Mum's Shortbread recipe

For the days when resistance is futile

8oz butter 

4oz castor sugar 

9oz plain flour

3oz cornflour

Squeeze ingredients together then knead and put in tin and smooth top.  Cook at 325 for 45 mins.  Remove from oven, cut into pieces and sprinkle with castor sugar and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes 

Chicken, cabbage and apple

Ingredients

Chicken Ingredients:

3 cups apple juice
3 cups water
8 tsp salt
6 tsp coconut crystals
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp rubbed sage
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Braised Cabbage, Fennel, and Apple Ingredients:

2 cups cabbage shredded
1 cup fennel bulb julienne
1 cup Granny Smith apple julienne
1 cup onion julienne
4 cups apple juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp caraway seed
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Fennel fronds for garnish

Instructions

In a large container that you can seal, whisk together all "chicken ingredients" except the chicken.
Add chicken breasts. Let brine in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
When you're ready to start cooking, preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit degrees.
Place chicken on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken in oven and roast for 25 minutes or until internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit is achieved.
While chicken is in the oven, heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium high.
Add olive oil, cabbage, fennel, apple, and onion to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until ingredients are wilted.
Reduce heat to low, add remaining ingredients, and season with salt and pepper
Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Slice chicken and serve over cabbage, fennel, and apple mixture.

Asian Meatballs from Nom Nom Paleo

Ingredients

8 medium fresh shiitake mushrooms, minced (or 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated)
1 medium shallot, minced
¾ cup minced sweet potato
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
2 pounds ground beef
1½ tablespoons Paleo-friendly fish sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Magic Mushroom Powder or Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons melted fat of choice (unnecessary if using parchment paper)

Instructions

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or foil, and preheat the oven to 375°F. In the meantime, finely mince the mushrooms, shallot, sweet potato, and cilantro.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, fish sauce, tomato paste, and the minced veggies and herbs. Sprinkle on Magic Mushroom Powder (or kosher salt) and pepper. If you’re unsure of how much seasoning to use, start with ½ teaspoon Magic Mushroom Powder (or kosher salt) and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Thoroughly combine the ingredients but don’t overwork the meat.

Scoop out uniform balls with a medium disher (1½ tablespoons) and roll out three dozen meatballs. Each meatball should be about 1½ inches in diameter. (If you’re not using parchment paper, brush the foil or baking sheet with the melted fat before you place the meatballs on top.)

Divide the meatballs onto the two lined baking sheets. Bake each tray of meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the tray at the midpoint to ensure even cooking.

Plate and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze the cooked meatballs for up to 6 months.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Ingredients
1 1/3 cup coconut water
1 14oz can coconut milk
1 banana fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8-1/4 tsp salt
zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup chia seeds ground

Instructions
Put all ingredients in a blender and mix thoroughly.
Add chia seeds while blending (add at this point to prevent clumping).
Pour into a sealable container, refrigerate allowing to thicken for 6 hours.

Chicken breast with green onions and ginger

Ingredients
¼ cup softened duck fat, ghee, avocado oil, or fat of choice
½ cup thinly sliced scallions (about 3 scallions)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (use a microplane for best results!)
Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (10-12 ounces each)
1 tablespoon melted duck fat, ghee, or fat of choice

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, add the fat, scallions, ginger, and 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt  Mix well.
Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin of each chicken breast away from the meat to form a pocket. Add 1 tablespoon of the “pesto” under the skin of each breast.
Carefully press and massage the skin to evenly distribute the pesto.
Put the chicken skin-side up on a wire rack atop a foil-lined baking sheet.
Brush the melted fat on the chicken breasts, and season with more salt.
Oven-roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 150°F.
Rest the chicken for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, debone the breasts, slice, and serve!

