Chocolate date balls

I decided to make chocolate date balls as part of my recent/ongoing feasting. The half batch I made was such a hit (with myself and My Charming Companion), that we are now going to make another batch to bring on next week's cabin excursion. This next batch is going to get a little extra glam with some experimental cointreau liqueur added to the batch. ! (Cointreau is gluten free, btw.) These tasty little things are pretty over the top delicious. They are like fudge, but not so sweet and way better (which having had a square or two of fudge this past week, I WAY prefer these date balls). And they are easy to make.

Chocolate Date Balls
1 c whole pecans (walnuts would work too)
1 1/3 cups pitted dates (I used medjool)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons quality cocoa powder
good pinch of nice sea salt

Garnish with: Maldon (or other) sea salt, toasted shredded coconut, toasted pistachios...?

1. Place ingredients in a food processor and process on high until the mixture becomes paste-like. 
2. Wet your hands with water (so the dough won't stick to them) and roll the “dough” into 1-inch balls. Set on a baking sheet or plate.
3. Garnish!
Sea salt: Put a few tablespoons of sea salt on a plate and dip the top of the fudge bombs into the salt.
Coconut: Toast coconut on a dry cast iron skillet for 3-5 minutes on medium heat until lightly browned. Stir often! Put a few tablespoons of shredded coconut on a plate and roll the date ball in the coconut, pressing it into the sides of the ball with your hands.
Pistachios: Toast whole pistachios on a dry cast iron skillet for 5-6 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and chop finely. Role the date ball in the pistachios, pressing them into the sides of the ball.
5. Set date balls in fridge for 30-60 minutes to firm up, then eat.Yum!

Gravlax with paleo crackers

I brought homemade gravlax to My Charming Companion's family Christmas, and it was a big success: meltingly tender and the right amount of salty with really nice accents of dill and caraway. It inspired some commentary and questions about the difference between gravlax and lox: gravlax is cured in salt AND sugar for 1-3 days and includes dill, whereas lox is cured in salt only for several weeks and is often confused with cold smoked salmon. We did all agree that all are delicious, and proceeded to eat it all up. Gravlax is just sort of sparkly and lovely to bring somewhere - it's novel and special and it's cured salmon! yum.

Cured salmon filet before slicing and pressing with dill

There are numerous recipes for gravlax and I ended up searching through lots of them. The recipes vary in the amount of salt and sugar, in the ratio of the two, there is a variety of spices and flavors, and some use alcohol and others don't. What it seems from this wide range of recipes is that there are many ways to make good gravlax, so go with a recipe that appeals to you! I found myself drawn to two: one from Saveur and one from the NY Times (in an article with 3 other recipes) because they used less sugar and salt overall and the spicing seemed most interesting. The recipe I ultimately used was most based on the one in the NY Times by chef Tom Valenti, and needs to cure for about 48 hours. Below is my adaptation.

Gravlax
1 2 pound fillet of salmon, pin bones removed
2 tablespoons vodka or tequila
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 bay leaves, chopped
2 bunches dill, stems and all, minced
1/2 onion, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon minced tarragon

Salmon on plastic wrap with salt and sugar

1. Place salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of plastic wrap, and sprinkle it with the alcohol. Mix together the salt and sugar, then sprinkle onto the flesh side of the salmon. Mix together the bay leaves, dill, pepper, caraway seeds, and tarragon. Cover the flesh side of the salmon with the onions and this mixture, making sure to coat it completely (see photo below).
2. Wrap the fish well (as in several layers of plastic wrap), and refrigerate for about 48 hours. The salmon will release a lot of liquid, so be careful to have the whole plastic wrapped package in a tupperware or deep dish of some kind to catch all that liquid.
3. After 48 hours, unwrap the salmon and rinse off the cure.* Dry and filet the skin off as carefully as possible. I chopped up another 1/4 cup of fresh dill and pressed it to the underside of the gravlox so that there was dill in each slice. To serve, slice gravlax thinly with a sharp knife. I had mine with homemade crackers (see below) and it was excellent.

Pre-wrapping it up with all the herbs

*If you are not serving right away, do still rinse off the cure after 48 hours. Not rinsing the cure will make the gravlax more dry and overly salty. Store the gravlax in tupperware or wrapped up until ready to serve. I read that the gravlax keep in this state anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks, but have not tested the longer length!

I made some special paleo crackers to eat my gravlax with - caraway dill almond ones, following my previously posted recipe but swapping out some herbs. They turned out great.

Almond Caraway Dill Crackers
1 3/4 c almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1 T dried dill
1 T caraway seeds
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 T olive oil
1 egg

1. Mix dry ingredients together - make sure almond flour is nut clumped up.
2. Whisk oil and egg in a small bowl, then add to almond flour mix and stir until combined. The mixture will be wet and quite thick.
3. Roll the dough into a ball and press it between two sheets of parchment paper about 1/8" thick.
4. Remove top parchment layer and cut crackers with a pizza roller or knife into desired size. Transfer the bottom piece of parchment (with cracker dough) to a baking sheet, and bake 12-15 minutes at 350. Let cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

(Paleo) Chicken Bastila

Fresh out of the oven!

My personal tradition of these days we call Christmas and Christmas Eve revolve around making some good food. This year I spent several weeks considering what to make, including some rumination of different seafood options. But then I read Melissa's (Clothes Makes the Girl) recipe for Paleo Chicken Bastila, and decided to give it a go. I found the lengthy cooking time and celebratory nature of the dish fitting. Traditionally this is served as an appetizer on special occasions, and is a pie of chicken, cinnamon & sugar, and almonds all in layered pastry dough with a dusting of confectioners sugar on top. Here is a nice article and recipe about traditional Bastila with photos.

My Charming Companion has particularly strong memories of Bastila from eating at Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant in Philadelphia. He ate there about 3 times over 20 years ago, but has thought of the sweet chicken pie ever since. (He told me last night while eating dinner that he had become inordinately excited at the prospect of my making a paleo bastila, but was playing it cool.) It was great that he had eaten it before because there could be some comparison between his memory of bastila and the one on the plate before us. We ate it as they served it in the restaurant: in the dark and with our hands.

