Pete Evans' paleo hot dog with a sweet potato 'bun'

Both these recipes are fantastic for the barbecue. I've given these classic chops a minty boost. The hot dog, meanwhile, may look like it's in a regular bun but I have substituted the bread for a slow-roasted sweet potato then topped it with a gourmet sausage. You'll need to start the ketchup a day ahead.

Hot dogs with a sweet potato bun

Looking at this image I immediately think it is a regular hotdog with a bun. In fact, I have substituted the bun for a slow-roasted sweet potato and topped it with a delicious gourmet wheat-free sausage that you can make yourself or pick up from a quality butcher or health food store. These are super easy to make and will be a hit at your next kids' party. I like to serve some kraut or a little garden salad on the side.

2 sweet potatoes, unpeeled (try to pick out straight ones if possible)

1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil or other good-quality fat

2 gourmet sausages of your choice

cultured tomato ketchup (see below), to serve

dijon mustard or fermented mustard, to serve

Cultured tomato ketchup

500g good-quality or homemade tomato paste

3 tbsp honey or maple syrup (optional)

1/2 sachet vegetable starter culture

2 tbsp lemon juice, plus extra to thin

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1. To make your own cultured tomato ketchup, you'll need a 750ml preserving jar with an airlock lid. Wash the jar and utensils in very hot water or run them through a hot rinse cycle on the dishwasher.

2. Place the tomato paste in a large bowl and fold through the honey or maple syrup (if using). Whisk in the vegetable starter culture along with 120 millilitres of water, the lemon juice, salt, a few grinds of pepper, garlic, chilli, allspice and cloves. Whisk until smooth. Add some extra lemon juice if you'd like a thinner sauce. Spoon into the preserving jar and close the lid. Wrap a tea towel around the side of the jar to block out the light.

3. Store the jar in a dark place with a temperature of 16C to 23C for three to five days. The warmer the weather, the shorter the amount of time needed. The longer you leave the jar, the higher the level of good bacteria present and the tangier the flavour. Give the ketchup a good stir before transferring to the fridge, where it will keep for several months.

4. Preheat the oven to 100C.

5. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray and roast for about six hours, or until very tender.

6. Cut the sweet potatoes almost in half lengthways. Do not cut all the way through. Slightly open up the cut centre part, then carefully peel away the skin, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and set aside.

7. Meanwhile, heat the oil or fat in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the sausages and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, turning occasionally, for eight to 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

8. Place the sausages lengthways in the centre cut part of the sweet potato. Squeeze over some ketchup and mustard and serve.

Serves 2

Lamb cutlets with mint sauce and sauteed beans

People can't resist these little morsels. I serve these cutlets with green beans and mint. Pure paleo folks eliminate all legumes from their diet, so feel free to replace the beans with zucchini, asparagus or broccoli.

8 lamb cutlets, French-trimmed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 handful of mint leaves, to serve

Marinade

1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves

4 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked

100ml coconut oil or ghee, melted

5 garlic cloves

1 anchovy fillet

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Mint sauce

2 very large handfuls of mint, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, crushed

½ French shallot, finely chopped

100ml good-quality olive oil

1 tbsp honey (optional)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 pinches of ground cumin

Beans

2 tbsp coconut oil or good-quality fat

2 large handfuls of green beans, sliced lengthways

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

4 tbsp beef or lamb stock

extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

1. For the marinade, place all the ingredients in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Add more oil, if necessary.

2. Place the lamb cutlets in a large glass or ceramic dish. Rub the lamb with the marinade, season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for two hours to develop the flavours. Bring the lamb to room temperature before cooking.

3. Preheat the barbecue or chargrill hotplate to hot. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the cutlets for two minutes on each side for medium–rare, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer the cutlets to a tray, cover with foil and set aside for five minutes to rest.

4. To make the mint sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, adding more oil, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

5. Meanwhile, for the beans, heat the oil or other fat in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the beans, garlic and chilli (if using) and saute for two to three minutes, or until just tender. Pour in the stock and simmer for three minutes, or until the beans are tender and the stock has almost completely reduced. Season to taste, transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil.

6. Garnish the lamb cutlets with the mint leaves and serve with the sauteed beans and the mint sauce.

Serves 4

This is an extract from Family Food by Pete Evans, Plum, RRP $39.99