MonkeyFood Ylimuulin apinanruokakeittiö ruokkii päätä ja häntää

19.1.2010

Breakfast – Another Chance for a Perfect Meal

Filed under: Alakarppi,Lihaa,meat,paleo — Meri @ 21.07

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.

brekkie

  • 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!)

17.1.2010

Salad with a Chance of Meatballs

Filed under: Alakarppi,Arkiruoka,Gluteeniton,lammas,Lihaa,meat,paleo,Sallad — Meri @ 17.54

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!

paleoballs

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 –>

9.1.2010

Scrambled Egg Salad

Filed under: Alakarppi,paleo,Sallad — Meri @ 18.49

I don’t really like omelettes but they are so big in the paleo world that even I was influenced by the hype and prepared a scrambled (the one that I like besides a hard-boiled egg) egg to go with my breakfast salad. Accompanied with some superb kalamata olives and stuff. I began my rehearsals to get accustomed to something else for a brekkie than my usual green smoothie; The Meat Eater hates the noise the vlender makes at 6 am. Sigh. Let’s see, how far I’ll get with this… But this was good and filling!

  • a huge salad with root vegetables
  • a scrambled egg
  • olives
  • spices, gojis, whatnot

kokkeli

[I love turmeric but it really spoils all the pics! Ugly yellow veil covers all my salads.]

Meat on a (Coconut) Milky way

Filed under: Alakarppi,lammas,Lihaa,Maidoton,meat,paleo — Meri @ 9.03

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

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.

7.1.2010

Berry Crumble! Crumble Crumble!

Filed under: Alakarppi,Herkut,Maidoton,Nuts!,Optimoidut,paleo,Super foods — Meri @ 21.52

INDEED I’m gonna lure you into trying this by posting this thing OVER and OVER again! Just with a little bit of twist, now and then. I ain’t gonna stop until you’ve ALL tried it and loved it! 😛

berrycrumble

Berry Crumble

  • blueberries
  • raspberries
  • apple
  • lemon juice
  • cardamom

Grease the pie tin, spread berries on it evenly and chop the apple to go with them. Season with lemon juice and cardamom.

Crumble

  • virgin coconut oil
  • coconut flakes
  • salt (the ESSENTIAL ingredient to go with the coconut oil)
  • mulberries, gojis, seeds

Crush dried berries and seeds, mix with other ingredients. Melt. Our over berries and apple. Bake in 220 for about 30 to 40 minutes. Let it cool. Then eat it before any other FOOL! It’s sooo good. Nobody needs pies when you have THIS.

berrycrumble3

berrycrumble2

(Convinced already?)

Look mama, Monkey eats meat!

Filed under: Alakarppi,Lihaa,paleo,Sallad — Meri @ 21.42

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!

pihvi

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!

6.1.2010

Monkey Crumble, take two

Filed under: Gluteeniton,Nuts!,paleo,Super foods — Meri @ 20.39

To make sure you realise how bloody brilliant this is, I’m gonna post this again just after a couple of days of the premiére. This was the third time I made this within… Well, some days. Not many. It’s hilariously delish. Also easy.

crumble

Monkey Crumble

  • apples
  • lemon juice
  • cinnamon

Oil a pie dish and cube the apples, place in the dish. Season with lemon juice and a hefty amount of cinnamon. Prepare topping.

Topping

  • virgin coconut oil
  • good quality salt
  • organic coconut flakes (totally different from the markets’ coconut sh*t, available in Ekolo)
  • nuts/seeds
  • gojis, mulberries

Crush the nuts, seeds, berries –> melt in a bowl with coconut oil, salt. Pour over apples. Bake in approx. 220 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool. Let go!

5.1.2010

As good as it gets

Filed under: Alakarppi,Lihaa,paleo — Meri @ 20.12

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)

meat

…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.

3.1.2010

Paleo hummus

Filed under: Alakarppi,paleo,Soosit — Meri @ 18.21

We love hummus, especially The Meat Eater I’m living with. Since chickpeas or any other legumes or beans are not really paleo, I made my own favourite! The recipe’s the same old same old from Monkeyfood, but in case some of you may have missed the early days of this animal kitchen here it is.

mutabel2

This “eggplant hummus” has many names: moutabbel, mutabel, baba ghanoush… Give it your own!

Mutabel

  • 1 large or two smaller eggplants
  • 1-2 Tbsp tahini
  • lime or lemon juice
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic
  • salt

Put the oven on for 250 degrees. Lay the whole eggplants on an oven tray and let them bake for an hour. Take out and let cool. When cooled, cut open and scrape all the eggplant flesh into a mixer. Purée with other ingredients and adjust taste to suit your tastebuds: add garlic if you love it, use more tahini if you like it softer, add tangy with the citrus and don’t forget the salt. Damn good! Try it with different veggies or a sandwich, in case you eat some.

IF you’ve still got a sweet tooth

Filed under: Alakarppi,Gluteeniton,laktoositon,Maidoton,paleo — Meri @ 18.13

You’ve all probably so conscious about the modern knowledge regarding the dangers of sugars and all it’s relatives, closer ones as well as further ones in the line, even the step-daughter and in-laws that there’s no need for substitions for sugary treats. Anyway I’m gonna share this piece with you just as an example of a baked good when going paleo.

paleopancake

Paleo Pancake (size of a pie tin)

  • 3 dl coconut milk
  • 3 organic eggs
  • 1 dl shredded coconut
  • 125 g pureed mango (used once can of a baby purée)
  • 1 apple
  • 1 banana
  • chunks of coconut oil
  • salt, cardamom

Turn on the oven, about 20 degrees. Oil the pie tin. Mix eggs, coconut milk, shredded coconut and mango, season with salt and cardamom. Cube apple and banana, spread cubes evenly on the pie tin. Pour the pancake mixture over the fruit and finish with some knobs of coconut oil. Bake maybe 30 minutes or until pretty golden and settled. Let cool.

Not exactly like a traditional pancake, but fresh and still rich. Texture’s quite different, not omeletty but not so floury either, if you wanna add traditional texture use some almond or coconut meal. By the way, tasting this before the oven makes you wanna try making this into an “ice cream”, or something someone would call a semifreddo.

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