Cocoa Nib Crusted Rack of Lamb

Christmas dinner. I was originally going to use walnuts for this, but my walnuts were rancid. I eat nuts so infrequently that most of my nuts were rancid. I did have hazelnuts that were still in the shell, so I used those. From now on, I will only buy nuts in a shell!

1 1/2 lbs rack of lamb

Marinade:
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp Chocolate Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp red wine
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp cinn
1/2 tsppaprika
1/2 tsp anise seeds
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cumin

Marinate over night.

Crust
3 Tbsp Cocoa Nibs
1 1/2 oz nuts
1 Tbsp coffee grounds
2 tsp cinn
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp anise seeds
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

Combine all of the crust ingredients in a mini food processor. 

Sear marinated lamb on a grill using direct heat or in a cast iron pan. After the lamb is seared (about 5 mins on each side) then add the crust. Heat oven or grill to 400 degrees. If you're grilling, line an aluminum pan with aluminum foil and use indirect heat to roast lamb until desired temperature is reached. If using an oven put lamb in cast iron or roasting pan and roast until desired temperature is reached. If you like it rare, it's not going to take long at all. I wanted the crust to cook, so I let mine get to medium. I prefer my red meat rare, though.

Pumpkin-Banana Pancakes

I don't like adding honey or maple syrup to foods if I can avoid it. These have no sugar added and only get the sweetness from the banana. I used a banana that was just becoming ripe, pale yellow with green tips. If you prefer them sweeter, use a riper banana. I rarely make pancakes or any other type of substitute for gluten laden foods. Mostly because the texture is never right and they just leave me wishing for the real thing. This was a good alternative. Theses are thinner and denser than traditional pancakes, but very flavorful and have a good texture. Next time I'm going to leave out the coconut oil to see if they turn out fluffier because the egg and fruit mixture was pretty frothy until I added the oil.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 banana
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice.
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (optional) and coconut oil for the pan.

Beat the eggs. Cut the banana into chunks then beat with the eggs. Add pumpkin and pumpkin spice beat it all together and then add the coconut oil.

Spoon the batter into a well oiled pan and cook until the pancake starts to stiffen and is flippable (about 3-5 mins) then flip, and cook for about another minute. This recipe makes about 8 small pancakes. You could also make them bigger and use them as crepes.

Top them with whatever you like. I like flavored olive oils and vinegars. Like these from local small businesses: Vanilla Bean Olive Oil and Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar

Fish Tacos

Fish tacos are the greatest gift Mexico has given the world since chocolate. 

Marinade:
1 lb of fish (cod, mahi, something you can grill)
1 lime, juiced
salt, pepper, Mexican oregano to taste
1-2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro

Marinade the fish for at least 30 mins. grill until fish begins to flake.

What you need to assemble the tacos:

Fish or shrimp
Tomato Tortillas
Guacamole or avocado slices
Chili Cilantro Aioli
Shredded cabbage

You may need to eat them fast or they'll fall apart.

Bolognese Sauce

I was so diligent about taking pics through out the cooking process, but I forgot to take a picture of the finished sauce. It tasted too freakin good, I just wanted to eat it. F--- pictures. I want to enjoy my food. Needless to say I had to make it again just to take pictures.

1 lbs ground beef (I used 15/85)
1 onion
3 large red bell peppers, roasted
5 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp Oregano, separated
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil, separated
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 lb of cherry, grape or roma tomatoes, smoked.
 Salt, pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Saute onions until translucent, add garlic. After about a minute, add 1 Tbsp of oregano, thyme, fennel, salt, pepper and heat for 30 seconds, then add beef. Brown beef then remove from heat.

In a slow cooker or Dutch oven, add beef mixture, canned tomatoes, basil, 1 Tbsp oregano and vinegar then put on low heat. In a food processor, puree the red peppers. Add to slow cooker, then add tomatoes, 1 tbsp of olive oil and tomato paste. Cook on high for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve over zucchini linguini or spaghetti squash or whatever.

One week later, my kitchen still smelled like Bolognese.

