FOREWORD

Dr David Unwin
I am a family doctor working in a seaside Fascinated, I went on the diet myself and
town North of Liverpool since 1986, from found my blood pressure and middle aged
then until 2012 I was aware of a rising tide spread both improved in weeks. Since
of obesity and hypertension with an eight 2012 millions of people round the world
fold increase in type 2 diabetes. All the have ‘cut the carbs’ including hundreds of
drugs I prescribed seemed to be merely my own patients. A few weeks ago I saw
‘sticking plasters’ rather than a true the 73rd  practice patient to achieve
solution to these problems so I became significant weight loss and drug free Type
disillusioned with general practice and 2 diabetes remission. As a bonus the diet
prepared to retire. Then one patient walked has cured her swollen ankles too!
in and changed my life, she had put her
diabetes into drug-free remission simply I’m often asked if this is an expensive,
by cutting not just sugar but the starchy middle class diet? Firstly to be fair you
carbs that digest down into sugar. should factor in what you currently spend
on cans of drink, snacks, biscuits and
other ‘food like substances’ - you will be
saving in this department. Secondly on the
whole green veg is not expensive. To go
low carb cheaply it is important to look at
less expensive forms of protein like
chicken, mince and other cheaper cuts of
meat, eggs or cheese. For this you have to
be a little more creative – hence this little
book to get you started.     

NB for those on regular medication for

diabetes or blood pressure: Because low
carb diets tend to drop blood sugars and
improve blood pressure. it’s important to
discuss your new diet with a health care
professional. Medication may need
changing, or even if you are lucky stopping
altogether.  

Cheers,

David.

1
 INTRODUCTION
John Meechan
I’ve been a chef for a long time now, but it olive oil, smoked mackerel and buttery
wasn’t until I met Ally about a year and a eggs in the morning, beef mince in as
half ago that I began to consider the many ways as you can imagine. The
nutritional aspect of food. This wasn’t so benefits soon followed. I felt unexpectedly
much out of necessity – I’m in good health, stabilised both mentally and physically,
and don’t react noticeably badly to able to focus better, less prone to ups and
anything other than caffeine – as out of downs. I also felt my hunger come under
curiosity, and the desire for a new control, which was an added bonus, and
challenge. I’d just finished a PhD in contributed significantly to the newfound
philosophy, and suddenly found myself sense of resilience I was experiencing. It
with a lot of spare mind-energy; alongside now seems a no-brainer to me that the
this, I was at a bit of a crossroads in terms right diet will let you go several hours in
of my cooking career, keen to start doing
something of my own after years of
working under others. The low-carb diet
intrigued me intellectually, and appeared to
offer a route into the world of human
nutrition in a way that made a lot of sense
to me. At the same time, the limitations
and stipulations it offered in the kitchen
motivated me creatively – it raised
seasonal, nose-to-tail cooking to an
imperative. I decided to give it a try. 

It took some getting used to. I don’t have

much of a sweet tooth, but there are few
savoury foods I don’t like, so letting go of
things like polenta, rice, and chickpeas
was a big deal to begin with. But soon
enough I realised that a low-carb diet
actually implores you to eat some of my
favourite ingredients, and at that point I
was sold. Cue slow-roast pork belly
aplenty, piles of spring greens doused in 2
between meals without energy crashes or
cravings for quick fixes. 
If there’s one thing I’d like to encourage in
all this, it’s an intuitive relationship to your
ingredients and how you select and
Changing to a low-carb diet involves prepare them. In many recipes, I leave the
changing the way you cook, both in terms question of quantities open, because I
of the way you shop and the way you think it’s important to determine these
respond to your appetite. Our particular yourself on the basis of how hungry you
aim with this set of recipes is to show you are, what flavours or ingredients you like
that this change need neither put accentuated, and also what you have in
burdensome constraints on how you eat, your fridge, freezer and cupboards.
nor squeeze your budget when shopping. Resourcefulness is an indispensable
We know this first-hand because we live quality in the kitchen, and not only when
on tight budgets as well as low-carb diets, you’re cooking on a budget: it’s a fertile
but refuse to let either of these things get source of creativity, and often the bridge
in the way of eating well. Dieting may be a between what you want to eat and what
n e c e s s i t y, d e p e n d i n g o n y o u r you’re able to cook. 
circumstances, but the joys of cooking and
eating don’t have to suffer. Indeed, once
you’ve made your peace with the
ingredients you’ve been advised to
eliminate and embraced a broadly
wholefoods principle, you’ll find that the
range of what remains open to you is both
fair on your pocket and conducive to
delicious meals. 