It was delicious. When I make this again, I will do the filling prep the day before. It will save time because you don't need to wait out the cooling, and will make assembly much easier. I also would love to actually serve this as an appetizer to a main meal of something less sweet. We ate it as the entree here, but the sweetness of it lends to a more secondary dish than a main one. Not thinking about the sweetness, I made a carrot and beet salad to serve with the bastila, but that was too many sweet things. Bastila would be better with a tart, olive-y salad with tomatoes and cucumber, or lemony greens or something. It wants a companion that is salty and tart.

Sprinkling the "almond dust" over the egg layer

2nd chicken layer

Final "almond dust" layer topping

Yum!

My thoughts for the recipe (which was lovely):

• I will use one additional egg next time in the egg custard part (plus a little more liquid to cook down from the chicken) to add to overall moistness.
• I want to pour some ghee over the chicken layers to get more of the buttery pastry taste. 
• Sprinkle cinnamon directly on top of the whole thing to really up the initial cinnamon sensory flavor.
• I'll simplify the bottom pastry crust to food process all ingredients and press them into the pie pan. I've made crusts this way before (with cold or melted ghee/coconut oil) and had them turn out great. This will save a little fussiness.

So - there was the holiday dinner. I did get my fancy seafood in last weekend by making scallops and shrimp on pea puree, and I made gravlox to bring to a family dinner today. I tasted it last night and it turned out amazing! I'll be posting both of those recipes later this week!

Roasted Beets with Honey Balsamic Sauce

Just about the only place I go out to eat these days is the Seward hot bar. Last weekend My Chmaring Companion and I sat at the window seats for 2 hours chattering away over some tasty food and coffee. And then I do my shopping and it all makes for a cozy, convenient, "I know exactly what is in my food" kind of experience. They have been serving these roasted balsamic beets in there for the last couple of months, and I really love them. In part because of the honey and sweetness, I am sure. But I finally got around to making these at home because the local beets are big and gorgeous and why not just have a big batch?!

These were super simple: just roast the beets, and cook down some balsamic vinegar and honey. That is about it. Roasting beets just takes awhile - you want them to get tender, so give them a long time. Mine were really big and I cooked them for almost 2 hours.

Roasted Beets!
2 lbs beets
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Cut off the end/greens from your beets, and rub olive oil on the skin. Wrap the beets (together or separately) in tin foil so that they don't dry out. Because my beets were so large, I wrapped them each individually, but if yours are small, create a bit of a package of them all in there. Be sure to put the foil wrapped package on a baking sheet or pan because it is likely to drip a bit of beet juice. Roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until a fork pierced into the beet goes in easily. Set aside to cool.
2. In a small saucepan heat vinegar and honey on low until reduced by about half. Stir in cinnamon and salt.
3. Once beets have cooled, peel off skin and chop into whatever size pieces you like (I like some large bites). Pour balsamic reduction over the top, and sprinkle any additional salt or pepper to taste. It's delicious warm, but nice cold too.

Pumpkin Custard

I've been eating a lot of orange vegetables lately: carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. The first two are still from the garden, and the latter is just what I want this time of year. And even though greens sound good, I can't quite bring myself to buy any at the store. It seems silly after spending the past numerous months picking whole armfuls in the backyard. (Incidentally I was able to keep picking it basically up until this last snowstorm. The kale was frozen out there and snapped off the plant when I "picked" it, but cooked up just fine). So - it's me and lots of orange veggies. My feet and hands have not turned orange yet, but I keep checking them to see.

Amidst the orange is this lovely pumpkin custard. I remember a few years ago when my sister was visiting and staying with my dad for several weeks - they seemed to have an epiphany/burst of enthusiasm for pumpkin pie. "It's really just eating vegetables!" they would exclaim gleefully, and were baking several a week to eat alongside breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I'm having my own version of their glee - pumpkin custard?! Eggs, squash/pumpkin, and a little sweetener. Yum! I've made this a few times in the last month or so.

I tend to like a thicker custard, and that seems best accomplished by reducing the amount of coconut milk in the recipe. I also like lots of the pumpkin and some strong spices. The recipe is pretty forgiving though - I mean, whats to go wrong?! In terms of sweetener: You can use 1/2 c honey if you want to go full out, but I usually do a mix of stevia and honey. My version is pretty modestly sweet (I prefer only 16 drops of stevia, but I'm a light weight on the stevia usage). One time I added in a Tablespoon of molasses, which gave it a really rich flavor. I'm listing the stevia/honey blend here, but use whatever you like.

Pumpkin Custard (modified from this "Against All Grain" recipe)
Makes 4-6 servings

1 can pumpkin puree*
3 eggs
2 T honey
16-24 drops liquid stevia
1/4 c coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp lemon zest (opt)
pinch of sea salt

*or 2 cups of your own: I've found that kabocha squash makes a really nice, dense "pumpkin"

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk all of the ingredients in a bowl until a smooth consistency. Pour the filling into ramekins or oven proof bowls, filling not quite full. (I only have 4 ramekins, and so I use a muffin tin for the overflow last cup or so. Not as picturesque, but very practical!)
3. Set ramekins in a cake pan or on a baking sheet, and set carefully in the oven to bake for 20-35 minutes (depending on the size of your ramekins/bowls). They are done when they are "set" - meaning the center is just a bit jiggly, but not sloshy when you shake them. Those are very technical terms.
4. Let cool (really they are better after they cool) and refrigerate for an hour or so.  Serve with a little coconut cream or just as is. 

Note: I did fill this left over (from my quiche crust) mini-crust with some of the pumpkin custard and oh my. It was very delicious, especially with some coconut cream all over the top. I didn't even whip the cream, it was just the thicker stuff that was at the bottom of the coconut milk can. It was very good if you want to go all out for the whole pumpkin pie thing.

Venison Barbacoa

I have had this Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook recipe for Venison Barbacoa bookmarked for awhile now, and earlier this fall I had My Charming Companion keep 3 lbs of a deer's front quarter whole specifically for this recipe. (Usually the front quarters get used for burger and sausage - so this made the butchering go faster!) I made the barbacoa this weekend, and it turned out super delicious. It's a really interesting recipe that uses a lot of cloves. Cloves?! I don't know if I've ever put more than 1/8 or 1/4 tsp of cloves in anything, and this recipe, which is decidedly not sweet (like most clove inclusive recipes) called for a full teaspoon?! And for whatever reason, it seems that the cloves are sort of what make this dish. It's really good, and I would never in a million years have guessed the spices in it.

