Monthly Archives: February 2015

Orange Avocado Coleslaw

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slawby Karen Frazier

I always thought I hated coleslaw with a passion. I was only ever really exposed to it at potlucks and picnics, but one taste told me it wasn’t for me. I first got an inkling that I might enjoy coleslaw when I accidentally ate some on a weekend away at Cave B in the Columbia Gorge. I was eating lunch in the restaurant there, Tendrils, and I took a tentative bite of the slaw. It was delicious. As the chef wandered by, I asked him what was in it, and he admitted it had apples and ginger.

That’s when I started trying to make a better coleslaw – because I knew it existed. I tried it with apples and ginger. Pretty good. I tried it with jicama. Not bad. I keep tinkering with my recipe trying to give it more punch. For the most part, I’ve been a little underwhelmed. Until tonight.

Tonight I made pork belly with coleslaw, and it was delicious. In fact, I might go as far as to say the coleslaw actually stole the show for me…which is really saying something given how much I love pork belly. When I was done eating, I wasn’t hungry anymore. But if I’d wanted another bite of food, it would have been the coleslaw I nibbled.

I started with a simple organic coleslaw mix from Whole Foods, an orange, and an avocado. I like making my coleslaw dressing avocado-based instead of mayo-based because I like the vitamins, fat, fiber, and flavor I get from the avocado. It worked out swimmingly. Sadly, I didn’t measure. But I am going to try and estimate for you exactly what I did, because seriously folks. Yum!

Orange Avocado Coleslaw

  • 3 or 4 garlic cloves (I dumped a bunch in and chopped them and then realized oh God! Raw garlic! So I scooped a bunch back out)
  • 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
  • Juice of one orange
  • Zest of half an orange
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha (I like the recipe from NomNom Paleo) – or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes for Whole30
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  • 1 package organic coleslaw mix
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, chop the garlic cloves, 10 one-second pulses. Scrape the cloves from the sides of the food processor back into the bowl.
  2. Add the avocado, orange juice, orange zest, sriracha, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, and salt. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  3. In a large bowl, toss the coleslaw mix with the dressing.

That’s it. Simple. Basic. I’ve been making it harder than it had to be.
photo credit: Chez Olga Haitian Restaurant Eastown Lourdie Lunch January 20, 2012 7 via photopin (license)

Protein Style Duck Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Orange Sriracha Mayonnaise

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20150204_162322by Karen Frazier

I love foods that have a lot of flavor. Jim loves burgers. Therefore, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to marry the two concepts – burgers with tons of flavor.

Since we went paleo, we no longer have buns of any kind on our hamburgers. Fortunately, we’ve discovered that butter lettuce makes a wonderful wrap for a burger – as long as you have enough layers of it. So that’s what these protein style burgers are – bunless but wrapped in tender and tasty butter lettuce.

They are also super flavorful, because as I’ve discovered, caramelized onions and sriracha can make almost anything better. And if those two ingredients don’t, then bacon will. Sriracha isn’t a strictly paleo ingredient, but Nom Nom Paleo has a great recipe for homemade paleo sriracha. It does the trick.

If you are unable to find ground duck locally, there are lots of places to order it online. It’s totally worth the effort.

Paleo Duck Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Orange Sriracha Mayonnaise

  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 pound ground duck
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • Juice of 1/2 orange
  • Zest of one orange
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 large leaves of butter lettuce
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Put a baking rack over a baking sheet.
  2. In a large saute pan, cook the four slices of bacon over medium-high heat until they are crisp. Blot the bacon on a paper towel and set aside.
  3. Leave the bacon fat in the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.
  4. Add the onions to the bacon grease along with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes.
  5. While the onions cook, pat the ground duck into four patties. Put them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  6. While the burgers and onions cook, put the egg yolks, orange zest, orange juice, red wine vinegar, sriracha, and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt in the bowl of a food processor. Turn on the food processor and let it run.
  7. Through the chute of the food processor, add the oil a drop at a time for about 20 drops. Then, add the oil in a thin stream until the mayonnaise emulsifies.
  8. To assemble the burgers, put the duck patties on the butter lettuce. Top them with bacon, onions, and the mayonnaise.

Mustard and Herb Leg of Lamb

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20150201_144406by Karen Frazier

What I really want is Super Bowl food, but it’s not going to happen. I love stuff like nachos and chicken wings, but they just don’t like me. Too much stuff I’m allergic to. So instead, I’m making a lovely roast that should be ready at halftime. While the roast sits for the last 20 minutes, I’ll roast some carrots on high heat and toss them with a bit of balsamic and mustard. It will be tasty and super easy.

Mustard and Herb Leg of Lamb

  • 1 5-pound leg of lamb, bone in
  • Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
  • 5 sprigs rosemary, stems removed and discarded
  • 1 small bunch chives
  • 2 bunches fresh basil, leaves only
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Season the leg of lamb with salt and pepper.
  3. In a food processor, combine the rosemary, chives, basil, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard, and olive oil. Blend until a paste forms.
  4. Rub the paste all over the outside of the lamb.
  5. Roast in a roasting pan in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue roasting, 10 to 12 minutes per pound until the roast reaches 145 degrees.
  6. Remove the lamb from the oven and tent it with foil. Allow the lamb to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Balsamic and Mustard Roasted Baby Carrots

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound baby carrots
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, rosemary, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  3. Toss the carrots with the mixture and put in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. Roast for 30 minutes, until the carrots are cooked.