A Paleo Easter Menu

Creating a Paleo Easter dinner menu can satisfy even the most discerning of eaters! An Easter celebratory meal can feel a little challenging, but it need not be. Traditional Easter foods around the world include multiple renditions of pastries, breads and baked treats, roast lamb and cured ham along with all the Easter Egg candy that can fit on grocery store shelves. There are, however, still plenty of Paleo options available and creating a Paleo Easter table will not leave anyone feeling they have missed out.

To be fair, it can be a little trickier if you are a guest, but with a little planning and forethought, you can make that work too.  Check in with the host or hostess beforehand and either ask what you can bring or explain your food choices and or ask if they feel comfortable with you bringing a dish or two to share with everyone. Most hosts will welcome the offer.

When it comes to planning preparing your Easter meals and activities:

• Avoid the pastries, bread and goods made with refined grains and sugars and man-made oils
• Pastured pork or naturally raised lamb will do a perfectly Paleo job as the piece de resistance.
• While copious amounts of leafy greens might not be something that you associate with an Easter celebration, there is certainly no good reason not to include them. Serve a large salad and/or some roasted vegetables of your choice.
• For the young ones, keep the focus of the Easter Egg Hunt on items other than sweets and treats. Perhaps you can hide plastic eggs and offer non-candy prizes for those who gather the. most, rather than having them focus on who finds the most candy.
• Easter is a great opportunity to make eating hard-cooked eggs fun. Spend the afternoon coloring the eggs with a food-based egg coloring kit (so they’re safe to handle and eat) found at your local health food store.
• Paleo desserts and treats are a natural and healthier way to maintain some of the sweet traditions without sabotaging or derailing your Paleo lifestyle. (Read more on coping with holiday eating here)

With Easter only few days away, we thought it a suitable time to share some of Chef Pete’s delicious, seasonal recipes as alternatives to the traditional foods, meals and treats. This will give you a good amount of time to procure your ingredients, plan your menu and prepare a lovely holiday meal.

We would also ask you to please note in advance, that this is simply a dietary option and is not intended to offend anyone from a religious perspective.  There is complete awareness of the symbolism of some of the foods served on these holy days. Please do not take offense at the omission of similar ingredients, of which there are many.  

For further seasonal inspiration and a great cooking resource, grab a copy of Chef Pete’s book, Paleo By Season here>>>>>>

The Recipes

Garlic Braised Lamb 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 Pounds Lamb Shoulder (Bone In Preferred But Not Necessary) 
• 1 Head Garlic, Peel And Mash All The Cloves 
• 1 Yellow Onion Sliced 
• 3 Cups Bone Broth 
• 3 Tablespoons Salt 
• 2 Tablespoons Pepper 
• ¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Oregano, For Finishing 

Directions:

1. Very roughly break down the lamb, essentially enough so that it will fit into a crock pot.
2. Add sliced onion, garlic, salt, pepper and stock. Mix in pot. 
3. Turn on medium or low and allow to cook slowly for 24 hours. 
4. When timer is done, fish bone out of there, and then using, tongs or forks pull lamb apart. 
5. Toss with fresh oregano and add some more salt to taste if necessary. 

Pork Loin Wrapped In Bacon

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 Ounces Bacon, Thinly Sliced
• 1½ Pounds Pork Tenderloin, Cut Into5-Ounce Pieces About 2 Inches Thick
• Salt to Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 ̊F.
2. Blanch the bacon for 3 minutes and lay it on a plate lined with paper towels. 
3. Lightly sprinkle the pieces of tenderloin with salt and wrap it in the bacon.
4. Place the wrapped tenderloin in a cold, thick-bottomed, oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. 
5. Start with the side with the bacon ends on the bottom of the pan so that it cooks first and the bacon ends seal closed. Cook for roughly 7 to 8 minutes on this side. Then rotate the tenderloin along its edge, cooking to a golden-brown all the way around. You should spend roughly 3 to 4 minutes on every side once the pan is nice and hot.
6. Transfer the pork loin to a roast rack, again with the bacon ends on the bottom, letting gravity help keep it together. Roast for approximately 9 minutes. If, like Chef Pete, you prefer your pork cooked medium, around 140 ̊F and with a medium-pink center, cook it for slightly less time—around 6 minutes is perfect.
7. Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest on a cutting board for 4 to 6 minutes. If you put a few paper towels down underneath the loin before cutting it, the runoff juices will be absorbed, saving you a mess on the board and, more importantly, on your pretty plate. 
8. Cut into½-inch-thick slices, using a sharp slicing or chef’s knife.