If you don't have some venison front quarter hanging out in your freezer, 3 lbs of any tougher beef will also do (I found a list of all the larger, chewier cuts that get really tender in stew):
• Chuck, Chuck Shoulder, Chuck Roast, Chuck-Eye Roast, Top Chuck
• Bottom Round Roast, Bottom Eye Roast, Rump Roast, Eye Round Roast, Top Round, Round Tip Roast
• English Roast, Pot Roast, Stew Meat

I ended up cooking this recipe in the oven in a roasting pan covered in foil, which worked just fine. A crock pot or a big dutch oven would be ideal though. I also found that I had PLENTY of left over liquid (which got saved for a future chili), so I think you could go a little lighter on the broth. I have not tried it yet though.

This is the recipe exactly as written by Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook because for real, it was just so good (especially with avocado and some thinly sliced red cabbage)! I did keep out the garlic and was out of lime juice, so alter it as needed (but do use the cloves):

Serves 4-6
2 to 3 pounds venison, from the shoulder or legs
2 to 4 canned chipotles in adobo sauce 
1 red onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ cup lime juice
½ cup cider vinegar
1 quart beef or venison stock
1/4 cup lard
Smoked salt (optional)

1. Put everything in a slow cooker or Dutch oven and cook, covered, until the meat falls off the bone (if yours is on the bone!), which will be between 2 hours (for many domestic meats and young deer) and 6 hours if you have a very old animal. If you use a slow cooker, set it to “high.” If you use a regular pot, put it into the oven set to 300°F.
2. Pull all the meat from the bones and shred with forks or your fingers (this is the most laborious part of the whole thing) - I did this in another pan. Stir in the lard and as much smoked salt as you want. You want the lard or oil to coat the shreds of meat. Pour over some of the juices from the pot. Serve with whatever your version of tacos is (wrapped in lettuce or cabbage?) or as is.

Paleo Quiche

Sometimes I get in the mood to try something a little novel in the grain-free eating realm. This weekend it was quiche, using a coconut flour crust. I find that baking things with coconut flour usually works out well, it just has a slight dryness/density that feels specific to coconut flour (more so than almond flour). Sometimes I get in the mindset that I don't want to have as many nuts because of the omega 6s, so often coconut flour baking is more appealing than nut flour baking. In any case - the quiche turned out well - there was a solid crust that worked perfectly. I think I might prefer an egg bake to paleo quiche because I find the dryness of the crust less appealing. My Charming Companion was loving the crust however, so, if you want crust - this is a good one.

*Incidentally I had a little leftover crust mix and used it to make a mini-ramekin sized pie crust. It looks beautiful! I have not yet had a chance to make a filling for it - but pumpkin custard, chia seed pudding, or apples would be pretty awesome I think.

I followed this recipe for the crust and as a guide for the filling. The ingredients I used were a little more dry (kale, sausage and onions) - and like I said - I want a more moist quiche. So I recommend filling your quiche with oven roasted tomatoes, a green like spinach or arugula, mushrooms &/or red peppers - maybe bacon too. No matter what you use, it will still be good.

Crust (for a 9" pie plate):
1/2 cup coconut oil or ghee, melted
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350. Combine eggs and coconut oil until well-blended. Stir in coconut flour and salt and mix until a dough forms. Press dough into the bottom and up the sides, into an even layer. (I used coconut oil and because it was cold in the kitchen, it started to firm up on me. It will still spread, you just have to work the dough a bit more!) Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside.

For the filling:
5 eggs
1/2 c coconut milk
salt and pepper
1 t mustard/mustard powder
1-2 cups veggies/sausage/bacon (pre-cooked)

1. Saute your quiche filling in a large skillet. Be sure to cook and sausage or bacon thoroughly. Anything would be good in here: broccoli, olives and bacon; mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes; greens and onions with sausage, etc.
2. While the veggies cook, mix together the rest of the ingredients.
3. When veggies/meat are cooked, put them into the crust. Pour the egg mixture over it. Bake the whole thing for about 25 minutes, or until firm in the center. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes so that the eggs "set" and serve!

The ramekin mini-pie crust!

Root Veggie Latkes

I've been tinkering with this recipe to find the right combo, and I think I finally got it. The recipe for "Root Veggie Cakes" comes from the Paleo Comfort Foods blog, but I found it not quite right - at least using the coconut flour I had. So I've changed it up a bit to be less cakey and more latke-y, which seems especially fitting as we approach the end of Hanuukah. These are pretty with all the bright colors, and would be great as a platform for eggs benedict. I found them tasty with a sauce of mayo mixed with horseradish. AND these are my garden beets and carrots!?! 

Root Veggie Latkes (makes 4-5 latkes)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded parsnips
1/2 cup shredded beets
1 small onion
1 T prepared horseradish (opt)
1 egg
2 T coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
coconut oil/lard/fat

1. Combine shredded carrots, parsnips and beets in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse chopped onion until minced. Add egg, horseradish and salt and pulse again to combine. Add coconut flour and pulse to mix until mixture becomes a thick batter. Add batter to shredded root veggies and mix together. The mixture should be slightly wet and able to stick together. Because brands of coconut flour vary so widely, if your mixture is really wet (or soupy) add another Tablespoon of coconut flour.
3. Heat 1-2 T of fat in a skillet. Form about 1/4 c of mixture into a ball, and place in hot oil for each latke. Press flat with your hands or spatula and cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side. You want the veggies to cook and the outside to become crisp.
4. Serve immediately (or keep warm in the oven).

Sweet Potatoes with Spiced butter and Pomegranate seeds

My feasting on Thursday was grandiose - everything was super delicious. My uncle smoked a turkey that was free from any gluten contact, and there were two grain free pies and lots of delicious sides. I made these sweet potatoes that turned out really delicious (I was a little nervous about the spicing).