Ginger Chicken Meatballs

Meatball Ingredients:
1.5 lbs organic pasture-raised ground chicken
1 tbsp scallions diced
1.5 tbsp fresh ginger minced
2 fresh garlic cloves minced
Pinch of ground ginger powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Meatball Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dice scallions.
Add chicken to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients to the bowl.
With clean hands, mix ingredients well and roll into 1- to 1.5-inch balls.
Place meatballs in a lightly greased oven safe skillet. Sear for 3-4 minutes on medium heat on the stove. Flip each meatball with tongs and sear another 3-4 minutes.
Carefully move the skillet to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Spicy tuna cakes

Ingredients
3 tablespoons melted ghee, divided
10 ounces canned albacore tuna packed in water, drained
3 scallions, thinly sliced (about ⅓ cup)
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh cilantro
1⅓ cup mashed baked sweet potato
finely grated zest from ½ medium lemon
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 medium lemons, cut into wedges (optional)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and use a brush to grease a 12-cup regular sized muffin tin with one tablespoon of melted ghee. (Or skip this part and just line the tin with parchment muffin liners!)
In a large bowl, mix together the tuna, scallions, and cilantro. Add the mashed sweet potato to the tuna mixture, and gently combine.
Then, mix in the lemon zest, jalapeño, the remaining two tablespoons of ghee, eggs, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I normally use 1½ teaspoons of Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt, but your taste may vary. (Not sure if you’ve added enough S&P? Take a small portion and fry up a little pancake to see if the seasoning is right!)
Use your hands to mix everything together because that way you can make sure that the fish chunks aren’t overly broken up.
Scoop a ¼ cup of the mixture into each greased muffin tin cup and flatten with the back of a spoon.
Bake the tuna cakes for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly.
Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. The easiest way I’ve found to get them out is to put the wire rack on top of the muffin tin, flip everything upside-down, and tap them gently on the counter.
Grab a lemon wedge and squeeze some juice on your tuna cake before your pop it in your mouth. They’re fantastic right out of the oven. Alternatively, store them in the fridge in a air-tight container for up to four days, and when you’re ready to eat, skillet-fry the cakes in some melted fat over medium heat. Crisp the edges, and you’re good to go.

Paper-wrapped chicken

Ingredients:

½ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
4 cups sliced bok choy
Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (If I were you, I’d choose thighs because they’re tastier more forgiving if you leave the packets in too long!)
8 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 large shallots, thinly sliced

Method:

Set the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle position. Grab 4 large parchment sheets, and fold each in half. Draw half a heart on each sheet so that when you cut them out, you get full hearts.
Unfold the paper hearts and lay them flat.
Place a cup of sliced bok choy on one side of each heart. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the bok choy.
Salt and pepper the chicken, too. Then, place a piece of chicken atop each pile of bok choy.
Top with ¼ of the mushrooms and shallots. Spoon 2 tablespoons of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce onto each mound.
Fold the other half of each heart over the top. Tightly crimp the edges together, starting at the top-center of each heart. At the pointed bottom end, twist the paper to seal well. Repeat steps for the three remaining chicken packets.
Place the parchment packets on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. The breasts should register 150°F on an instant-read thermometer, and the thighs should register 165°F.
As soon as the packets are out of the oven, carefully cut them open. Serve immediately!

Stir-Fry Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup coconut aminos
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup Red Boat fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ginger powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Nom Nom Paleo Instant Pot Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon avocado oil, ghee, or cooking fat of choice
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves,minced
2 pounds ground beef (85% lean, 15% fat)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup chicken broth or bone broth
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)

Method:

Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and wait for the metal insert to heat up. Once the insert is hot, add 1 tablespoon of fat and swirl it around.
As soon as the oil is shimmering, add the onions and bell peppers with a sprinkle of salt.
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened.
Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add in the ground beef along with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Brown the meat and break it up with a spatula.
When most of the ground beef is no longer pink (5 to 7 minutes), stir in the chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne pepper (optional).
Combine well to distribute the fragrant spices.
Toss in the drained diced tomatoes, broth, and fish sauce.
Stir everything well, making sure the liquid reaches the bottom of the insert.
Lock the lid and cook under high pressure for 15 minutes. (In other words, press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button and set the time for 15 minutes under high pressure.)
When the chili is finished cooking, release the pressure manually if you’re itching to eat it right away. Otherwise, you can let the pressure come down naturally and chow down when you’re ready.