Butternut Squash Soup

Here we go!  I'm taking you with me on my 30-day fodmap free journey.  I've made a few new things and tweaks some old things.

Here I revisited my fall soup and made it fodmaps free.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4-6 carrots, cut into chunks
• bone broth made without foods from fodmap list
• bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida,* optional
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the vegetables in a heavy stock pot or dutch oven.
2. Add bone broth to cover vegetables.
3. Add bayleaf and asafoetida.
4. Cook until boiling then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until vegetables are soft.
5. Discard bayleaf.
6. Pour ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
7. Add salt to taste.

*Asafoetida is an excellent substitute for garlic and onion.  You can find it at specialty spice shops.  We bought ours at Savory Spice Shop.

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Thanks to PreppyPaleo for the inspiration for this delicious side dish.  We have officially added this accompaniment to our Thanksgiving lineup.  My husband loved it so much he had it again for lunch the next day.

Photo: Preppy Paleo

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. raw honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Salad:

6 cups mixed greens
4 cups chopped root vegetables - beet, parsnip, sweet potato, carrot
2 tablespoons unsweetened apple cider
1 tablespoon melted butter

salt to taste

4 slices of bacon
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425˚F.
• Toss root vegetables with cider and butter. Season with salt and bake for 20 minutes or until just starting to brown.
• While vegetables are roasting combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
• Cook bacon until crispy and crumble.
• Toss mixed greens with dressing, top with root vegetables, bacon, and almonds.

Roasted Garlic and Parsnip Mash

I really enjoyed this possible Thanksgiving side dish.  Turns out, though, my daughter doesn't like parsnips - too much like cooked carrots.  Just found out she doesn't like sweet potatoes, either.  Yikes!

So we won't be enjoying this dish for Thanksgiving, but you might.

Photo: Paleoaholic

Ingredients:

3 big parsnips, peeled, and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp olive oil or other fat suitable for high temperatures
1/4+ cup homemade bone broth or raw milk
2 whole garlic bulbs
sea salt to taste

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 400˚F
• Place parsnips in a baking dish and drizzle with oil.  Sprinkle with salt.
• Cut tops off of garlic bulbs to expose cloves.  Place on a square of foil, drizzle with oil, and fold up sides of foil to create a pouch.
• Roast parsnips and garlic until soft, about 40 minutes.
• Place parsnips in food processor and add liquid.  
• Squeeze garlic cloves out of bulb and add to food processor.  
• Blend ingredients together until they are the consistency you desire.  Add more liquid and salt to taste.

Sunday Stew

Courtesy of Stiritup.me

You learn something new everyday.  For stew meat in particular Grassfed Cooking says, "Stew beef from the round, (especially the bottom or eye), will be ready to serve after about 1 ½ hours of simmering.  If it is cooked much longer, the meat will taste dry.  Conversely, stew from the shanks, brisket and chuck may take longer to become tender.  These are the ideal cuts for slow, all-day stews."

Thanks to stir it up for the inspiration on yet another stew recipe.

Sunday Stew

• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 lb grass-fed sirloin stew meat (if using stew meat from shanks, brisket, or chuck, increase cooking time to 6-8 hours)
• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup homemade bone broth or organic, gluten-free beef broth
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 2 parsnips, julienned

1. In a gallon-sized plastic bag add arrowroot powder, paprika, salt, and pepper, mix well.  
2. Add the stew meat to the bag and seal it tight. Shake ingredients all together making sure all of the meat if well coated.
3. In your dutch oven or large heavy pot add the coconut oil and turn the heat up on high.
4. Add the meat to the oil and brown on all sides.
5. Add the bay leaves, wine, broth, onions, carrots and parsnips and bring to a boil.
6. Turn heat to low and allow to cook, covered, for 1 – 1 ½ hours.