Primal Pulled Pork Salad

Just made this for lunch, showed it off on Instagram and now I've got recipe requests.

First and foremost I must give credit where it is due, I grabbed the Pulled Pork recipe and the BBQ Sauce recipe from the Primal Blueprint Cookbook, by Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier. You can find a copy here.

Pulled Pork Recipe:
1 Tbs of Olive Oil
1.5-2kg Pork Shoulder (Bone in or out)
1 small onion
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce (I used the homemade Paleo Ketchup)
1 cup of Water
1/3 cup of Vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Celery seed (I used Celery Salt)
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Bay Leaf

- Honestly I think you could play around with the spices, to your taste

1) Brown meat on all sides in olive oil over Medium-Med High heat.

2) While meat is browning,combine remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.

3) Remove from heat and put everything into a dutch oven or casserole dish that has a lid

4) Cover with lid and bake at 160c for at least 2.5 hours, 3 if your shoulder has a bone.

5) Check halfway through to make sure there is plenty of liquid. I turned my shoulder over with an hour to go.

6) Remove from oven, grab to forks and start shredding the meat off, if this is not happening easily then put it back in the oven for at least another 30 mins.

Shred all the meat and put it in a bowl

Now for the Slaw (Salad)

I used:

1/4 of a Cabbage (Sliced very thinly - You could use Red cabbage which would look really pretty)

1/2 Red onion ( Sliced thinly)

1/2 Cucumber ( Half moons)

1 Tomato (Cut into thin wedges)

1 Avocado (Peeled and sliced thinly)

1 handful of Coriander

Dressing:

Primal approved Mayonnaise

Juice from 1 Lemon

Juice from 1 Lime

- Mix together

1) Toss salad with just enough dressing to coat, not to drown the slaw

2) Place Salad on plate, top with shredded Pork, then top with a lovely BBQ Sauce, Preferably Primal friendly. You can find the recipe HERE

I can still taste it...mmmmmmmmmmmmm

The main reason Jake and I are on this trip is because my friends Cecilia and Marco were getting married, and for part of their honeymoon they were going to Ibiza and asked us to meet them there. At first we laughed it off and thought 'we can't come on your honeymoon with you.... can we....?"
So a good few months later here we are... In IBIZA!!!

Ibiza was surprisingly more than to meets the eye! Yes we were there to sit on the sandy beaches and swim in the crystal blue water by day, and dance in the massively over priced clubs by night. I'm talking 12 Euros for  small bottle of water ( $15 AUS) or 17 Euros for a Vodka ($21 Aus) WOWZA!!!

Ibiza has a great history and great people who live there. Ibiza is really only operational during their summer, so the locals are all out to make as much money as they can in this period before the island pretty much shuts down during the cold winter.

We had hired a car and did a day trip to the other side of the island, apparently were the locals and the very rich and famous frequent. Apparently Australian model Elle MacPherson has a mansion somewhere on the island.

Now can I just say that Spanish Sangria is AMAZING!! I have it a few times in Melbourne but never liked it. This Sangria is fresh, sweet, zingy, spicy goodness... I should've asked for the recipe, but my spanish really isn't that great.

I ordered one of the specials, which was fresh caught grilled Sardines. These were so so fresh, easily the best fish I ever had.

Cecilia ordered the mussels, really fresh again, with a thin marinara sauce. Mine was still better :)

After our lunch we drove around to another beach, we had a sun bake we had a swim in the hope to build another appetite for dinner. We were craving Paella.

We walked up to the restaurant that overlooked the beached we had just been on. We of course ordered another jug of Sangria....when in Spain hey!!

Not a bad view huh...?

The Chef at work... check out the huge Paella pans hanging from the walls!!!

And then  it arrives... Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the massive pan that hit our table. I was far too excited. The waiter kindly served us up a plate each and we got stuck in. I can honestly say that this has been the best thing I ever ever ever eaten!! Big call I know but its the truth. It was soooo chock full of seafood, seafood that was caught that same day and just below us in the crystal blue waters we had just swam in. Pipi's, Crab, Prawns, Langostines, and Mussels. The rice was cooked to absolute perfection. I could've cried. Everyone at the table was silent.. except for the occassional oooh's and ahhh's and Mmmmmmm's.
Just about every day since we had this Paella I have craved it. I could always make a point of heading back to Ibiza one day to have it again, but I fear that it would never be as good and would ruin that lovely memory I have. I think its best to leave that wonderful tasty memory where it is.... I love food, and I love how good food can make you feel and the memory of the people that were with you when you had it. I will never ever forget you

It's Parmarama night!!!

After a few requests for the recipe I thought it was time I shared with you my recipe for the good old Aussie Chicken Parmigiana.
While still in London, Jake and I wanted to thank our friends Stina and Tony for letting us crash at their place. So we decided to make them a good Aussie dinner to remind them of home.

Below is my step by step process to help you have a great 'Parmarama Night'

Shopping List


4 Chicken Breasts ( or 1 per person )
300gm Plain Flour
4 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk
500gm of Bread Crumbs (fine, course or panko)
Handful of your favorite herbs (fresh or dried) chopped
100gm dry Parmesan cheese (optional)
Canola or Vegetable oil
1 Bottle/ Jar Tomato Passata or your favorite pasta sauce
300gm Grated Tasty Cheese
300gn Grated Mozzarella Cheese
-----------------------------------------
Potatoes
Salad stuff


Here goes.........

