AIP or not, the holidays can be stressful and rushed. You are trying to prepare for guests, fun with the kids, holiday dinners, parties, school events, cookie exchanges, neighborhood gatherings, and so on.  

The best way to manage your holiday baking is to have a plan. Get your calendar out and mark off the dates where you are going to need to bring a dessert. Pencil in what you need, i.e. apple pie for party at Joe’s, two dozen cupcakes for elementary class party, cookie dough and decorations for nieces and nephews to roll out and bake.  Get your list prepared in date order and create a plan of attack.

The main goal:

Don’t Stress Out!

You do not want to be doing everything at the stress-filled last minute as people are arriving.  The main tip I can share for you is to bake ahead and freeze as much as possible. AIP baked goods freeze incredibly well. You will need to set aside some freezer space for this, but the time you save will be well worth it.

Examples of items that freeze well

• Drop cookies can be baked, cooled, and placed in freezer safe bags.  Just pull out and bring to room temperature when you are ready to serve.  
• Cupcakes and cake layers can be pre-baked, cooled and frozen.  Just make sure to wrap them very carefully and lay them flat on a cardboard round or tray so they don’t get damaged.  When you need them, pull them out and decorate them frozen. They will be soft and ready to eat within an hour or two.  
• Rolled cookies such as sugar or gingerbread or our new Carob Cookie Dough can be baked and frozen, laid out flat on trays and well wrapped with parchment in between to prevent breaking.  Pull them out and decorate on the day you need them. 
• Pies freeze well also.  Bake and completely cool your pies, double wrap and freeze.  Defrost overnight in the refrigerator the day before you need them.

Cookie dough can be made ahead and frozen – or better yet, get it from us this year!  Pull it out and defrost overnight in the refrigerator the day before you need it. This can be particularly helpful if you want to have the kids rolling out cookies during the season, you can pull out a tub of dough and let them roll out, cut and decorate a few dozen with minimal effort. 

Keeping your pantry well stocked with AIP flours, fats, and sugars will make life easier so you aren’t scrambling around for cassava flour or raisins at the last moment.  If your local store doesn’t carry some of these items, they are widely available online.

Here is a list of suggested AIP baking pantry items

Maple syrup

Coconut sugar

Coconut manna

Coconut milk/cream

Pure vanilla extract or paste

Raisins

Tips and Tricks

Cake/cupcakes:  When baking cakes, line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment cut to the size of the bottom of the pan, then grease the sides of the pan.  When the cake is fully cooled, run a thin knife around the outer edges of the pan to loosen the cake and then invert a large plate over the top of the cake and flip the cake over onto the plate.  Remove the parchment. It’s a good idea to freeze the cake layers before frosting them as they are very delicate right out of the oven. For cupcakes, either line your cupcake pan with paper liners or use a silicone muffin pan.  If using silicone, it is way easier to pop the cupcakes out if you freeze them in the silicone pans first. Otherwise they tend to get damaged. 

Here are a few simple AIP recipes to help you get started.  You can switch them up to your own taste. Surf around on the net.  There are tons of awesome AIP bakers sharing their magic online. 

Basic Vanilla Cake/Cupcake

1 ½ cups tigernut flour

1 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2 Tbl. vanilla extract

5 Tbl. avocado oil

1 cup water

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in another and add the wet to the dry and mix well to combine.  Line an 8” round pan with a circle of parchment then grease with coconut oil and spoon the batter into the pan.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.   

Frosting for cakes and cupcakes

1 cup palm shortening

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 T. vanilla extract

¼ cup arrowroot starch

1 T. coconut flour

¼ cup melted coconut oil

Put everything into the bowl of a processor and process until fluffy.  If you are piping it, you may want to refrigerate it for a few minutes to firm it up a little.  

AIP frosting can be made ahead of time and refrigerated.  You will need to take it out to soften a few hours ahead of time, or place it into your food processor and whip it for a few seconds to soften it up enough to pipe or spread.

Basic Rolled Cookie dough

2 cups Cassava flour, plus more for rolling 

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup non-hydrogenated palm shortening

3/4 cup maple syrup 

1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat shortening, maple syrup, and vanilla in a standard mixer or food processor.

