Celebrity chef Peter Evans may have brought attention to the Paleo movement in Australia but the paleolithic diet certainly isn't new.
The first best-selling book on the diet, which is based on the food cavemen most likely ate, was published by American scientist Loren Cordain in 2002.
Emu Plains wellness blogger Melinda Blundell, 38, became adept at the diet in 2012 after seeking a lifestyle change to help her husband fight a bone infection after a bad leg break.
She said through experimenting and self-discovery the change helped her husband's infection — and she also benefited.
"I got rid of headaches, PMS symptoms, bad mood and now I have more energy, sleep sounder and have lost weight," the nutrition student said. "Real food as medicine has done wonders for my family and I want to encourage others to give it a go.
"There's nothing scary about clean eating and nutrient-dense food without added colours, flavours and stabilisers."
Last year she published Aussie Paleo: Step by Step, a beginners' guide for those who may find the change overwhelming.
■ Melinda Blundell will run a Paleo beginners' workshop at Penrith on October 11, focusing on the diet's transitional phase. Cost: $35 (earlybird special: two for $40). Click here for details.
* Serves 4 or 5.
Ingredients:
● 2 cups of pumpkin cut into small cubes (approx. 250g)
● 2 cups of spinach or kale roughly chopped (approx. 55g)
● ½ large onion or 1 small onion, diced
● 1 clove of garlic, crushed
● 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter
● 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
● 6 free-range eggs
● 2 tablespoons of coconut cream
● Sea salt and cracked black pepper
● 75g of Danish feta (leave out if avoiding dairy)
● 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
Method:
Step 1: Chop up all the vegetables and gather your ingredients. Preheat oven to 150 degrees. Lightly grease a small baking dish or 1.5 litre capacity Pyrex dish.
Step 2: Heat a fry pan on medium-high heat and sauté the garlic, onion and pumpkin cubes in the butter/oil for 10 minutes. Keep moving the vegetables around to help cook them.
Step 3: Turn off the heat and add in the spinach and Dijon mustard. Cover fry pan with a lid to let the steam and heat wilt the spinach while you prepare the egg mixture.
Step 4: Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl with the cream and season with a good dash of salt.
Step 5: Add the pumpkin, spinach and onion mixture to the baking dish. Crumble the feta over the mixture and pour in the eggs. Use a fork to gently incorporate everything.
Step 6: Bake in the oven at 150 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until the egg has completely set. (NB. If the temperature of the oven is too high the egg tends to bubble and affects the texture and taste).
Tips:
● Serve frittata warm or cold either by itself or with a garden salad.
● Frittatas are a nutritious option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
● Next time experiment using different vegetables and herbs.
● Add in some bacon, sausage or mince at step 2.
● Frittatas are also a great way to use up leftover roast vegetables or cooked meat – just skip straight to step 4.
