MonkeyFood Ylimuulin apinanruokakeittiö ruokkii päätä ja häntää

10.8.2010

Hearts of Butter

Filed under: Alakarppi,Gluteeniton,Nuts!,paleo,Vege — Meri @ 6.17

Doesn’t that sound romantic? Like a movie that sadly was never made. Luckily it’s easy to shoot this one home. I’m talking about the intelligent, articulate and witty Nora Gedgaudas‘ Nut Truffles from her book Primal Body, Primal Mind which I recommend EVERYONE to read. Working on getting it translated in Finnish as well.

Here’s the very basic recipe which you can then tune up by adding cocoa powder, seeds, coconut oil, coconut flour,  stevia, bee pollen, cocoa nibs… You know, whatever “floats your boat”. Cinnamon maybe?

hearts

Nut Butter Truffles

  • 230 g nut butter (not cashew or peanut, for example almond will do and it’s easy to make yourself out of Brazilian nuts, that’s what I did, just blend the nuts until they form a moist butter)
  • 1 cup (2,4 dl) of nuts (I used pecans and almonds)
  • 0,5 cups (1,2 dl) shredded coconut
  • 0,5 Tbs vanilla extract
  • 115 g (organic) butter
  • good quality salt

Prepare the nut butter if you’re not buying it ready made. Chop nuts in a blender until preferred chunkiness, don’t turn them into flour. Mix everything and spice it up with vanilla and some salt. At least I find Finnish organic butter to be too low in salt to make these delish. Form some sort of balls or just use a ice cube mold like I did. Spoon the mixture into the mold and refrigerate at least an hour. And action! Works as a snack, dessert or an add in at the breakfast. THANKS, Nora! For everything.

29.7.2010

Mindful Monkey Mush

Filed under: Alakarppi,Elävä ravinto,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Maidoton,paleo,raw food,Vegan,Vege — Meri @ 16.00

Awwwhh, this was good! Continuing on the raw side of life this also turned to be not just paleo and low carb but vegan as well. So it really suits everyone doesn’t it? Here’s just the basic idea, you may vary the vegetables and season it with chili or garlic or peppers or oregano. Still, it’s a perfect dish for the hottest day of the summer that’ll also please you delicate tummy being easy to digest.

monkeymush

Monkey Mush

  • generous amount of chinese cabbage
  • some broccoli florets
  • a tomato
  • a junk of courgette (aka zucchini)
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • coconut milk
  • quality salt

Chop the veggies a bit and mush them in a blender. Pour in some nice coconut milk to make it more like a stew or even a soup if you like. Spice it up with salt and whateva! Tasty as hell and filling, thanks to the coconut.

27.7.2010

Girls’ Cauliflower

Filed under: Alakarppi,Elävä ravinto,Gluteeniton,Kevyt,Maidoton,paleo,raw food,Vegan,Vege — Meri @ 5.27

I just had a wonderful weekend at my friend’s mom and dad’s summer house. As you may guess we also ate some brilliant food: self grown courgettes, freshly smoked salmon, strawberries, Asian fish stew and my friends also ate Maija’s freshly baked bread that at least smelled awfully good and cosy. And besides all this we also had some cauliflower salad that’s my friend’s family’s innovation. Yep, I think it’s an innovation; sort of a marinated and sort of a salad but better than each alone.

I made this already on Sunday to try it out myself and it turned out as good as it should. Also Meat Eater liked it tho he preferred onion over cauliflower.

kukkakaali

The Kiikala Cauliflower

  • a cauliflower or two
  • onion (preferably spring onion but red onion and other will do)
  • balsamico
  • good quality olive or other oil

Tear the florets from the cauliflower into a big bowl. Chop the onion/onions and add. Splash some generous amount of oil and add balsamico. Use maybe a third compered to the amount of oil. Mix well and let sit in the fridge as long as you can hold it. Works after couple of hours but is ultimate after one night. A brilliant side for fish, meat or to season a salad. And you can prepare a bigger amount and eat it several days in a row… If it’ll keep.

