A Paleo Food Matrix

In Episode 50 of The Paleo Solution podcast and in his book, The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet, Robb Wolf talks about hie food matrix. Today, I'm going to rip off his idea. Not for personal glory but to help you construct Paleo-approved meals in a flash. In the future I might create a sexy printable version, but for now you'll have to do with this low-tech blog post.

So, here's the deal: from each of the below sections choose 1 item (except the vegetable and seasoning sections where you can choose 1 or more). Then use the resulting list to cook up something yummy.

Protein sources

• Beef
• Lamb
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Kangaroo
• Goat
• Eggs
• Fish
• Venison
• Pork

Vegetables

• Zucchini
• Sweet potato
• Yams
• Cabbage
• Carrot
• Asian greens - bok choy, choy sum et al
• Cauliflower
• Capsicum (these are part of the Nightshade family)
• Squash

Oils

• Avocado oil
• Extras virgin olive oil
• Coconut oil

Seasoning

• Pepper
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Chilli (these are part of the Nightshade family)
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Mint
• Turmeric
• Cumin
• Parsley
• Lemongrass

Cooking methods

• Slow cooker
• Stew
• Boil
• Broil
• Fry
• Stir fry
• Grill
• Bake
• Steam

Couldn't be any easier! What? Don't believe me? Okay. Example time.

Example #1 - Stir-fried beef with chilli & lemongrass

Selections:

• Beef
• Zucchini
• Bok Choy
• Coconut oil
• Chilli
• Lemongrass
• Stir-fry

Example #2 - Grilled chicken on wilted choy sum with carrots

Selections:

• Chicken
• Choy sum
• Carrots
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Grill (chicken)
• Steam (vegetables)

No more excuses, just yum-yum Paleo!

Beef Salad with radish, mint & lemon

G'day,

Here's our first recipe.

You can serve as an entree or a main (simply adjust amounts in the ingredients list as you see fit).

Here we go: beef salad with red radish, fresh mint, spinach and lemon dressing. In Joe's words: "This is a absolute humdinger, an awesome summerly salad, the different textures of the soft beef, crunch radish and mint with lemon go so well."

Ingredients:

• Eye fillet, 150-200g (substitute lamb backstrap or loin, or even kangaroo for a variation)
• Fresh mint - 1 bunch 
• Red radish - 3
• Spinach
• 4 lemons (juiced)
• Extra virgin oil (or macadamia oil)
• Salt, pepper

Method:

• Pre-heat skillet or pan,add oil, once it starts to smoke slighty it's ready to sear the meat. 
• Sear meat each side roughly 2 minutes each side depending on size, until really brown and crispy. 
• Set aside to rest and elevate the meat over a wire wrack so any excess blood can drain away.
• Chop mint roughly and add to spinach. 
• Slice radish nice and fine and add to salad, combine the lemon juice with some oil and dress salad. 
• Slice the beef 
• Mix beef with salad and season to taste. 
• (Green chilli can also be added to add a little zing)

Serves: 1-2

Prep/cook time: 10-15 minutes

Notes:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Paleo approved

We'll be creating a video of this recipe shortly.

Send us your thoughts and photos.