Curried Turkey Meatballs smothered with a Lemongrass Cream Sauce and roasted vegetables

For the vegetables:

• 2 medium red potatoes, srubbed and cut into ½ in wedges
• 2 c cauliflower florets
• 1 T coconut oil, melted
• ¼ t salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 2 c torn kale leaves

For the meatballs:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ c almond meal/flour (same thing)
• 1 t curry powder
• ¼ t salt
• ¼ t pepper
• 12 oz ground turkey

For the sauce:

• 4 t coconut oil
• 4  T chopped shallot
• 4-6  t finely chopped fresh lemon grass
• 3/4 c full fat coconut milk
• 3/4 t arrowroot
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 4 T chopped fresh basil

Make the vegetables:  

Preheat oven to 425 F.  In a shallow roasting pan, combine the potatoes and cauliflower.  Drizzle  with the melted coconut oil and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.  Toss to coat the vegetables.  Roast for 35 min or until tender and browned.  Add the kale to the roasting pan and gently stir the vegetables.  Spread in an even layer.  Roast for 5 – 10 mins more, until the kale is lightly browned and crisp.

To make the meatballs:  

While the vegetables are roasting; line a small baking with sheet with aluminum foil   In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, almond meal, curry power, salt and black pepper.  Add the turkey and mix well.  Shape into six meatballs.  Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake alongside the vegetables for 20 to 25 mins, until they are cooked through and their internal temperature is 165F.

To make the sauce:  

Heat the coconut oil in a small skillet over med low heat.  Add the shallot and lemongrass and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender – 5 to 7 mins.   In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, arrowroot, salt and red pepper flakes.   Add the coconut mixture all at once to the shallot mixture.  Cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the basil.  

Divide the meatballs and roasted vegetables between 2 plates.  

Drizzle the sauce over the meatballs.  

Note:  keep sauce off the vegetables so the kale stays crisp.

/Serves 2

Source:   Courtesy of:  Whole30  cookbook, Melissa Hartwig

Beef Burgers smothered with Carmelized Onions & Mushrooms Over bed of Arugula & Roasted Root Vegetables

Preheat oven to 425

Toss the vegetables with olive oil and place on large baking sheet
Roast for 25 – 35 mins or until tender and beginning to brown

• 1 package of precut butternut squash chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 large carrot and 2 small parsnips, peeled and chopped into bit sized pieces

In a large skillet, heat 1 T of olive oil

• Add 1 cup sliced mushrooms and stir until brown & tender and remove from pan
• add 3 yellow onions sliced to pan with 1 T of olive oil

cook over medium heat and covered for 20 mins until onions are very soft and richly browned

Meanwhile;

divide 1 lb of hamburger meat into 2 or 3  patties
Cook in skillet for 8-10 mins or until seared on both sides and transfer burgers to a plate

Add to skillet and stir to combine

• 1.5 cup of beef broth with red wine
• 1 T white wine vinegar
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• Carmelized onions and cooked mushrooms

Return burgers to skillet.  Bring to simmer and cook until burgers are done  (8 – 10 mins)

To serve:  Arrange / divide 1-1.5 cups of arugula on top of 2 serving plates
Top with roasted veg, burger and onions & mushrooms

Recipe Source & adapted from:   Paleo Cookbook



2 servings

Slow Cooked Bolognese Sauce with Sweet Potato Noodles

Who doesn't have a favourite sauce?  Here's mine.  

Generally make a big batch of this and freeze portions / 2 svgs each

For the bolognese sauce:

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 2 shallots or 1 onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium rutabaga, chopped small
• 10 ounces baby bella or crimini mushrooms, chopped small
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon raspberry wine vinegar (or balsamic)*
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of allspice
• One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

Instructions

1. pour room temperature water over the dried porcini mushrooms and set them aside to soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once they've soaked for 20-30 minutes, remove them from the liquid with a slotted spoon, rinse them, and chop them finely. If desired, strain the soaking liquid and reserve it for use later or in another recipe.
2. Heat the ghee and olive oil in a very large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 7-8 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and add the garlic, rutabaga, and both kinds of mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and most of it has bubbled away, about 8 minutes.  Place in crockpot.
3. Add 1 T olive oil to frying pan.  Add the beef and pork and cook and ( I also add reserved mushroom liquid)  stirring to break up the meat until cooked through and no longer pink.
4. Add cooked meat & all the other remaining ingredients  to slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

To Serve: 

Spiralize 1 -2 sweet potatoes.   Place in frying pan on med – high heat

Add cup of sauce to pan and stir until noodles are heated thru. Place in 2 - 3 serving bowls, top with more sauce if desired (yes please).

