Whole30 Day 22: Shepherd's Pie

I like to think of Shepherd's Pie as an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of dish because you can throw almost anything in with the meat.  I've posted Shepherd's Pie on my blog before but it's not whole30.  I made some tweaks and easily turned this dish into a yummy whole30 meal.

Ingredients:

• 2lbs sweet potatoes or yams, baked until soft and cooled
• 1T evoo
• 1 small onion, chopped
• about 5 small carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• a couple handfuls of baby brussel sprouts, sliced
• 1lb chorizo
• 1/2 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup bone broth or other broth

Directions:

1. In a large skillet heat evoo and add onion, carrots, and celery. 
2. Cook about 5 min and add brussel sprouts, cook for about 2 min
3. Add chorizo and beef and cook until no longer pink
4. Add seasonings to taste
5. In a large mixing bowl add the sweet potatoes and broth (I was lucky enough to have some leftover homemade vegetable soup and used that for extra veggies!)
6. Blend potatoes and broth until smooth
7. If your skillet is oven proof, spread potatoes over meat mixture and put into oven.  If not, pour meat mixture into a baking dish and top with potatoes.
8. Bake at 350˚F for about 30 minutes.

I super, super love this one pot meal!!

Whole30 Day 17: Carnitas Fries

Absolutely delicious!!!

Ingredients:

• 12oz pkg fully cooked carnitas - or make your own! - I used Trader Joe's Traditional Carnitas
• 2 lbs sweet potatos, cut into fries sticks or put them through a spiralizer for curly fries
• 8oz pico de gallo or chop your own tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro
• guacamole

Directions:

1. toss sweet potato fries with evoo and season to taste
2. bake at 450˚F for about 20 min.  
3. if using packaged carnitas, heat according to directions
4. when fries are done, top with carnitas, pico de gallo, and guacamole

Whole30 Day 4: Hot Dogs

This is a re-post from earlier in the year but it is worth a second look!  Just be sure to use whole30 approved hot dogs and toppings.

My dear friend, Kindra at Bon Appetit Paleo, is brilliantly creative.

We're no strangers to organic, grass-fed, beef hot dogs.  We've been buying the Applegate hot dogs for a couple of years and eating them bunless.  We love them!  But when Kindra told me her idea for a bun, I HAD to make it.

It was perfect!  PERFECT!  I barely had to convince myself I was not eating a hot dog bun.

Ingredients:

• organic, grass-fed, beef hot dogs
• small organic sweet potato or yam (about the size of your hot dog)
• condiments

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Scrub potatoes and slather with ghee or bacon fat.
3. Bake sweet potatoes for about 20 - 30 minutes, until soft and skins are starting to crisp.
4. Grill hot dogs.
5. Remove potatoes and allow to cool, to handle.
6. Scoop out flesh.  This is your side dish.
7. Add hot dog to potato skin and top with condiments.

Love, love, love this dish!

Whole30 Day 3: OMG Sliders

Photo: whole30recipes

This is amazing! Thank you whole30 for this recipe.  I followed the recipe pretty much.  I just substitued turkey for leftover "beer can" chicken and avocados for guacamole.  Delicious!!

For the recipe visit whole30recipes on Instagram, August 27, 2014 and while you're at it, visit the whole30 website.

By the way, I've never made my sweet potatoes this way.  Why the heck not?  I'm thinking every time I cook bacon, I'm making these potatoes, too.  Yum!!

Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup

Photo: the café sucré farine

This recipe is based on The Café Sucré Farine's Thai Butternut Coconut Curry Soup.  I had to modify ingredients to get my family to eat it.  It turned out delicious!

Ingredients:

·      1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

·      1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped in 2" pieces

·      2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

·      1 large onion, chopped

·      2 stalks celery, peeled, chopped (I recommend peeling to avoid strands in final product)

·      4 cloves garlic, chopped

·      1" piece fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped

·      1 teaspoon crushed coriander seed

·      2 teaspoons sea salt

·      1 tablespoon mild curry powder

·      2 quarts home made bone broth or organic, gluten free stock

·      1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped in 2" pieces

·      1 can coconut milk, we use Natural Value Organic Coconut Milk

Directions:

1.     Coat butternut squash with coconut oil and  roast  in a baking dish at 400˚F for about 30 minutes or until soft.  Set aside.

2.   Add extra virgin olive oil to a large stock pot. Heat on medium high until hot.

2.     Add onions and celery and sauté until translucent.

3.     Add garlic, ginger, coriander, salt, and curry powder and cook for two minutes.

4.     Add broth and sweet potato. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

5.     Cook for 45 minutes or until all veggies are very tender.

6.     Add coconut milk and cook for another two minutes.

7.     Puree with a stick blender, food processor or regular blender until smooth and silky. 

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.

  

Pi Day

Happy Pi Day!  

It's a great excuse to make a delicious savory pie for dinner and a sweet pie for dessert.

