Smoked Salmon and Chard Scramble

This is another egg dish that I made for lunch one day since it sounded so good.  I had some Teriyaki Smoked Salmon that I had recently purchased from a market where they smoked it in-house which is probably not strictly Paleo, but that is what I used.  I found the sweetness to overwhelm the dish somewhat, so I would recommend using a plain smoked salmon for this dish.  Don't get me wrong, we still finished every bit of it.  I made the 4 servings and we had the leftovers for lunch the next day as well.  The scramble was served over sweet potato shreds that were baked in the oven which was a wonderful base for this mixture.

Smoked Salmon and Chard Scramble
Makes 4 servings

1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
6 large Swiss chard leaves, cores removed and chopped
4 large eggs, whisked
Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound smoked salmon, chopped
2 teaspoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced

Start with the sweet potato by preheating the oven to 400 degrees and lining two sheet pans with parchment paper.  Cut the sweet potato into long thin strips using a mandoline or shred with a food processor.  Melt the coconut oil.  Place the potato strips in a large bowl and toss with the melted coconut oil and the salt and pepper.  Spread evenly on the baking sheets and bake for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and just starting to brown.

While the potatoes are baking, saute the chard in a large skillet until just wilted and remove from pan.

In the same skillet, melt a little coconut oil and add eggs, salt and pepper and cook, stirring gently until eggs are set but still glossy.  Remove from heat and add the chard, smoked salmon, half of the capers and onions.

Serve the scrambled egg mixture over beds of potatoes and garnish with remaining capers and onions.


Slightly adapted from The Healthy Foodie

Our rating:

Potato, Spinach and Kale Frittata

I can rarely get away with making any kind of an egg dish for dinner, however I do sneak in a frittata every once in a while.  For some reason Gerry does not view eggs as dinner food.  Since this frittata was full of potato slices, spinach and kale this worked for dinner with a nice side salad. 

Potato, Spinach and Kale Frittata
Makes 4-6 servings

6 whole eggs, beaten
2 egg whites, beaten to foamy, soft peaks
1 leek, finely sliced, soaked, drained and dried
2 small red potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into thin half moon slices
1 heaping cup kale, roughly chopped
1 heaping cup spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup prosciutto, cut into small dice

In a 10-inch skillet, pour the olive oil.  Over medium heat, poach the leeks for about 2 minutes until they start to become soft.  Add the potato slices and poach, over low heat, for an additional 10 minutes.  Add the prosciutto bits and cook over medium heat to crisp up the prosciutto stirring frequently.

In the meantime, beat the eggs in one bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.  Beat the egg whites in another bowl, until soft, foamy peaks form.

Move the vegetables from the oil in the pan into the whole egg mixture.  Incorporate the kale and spinach as well.  Then fold in the beaten egg whites and mix well.

Remove most of the oil from the skillet, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons.  Over low heat, pour the egg mixture into the pan.  Cook for about 5 minutes, pushing the sides in with a wooden spoon or spatula,  in order to create rounded sides.  Place a plate or flat cover over the frittata and flip it over onto the plate.  Then slide it back into the skillet.  Cook for another 5 minutes or so until eggs are set.

Can be served warm or cold.

Slightly adapted from The Saffron Girl

Our rating:

Paleo Guacamole Burgers

Since Gerry and I both have been feeling so energized without gluten in our lives, it means looking at some simple foods differently, such as a burger.  We grilled some hamburger patties, topped them with a fried egg, and crowned it with my favorite guacamole (recipe to be posted tomorrow).  This is definitely a fork and knife burger.  I served these with Sweet Potato Fries.

Paleo Guacamole Burger
Makes 2 servings

1 burger
1 egg
1/4 cup guacamole

Cook the burger by method of choice (we grilled ours).
Fry an egg (preferably in coconut oil or grass-fed butter).
Place the fried egg on top of the burger and top with the guacamole.


Recipe from Ancestral Chef

Our rating:

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict

I love crab cakes and I love Eggs Benedict so the thought of combining both of them had me hooked.  I made some simple crab cakes which I baked in the oven and placed them on a bed of sauteed spinach.  The crab cakes were then topped with a perfectly poached egg and finally smothered with Hollandaise sauce.  YUM!