*If you're not doing a Whole30, you can use 1 cup red wine instead of the vinegars. 

Recipe Source:   A calculated whisk

Butternut Squash Ravioli

 Why did I never try this before?  So much easier to make then ever anticipated!     

 All you need is a vegetable peeler to make the zucchini ribbons!  Kale pesto a must! 

Made the filling and pesto ahead of time as both are freezer friendly

2.5 - 3 cups cubed butternut squash approximately 1 medium sized 2 tsp olive oil 1/4 tsp salt 1 T freshly grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp dried sage 1/4 tsp pepper

Kale Pesto 2 cups shredded kale 1/2 cup raw almonds 2 cloves garlic 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup olive oil

Pasta:

2 zucchini 1 tbsp pine nuts

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit)

Cut the butternut squash into cubes and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with the 2 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the butternut squash is tender and lightly browned.

Once cooked remove from the oven and place the cooked butternut squash in a blender or food processor. Add the parmesan/nutritional yeast, nutmeg, dried sage and pepper and puree

Cut the ends off of the zucchini and then create ribbons using vegetable peeler

On a cutting board lay out 3 slices of zucchini, overlapping in the centre to form a star. Place approximately 1 1/2 tbsp of the butternut squash filling in the center of the strips where they overlap and then fold each slice of the zucchini overtop to cover. Flip each ravioli over and place in a baking dish so that the loose ends are on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining zucchini slices.

Bake the ravioli for 20-25 minutes until the zucchini wrappings become tender.

While the zucchini is baking make the pesto. Place the kale, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, salt and olive oil in a food processor and blend until it forms a paste. Serve on top of the ravioli and sprinkle with pine nut

The zucchini ravioli and pesto are best stored separately in the fridge.

Kale, Sweet Potato, Pomegranate & Toasted Pecan Salad

This is my all time favourite salad!  

Great for pot luck events or festive dinner parties!   

Easy to prepare and keeps well in fridge up to 2 days.    

Never lasts more than 24 hours in our house

1.5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed  (2 packages of pre-cut)

1/3 c olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 small shallot, minced
1 T honey

1 T balsamic vinegar

12 oz Tuscan kale, stemmed and sliced crosswise into ½ in wide strips (7 cups)

½ head radicchio cored and sliced thin

½ c pecans, toasted and chopped

½ c pomegranate seeds

Heat oven to 400

Toss sweet potatoes with 1 T olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and roast until bottom browned on both sides.  Approx 30 mins, flipping hallway.  Transfer to plate and let cool.

Whisk shallot, honey, vinegar, ½ t salt and ¼ t pepper together in a bowl or measuring cup.
Whisking constantly, gradually add in remaining oil until emulsified.

Place kale in a large bowl filled with water.   Squeeze and massage the kale with your hands until leaves are uniformly darkened and slightly wilted (about 1 min)   I then place leaves  into salad spinner and place in large bowl.   Add radicchio and roasted sweet potatoes and vinaigrette.  Gently toss to combine.

Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with pecans & pomegranate seeds.
 

