Twice baked potatoes with spinach and artichoke

INGREDIENTS

4 small/medium russet potatoes
5 oz container fresh baby spinach
½ of a 14 oz can artichoke hearts
½ medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can (5.3 oz) coconut cream
1.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¾ tsp fine grain sea salt
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp ghee

INSTRUCTIONS

Rub the potatoes with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt if desired, Bake the potatoes at 400 for 1 hour or until soft inside
Once cooled, cut each potato open lengthwise and scoop out the inside, leaving a thin layer.
You will use the inside of 3 of the potatoes, discard the inside only of the 4th, or save for another use
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil. Add the onions and cook until soft, then the garlic and cook until just softened.
Add the chopped spinach and saute, stirring until wilted, then add the chopped artichoke hearts and a sprinkle of salt and cook one more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
Mash or blend together the insides from 3 potatoes with the coconut cream, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, ghee, plus ¾ tsp of salt
Combine the potato mixture with the spinach artichoke mixture, then scoop into the hollowed potatoes
Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown.

Sweet Potato, Kale and Mushroom Gratin (Blue Apron)

¾ Cup Milk
6 Ounces Cremini Mushrooms
3 Cloves Garlic
2 Sweet Potatoes
1 Apple
1 Bunch Kale
1 Head Butter Lettuce
1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Crumbled Blue Cheese
2 Tablespoons Roasted Pistachios
¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Remove and discard the kale stems; thinly slice the leaves. Peel the sweet potatoes; thinly slice into rounds. Using a peeler, remove the yellow lemon rind, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter and deseed the lemon. Roughly chop the pistachios. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut off and discard the lettuce root. Core and thinly slice the apple; place in a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon wedge.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Add ¼ cup of water; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the water has cooked off. Turn off the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside in a warm place.

While the vegetables cook, add the sweet potatoes to the pot of boiling water and cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly; transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place. Rinse and wipe out the pot.

In the same pot, heat the butter on medium-high until melted. Add the garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the flour and cook, whisking frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk in the milk and ½ cup of water; cook, whisking frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread about ⅓ cup of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Evenly top with ⅓ of the cooked sweet potatoes, then ⅓ of the cooked vegetables, then ⅓ of the remaining sauce. Repeat twice with the remaining sweet potatoes, cooked vegetables and sauce. Evenly top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through. Remove from the oven. Let stand for at least 2 minutes before serving.

While the gratin bakes, squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon wedges into a bowl. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until well combined; season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, in a large bowl, combine the lettuce, apple, blue cheese, pistachios and enough of the dressing to coat the salad (you may have extra). Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the baked gratin with the salad on the side.

Paleo Cauliflower au Gratin

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 Tbs minced garlic
a scant ½ cup of minced shallots (This was 2 large shallots for me)
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup of coconut cream (I like the Savoy brand)
½ cup of organic chicken stock (make sure there is no sugar in the ingredient list)
½ tsp of salt
¼ tsp of pepper
¼ tsp of ground nutmeg
2 tsp coconut flour (I like the Nutiva brand)
4-5 strips of nitrate-free bacon, crumbled
optional-1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese (skip to make strictly Paleo)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the cauliflower head into smaller cauliflower florets.
Fill a big pot of water, put a dash of salt it in, and heat over high heat until the water boils. Put the cauliflower florets into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.
Put 2 tsp of olive oil into a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Put the minced shallots and garlic into the pan, mix into the olive oil with a spatula, and cook for 4 minutes.
Add the coconut cream, chicken stock, salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg to the pan.
Whisk the coconut flour into the mixture.
Increase the heat to medium/high heat and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes, while mixing often. Remove from heat and set the saute pan aside.
Cover a plate in paper towels, put 4-5 strips of bacon onto the paper towels, and cover with another paper towel. Cook the bacon in the microwave for 4 minutes. The bacon should be cooked to the point where it crumbles easily.
Crumble the bacon and put into the white sauce. Put the cauliflower into the sauce, mix with a spatula and then pour everything into an 8 X 8 inch pan.
Put the pan into the oven, and cook the cauliflower for 20 minutes.
Then, set the oven to broil.
If you are adding goat cheese, remove the cauliflower from the oven and top with the crumbled goat cheese.
Then broil the cauliflower (with or without goat cheese) for 5 minutes. Make sure to check on it regularly to make sure it doesn't burn.
Allow the cauliflower to cool for a bit, serve, and Enjoy!

Artichoke recipe

Ingredients:
3 artichokes, trimmed and prepped – use scissors to trim the tops and bottoms and snip off the pointy ends
1 lemon
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pink Himalayan sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 cup of bone broth or filtered water
Ghee (or butter)

Directions:
Place trimmed and cleaned artichokes in a slower cooker or saucepan with 1/4 inch of bone broth or water on the bottom.
Add bay leaf, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
In the slower cooker, cook on low for 4 hours. On the stovetop, cover the saucepan with a lid and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.
Serve with melted ghee or butter of your choice.