It may help, to begin with, to adopt a fairly

formulaic approach: choose a meat or fish,
pair it with a seasonal vegetable or two,
and bring these together with a garnish
that will add colour, freshness and flavour.
Within this, of course, the possibilities are
vast, whether in terms of the combinations
you opt for or the length of time you wish
to invest in preparing a dish. But I hope John Meechan trained as a chef in London
you’ll find that, with this basic formula in and Edinburgh, notably under Yotam
mind, alongside a larder cupboard stocked Ottolenghi, Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich,
with a few basic essentials, you can create Trish Hilferty, and Neil Forbes. He lives in
tasty meals that benefit your health, work Glasgow, where he runs a broadly low-carb
within your budget, and don’t pop-up restaurant called The Mustard
over-complicate your life in the kitchen.  3 Spoon.
 Ally Houston
My first job when I left school was in and I have had serious autoimmune
Rogano, a fine dining seafood restaurant in diseases, mine requiring surgery twice.
Glasgow, the oldest surviving restaurant in Heart disease and Alzheimer’s runs in my
the city. The managers took a boy who family. Things had gotten really bad in
was fed well at home but, left to his own 2015 during my studying for a PhD in
devices, ate nothing but beige processed physics. I couldn’t focus, and found myself
food, and taught him what it means to to be frequently anxious and depressed.
appreciate the best that food can offer. I One of my supervisors, Professor Ken
worked in high end restaurants for several Strain, had healed his chronic fatigue
years, working my way up to managerial syndrome / ME using a change in diet, and
positions. I then went to university and got shared information, showing me how to
a physics degree. The professors took a access scientific papers on nutrition
young man who thought he knew online. Like so many before and since, I
everything and taught him the principles of was astonished by what I was reading. If
scientific inquiry. My health had always you have a scientific background and a
been up and down. My Mum says that we curiosity about food, it’s difficult to come
had a season ticket to the children’s to any other conclusions than the following
hospital. Several of my family members three.

• Sugar, refined flour, and vegetable (seed)

oils are extremely harmful to human
health. 

• Eating foods that provide the required

nutrients is as healthy a diet as you can
get.

• Switching to a low carbohydrate diet can

bring huge benefits for certain people,
especially if the person has type two
diabetes or chronic metabolic health
problems.

When I changed how I ate to a paleo low

carbohydrate diet, my health improved
dramatically. I left my PhD in physics to
pursue my first love, food.

4
Fast forward more than two years, and than that. Because flour prevents nutrient
Paleo Canteen has become a name that absorption in the gut, and because
our customers can trust. We focus on nutrients can be stripped out during
providing the highest quality food that processing, nutrients have to be added to
encourages good health. Sometimes it can avoid deficiencies. So, it might cost
be hard to eat healthily and stay within 50p/60c for a pasta meal, and £3/$4 for a
your budget. That’s why myself and John lamb mince meal, but in terms of nutrition,
wanted to write this book. We have the lamb wins hands down, and you won’t
combined our collective experience in be storing up problems for the future or
some of the UK’s best restaurants, and our stoking the fires of inflammation that
experience of the benefits of a low carb already exist in you. There are other ways
lifestyle, into a collection of recipes that to get the best value. Look out for times of
allow you to maximise your health without the day when shops reduce the price on
breaking the bank. food. You can pick up some real bargains
on meat at these times. 

How did we decide what qualifies as

budget low carb food? We chose lamb There are ways to get enough nutrients
mince as an upper limit for meat price. If it and protein without eating meat, fish, and
costs less than lamb mince, it made it into eggs, but supplementation becomes
the book. But even that can seem important at that point, and we wanted to
expensive, so how can we justify the title focus on getting all of our nutrition from
of the book? As you read in the foreword, food. This is why we don’t focus on
Dr. Unwin’s patients have achieved an vegetarian or vegan options.
unprecedented rate of drug free Type 2
diabetes remission. This rate is similar to
those in the Virta Health study in the U.S. Dairy was another important consideration.
which also uses a low carb diet to improve Paleo people are dairy free, and those who
Type 2 diabetes and achieve drug free do have dairy but otherwise stick to paleo
remission. There is a growing number of principles would call themselves primal.
success stories online in the various social John and I love adding some dairy to our
media groups dedicated to low carb. We diets. I tend to only have some double
see how powerful this way of eating is. We cream or the occasional mouthful of
believe that this power justifies a different yoghurt or creme fraiche. Others enjoy
perspective on “value for money” when it cheese without any negative effects. If that
comes to buying food. The way I think applies to you, go for it!
about it is in terms of nutrition per £, per €,
or per $. Yes, you can buy a box of pasta Ally Houston is the founder and director of
for 50p or 60c, and get hundreds of Paleo Canteen, the UK’s premium paleo
calories of energy, but how much nutrition and low carb food company.
is in there? Very little! In fact, it’s worse