In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

Add the dry to the wet and beat until just combined.

Transfer the dough a plastic container and refrigerate 3 hours before using.  Can also be frozen. If frozen, defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Icing for cookies

1 cup of coconut butter (also called manna), softened in microwave until creamy

1 cups coconut cream

3/4 cups honey

1 T. vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.  Don’t refrigerate or it will harden.  

AIP icing needs to be made when you are going to use it.  It is fast and easy to make as long as you have all of the ingredients on hand.

Some natural AIP friendly ways to color your icings and frostings 

Red/Pink:  natural beet powder, just add a teaspoon of the beet powder to a teaspoon of water and gradually add the paste to your icing until you like the color.

Yellow:  add a teaspoon of pure turmeric powder to a teaspoon of water and gradually add the paste to your icing until you like the color.

Green:  take a handful of fresh parsley and chop it finely.  Wrap it tightly in a piece of cheesecloth and wring it out really tight over a bowl until a few drops of juice come out. Add the juice gradually to your icing until you like the color.

Blue/purple:  take ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries and chop them up.  Wrap them tightly in a piece of cheesecloth and wring it out really tight over a bowl until a few drops of juice come out. Add the juice gradually to your icing until you like the color.

The more juice you have the darker your colors will be. If you have a juicer that may be beneficial in helping you create the desired colors.

Recommended Baking Equipment

Good quality food processor with large bowl

Good quality cookie sheets

Parchment paper

Rolling Pin

Cookie cutters

Piping bag with a few tips

Shaker with large holes to sprinkle flour evenly on surface for rolling cookies

Silicone muffin pans for cupcakes

Qt. sized Ziplock bags

Plastic wrap

9” Cake pans

9” Pie tins (disposable)

When baking cookies, it helps to line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.  This will prevent sticking and help the cookies to spread evenly. Your drop cookie dough should be cool, not warm, to avoid it spreading too much.  If you use a small ice cream scoop, you can get perfect uniform even rounds and then gently press down on top to flatten a little before baking. 

AIP baked goods generally need to be baked at a lower temperature than regular ones.  It is important to check items for burning and rotate your pans halfway through baking.  Use a toothpick or skewer to test the middle of your cakes to make sure they are baked through.

Even though you are not using raw eggs, it is still a good idea to refrain from eating raw cookie dough or cake batter.  You can get indigestion from uncooked flours. The frosting however, is perfectly safe!

All it takes is a little planning and prep and you can be successful at AIP Baking. Good Luck!

Following an AIP/Paleo diet can be a challenge at times, especially if you like to create in the kitchen. Do you like to bake and miss being able to enjoy your favorite recipes? Will your favorite cakes rise like when you could use wheat flour? Will your cookies taste the same? Recreating recipes that you love without wheat flour can be a challenge, but it’s something that you can do with a little research and perseverance. There are many different flours out there that are AIP compliant so we asked Chef Ann to break them down for you, as well as, give you some AIP baking tips that she has learned over the years.

Chef Ann Says: Any gluten free baking, including AIP, relies on the baker’s ability to combine gluten free flours in a blend that can mimic the attributes of wheat flour. AIP, being grain free as well as gluten free, creates a fairly good challenge.

The main flours used in AIP baking are as follows:  Cassava flour, Tapioca Starch, Coconut Flour, Tigernut Flour, and Arrowroot Starch.  There are still a few others out there that I haven’t yet tried like Plantain Flour, Water Chestnut Flour, and Sweet Potato Flour.  

Tigernut Flour

The “gluten free” worlds newest flour is Tigernut Flour. It isn’t a nut as the name implies but actually a small root found in Northern Africa and the Mediteranean that has been cultivated for centuries. It’s completely gluten-free and Paleo/AIP. It also packs a little more protein than other flours. It has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor which makes it a great choice to use for treats. Using it in desserts you can actually reduce the sugars because if its sweetness. It has helped us create incredible new baked goods like our Snickerdoodles and Peachberry Cobbler. 