Cabbage rolls with cucumber and carrot slaw

INGREDIENTS
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
2 bunches asparagus, chopped in to ½ inch pieces
1 lb button mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 large head green cabbage
12 oz baby spinach, leaves torn
1 ½ cups coconut aminos
⅓ cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
1 ½ tsp tapioca starch, optional
1 ½ tsp cold water, optional
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cooking fat
3 English cucumbers
3 large carrots
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 ½ tbsp rice vinegar
1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
¾ tsp sesame oil (optional)
1 ½ tsp water

PREPARATION
Start by preparing the carrot and cucumber slaw.
Using a vegetable or julienne peeler, peel thin ribbons or strips of the cucumber and carrots. For the cucumber, peel right down to the seeds.
In a medium sized bowl combine the vinegars, sesame oil if using, and water.
Add in the cucumber and carrots and gently toss.
Top with cilantro and sesame seeds (if using) and chill until cold.
Bring a large pot filled half way with water to a boil (something large enough to fit the head of cabbage).
While waiting for the water to boil mix chicken, asparagus, mushrooms, coconut aminos, vinegar, garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Set aside at room temperature.
Clean the cabbage and remove the first layer of leaves. Pierce the core with a carving fork or 2-pronged fork.
Once the water is rapidly boiling submerge the cabbage (using the fork to hold it) and turn until the outer leaves soften, about 1-2 minutes.
Lift the cabbage out of the water, let the water drain, and remove the outer leaves by using a pairing knife to cut near the base of the cabbage so they separate easily.
Let the leaves sit in a colander or on paper towels.
Submerge the cabbage again and repeat the process until you reach the small leaves near the core.
Pat cabbage leaves dry and set aside, covering to keep warm.
In a large skillet or wok heat a small amount of cooking fat over medium-high heat.
Once hot add chicken, vegetables and the marinade to the pan, cook for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
Add in spinach and toss until well combined and wilted.
Transfer mixture to a bowl reserving the liquid in the skillet.
If desired use remaining liquid as a dipping sauce. To thicken mix 1 tsp tapioca starch with 1 tsp cold water, bring liquid to a boil, add tapioca/water mixture and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Pour dipping sauce into a small bowl and set aside.
To stuff the cabbage lay a cabbage leaf rib side down and spoon about ¼ cup of the filling into the center. Fold the sides over the filling and roll the cabbage leaf into a cylinder shape. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
Serve cabbage rolls warm with dipping sauce and the slaw on the side.

Vegetables and guacamole for snack

INGREDIENTS

• Fresh Vegetables (i.e. bell pepper, cucumber, radish, baby carrots)

• 3 avocados, peeled and pit removed
• 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• ½ medium onion, diced
• ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt

  PREPARATION

• In a large bowl toss the lime juice with the avocados so they are fully coated.
• Add the cumin, cayenne, and salt and with a fork mash the avocados.
• Next add in the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño if using and mix together. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld before serving.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH SAUERKRAUT AND PARSNIP MASH

INGREDIENTS

• 14 good quality mild Italian pork sausage links (uncured, gluten free, no fillers, no sugar, natural casing)
• ½ cup water
• 2 tsp cooking fat

• 3 cups or more naturally fermented sauerkraut

• 1 ½ lbs parsnips, peeled and chopped
• ⅓ cup full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Sea salt & ground pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• Add the parsnips to a pot filled with water just enough to cover them and bring to a boil.
• Boil until soft, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile in a pan large enough to fit all of the sausages (it is okay to cook them in batches if needed), add 2 tsp of cooking fat and cook the sausages over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, turning frequently to brown all sides.
• Reduce the heat to low and add 1/2 cup water to the pan carefully.
• Cover and cook 10 – 15 minutes, until the center is no longer pink, an internal temperature of 160 F.
• Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• When the parsnips are done boiling, drain the water, add 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil, coconut milk, pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mash well with a potato masher, or mix in a food processor until smooth.
• Serve 8 links of sausage on top of the parsnip mash and a side of fresh sauerkraut.

Butternut squash soup and portobello pizzas

  INGREDIENTS

• 2 butternut squashes
• 2 (14 oz) cans of full-fat coconut milk
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Any fresh or dried herbs to taste

• 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves, minced
• Coconut oil
• Juice from half a lemon
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  PREPARATION

• Butternut Squash Soup:
• Preheat your oven to 350 F.
• Cut the squash lengthwise and remove seeds.
• Place squash cut side down on baking sheet and cook for about 45 minutes, or until tender.
• Allow squash to cool, then scoop out the cooked flesh and put it into a sauce pan. Add 1 ½ cans of coconut milk and keep the remainder for later.
• Using a potato masher or blender, mix the squash and coconut milk.
• Continue to add the remaining coconut milk to adjust the consistency of the soup until you're satisfied.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh or dried herbs.
• Portobello Pizzas:
• Preheat your oven to 400 F.
• In a skillet over medium heat, warm coconut oil. Add onions and cook until golden.
• Add the tomatoes, garlic and bell pepper and season to taste. Sauté until the tomatoes are soft.
• Add lemon juice and basil, stir and then remove from heat.
• Coat a baking sheet with melted coconut oil, and place the mushrooms on the sheet, bottom side up.
• Top with the ingredients from the skillet.
• Place the mushrooms in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.
• Top with a fresh basil leaf and serve.

Vegetable side dish

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium sweet potato
1 medium tomato
1 tsp. dried thyme
to taste salt & pepper
Directions:

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 180 (400 degrees f) Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.