Cheeseburger Fries

Photo: Simply Potatoes

This dish was inspired by Everyday Scoop in Rachael Ray Magazine, March 2014, Hash Brown Heaven!

Ingredients:

• 2T bacon fat, ghee, or butter 
• 2lbs sweet potatoes, shredded - peeling is optional
• 1lb grass-fed ground beef, browned and drained
• salt to taste
• 1 cup raw cheese, shredded
• toppings, optional - pickles, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, guacamole, fried egg...

Directions:

1. In a large sauté pan melt your fat and add the shredded potatoes, ground beef, cheese, and salt.
2. Mix together and pan fry until potatoes are crispy, about 10 min each side.
3. Serve individual portions and add top each off with optional toppings.

  

Banana Rice Cakes

When my tummy started bothering me and I couldn't figure out what was wrong, I did a 30-day FODMAPs free journey of  experimenting & observing the foods I was eating (or not eating) and how my body was affected.   At the time I was only able to eat bland, soft foods like rice, white fish, and bananas.

I re-discovered organic, brown rice cakes.  They really satisfy the crunch and salty cravings.  Cooper loves them, too (how about that!).  In addition to this recipe, Cooper and I like them with Kerrygold grass-fed butter and salt.  This is my new favorite snack!

Ingredients:

• 1T raw almond butter - we started making our own.
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1 rice cake
• cinnamon

Directions:

1. Spread almond butter over rice cake
2. Top with sliced banana
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon

Mini "Corn" Dogs

Cooper's favorite food is mini corn dogs.  Bummer.  It's been a long time since I've made the kid corn dogs.  But thanks to Gluten Free Fix we can add it back into our "can haves".  Too bad Cooper didn't like them. :(

Carly and I did like them and I will make them again.  They are a perfect snack or you can make a few batches and serve them with a nice salad to make an quick and easy main dish.

If you're feeling ambitious, serve them with California Cavegirl Kindra's Spicy as @$%* Paleo Honey Mustard or her whole30 compliant Honey Mustard.

Photo: Gluten Free Fix

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup grass-fed butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1T honey, optional
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2T coconut flour
• 1/4t baking soda
• 1/4t sea salt
• organic, grass-fed beef hot dogs, we use Applegate, 1 hot dog per 5 mini muffins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F
2. Butter a mini muffin pan, set aside
3. Whisk together butter, eggs, honey
4. Stir in dry ingredients
5. Scoop about a tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup
6. Cut hot dog into 1/2" pieces, 5 per hot dog
7. Place one hot dog slice into each muffin cup
8. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown
9. Serve warm

Makes about 15 minis

Cauliflower Mash

Summer is so busy and most days I don't want to cook.  I end up serving tried and true dishes that I don't really have to think about, hence the few posts over the last couple of months.

We're getting down to the last few servings from our 1/4 cow (see my "we're buying a cow" post).  Last night I made a chuck roast from I breathe... I'm hungry... (which gave me the idea to do the Whole30, but that's another post).

Photo: Eating With Purpose

I served the roast over cauliflower mash.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut off the stalk and broken into small pieces
• 2-4 tablespoons grass-fed butter
• 2 tablespoons ghee, butter, mct oil, or olive oil
• splash of raw milk or heavy cream (if dairy intolerant, use broth)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté all ingredients (except liquid) in a heavy stainless steel skillet until slightly softened 
2. Stir in a splash of liquid - I like my mash thick and lumpy, use more if you like yours thinner
3. Use an immersion blender in the pan to mash the cauliflower
4. Stir to incorporate all ingredients 

Serve alone as a side dish, as the topping for shepherd's pie, or in a bowl under a roast and all the yummy juices.

Coconut Curry Beef

Here's a super easy dinner!

Ingredients:

Coconut Oil
Kerrygold Grass-Fed Butter
Chopped Carrots, Celery, Onion, Sweet Potato, Kale
Turmeric
Garlic Powder
Curry
Sea Salt
Dey Dey's Grass-Fed Beef

In a heavy pot heat coconut oil and butter.  Saute veggies until a bit al dente.  Add spices and seasonings, stir until combined.  In another pan, saute the ground beef, drain and add to veggies and spices.  Stir until combined.

I topped it with chopped cucumber and you can even add coconut aminos if you want a more salty, soy sauce flavor.

That's it!  So easy and so yummy.

Family rated: 2 thumbs up!  Cooper even added, "Best dinner ever!"  Gotta love that.

Pesto Prawns

I can't stop thinking about this meal.  It was so delicious and so easy!  I trimmed & cut fresh, organic green beans then stir-fried them in olive oil.  Just before my green beans were ready I added my wild-caught, jumbo prawns, about 1T of unsalted butter, about 2T of homemade basil-almond pesto* and stir-fried until just cooked through - do not over heat your prawns.         

Another family winner.  Cooper doesn't like pesto so he could only give the rating 1 3/4 thumbs up!  I'll take it.

*handful of fresh basil, olive oil, raw almonds, salt - blend together - add additional ingredients to taste