And once again, a billion thanks to all the girls! It was priceless. <3 Wanna do it AGAIN!

20.7.2010

Raw Rhubarb RRr-treat!

Filed under: Elävä ravinto,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Maidoton,paleo,raw food — Meri @ 19.14

This is goood. Very sour, acidic, tasty, gets your juices flowing! And totally (awesome!) raw. Suits a paleo person well indeed. Easy to prepare, inspiration from Okriina in Vegaanikahvila. Cheers, mate!

raparperi

Raw Rhubarb Mess

  • 0,5 litres or 7 or so stacks of rhubarb
  • cinnamon, cardamom
  • a pinch of salt
  • a splur of coconut milk
  • a little water
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds
  • vanilla stevia

Remove the “bad” ends from the rhubarb stalks, you may also peel them if you like, I didn’t. Chop them up in the blender, blend until rough. Add a little water and some more coconut milk, season. Mix again and move into a bowl. Add the chia seeds and mix again, let it in the fridge until a gelé has formed (not too much, unless you prefer it: you may also need to add some more chia). Serve with coconut milk or organic whole fat cream. Can’t be bad?

The Raw Truth (f)lies in the Soup

Filed under: Alakarppi,Elävä ravinto,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Maidoton,paleo,raw food,Soppa,Vegan — Meri @ 19.03

A year ago thee green smoothie was a steady friend of mine as a breakfast. I wouldn’t have skipped it for anything! But since, things have changed and I rarely blend anything. I’m not a big fan of liquid food; not because I wouldn’t like it but because I believe most of the time whole food should be kept whole. Anyway, I dug up my blender and did some SOUP today! And a dessert as well. Tasted as good as ever and filled me nicely together with the nori rolls and offered some needed variation.

roup

Raw Tomato Soup (or “stew” – not so liquidy)

  •  2 ripe tomatoes
  • a piece of cucumber
  • 2 celery stalks (with the leaves!)
  • 1 glove of garlic
  • salt, pepper
  • herb mixture

Cut everything up and put them in the blender, let the blender do what it does best! Garnish with some sprouted beans.

norirolls2

Nori Rolls

  • nori sheets
  • kale
  • sauerkraut
  • carrots

Place the kale leaves (remove the thickest stems) on the nori as shown on the picture, add sauerkraut and sliced carrot. Roll baby! Eat away.

18.7.2010

Sides and burgers

Filed under: Alakarppi,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Lihaa,Maidoton,meat,paleo,Side order — Meri @ 18.50

Just some quick ones, two different side orders and “Mc Feast” paleo burgers. Burgers made by the same killer recipe as before, mayo tuned with lemon. Deeeeelish!

burger

Chantarelles and bacon

  • chantarelles
  • bacon
  • -doh?

Chop them, bake them in the pan! You’d never had guessed?

uuniside

Spring onion and cherry tomatoes

  • spring onions
  • cherry tomatoes
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper

Cut the tomatoes in half, chop the onions. Put them on a baking tray and add a splash of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Let bake in a hot oven until… done? A little char in the onions makes them taste sooo much better 😛 But any way you like!

Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’

Filed under: Alakarppi,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Maidoton,paleo,Sushi — Meri @ 18.26

I really like nori, the seaweed used in maki rolls. Since rice is a no-no and I don’t have the money (or energy) to always use smoked salmon to make these and since variation is a nice thing, we came up with these two bunnies. The latter was inspired by some nnnice mayo and cheese filled ham rolls tasted in Tallinn… Might as well be made with mayo.

norituna

Tuna rolls (no rice)

  • nori sheets
  • tuna in oil
  • mayo (self made or a quality one from a jar/tube)
  • lettuce, cucumber, carrot
  • pepper, salt

Drain the tune a bit (not all the oil out! That’s where the flavour is.) and mix with some generous amount of mayo, lemon mayo went well with these. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Cut the carrot and cucumber thinly lengthwise. Put a nori sheet in front of you and place two leaves of lettuce in the other end. Add tunamayo and veggie strips and roll. Eat like a HOTDOG! Adding some sauerkraut worked for me as well. Not for the Meat Eater tho.

hamroll

Ham rolls

  • quality ham (preferrably smoked)
  • hard boiled eggs
  • butter
  • salt
  • (chives)

Smash boiled eggs with a fork and mix some butter in the egg crumble. Season with salt and possibly chopped chives. Roll into a ham slice. Easy peasy.

