Pasta Carbonara with Bacon!

While I personally eat mostly fresh real food I do like to indulge every now and then, not every person who does primal/paleo chooses to have these kinds of treats but I on the other hand am a realist and prefer not to stress about those kinds of 'rules'.

I made this dish with Rice noodles but if you like you can always make your own (Recipe link below)

Serves 1

So cook your pasta el dente! About 8 minutes for the rice pastas.

In a bowl combine 2 egg yolks and 1/4 cup cream, add in 2-3 Tablespoons of Grated Parmesan Cheese, salt and pepper. Once pasta is cooked drain the water out and keep cooked pasta in the pot, add the creamy mixture and put back on the stove on a very low heat stirring constantly for about 1 minute (this prevents the eggs from scrambling), add in cooked chopped bacon and viola you have an amazing treat pasta dish :)

http://www.paleocupboard.com/paleo-pasta.html

Pinenut Crusted Lamb Loin Fillets

• 340g lamb loin fillets - I used these (http://www.silverfernfarms.co.nz/Our-Products/For-you-at-home/Lamb-Loin-Fillets.asp)
• 1/4 cup toasted pinenuts
• 2 Tbsps Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 Garlic clove finely chopped 
• 1 Stalk of Fresh Rosemary finely chopped
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• salt and ground black pepper
• Dijon Mustard (approx 1 Tablespoon)

To make the crust: 

Roast your pine nuts, once roasted put them in a mortar and pestle with the lemon rind, grated garlic, chopped rosemary together with a little salt and pepper, toss through the grated Parmesan cheese.  Coat the lamb fillets with Dijon Mustard and roll the fillets through the crust.

Place the lamb on an oven dish covered with baking paper.

Preheat oven to 240C FanForced. Cook lamb for 8 minutes ( medium-rare). Remove from the oven, let the lamb rest for 10 minutes.

Kumara and Bacon Soup

This soup is delicious and creamy and very filling! Perfect for winter lunches or dinner.  It doesn't look like much in the picture but don't be fooled, it's an extremely tasty soup :)

Kumara and Bacon Soup

1. 200gms Kumara (NZ purple sweet potato)
2. 3 strips of streaky bacon or 2 rashers
3. 1/2 white onion
4. Butter
5. 3 Cups Chicken Stock
6. 1/4 cup Cream
7. 2 Tablespoons Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dice onion and bacon finely and fry in butter. Add the chicken stock and cream.  Add grated kumara and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 

Once cooked add the Parmesan and then blend so it's smooth and creamy. 

Serves 2

Best Grain Free Pizza Ever!!!

For the Pizza Base! 

1 1/2 cups tapioca starch
1/4 cup each cream and water
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a pot add the cream, water, butter and salt.   Bring it to a simmer on a low-medium heat so that its bubbling but not boiling. 

In a large bowl, add the tapioca starch. Once the cream and water mixture is heated right through add it to the starch and stir it all together. It will start to clump together. Let the mixture cool for five minutes. While cooling preheat your oven to 250C degrees Fan-forced.

Add the beaten egg to the mixture, and stir thoroughly or use your hands but it does get sticky. Add the grated cheese and Italian seasoning and mix together until it’s dough-like. This is enough dough for two pizzas.

Split the dough in half. Put the dough in an oiled cast iron skillet, stretch it out as thin as possible - this is important otherwise your crust will be too chewy, it will likely tear if you stretch it too far, the oil will help you spread the dough smoothly to the edges using your fingers. With a fork, poke some holes through the dough to let air pass through.

Bake in the middle of your oven for six minutes, then take it out to put all your toppings on.

Add whatever toppings you like. For this one I used BBQ & Tomato sauce, pancetta, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Place it back in the oven and cook for another 8 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown. Then take out of oven and slice as you would regular pizza.

This is simply the BEST grain free pizza I have ever tried and I would even go so far as to say possibly the best pizza I've ever had, I'd liken it to Sal's Pizza (New York Pizza)!  It has the most perfect crunch on the outside with a slightly chewy texture on the inside. This is the nature of tapioca starch. You will not be disappointed!!! 

Now just remember its still pizza so it has a lot of calories if you are using cheese, although its grain free tapioca isn't carb free or calorie free ;) Just eat a couple of pieces and not the whole thing, although I know you'll be tempted ;)

Full credit goes to The Domestic Man for this recipe! I'm soo thankful to have found this unbelievable pizza base recipe, it truly rocks!!! http://thedomesticman.com/2012/12/13/cast-iron-skillet-grain-and-gluten-free-pizza/