Chef Ann Says: Tigernut flour is an extremely light weight, airy and high fiber flour which adds a lightness and crumb to baked goods.  It needs to be combined with other flours to bind it, otherwise baked goods will crumble away like dust. It is good to use in cakes, muffins, cookies and cobblers.  It is a very expensive flour and requires sifting, making it a bit more labor intensive as well. But the final results are worth the trouble and expense. It is brown, so anything you bake with tigernut flour will be brown in color.

Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is actually made from the meat of the coconut which has been dried and ground into powder form. It works well in baked goods, but anything you make with it will have a coconut flavor to it.
Chef Ann Says: Coconut flour is a heavy weight flour which absorbs a lot of moisture. It can dry out baked goods and make them very heavy. In my opinion, it should only be used as a small portion of your grain free blend. It will provide a crunch or crust effect. It does impart a strong coconut flavor as well, which is something to be aware of. I’d use it in a cookie that you wanted to be crisp, for scones, or as part of a breading. Two other positive attributes include it being high in protein and low in carbohydrates.

Tapioca Flour

Tapioca Flour or Tapioca Starch come from the Cassava Root (Yes, the same place that Cassava Flour comes from). It is different than Cassava Flour because it is just the starch of the Cassava Root. While it is often used in baking because it makes soft, tender cookies, cakes and bread, some people aren’t fond of the taste.

Chef Ann Says: Tapioca starch is similar to cornstarch in that it thickens and gelatinizes when heated.   Adding a percentage of tapioca starch to your recipes can be a gluten replacement, creating chewiness and a little stretch to doughs and batters as they rise.  Arrowroot can be used similarly, but I rarely do it because it has a strong chemical taste when you use it as a significant part of a baked good.

Cassava Flour
Unlike Tapioca Flour, Cassava Flour is simply the whole root, peeled dried and ground. It is often used in gluten free products because it is most like wheat flour. It has a very mild flavor and a soft and powdery texture. Some people feel fuller when eating baked goods containing more Cassava Four as it is very high in carbohydrates.

Chef Ann Says: Cassava flour works well in pie crusts, tortillas, pressed doughs and cookies. It tends to be heavy and dense when added to a recipe which makes it work well in these applications. You can use a traditional wheat flour recipe and substitute cassava flour and AIP compliant fat.

AIP Baking Tips From Chef Ann

One other thing to keep in mind when AIP baking, is that since you aren’t able to use eggs, grass fed beef gelatin can be a good substitute to bind cookies, breads, and cakes together.  You don’t need to bloom it, just add the dry gelatin to the dry ingredients before adding the wet. Doughs containing gelatin need to rest, so that the gelatin can absorb the moisture in the dough and “set.”  You’ll need to make most AIP doughs a little more wet than you want the finished result to be, and wrap and refrigerate them so that the flours and gelatin can absorb the moisture. Usually, you’ll have to take the dough out and temper it for a few hours so that it will be soft enough to be rolled, pressed or shaped.   

AIP/Paleo baking powder is made by mixing together a ratio of two parts cream of tartar and one part baking soda.  Then measure it out the same way you would regular baking powder. Often, a little organic apple cider vinegar will be added to the recipe along with the baking powder to activate it and give more rise to the batter. 

Since we don’t use white sugar, coconut sugar can be an asset, but it does impart a darker color to the finished product that you may not want. In those cases, you can use maple syrup or honey and reduce other moisture in the recipe to accommodate the liquid sugars.

The Paleo Effect

You will need a good sense of humor and patience when baking AIP/Paleo.  Sometimes a recipe just won’t work. Even one you’ve made 100 times before.  I call this “the Paleo Effect.” The latest batch of flour may have a higher moisture content or be slightly coarser in grind.  Maybe the shortening was a little softer than usual. With practice, you can learn to compensate for the Paleo Effect and get good results in your baked goods.   

Happy Baking! – Chef Ann

Everyone has their own version of what is safe to eat, as well as how food should be stored at home. Lots of urban myths and familial practices are passed down from relatives. Are you one of those people who leave food sitting on the counter for days, munching off of it when hungry, oblivious to the microbacteria party going on inside those leftovers? Or are you hyper aware of food temps and refuse to eat food that has been left out, take leftovers or anything not immediately refrigerated?

