For all my Finnish readers, I HAVE TO put a word out about this wonderful organic product: Kotivaran Luomumeetvursti. It’s not only organic and unbelievable delicious, it also does not contain glucose or any other sh*t so commonly messing with cut meat. I won’t even mention E621, the most evil monosodium glutamate (MSG) that’s put into so many products it makes me sick. Literally.

But this beauty saves the day! Brilliantly fatty and tasty it’s a perfect snack with some veggies or a part of a good meal. Doesn’t get much better.

And now, after the basics of paleo below (see Omelette and Coconut Cream&Berries), something a little more advanced: paleo sushi (to be exact, sushi means vinegar rice so these really aren’t sushi, pardon my Japanese). Sashimi is already nicely paleo and the sushi rolls only need omitting of the rice, not too complicated. It’s possible to do these in the form of temakis (bigger rolls eaten with hands), makis or why not just throw everything on a plate and not roll at all. Rocks anyway.

The idea has long been maturing in my mind and this pushed me over the edge to actually prepare them. I experimented with two different meats (cold-smoke beef and suolaliha, salty meat?!) and cold-smoked salmon, the last one being absolutely the best. Other one of my favourite was the one where I substituted the rice with grated carrot; very, very moist and tasty! These would probably work also brilliantly with whitefish that is thinly sliced and salted (graavisiika) and with some smoked ham. And of course the Japanese thin omelette, Tamago.

Riceless maki rolls

• nori sheets
• thinly sliced meat/fish/Japanese omelette
• veggies: carrots, cucumber, spring onion
• avocado

Prepare the veggies by cutting the into long matchstick size sticks, also the avocado. Take out the nori sheet and place it on a sushi mat. Cover it evenly with the meat/fish/omelette leaving a little space on the other end of the sheet. Place the desired veggies in a row quite near the low end as shown in the picture and roll, roll, roll! If you want to, you may used a little wasabi inside the rolls as well, rubbing it into the meat (thin “stripe” under the veggies). Use a little water to slightly moisturize the end of the sheet to make it keep together. Cut into bite size portions with a sharp knife.

OR proceed as above, but instead of covering the sheet with the meat, cover it with grated carrot (or maybe cucumber, courgette or whatnot) and place the meat similarly to the veggies in the previous one.

Serve with organic Shoyu soy sauce, wasabi and nori, sushi ginger.

So next time I wanna put a maki feast together, I’m gonna opt for:

• cold smoked salmon
• graavisiika (the salted whitefish)
• grated carrot and some tasty meat
• …and may even be rolling a chorizo in a sheet? Why not bacon

This stuff I just made for us for dinner is thee best paleo side order ever! So if you’re having a feast or a special occasion or you want to show off some paleo luxury for your friends, take this on the menu. Can’tgo wrong. Unless your friends are vegetarian. Works also as a main course, especially if you add some fresh vegetables.

Chorizo Heaven

• skinny Chorizos (the Spanish sausage, bought from Roiniset, by skinny I mean their appearance)
• Savoy cabbage
• swede/rutabaga (lanttu!)
• onion

Chop onion, rutabaga and Savoy cabbage into an oven casserole. Chop chorizos (I used four) and mix them in. Bake in 225 until the veggies are cooked. I like to put a tin foil over the casserole at first and then take it off and let it still bake 5 to 10 more minutes for some crispiness. The result is perfectly chorizogrease-seasoned veggies that are tender, salt and spicy chorizo and rutabaga adding some sweetness. Sigh. As I said, can’t go wrong. I’m loving it.

Just to boost you in the middle of this devilishly cold REAL winter that we all SO LOVE, here’s just another example of a beautiful combination of beautiful ingredients. These go so well together I wouldn’t believe if I just didn’t finish my dinner… Boy I was in need of one! Already gave the eye for some bloody awful Budapest chocolates when picking up my new moisturizer: there it was, a cup full of them just to quickly grab one, and there it was, my horrible hunger and too low blood sugar, BUT!! Conqueered it, not surprisingly. “A superhuman“, you say. I know. I get it a lot. Guilty as charged. Muahahahaaa So not.

