Older Bolder Life

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the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: Primal Green Bean Nicoise Salad with Tuna and Crispy Sweet Potatoes

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Like many of you, we’re always on the search for new and interesting salads, slaws, and other ways to enjoy lots of colorful, healthy, and tasty vegetables.

Here’s a nifty primal / paleo spin on a classic, what we’re now calling our Primal Green Bean Nicoise Salad with Tuna and Crispy Sweet Potatoes. The sweet potatoes are subbed in for the baby russets or red potatoes in the classic version, and you’ll use eggs from pastured chickens, healthy oil in the dressing, add a burst of lemon, fresh dill, and radishes (use several varieties for interest, taste, and color). It’s also a piece of cake to crumble some wild caught canned tuna onto this one to up the protein component and add some wonderful flavor to the dish, though you don’t absolutely have to have it.

Three quick thoughts on this recipe: One, consider prepping and cooking the sweet potatoes, eggs, and green beans ahead of time; then chill and hold (separately) in the fridge until ready to put the salad together. This recipe at first glance seems a bit complicated, but in reality, it’s really not at all, and by following the sequence I’ve laid it, it flows very well. Doing a little cooking ahead will just shorten your assembly time later in the day.

Two, the dressing is outrageously good, consider making a double recipe and holding for other salads this week. And three, the crispy capers (pictured below) sounded a little fussy to me at first, though they’re incredibly simple to prepare, and really add a nifty taste and texture element to this one.

My lovely wife enjoyed this one so much, she’s insisting it become a standard in our summer rotation…

1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch thick slices
4-5 pastured eggs
1 and 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and washed

For the dressing
1 medium shallot, trimmed, and minced
3 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp + 1 tsp good Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
2 tsp fresh lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp good salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)

To finish the salad
1-2 bunches breakfast (or other) radishes, trimmed, larger ones quartered
1/2 cup or more Nicoise or Kalamata olives, pitted, halved if large
1/4 cup capers, drained, crisped in pan (see below)
1-2 cans wild caught tuna, drained, crumbled
1 tbsp (or more) fresh dill, chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; prep the sweet potato and greens beans while waiting.

Parboil the sweet potato slices for 10-12 minutes until a fork penetrates easily; remove from the water, drain, and cut into medium dice when cool enough to handle. Sauté in butter, avocado, or olive oil until edges are crispy and browned, then set aside to cool (when cool hold in fridge).

When the sweet potato comes out, drop the eggs into the boiling water and boil for eight minutes for perfectly jammy yolks (or longer to suit you); when done, drop into an ice-water bath, then peel when cool.

When the eggs come out, bring the water back to a full boil, then cook the green beans 2-4 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender; remove immediately to an ice-water bath, chill for 5-7 minutes, drain, and pat dry.

If you haven’t during the cooking sequence above, whisk the dressing ingredients together, save for the olive oil, which is poured slowly in a steady stream while whisking away. Set aside in the fridge.

If using the crispy capers, and you should, pat the capers dry, then sauté in 2 tbsp of the oil of your choice over moderate heat until they being pop and get brown and crispy. Set aside.

To assemble the salad, begin by drizzling roughly 1/3 of the dressing over the green beans in a large bowl, toss to coat, then arrange on a large platter. Repeat with the potato pieces and then the radishes, using 1 tbsp of dressing for each in the same bowl you tossed the green beans in, and arranging each artfully on the platter.

Quarter the eggs; place the eggs and the olives on the green bean bed, then place the tuna as well . Now drizzle the salad with the remaining dressing, top with the crispy capers, and finally the remaining fresh dill.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast: Crunchy Oven Nashville Picken (Pork Rind Crusted Chicken)

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Years ago, long before getting our heads around healthy eating, and during the years we were running an equine boarding and training farm up north of Kalispell, Montana (and I was still grinding away in my spine-focused medical practice), a little Japanese place opened up on the north side of Kalispell. For a little town in that part of the far-northern Rockies, they served decent sushi and a pretty damned tasty katsu platter (panko-crusted pork or chicken typically).

Some days after chores were done (if you’ve ever actually run an agricultural or animal oriented operation, you know that chores are truly never really done), we’d pop over to Midori for a quick meal.

Inspired by the katsu at Midori, we played with making katsu at home, almost always breading very traditionally with an egg, flour, egg, and panko coating, then sautéing in (deep sigh followed by an involuntary shudder), whatever franken-oil we had in the pantry back in the day.