The original recipe was in Bon Appetit using squash, but I tried it with sweet potatoes. It's a Persian spiced butter with cinnamon, coriander, lime zest and cardamom. The flavor was perfect: enough to be interesting, but not too overpowering to make it difficult to eat with other foods, and the pomegranate seeds were festive. I was making a double batch (7-8 lbs of sweet potatoes) and it all was pretty easy. I did not get any finished photos, alas. I meant to take one right before serving (with the pomegranate seeds), but of course was too swept up in the forthcoming eating to remember to take a picture. Imagine a blend of these two photos:

 Because this was Thanksgiving, I made a little extra effort and peeled the sweet potatoes. I cut them into a large dice - a little over an inch cubed. Originally I roasted them in olive oil and than poured the spiced butter glaze over the top, but were I to make them again I would just roast them in the butter glaze.

Spiced Butter

My double batch! Lots of sweet potatoes!

8 T butter/ghee
1 tsp fresh grated lime zest
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp pepper
salt

Additional ingredients: Sweet potatoes (3-4 lbs) and pomegranate seeds.

1. Make the spiced butter: Either in a bowl by hand or in a food processor, mix all ingredients except salt until combined. Salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp.) Use within a week, or roll up in parchment paper and refrigerate up to 2 weeks, or freeze for 3 months.
2. When ready to make sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring about 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk in spiced butter, 1 T at a time, until all butter is incorporated to form a rich, glossy sauce. 
3. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into large chunks. In a large bowl, toss sweet potato pieces with 1/2+ of butter sauce. Stir to coat on all sides and use extra butter sauce if needed.
4. Layer sweet potatoes in single layers on sheet pans (with an edge) and lightly salt with a nice sea salt (I like Maldon). Roast for 20 minutes, flipping sweet potatoes midway through. Sweet potato pieces should be soft and browned.
5. To serve, pour remaining butter sauce over sweet potatoes and toss with pomegranate seeds.
YUM!

*Note: I learned an easy way to get pomegranate seeds from this youtube video. You basically score the pomegranate around the middle and pull it apart, then wack each half with a wooden spoon to knock out the seeds. I thought it worked great.

"Paleo" Apple Pie

I made a really good apple pie for Thanksgiving. I finished it off yesterday morning and am already wanting more! Ah, the time of holiday treat eating. I blended a bunch of recipes and was happy with the end result. The only thing I'd tamper with next time is the crumble topping...it didn't get crispy and was a little more soft/chewy. I didn't actually mind that, but will experiment some more.

The crust is a pecan crust from Elena's Pantry. The only thing I changed was to add a little sweetness to the crust. I only added one date - it seems neglegable to use just one, but that is what I did! I also baked mine differently than she does because I pre-baked it a bit and did the filling with mostly cooked apples. The whole pie baked together for only 15 minutes. Making grain free pies is really much easier than the old gluten kind - at least not needing to roll out crust and wait for it to chill and all that business. I found it quite pleasant. You could easily reduce the sweetener in the filling (or use part stevia) - I was winging it and it turned out not overly sweet.

Pecan Pie Crust
1 1/2 cups pecans
1 medjool date, pit removed
1 T coconut flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease/butter/ghee a 9" pie plate.
2. Pulse pecans and chopped date in a food processor until mixture resembles course gravel. Add coconut flour, salt and egg and pulse until the mixture thickens and starts to form a ball.
3. Spread nut crust mix into pie plate, making sure to smooth it evenly on the bottom and sides. I found it nice to wet my fingers so that the mixture didn't stick to my fingers. It took a little patience, but the whole thing spread pretty easily.
4. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 10-14 minutes. The crust will start to brown slightly and will look more firm. I poked a few fork holes on the crust to let any steam/air out as it baked. Let crust cool a bit before filling with apples.

Apple Filling
7-9 tart apples
juice of half a lemon
4 T butter/ghee
3 T honey
2 T coconut sugar
1+ tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 T coconut flour

Core apples and cut in thick slices Heat butter in a large pot and add apples once it is melted. Add remaining ingredients. Cook for about 20-25 minutes on medium heat. You want the apples to cook, but not get too soft or mushy; stir gently to coat apples in the sweet butter sauce throughout cooking time. You also want liquid to reduce a bit.

Crumble Topping: Mix the following ingredients in a food processor until crumbly/sticky.
4 dates, pit removed, chopped
2 T pecans
2 T almond meal
2 T butter or ghee

For pie: Once apples are soft and mostly cooked, spoon apples into pie crust. I had a little remaining liquid which I poured over the apples. Top pie with crumble topping.

Bake for 15 minutes in 350 degree oven. Serve!

Kimchi (improved version)

I just made a batch of kimchi jjigae (a fave winter soup) with some old kimchi and it was amazing. I made it for the first time using pork belly instead of bacon, and omg! the pork belly gives it a more silky texture. It was incredible and I still have 1 more jar of last year's kimchi to make more. What glee!

There was some really beautiful napa cabbage at the co-op a couple of weeks ago, so it seemed wise to replenish the dwindling kimchi supply. I've made kimchi 5-6 times, and this time I changed up my method. I was feeling like the recipe I was using was a little fussy and inconsistent on the salting. My biggest challenge with kimchi making is to get the appropriate salty-ness in the napa so that the fermentation works right, and to get a good taste in the end. People have all different kinds of ways to salt: soak napa in salty water, do a salt rub, just add salt to the brine, etc.

My Charming Companion has made kimchi for many, many years and I think his salting method is more effective than my previous attempts and is what I include here. No matter what technique you use, the most important thing is to taste the cabbage and check how salty it is when you put it in the jar. It should taste salty! Taste several pieces of the napa because sometimes there is a range of saltiness and you want to get them pretty similar.

The recipe below uses My Charming Companions salting methods, with my own take on the ingredients. There is no need to measure things out precisely, but I am giving some estimates here. If you have more green onions, put them in, if you want more ginger, do that. I also have a hard time with raw garlic, so I use pureed onion where most people would use garlic.