Tomato Tortillas

Looking for a fun food? Are you at a loss for things to do with the plethora of tomatoes in your garden that you must use or preserve before their only fit use is to throw at mimes? Do you have an Excalibur dehydrator? If not, think about it. It's awesome. You want dense tomatoes for this recipe, I recommend heirloom. You don't want to use tomatoes that are too watery.

5 large heirloom tomatoes
1/2 a large onion
1 clove of garlic
dash of mexican oregano
dash of cumin
dash of chili powder (chipotle, cayenne, ancho, whatevere)
dash of smoked paprika
sat, pepper

You don't want to over do it on the spices because this will condense into a highly concentrated tomato leather. Line dehydrator trays with parchment paper or dehydrator liners (The parchment will be harder to peel off, so if you don't have patience, get the reusable liners) In a blender, combine all ingredients. When thoroughly pureed, pour into a 1 cup measuring cup (or 1/2 - 3/4 if you want smaller tortillas) and onto lined dehydrator trays. Spread into circles, about 1/4" thick. Dehydrate on 135 for about 12 hours. Dehydrating times may vary depending on climate. I live in vast desert wasteland, so my stuff dries quickly. Store in ziplock bags. You might want to put parchment between each tortilla to keep them from sticking.

Pork Burgers with Figs and Fennel

Figs were on sale at Whole Foods this weekend. I have never had fresh figs before. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure if I've ever had figs in any form other than a Newton. We got figs, not knowing even what to do with them. We also got fennel. I thought the two would go nicely together. I wanted something sweet, spicy and a bit smoky and pork always goes well with those 3 flavors.

2 lbs ground pork
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cinn
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed brown mustard seeds
1 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and let sit at room temp for about 30 mins (or more). Shape them into burgers or sliders. Then grill to awesome perfection. 

1 Fennel bulb
8 figs
1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced thin
1/2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar 
butter or oil

Heat butter or oil. Jullien fenneland cut figs into 8ths. Saute fennel and onions for about 10 minutes. Let them caramelize a bit and then add figs. continue to saute for 3 minutes then add balsamic and reduce for a few minutes. Serve on top of pork burgers.

Broclinguini

What do you do with broccoli stems? I've noticed a lot of supermarkets carry "broccoli slaw" which is basically julienned broccoli stems mixed with carrots. Apparently you can make slaw out of this. That sounds like a bag of gas to me.  I have a Benriner spiral slicer. There are several brands of spiral slicers out there, but I bought mine based on the amazon.com reviews. One reviewer bought 2 different spiral slicers and gave the one she didn't like to her mother-in-law and kept the Benriner. That was enough for me.

This is pretty simple. Cut the crown off of the broccoli and do with them as you please. I blanch mine and keep them in the fridge for a week of awesomeness. Cut the bottom 1/8-1/4 inch off the stem.

With a knife and/or peeler, remove the fibrous outer layer. the bottom of the stem is the most fibrous and as you get closer to the top, it's easier to digest. Spiral slice those stems! I had to cut mine in half to fit them on the spiral slicer. The top half where the crowns come off should be upright or they'll split apart. I used the widest blade attachment because I like linguini rather than spaghetti.

With the finished product, saute as you would zucchini linguini (or "zoodles" as some people call them. Does that make these "broodles") and serve with whatever sauce you like. Or you can eat this raw if you want a big plate o' gas.

Lamb Satay with Sunbutter Sauce

I used to make Chicken Satay all the time. For a while it was my signature dish. I adapted my Chicken Satay Recipe from "365 Great Barbecue & Grilling Recipes" by Lonnie Gandara. My parents had  the complete series of "365 Ways" cookbooks and I think they used "365 Ways to Cook Chicken" every day for a year. Growing up, we ate chicken so much I'm surprised I don't cluck. My dad used to make "chicken and sauce" almost every night. The sauce was always a different color, sometimes it was red, sometimes it was yellow, but it always consisted of onions, bell peppers and a ton of garlic. It was almost always served with brown rice and a salad with balsamic vinaigrette. My dad was consistent.