Back about four years ago, when my wife and I were beginning our low carb, healthy eating journey, we started making a version of this recipe, browning panko in bit of rendered lard (bacon fat) and breading chicken breasts or boneless thighs that had been pounded thin and dipped in a mayo, grainy mustard, and egg wash, to then be browned further as the chicken cooked in a hot oven.

That was a very tasty, and delightfully crunchy prep, though as we eventually purged all process grains and flours from our diet, the recipe fell by the wayside. There are host of decent recipes that mimic a panko-coated or fried chicken made from various nut flours, but candidly, despite a number of attempts, they simply don’t turn out as crunchy as we remembered, and the recipe fell out of our rotation.

Dining with friends a few months back, we enjoyed a version of this recipe featuring crushed pork rinds that had been browned in a rendered bacon fat before breading the oven-baked chicken. It was delicious, satisfying crunchy, and coated with a mouth-tingling spicy drizzle (or sauce), concocted as a primal or paleo version of the very popular Nashville style chicken you read about these days. Turns out, the wife of the pair we were dining with grew up in Sparta, TN, about an hour from the heart of Nashville.

When I prepare this dish at home, I like to crush the pork rinds (make sure you grab some that have been prepared with acceptable oils) with a rolling pin ‘by hand’ instead of using the food processor to give the coating a bit of texture. And pounding the chicken breasts or boneless thighs is much easier if you slide the pieces into a quart resealable bag first, then pound away with your favorable rolling pin or meat mallet.

You don’t have to brown the pork rind breading first, but it does add crunchiness and color to the end result. And while the Optional Nashville Sauce/Drizzle is spicy, it’s amazingly tasty and very, very close to the best Nashville Chicken eatery we’ve seen in the DFW metro.

2 cups crushed pork rinds (see above)
2-3 tbsp rendered bacon fat, butter, or oil of choice

2 large chicken breasts, each cut into 2 pieces, and pounded to 1/4-inch thickness OR
6-8 boneless thighs, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

3 tbsp avocado or olive oil mayo
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tsp good salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
Fresh ground pepper

Optional Nashville Glaze/Sauce/Drizzle
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1-3 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp good chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Good salt to taste

Crush the pork rinds, and sauté over medium in the melted fat of choice until golden brown, remove from heat and set aside.

Heat your trusty oven to 425, foil-line a baking sheet and place a wire rack over the foil.

Combine the mayo, egg yolk, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne if using in a small bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.

Prep the chicken as per above, it doesn’t have to be perfectly flattened to 1/4-inch; place the pounded chicken in the mayo egg mixture, and stir to coat all the chicken well.

Gather the browned, crushed pork rind into half the skillet, and then take one of the chicken pieces and place it on the breading, pressing lightly to adhere the crushed pork rinds. Turn the chicken to repeat on the other side, gently shake off the excess, and place the chicken on the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces; they’ll look something like this when you’re done with the breading.

Throw it into the oven when you’re done, cooking for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the coating is a deeper, richer brown.

While the chicken is in the oven, consider stirring together the Optional Nashville Glaze/Sauce/Drizzle – go easy on the cayenne at first, you can always add more.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Veg Wednesday: Asian Fried Cauliflower Rice

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Count me among those who considered rice a staple growing up; around our household it was white rice. My grandmother made a wonderful rice pilaf and Cajun-styled dirty rice, and ever since I tasted a Tex-Mex inspired spanish rice at an elementary school “girlfriend’s” family ranch party in the pasture (replete with a plywood wooden dance floor and two crusty old fiddlers), we’ve been making that same Tex-Mex rice at home.

I should note that rice was a staple up until about four years ago.

Going full on Primal/paleo back then, rice was interestingly one of standby carbs that I initially missed the most. Like most of you, those cravings fairly quickly subsided, and having been eating keto now for just about a full year, the thought of eating conventional white rice hasn’t ventured anywhere near our menu plan in quite a while.

Admittedly we were a little slow to warm up to the cauliflower rice movement, though after some cajoling and coaching from our friend Chef Libby in Austin, and playing around with some better recipes and techniques, we’re now zealots for a well-spiced, flavorful cauliflower rice dish.

There are host of great recipes out there, and this Asian Fried Cauliflower Rice version is an amalgam of some of our favorites, and pulls in some of the defining features of the Americanized-version of fried rice that many of us have enjoyed at Chinese eateries over the years (like a bit of diced carrot, and peas), though packs in much more flavor and spice, including using a generous handful of fresh herbs. (I like this one with a big dollop of sriracha like in the image below.)

Fried rice is a great way to dress up leftover proteins (I really can’t think of one that wouldn’t work), and another great reason to keep a bag or two of cauliflower rice in the freezer for use at any time. The bacon works very well here, and the eggs are a classic touch as well.