2 large heads napa cabbage (4-6 lbs)
about 1/2 c sea salt (w/out iodine)
small onion, peeled
2 T ginger, peeled
1/4 c fish sauce (red boat brand is good!)
1/2 c korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)*
1-2 T American red pepper flakes
1 daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch scallions, coarsely chopped
2 grated carrots (opt)

*Korean red pepper flakes are a bit sweet and not as spicy as American pepper flakes. I've used either in kimchi, but I love the sweetness of gochugaru. It is sold at United Noodles in a large package with a picture of kimchi on the front (the package will last many kimchi batches!) You can buy either flakes or powder. I accidentally bought powder a couple of years ago, and it is working fine. If you use American pepper flakes instead, use less because it will be spicier.

1. Quarter the napa and cut out the really tough core pieces (it's very small at the base of the quarters). Chop the napa into 2" size pieces. You are going to let these pieces of napa sit for a several hours - so either get a really big bowl, or clean out your sink and do it in there.

2. Rinse/moisten the napa and drain any excess water. Add the salt and stir well so that all of the cabbage is coated. Let sit 3-4 hours or overnight.
3. Rinse salt from napa once or twice and taste the cabbage. Rinse salt until it is the appropriate saltiness. It should be a little less salty than sauerkraut (or a salty condiment), but more salty than you would want regular food to taste.
4. Add daikon, scallions, and carrots to the napa and mix.

5. For the pepper paste: Process onion and ginger in a food processor until minced. Remove them from processor and but in a small mixing bowl. Add fish sauce and pepper flakes and stir to make a paste.
6. I put on gloves for this next step: combine the paste with the veggies and really work it in so that all veggies are covered in the red mix - things should be a bit wet at this point. Again, taste a few bites of the napa to double check the salt, and also test the spiciness. Add more pepper if you like. If the mixture is not so salty, add a little bit to the whole thing, stir, and taste again. This will ensure really good kimchi and is worth the tasting!

7. Pack the kimchi into quart jars. The napa will have shrunk quite a bit, and you can generally fit this amount into 3 jars. Press kimchi down so that liquid covers the veggies; leave about an inch at the top for excess liquid that will come up as the fermentation occurs. Put lids on the jars and let sit out 2-6 days, depending on room temp and your fave fermentation level. I sat mine out 6 days, and made sure to set them on a plate to catch any overflow liquid. Refrigerate until ready to eat. It will last years but will continue fermenting very slowly.

Chocolate chia seed pudding

I went to a big "harvest dinner" this week and ate all kinds of things that I have not been eating lately. Like wine, potatoes, and sugar - in several forms, including flourless chocolate cake. My Charming Companion asked, "Did you get romantic with that cake?" (referring to a line from It Starts with Food where they recommend eating dessert type treats with some romance. They want you to take your cookie on a date and really get cozy with it - or some such similar sentiment.) Mine was a hurried love - I was overly excited and perhaps rushed things a bit. I was wired afterwards and the next several days keep feeling hungry, hungry, hungry. Is that the sugar? I don't know for sure, but seems likely.

Other discoveries post my Whole30 - I guess I do react to dairy. My nose seems to have a tendency to be a bit wet whether I eat dairy or not, but there is significant dripping when I do. So. I don't know what I'll do with that information. Maybe not have so much dairy. We'll see.

In the wake of my sugar crash, I did decide to make this minimally sweetened chocolate pudding. It has only 5 ingredients: dark chocolate (I used my fave 80% Equal Exchange), chocolate powder, chia seeds, coconut milk, and vanilla. At first bite, I thought it was not so sweet (it was the day after the flourless chocolate cake, afterall), but a couple of days later when I had ramekin number 2, I was totally sold. My Charming Companion found these pudding cups quite delicious and was totally prepared to eat them all if I was not into them.

With a drizzle of coconut milk!

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding (4 servings)
1 14oz can coconut milk
2 oz dark chocolate, 70% or higher, chopped
1 T high quality cocoa powder
5 T chia seeds
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir/whisk in chopped chocolate and cocoa powder.
2. When chocolate is all melted and the saucepan looks like delicious hot chocolate, turn off the heat and stir in the chia seeds and vanilla. *Do this while stirring continuously so that the seeds do not clump up at the bottom. Keep stirring as mixture starts to thicken.
3. Pour into individual serving cups or ramekins, and refrigerate for at least an hour until "pudding" is firm. Serve! (I ate mine plain, but it would probably be delicious with some whipped coconut cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top.)

Grandma Ho Inspired Hamburgers

Grandma Ho is not my grandma, she is My Charming Companion's grandma, and really, this is not her exact recipe. She definitely did not use coconut aminos or coconut flour. Her hamburgers were famous, and she sold them at her restaurant called Honey's. This article, written when My Charming Companion's grandma died, is from the Honolulu advertiser and talks about her history, including the restaurant. In stories that I hear about her, she was totally tough, and also very compassionate; the article calls her a "legend."

My Charming Companion has made this recipe numerous times over the years, but it is ALWAYS different because he doesn't make it the same way each time (though there is always ginger). I asked if I could record all the ingredients so that I could make it sometime independently, and this is the version that came about. Yum!

1 lb burger
2 eggs
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp mustard powder
1 T coconut aminos
2 tsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1+ tsp smoky salt (smoky is critical here)
pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste, I like things a little salty, so it was a little extra. Form mixture into 4 patties.
2. Cook/sear on a skillet. Because these burgers are a paleo version and use coconut flour and eggs as binders, they brown faster than a traditional mixed burger patty. Expect that they will brown/blacken quite a bit. Cook as you would any burger to your preferred done-ness. Both My Charming Companion and I prefer these more well done than usual: they are sort of like meatloaf burgers that seem to invite longer cooking.
3. Serve! These are great with homemade mayo of course, and pickles and tomato. You could also have sauteed onions. Or just eat them as they are!

Chicken Hearts and Livers (Del va Jegar)

Del va Jegar is a Persian dish of Chicken hearts and livers. I came across it in my "Great Liver Recipe Search" across different cultural cuisines. I have never had chicken heart before, but they sell it at the Seward Co-op, so I felt inspired to give it a try. The little hearts are a a nice chewy texture that contrasts really nicely with the creaminess of the liver. I thought it turned out great - the flavor combo was like no other I have had before. It uses fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, saffron, garlic, and some cumin. Minimal spicing. There is not a specific recipe on the internet that I could find, but I did watch this lovely video of chef KShar. I recommend reading the comments, especially his responses: KShar seems to radiate love and joyfulness, which I find very enjoyable.