I took the grilling cookbook with me when I left home because I fucking love to grill. Then I became a vegetarian. That lasted a year; I'm over it. This recipe is an adaption from that book, which I no longer posses. (I think I gave it back to my parents). I used lamb instead of chicken and made the marinade more lamb adapted (i.e. cinnamon for a stronger and earthier flavor). To make it paleo, I eschewed the peanut butter in the dipping sauce and replaced it with sun butter. You could probably use cashew butter instead. Almond butter would work well too.

1 lbs lamb cut into cubes
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp lemon grass
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne

Combine all ingredients and marinade for an hour or longer. 

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/8 cup onion, minced
1 tsp garlic minced
1 tsp  red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
Juice 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp coconut aminos
1/4 cup Sunbutter
2 Tbsp coconut milk

Heat oil in a small sauce pan. Add onion and saute until translucent, then add garlic, red pepper flakes and cumin. after about 5-10 minutes, add lime juice and aminos. let that simmer for about 5 minutes then stir in Sunbutter and then coconut milk and remove from flame. Serve warm. stir in water or more coconut milk if you want a thinner sauce.

Beef Jerky

Some like it hot, some like it hot.

Food doesn't get any more awesome than this. Beef jerky is a convenient, portable snack and what makes it better than other convenient portable snacks it that it's made of delicious red meat. And you can make your own paleo kits! I make mine with dried beet and sweet potato chips. Taste the rainbow.  My recipe is a bit spicy so if you don't like it hot, cut back on the cayenne.

2 lbs Flank Steak
1/3 cup Worcestershire
1/3 cup Coconut aminos
2 Tbsp Fig Balsamic
2 Tbsp Chipotle Tobasco
1 Tbsp Chili 9000
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chipotle powder

Slice steak into strips 1/2 inch thick. Combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag and mix up well. Marinate for 12-24 hours. Place strips on food dehydrator trays and dry at 155 degrees for 24 hours. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

Cherry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Pairs well with a Julian Cherry Bomb Hard Cider

It's that time of the year again, when fruit is cheap and it's too hot to cook in the house. I made this sauce for boar ribs but it also goes nicely with rabbit and chicken.

3 Cups Cherries
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
1-2 tsp chipotle powder (depending on how spicy you like it 2 tsp is pretty spicy.)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp coconut aminos
2 Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Honey

Smoked Rabbit legs and Chicken thighs.

In a large saucepan heat oil and add onion. Saute until translucent. Add garlic and mustard seeds and cook for about a minute. Add cherries and spices. Let simmer for about 10 minutes then add balsamic, aminos and honey. simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, then puree with immersion blender.

Worcestershire Sauce

Mr. Wonderful cooked me dinner one night: Cajun BBQ shrimp. I don't know why they call it BBQ shrimp when its sauteed and covered in butter sauce, but that's what it's called.  The recipe called for Worcestershire Sauce. Since I refuse to eat anything with any amount of corn syrup, even a miniscule amount, I had to make my own. Commercial Worcestershire Sauce also contains soy sauce, definitely not paleo. I searched through about 10 recipes, one dating back to 1876 (which was reprinted in 2009 in the NY Times). Food Renegade has an easy homemade Worcestershire sauce recipe. Mine is slightly less easy. In all the research I did, tamarind was one of the original main ingredients so I thought I needed it to be authentic. I don't know where to find tamarind paste, but I do know my local supermarket sells tamarind (aka tamarindo). It has a tangy flavor, so I can see why many recipes would use lemon or lime instead.

This goes great in marinades for all kinds of meat, especially steak. I also mix a table spoon of it into ground meat whenever I make burgers.

8 tamarind pods (yields about 1/4 cup tamarind paste)
1/2 cup shallots finely chopped
1 tsp coconut oil
2 cups cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp Brewer's yeast
2 oz anchovies, drained
1/4 cup honey

Boil about 1-2 cups of water. Peel and devein the tamarind pods and put pulp in a bowl. Pour boiling water over tamarind pulp and let stand for 10 minutes. Once soft, separate seeds from pulp by pressing through a sieve or mesh strainer. Discard the seeds, keep the pulp.

Saute shallots in coconut oil. Once caramelized, remove from pan and put in blender. Add all of the other ingredients to the blender. Might be a good idea to chop the anchovies first, but they creeped me out, so I through them into the blender whole so the wretched creatures would be out of my site. Liquify all the ingredients and refrigerate. Should make about 3 cups.