Finally, if you have a mini-food processor or chopper, it’s a cinch to mince the garlic and ginger (maybe a jalapeno or serrano too), though grating on a microplane grater is uber-easy too. We think the both the fish sauce and toasted sesame oil are essentials, you make the call.

1 medium head cauliflower, riced, or 1 lb bag prepared riced cauliflower

4-5 slices thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced OR other meat (see above)
2 large pastured eggs

1 small onion or 2 shallots, diced small
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise, then cut into small slices
4-5 ounces fresh mushrooms, stemmed, trimmed, thinly sliced
1.5 inches of fresh ginger, minced or grated (see above)
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated (see above)

2-3 green onions, trimmed, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
2 tbsp Thai basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
1 tbsp or more good fish sauce
1 tbsp or more coconut or rice vinegar
1 tbsp or more toasted sesame oil

Good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 or more jalapenos or serranos, minced
Sub riced broccoli for part of the cauliflower
Add a handful of chopped baby spinach or kale
Thai-style chili paste or sriracha
Bean sprouts, more cilantro or basil to add at service.

Prep the cauliflower if starting with fresh; you’ll speed your kitchen time to prep all the vegetables and herbs as well. Gently whisk the eggs in a cup/bowl.

Sauté the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy; remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; quickly cook the whisked eggs until firm, then remove to a plate/cutting board and cut into thin strips.

Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onions (or shallots) and carrots to the pan, once they begin to soften add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have given off their moisture and begun to caramelize a bit. Add the ginger and garlic, along with a shake or grind of salt and pepper, and cook for another minute or so until you can really smell the ginger.

Now add the cauliflower, along with another shake/grind of salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring now and again, until the cauliflower begins to tenderize (you don’t want it mushy).

Now add half the green onions, the chopped herbs, the tamari or coconut aminos, fish sauce, vinegar if using, chopped egg, and the toasted sesame oil. Add the frozen peas now if using, as well as the chopped spinach or kale.

Stir quickly as all the add-ins get warm, taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed. Stir in the bacon and egg, then sprinkle the rest on top at service, along with the remainder of the green onions, and additional cilantro or basil as desired.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Sauce Monday: Fifteen Mayo (and Aioli) Flavors That’ll Change Your Life

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One of our common daily quests is to prepare and enjoy healthy foods that are packed with flavor, varied and interesting, and (for the most part) easy to prepare.

One of the ways we do that around our kitchen is to use the incredibly versatile avocado or olive mayo recipe we keep referencing in recipes here on the Older Bolder Life; with an immersion blender in hand making this is child’s play, and having practiced a bit, it takes me all of 3-4 minutes to blend up a double recipe in a quart Mason jar every 7-10 days.

Technically we’re making a mayonnaise, even though some good folks out there call it an aioli; they’re kissing cousins, but there are some critical differences (for a reasonable take on the distinctions, see this).

The avocado oil mayo recipe we’ve shared (link above) is a perfect vehicle to carry a host of great flavors to compliment whatever you’re serving; here are fifteen of our favorites. The beauty of every one of these suggestions is your ability to add as much or as little of any ingredient you want to to suit your own (or your family’s) tastes.

Two quick tips: one, when incorporating whole ingredients, for example roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, chipotle peppers in adobo, etc, the more finely you chop them (or blend in a mini-food processor), the smoother your finished mayo will be. Prefer some texture in the finished product? Don’t blend as much. And two, remember that when adding spices to a mayo or aioli, their flavor tends to intensify over time.

Roasted garlic. Cut a head of garlic in half, rub the cut sides with avocado or olive oil, and roast until browned and soft. Squeeze into your mayo, add a bit of lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Cilantro Lime. One of our favorites; don’t forget a bit of fresh lime zest along with the juice too.

Roasted red pepper. Roast your own or used a quality jarred brand, allow to drain before chopping or blending in. We like this with a little bit of Dijon or Cajun mustard and lemon juice too. Try with a few soaked and softened sun-dried tomatoes too.

Chipotle. Use either dried and soaked chipotles or those packed in the little cans with clinging adobo (which I tend to reach for first as it’s easier, and the clinging adobo sauce is so well flavored). Consider a whiff of cumin too.

Chipotle lime. Ditto the above; lime juice and lime zest make this one probably one of the all time flavor favorites.

Smoked Paprika. Surprisingly tasty, this one needs a bit of cumin to really bring out the flavors, at least in our book, and is very good with a quality sweet paprika too.

Lemon Dill. Fresh dill is best, though dried works, and use both fresh lemon juice and zest to make this one pop.