Some people will leave food in the refrigerator or freezer for long periods of time and have no issue with eating something placed in the freezer long ago. If you don’t have the intestinal fortitude to deal with food that has been around for a while, or hasn’t been handled correctly, here are some of the best food safety practices in the home:

• Make sure that your refrigerator and freezer are set to the proper temperatures. The refrigerator temperature should be kept at or below 40°f, and your freezer should be set at 0°f. Maintaining your refrigerator/freezer at these temperatures will help your food last longer and stay safer.

• Perishable foods should never be left sitting on the kitchen counter to thaw for longer than 2 hours. After that point the center of the food may remain frozen, while the outer surface may enter the danger zone.

• The danger zone is the range of temperatures between 40° and 140°F, where bacteria multiply rapidly.

• Never use running hot water to thaw frozen food. The outside quickly gets into the danger zone while the inside takes longer to thaw.

• The best quick-thaw method is to use tepid water (tepid water is approximately 105°f). This is the best option when you have a small package of meat to thaw. Place the package in a bowl that your meat will fit in nicely. Place the bowl in the sink. Turn the water on and adjust the temp. Set the water at a fast drip and let it run over the frozen meat. This can take approximately 30 minutes for smaller cuts of meat. If you are trying to thaw a big roast you can use this method, just dont go over two hours. It is best to thaw large cuts of meat in the refrigerator.

• Yes, microwaves have a defrost setting, and you can get good results if you monitor carefully. But defrosting in the microwave can also dry the meat out. It also brings the food into the danger zone quickly so the meat must be cooked soon after defrosting. Truth be told, you’re not actually defrosting, but slowly cooking. This is why meat that is defrosted in the microwave can end up being dry.

It is safest to allow food to thaw in the refrigerator. Yes this takes time, but it is better to be safe than sorry. The meat that you are thawing never gets into the “danger zone” where bacteria begin to thrive. All it takes is some planning ahead.

Let’s Talk Dates

Do you ever get confused by all the dates printed on food products? Let’s get a few things straight:

• “Open Date” – This date uses a calendar date on a food product. The Open Date is not a safety date, instead, this label tells how long to display the product for sale at the store.
• “Best if Used By” (or Before) – This date is recommended for best flavor or quality. This is not a date to purchase by, nor is it an indication that the product is unsafe after this date.
• “Use By” – This date is the date recommended to use the product in order to have the best quality. This date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product. Even after the Use By date, a food should remain safe and wholesome if it has been properly stored and handled.
• “Expiration Date” – Did you know that the expiration dates on products doesn’t mean that they will be bad after that date? What it means is that the product quality will deteriorate after that point. Depending on how you handled it and if there was cross contamination it can remain safe to eat after that date.
• Closed or coded dates are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.
• Packaged on, Manufactured on or Prepared on. Packaging dates are closely related to best before dates and are intended to give consumers an idea of how long a product will maintain its quality. These dates are used on food products with a shelf life of 90 days or less.

Sell by or Freeze by dates are other voluntary markings used in Canada specifically, and can help the consumer make decisions about purchasing and storing food.

So really it’s all about common sense, right? Don’t take a package of meat out of the freezer and leave it on the counter or in the sink to thaw. Despite the best of intentions the odds are that you are going to leave it sitting there too long. Yes it will be thawed when you finally remember hours later, but at what cost? We all lead busy lives. Because of that it is best to err on the side of caution and thaw your food in the refrigerator.  It just takes a little planning. That is really the only way to be sure that you are doing all you can

Turkey Talk

Ok, this one might be a hot button issue because of the size of a frozen turkey. Many people let it sit in the kitchen sink overnight to thaw. All we can say is, YIKES! The graphic below shows some really great information that will come in handy this Thanksgiving. You may or may not know this, but you can cook a turkey from frozen! You may have never considered it, because you know, stuffing. But since cutting gluten and bread out of an AIP diet is necessary, this could actually be done.

