6 Nutrient-Dense Recipes That Gives us a Real Natural Feeling of Energy

Watch your body transform and energy levels soar by ditching bad carbs and opting for natural foods.

The Paleo way of eating – also known as the caveman diet – is based around foods that humans are most biologically adapted to eating and digesting, which many experts argue allows our bodies to operate at their best. It also happens to eliminate what we now refer to as bad, processed or refined carbs. As a result of this, the nutrient-dense food gives us a real natural feeling of energy by eliminating sugar spikes.

While the Paleo diet has had a huge following in recent years, it really isn’t as complex as it’s often made out to be. The type of foods you might usually eat are still included – such as fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood and nuts – but they’ll be the variations that our hunter-gatherer ancestors would’ve thrived on all those thousands of years ago. It’s just how we used to eat, we just take out the rubbish!

Venison And Pomegranate Salad

Venison is a very lean meat so is excellent if you’re watching your weight. It’s best served rare, so make sure you only use very fresh meat.

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MAKES 4 SERVING

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INGREDIENTS :

• A drizzle of olive oil
• Sea salt and crushed black pepper
• 2x300g venison steaks
• 400g mixed salad leaves
• Half a red onion, finely sliced
• 1 orange, peeled and sliced into segments
• 150g pomegranate seeds

For the balsamic vinaigrette:

• 100ml balsamic vinegar
• Juice of half a large lemon
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

DIRECTION :

1. Drizzle a little oil into a large non-stick frying pan, lightly season the venison and then sear over a high heat for about three minutes on each side. Turn off the heat and let the meat rest in the pan for five minutes, then turn and let it rest for another few minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place all the ingredients in a jar and shake well. 
3. Place the salad leaves in a large bowl and toss together with a little dressing. Divide the salad between four plates, add the red onion and orange segments and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds.
4. Place the rested meat on a chopping board and, with a sharp knife, slice the steaks thinly. Arrange the slices over the salad and serve immediately.

TIP: Venison is a great healthy-eating choice–it has more protein than any other red meat and contains even more iron than beef, so is good for energy levels. Also, because of all the wild and pasture food that deer grazeon, the small amount of fat invenison is generally high in conjugated linoleic acid, which is thought to protect against heart disease and cancer.

Banana Soufflé

The more you whisk the eggs, the higher your soufflés will rise – and the more they’ll impress!

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MAKES 4-6 SERVING

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INGREDIENTS :

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1tsp vanillapaste(orextract)
• 2tbs pmaple syrup(atroomtemp)
• 6 eggs

DIRECTION :

1. Preheat the oven to200ºC/gas mark 6.
2. Mash the bananas with the vanilla in a bowl, then add the maple syrup and mix together well.
3. Separate the eggs and, using an electri cmixer, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the yolks to the banana mix and stir well. Gently fold in the two mixtures together and divide between four to six ramekin dishes, oiled very lightly.
4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until well risen. Serve immediately.

TIP: Make sure you whisk your eggs in a clean mixing bowl. Rinse it with boiling water and dry with a towel to ensure it’s grease-free.

Pan-Fried Calamari With Ginger And Lime

When we think of calamari we often think of a deepfried guilty pleasure. However, with this recipe you can skip the guilt and focus on the pleasure. Squid is also very inexpensive, plus it’s full of protein and essential vitamins and minerals, such as bonebuilding calcium.

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MAKES 4 SERVING

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INGREDIENTS :

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 900g squid, cleaned and thinly sliced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Zest and juice of half a lime
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2.5cm cube of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 400g rocket leaves
• 1 lemon, quartered

DIRECTION :

1. Pour the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and place over a very high heat. When hot, add the squid, season and stir-fry for four minutes, then transfer to a bowl, being sure to include all the crispy pan scrapings. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix together the lime zest, lime juice, garlic and ginger. 
3. Arrange a pile of rocket on a plate, place the calamari on top with the lemon wedges, then pour over the citrusy sauce.

