Fried Tripe

Rounding out this year's non-traditional paleo food features is tripe! This is pretty simple to prepare and tasty, too. Bring this to your company holiday party, I dare you!

Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 3 hours

• 1 lb. beef tripe
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. coriander
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. wheat-free Tamari soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. beef tallow (lard or coconut oil works also)

Wash the tripe carefully, and then bring it to a boil in a pot of water. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for one hour. Remove the tripe and allow it to cool.

Cut the tripe into bite-sized squares and place into a bowl. Add the seasonings and Tamari sauce; mix well. Cover and allow to sit for an hour or two.

Heat the tallow in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the tripe, tossing often, until it browns a bit and begins to crisp. This will take ten to 12 minutes. Allow to cool for a bit, then serve warm.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 14g prot, 11g fat.


Pumpkin & Wild Boar Soup

This is an updated version of a recipe I wrote years ago - Chunky Pumpkin Soup. That recipe has remained an annual favorite in our house; it's one of the few that I cook each year. This year, I decided to update it a bit as well as use wild boar instead of pork. If you don't live here in Portland where you can buy wild boar in better markets, you can order it online. Or, simply use pork as in the original.

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 1/2 cup chopped bacon ends
• 1/2 of an Amber Cup pumpkin or similar winter squash (do not use Jack-o-Lanterns!)
• 1 lb. wild boar stew meat (cubed)
• 1 cup spinach leaves
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. beef gelatin powder (optional)

Halve and seed the pumpkin. Place face down on a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove and allow to cool enough so you can handle it.

Dice the pumpkin into cubes. You can also peel or cut away the skin if you’d like.

Sauté the bacon ends in a large skillet or saucepan. Once they have browned some, add the boar and sauté until browned on all sides. Add all the remaining ingredients except the gelatin. Cover and cook over medium heat for around 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the gelatin at the end if so desired.

Nutritional info: 3 servings at 10g carb, 40g prot, 14g fat.





Nutty Squash

This is a simple dish you can throw together quickly. I stumbled upon it one day when there wasn't much food in the house, and it turned out to be really good.

Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: ~1 hour

• 1 butternut squash
• 5 Tbsp. almond butter
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• sea salt

Halve and seed the squash. Place face down on a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove and allow to cool enough so you can handle it.

Remove the skin; it should peel easily with the help of a knife. Toss the peeled squash into a bowl, then mash with a potato masher. Add the almond butter and seasonings; continue to mash until well mixed. You can also experiment with the seasonings - cinnamon is another great option, for example.

This is good to serve warm, or it's also good chilled and served later.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 21g carb, 5g prot, 10.5g fat.


Ambrosia

Time: 5 minutes

• 1 apple, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 2-3 Mandarin oranges, segmented
• 1/4-cup organic kefir, yogurt, or coconut kefir (depending on your preferences, restrictions, etc.)
• coconut shreds, toasted if desired

Combine the apples, oranges, and kefir in a bowl. Mix, transfer to serving bowls. Top with the coconut shreds.

You can toast the coconut shreds beforehand if you wish. Brown them in a skillet over medium-high heat first.

Nutritional info: 2 servings at 25g carb, 4g fat.