Inspirational Salami Salad

• veggies (broccoli, bellpepper, root celery, carrot, tomatoes, courgette, spinach…)
• avocado
• fennel seasoned wildboar salami (this is SUPERB! Bought from Roiniset at Hakaniemen halli. YOU have to try it.)
• fresh shrimp (from Rosendahl at Hakaniemen halli)
• optional: fresh coriander

You can make whatever salad base you prefer, the three key ingredients are avocado, salami and shrimp. If you like fresh coriander, it goes brilliantly with this combo. I also added some mungbean sprouts, turmeric, gojis, salt and pepper after taking the pic. Wanted to keep it prettier for you. <3

This meatloaf is sooo fine you would wanna marry it! And it’s pure paleo. Makes an excellent dinner, breakfast, snack or a protein source for a lunch box. Works hot, works mild, works cold. Tho I prefer it warmed. Even looks like bread so no more explaining the weird non-grainy diet! SPECIAL PRICE ONLY FOR YOU! Tonight only. (Just kidding. This is for life.)

Paleo Loaf

• 500 g (organic) ground meat
• 1 organic egg
• 1 dl coconut milk
• 2 carrots
• a fair bunch of fresh mint leaves (or any other herb, dude)
• fresh garlic (1-2 cloves)
• salt, pepper

Grate carrots, chop mint leaves, mix all ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Form into a loaf and place in a glass oven dish. Bake in 175-200 degrees for about an hour. Let it cool a little, cut proper slices. Awwh!

And AGAIN the possibilities are endless in varying the taste! Try paprika, fresh coriander leaves, curry, tomato paste, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, jeera, basil, oregano, chili… Or whatever you like. Or dislike and want to learn to eat.

[Ths bread is baked with meat flour.]

And so it wouldn’t be all eating meat on the paleo, may I remind you what OTHER options you’ve got to get your daily protein. The paleo diet isn’t just getting to eat what you want, it’s also respecting all living creatures. (I wouldn’t go as far as to say “things” since I really don’t feel bad cutting some plants to eat them :-P)

• organic eggs
• fish (a good sei recipe coming up soon)
• other seafood
• birds (mostly game or at least organic! The way the broilers are brought up is HORRIBLE if they’re not organic.)
• nuts, seeds
• …and game meat

Who ever decided breakfast has to be carbs? Bread, cereal, jam, croissants, müesli, toast, sugary yoghurts, Nutella… You name it! I spent years and years eating my beloved oatmeal every morning. And I do mean every: when I traveled, I carried the instant porridges with me, always. Happy days… Anyway, porridge is long gone and other common breakfast carbs I’ve abandoned decades ago.

So what then?! you ask. Well. When following the paleo path food wise, the options are still plentiful. Ample, even. Not ample like a bosom but ample. It’s yet another chance to eat what you most like. And since it breaks the fast (kept overnight) it should be a proper feast. So pick your best ones and celebrate the brand new day! HALLELUJAH baby! Or should I say: kwakakwakakwakamouliiiii!

Here’s one suggestion to trigger your little grey brain cells . This is what Poirot [puaroo] would choose.

• meat (to be more specific, ulkopaisti in Finnish, cooked in a kettle for an hour and a half)
• salad: avocado, celery, courgette (salt and lime juice to season)
• berries: raspberries, organic coconut flakes, mulberries, gojis, incan berries, flaxseed (and some added fibre)

Wake up it’s a beautiful morning! (Cheers, Boo!)

I bought some quality lamb meat (grounded) yesterday and made meatballs out of it just now to have a decent meal after my FIRST SKIING IN 11 YEARS!! Woohoo! Big hand for Da Mule! Awesome. Cheers, Fedo for taking me. (Despite the fun the trip had a slight aftertaste thanks to a HKL bus driver having not the best of days… Well, first time Ive heard a city employee call someone an asshole [kusipää in plain Finnish], mark on the wall.)

Anyway, I would’ve just normally cook the meat on a pan but I wanted to make it easy to freeze in a meal size portions so burgers or meatballs it was gonna be. And I just felt a bit more… meatballsy than burgerish. Got a chance to try something new as well since I wanted to use my arame seaweed. Worked okay in the balls, didn’t bring any significant difference in the taste. Maybe could be enhanced by seasoning the balls with some wasabi, soy sauce and ginger. Next time then!