Roasted Carrot Puree

Yield 1 Cup

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch Baby Carrots, Roughly Chopped
• 1 Shallot, Halved
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• ½ Teaspoon Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ Cup Chicken Stock 
• 2 Teaspoons Bacon Fat Or Ghee, Chilled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 ̊F.
2. Spread the carrots evenly on a sheet pan and mix with the shallots, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
3. Roast for 25minutes, or until the corners of the carrots are a light golden-brown.
4. Place the roasted carrots and shallot in a blender. 
5. Add the stock, which needs to be at room temperature, and blend until smooth. With the blender on, add the chilled bacon fat to emulsify the mixture

New Potatoes With Kale

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound New Potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ Cup Chicken Stock
• 2 Cups Thinly Sliced Kale
• ¼ Teaspoon Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. in a stockpot, boil the potatoes till they are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat, rinse with cold water, and slice in half. 
3. Heat the olive oil in a thick-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the potatoes. It can be a little tedious, but put all the potatoes in the pan with the cut side down.
4. Once the potatoes are going, add the chicken stock to a small saucepot over medium-high heat, bring it to just under a boil at around 185 ̊F, and let simmer while the potatoes finish.
5. After about 10 minutes, the potatoes develop a deep, golden-brown color on the flat side (you’ll see the edges start to brown). 
6. Give them a quick stir, add the kale, stir well, cook for 1 minute, and then add the hot stock. The potatoes should glaze up perfectly. 
7. Season with the salt and pepper.

Shaved Asparagus & Beet Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ½ Bunch Asparagus (8 Ounces)
• 1 Small Yellow Onion
• 1 Small Beet (6-8 Ounces)
• 1 Small Bunch Kale
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Directions

1. Remove the fibrous bottoms of the asparagus by gently bending the bottom of each spear. The bottom third or so should easily break of. 
2. Slice the asparagus and the onion thinly on a mandolin or by hand, making sure to slice the asparagus at an angle.
3. Peel the beet and slice thinly on the mandolin or by hand. Once the beet is sliced, immediately place it in cold water to keep it from turning brown.
4. Stem and julienne the kale (you should have 3 to 4cups).
5. Mix all the vegetables in a serving bowl and toss with the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. 
6. Let marinate at least 30 minutes before serving.
7. It will keep for 1 week in the fridge.

Coffee Ice Cream

Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 2 (13.5-Ounce) Cans Unsweetened, Whole-Fat Coconut Milk Or Coconut Cream
• ½ Cup Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Flavorless Grass-Fed Gelatin
• 1 Cup Dark Roast Coffee 

Directions

1. In a medium saucepot over medium-low heat, warm the coconut milk very slowly so it doesn’t separate. 
2. Once it gets warm, about 5 minutes, add the honey while whisking.
3. Continue to heat until the coconut mixture is just below a simmer (180 ̊F), about 10 minutes total. 
4. Add the gelatin and whisk until it’s fully dissolved.
5. Once the mixture is at a good simmer (180 ̊F to 195 ̊F), pour it into a French press with the coffee grinds. Give it a good stir and allow it to steep for 8 minutes. Strain it through a sieve held over a bowl.
6. Allow to cool in the fridge overnight. The next day, if the mixture has solidified, allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
7. Pour into an ice cream maker and run for 25 minutes.
8. Eat it right away if you like soft-serve or freeze it overnight for firm, ice cream. If you do freeze it, let it sit out for 5 to 10 minutes before serving for the perfect texture

No time to cook? Order from our Spring menu for meals that are ready when you are, no apron required! This week’s meals can be found here >>>>>

Happy Easter