You hear the term “superfood” tossed around all the time these days. It has proven to be a successful marketing term which has led to an oversaturation of products on the market labeled as such. The Paleo/AIP landscape is littered with products that promote their superfood status. So, what makes these foods super? Generally speaking, foods that are higher in vitamins and nutrients, packed with antioxidants, clean proteins, and healthy fats qualify as superfoods.

The question: Are these foods better for you than other foods, or is it all hype?

The answer: Yes! There are foods that are more nutrient dense than others. These are higher in protein or various vitamins and nutrients, and some have nutrients that other foods don’t. But being labeled a superfood doesn’t mean that you should go hog wild eating mass quantities so that you can be super healthy. It simply means that they are good additions to balance out your diet. Let’s take a look at what’s been labeled a superfood:

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Kale  – Cabbage  – Broccoli –  Brussels Sprouts

Bet you didn’t know that both broccoli and brussels sprouts are in the cabbage family! Also included are collard greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard, and spinach. All of these vegetables contain high levels of anti-inflammatory carotenoids which are beneficial to those suffering with an autoimmune condition. We offer our delicious Savory Sauteed Kale and our amazing Spinach Mushroom Beef Lasagna to help you add dark green leafy vegetables to your diet.

Garlic

Most people love garlic, especially those who enjoy cooking. But did you know that it is also a superfood? It not only adds great flavor to your cooking, it supports immune function as well.

Berries

All berries, but specifically blueberries, are included here. Berries have anti-inflammatory properties as well, but are also high in antioxidants and can be effective in helping to treat digestive issues and immune related disorders. If you like sweets, our Peachberry Cobbler is absolutely delicious and it has berries in it!

Olive, Avocado, and Coconut Oils

All three of these oils contain healthy fats, unlike corn based vegetable oils. They are actually beneficial to your body. Look for virgin, extra virgin, cold pressed, or first press options if possible. We only use these oils in our food.

Mushrooms

Did you know that there are over 70,000 types of mushrooms but only 250 are edible? The edible ones are considered superfoods because they are nutrient packed and naturally low in sodium.  The Maitake Mushroom has been used for a very long time for medicinal purposes and is known to help those with high blood pressure and cholesterol. 

So yes superfoods exist, but it’s also a marketing term that has become all the rage. When you hear “superfood”  it may seem like some big new secret has been revealed. But in actuality, it is mainly a marketing term. Yes these foods labeled as superfoods are higher in vitamins and minerals, but they have always been there and are a natural part of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). In fact, most natural foods have high vitamins and minerals. Luckily, these high caliber foods are AIP and not restricted!

Be aware that there are other foods that are considered superfoods but aren’t AIP approved. You can rest assured that we incorporate superfoods into our dishes whenever possible. Most nuts and seeds are superfoods, as are legumes and nightshades like tomatoes. Those are probably the most difficult superfoods to omit from the diet, but to truly follow the Autoimmune Protocol you must. Furthermore, you can be sure that as the definition morphs of what a superfood is, new foods will be added to the list. Keep in mind, your diet is really all about you. You know what you like, and what your body can and can’t tolerate. We hope that this will help guide you on your AIP journey!

I founded Paleo on the Go, LLC (POTG) in February of 2012 with a brick and mortar location in Largo, FL. I studied chemistry at Georgia Southern University for two years after attending college and playing baseball in a competitive junior college baseball league in Northern Florida. Regardless of talent, my health was a huge challenge to play at that level. A formal education in Chemistry helped shape my perspective and in-depth comprehension of the science behind this logical, yet discouraged by the mainstream way of eating and living. The SAD diet (Standard American Diet) was completely void of current science, but had the marketing dollars to misinform. Think of the old food pyramid and even the current government supported food plate model.

I drew on this diverse background to embark on a new journey in the food business. Leading a company that produces meals using only the highest quality ingredients, including hard to source specialty items, proved to be an exciting challenge. 