5
 MINCE: SOME
CLASSICS REVISITED

6
 Lamb koftas with roast cauliflower salad

These little spiced meatballs really satisfy a

craving for charred, fatty, flavourful meat. If
you’re able to do them on the barbeque Spice mix: 
t h e y ’ l l b e e v e n b e t t e r. T h e h e r b y 1 tsp ground cumin
cauliflower salad on the side is a great foil
for the koftas – punchy, sweet, and with a 1 . 5 t s p g r o u n d c i n n a m o n

little crunch from the almonds. 1 . 5 t s p g r o u n d a l l s p i c e

1 tsp black pepper 

1 / 2 t s p g r a t e d n u t m e g

Feeds 3-4 


Ingredients: Instructions:

500g high-fat lamb mince Pre-heat the oven to 220 C, and have an
oven tray lined with parchment ready.
1 onion 
To make the koftas, first grate the onion
2 cloves of garlic and squeeze out as much liquid as you
can through a sieve. Combine this with the
1.5 tsp salt mince, garlic, and all but a teaspoon of the
1 small cauliflower spice mix in a bowl and knead until
everything is well mixed together and
1 pomegranate  pliable. Shape them into 10 oblong
shapes, and refrigerate while you prepare
60g flaked almonds
your cauliflower.
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Put a pot of water onto boil, and while it’s
A handful of fresh dill, chopped heating break the cauliflower into florets,
being sure to tear off some stalk with each
A lemon piece. Ideally they’ll be similar in size so
that they cook evenly, but don’t worry if
Extra virgin olive oil
there’s some discrepancy. Place in a bowl,
Yogurt add the remaining 1 tsp of spice mix plus
some salt, drizzle with olive oil, spread

7
over your baking tray, and roast for around To serve, toss the fresh herbs through the
20 minutes, or until it’s taken on a golden cauliflower salad, check everything for
colour and you can pierce easily through seasoning – an extra squeeze of lemon
the stalk with a sharp knife. Once it’s juice or pinch of salt may be required –
cooked, remove from the oven, which you and place as much as you like on a plate.
can now turn down to 150 C, and allow to Top with the same amount of koftas, a
cool for 5 minutes.  dollop of yogurt, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Put the flaked almonds onto a small

baking tray and, once the oven has come
down to temperature, toast them for 8-10
minutes, or until they’ve taken on some
colour. Remove them, but leave the oven
on.

While the almonds are toasting, put a

griddle pan –  if you don’t have one, a
heavy-based frying pan is fine – onto a
high heat and allow to come up to
temperature. 

Now that the cauliflower’s had a chance to

cool a little, put it into a bowl. Zest and
juice half the lemon and add this, along
with the pomegranate seeds and, once
they’re toasted, the almonds. Toss
everything around and leave the flavours
to merge. 

Take your koftas from the fridge, and start

cooking them in the griddle pan, which you
may have to do in a couple of batches (if
you’re using a frying pan, add a little oil
first). Allow them to colour on one side
before turning them and doing the same
with the other side. When you’re satisfied
with the colour – charring is good, as it’s
where the flavour is – remove them to an
oven tray, and give them 5 minutes in the
oven to finish off. If you’re unsure as to
whether they’re cooked, simply slice into
one to check. 

8
NOSE TO TAIL: SLOW
COOKING THE
CHEAPER CUTS

9
 Beef short rib with mushrooms, spinach
and tarragon
The greatest pleasure of cooking short rib 1 tsp dried thyme 
– apart from the tender, fatty textures it
gives you after a few hours in the oven – is 2 stalks of fresh tarragon
in the browning. They come in layered 500ml of chicken stock
cuboids of meat and fat, with a great rib
bone running through them, and they take 150g baby spinach, washed
on a glorious golden colour when seared
before braising. You’ll know they’re ready
to eat when the bone slips away from the Optional:
rest, and you may, like me, be sorry to
throw it in the bin. Rather than giving a 1 tsp mustard, Dijon or wholegrain
precise quantity for the short rib, I suggest
1 glass of red or white wine
you estimate by eye how much you'll need
per person, bearing in mind that some
pieces will have more bone than others.
The best thing is to chat to your butcher Instructions:
about this. 
Preheat your oven to 150 C. You’ll need a
casserole dish with lid, large enough to
hold the beef and mushrooms plus their
Feeds 2  cooking liquor.

