Yay! Henry’s back from Asia, which means he’s back in his usual spot next to me on the couch, editing photos for this blog post as I type it out. With my resident photographer/editor at home recovering from jet lag and making up for lost time with the kiddos…
… I was finally able to free up some time to tinker in the kitchen again.
My first recipe of the day was actually an old one: I rejiggered a blast from the past, Cinnamon and Coconut Pancakes.
When I first made these pancakes a couple of years ago, I used baking powder – a Paleo no-no ‘cause it contains cornstarch. I hastily altered the recipe a few months ago to sub in baking soda, but forgot to add an acid to activate it. As a result, I received a bunch of…constructive feedback about how the pancakes tasted “HORRIBLE!” Yikes. So even though I rarely make flapjacks anymore, I owed it to my readers to revisit this recipe. It took a bit of trial and error, but I think this new version is even better than the original.
With that out of the way, I tackled a new recipe for puréed carrot and cardamom soup.
The soup looked pretty, but the cardamon and ginger notes were a tad too pronounced for my taste.
So…it’s back to the drawing board. I’ll be tinkering with this recipe ’til I get the flavor combination just the way I like it. Yeah, I’m stubborn like that.
Luckily, I had better success with the other two dishes I concocted this afternoon: a chilled berry soup with whipped coconut cream…
…and a one-skillet supper with asparagus, eggs, and furikake.
Raise your hand if you like furikake!
Not only is it a wonderful substitute for the F word when you’re cursing (try it!), but it’s a great way to sprinkle iodine-rich umami on EVERYTHING. Big-O is a big fan and will eat it straight out of the container.
(But be careful: Most store-bought furikake contains added sugar and MSG, so read the labels carefully and stick to the brands with 100% real food ingredients.)
After cooking all day, dinner was a simple affair. I seasoned some ground beef with Penzeys Chili 9000 and kosher salt…
…and fried up some sliders…
…while a tray of broccoli roasted in the oven. When the sliders were finished cooking, I tossed sliced shallots, julienned red bell peppers, and Penzeys Sunny Paris seasoning into the pan for an additional vegetable side.
Here’s my dinner plate:
Before I sign off and stow away my amber goggles, I wanna know: How many of you are attending PaleoFX in Austin at the end of the month? I’ll be there doing a cooking demo and catching up with pals old and new. If you’ll be there, please say hello in the comments and in person!