TIP: You can add a little extra virgin olive oil when you plate the dish, and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

Courgette Spaghetti With Bacon And Basil

This recipe gives you the texture of spaghetti but without the carbs – genius! And if you want to make the best, long courgette spaghetti ribbons, it’s a good idea to invest in a julienne peeler or a fancy spiralising gadget.

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MAKES 4 SERVING

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INGREDIENTS :

• 4 courgettes
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 6 rashers back bacon,trimmed of fat and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 40g sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drainedandslicedintostrips
• 1 smallredchilli,finelychopped
• 1tbsp pinenuts
• A handful of fresh basil, thinly shredded

DIRECTION :

1. Make your spaghetti by either grating the courgettes at an angle on the largest side of a cheese grater or using a hand-held julienne peeler or spiraliser.
2. Place one tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat and stir-fry the courgettes for three minutes. Add the bacon to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until cooked. Reduce the heat to medium.
3. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chilli, pine nuts and the remaining olive oil to the pan. Toss for a few minutes, then take off the heat.
4. Divide the courgette spaghetti between four bowls, scatter over the chopped basil and seve immediately.

TIP: To prevent the courgette spaghetti from getting mushy, either cook it in a very large pan or do it in two separate batches.

Seaweed Salmon

The beauty of this dish is that the seaweed protects the fish while cooking, so keeps it beautifully moist. Seaweed is of course a great accompaniment to almost any fish, so try this recipe with trout or cod or sea bass – or whatever you happen to have to hand.

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MAKES 4 SERVING

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INGREDIENTS :

• 8 nori(seaweed) sheets
• 1tsp wasabi paste (optional)
• 4x200g skinless salmon fillets

For the marinade:

• 2.5cm cube fresh ginger, grated
• Juice of half a lime
• A handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1tsp sesame oil
• 1 small redbird’s eye chilli, finely chopped

For the pak choi:

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 2 heads pak choi, leaves separated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

DIRECTION :

1. In a small bowl, mix the ginger, lime, coriander, garlic, sesame oil and chilli.
2. Lay four sheets of seaweed paper on a chopping board. If you are using the wasabi, take a chopstick or knife and run a thin line of paste across each sheet, then lay the salmon on top. Drizzle the marinade over each fillet, then lay a seaweed sheet on top and rest for two minutes, so the seaweed absorbs the liquid and the flavours. Now fold over all the edges to make a parcel.
3. Place the salmon parcels in a bamboo steamer for 12 -15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the oil in a wok over a high heat and stir-fry the pak choi and garlic for a few minutes until wilted.
5. With a sharp knife, slice each salmon parcel into three or four pieces. Serve with the pak choi on the side.

Pad Thai

This is the closest you can get to the flavours of a pad Thai on the Paleo diet but it’s a pretty good approximation. True comfort food at its best!

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MAKES 4 SERVING

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INGREDIENTS :

• Oliveoil spray, for cooking
• 3 courgettes, sliced into matchsticks
• A large handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions,finely chopped
• 100g beansprouts
• 12 tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
• 25g cashews, to garnish

For the marinade:

• 1tsp fish sauce
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1tsp chilli powder
• 1tsp maple syrup

DIRECTION :

1. First make the marinade: in a large bowl,mix together the fish sauce, lemon juice,chilli powder and maple syrup and set aside for the time being.
2. Heat a large non-stick wok over a high heat,spray with olive oil and sauté the courgettes for two minutes.
3. Remove the courgettes from the pan and add to the marinade. Stir to mix, then add the coriander,spring onions and beansprouts.
4. Meanwhile,spray the wok again with a little oil and sauté the prawns for two minutes on each side until cooked through.
5. Divide the vegetables between four serving plates and scatter the prawns on top. Finally, garnish with the cashews and serve.

TIP: Fish sauce is made from fermenting tiny fish, such as anchovies, in brine and then preserving the liquid, so it should contain only two Paleo-friendly ingredients–fish and salt. However, check the labels and avoid any products with unnecessary extras such a shydrolysed wheat protein and fructose. Red Boat Fish Sauce is a good brand to look for.