Put a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan on

a high heat, and salt your pieces of beef.
Ingredients:
Once the pan’s nice and hot, add a drizzle
Enough short rib for 2 people (also known of olive oil and start browning off the meat.
as Jacob’s ladder or boiling beef) Give each side a good 3-4 minutes, or until
it’s nice and golden, then turn and repeat
200g mushrooms, stalks removed and torn until the slabs of beef are coloured all over.
roughly into 2-3 pieces You may have to do it in batches, and you
may find some fat rendering into the pan,
1 small onion, roughly sliced
which is fine – if it becomes too much, just
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced tip it out into a bowl and keep in the fridge
for frying things another time.
1 bay leaves

10
When all the meat is browned, turn the and distribute them over the bowls. Your
temperature down to medium, tip out any spinach will now have wilted, so divide this
fat, add another drizzle of olive oil – or, too amongst everyone, before giving each
indeed, some of the rendered beef fat – bowl a good ladle or two of the delicious
and add the onions, mushrooms, garlic liquid.
and thyme. Fry these off with half a
teaspoon of salt until the onions have
softened and the mushrooms are looking a
bit glossier – around 5 minutes. Feel free
to add a little more oil/fat if it’s sounding
dry.

If you’re using them, now’s the time to add

the teaspoon of mustard, which you’ll
need to stir through the vegetables and
allow to cook out for 2-3 minutes. Once
you’ve done that, now is also the time to
add the glass of wine, whether you’re
using the mustard or not. Allow this to
reduce by around half before moving on.

Now combine the vegetables and the beef

in the casserole pot you’re going to cook
them in. Tuck in the bay leaves and 2 of
the stalks of tarragon. Pour over the
chicken stock, give everything a nudge
into place, and allow it to come to the boil.
Check the seasoning – it may need more
salt – put on the lid, and place it in the
oven, where it’ll braise away for around 3
hours, or until the beef is starting to slip
easily off the bones.

Once the meat is cooked, remove from the

oven and check again for seasoning. A
splash of red wine vinegar may help to lift
it, but the broth is also fine left rich and
uncut. Divide the meat and the vegetables
among 4 large bowls, then add the
spinach to the broth. Stir this through
roughly, and while it’s wilting strip the
leaves from the remaining tarragon stalks

11
 ROASTERS
12
 Chicken thighs with green beans,
courgette ribbons and pesto 
Chicken thighs have to be the best part of 1 clove of garlic
the bird: tender, tasty, and suitable for both
slow-braising and fast-roasting (especially 3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
on the barbeque). They also take on 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan 
marinades and retain their juiciness better
than the breast. This is a bright and Extra virgin olive oil
summery dish that will make you want to
eat outdoors. Remember to keep the thigh
bones once you’ve finished as they’ll Optional:
provide you with a light stock to enhance
another meal. A glass of white wine

1 tablespoon of butter

Feeds 2

Instructions:

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs, skin-on Pre-heat the oven to 160 C. You’ll need a

pan that’s oven-proof and in which the 4
2 garlic cloves, skin left on and bashed thighs will fit snugly.
with the back of a knife
Place your pan on a medium-high heat,
1 bay leaf and add a drizzle of olive oil once it’s up to
temperature. Season the chicken thighs all
160g green beans, topped but not tailed
over with salt, and place them
Half a courgette skin-side-down in the pan. Allow them to
colour without moving them around too
A lemon much, turning them once each side has
gone nice and golden. 

For the pesto: Once they’re coloured, tip out the fat into a
small bowl or cup. Make sure the thighs
1 handful of fresh basil leaves are all skin-side-up, add the garlic cloves

13
and bay leaf, and pour over enough water While this is going on, use a peeler to take
so that the chicken is roughly half long strips off the courgette, and leave
submerged. (If you’re using it, now’s the these aside until everything else is good to
time to add the glass of white wine.) Put go.
the pan in the oven, uncovered, and leave
to gently roast for 45 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, remove the
thighs onto a warm plate, and return the
While it’s cooking, make the pesto. In a pot with the liquid, garlic and bay leaf to a
food processor, put the basil, pumpkin high heat. Allow it to reduce down so that
seeds and garlic and blitz until the seeds the flavour intensifies and you’re left with a
look crumbed. If there are still whole drizzle of chicken sauce. If you like, you
leaves of basil, scrape the bowl down a can whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter to
little and blitz one more time. Now add the this at the end, to give it some gloss and
olive oil and give it a pulse until it’s all richness.
blended. Lastly, add the grated cheese,
and blitz only until it’s incorporated. At this To serve, fold the courgette ribbons
point, taste and adjust the seasoning to through the green beans, along with a
your taste. It may need more oil, tablespoon of pesto – or more, or less,
depending on how you like it. Indeed, depending on your taste. Add a squeeze
you’re free to increase or decrease any of of lemon juice to lift it a little, and a pinch
the ingredients if you like it one way over of salt if it needs it. Place a mound of this
another. Leave it to sit while you finish onto each plate, top with two thighs, and
cooking the rest. Any extra pesto will sit drizzle pan juices around everything.
happily in the fridge, in a sealed container,
for up to 3 days, though it’s liable to lose
its colour.