Truffle. Just a few drops of truffle oil are all it takes; I have to admit perhaps my personal least favorite but my wife loves this one.

Sriracha. Try different sriracha brands, or use this paleo version.

Avocado or avocado garlic. A recent addition to our rotation, this one is great and even better with roasted garlic. Don’t forget a bit of lemon juice to keep this one fresh.

Roasted garlic and chipotle. ‘Nuff said and better with a splash of lemon or lime juice.

Creole mustard. We keep reaching for Zatarain’s Creole mustard when making this one; even better with a bit of a Cajun spice blend mixed in.

Ginger sesame. Best with minced fresh ginger, though fresh ground ginger works too; try it with a splash of toasted sesame oil.

Blue cheese. Try this one with good blue cheese crumbles, and splashes of Worcestershire and lemon juice.

Curry. This one sings with a good, fresh curry powder, lime (or lemon juice), and perhaps even a whisper of cayenne.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday: The Texas Mini-Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Sour Cream Dressing

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I’ve shared in many a recipe post here on the Older Bolder Life about growing up in the South; the South has a wonderful food culture and history and boasts some of the hottest and most innovative food scenes in the country (Houston, NOLA, Atlanta, and Charleston to name a few).

Much of what I remember eating during my childhood and early adulthood was truly simple yet delicious Texan and Southern fare, like great low-and-slow BBQ, fresh-off-the-boat Gulf seafood, mouth-watering Tex-Mex, and even iconic sides like the Texas Wedge Salad.

Nostalgia-invoking powers aside, there’s nothing very fancy about a classic Texas-style wedge salad – it’s a literal wedge of cold, crisp iceberg lettuce, classically drenched in some version of Ranch dressing, with crumbled bacon, fresh-cracked pepper, and if you were dining in a place that was really uptown, maybe even some blue cheese crumbles too.

We still serve up a wedge salad now and again around our camp, but now do this Texas Mini-Wedge Salad with Buttermilk Sour Cream Dressing, topped with bacon, avocado pieces, toasted pepitas or pecans, and some of that “uptown” crumbled blue cheese. You can see from the image that this one perhaps isn’t the “prettiest” salad you’ll serve this week, but it very well might be the tastiest.

Cutting a head of crispy iceberg lettuce into 8 wedges instead of 4 makes this salad easier to manage on the plate and lets more of the tangy, lemony buttermilk sour cream dressing coat everything. By the time you trim a head of lettuce down and remove the wilted outer leaves, you’ll probably want to count on a head of lettuce serving two hungry diners.

A recipe of Buttermilk Sour Cream Dressing
4-8 pieces of thick-sliced bacon, fried crisp, drained and crumbled

2 tight, medium heads of iceberg lettuce, root-end trimmed, wilted leaves removed
2 medium, firm avocados, cut in wedges
1 bunch fresh chives, but into 3/4” pieces
Good salt and fresh-cracked coarse pepper

Optional
Roughly 1/2 cup of toasted pepitas or pecans
Handful of grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup or so of good crumbled blue cheese
Lemon quarters for squeezing

Prep the dressing (hold in the fridge); fry the bacon, crumble, and set aside.

Prep the lettuce, cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into 1/8-head wedges. Cut each mini-wedge crosswise into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and plate artfully. Drop a few tomatoes in if using.

Work a few avocado wedges among the lettuce on each place, drizzle with dressing, then top with the toasted nuts, chives, and blue cheese if using. Spritz with a lemon quarter and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Recipe File: Buttermilk Sour Cream Salad Dressing

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I don’t know about you, but we’re always on the lookout for new salad dressing recipes to brighten up the (almost) daily salad we enjoy week in and week out.

Just like you, we have our favorites, most of which we stir together at home to ensure we’re using the freshest, and cleanest, ingredients we can. (Insert your favorite rant here about how most commercially prepared salad dressings are based on terrible, PUFA-laden franken oils, or cost ten bucks a bottle for the good stuff.)

Just like you, we’re always on the lookout for great salad dressings that can serve double duty as a dip for crudite, or a slather for leftover proteins coming out of the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch too.

And while this Buttermilk Sour Cream Dressing may give away a bit of our Texas heritage, growing up eating wedge salads with a classic Ranch dressing, this recipe is based on tangy sour cream, a healthy dose of lemon (fresh juice and zest), with a hint of garlic and dill. You could of course sub in any fresh herb you have on hand, the dill just seems to fit here…

Given this one a spin, it’ll become one you reach for over and again.