1) Buy 1 chicken breast for every person you will be feeding
2) Place the chicken breast upside down on the chopping board
3) Place your non knife hand on top of the chicken breast to hold it firmly down on the board, bring the knife to the fattest side of the chicken breast
4) Gently cut through the middle of the chicken breast roughly 1cm til the other side ( Your knife should not come out the other side)

5) Now open up your Chicken breast from the cut and use your palm to flatten it
6) Place chicken breasts on some plastic cling film, then place another layer of cling film on top of the chicken breasts
7) Use a meat mallet, or pot ( or you could use a wine bottle) to bang down the chicken breasts to evenly flatten them out
8) Your breasts should be nice and flat like pic #8 now their ready for crumbing


YOUR CRUMBING STATION

You will need one tray of Flour, season this with salt and pepper. One bowl of egg wash, whisk up 2-3 eggs you can add a little milk to extend the mixture. One tray of bread crumbs, the store bought ones are fine, we used them here. Normally I would make my own bread crumbs using some stale bread. Panko bread crumbs are excellent to use. You can also flavour your crumbs with any herbs you like really. We used dried Rosemary, but I really like to use fresh chopped Thyme, use can also add grated parmesan cheese.

9) Place 1st chicken breast in the flour coating both sides, be sure to shake off the excess.
10) A handy tip for not getting sticky hands is to use one hand to handle the chicken in the dry ingredients and use your other hand for the egg wash part.
11) Next place that chicken breast in the egg wash and coat both sides, lift chicken breast and allow the extra egg to drip off
12) Lastly put the egg coated chicken into the bread crumbs

13) Be sure to fully coat the chicken, you can help by pressing the crumbs into the breast to make sure they stick
14) Once you have finished with the first chicken breast, place it onto a plate and repeat the process with the remaining breasts. You now have Schnitzels...the first step to your Parmas.

NOW FOR THE COOKING

1-2) Heat up some canola or vegetable oil in a pan (these 2 oils have a higher smoking point and so are ideal for shallow frying) Drop a crumb into the oil, if it bubbles and brown the oil is ready.
Gently place the Schnitzel into the oil, lowering it so it falls away from you so the hot oil doesn't splash back at you.
Fry for at least 3-4 mins, check how your schnitzel is going by lifting up an edge. Your looking for a lovely golden colour
3) Once you have the desired colour flip your Schnitzel over and cook other side to same desired colour
4) Take out your Schnitzels and place them in an oven proof tray.

5-6) Top Schnitzels with your favorite pasta sauce, plain tomato passata can also be used but wont give off  as much flavour, a home made Napoli sauce is ideal
7) Now top your Schnitzels with shredded cheese. I use 50% shredded tasty cheese and 50% shredded mozzarella cheese which I mix up in a bowl before topping. I think this is were a lot of people get this wrong. They either use all tasty cheese but then get not stretch in your cheese, or they use all mozzarella for stringy stretchy cheese but get not bite from the tasty cheese.
8) Be sure to top the cheese higher in the centre of the Schnitzel for when the cheese begins to melt as we cook them it will stay on the parma and not end up all over your oven tray.
Now place your Parmas in the oven for roughly 10 mins on 180-200 degrees,once the cheese is looking nicely melting place the tray under your grill to brown and crispen up the cheese, this step should only 1-2 mins

So here's how your Parmas should look when you bring them out from under the griller, and here are some yummy home made potato wedgies we made too.

And now time to eat...Buon Appetit

The Perfect Picnic Hamper Filler

Tell me you wouldn't be the coolest person at the next backyard BBQ or Picnic if you were packing one of these beauties....
Jamon and Emmental cheese ring baguette thingys!!

Attention Coles and Safeway, European supermarket Deli's are kicking your ass in the cool foods department.

The Best kebab i've ever ever had!

I'm sure there is a Kebab shop on the corner of a street in every country of the world. Each kebab slightly differing depending on the culture, or religion of that country.
My swedish friend Vicky who had lived in Barcelona for a few years insisted we visit a north african kebab shop while we were in Spain. She said that they were sooo much better than the ones we get in Australia.

We had just sadly said good bye to Barcelona and caught the overnight train to Valencia. 8 hours of uncomfortable seating, noisy, snoring and farting passengers. But we survived to tell the tale, and eat again.

Right on the corner of Valencia's main train station is this Gem of a kebab shop, Estacion Doner Kebab

A tiny hole in the wall Kebab shop

We waltz in a take up 2 of the 3 seats in the kebab shop. The owner new a little english, but like all good kebab shops it had the good old picture menu on the wall.

"Ola, dos kebabs, patatas and cerveza por favor  (Yep they serve beer at their kebab shops)

May I present my delicious Kebab

Why so great you ask? Firstly it in comes in a beautifully round turkish bread pocket, lots of fresh salad with tomatoes that taste like tomates. Delicious juicy chicken, then its topped with a garlic sour cream ( not your usual natural yoghurt garlic sauce) and an ever so slightly sweet tomato salsa. BAM!!! Kebab yumburgers.
Bung in a couple of crispy salty chips (yes I mean ships in the kebab) and wash down with icy cold beer. For Aus $12 for 2 Kebabs, 2 chips and 2 beers.

Estacion Doner Kebab. Corner Calle de Bailen & Carrer de Xativa,Valencia. (Right hand side of Valencia train station)