When the chicken is nearly cooked, put a

pan of water on to boil. Once it’s up to
temperature, season with salt, and cook
the green beans, turning the heat down to
medium after you’ve added them to the
water. Drain them after 2 minutes, and
return the pot to the heat. Add the fat that
you poured off when searing the chicken
thighs, and tip in the green beans along
with a good grinding of black pepper. On a
low-medium heat, allow the beans to cook
for a further 15 minutes, tossing around
now and then, during which time they’ll
soften, sweeten, and take on the flavour of
the chicken fat.

14
 Sausages with pepperonata
The trinity of pork, peppers and fennel olive oil once it’s reached temperature. Fry
seed really makes my mouth water, and the garlic and the fennel seeds for half a
this is a fairly quick and easy rendition of it. minute, making sure not to allow the garlic
Try to buy sausages with as high a to colour. Now add the peppers, black
percentage of pork as possible. pepper and dried chillies, and season with
salt. Give everything a good toss around,
Feeds 2 then put the lid on, turn down to low, and
leave to cook, removing the lid every 5
minutes or so in order to stir and ensure
Ingredients: that nothing is sticking. You don’t want any
colour on the peppers – the idea is to stew
6 pork sausages (or however many you
them down and allow their natural
want to eat)
sweetness to come out, rather than to
3 peppers, whatever combination of red caramelise them. Once you’re happy with
and yellow you like how soft they are, check for salt, add a
dash of vinegar, and remove from the heat.
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil They should be silky and sweet and oily. 

4 cloves of garlic Now it’s just a case of cooking your

sausages. If it’s appropriately sized, you
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed 
can do this in the same pan as the
½ tsp cracked black pepper peppers, removing these to a warm dish
first. Either way, put the pan on a
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes medium-high heat, add a little olive oil
when it’s up to temperature, and fry the
A dash of red or white wine vinegar 
sausages. Adding a lid helps give them a
gloss, as the steam condenses, drips
down, and emulsifies with the fat. You can
Instructions: of course also grill them if you prefer. The
important thing is not to prick them, and
Start with the pepperonata, which you
not to overcook them, as they’ll lose some
want to cook slowly over around half an
of their fat one way and much of their
hour.
moisture the other way! 
Halve and de-seed the peppers, then cut
To serve, place a portion of pepperonata
lengthwise into 1cm slices. Place a pan
on a plate and top with sausages.
that’s large enough to hold them all and
has a lid on a medium heat, and add the

15
16
OFFAL

17
 Ox or lamb liver with bacon, celeriac
mash and caper butter 
If you’re convinced of the nutritional value Instructions:
of liver but on the fence about eating it, it’s
worth trying it cooked correctly – the First prepare the celeriac. Scrub it well
grainy texture it develops when under a running tap, then peel it. If there
overcooked is what turns a lot of people are any awkward knobbly bits, use a knife
against it, whereas when left a little pink it to carefully remove them. On a chopping
retains a very appealing tenderness. board, cut it into even dices – around 2cm
Pairing it with bacon is classic, as the cubed, but it doesn’t matter so much as
latter’s fattiness really compliments the long as they’re all even. Place them in a
leanness of organ meat. In fact, this is the pot, cover with water, and bring to the boil.
perfect dish for loading up on good fats, Once boiling, turn the temperature down
and a real autumnal/winter warmer.  and allow to simmer until you can pierce
them easily with a knife – around 15m,
depending on what size you cut them to.
Drain, allow to drip dry for 5 minutes, then
Feeds 2  mash a big spoonful of butter and season
with salt to taste. Set aside with a lid on
while you cook the rest.
Ingredients:
Put a non-stick or heavy-bottomed frying
400g lamb or ox liver pan on a high heat for the liver. If your pan
isn’t large enough for all the liver, be
6 rashers of streaky bacon, smoked or
prepared to cook it in two rounds. The
unsmoked
trick with liver is to get colour on the
Half a celeriac  outside without overcooking it on the
inside: this gives it flavour whilst avoiding
2 tbsp of capers, drained of brine  the grainy texture that many people find
unpleasant about it. So once the pan’s
Butter 
nice and hot, add a small drizzle of olive
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped oil, a large knob of butter, and then place
the livers in. Try not to move them about
A lemon  other than to distribute them neatly in the
pan, but feel free to tilt the pan now and

18
then to ensure the butter gets spread
around. 

If you’re using ox liver, which is somewhat

thicker and will of course need longer, give
it around 3 minutes on one side, then flip it
over, ensuring the raw side is making
contact with some fat, and give it the same
again. 

If you’re using lamb liver, give it around 2

minutes on each side. 

Once you’re satisfied with the colour –

you’re looking for a nice golden brown,
just like a steak – remove the livers onto a
warm plate, tip the fat out of the pan,
return it to a medium heat, and fry the
bacon rashers to your liking with a little
olive oil. Add these to the livers once
they’re cooked, return the pan again to a
medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter
along with the capers, and allow it all to
melt and come to a foam. Immediately
remove from the heat and add the parsley
along with a squeeze of lemon juice.

To serve, check that the celeriac is still

warm enough – if it’s not, give it a quick
reheat on the stove – and spoon a big
dollop of it into the centre of a plate. Top
with the livers – slice them up first if you
prefer – and the bacon, and spoon over
the caper and parsley butter.

19
FISH

20
 Smoked haddock with leeks, spinach
and cream 
Smoked haddock and cream were made Put a pot of water onto boil for the leeks,
for each other, giving a rich, moreish and while that’s heating wash the leeks
warmth that will leave you fully sated. and spinach.
Leeks, spinach and fresh herbs make this
a vibrant dish that’s surprisingly quick to In a basin of cold water, add the spinach
prepare.   leaves, swish around, leave for a couple of
minutes, then lift them out into a colander
and allow to drip dry a little. Now add the
leeks, again submerging and pushing them
Feeds 2 around, then leaving them so as to remove
any dirt inside them. After a few minutes,
lift them out into a separate colander or
2 fillets of smoked haddock, pin-boned sieve. 
and skinned
Meantime, turn your grill on to high.
200ml double cream
Salt the water, add the leeks, and once the
2 big knobs of butter water’s back to boiling turn the heat down
so that they simmer gently. They’re ready
1 leek, sliced in rounds 
when you can pierce them with a knife,
300g baby spinach (around half a bag) and how long this takes will depend on
how thickly you like them sliced. Once
Black pepper they’re ready, drain through a colander – if
you’re using the same one as earlier, make
1 lemon
sure there’s no residual dirt in it - and set
aside.

Optional: On a suitably sized oven tray, place the

two haddock fillets, and pour the cream
Fresh chives, parsley and/or dill over them. Add a knob of butter on top of
each, then sprinkle them with black
pepper. Place under the grill, and cook for
Instructions: around 5 minutes, or until the fish begins
to flake easily, and you can feel that the
inside is heated. At this point, the cream

21
should have begun to take on some colour
too, which is what you want.

While the fish is cooking, put a pan on a

medium heat, add a small knob of butter
or some olive oil, and return the leeks to
the heat. Once they start to warm up – 1-2
minutes – add the washed spinach leaves,
and allow them to start wilting down, but
don’t worry about them having to ‘cook’
as, unlike fully grown spinach, they’re
perfectly enjoyable raw. 

Once the fish is cooked, remove from the

grill, squeeze over some lemon juice, and
pour the creamy sauce into the leeks and
spinach. Taste the vegetables for
seasoning – they may need a little salt, but
smoked fish can be salty already so be
careful. If you’re using them, stir in the
fresh herbs at this point.

To serve, spoon the vegetables into a large

bowl or plate, place the fish on top, then
drizzle the sauce on and around it. An
extra squeeze of lemon will lift the scent.

22
EGGS

23
 Boiled eggs with roast aubergine, chillies
and tahini sauce
This is a take on Sabich, an Israeli 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
sandwich, with the pita bread omitted to
make a stand-alone lunch or dinner,
depending on your appetite. There’s Optional:
something about the combination of these
ingredients that harmonises so well – Fresh parsley, fresh coriander, chopped
mellow, punchy, spicy and colourful. Take
some liberty with varying your proportions
here, depending on how you like the Instructions:
balance tipped – personally I can’t get
enough chilli on this one.  Heat the oven to 230. Slice the
aubergine(s) into thick rounds, lay flat on a
baking tray, brush with olive oil on both
sides, and season with salt. Once the
Feeds 2
oven’s up to temperature, roast the
aubergines until they develop a nice dark
golden colour, which should take around
Ingredients: 20-30 minutes (it will depend a little on
4 free-range eggs (2 per person) how thickly you cut them). Remove from
the oven and allow to cool down. 
1 large aubergine or 2 smaller ones
While the aubergines are cooking, bring a
4 red chillies pot of water to boil for the eggs. Once it’s
boiling, place them in it carefully and give
2 cloves of garlic them 6-8 minutes, depending on whether
½ teaspoon ground cumin you like them runny (6) or hard (8) or
somewhere in between (7). The water
1 tsp of honey should be on a rolling boil the whole time.
After this time, remove the pan from the
2 lemons
heat, place it under a cold running tap, and
1 tbsp tahini allow them to cool in this way for at least 5
minutes.
2 tbsp full-fat yogurt (natural or
Greek-style) For the chillies, place a frying pan on a
high heat, and put the whole chillies in

24
once it starts to smoke. You don’t need
any oil. Keep an eye on them, moving
them around so that they take on some
charring all over. Be careful as they may
start to pop. Once you’re satisfied with
their colour – it should take less than 5
minutes – remove them onto a chopping
board, allow them to cool for a couple of
minutes, then de-seed them. Once
de-seeded, chop them up finely with the
garlic, and mix this in a bowl with the
cumin, honey, a good squeeze of lemon
juice, and a small drizzle of olive oil. Leave
everything to sit for 5 minutes, then taste
for seasoning – it may need more of
everything except the chilli and garlic,
depending on how balanced you like the
salt, spice and sweetness. It should be
intense, sharp and hot, in contrast to what
you’ll be eating it with. 

For the tahini sauce, mix together the

tahini, yogurt and olive oil with 1
tablespoon of water using either a whisk or
a dessert spoon until they form a smooth
consistency a little like thick yogurt.
Season with lemon juice and salt, and feel
free to add more tahini if you like it strong,
more yogurt if you prefer to tone it down,
and more water if you want to drizzle
rather than dollop it.

To serve, peel the eggs and chop them

whichever way you like – in quarters is nice
here. Spread some aubergine slices on a
plate, and top with the boiled eggs. Dollop
some tahini sauce around this, then scatter
over the grilled chillies. If you’re using
them, sprinkle with fresh parsley and/or
coriander, and finish with a drizzle of olive
oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

25
VEGETABLES: ACCOMPANIMENTS,
GARNISHES AND STAND-ALONE
PLATES

26
 Shaved beetroot with pickled red onions,
crème fraiche and mint 
This is a really simple, delicious and First of all pickle the onions. Peel the
visually striking dish, managing to be both onion, then slice into thin rings and place
refreshing in the summer and restoring in in a bowl with a good pinch of salt. In a
the winter. It’s a great starter on its own, small pan, bring the vinegar, honey and
pairs wonderfully with lamb, and water to boil, then allow to simmer for 2
contributes well to a mezze-style spread of minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to
dishes. sit for 2 minutes, and pour over the onions.
Cover the bowl with cling-film and leave to
pickled for at least 15 minutes. 
Feeds 2 While this is happening, peel the
beetroots, then slice them into thin rounds.
Ideally use a mandolin for this, but if you
Ingredients: don’t have one you could use a peeler, the
side of a box-grater, or a very sharp knife.
1 medium sized beetroots, or 1 large
Bear in mind that they’re not as pleasant to
½ a small red onion eat when they’re cut too thickly. Place the
slices in a bowl and mix through some salt,
100ml red wine vinegar lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.
Leaving this to rest for 5 minutes will allow
75g honey 
the salt to season the beetroots and also
50ml water soften them slightly. 

1 tbsp per person of crème fraiche  To serve, distribute the beetroot slices over
the base of a plate, then scatter some
A handful of fresh mint leaves (drained) pickled red onions over these.
Add a spoonful of crème fraiche to this,
A lemon
tear over the mint leaves, and drizzle with
Extra virgin olive oil olive oil. 

Instructions:

27
White cabbage, avocado, lime, coriander,
chillies
Avocados can be pricey, but they’re very While this is resting, de-seed and skin the
often on offer at greengrocers. When they avocados, then dice them into bite-size
are, snap them up, and make this. chunks. Toss them in a bowl with the lime
juice. 

Now mix the avocados through the

Feeds 2 cabbage as well as the coriander. Taste for
seasoning – it may need more salt and/or
more lime juice.
Ingredients:

A quarter of a white cabbage

2 ripe avocados

A big handful of fresh coriander, chopped

2 red chillies, de-seeded and sliced 

1-2 limes

Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Shred the cabbage as finely as you can. A

sharp knife is best for this. It helps to split
the cabbage in two parts by using your
hands to separate the inner and outer half
of the leaves. This will allow you to lay
them out flat and wield your knife against it
easier. Once you’ve shredded it, put it in a
bowl, toss some salt through it, add the
chillies, and leave it to sit for 10 minutes.
This will season it, but also soften it a little.

28
29
CONDIMENTS

30
 Green sauce 

One of the ultimate condiments – vibrant in You can make this in a blender, but it’s
colour, punchy in flavour, and versatile in best done by hand using a knife and
accompaniment. Use this recipe as a good chopping board. 
place to start, and vary the quantities
according to your personal preferences Put the garlic, anchovies, capers and finely
and what you’re eating it with. diced shallot onto your board and chop
them, as if your knife were a mezzaluna,
until they’re coarsely reduced to stuff of
the same size. Scoop this up into a bowl,
Ingredients: add the mustard, the juice of half the
1 big handful of fresh parsley lemon, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar,
and a pinch of salt, and mix together.
4 stalks of fresh mint, leaves picked Leave this to sit while you deal with the
herbs. 
1 small shallot, as finely diced as you can
On the same chopping board, scrunch up
2 anchovies
your parsley and mint, and start carefully
1 clove of garlic chopping them. When you’ve gone over
them once, resume your mezzaluna
1 tablespoon of capers, drained method, continuing until you’ve finely
chopped it all. Add this to the punchy
1 tsp Dijon mustard
base, alongside 50g of olive oil, and stir
Extra virgin olive oil everything together until it’s all viscous.
Now it’s time to decide where you want to
A lemon  take it. It’ll need more olive oil, as well as
more salt, lemon juice and possibly
Red wine vinegar
vinegar too, but how much is entirely up to
you. If you’re serving it, for instance, with
some fatty roast lamb, you’ll want it to cut
Instructions: through it, so upping the lemon juice
and/or vinegar is recommended. 

When you’ve taken it to the stage you’re

happy with, leave it to sit for 20 minutes or
so, then taste it again – this time will allow

31
the flavours to merge and alter one
another, and it will also potentially mellow
the raw shallot. 

Green sauce can be kept in a sealed

container in the fridge for up to 3 days,
during which time it will lose its vibrant
colour and its acidic punch. The latter can
be mended by a squeeze of lemon juice or
a dash of vinegar. 

32
DESSERTS

33
 Mascarpone with fruit and almond
crumble
Luscious cream with soft fruit and crunchy Instructions:
nuts – a true archetype of dessert, and
fortunately one that you don’t have to First take care of the crumble and the fruit,
renounce on a low-carb diet. If you prefer which both require a little cooking.
to eliminate the honey, feel free to add a Put the frozen berries in a small pot with a
sweetener to your taste. A little yogurt tablespoon of honey, and turn the heat up
works well in this too, adding a mild to high. You can give it a quick stir while
acidity, and you can of course vary the it’s coming up, but don’t be too tempted –
kind of nuts you use. the berries will release liquid, and soon
Serves 4 enough it will begin to look like a compote
bubbling away. Cooking it fast on a high
heat tends to preserve the colour (which
may fade if cooked slowly). It’s ready as
Ingredients: soon as it’s reduced to a consistency
300g mascarpone you’re happy with – not too runny, and not
quite as thick as a jam. Lift some out with
40ml full fat milk a spoon to check, bearing in mind that it
will become more viscous when not so
2½ tbsp of honey
hot. Once it’s ready, pour into a shallow
½ tsp vanilla essence bowl or something similar, and allow to
cool. Be careful as it will be very hot.

While the compote is cooking, put the

__g frozen berries  butter and a half teaspoon of honey in
another small pot, and allow to melt on a
__g honey
low-medium heat. Once it covers the base
of the pan, add the almonds and a pinch
of salt, and cook until the nuts begin to
50g ground almonds colour and a lovely smell develops.
Continue stirring so that nothing burns or
15g butter
catches on the bottom. It should only take
10g honey 5 minutes or so, but keep both eyes on it.
When you’re happy with it, remove from

34
the heat and spread the nuts out over a
plate or tray so that they cool. 

While your compote and crumble are

cooling, whisk together the mascarpone,
milk, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of honey
until everything is smoothly combined and
it has a pleasing thickness which is crying
out to be dolloped. Taste it and, bearing in
mind that the fruit will be sweet, decide
whether you’d like it any sweeter. Add
some more honey if so. 

You now have the option of serving this

completely cold, like a cheesecake from
the fridge (strangely irresistible), or with the
compote still a little warm, so long as it’s
cool enough to touch. In either case, to
serve, place a big dollop of cream on each
of the plates and make a slight indentation
in the middle with the back of the spoon (it
helps to wet the spoon first before doing
this). Spoon some overflowing compote
into this, and top with a sprinkle of
crumble and a light drizzle of honey.

35
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© 2020 Paleo Canteen Ltd.

36
Cover art by Rekha Barry