The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle (11 page)

Wedge Salad

While paying a restaurant chef money to simply quarter a head of lettuce and throw some toppings on it often feels ludicrous, I find the same technique to be both fun and easy on the wallet when done at home. Salads served wedge-style date back to the 1910s and reached peak popularity in the 1960s. Iceberg lettuce, the staple lettuce used in this dish, has slowly been replaced by leaf lettuces over the years, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for this crispy, blank-canvas lettuce; it stays fresher longer than leaf lettuces and pairs better with creamy dressings and heavier toppings, as in this recipe.

SERVES:
4
PREP TIME:
UP TO 24 HOURS
COOKING TIME:
20 MINUTES

1/2 CUP SOUR CREAM

1/2 CUP MAYONNAISE (
SEE HERE
)

1/2 TBSP. WHITE WINE VINEGAR

1/2 TBSP. LEMON JUICE

1/2 TSP. GARLIC POWDER

1/2 TSP. ONION POWDER

4 OZ. CRUMBLED BLUE CHEESE, DIVIDED SALT AND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE

1 HEAD ICEBERG LETTUCE

20 GRAPE TOMATOES, SLICED IN HALF LENGTHWISE

4 RADISHES, THINLY SLICED

6 OZ. BACON, COOKED AND CHOPPED

1. In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir in 2 oz. of the blue cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. The dressing can be used immediately, but for best results, cover and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours to let the flavors marry.

2. Core and quarter the head of lettuce, then top each wedge with dressing, tomatoes, radishes, bacon, and the remaining 2 oz. crumbled blue cheese.

Beet Salad
(Vinegret)

Vinegret is the name of a Russian salad that is likely not of Russian origin, but rather borrowed from German or Scandinavian cuisine. In traditional Russian cuisine, salads were pretty rare. Vinegret is often cited as the first Russian salad, first mentioned in the 19th century.

Another Russian favorite is Olivier salad, which has a much more interesting history. It was invented by Lucien Olivier, a Belgian chef working in Moscow in the 1860s. The original recipe was a closely held secret and was never truly duplicated. Documents reveal that the salad likely included caviar, crawfish tails, aspic, and veal tongue. Over the years, these rare ingredients were replaced by common ones. Instructions for making Olivier Salad are also found below, as the method is similar.

SERVES:
6
PREP TIME:
20 MINUTES
COOKING TIME:
40 MINUTES

2 MEDIUM BEETS

2 MEDIUM POTATOES, PEELED

3 CARROTS

1/2 CUP SAUERKRAUT, DRAINED

1/2 CUP GARLIC DILL PICKLES (
SEE HERE
), DICED

1 TBSP. OLIVE OIL

1/2 GREEN APPLE, DICED

1/2 TBSP. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

1. Bring two pots of water to a boil. In one pot, gently boil the beets until they can be pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes; in the other, gently boil the potatoes until softened, about 10 minutes. Separately, steam the carrots until softened, about 8 minutes. Strain and rinse the vegetables and allow to cool. Once cool, peel and dice the beets into 1/2" chunks, using rubber gloves if you have them. Dice the potatoes and carrots into 1/2" chunks.

2. Combine the vegetables with the sauerkraut, dill pickles, oil, apple, and vinegar in a large stain-resistant bowl, and mix together with your hands or a large spoon until everything is bright red. This salad will keep for up to a week and tastes better the following day.

Variation:

For Olivier salad, omit the beets, olive oil, apple, and vinegar; replace with 1/2 cup diced ham, 1/2 cup hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 cup cooked peas, and 1/4 cup Mayonnaise (
see here
). Add crawfish tails if desired.

Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is a low-carb solution for those wanting a rice-like texture without eating actual rice. It fares best when covered in a curry or other sauce. Cauliflower rice can be fried but needs to be added at the very end of cooking at a high temperature for only a couple minutes.

Cauliflower has probably existed for more than 2,000 years; it is believed to have originally come from Cyprus. Cauliflower is a direct descendant of wild cabbage and a close cousin to broccoli. Although it was known in Europe during the Middle Ages, it disappeared until sometime in the 17th century, when Italy reintroduced it to the French, who spread it throughout the rest of Europe sometime thereafter.

