Your Personal Paleo Code: The 3-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Reverse Disease, and Stay Fit and Healthy for Life (42 page)

Cut off the bottom of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and remove the stem and tough bottom core. Place the cauliflower bottom-side up in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Add the onion, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, and cloves, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cauliflower, drain, cool,
and coarsely chop. The cauliflower should have a crumbly consistency. Heat the bacon drippings or traditional fat of choice in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the cauliflower bits, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with chopped parsley.

In a large salad bowl, add the vinaigrette first, then the romaine, and gently toss.

Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil. Peel the yuca and cut it into the shape of fries, about 3 inches long and 1½ inches thick. (Don’t cut them thinner than this or they’ll get too dry and tough when you roast them.) Boil the yuca fries for 30 minutes until soft but not falling apart. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475°F. Drain the fries and put them in a mixing bowl. Pour liquefied fat over fries and mix to distribute evenly. Spread the fries on a baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the baking sheet on a lower rack in the oven and roast for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the fries. Roast for another 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a baking dish, roast the squash cubes with the chopped bacon for 1 hour, stirring well every 15 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and kale. With impeccably clean hands, strongly massage the salt into the kale for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and continue massaging the kale leaves for
1 additional minute. Set aside until ready to assemble the salad. When the squash is tender and the bacon crispy, remove the pan and carefully drain off the bacon fat into a small mixing bowl. Whisk the fat (there should be about 3 tablespoons) with the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice.

There will be a lot of liquid in the bottom of the kale. Squeeze it out and put the drained kale in a salad bowl. Add the squash, bacon, chives, sage, and walnuts. Toss with the lemon-bacon dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the nori sheets into squares with a knife or kitchen shears, or cut into smaller pieces if you prefer (for easy storage). Place the nori on a baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly brush the nori on one side with oil using a pastry brush or your fingers. Sprinkle the oiled side of the nori with salt and the powdered spice of your choice. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the nori chips become dry and crispy and just begin to pucker a bit. Let them cool and serve or store in airtight container for up to 5 days.

Cut the eggs in half and serve sprinkled with salt and pepper with avocado slices on the side.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cut the kale leaves into large uniform pieces. In a mixing bowl combine the kale, melted fat, and vinegar until the kale is well coated. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the kale on a baking tray (you may have to do this in two batches) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, tossing the kale chips at least once to help dry them out. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop them out. (If you have unripe avocados, place them in a paper bag with half an apple for 2 to 3 days to ripen.) Combine all the ingredients except the carrots in a bowl and mash.

Slice the carrots on the bias into chips. Serve the guacamole with the carrot chips on the side.

To store guacamole, cover with plastic wrap to keep it from turning gray (oxidizing), lightly pressing the wrap onto the surface of the guacamole to “seal” it. The guacamole can be stored in the refrigerator, but eat it quickly because it will stay fresh for only 2 or 3 days. The carrot chips can be stored in a bowl of water, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bones, onions, and carrots in a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes or until very well browned. Add ½ inch of water to the pan so drippings don’t burn and stick to the bottom. Add everything from the roasting pan (scraping the bottom), 6 quarts of water, and all the remaining ingredients to a stockpot. Bring stockpot to a boil, reduce to low heat, and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Strain the stock. When the stock is completely cold, pour it into 1-quart mason jars and refrigerate for later use. It should last about a week in the refrigerator; you can also freeze it in bulk or individual portions in freezer-safe plastic bags.

Heat the pork fat in a large stockpot over medium-low heat and stir frequently for about an hour. If you use too low a heat setting, little will happen during the cooking. However, too high a heat setting will cause sticking and burning. Aim for medium low and stir frequently; this is a slow-cooking process. Eventually, a quarter inch of rendered liquid fat will gather at the bottom of the pan and you will see the cubes start to change in color from pink to tan. Keep stirring to prevent sticking and to keep the heat even throughout the pieces. Soon the liquid will begin to accumulate to cover the cubes. Once all the cubes are submerged, stirring is no longer necessary for even cooking, but it may be necessary to prevent sticking. The fat should never smoke or come close to smoking. When the cubes have lost much of their original size and are light brown (not burned), they have turned into cracklings and you are ready to strain the lard. You can dry the cracklings on a paper towel and eat them, of course! Using care—the lard is very hot—strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a 1-quart glass jar. It should be the color of apple juice. Once the lard has cooled, cover and store in the refrigerator. When it is refrigerated and solidifies, it should be white in color. If the lard is a brown color when solid, it means the lard has burned and should not be used. It will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Add all the ingredients to a large stockpot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 3 hours. While still warm, strain the stock through a sieve. A wet cheesecloth can then be used to strain out all the fine particles. When the stock is at room temperature, the pot can be placed in a refrigerator for a few hours. This will cause the fat to harden on the surface. The fat can then be skimmed off and used for cooking, and it will keep for up to 1 week if refrigerated in a tightly sealed jar.

All the ingredients and equipment must be at room temperature. Combine the egg yolks, mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice together in a ceramic or steel bowl (do not use glass or plastic) and whisk until
smooth. (You may use a blender but the container must be steel; a bowl is actually preferable.) While whisking, begin adding the oil in a very thin stream at first. When the mixture starts to cling to the sides of the bowl, then and only then add the remaining oil in a slow stream, whisking the whole time. A tip: Place a folded wet dish towel beneath the bowl to prevent it from moving while you’re whisking. Fresh mayonnaise can be kept in a bowl covered with cling film in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.