From the start, POTG’s business model was to make food accessible to all of the United States via paleoonthego.com. Creating truly amazing paleo and autoimmune protocol (AIP) meals, veggie sides, healthier desserts, bone broth, soups, sauces, etc., was what we set out to do, and that hasn’t changed a bit. Making our own bone broth with grass-fed beef bones and organic vegetables, and literally hand-crafting Chicken Pot Pies made with AIP flours and organic free-range chicken; are two examples of what “made from scratch” really looks like. POTG ships meals frozen in two days or less in order to maintain quality standards and integrity of our food. These recipes are not the easy meals we whip up for our families. These are dishes that require creativity, an extreme amount of man hours, and a lot of attention to detail.

I choose to live an AIP/paleo lifestyle if you can call “do this or die” a choice. After experiencing many years of suffering severe reactions to seemingly every type of food, even the most seemingly innocuous foods that doctors were promoting, I was at a loss for what to do. I was experiencing severe chest, throat, and esophagus pain, and could barely swallow food (we’re talking almost choking to death as often as once a week….pretty frightening.) I was later diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis or EoE, a type of autoimmune disease. EoE is just one of many autoimmune diseases, which all seem to start with poor gut health and broken biochemistry. I also experienced brain fog, stomach pain, chronic fatigue, and other various other ailments; just to name a few. I pursued natural and conventional methods alike, for many years, spending a lot of money and not seeing improvements. Soon after I essentially gave up on tests, treatments, and “wonder supplements” that didn’t work, and stumbled upon a new, yet ancient, way of eating and living that is made up of real food that reduces inflammation and subsequent gut damage, along with adhering to other healthy ways of living. I quickly dove into as much education as I could and realized that this very different way” of eating made a lot of sense and could be the answer I was looking for all along. Jumping right in with strict compliance yielded pretty immediate results.

Fast forward to 2019. I continue to see health improvements but still very much a work in progress. Although many of my symptoms have subsided; I stay as strict as possible to the autoimmune paleo protocol, and will be incorporating more of POTG’s ketogenic and Whole30 friendly offerings, along with coping with and mitigating stress.

I am excited about the successes in my personal health journey, but even more so, hearing success stories from other autoimmune disease sufferers through changing their diets and using POTG along the way. 

So you’ve planned a cookout. Why not step up your grilling game with some sauces to enhance the flavor profiles? You can make all of these ahead of time, then put them on the table and let your guests decide to add if they want to or not. These are all simple ways to add another layer of flavor to your menus. Plus they are a simple way to impress your guests at what a foodie you are.

Chimichurri

This Chimichurri is so delicious and versatile! It is perfect for steak but will work nicely with chicken or fish.

1 cup packed fresh cilantro

3/4 cup packed fresh parsley

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

2 Tbl garlic, minced 

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbl lime juice 

1 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, add the cilantro, parsley, garlic and red onion. Pulse just until small pieces form.

Add in the red wine vinegar, lime juice, and salt, and pulse a few times.

With the processor running slowly stream in the olive oil just until combined.

Good over steak.

Ponzu Sauce

Ponzu is a classic Japanese Sauce that is citrus based. Tart and tangy, it is similar to a vinagrette. Use it as a dipping sauce or marinade, even a salad dressing.

4 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp lime juice

½ tsp fish sauce

2 tsp coconut or apple cider vinegar

2 scallion, sliced thin

Mix together in a small bowl.

Good over fish, chicken and vegetables.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

You know that sauce that comes with the egg roles you get at Vietnamese restaurants? This tastes just like it! Carefull with the fish sauce, dont spill it! It is potent.

1⁄3 cup lime juice

3 tbsp. coconut sugar

2/3 cup warm water

6 tbsp. fish sauce

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Instructions

Vigorously stir the lime juice, sugar, and 2⁄3 cup warm water in a medium bowl to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the fish sauce, and garlic.

Let sauce sit at room temperature for up to one day before serving or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Good with fish, chicken and meats.

Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki is a classic greek sauce that Chef Ann has recreated for the AIP. Bursting with fresh flavors this sauce is perfect for grilled lamb or beef, even chicken!

2 cups cold Coconut cream skimmed off the top of the can

2 T. Lemon juice

1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced very small

1 T. Fresh dill, chopped

2 tsp. Fresh mint, chopped

1 tsp. Sea salt

3 minced garlic cloves

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Keep cold.