I modified the recipe to be paleo, which really meant using coconut flour in lieu of bread crumbs. I also estimated the amounts of ingredients I used (he does not give amounts) - but since I have never had this dish before, I have no way to know if my amounts are correct or not. Someday maybe I will get to have this dish and compare! It seems that many Iranian people traditionally make this with lamb liver and heart, which might be another interesting experiment.

Del va Jegar

You can't see the tomato slices, but they are under there!

1/2 lb. chicken hearts, cut in half
1/2 lb. chicken livers, cut in half
coconut flour (2-3 T)
1/4 c. fat
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (opt)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. sundried tomatoes, chopped
pinch cumin
pinch saffron
1-2 tomatoes, cut in thick slices
Garnish: julienne green onion and cilantro
(or parsley in my case because it was in the garden!)

1. Put 2 T fat in a medium sized skillet or cast iron pan. Fry garlic on medium heat. After a few minutes, add red pepper flakes and onion. Saute several minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and saute another few minutes. Mixture should be fragrant and soft looking. Add hearts and continue cooking on medium, stirring occasionally.

Floured livers (left) and hearts (right)

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 T fat in a large cast iron skillet. While it is heating, roll or toss liver pieces in coconut flour to coat. Ideally this will be a light dusting. When fat is hot, lay liver peices on a single layer across the pan and turn the heat to medium/medium-high. You want to be careful not to overcook the liver, and you also want a nice browned sear. This will be about 3-4 minutes on each side. They will still be pink in the middle, and I always think, "they can't be done yet!" but they are. You want them creamy and soft, and the less you handle them the better.

3. Add spices to the heart mix: salt and pepper, cumin, and saffron and continue to stir.

4. When liver is done, remove it from the skillet and set on a warm plate. Keep the skillet heat on, and now layer the slices of tomato in the skillet to brown in the remaining coconut-flour-y fat. Sprinkle a bit more coconut flour on top, and flip them after a minute. The tomatoes should get a nice sear.

5. To serve: lay tomato slices on each plate. Cover with heart mixture (it should pile up a bit). Cover that with pieces of liver. Sprinkle with julienned green onion and cilantro and serve!

Meatloaf with Chimichurri Sauce

The snow is starting to fall! I am watching the snowflakes while I await the results of the Minneapolis mayor election and type up this blog post. It seems highly unlikely that this snow will stick around, but my mind does turn to some winter comfort foods in the midst of the chilly weather.

Last night I tried a new meatloaf recipe - more of an Argentinean take on things with a chimichurri sauce. It turned out delicious! Chimichurri is a parsley sauce that is typically served with grilled meat of any kind, though I have not actually had it prior to making it yesterday. It's really nice and fresh tasting, and was a great way to use up lots of parsley from the garden before this freeze/snowfall. I also liked the alternative to a tomato-ketchup-y sauce. The chimichurri is not so sweet, but is really flavorful and bright tasting.

My recipe is based on "Argentinean-style Meatloaf with Chimichurri" from my Odd Bits cookbook. It does not make use of any animal odd bits though - she makes it using brisket (that she puts through a grinder). I made it using ground venison - and ground burger would work just fine. I also made some mashed cauliflower - because what is meatloaf without it?! I also kind of freaked out when i was looking at my grocery receipt where my 3.3 lb cauliflower cost the same as the 2 lb pork belly, and as a large Callister farm chicken (which was on sale). I obviously had not paid close attention to the cauliflower costing over $4 a pound or some such. I mean - that is a little crazy! I will be buying conventional from here on out.

Not the best photo - but very tasty!

Meatloaf with Chimichurri
2 T beef dripping or lard
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 c. diced mushrooms
1 lb spinach, stemmed & chopped
(I used frozen nettles instead)
2 1/4 lb ground brisket
1 scant T coconut flour
1 large egg
coarse sea salt
cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
Sauce:
3 c flat leaf parsley leaves
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, germ removed (opt)
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add the drippings; when the fat is hot add the onions and mushrooms and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the spinach/greens and continue to cook, stirring, until the all the water from the spinach and mushrooms has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large bowl mix meat, cooled spinach mixture, and coconut flour. Whisk the egg with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon cayenne and season with pepper; add to the beef and mix well. (From here you can take a small spoonful of the mix and fry it up as a mini patty to taste it and check the seasoning, or just forge ahead. Mine tasted good.)
4. Pack the meat mixture into a 6 cup loaf pan, mounding it in the center. Bake for 55 minutes; meatloaf will have shrunk (is that a word?) from the sides of the pan.
5. Meanwhile, place the parsley, shallot, and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add olive oil, vinegar, oregano, and a pinch of salt and cayenne and process until well mixed. Transfer the chimichurri to a small bowl.
6. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the chimichurri sauce. This is delicious with mashed cauliflower, and also tastes nice cold.

Whole30 Update and Carrot Beet Salad

I am at the three week mark of my Whole30, and am feeling pretty good. I'm eating some occasional fruit, but my biggest splurge was when I ate a date last weekend. This is the most sweetener-free I have ever been, and I notice I am very aware of a sober sort of feeling. I have certainly had some days/emotions come up where I've wanted to eat chocolate or something, and I've eaten a good share of frozen coconut macadamia nut bars instead, but its not like I can eat a lot of them - they are just too filling. And really, even if I ate lot of them, I don't know that I would have any negative side effects.

One feature of the Whole30 that I hadn't really expected was how easy it helps me be with my food boundaries. I've had a long road of that - initially feeling like I was being rude for turning down food that was made/brought for me, and sometimes eating stuff because it was gluten free and looked delicious even if it maybe wasn't what I felt good about eating (some really mediocre wedding cake for example). Maybe it's because the Whole30 is so clear, I just have not had a problem or felt tempted. 

Yesterday I happened to look at The Heavy Table for something or other, and also saw a link to a new bakery that is opening up near my house this month. It's a cupcake place, and for whatever reason I thought I'd peruse their cupcakes. Honestly, it's kind of crazy to see that much sugar. I was fascinated to watch myself not feel pulled in/interested in eating them (the gluten free ones). I don't know if that will last since I don't plan to keep up with the rigid boundaries, but I'm curious about the craving landscape and how it changes.

