Caramelized Salmon with Basil Chile Oil and Pickled Vegetables #30MinuteMondays

Broiled salmon, basil chile oil, and quick-pickled summer vegetables

 team up for a fast and fresh paleo dinner with tons of flavor.

As a recent salmon convert, I'm still a little bit surprised every time I bite into a piece of salmon and find that it's totally delicious. 

For so long the strange pink hue of salmon turned me off, but now I can't get enough. My favorite way to prepare salmon is under the broiler, where it cooks in less than ten minutes flat. I love how the top of the fish gets nicely browned and even a little bit crispy (especially here, with the help of a sprinkling of maple sugar) while the inside remains perfectly tender. This caramelized salmon is inspired by a recipe from Lindsay of Pinch of Yum and it's SO good.

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Meatball "Vermicelli" Bowls

My favorite thing to order at our local Vietnamese restaurant is bún chả, a bowl of vermicelli topped with pickled vegetables, peanuts, and grilled sliced pork or pork meatballs, served with a generous bowl of nước chấm (sweet fish sauce) on the side. This paleo version hits all the right notes without refined sugar, legumes, or actual vermicelli--the noodles are spaghetti squash instead! I'm not always a fan of swapping spaghetti squash for regular noodles, but it really works in this dish. There are so many flavors and textures intermingling that the squash flies almost completely under the radar.

The star of this bowl is the caramelized pork meatballs, which are by far the best meatballs I've ever made. Last time I attempted Vietnamese pork it was delicious, but nowhere near as good as what I've had in restaurants. I wasn't sure how to get that unique flavor--the one that's at once almost too sweet and almost too savory, but actually just perfect. Then, while doing a little online research, I came across this recipe from Saveur, which involved a very surprising step.

I never would have tried the technique advised in the recipe if it hadn't come from such a trusted source, because it sounds totally ridiculous. Luckily enough for me and you, though, I did try it, and it was just the ticket. Buckle your seat belts, folks, because we are going to MAKE CARAMEL and put it in the meatballs.

Yup.

THAT is what I mean by "caramelized".

Carrot Cake Pancakes with Maple Whipped Cream Cheese

When I was a kid, my parents once let me put frosting on pancakes. I think it was a special occasion, with frosting left over from someone's birthday cake, and it was definitely a one-time thing. But after that breakfast, I was ruined. Nothing else could ever compare.

In case you haven't had the pleasure, let me just tell you right now: pancakes with frosting are the epitome of the good life, the breakfast of hedonists, the ultimate "treat yo'self" meal (Parks & Rec style).

Roasted Jerk Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes

As winter settles in, I'm trying to remain focused on the few cold-weather activities I actually enjoy-- namely, roasting things, making hot drinks, and baking cookies. (Don't even try to get me excited about skiing, snowboarding, or sledding. I'll just meet up with you in the lodge for some hot chocolate when you're done freezing your nose and toes on the frigid slopes.)

There is one other winter activity I enjoy, though, and that is going on Caribbean vacations. I don't have the money for a trip anywhere warm this year, but Ben and I had an amazing time in Jamaica year before last. Today we relived some of those good times by eating this paleo roasted jerk chicken with carrots and potatoes. It's no trip to the islands, but it does taste really good.

Kratiem Prik Thai Short Ribs with Quick-Pickled Carrots

Wintry weather has already made an appearance in Boston; we had our first snow, albeit a small one, last weekend.  I hate being cold outside and abhor feeling cold indoors even more, but I also, like a true New Englander, am always reluctant to turn on the heat.

My best solution for cold days at home is to have something in the oven pretty much at all times.  And since I can't always be making and eating desserts, my favorite thing to do is braise meat or chicken.  The cooking time is nice and long, so it will really warm up your house (or at least your kitchen).  The bonus effect of this heating strategy is that you will also be really well fed.

Roasted Beet & Carrot Salad with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

What's your favorite color?  Mine is pink (shocking, right?).  

When I was scrolling through the recipes on K & K Test Kitchen to choose something to make for this month's Secret Recipe Club, the gorgeous hue of this healthy salad caught my eye.  By the time I read the words "goat cheese" near the end of the post title, I was totally sold.  When I see a food that's naturally bright pink and has my favorite kind of cheese in it, I sign myself right up.

Paleo Pad See Ew

I love Thai food, and my favorite dish to order is Pad See Ew.  It's kind of like Pad Thai's lesser-known but cooler little sister, and it's so good.  It's traditionally made with wide, flat rice noodles and dark sweet soy sauce, and often has broccoli, carrots, egg, and some sort of meat or tofu.  I'm not totally sure why, but I'm completely in love with wide, flat rice noodles.  They're just so big and chewy, and a great vehicle for soaking up whatever delicious sauce they're paired with.

This paleo version of pad see ew is made with homemade "noodles" that are actually tapioca crepes sliced into strips.  They work perfectly in this dish.  The texture is not exactly the same as the texture of rice noodles, but it's pretty close!  Coconut aminos and honey make a delicious paleo and gluten-free replacement for the dark sweet soy sauce.