3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
2 tbsp full-fat buttermilk
2 tbsp avocado or olive oil mayonnaise
3 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tsp lemon zest
1 garlic clove, grated
1-2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill (optional)
1 -2 tsp good salt
1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

This one couldn’t be easier; simple combine the entire ingredient list in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Add a tbsp of additional buttermilk if you want to thin the mixture. Can make up to a day ahead, store covered in the fridge if not savoring this one right away.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 5 April: Thai-Inspired Pork Burgers

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I’ve been working with a couple of clients this past week on incorporating more flavor into their weekly menu rotation; there’s a host of good reasons to do so, including keeping things interesting enough to stay engaged with a healthier eating plan, but my principle argument is the food we eat should always taste great.

I’m particularly interested in home-cooked food that’s reasonably simple to prepare; most people don’t have half a day (or more) to work on preparing elaborate, Instagram worthy meals every day.

Here’s a recipe – Thai-Inspired Pork Burgers – that we’ve welcomed back into our rotation now that Spring has sprung (at least in our neighborhood); I shared this one with the clients mentioned above as an example of a meal prep that’s brings a load of flavor to the table, is a simple and quick, and frankly very economical to boot.

Three quick notes: one, for the lemongrass, if using fresh lemongrass stalks, you’ll need 2 or 3 prepped via the usual technique. A very viable and much quicker option is to use 2-3 tbsp of lemongrass puree (usually available refrigerated in the produce section). I know it’s a cheat, but a great option for the busy home cook. Two, I’ve been cooking these using a two-hour sous vide bath (130-134) followed by a quick sear finish producing incredibly moist burgers with a great crust, though they’re of course equally tasty grilled or sautéed on the stove.

And third, my chef friend in Austin (hey Chef Libby!) recently reminded me that classic Thai cooking often calls for sugar or another sweetener in recipes; given the natural sweetness of pork, she and I think this recipe is wonderful without any additional sweetener, but it’s listed below as an option.

And finally, stir together your favorite dipping sauce for these, though my personal favorite is avocado oil mayo with a big dollop of sriracha.

2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, greens only (roughly 8 onions)
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
Lemongrass, see note above
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 and 1/2 tsp good salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Optional
1-2 tsp sugar of choice
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

15-18 large lettuce leaves
1/2 cup or more of chopped cilantro, Thai basil, or mint in a pinch
Dipping sauce of choice

Prep the green onions, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass, then mix into the ground pork either using a stand mixer or your hands, adding the fish sauce, salt, and pepper as it comes together (along with the optional sugar and pepper flakes). Don’t over-mix.

Gently form into patties (we do 6 patties of 5-6 ounces) and chill for 30-60 minutes until they firm up.

These can be grilled over fire, sautéed in your favorite cast iron, or (our favorite for their texture and finish) cooked using sous vide (2 hours at 130-134 degrees) with a quick sear finish.

Wrap in two or three lettuce leaves and serve with the dipping sauce of your choice, though they’re great with avocado oil mayo and sriracha too.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Snack Tuesday: Buttermilk Feta Dip

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As the seasonal turn to spring picks up momentum here in North Texas, we’ve been reaching for some of our favorite sauces and salsa to flavor up some of our typical proteins in the rotation.

My wife and I love great Greek food; I think she’d eat tzatziki sauce at every meal given the chance, though this Buttermilk Feta Dip is stunningly tasty, particularly when you track down some really nice feta (try it with a brined, goat’s milk feta).

Of course this is one for the dairy tolerant, and while it’s great with just the feta, buttermilk, salt, and olive oil, throwing in any or all of the goods on the optional list below adds layers of flavor and interest.

We had this last night again with radishes and sliced pickling cucumbers; it was even amazing on the cumin-dusted sautéed mahi too.

1/2 pound good feta, in brine, look for goat’s milk
1/3 to 1/2 cup full-fat buttermilk
Good extra virgin olive oil drizzled

Optional
1/2 teaspoon (or more) good sea salt
1/2 teaspoon (or more) fresh ground pepper
1-2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, mint, or oregano
1 teaspoon (or more) fresh lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, minced (or pressed)

Drain the feta and crumble into a medium-sized bowl. With a stiff whisk, work the feta to break it down a bit further, then drizzle and whisk in buttermilk (1-2 tbsp at a time) until the mixture looks like a smooth, creamy dip.

Taste for salt, and add any or all of the optional ingredients, whisk again to combine, top with a drizzle of good olive oil, and another grind of fresh black pepper.

Set this out with a platter of fresh, crunchy crudite or grilled vegetables (bell peppers and mushrooms are our favorites currently) and watch it disappear. It’s also unbelievably tasty on cold, leftover grilled lamb.

Enjoy.