SERVES:
4
PREP TIME:
5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME:
10 MINUTES

1 HEAD CAULIFLOWER, COARSELY CHOPPED

1 TBSP. BUTTER OR COCONUT OIL

1 TBSP. WATER

SALT TO TASTE

1. Add the chopped cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until it is the consistency of rice or couscous.

2. In a large skillet, warm the butter or coconut oil on medium heat for 1 minute, then stir in the cauliflower. Sauté until sizzling, then add the water, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until softened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt to taste and either serve or let cool for use in other dishes.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish that’s a lot of fun to say aloud. Legend has it that the dish originated from the belief that leftover food cannot be brought into the New Year. For that reason, Koreans started the practice of mixing together various ingredients in one bowl.

There is an unlimited amount of variability to this dish and many regional specialties. The most popular version is dolsot bibimbap, which is plated in a hot stoneware bowl, cooking the outside layer of rice into a crunchy, delicious treat.

The ingredients listed below should be treated as just a suggestion of the wide variety you can add to this dish. Consider this dish like Congee (
see here
) or Fried Rice (
see here
)—a tasty way of finishing off leftovers.

Boiled royal fern can be found packaged in Asian markets.

SERVES:
4
PREP TIME:
30 MINUTES, PLUS TIME TO PREP THE RICE AND KALBI
COOKING TIME:
10 MINUTES TO FRY EGGS AND ARRANGE DISHES

2 TSP. COCONUT OIL, DIVIDED

1 CUP BOILED ROYAL FERN (GOBI NAMUL), SLICED INTO 3" LENGTHS

3 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED, DIVIDED

2 TSP. SESAME OIL, DIVIDED

1 CUP RAW SPINACH

2 CUPS WARM COOKED WHITE RICE (
SEE HERE
)

1 CUP DO CHUA (
SEE HERE
)

1 CUP KIMCHI (
SEE HERE
)

1 CUP WARM COOKED KALBI (
SEE HERE
)

4 EGGS

2 TSP. SESAME SEEDS TO GARNISH

KOCHUJANG SAUCE (BELOW)

1. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp. of the coconut oil on medium heat for 1 minute, then add the boiled fern and half of the garlic. Sauté until warmed, about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat, toss with 1 tsp. of the sesame oil, and set aside. Sauté the spinach and the rest of the garlic in the remaining 1 tsp. coconut oil, adding 1 Tbsp. water after 1 minute of sautéing to help blanch it. Toss in the remaining 1 tsp. sesame oil and set aside.

2. The same process can be used for other vegetables, like sliced cucumber, shiitake mushrooms, grated carrots, or daikon radish. Place the cooked veggies in the fridge to cool for 20 minutes.

3. Distribute and pack the white rice in the bottoms of 4 bowls. Arrange the meat and veggies in sections around each bowl, then fry the eggs and place one in each bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with any leftover garnishes and kochujang sauce (see recipe below).

KOCHUJANG (OR GOCHUJANG) SAUCE

2 TBSP. KOREAN RED PEPPER POWDER

2 CLOVES GARLIC

1 TBSP. RICE VINEGAR

1 TSP. TAMARI

1 TSP. SESAME OIL

2 TSP. HONEY

3 TBSP. CHICKEN BROTH (
SEE HERE
)

1. Blend the sauce ingredients, then add salt to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Chinese Greens

There are a wide and tasty variety of Chinese greens in China, many of which are commonly found in Western markets today. Typical cabbage greens like kale, collards, and chard require extended cooking times, but Chinese greens are often sautéed at high temperatures for a short time, then garnished with a flavorful sauce. For more information on Chinese greens,
see here
.

SERVES:
4
PREP TIME:
5 MINUTES
COOKING TIME:
15 MINUTES

1/3 CUP CHICKEN BROTH (
SEE HERE
)

2 TBSP. CHINESE COOKING WINE (
SEE HERE
)

1/4 TSP. WHITE PEPPER

SALT TO TASTE

1 TSP. ARROWROOT STARCH OR POTATO STARCH

1 TSP. COLD WATER

1 LB. WHOLE LEAFY CHINESE GREENS, LIKE CHOY SUM, KAI-LAN, OR BOK CHOY

1 TBSP. COCONUT OIL

1" GINGER, PEELED AND GRATED