I've been eating lots of cooked veggies of late: squash and kale, cauliflower and carrots. Frozen peas were on sale so I made pea puree and ate almost all that I made (a whole bag of frozen peas! it was so good). This salad was nice for lunch one afternoon though - fresh and raw, and with veggies and mint from the garden. Soon I'll need to pull all the carrots and beets, so I need to start eating them all up! The original recipe contains honey, but I omitted that, and added olive oil.

2 c grated carrots (about 3 carrots)
1 c grated fresh beets (about 1 medium beet)
1/2 c golden raisins or dried cherries
1/2 tsp paprika (sweet, not hot)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Small pinch of cayenne
2+ Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp (sliced) fresh mint leaves

1. Combine carrots, beets, and raisins in a bowl.
2. Mix remaining ingredients (except mint) together in a jar or small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad. This salad will taste best after it sits for an hour or two so the dressing can permeate the veggies. Toss in the mint just before serving. (I love mint, so used the leaves whole. You can also slice them for a more subtle taste!)

Puffball mushroom crepe

My Charming Companion found a big puffball mushroom where he was hiking last week, so I got to experiment with it last weekend/this week. I have never eaten a puffball before, but they are pretty unmistakeable. I've seen one once, a soccer-sized ball stuck in the middle of a field. My friend Ella, who I was with at the time, saw the puffball and said, "There is fungus among us!" Which I now think of in direct correlation to puff balls.

Puffballs are usually white and round, often smooth, but sometimes a bit bumpy or warty. The one thing you want to verify to make sure it is a) a puffball and b) edible is to bisect the puffball down the middle (as in photo). It should be entirely white throughout, and the texture should also be the same consistency. If there are gills, you will see them immediately upon bisection and know that this is a very poisonous mushroom in your hands. If not, and if there are no brown, yellow or purple shades, forge ahead! One note - you need to remove the tough outer skin. The edge of the peel will be evident from your bisection and you can probably just peel it off with your fingers, but if not, a knife will work. Underneath will be this soft, poofy sort of delightful marshmallow-y substance.

Puffball slices

I was perusing the interwebs for some puffball ideas, and didn't actually get very far because early on I found a recipe that used sliced puffball as what they called a "fritter" but what I quickly realized could be like a crepe or tortilla of sorts. And of course I was immediately super excited about that option and discontinued all searching and decided to give it a try. Crepe/Tortilla/Wrap thingies are all I did with that big puffball because the opportunities for such items in my paleo/whole30 world are pretty non-existent. And really, a person does not come by puffballs very often, so when one does, I think crepes are a good idea!

I tried cooking the slices of puffball a few different ways: with a little extra oil, more on the dry side, thicker vs thinner, etc. I sort of settled on an in-between-ness. I never got to try baking them, but it seems another experiment for a future puffball.

Puffballs are very mild - almost like tofu in texture and flavor too. The flavor/texture of puffballs seems to be a favorite to eat with eggs, which is also how I ate mine. In terms of storgae, you want to keep them pretty dry - store the puffball halves in the refrigerator in an open bag so that they can breathe and don't get condensation in there. They don't last long, just a 4-5 days. Watch that they don't start to turn yellow/brown.

Puffball "crepe"

1. Slice your puffball into 1 cm thick slices, trying to be as uniform as you can.
2. Heat a small amount of fat in a large cast iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium and when the fat is hot, lay the puffball slice/s in a single layer. You are basically just pan-searing them for a minute or two on each side. You will notice the top side of the puffball will start to bead up with moisture as the first side cooks. Go ahead and flip it shortly after. I found that the slices could be cooked pretty dry - though they tended to stick to the pan a bit. They suck up the fat some, and get more wet with more fat. You can experiment with your preference, but I liked to go drier and risk the sticking.
3. Keep the puffball slices warm in the oven while you cook more slices, but note that they will continue to perspire a bit. If you want to keep them dry, it might be worth stacking them in layers of a tea towel or something (I did not try this).
4. Serve slices of puffball with scrambled eggs, thinly sliced pork belly or bacon, and sauteed veggies (onions and red pepper, roasted eggplant, roasted tomatoes, etc); or try them like a breakfast taco with sauteed pepper/onion, avocado, eggs, bacon and salsa. Fill each puffball piece with fillings, sprinkle salt and pepper on top, and consume!

Note: I think a crunchy something (as in bacon or pork belly) is more necessary to these crepes because the puffball is so soft and smooth. Texturally I just wanted the chewy crunch. And really, I don't need an excuse to add in some pork belly/bacon!

Pork Belly!

The rules for the Whole30 are no added sugar or sweeteners, including in foods you might otherwise eat. Like bacon, for example. So it has been almost 3 weeks of no bacon for me, which is a pretty long time since I am otherwise a bit bacon fiendish. Me and Brittany Griner = Bacon lovers. There is a company that makes sugar free bacon, but it is expensive and you have to order it online, and really, I was more curious about making pork belly.

Geez - Pork belly! I kind of can't believe that I waited so long to try it. It actually is not like bacon at all...I mean, bacon is made from pork belly, but pork belly roasted in the oven, with the skin all crispy and "crackling" and the fat beneath all melt-in-your-mouth creamy, is totally different. After making my pork belly, I later found this review of How to Make Perfect Crackling (and really I can't tell the difference between crackling and roasted pork belly - I think they are the same thing by a different name). I am not about to get all high maintenance because my belly turned out great, but it was an interesting comparison that is well written and funny about people's techniques to get the best crackling every time (one includes a hair dryer).

I got my pork belly from the Seward Co-op - it is shelved in the store, you don't need to get it at the meat counter. Actually, My Charming Companion bought it for me after I'd mentioned wanting some - so it was an exciting surprise to be gifted pork belly! It's about $7-8 a pound for the pastured pork.

I looked at The Clothes Makes the Girl for her recipe for pork belly, and also thought about a more Chinese spiced option. Both sound delicious, but I decided to go for a simple salt and pepper version as my initial entry point. I was not disappointed. I ate some right out of the oven with my lunch, and easily reheated some on subsequent mornings for breakfast. Oh it is just so good. And you get a lot of delicious pork fat/lard at the end! I keep using that to cook up other veggies and things, and it is amazing. More lard-like than bacon fat, but more smoky and creamy than lard too. I don't know, it is just plain good.