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict
Makes 4 Crab Cakes

For the crab cakes:
12 ounces fresh lump crab meat
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
A few drops (or more) of your favorite hot sauce

Spinach
Ghee, Coconut oil or olive oil

For the Hollandaise Sauce:
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or other fat of your choice)
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

For the poached eggs:
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar

For the crab cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, crumble in the crab meat, picking through to pick out any shells ad break apart into small pieces.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.

Make small cakes by using a ring mold or by simply forming them into small patties firmly with your fingers.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the tops start to turn a light golden brown.

While the crab cakes are cooking, saute some spinach in some ghee or coconut oil and set aside.

For the Hollandaise Sauce:
In a double boiler or medium metal mixing bowl, gently whisk the egg yolks.
continue whisking the yolks while adding the hot water, oil/fat, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper to the bowl.  Place the double boiler or metal bowl over boiling water (not in the boiling water if using a bowl) just set the bowl over the simmering water so the steam hits the bottom of the bowl, not the water.  Whisk constantly until the sauce begins to thicken (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).

Poach the eggs:
 Bring a pan of water to a gentle simmer, add the tablespoon of vinegar.  Break each egg into a liquid measuring cup or a custard cup.  Gently slip the egg into the water by holding the custard close to the water and just tipping the cup so the egg gently tumbles into the water.  Poach at a bare simmer for 4 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and gently dry with a folded paper towel.

To plate:
Start with a spoonful of the cooked spinach, top with a crab cake, top with a poached egg, and finally spoon some of the sauce on top.


From Everyday Paleo

Our rating:

1/2

Roasted Eggplant Stacks

I made these for lunch the other day and they were scrumptious.  It was basically a slice of sauteed eggplant, a slice of fresh tomato, an Italian sausage patty, and a poached egg all stacked on top of each other and garnished with chopped parsley and sun dried tomatoes.  I know it might sound like an unusual combination but it worked together wonderfully.

Roasted Eggplant Stacks
Makes 2 servings

1 eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch rounds (4 of them)
1 tomato, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (4 of them)
1/3 pound fresh ground bulk Italian sausage meat
Poached eggs
Finely diced sun dried tomatoes
Minced parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Coconut oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Brush both sides of the eggplant rounds with coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Broil the eggplant rounds under your broiler on high heat for 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and broil for 3-4 minutes on the other side or until they are tender and start to brown.  You can also just saute the rounds in a skillet until golden brown on both sides and tender which is what I did.

Shape sausage meat into four patties about the same size as the eggplant rounds and pay fry the patties until cooked all the way through.

Meanwhile poach 4 eggs.

Now it is time to stack.  Place two cooked eggplant rounds on a plate, top with a tomato slice, a sausage patty, a poached egg, some sun dried tomatoes and little bit of parsley.

Finish it all with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper to taste.  (I forgot to do this last step and it was still delicious).


From Everyday Paleo

Our rating:

Poached Eggs over Chard

This was our lunch today and since it was the recommended egg dish for the day, I stuck with the recipe.  I wasn't sure about serving poached eggs over sauteed chard with fresh tomato slices since it didn't sound particularly appetizing.  We were very pleasantly surprised at how good this dish turned out to be.  The earthiness of the chard with the cool acidity of the tomato slice all topped with a perfectly poached egg was a real treat.  The runny yolk of the egg added a creaminess and richness to the dish.

We have discovered no ill effects from our addition of eggs this week, so it looks like it will be a safe addition for us.

Poached Eggs over Chard
Makes 2 servings

4 cups chard, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 heirloom tomato slices
4 poached eggs

Saute the greens in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place on plate.  Top with sliced tomatoes and then with poached eggs.

To poach eggs:
In a large nonstick skillet add 1-1 1/2 inches of water.  When water is just simmering, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar.  Crack each egg in a measuring cup and swirl egg in cup before slipping into the just simmering water.  When all four eggs are in pan, set timer for 3 1/2-4 minutes for a perfectly poached egg.  Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and drain excess water on paper towels.


Slightly adapted from The Virgin Diet

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