27.6.2010

Kick Ass Comfort Food!

Filed under: Alakarppi,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Lihaa,Maidoton,meat,paleo — Meri @ 8.48

Here’s a killer side order that’s almost so good, it threathens the main course status. Being no ordinary “paleo mashed potatoes” this nasty delicacy is guaranteed to satisfy even the most demanding comfort need. I served this with some salad and minced lamb meat (seasoned with paprika and salt, a little butter).

muussi

[The photo doesn’t do this side order justice! It’s beautiful!]

The Ultimate Mashed “Potatoes”

  • a big cauliflower
  • 2 onions
  • 4 skinny chorizos
  • salt, butter
  • (garlic)

Rip the cauliflower in pieces and boil until tender. Slice the onions and cut the chorizos into a dice size bites and bake them on a pan. You may add some garlic, I did. Also a knob of butter and/or a little salt will do the food good.

Set aside and pour away the water from the cooked cauliflower. Puré with a blender and add the onion chorizo mix into the mash. Mix well, taste to adjust the salt. Dig in! You’re so gonna dig it.

19.6.2010

A Junk of Meat

Filed under: Alakarppi,Arkiruoka,Gluteeniton,Lihaa,meat,paleo — Meri @ 21.10

…and what to do with it. I arranged a huge (well not huge but 130 kg anyway) order of meat some weeks ago. The idea was to buy some well kept (meaning ethical raising conditions) grass-fed meat of a quality beef from Highland Cattle. The whole procedure was more than easy and so the day arrived and our 10 kg share of meat. Six kilos minced meat, two kilos soup meat and two kilos silverside roast (or bottom side roast, ulkopaisti in Finnish).

meat

Minced meat’s a piece of cake and the soup meat’s obvious. But in care anyone’s wondering what to do with the silverside roast here’s an ultimately easy and delicious recipe.

Love me tender

  • silverside roast
  • butter
  • garlic cloves
  • meat bouillon, from a cube or a fond (NOT containing MSG)
  • a carrot

Cut the roast into rough cubes. Fry on a pan in loads of butter to get a nice tan for the cubes. Put into an oven casserole together with peeled whole garlic cloves, cut carrot and enough beef bouillon to cover the meat. Cover the dish with a tin foil and let it cook in the oven 1,5 or 2 hours on a mild heat (150 degrees or so). Remove the tin foil and let it still cook for about an half an hour. And whoomp there it is! Tender, garlicky, tasty meat. Can’t get any better than this. Veeeeery paleo.

Andy Deas works his magic!

Filed under: Alakarppi,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Maidoton,paleo — Meri @ 14.52

Andy Deas from the marvellous Paleolithic Solution has shared his recipe for a soft and tasty paleo pudding. Thank (the neolithic) goddess! Because this is good. If your sweet tooth is really sweet I’d suggest to add something to sweeten it but for a genuine paleo hippie this does the trick. I added the roasted and salted cashews to get some crunch and that nicely tied the thing together. Feel free to try it on your non-paleolithic friends, I did o_O

andy

Andy Deas’ Coconut Pudding

  • 4 apples (preferrably organic)
  • 2 cups (5 dl) coconut milk/coconut cream
  • lots of cinnamon
  • (salted, roasted cashews)

De-core the apples, slice them and cook in coconut milk until the apples turn tender. Cook cinnamon sticks along or add grounded cinnamon. Remember to take the sticks out before the next step! I forgot the first time. So, after you’ve removed the sticks and the apples are nice and soft, whizz everything in a blender into an even pure. Let stay in the fridge overnight and voilá, you’ve got pudding! Serve with cashews or maybe some additional apple slices baked in butter.

I’m already planning in turning this into a cheesecake sort of gig… 😛

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