a lot of work to do in one day, but it will make your week easier when it comes to mealtimes. If you have kids, get them involved. If they feel like they’re part of this process, they may even want to help you shop, cook and clean up!
THE GROCERY LIST
I like to shop from left to right, because that’s how I enter the door at my local store. I know the store so well that I can write my shopping list to follow the order I’ll find things in as I go through the aisles. You can create a method that works well for you. No matter what you are preparing for the week, though, your list will include protein, carbohydrates and fat.
When shopping for protein—i.e., meat, fish, or eggs—try to select products that are sustainably raised, such as grass-fed beef or free-range poultry. Always choose wild-caught fish if available, whether fresh, frozen, or canned.
| PROTEINS SHOULD INCLUDE: | Bacon (nitrate free); Beef (flank, chuck, sirloin, tenderloin, or other lean cuts); Eggs; Game Meats; Fish (fresh and canned); Lean Veal; Lean Pork; Poultry; Rabbit; Quail |
| CARBOHYDRATES SHOULD INCLUDE: | Dried Fruit (unsweetened); Fermented Foods; Fresh Fruit (apples, apricots, berries, figs, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, melons, nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranates, tangerines, watermelon); Green and Colorful Vegetables; (asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, eggplant, endive, fennel, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, peppers, pumpkin, spinach, tomato); Mushrooms; Root and Stem Vegetables (artichokes, carrots, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes/yams, turnips) |
| FATS SHOULD INCLUDE: | Avocados; Butter (unsalted, or ghee—clarified butter); Coconut Oil; Coconut flakes (unsweetened); Nuts and Seeds (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts); Nut Butters (almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter); Olive Oil |
KEEPING YOUR ITALIAN KITCHEN PALEO
As an Italian following the Paleo lifestyle, there are pantry and refrigerated items I keep handy at all times. The following are some of my best stocking-up tips, shopping ideas and other helpful hints.
THE WELL-STOCKED PALEO ITALIAN PANTRY
Almonds Available raw, whole, sliced, chopped, smoked, in paste, blanched, and roasted and salted. Almonds are loaded with good stuff ; they contain calcium, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin E. Toast them to intensify flavor and add satisfying crunch.
Anchovies Whether you love them or think you’re not a fan, keep a container in the pantry and have a jar or tube handy in the refrigerator. Anchovies make a great pizza topping, go well on antipasti, and add depth to dressing, marinades and sauces.
Baking staples I am a pretty basic baker, but I love to make custards, biscotti and other recipes in this book. My baking staples include raw nuts, baking soda, baking powder, almond butter or other nut butter, honey, maple syrup, coconut milk, creamed coconut, arrowroot powder, palm shortening, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, vanilla extract and other extracts, unsweetened chocolate chips, dark chocolate and canned pumpkin.
Balsamic vinegar This special type of vinegar from Modena achieves its beautiful color and depth of flavor only after spending years in wooden barrels, where becomes concentrated into a complex syrup. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over figs or strawberries (or, if you occasionally eat cheese, over Parmigiano-Reggiano) for fantastic flavor combinations.
Broth or stock Although homemade is always best, it’s a good idea to keep cans or boxes of low-sodium all-natural broth handy in your pantry. If you go the homemade route, double or triple the batch and freeze the extra in containers. Broth is an essential base for soups, stews, sauces, and gravies.
Canned fish Canned tuna and salmon add a high-protein boost to salads and antipasti. They can also serve as the main ingredient in dishes like salmon cakes.
Capers Often mistaken for berries, capers are actually tiny flower buds from a bush that grows in the Mediterranean. They’re typically pickled in vinegary brine or sometimes packed in salt. For something so small, they add big, pungent flavor to sauces, condiments, and meat and vegetable dishes.
Eggplant The versatile eggplant can be baked, boiled or fried. Take care when frying, though, as it can absorb a lot of oil! To minimize this, coat eggplant slices well with batter or crumbs before sliding them into hot oil.
Flours Recipes in this book call for almond flour or meal, coconut flour, tapioca flour and other nut flours in place of wheat flour for pasta, baking and cooking. Follow the instructions carefully, as these flours are not interchangeable and conversion amounts vary.
Lemons Lemons add bright flavor to a wide range of dishes, from sweet to savory. This juicy, acidic fruit is also an important ingredient in drinks, including limoncello, the famous lemon liqueur from southern Italy.
Fresh Italian herbs Fresh herbs are always preferable to dried. Use them as often as you can.
Flat-leaf parsley Also known as “Italian parsley,” the flavor and aroma profile of this herb is green and vegetative. It goes particularly well in egg dishes, soups, stews, stocks and in combination with other herbs to bring out their flavor. With its vibrant green color, parsley also adds visual appeal to many dishes.
Oregano Used liberally in Italian cuisine, oregano is strongly aromatic and slightly bitter. Its pungent flavor is composed of earthy or musty, green, and minty notes.
Basil Used in tomato sauces, pestos, and Italian seasonings, basil is highly aromatic and slightly bitter, with notes of green grass, hay, and mint. Early Romans made basil a symbol of love and fertility; young Italian suitors wore sprigs of it to indicate that they were seeking marriage.
Rosemary Rosemary is popular in seasoning blends for meats and Mediterranean cuisines. It has a distinctive pine-woody aroma and a fresh, bittersweet flavor.
Sage Fragrant, with astringent savory notes, sage is ideal for flavoring pork, beef,
