale, rib removed and leaves chopped