Horseradish Mayonnaise

As seen here with crab cakes!

This is a great condiment with seafood or meat. Eat it with pastrami and eggs. Also awesome on crab cakes. This was the first time I ever used fresh horseradish root.

1 large egg
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp crushed mustard seeds
1/2 tsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil
4-6 inch piece of horseradish, grated with microplane.

First, you want all the ingredients to be the same temperature, so leave them all out for a few hours. In a food processor, combine egg, garlic, mustard, salt, lemon and about half of the grated horse radish. Blend everything together thoroughly. While blender is blending, slowly drizzle the olive oil in. Very slowly. When all the olive oil is in, blend for about 1 more minute. Remove mayo from food processor and mix in the remaining horseradish a little at a time until it reaches the level of spiciness you like.

Marinara Sauce

Squashetti Marinara

I'm in utter shock and awe that people actually eat tomato sauce out of a jar. I have yet to find one that tastes as good as any homemade sauce I've had, and I grew up in NYC so I've tasted a lot of homemade sauces. It's pretty simple to make and if you're pressed for time, you can do it in a slow cooker.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf.

In a stock pot heat olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute then mix in herbs and spices. after 30 seconds, stir in balsamic and then add tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf. Cook on a low flame for 1-2 hours. remove from heat and let cool. Discard bay leaf and puree. Reheat when ready to use. Or if you like a chunky sauce, don't puree, just serve hot.

Boar Burgers

I'm only posting this because Nikos said they were the best burgers I ever made. Most of my burger recipes are pretty generic: ground animal + vinegar + seasoning. Sometimes onions are thrown in the mix. And if I happen to have homemade Worcestershire sauce, it goes in there too.

1 lb ground boar (or pork if that's what you got. I think dark meat chicken or turkey would also work.)
1 tbsp apple balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp homemade Worcestershire
1 tbsp Penzey's Tsardust Memories

If you don't have Tsardust Memories, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic and salt into some blend of awesomeness.

I cooked these on the gas grill with applewood chips.

Quick Ketchup

Mmm, Boar Burgers!

I guess "quick" is a misnomer since the recipe calls for smoked tomatoes and they take a couple of hours too cook. I don't have a recipe for smoked tomatoes. I throw tomatoes on the grill whenever I smoke meat and keep them around for extra added awesomeness. I use them in omelets, meat toppings (great on burgers!) or in sauces. If you don't have a smoker, you can use a regular grill and wood chips. You want indirect heat and the grill temp to be 200-250 degrees. You can do it in an oven too, but I'm not sure about the wood chips so add smoked paprika or ground chipotle to give it the smoky flavor.

1 cup smoked tomatoes

Bison burger with a side of raw pickles and sauerkraut.

1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground yellow mustard
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 cayenne,
1/8 tsp ground cloves
4 Tbsp vinegar (apple cider or balsamic or           whatever, doesn't matter)
Salt to taste (1/8-1/2 tsp or optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender. I used the mini blender attachment to my immersion blender.

Roo-gan Josh

Rogan Josh is an Indian Dish traditionally served with lamb. I just happened to have a small stockpile of kangaroo rumps that I ordered from Marx Foods. They only ship in bulk. I have a big freezer because I have the dream that one day I will actually go hunting for deer or javelina and I'll need some place to put it. But in the meantime, it's easier to sit at my computer and order exotic meats in bulk and have them shipped overnight.

Kangaroo is extremely lean so you're going to need to add some fat. I used lamb tallow, but coconut oil would also work.

3-4 lbs of kangaroo rump, cut into cubes
4Tbsp Penzey's Rogan Josh seasoning or make your own
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp fat, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Brown the kangaroo in a cast iron skillet using 1 Tbsp of fat. I did it in 3 batches (1 tsp of fat at a time) because it was alot of freaking meat. Put meat in crock pot with all the other ingredients, except the shredded, dessicated, unsweetened coconut. Cook on low for 6 hours and add the coconut if you need to thicken up the stew.

