insideKENT Magazine issue 94 - January2020 | Page 76

FOOD+DRINK 2020 DIET TRENDS CONT. PALEO Perhaps you fancy going back to your caveman roots, in which case the paleo diet could be the one for you. Short for Paleolithic, this diet trend requires you to predominantly eat food that would have been available to humans during the Paleolithic era. Nicknamed the caveman or stone-age diet, this diet resembles what our hunter-gather ancestors ate thousands of years ago. By following this whole- food based diet and cutting out any processed foods, sugars, dairy products, processed oils and trans-fats, some studies suggest that it can lead to significant weight loss and major improvements in health – such as reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. mismatch. They believe that this could be a contributing factor to some of the health problems humans face today, such as the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. So by adopting a paleo diet, you are giving your body what it was designed to consume, and therefore will see significant improvements in your weight, health and general performance. The reasoning behind the paleo diet is that the human body is genetically mismatched to our modern diet that has emerged from farming practices. Followers of paleo believe that when farming changed what people ate, establishing dairy, grains and legumes as staples of our diet, it was too quick for the body to adapt, resulting in a Many celebrities have adopted the Paleo diet, from Jack Osbourne using it to help with his MS symptoms, to Gwyneth Paltrow and movie stars who use it to get in shape for their next big role. Whilst some will strictly follow this diet to the letter, others use it as a basis whilst allowing themselves the occasional treat. Whichever way you choose to adopt this, there are some delicious dishes that you can rustle up for breakfast, lunch and dinner, using paleo-friendly foods – and some just require a small tweak here and there. British staples such as fried eggs for example, can easily become paleo just by changing the oil to coconut oil. Greek Kofta Mezze with Artichoke and Lemon Dip Recipe by Jo Romero www.comfortbites.co.uk @joromerofood Serves 2-3 Ingredients: For the koftas: • 500g lamb mince • 1tsp dried oregano • 1/4tsp garlic salt For the artichoke and lemon dip: • 3 canned, cooked artichoke hearts • 50ml olive oil • Splash of cold water • Pinch of sea salt • Juice of half a lemon • 1tsp freshly chopped parsley • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil For the flatbreads: • 1 cup cassava flour • 1/3 cup water • 1/4 cup of olive oil • Pinch of garlic salt • 1tsp coconut oil, for frying To serve: • Olives, apricots, watercress, radishes, red onion slices Method: 1. First, get the koftas into the oven. Mix the lamb, oregano and garlic salt until smooth and form into meatballs, about the size of a golf ball, or just slightly bigger. Arrange on a foil-lined tray and roast until golden and sizzling, about 20 minutes at gas mark 6/200ºC/400ºF. 2. While the lamb is cooking, make the flatbreads. Mix the cassava flour, water, oil and 76 garlic salt until well combined - you may need to add a little more water or flour to get the right consistency - You'll be looking for a consistency like a firm but soft bread dough. Break the dough into four pieces and roll each piece out into a flatbread shape - an oval or a circle. Fry in the hot coconut oil until cooked through - 2-3 minutes per side. The flatbread should start to take on some colour on the underside too, before you flip. Once cooked, take these out and put to one side. 3. To make the dip, blend the artichoke hearts, water, lemon juice and sea salt together until smooth. You should have a loose, mayonnaise-consistency. Add a little more water or lemon juice if needed, and scrape down the sides of the blender. Pour into a small serving dish and sprinkle with the chopped parsley and add a trickle of olive oil. 4. To serve, spear the cooked lamb koftas with serving sticks if you like, and arrange on a plate or board with the flatbreads, dip, olives, watercress, apricots, onion slices and radishes.