It's cold and windy in North England. "What would you like to do today?" my friend asks me in French. "I can think of nothing better than learning from your mom how to make a traditional Persian dish." I then spend the best day in the warm kitchen with smells and taste combinations I've never had before, laughing and cooking. It was one of the most memorable and fun times on that trip to Europe.

Her mother didn't speak English and I don't speak Farsi, so your guess is as good as mine as to the name of this stew. It's made with walnuts and pomegranates. In Persia, its only prepared at important events like weddings, etc. I'm so happy to share this exotic treasure with you for the Holidays!

3 cups Walnuts
1 med Onion
2 cloves Garlic
2-3 Lbs. Organic Free Range Chicken  or Stew beef (I'm using boneless beef ribs here)
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 1/2 cups Water plus 1 more cup
2 tbs. Tomato Paste or 1/3 cup Tomato Sauce
1/2-3/4 cup Pomegranate Molasses (see below)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 cup Date syrup (click here to learn more) or coconut sugar to taste

Roast your walnuts for 10-15 min. They need to be aromatic and golden not browned.

Roughly chop your onion and skin your garlic.

Add onion, garlic and turmeric to walnuts with 1 1/2 cups water into a food processor. My Blender is a Ninja, so it can food process. A regular blender may not blend everything smoothly.

Blend until smooth. 

Pour into your cooking pot. Then add the 1 cup of water to the food processor to get all the walnut particles off the blades and sides. Add to the rest of the mixture in the pot.

It should have this consistency.

Bring to a boil. Boil on low for 30min or so.

You can find Pomegranate molasses at your local Iranian store. Most cities have one. If not, maybe the internet. It's only a few buck. Be sure to get the one that has no added sugar. Just pom concentrate.

Add pom molasses and tomato paste.

Low boil until the oils separate like in this picture.

Add your meat and cook for 2-3 hours (depending on your cut). Just make sure whatever meat you choose is falling off the bone or very tender.

At that point, add your date syrup. Mix well.

What better combination for a heavy meal than Orange and Cranberry. The sweet and the tangy really balance a protein rich dish like turkey but even other meats and fish... Try this simple and quick home-made sauce and skip the can this year.

12 oz. Fresh Cranberries
2-3 Fresh Oranges
2-3 tbs. Date syrup or sweetener of choice
pinch Sea Salt

Wash berries and place in a pot.

Juice the oranges, then add juice, salt and sweetener to the berries.

Cook down till the berries pop open and mush down. Be mindful not to burn as the sugars will caramelize on the bottom if the heat is too high or you don't stir frequently enough.

When thick, you're done! Makes about 1 cup.

Who doesn't know how to make chicken broth? Well a vegetarian may not... I was vegan for 14 years (and pescetarian for another 4) and I thought I knew the basics, but didn't realize what type to use, or how nutritious and tasty it could make my dishes.

Now that I'm practicing a more Paleo lifestyle, I still don't eat much chicken, so this is a great way to vary my animal nutrition without having to eat it. Boy does it make mash potatoes and soups sooooo much better!

1 Whole Organic Chicken, or just pieces (but be sure it's bone in)
8-12 cups Water (need to cover what ever sized chicken you have)
2 tsp. Sea Salt

Optional:
1-2 Carrots, chunked
1-2 Celery or celery root,chunked
1 Onion, leave peel on and chop
1 cup Italian Parsley, stems too!
2 Cloves Garlic, unpeeled
2 Bay leaves
(Optional)Other Fresh Herbs/Spices of choice (like thyme, peppercorns, paprika, basil...)

Buy the best Organic Chicken you can. Whole foods has levels of quality for your choosing. If you know a local farmer, that's always optimal.

The quality of your chicken becomes the quality of your meal which becomes your blood and that in turn makes the quality of your health. Please choose wisely and try not to have $money play too big of a factor.

Pay now or pay later as they say...

Place all in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil.

Then cover and simmer for 1 hour.

The chicken should be falling off the bone and very tender. Gently take out your chicken for use in an other dish

~and strain your vegetables, if using.

Freeze or use in the next 4-5 days for a rich and flavorful addition to your soup, etc.






Some uses for Chicken broth:

Mmmmmm... Who invented Piccata? I must kiss them. Cold or hot, this is hands down my favorite way to eat chicken! With it's buttery citrus sauce  and that special taste that only capers can bring...You can't beat the combination. My recipe uses macadamia flour as the base and that just tops the GF goodness!




2 Organic Chicken Breast
1/2 a stick of Organic Grass fed Butter (at least)
1/2 Lemon
1-2 tbs. Capers
3/4 cup Macadamia flour (click here to learn how to make at home) or use Almond Flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Dried Basil

Meat tenderizer

Gather all your ingredients. I like to use a separate cutting board than the one I use for vegetables.

Slice each breast into three thin pieces.

Here they are. Now get your tenderizer, or a heavy book Lol (-Don't worry, I won't quite my day job.)

Get your frustrations out! Pound 'em till they are thin but not falling apart.

Now mix your flour and spices in a plastic bag. (We will throw this away, so nothing fancy like zip locks.)

Shake shake shake... shake your booday, shake your booday...

and the bag with the chicken in it.

Make sure it's completely coated on all sides.

Melt your butter -Don't be shy, now!

Fry them up until golden brown on one side.

Once the second side is getting close to done...

Squeeze squeeze squeeze... Squeeze your lemon, squeeze your lemon.

Plus add the capers.

Serve with veggies hot or they make a great cold lunch.