Pastrami

Pastrami is like beef bacon, cured in brine for a week and then smoked to tasty perfection and sliced thin. Use it to top a boar burger or fry it up with some eggs. It goes nicely with sauerkraut and pickles.

1-2 lbs Brisket
4 cups water
3 tbsp kosher salt

Pickling Spice:
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp black peppercorn
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground clove
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground allspice

Bring water to a boil and add salt until dissolved. Remove from heat and pickling spice ingredients. Let steep for 1 hour. Put meat in a glass baking dish and cover with brine (pickling spice and water mixture). cover and leave in fridge for at least a week, turning half way through the brining process.

Smoke at 200-250 for 2 hours, turning once. Use a mild wood, such as maple. Once done let cool. Freeze pastrami to make slicing easier. I use an electric meat slicer.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Nikos has been talking about carnitas for 2 weeks. I ordered a pork shoulder from US Wellness Meats to appease him. Pork shoulder is also called Boston Butt. Whoever named it that must have had his head up his ass. It's supposed to be a really fatty dish and I was afraid that the pork wasn't going to be fatty enough on its own and I didn't have lard, so I added 12 oz of bacon. When in doubt, add bacon.

1 Pork shoulder or Boston Butt 3-4 lbs (hehe, I said butt)
10 cloves garlic, pressed
1 orange, zested and juiced
12 oz bacon, diced
1/2 cup broth
1 4 oz can of chiles (I used hatch) or 1/2 cup roasted chilies, diced
2 tsp Mexican oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1 tsp salt
black pepper to taste

Zest and juice orange. Add to the slow cooker with everything else. Cook on low for 6 hours. Once cooked, shred pork with 2 forks. Awesome with eggs or on tomato tortillas.

Garlic and Herb Sweetpotato Fries

I just got beef and lamb tallow from US Wellness Meats. They have pretty awesome customer service. I asked them to ship my order Wednesday because I was going to be out of town and was returning Thursday evening. I was afraid that my meat would thaw on my door step in the 90 degree AZ heat. They shipped it Wednesday, My meat was still frozen when I got home. The quality is pretty awesome too. Sometimes grassfed meat can sometimes bee pretty tough and gamey. Their meat is tender and flavorful.

I asked Nikos if he wanted his sweetpotatoes fried in beef tallow or lamb tallow. He chose lamb.

2-3 Sweetpotatoes
1/4 cup fat (coconut oil or tallow for high heat cooking).
3 cloves garlic
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt, pepper, thyme, oregano to taste

Cut potatoes into thick fries. Add some salt. Heat pan with fat. I did it in 2 batches so I used half the oil with each batch. cook the potatoes until brown, turning to get all sides. when potatoes are almost done, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds-1 minute. Remove potatoes from pan, and put in serving bowl.  Add salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and squeeze lemon over fries and toss.

Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja is a traditional Cuban dish. It literally means "old clothes" and is probably called that because you cook it for a long time that the meat falls apart. It's freakin awesome with mashed plantains (aka Mofongo).

2 lbs flank steak
1/4 cup balsmic vinegar
2 cups beef broth
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried cilantro or 1 tsp fresh
1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate the steak in the balsmic vinegar and pepper over night. You could put some garlic in there too. I didn't because I was being lazy.

Put meat with vinegar in crock put. Add all the other ingredients. cook on low for 10 hours. Shred beef with 2 forks and cook for another 2 hours. Serve with plantains and something green.

Avgolemono (Greek Egg-Lemon Soup)

It really disturbs me that the place mat isn't centered, but this was the only pic I took of the soup.

Nikos asked me to make this for him when he was sick. I didn't actually get around to making it until he was better though. He got the onion soup when he was sick. That kicked some germ ass.

1 2.5-3 lb chicken
2 quarts water
1 head of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
4 eggs separated
4 lemons, juiced
more salt
pepper

Clean chicken and remove bag of inner bits. (Save them for another recipe.) Put chicken in crock pot with 2 quarts of water and cook on high for 2-4 hours. When chicken is cooked, remove it from pot and separate the meat from the bones and skin. Put chicken meat in the fridge for later; put bones and cartilage back in the crock pot. Add vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and garlic and cook for 12 or more hours on low.