Good with lamb, beef and chicken.

Sweet & Tangy Kale Sauce

Of all of these sauce, this is by far my favorite. Its perfect, sweet and creamy with savory undertones. Great with chicken, fish or lamb. Or use it as a dip for crudite!

1 large avocado flesh removed from skin

2 cups blanched Kale

15 Green onions sliced

2 t. minced garlic

1 cup olive oil

1 T. salt

½ cup coconut or apple cider vinegar

½ cup honey

Puree all in processor until smooth.

Good with chicken and fish.

A tasty salad is an integral part of summer entertaining. Especially if you can make them ahead of time letting you relax the day of your BBQ. Chef Ann has taken soem classics and converted them to follow the Autoimmune Protocol. They are every bit as delicious as their non AIP versions. Give them a try!

Marinated Cucumber and Onion Salad

A classic summer salad that everyone loves, sure to be a hit if you are planning a picnic or BBQ. This is a very basic, strict AIP recipe that you can add to if you like.

5 cucumbers

1 red onion

1 cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup honey

½ cup water

1 tsp. sea salt

Peel and slice cucumbers thinly.  Peel and slice onion thinly. Mix together in bowl.  Whisk together apple cider vinegar, honey, water and salt and pour over the cucumbers. Toss well to coat. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Cool fact; you can make this the day before then toss just before serving.

Pickled Vegetable Salad

I love keeping a jar of these around for when I need a little something. It reminds me of my youth. In Southern California, if a Mexican restaurant had a salsa bar there would be a bowl of pickled vegetables. With jalapenos, but since they arent AIP weve left them out of this recipe.

(2) 24 oz canning jars

4 cups cauliflower florets (approx. 1 small head)

¾ cup sliced carrot (approx 1 large carrot)

¾ cup sliced celery

½ yellow onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves

2¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2¼ cup water

2 tbsp sea salt

½ tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Instructions

Divide vegetables and seasonings among the two jars.

In a sauce pan, bring water, vinegar, and salt to a boil. When the salt has dissolved, pour the liquid over the vegetables in the jars.

Once room temperature, place lid on and refrigerate.

Pickled Vegetable Salad

I love keeping a jar of these around for when I need a little something. It reminds me of my youth. In Southern California, if a Mexican restaurant had a salsa bar there would be a bowl of pickled vegetables. With jalapenos, but since they arent AIP weve left them out of this recipe.

(2) 24 oz canning jars

4 cups cauliflower florets (approx. 1 small head)

¾ cup sliced carrot (approx 1 large carrot)

¾ cup sliced celery

½ yellow onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves

2¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2¼ cup water

2 tbsp sea salt

½ tsp. dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Instructions

Divide vegetables and seasonings among the two jars.

In a sauce pan, bring water, vinegar, and salt to a boil. When the salt has dissolved, pour the liquid over the vegetables in the jars.

Once room temperature, place lid on and refrigerate.

Broccoli Crunch Salad

I think everyone has a version of this salad that they love.  A popular dish to take to potlucks, the ingredients have been tweaked a bit to make it AIP. Just like the old recipes this one can be made the day ahead. In fact it tastes better the next day.

8 cups broccoli cut into bite sized pieces

1/3 cup red onion diced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup coconut cream

Sea salt

Whisk together cider vinegar, honey, coconut cream, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, cranberries, carrots, and chopped bacon. Pour the prepared dressing over and mix well.

Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Carrot Tabbouleh

This is a delicious take on a traditional dish. Typically Tabouleh is made with either Bulgar Wheat or Couscous. Chef Ann has replaced those non AIP ingredients with riced carrots. The dish has a bright fresh flavor that you will enjoy. It will last a couple days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

3 to 4 large carrots

2 cups chopped curly parsley

1 ½ tsp. minced fresh mint

2 T. raisins

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. fresh lemon juice

½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Peel the carrots and cut into chunks.

Place the carrots in a food processor fitted with an S-shaped blade. Process until couscous-sized, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Toss the processed carrots with the chopped parsley, mint, raisins, olive oil, lemon juice and zest and salt.

