Not a bad dish...although cooked ripened mango = a sweet mush without texture. Even though the chutney tasted very good there was a strange mismatch of textures. The pineapple held up very well, but the mango had the consistency of warm baby food. Texture issues aside, the combination of the balsamic vinegar, the heat of the cayenne and the sweetness of the fruit played off each other very well.
The second part of the meal included a parsnip and cauliflower soup that wasn't bad. It has the look of a bowl of watery grits, it probably needed more salt. I added some cheese and bacon to act like a potato soup from a restaurant Overall, I'd give my first attempt at this recipe a 6 out of 10, but it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't try it again.
(109 calories per serving, 4 g of fat, 9 g of protien; 9
g of carbohydrates; 3 g dietary fiber; 6 g net carbs.
There is a trend in paleo that uses animal fats instead of vegetable oils, which makes sense in terms of the diet...but I would wonder what a trained dietitian would think about this idea. A quick internet search yielded these nuggets of knowledge.
Olive oil remains one of the healthiest oils you can drizzle over a plate of veggies, but if you're interesting in branching out there are other options.
Ghee, rice-bran oil, duck fat, coconut oil, nut/seed oil, lard and animal fat rendered from cooking down fatty meats. So let's take a closer look at some of these options. Ghee is a clarified butter and there are ways to make it at home. Rice-bran oil isn't quite paleo, but it is being used in some of the higher end ethnic fast food restaurants instead of peanut or canola oil. The nut/seed oils have been around for awhile and are slowly starting to make their way to the main stream consumption.
Here are the ones that have peaked my interest and honest concerns in regards to the health benefits or possible pit-falls of using these items. Coconut oil is approximately 92% high saturated fats, which can be off putting for some individuals. Note though that this is also a major source of lauric acid, which aids our immune system. The only other major source of dietary lauric acid is breast milk. If a new born needs lauric acid for its immune system, it may not be a bad idea of give our own bodies a booster here and there. Duck fat...even as I type this part of me has a red flag screaming bad idea. Although duck fat is often used in high end restaurants it has some major health benefits. Duck fat is high in monounsaturated fats, which makes up less than 50% of its total fat content. Not sold yet? I wasn't either, but duck fat also has just 14% saturated fat, which is less than butter. That's a plus, but logistically it may not work out for the common cook.
Here's one for the common cook - lard and schmaltz. If you are still reading this after seeing that lard is good for you then you are in for a treat. I haven't cooked with lard yet and I may or may not in the long run. That being said, I do use schmaltz a good bit when I am cooking meals. Rendering fats from meats can add flavor to a meal without having to use a processed oil to do it. My personal favorite is bacon, but who can argue with bacon?!? No one, bacon always wins and better yet, how many people would consider a healthy dish edible just because the word bacon is in it. Part of me will struggle with this, but there are health benefits for these long demonized cooking oils. So here's the skinny: Lards and schmaltz have oleic acid - a monounsaturated fat that can lower risk of depression. Better yet, these monounsaturated fats (45% of the fats that make up lard/schmaltz) are responsible for lowering LDLs (bad cholesterol), while leaving teh HDL levels (good cholesterol) alone.
I leave you with this basic rule: whatever kinds of fat you buy, keep your chemical exposures to a minimum by buying certified-organic plant oils and pastured or grass-fed animal fats.
Interesting read to help you understand: Hard facts on Oils, Fats and Lard
Bonus shot of the spaghetti squash beef stir fry. Home made recipe.
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