Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (41 page)

For decades, my in-laws owned a Chinese restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area, serving up the Westernized dishes that many Americans know so well: pot stickers, chow mein, deep-fried wontons, sweet-and-sour pork. My husband grew up in the restaurant’s kitchen, and egg foo young was a childhood favorite.

I didn’t encounter egg foo young until after I met Henry in college and he took me to visit his family’s restaurant. But as soon as I took my first bite of these savory egg patties, I knew I had to have the recipe.

Egg foo young, which means “lotus flower egg,” is enduringly popular and infinitely flexible; one Japanese-Chinese variant called
kani-tama
is stuffed with crab meat, and in parts of Missouri, folks slather egg foo young with mayonnaise and sandwich it between slices of white bread. (It’s called a
St. Paul sandwich
, named after the Chinese-American inventor’s hometown in Minnesota.)

Not surprisingly, my version of egg foo young isn’t served with bread or the traditional accompaniment of soy-based brown gravy—but as a finishing touch, I can never resist a spicy squirt of Paleo Sriracha.

6
large
eggs
¼
cup
coconut flour
1
teaspoon Paleo-friendly
fish sauce
(or kosher salt to taste)
½
teaspoon
apple cider vinegar
1
cup diced
ham
or cooked meat of choice
10
ounces frozen
spinach
, thawed and squeezed dry
2
scallions
, thinly sliced
1
tablespoon minced fresh
cilantro
½
teaspoon
baking soda
Freshly ground
black pepper
Ghee
, for frying
Paleo Sriracha
(optional)

1. I
   n a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut flour, fish sauce, and apple cider vinegar until smooth and lump-free. Stir in the ham, spinach, scallions, cilantro, and baking soda, and season with pepper to taste.
   
2. I
   n a large skillet or griddle, heat a tablespoon of ghee over medium heat until shimmering. Scoop a quarter-cup of batter onto the skillet, and flatten with the back of a spoon until it’s about ½ inch in height. Let it cook undisturbed for
   3
   minutes, until golden brown. Using a spatula, carefully flip over the egg foo young, and fry for another
   2
   to
   3
   minutes or until cooked through.
   
3. T
   ransfer the patty to a wire rack, and repeat Step
   2
   to cook up the remaining pancakes. (If you have room in the skillet, you can fry up more than one at a time, but don’t overcrowd the patties.)
   
4. S
   erve with Paleo Sriracha if you’re feeling spicy. (Or break out the leftover gravy from
   here
   !)
   

When I’m busy prepping for a dinner party, I don’t have the time or energy to straighten up the house before guests arrive. Instead, I conscript my husband to put away the avalanche of laundry and accumulated clutter that threaten to bury us in our own home. (But don’t feel
too
sorry for him; I still do all the dishes.)

Thankfully (for Henry), I’ve found ways to prep fanciful, Paleo-friendly dishes by quickly assembling premade components. These Eggplant Ricotta Stacks, for example, require minimal effort but deliver maximum flavor. Punctuated with the penetrating tang of a balsamic reduction, these “cheesy” vegetable stacks will excite your palate like nothing else
...
and free up some time so you can help with the laundry.

1. I
   n a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar and shallots to a rolling boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium, and continue cooking until the liquid is syrupy and reduced by half, about
   15
   minutes.
   
2. W
   hile the balsamic reduction is cooking, place a wire rack
   6
   inches from the heating element in the oven, and turn on the broiler. Coat a foil-lined baking tray with the melted ghee, and arrange the eggplant slices on top. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and flip the eggplant slices over to season the other side.
   
3. B
   roil the eggplant rounds for
   2
   to
   3
   minutes. Using tongs, flip each slice over, rotate the tray, and broil for another
   2
   to
   3
   minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
   
4. I
   n a bowl, combine the Macadamia Nut “Ricotta,” basil, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then stir to thoroughly incorporate.
   
5. A
   ssemble the stacks by spreading generous spoonfuls of the herbed “ricotta” and drizzles of balsamic reduction between layers of eggplant and tomato slices.
   
6. G
   arnish with basil and a final splash of balsamic reduction before serving.