What I Made this Week

I found an amazing new blog this weekend.  I had promised in My Faves This Week on Friday that I would try a recipe from this pin with fifty paleo cookie recipes.  In that pin, was a link to a recipe for Hazelnut Meringue Cookies on the Paleo site,  Against All Grain.  There are some amazing recipes and gorgeous photography.  Please check it out.  And, if you’ve never made meringue cookies they are very easy (this recipe in particular is a little bit more complicated, but if you google other meringue recipes, you’ll find easier ones). Here are the details:

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Cookies - Against All Grain

Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Meringue Cookies

AUTHOR: Danielle Walker – AgainstAllGrain.com

Ingredients:
  • 2 large egg whites, about 4 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ice water
  • 3/4 cup raw hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted

Instructions:

  1. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.
  2. In a heatproof mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, honey, and pinch of salt.
  3. Place the bowl over the simmering water, careful not to let it touch the water. Whisk the egg whites constantly for 3-5 minutes, until they are warm to the touch.
  4. Remove from the heat, then transfer the mixing bowl to your stand mixer. Immediately begin whipping on high.
  5. Pour in the teaspoon of ice water, then keep beating on high until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.
  6. Fold in 1/2 cup of the hazelnuts, keeping the remaining 1/4 cup for dipping at the end.
  7. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, or pipe with a pastry tip.

To Bake (note: the cookies will get a little darker in color in the oven)
Bake at 175 for 1.5 hours until the meringues are dry to the touch but not brown, then turn the oven off and let them cool with the oven door closed for another hour.

These came out delicious and pretty.  They will quiet your sweet tooth and they are rich enough that you won’t want to eat all of them in one sitting.

I also made a preview to St. Patrick’s Day recipe that also happens to be Paleo.  The name of the recipe from Nom Nom Paleo is the World’s Best Braised Green Cabbage.  I make it a point to try anything with World’s Best in the title.

World's Best Braised Green Cabbage

World’s Best Braised Green Cabbage

Here’s what to gather to feed 4-6 people:

  • 2 tablespoons melted lard, ghee, or bacon grease for coating the baking dish
  • 1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 large red or yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch coins
  • 1/4 cup bone broth or water
  • 1/4 cup melted lard, ghee, or bacon grease
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Aleppo pepper (optional)
  • Aged balsamic vinegar
Here’s what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F with the rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with the melted fat.

2. Lop off the tough stem end of the cabbage and divide it into 6-8 wedges. Keep the core attached so the wedges stay intact after the long cooking time. Don’t worry: The tough core will get super tender, too.

3. Place the cabbage pieces in a single layer in the greased dish — a little overlap is okay. Toss on the onions and carrots and drizzle with broth and the melted fat. Season well with salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper (if using). Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.

4. Cook the cabbage undisturbed for 1 hour. Crack open the foil cover and carefully flip the wedges over. Reseal the dish tightly and braise for another hour or until fork-tender.

5. At this point, you can remove the cabbage to cool and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it (up to 4 days). When you’re ready to serve, crank the oven up to 425 F and bake until browned (about 15 minutes).

6. Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

This cabbage was soooooo flavorful.  I grew up on boiled cabbage and was never really a fan.  This cabbage with the vinegar is yummy.  Cooking in serious fat was fun, too.  I don’t know why.  It just was.  I’m sure you could replace it with something less, well, fat.  I didn’t.  But you probably could.

What have you been cooking?

Leave a Comment