When broth is done, strain out bones and garlic. If you're not making the soup right away, refrigerate the broth until you're ready to cook it. If you are making the soup right away,chop up the chicken very fine, almost shredded and put the chicken back in the crock pot and heat on low or warm.

Separate the eggs. in a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks are formed, add in yolks and continue to beat. Slowly add lemon juice. Add lemon-egg mixture to soup and mix it all together. the creamy egg mixture will float on top. add more salt and pepper, serve warm.

Anteloaf

Oh look it's a meatloaf recipe. How can I make this meatloaf recipe standout amongst the billions of recipes out there? Let me give it a clever name!

I buy game meat at Sprouts. I don't actually have the wherewithal to hunt for myself. I should change that. A rifle would be nice. Antelope, like other game meats, is very lean so it should be mixed with a nice fatty farm animal like beef, lamb or pork so it doesn't come out too dry. I used 85% lean beef and it came out nice and moist and it doesn't really need sauce. A little sauce wouldn't hurt though.

I had to make this into 5 mini meatloaves instead of one big one because I left my meatloaf pan at Nikos's house. It's probably better this way because they cook faster, they're more portable and I can give him one or two to take home.

2 lbs Ground antelope
1 lbs ground beef (85%)
2 eggs
1 red onion, finely chopped
16 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 can tomato paste
1 date, pitted
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp crushed brown mustard seed
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp horseradish
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground fennel

In a large mixing bowl combine meat, eggs and garlic.

in a mini food processor combine vinegar, tomato paste, salt, pepper, spices and date. blend until date is completely blended. Put tomato-date mush in mixing bowl. Since the mini processor was already dirty, I threw the onion in there and chopped it finely in there. the same could be done with the garlic.

Bake at 350 Degrees. take out of the oven when the fork test comes out clean. Cooking times will vary.

Calf Liver Pate

I can't believe I actually made this. Who eats liver anymore? When I was a kid I really liked liverwurst. Then I realized what it was made of. How offal.

I adapted this recipe from the Simply Recipes recipe linked from Cave Girl Eats. I changed the recipe for several reasons. I only had 1/2 lb of liver, I only had ground beef dethawed and I wanted a greasy hamburger for dinner last night so I used 4 oz for my burger and threw the rest in the pate. I also added fennel and thyme because I like to add those to everything. I added mushrooms too.

3/4 lbs ground beef (I used 85%)
1/2 lbs calf liver
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
5 oz brown mushrooms
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground fennel
1 pinch ground cloves
Enough bacon to line the baking dish

Preheat oven 350 degrees

In a food processor, puree vinegar, garlic, mushrooms, and onion together. Add spices and liver and puree all together. You can put the beef in the food processor if you have room, or combine it in a separate bowl using an egg beater.

Line a baking dish with bacon. (I didn't use parchment, but it might be a good idea.) pour liver-meat mixture into dish and then top with more bacon. Bake for about an hour. Then turn on broiler and crisp the bacon on top for a couple of minutes.

Shrimp Scampi with a Little Head (of Garlic)

I was searching for the perfect scampi recipe. They all sucked. Only 2 cloves of garlic per 1 lb of shrimp? Really Tyler Florence? Really Giada, and you call yourself Italian! Barefoot Contessa fared better with 4 cloves per pound, but it just wasn't enough. I didn't even bother with Rachel Ray because she's the Food Network's Village Idiot. I want to have shrimp with my garlic. I had a small head. It would have to do. When I think scampi, I think shrimp and garlic. Everything else is just extra.

2 lbs shrimp (pealed, deveined)
1 small head of garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fat of choice (butter or olive oil)
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
2 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
salt and pepper

in a pan, heat fat. add garlic cook for about a minute or 2. Add herbs, salt pepper, cook for a minute then add shrimp. toss Shrimp in buttery garlicy goodness for about 3 minutes or until shrimp is no longer translucent. then add lemon juice and white wine vinegar. cook for another couple of minutes. With a slotted sppon ( i used a spatula) remove shrimp and reduce lemon juice to about half the volume.

Serve on top of spaghetti squash and/or zucchini linguini. I used both because like variety.