Meatballs with Seaweed

• half a kilo grounded lamb meat
• a generous handful of dried arame
• an organic egg
• paprika, oregano, salt, pepper

Soak the seaweed in cold water for fifteen minutes, then prepare the dough. Form balls the size that suits you best (I tend to aim for Nigella-like small ones but always lack the patience) and bake in the oven until done. Approx. 220 degrees, 25 minutes. Add to the salad and freeze some to grab later!

Salad (everything preferrably organic)

• broccoli
• bell pepper
• eggplant
• fresh coriander
• courgette
• tomato
• left over veggies from yesterday’s thai dish
• turmeric, a bit of balsamic vinegar (on of my few vices left that aren’t really paleo), goji berries, salt, pepper

Prepare! I quite often cook come chopped eggplant and bell pepper (or carrots/other root veggies) in the microwave for a couple of minutes to get something that is warm and a bit cooked, then I add a huge load of fresh vegetables. But it’s up to you how you want to have them. Steamed, boiled, fried, grated… Or just plain raw which works for me too. I just like the different texture in the weeny bit cooked ones mixing with all the raw.

Well, this is just another example how to put a salad together, you can do it anyway you like. As long as you JUST DO IT!  Again. Faster. Crossfithelsinki.com –>

I bought a good half kilo of minced lamb meat when I last visited Hakkarainen and prepared it last night. Accidentally, it turned out massively delicious! Ask anyone. And like all my recipes, extremely simple. Perfect pair for a humongous salad and a bit warmed veggies.

Coconutty bolognese

• 500 g minced lamb meat
• 2 dl coconut milk (full fat, naturally)
• spices: curry, paprika
• good quality salt
• (pickled cucumbers)

Cook minced meat on a pan. When thoroughly cooked, add chopped pickled cucumbers if you’re using them (they add a little sweetness and vinegary taste). Pour coconut milk to the pan and let it cook so that some of the moisture dissolves. Season with loads of curry powder, paprika powder and salt, taste to adjust. Cook until it’s no more liquidy but more like a stew. Bite away! Works also when cooled.

Today I visited my trusted meat provider, Hakkarainen, who sells meat at my precious Hakaniemen halli. I bougth three (!!) different kinds of meat for me to experience on. First one in fire was a steak. I know, sort of hasard when I’ve always just had some perfectly made ones, but felt like it was the time to try it on my own. And I did okay. Not superb, but okay. You will probably do better. So here’s the pic, the recipe’s really quite simple:

• heat the pan
• add olive oil
• bake (?) the steak, couple of minutes each sides
• –> aim for a medium minus, then turn the gas off and let it sit
• season with salt’n'pepa
• eat!

I cut mine to go with a salad, easily eaten by fork, no difficult knife cutting skills needed and very neat to watch something entertaining from Tv-kaista. Or to listen to Ken Wilber’s podcast, which I did. Cheers!

Yesterday I had a vision: I HAVE to have some bolognese! ’cause I had my fat% measured today (a Biosignature control, not to lose fat but to balance hormones, for me that is, also used to get leaner) I had to postpone my urge until today. And I made it! And I ate it! And I’m genuinely happy. Food DOES make you happy. Right food, of course.

Eat your greens…. (courgette, eggplant, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, bellpepper)

…add meat and there you have it! A purrfect paleo meal to satisfy a hungry gatherer. Sigh.

Paleo Bolognese

• onion
• minced meat (organic/grass fed/lamb)
• tomato sauce (Mutti with garlic is excellent! Free to cook up your own as well.)
• salt
• (coconut milk)
• (mushrooms)

Chop onion and sauté on a pan with some coconut oil. Add meat and let it cook. Add tomato sauce and cook for awhile to get rid of the bitterness and season with salt (some chili, pepper etc. as well). If you like mushroom, add some. Even this basic stuff tastes brilliant! But if you want to add some richness, a tad coconut milk works fine. Perfect with a loads of greens and other veggies and so very paleo.