Cooking Like A Cavegirl

Originally posted on House of Bedlam 1/10/14

I am cooking Paleo this week. The Paleo diet, commonly referred to as the Caveman Diet, has been around for years and has recently become quite popular. Going Paleo is more than just eating meat, it’s about connecting back to our evolutionary history. The concept behind the diet is to eat unprocessed, nutrient-dense food found in nature. No boxed foods, no dairy, no alcohol and no refined sugars. Basically eating what a caveman would have acquired as a hunter and gatherer.

It’s true my boys often remind me of cavemen but clearly this is not a lifestyle that would ever work for us. Although they would love to dwell in a dirt cave, never take showers and run around hitting things with a stick (sounds frighteningly close to home) they could never live without grilled cheese, pasta or ice cream. And I am not giving up bagels or milk for my coffee anytime soon.

This is a diet I could never strictly adhere to but there are many things that make sense about it. I can certainly get on board with adding more fruit and vegetables to our repertoire. Plus, eating less processed foods is a big part of why I started this blog. Beyond that I am keeping that Haagen Dazs stocked in the freezer and making the boys shower every once in awhile…

Pomegranate Glazed Ribs

Ingredients:

Ribs 

2 Tbsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp coriander

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp tomato powder (optional)

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

2 racks of baby back ribs (about 4 pounds)

Note: I consulted lots of recipes for different spice rubs. After a few attempts I put together one that had just the right amount of spice for us. If you like your ribs spicy add more pepper flakes or add in some cayenne. The tomato powder is a spice a friend recommended I try. If it is not in your spice rack, simply leave it out.

Glaze

2 pomegranates, yields about 1 1/2 cups of juice

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Note: The inspiration for this glaze came from last weeks post. For an explanation on how to juice a pomegranate see Mocktails.

Method:                                                                                                       

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl mix the salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, tomato powder, and red pepper.

Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs. Transfer ribs to a roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. Roast for 2 hours, until the ribs are tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan whisk together the pomegranate juice, honey and lemon. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until reduced by about half. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare large baking sheet with foil. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. When ribs are done, remove from roasting pan and transfer to baking sheets. Brush ribs with glaze and roast in oven for about 10-15 minutes. Halfway through, turn the ribs and brush with remaining glaze.

Serve with lots of napkins!

And the VERDICT is:

Matthew (age 6): “These are AWESOME – put them on the blog!”

Liam (age 4): “Awesome too!”

Dylan (age 4): “Your ribs are really good Mommy!”

Almost 4 pounds of ribs inhaled between the three of them – my little cavemen loved these!

Curious to know if you have ever tried going Paleo? Hard, easy, work in progress? Would love to hear from you!