Shepherd's Pie

Photo: Ditch the Wheat

  

Pizza Pie - Sweet Potato Crust

Photo: Delectably Domestic

 Pizza Pie - Cauliflower Crust

Photo: Carly Johnson

Chocolate Pie

Photo: Paleo Magazine

Pumpkin Pie

Photo: The Paleo Mom

Apple Crumble Pie

Photo: Our Paleo Life

Hot Dog!

Is it a secret that sometimes you need to be creative when you are cooking?  Going paleo I find I need to be creative to come up with ingredient substitutions and new ideas.  When I started avoiding FODMAPs I really needed to kick up the creative juices.

Thanks to the many bloggers, I can pretty easily find new, easy, yummy recipes.  My dear friend, Kindra at Bon Appetit Paleo, is brilliantly creative.  Hence, a hot dog!

OK, we're no strangers to organic, grass-fed, beef hot dogs.  We've been buying the Applegate hot dogs for a couple of years and eating them bunless.  We love them!  But when Kindra told me her idea for a bun, I HAD to make it.

It was perfect!  PERFECT!  I barely had to convince myself I was not eating a hot dog bun.

Ingredients:

• organic, grass-fed, beef hot dogs
• small organic sweet potato or yam (about the size of your hot dog)
• condiments

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Scrub potatoes and slather with ghee or bacon fat.
3. Bake sweet potatoes for about 20 - 30 minutes, until soft and skins are starting to crisp.
4. Grill hot dogs.
5. Remove potatoes and allow to cool, to handle.
6. Scoop out flesh.  This is your side dish.
7. Add hot dog to potato skin and top with condiments.

Love, love, love this dish!

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.

Bacon Butternut Squash Soufflé

Thanks to PaleOMG for the inspiration for this one.  This would be a nice addition to your side dishes but also a great post-Thanksgiving creation using leftover mashed yams or sweet potatoes.

Photo: PaleOMG

Ingredients:

• 2 cups butternut squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, or yam, pureed
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 heaping tablespoon arrowroot starch
• 4 slices of bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• butter
  

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 400˚F.

2.    Cook bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate with a paper towel.

3.    Add puree, 1T bacon fat, and egg yolks to the food processor. Puree until smooth, pour into a large bowl.

4.    Heat 1T bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat and add garlic and shallots.

5.    Cook until shallots are tender and translucent.

6.    Add shallots, bacon, arrowroot starch, herbs, salt and pepper to the bowl of puree and mix well.

7.    In a separate large bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, fold egg whites into your squash bowl until no white streaks remain.

8.    Grease a glass baking dish with butter and pour in mixture. 

9.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Fall Soup

Do you serve Thanksgiving dinner in courses?  Do you include a soup?  We don't usually but I thought I'd throw this recipe out there.  It's super easy and super yummy.  I was inspired by my friend Kindra's latest creation.  Please check it out at Bon Appetit Paleo along with the rest of her delicious posts.

Photo: The Gracious Pantry

Into a crockpot I threw:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks (I cheated and bought it already cut up. Some days are like that.)
3 - 4 small, organic carrots
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup water
1 can coconut milk
1" ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
sea salt
1T cumin

Cover and set on low for about 10 hours.  When ready to eat, remove the bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend ingredients.  Add more coconut milk, if needed, to get the consistency you desire.  No immersion blender?  Blend in batches with your blender or food processor.

Traditional Cranberry Sauce

My husband is becoming less and less frilly with his food.  So, this year we're not adding pears, apples, nuts, chipotles, or anything (almost) to our cranberry sauce.

Photo: Can You Stay For Dinner?

Ingredients:

3 cups of fresh cranberries
juice of one orange
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat.  
• Cook for about 30 min or until consistency is jam-like. 

Serves 5-8

Double or triple your recipe as needed. Fresh cranberry sauce should be used within a week.

Recipes to gobble it up:

Baked Sweet Potato with Citrus topped with cranberry sauce
As a topping for Coconut Waffles
Add to Apple Cider Vinaigrette and serve with Kale Cranberry Salad
Spread onto warm Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Citrus

Photo: Bryan Gardner

We discovered this recipe before we were paleo or bulletproof.  A friend of ours challenged us to the Whole Living 2012 Action Plan, a 4-week detox.  We've kept a few of the delicious recipes as we've transitioned into our new healthy eating lifestyle.

This recipe is delicious anytime but we like it for breakfast.  Make a couple extra sweet potatoes and consider baking a pan of the Sweet Potato Bars from a previous post.

Ingredients

•  2 small sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped raw almonds
• dash of cinnamon
• dash of freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 orange wedges

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400˚.  Prick sweet potatoes with a fork.
2. Bake until tender, about 1 hour.  
3. Split the top with a knife and top with almonds and spices.
4. Squeeze  orange wedges over sweet potatoes and serve.

Serves 2

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.