Making pork belly is pretty simple, but it takes some time (2 hours or so) and will likely get a bit smoky (part of the process is putting the belly into some hot heat to get the fat going and crisp up the crackling - which results in some smoke). My smoke detector went off so I had to remove the battery and open some windows. It seems unavoidable. Other recipes online reported open windows too, and some included stress about cleaning the oven afterwards. For whatever reason mine did not seem overly greasy. I don't know, I have never cleaned my oven. I've never even thought about it til now. Clearly I am not one of those people who might feel stressed about cleaning my oven after cooking pork belly.

2 lbs pork belly
1 T+ Smoked Maldon Salt (any salt would work, but Maldon is my fave)
Pepper

1. Remove the pork belly from its packaging and pat try with paper towel or tea towel or whatever you want to use. Turn belly so the fat side is up. Use a small sharp knife to "score" the fat: you want to cut just to the meat, but not into the meat. I did lots and lots of cuts all over, some people do a more precise cross hatch pattern. You are basically creating a way for the fat to bubble up to "baste" the top so that the crispy cracklings form. I also flipped the belly over and used a fork to puncture the meat side 6 or 8 times too. Next rub the salt all over the fat side of the belly.
2. Set belly in fridge, uncovered, for several hours. I stuck mine in overnight.
3. When you are ready to make the pork belly, preheat the oven to 425. I took my belly out of the fridge to bring it to room temp first, but I am not sure that it was necessary. Put the belly in the hot oven. After 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 and roast another hour or 90 minutes. Mine stayed in 90 minutes and it was perfect.
4. Remove belly and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice or cube, and eat! Pour off fat into jars and cool for amazing cooking fat uses.

I found two nice ways to reheat the belly: place slices in a cast iron pan and heat on the stove top, or put slices in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes or so. Both methods will release more fat from the belly and will crisp up a little more in that.

Hmong Squirrel Stew

Squirrels get a bit of a bad rap in the city. I think they seem varmint-like. I myself have been known to be a bit squeamish about squirrels - they seem ferocious in a small, toothsome kind of way. One time when I worked at the Hub Bike Co-op (in the VERY early days when it was still in its first tiny location), it was my day to "empty" the squirrel trap. We had some squirrels that would get in and tear things up, so we set a trap out and would then bike the squirrels to the river. The squirrel was terrified of course, and I had taped up the cage in cardboard, and stuck the whole thing in my messenger bag. The bike ride was only a mile or two, but I was sweating the whole way because the squirrel was screeching the whole time - on my back - and I kept envisioning it jumping out of the cage and onto me in some kind of self-protective attack mode. It released into the woods just fine, but I've harbored a small squirrel fear ever since.

Hmong Squirrel Stew! So delicious!

The first time I ate squirrel was a year or two ago, and I was a bit squeamish and preferred to refer to it as a "tree chicken." But they tasted great - like dark meat chicken - and this time I was not the least bit hesitant to cook them up. Two had appeared as roadkill right at the corner where My Charming Companion lives, and a third was somewhere on a drive he was taking last week. He was excited to skin them because I guess squirrel hides are really, really strong and make excellent rope when you dry the skin and twist it together. Strong enough that it is the preferred traditional material for stringing a bow. Woah. So he skinned them and I took the little bodies to cook.

I'd come across this Hmong Squirrel Stew recipe in the Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook blog awhile ago, and had immediately ordered the cookbook the recipe was based on from the library: Cooking from the Heart: The Hmong Kitchen in America. It looks like a great cookbook and had some beautiful stories. This recipe is based on theirs, and it was AMAZING. The broth was delicious. If you prefer not to use squirrel, chicken would also be good, or shrimp. Really just make this tasty broth and eat it. I found that I actually thought the taste was best just after all the seasoning went in, rather than waiting a couple of hours. I am posting my revised recipe below, but click on the recipe title above for the original variation.

Squirrel meat off the bone - this is 3 squirrels

One thing to note: squirrels are tiny and have lots of bones. The ribs are more like a fish! The amount of meat on each squirrel varies of course, but it seems about 3/4 pound each. Be prepared for some tedious cleaning of the meat off the bone after you cook them. The cooking of the squirrel meat takes an hour or two, but once that is done, the soup will be ready in about 25 minutes. I made a couple of substitutions, but some key things: I think the lime leaves are important. You can get them at the co-op. I also think the lemongrass was key. I had fresh stuff in the garden, but you could use frozen/dried too. These really made the flavor unique. I didn't get galangal but upped the ginger instead.

Hmong Squirrel Stew
2-3 squirrels
2-3 T lard/ghee/bacon fat
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk of lemongrass, minced (white part only)
3 to 5 red chiles, chopped (I used a large jalepeno)
1 tablespoon minced galangal (optional)
2 tablespoon minced ginger, peeled
1 pint/2 c chicken stock
6 lime leaves, or 1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 pound bok choy or chard, chopped
1/4 pound snow peas (carrots work too)
1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
Salt

Garnish
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (I used parsley)
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped mint

1. Put squirrels in a large pot and add enough water to cover the meat by an inch or so. Add a good amount of salt (1-2 T), bring to a boil, cover and cook for 1-2 hours, until the meat easily comes off the bone. Make sure to reserve the liquid (this is good stock for the soup), and when the squirrels are cool, pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones and set meat aside.
2. Heat fat in a large soup pot. Add garlic, lemongrass, chiles, ginger and galangal and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add broth from squirrel cooking, plus another pint of chicken broth. You want the total broth to come out to over a quart. Also add the lime leaves and fish sauce. I love fish sauce, so I added a wee bit extra. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to simmer about 10 minutes.

Garnish plate - more mint!

3. Chop chard or bok choy (I used tyfon holland greens from the garden). I also did not have any peas, so I diced up a few carrots nice and small. Add greens and carrots/peas to soup, along with reserved squirrel meat. Cook for another 10 minutes or so.
4. Serve with garnish! The mint was delicious in here! Who would have thought - but I wanted lots of mint. I used parsley instead of cilantro and was quite content. This was so good, and so thick and yummy.