I’ll break it down into categories:

Meat and Fish Grilling Temperatures

Chicken breast:  Grill over med-high heat, 3-5 minutes per side until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.

Beef/Pork/Lamb/Game:  Grill over high heat, 8 minutes per side for medium on a 1” thick steak. (130°F internal temperature is medium rare).  Always let the meat rest for a few minutes before cutting into it so that the juices can redistribute through the meat, keeping it juicier.

Fish: Grill over medium-high heat, 3 minutes per side depending upon thickness.  Check with a skewer. When fish flakes easily, it is done.

Vegetables: Grill over medium-high heat, 2 minutes per side to lightly grill, but not burn the vegetables.

Most food tastes better if it is marinated before placing on the grill.  If you don’t want to marinate, at least give the food a light coating of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt before grilling.  This will prevent sticking and help to get a better grill mark on the food’s surface.

Please note that dry rubs are not used for grilling, but more for smoking, as they can have a tendency to burn.

Meats suitable for Grilling:

Very thin or very thick cuts of meat are not suitable for the grill.  Thin ones will dry out and thick or large cuts of meat are more suited for smoking and/or braising.

Care should be taken when grilling very fatty cuts of meat, as the fat can melt and cause a small grease fire in the bottom of your grill.  

Good for the grill:

Beef Steak

Lamb Chops

Pork Chops

Pork Tenderloin (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 155°F internal temperature)

Hamburger made of ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey

Chicken Breast

Bone in Chicken parts (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 165°F internal temperature)

Fish suitable for grilling:

Thinner or more delicate types of fish do better wrapped in a foil packet with a little liquid and placed on the upper shelf of the grill for indirect heat.  

Good for the grill:

Shrimp

Lobster

Oysters in shell

Salmon

Tuna

Swordfish

Shark

Mahi Mahi

Grouper

Here are a few of my favorite marinades:

More Grilling Ideas:

A couple of other fun things you can do on the grill are skewers and foil packs.  Just wrap the foods you want to cook in heavy duty foil, with some marinade, spices or lemon juice and cook on the upper shelf of the grill.

Beef Steak

Lamb Chops

Pork Chops

Pork Tenderloin (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 155°F internal temperature)

Hamburger made of ground beef, lamb, chicken or turkey

Chicken Breast

Bone in Chicken parts (use lower heat and turn often – use a thermometer to test for 165°F internal temperature)

Fruits Suitable for Grilling

When grilling fruits be very cautious. The high sugar content can cause them to burn very quickly. They need a very short turn on the grill to get great caramelized flavor.

Best for the grill:
Pineapple
Banana
Peaches
Watermelon

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is a nice batch of onion rings. This crispy savory goodness works well as a side for almost anything, or makes a great snack. Chef Ann has exchanged the wheat flour that would traditionally be used, for a blend of cassava and coconut flours, as well as tapioca starch. Using seltzer water adds a lightness to the batter reminiscent of a tempura. They are quite simple to make and don’t take much time at all. Do yourself a favor and whip up a batch today!

AIP Onion Rings

2 medium onions

½ cup cassava flour

½ cup coconut flour

¼ cup tapioca starch

1 tsp sea salt

2 cups unflavored seltzer

Small bowl with 3 T. cassava flour and 3 T. tapioca flour to dust the rings

3-4 cups high heat oil for frying such as avocado oil or olive oil

Cut the ends off the onions and remove the skin.  Slice onion crosswise into 1/2” (thicker if you like) wide rings. Reserve the inner part of the onion for another use.

Heat the oil in a small pot to 375˚. You want at least 4” depth of oil so that the batter doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.  

Get a plate lined with paper towels ready to drain the onion rings.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flours and salt.  Whisk the seltzer in gradually until you have a smooth batter that just barely slides off the back of a spoon.  You may need a little more or less seltzer, depending on the flour.

Dust the onion rings in the dusting flour, then dip them one at a time into the batter.  Gently place them a few at a time into the hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pot or they will stick together.  Let them brown evenly, turning occasionally with tongs. Remove to drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt.