dani - Ancestral Nutrition

Blog October 31, 2012

Liver, Lime and Cilantro Chicken

I can’t emphasize how amazing liver is. Gram for gram it is the most nutritious food. It is a multivitamin, really. Traditional cultures around the world consider liver a sacred food due to its high nutrient density. It’s high in vita A, E, D and K, B12, B6, zinc, folate, choline and iron. This is why it’s so great for pregnant women and young children. Unfortunately, a lot of people dislike the taste of liver. I am really into pate, but I understand that most people are a little grossed out by eating liver. So what I like to do is mix it into things. I’ll blend up a pound of chicken livers from the farm and freeze a little bit in individual packages. I then add it to whatever I’m cooking for dinner, soup, stir fry, chili, anything really. It disguises the taste wonderfully. I did this with…

Blog October 30, 2012

Paleo Banana Caramel Upside Down Cake (Sugar and Grain Free)

Sometimes, I make really good food. And this spin on an upside down cake is one of my favorites. I made this for a Halloween party and my friends really liked it. If you’re wondering if it got good reviews because my friends are polite, I assure you that is not the case. Happy Halloween! I don’t know if there’s such a thing as ‘Halloween food.’ But I know ‘party food’ exists, and this is definitely a recipe that qualifies as that! Shared at: Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Real Foods Wednesday, Keep It Real Thursday, Make Your Own Mondays Paleo Banana Caramel Upside Down Cake (Sugar and Grain Free) Sometimes, I make really good food. And this healthy sugar and grain-free spin on a banana upside down cake is one of my favorites. 2 bananas2 pastured eggs1/4 cup honey1/4 cup raw or coconut milk (optional)1 tablespoon vanilla extract2.5…

Blog October 25, 2012

How To Cure A Cold

Scott has been sick for the last week with a cold. He had a runny nose, a general lack of energy, a cough, all of that good stuff. Normally when I’m around sick people I try to juice up my natural remedies, but I was too busy making fun of him for being sick and berating him for having a poor immune system, like any other good girlfriend. I was also busy making him take spoonfuls of coconut oil, echinacea and green kombucha tea with grape seed extract, food that didn’t upset his stomach, apple cider vinegar, raw garlic and whatever other forms of torture I felt like imposing on him. In reality, it’s not that bad, but he’s a huge baby, like most men when they’re sick. So in the midst of all this, I neglected to take the remedies myself, and now I’m sick. I don’t take over the counter…

Blog October 23, 2012

Seafood Stew Over Cauliflower Rice

This nutritious seafood stew features chicken, shrimp and salmon! Serve it over rice or cauliflower rice! It tastes like a fancy restaurant dish but is so easy to make at home! Seafood Stew Over Cauliflower Rice This nutritious seafood stew features chicken, shrimp and salmon! Serve it over rice or cauliflower rice! It tastes like a fancy restaurant dish but is so easy to make at home! 1 head of cauliflowertwo large tomatoes1 clove garlic12 shrimps1 salmon fillet1/4 – 1/2 chicken2 cups of bone broth (I used chicken bones)2 strips of pastured bacon5 tablespoons of buttertwo small potatoes (I used one red, one sweet)several dashes of red pepper flakesseveral dashes of hot saucedash of celery seedsalt & pepper Rice the cauliflower in a food processor and add to a pan with two tablespoons of butter. Cover until it is soft.Chop the chicken and salmon into bite-sized pieces.Chop the tomatoes and potatoes and…

Blog October 22, 2012

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Mushrooms

Trying to maintain a mostly grain-free diet is occasionally difficult for Scott, because that man loves pasta. His favorite meal is spaghetti. He says he could eat it for the rest of his life, and I believe him. So in an attempt to not feed him empty carbs that will upset his or my own digestion, I use spaghetti squash. Sketti squash is cool because it contains manganese, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C, among other vitamins and minerals. Get it, squash! Spaghetti Squash Carbonara Spaghetti squash is cool because it contains manganese, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C, among other vitamins and minerals. Get it, squash! one large spaghetti squashtwo egg yolks5 baby bella mushroomshalf a large onion3 tablespoons butter1 clove garlic2 strips pastured bacon Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice off the top of the squash, and slice it down the middle. Lay it innards down on a baking sheet for about…

Blog October 17, 2012

Shrimp Summer Rolls

I love white rice. It’s low in phytic acid, easier to digest than brown rice, and a great form of glucose. Summer rolls are a traditional Asian appetizer that usually come with shrimp and pork, or for a vegetarian version, the dreaded tofu. I just used shrimp for mine. I love making these, and they do really well at parties. These can be served with coconut aminos, or if you eat soy, gluten-free soy sauce (tamari) Shrimp Summer Rolls Summer rolls are a traditional Asian appetizer that usually come with shrimp and pork, or for a vegetarian version, the dreaded tofu. I just used shrimp for mine. I love making these, and they do really well at parties. 1/2 head of lettuce1/2 red onion2 carrots1/2 cucumber 1 big avocado10 shrimps3 tbsps mayo2 tbsp hot sauce (I like it spicy)6 rice wraps Roughly chop the romaine, slice the onion and avocado.Slice or use a spiralizer…

Blog October 16, 2012

Mussels Build Muscles

Shellfish in general and mussels, in particular, are extremely nutrient dense. They have been cultivated for roughly 800 years and have been consumed by humans for over 20,000. Mussels are high in B vitamins, specifically B12, as well as iron, zinc, manganese, selenium and phosphorous. They are high in omegas 3 fatty acids and low in omega 6, ensuring a good ratio against inflammation. They are also an excellent source of protein. Peep this chart from Canadian Cove: *Granted, the nutrient density of pastured beef and poultry are better than the stats above. You get the picture. I’d also like to point out that mussels are extremely cheap. I got an entire lb for $4 from Whole Foods. I like to take them all out and eat this like soup. Mussels in Tomato Basil Sauce An extremely easy mussels recipe that is very cheap to make and super healthy! I like to…

Blog October 12, 2012

The Best Pork Ribs I’ve Ever Made

I used to not eat pork very often, not because it’s unhealthy or I have any weird hang-ups about eating pork, I just didn’t really know how to cook it. Obviously I could have just cooked it in some BBQ sauce, but I hate BBQ sauce. One time Scott accidentally put BBQ sauce on our French fries at a hockey game instead of ketchup (yeah, I know, fries at a game aren’t healthy, but 80/20) and I almost beat him (is this inappropriate? Scott and I share a really strange/awesome sense of humor). He almost beat himself because he loves ketchup so much. I think he would drink it if he could. It’s really gross. Anyway, a couple of months ago I started ordering pork ribs from my farmer and I discovered that tossing them in the crock pot over night or while I was at work all day with a bunch of random ingredients turned…

Beef October 10, 2012

Grass-Fed Steak With Bone Marrow

I got my hands on some bone marrow from Whole Foods over the weekend. I remember eating it at restaurants with my dad when I was a kid (probably the most nutritious thing I ate as a kid) and loving it. But prior to last night I haven’t had it in over 15 years, which is pretty regrettable. Bone marrow has long been used in traditional cultures all over the world, and is highly revered for its nutrient density. Each 100 gram portion of it contains roughly 240 IU of vitamin A, 107 mg of phosphorous, trace amounts of minerals like thiamin, niacin and magnesium, as well as 4.5 mg of iron. Bone marrow is also rich in the essential fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. A new body of research maintains that the fat of bone marrow is alkylglycerols, which is also found in liver, breast milk and…

Blog October 9, 2012

Healthy Bacon Fat Mayo (Paleo & GAPS)

Before you think I’ve gone crazy touting bacon fat as a health food, let’s actually explore the nutritional composition of bacon fat. Like butter, bacon has been vilified for its saturated fat content. And like butter, bacon fat has been used by traditional cultures without any rampant diseases like heart disease, cancer or obesity. If you read this post, you know that saturated fat is essential for the brain, hormones, and every single cell in the body. It does not cause heart disease or obesity, but rather protects against both of these. Bacon fat from pastured pigs is rich in saturated fat, as well as vitamin D. Low levels of D have been linked to cancer. Vitamin D also promotes fertility and is high in arachidonic acid, which inhibits fungal infections. Proper vitamin D levels lower inflammation, the base of all disease. Bacon fat from pastured animals is also rich in CLA (Conjugated…