Easy, One Pan Paleo Ground Beef Korma

This is an older recipe from Foraged Dish that has been a long-time reader favorite, and a favorite of mine. I’m republishing it with some updates, including a how-to video that really highlights how easy it is to make this dish! 

The Whole Foods Market in Boulder is extra large, partly because of an expansive prepared foods / hot bar / salad bar section. It’s buzzing with people at lunch time, and the parking lot is a mess! That’s where I first discovered ground beef korma — the hot bar, back in 2015. Whole Foods still has ground beef korma on it’s hot bar sometimes. Theirs is studded with peas but otherwise is super simple. That’s the beauty of this dish: simplicity! 

I love curries, which is probably why, over the last three years this recipe has become a regular in our rotation. It’s by no means a traditional dish, but it is a 20-minute wonder, something you can make on the busiest of evenings. I’ve even made it camping, while in Ten Sleep, WY. 

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In India, I was taught the saying: “No hurry, no worry, no chicken curry.” It’s meant as an ironic statement there — because everyone is moving at their own pace — but also, there’s a lot of curry. In this case, the curry comes together fast so you don’t have to hurry or worry! :)

When I followed the Paleo to a T, I served this over cauliflower rice, but these days I serve it with regular rice. Take your pick — both are delicious. I do almost always use 85% beef, as it’s way juicier. If you do use 95% beef, you might add a touch more coconut milk than what the recipe calls for! 

Easy, One Pan Paleo Ground Beef Korma

Published February 12, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (85/15 recommended)

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium-sized jalapeño or serrano, minced (if you are sensitive to spicy foods, cut out and discard the seeds, then wash your hands and knife thoroughly)

1 sixteen-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional--adds spice)

Dash of salt & pepper

To serve: rice or cauliflower rice

Garnish: Minced cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a 10 or 12 inch skillet over medium heat until oil glistens.
2. Add onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeño to skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Sauté until onions are translucent.
3. Add beef, and use a wooden spatula to break meat up into grounds. Cook until browned.
4. Add tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, and a dash each of salt & pepper. Stir, and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Serve hot over rice or cauliflower rice, and garnish with cilantro.

Grain-Free Sandwich Cookies With Pumpkin Butter

I have been on a kick, going back to old Foraged Dish recipes and taking new photos. It is insanely satisfying to compare the old ones to the new. Progress is difficult to measure day-by-day, but all of those days add up! I’m sure, in three years, I’ll look back at my photos from 2018 and roll my eyes. C'est la vie.

These sandwich cookies were one of my recent victims, and since it is the season for baking and pumpkin, I thought it would be a good opportunity to update the whole post. That means a few updates to the recipe, too:

• Simplified. The original asked for both almond flour and coconut flour, but since 2015 I’ve discovered a much simpler grain-free shortbread cookie using just almond flour. I quite like the texture of the cookies, too! They are a bit chewy, stay together well, and have great almond and honey flavor.

• Drizzled with chocolate. How can you make a boring cookie look a little fancier? Maybe you’re thinking frosting, which is true, but since this cookie is a sandwich I wanted the filling to shine. I drizzled each cookie with chocolate, which was just the right touch!

• Doubled it. More is better right? In this case, there’s no doubt: the original recipe made about 6 sandwich cookies… what was 2015-me thinking?!?! A dozen is much more reasonable (but you still may want to double that if you’re cooking for a crowd).

Once baked, these cookies are stuffed with pumpkin butter, so the end result tastes a bit like pumpkin pie. Perfect match with a cappuccino! But I also experimented with filling the cookies with salted caramel. Oh. My. Goodness. Now that’s a treat! A bit like an alfajore, if you are familiar. I am definitely going to need to make an alfajore recipe now (Foraged Dish style, of course!).

Grain-Free Sandwich Cookies with Pumpkin Butter

Published October 26, 2015 by Caitlin Sherwood

Yield: 12-24, depending on size   |    Active Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

2 cups finely ground almond flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter or coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup pumpkin butter

1/4 cup dark chocolate

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until incorporated. Add the melted butter or coconut oil, honey, and vanilla, and stir until a dough forms. Shape dough into a disc (about 1 inch thick), wrap in plastic wrap, and place in fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour to chill.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. After dough has chilled, remove from fridge. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking pan.
3. On a separate piece of parchment, use a rolling pin to roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut circles out of dough and place on baking sheet, with at least 1/2 inch between each cookie. Bake for 9 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool.
4. Once cookies are fully cooled, spread pumpkin butter on one cookie, and then use another to create a sandwich. Set aside, and then continue until all of the cookies are sandwiched.
5. Heat the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-second intervals (string between each!) until chocolate is glossy and smooth. You can also do this in a double boiler (stir frequently). Drizzle melted chocolate over sandwich cookies. Allow chocolate to set before serving cookies.
6. Tip: You can use any sort of jam to fill these cookies! I also made a few with salted caramel sauce and they were SO. GOOD.

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Salad (Paleo & Vegan)

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To my surprise, little baby carrot heads were popping out from the surface of our garden beds back in early March. They were from seeds planted last year, ones that didn’t sprout before the season ended. And somehow, they grew on through snow and frost and unpredictable Colorado spring weather... hardy little plants to say the least! I’m planning to xeriscape our front yard this year, and build brand new garden boxes, so I’ll likely have to wipe them out before they get fully grow, but maybe they’ll have enough time to grow into baby carrots before then. 

Moroccan Carrot Salad is a quick recipe and perfect for carrots big or small: only 4 real salad components, if you don’t count the spices that give it that Moroccan flare. Carrots, parsley, raisins, and lemon vinaigrette. Then, ground cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and cinnamon pop in and dress it up. Thanks to those spices, this carrot salad really stands out. 

I use a food processor with a shredding attachment to shred the carrots — I do not have the patience to do that by hand! 

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This is the perfect side to Moroccan Beef Kabobs, or Lamb & Winter Squash Tagine.

Moroccan Spiced Carrot Salad

Published April 17, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 cups shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup minced parsley
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 dashes ground cayenne
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Place shredded carrots in a bowl with minced parsley and raisins. Add cumin coriander, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne and toss.
2. Make vinaigrette: Mince the garlic and add it to a jar with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Shake to combine. (Makes enough dressing for 2-3 salads). Drizzle about 1/3 of vinaigrette over salad, or to taste. Toss and serve!