Recipe Source:  Paleo Perfected  
Omit honey to make Whole30 compliant

Date & Pomegranate Chutney served with BBQ Lamb Loin Chops

Chutney Ingredients

½ c unsweetened pomegranate juice

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 shallot , peeled and thinly sliced into rings

1 t finely shredded orange peel

1/3 c chopped medjool dates

¼ t crushed red pepper

¼ c pomegranate arils

1 T olive oil

1 T chopped fresh Italian parsley

Lamb Chops :

8 Lamb loin or frenched lamb rib chops

For the chutney, in a small skillet combine pomegranate juice, lemon juice and shallot.  Bring to boiling, reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered for 2 mins.  Add orange peel, dates andcrused red pepper.  Let stand until cool, about 10 mins.  Stir in pomegranate arils, the 1 tablespoon olive oil and the parsley.  Set aside at room temperature until serving time.

For the chops: Cook on bbq to your desired preference. We don't season with anything other than a dash of salt & pepper. Top chops with chutney.

Courtesy of:  Paleo diet cookbook

Sunday Morning Fry Up: Hashed Veg with Eggs

love my veg and this is one dish that I make over and over again.... 

so easy if using packages of precut veg but if not, this is well worth the effort

3 - 4 T olive oil

5 parsnips, small, peeled & chopped (about 1.5 cups)

5 carrots, large, peeled & chopped (about 3 cups)

1 large onion, chopped

1 8oz pack of button mushrooms, quartered

2 t minced garlic

1 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t paprika

salt & pepper

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 425

Place all the vegetables in a bowl.  Add olive oil and toss.  Sprinkle spices one at a time, tossing before adding the next.

place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & pepper

Bake for approx. 30 - 40 mins,  tossing/turning at half way point

Make 4 indentations in the veg hash and break an egg into  each one.

return to oven  and bake for 5 - 10 mins more, until eggs are set but not firm (runny yolk the best)

Enjoy!

Pot Roast with Butternut Squash & dates

my favourite comfort crock pot dish is not picture perfect by any means but boy is it good! Can't say what I love more... meat or veg so I always add more!

½ c tomato paste

½ t salt

½ t pepper

2 lb boneless beef chuck roast

1 med butternut squash, about 1.5 lbs, cut into 1.5 inch cubes (1 pkg of precut works too)

2 medium onions, each cut into 6 wedges

1 cup beef broth

½ cup fresh orange juice

8 pitted dates, cut in half

2 bay leaves

In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Spread mixture all over the sides of the road.  Place in slow cooker.  Add the squash, onions, broth, orange juice, dates and bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3.5 to 4 hours.  Remove and discard the bay leaves Serve beef and vegetables with cooking juices and top with parsley if so desired.  

I serve with a sweet potato mash & fresh arugula salad greens.  

Courtesy of:  Whole30 slow cooker cookbook

Pan Seared Salmon in red curry sauce served over a bed of sauteed Bok Choy

The salmon is first coated with red curry paste and then quickly pan seared to create a crusty glaze.  It is then poached in a savory Thai red curry sauce – Impeccably moist and flaky entrée.  

Company worthy dish but easy enough to make any day

1 T coconut oil, melted, divided

1.5 t red curry paste, divided

4 – 6 oz salmon steaks with skin on

½ c coconut milk

1 t fish sauce

½ t fresh lime juice

½ t grated fresh ginger

½ t minced garlic

Directions:

Place 2 t of the oil, 1 t of the curry paste in a small bowl and stir well. Rub the paste on the top and sides of each salmon filet

Place the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Add the salmon, skin side up and pan sear for 3 mins.  Carefully flip the fillets over

Add the rest of the ingredients and the remaining ½ t curry paste to the skillet.  Poach the salmon in the liquid for 5 to 7 mintues, until the centre of each fillet just cracks and flakes.  Remove fillets and keep warm on a plate covered with foil

Simmer the sauce for 3 -5  mintues, until reduced by half and
Serve the fillets topped with red curry sauce.

Bok Choy

heat a large skillet over medium high heat for a minute to allow it to warm up. Add  coconut  oil to the pan and sauté the 6 baby bunches of bok choy over medium high heat for five minutes until it is lightly browned and softened. Add 2 large cloves garlic for the final minute of the sauté along with salt and a generous crack or two of black pepper.

adapted from:  Against All Grain, Danielle Walker

North African Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potato Noodles

I love anything with dates and this dish never fails to disappoint!   Chicken & sweet potato noodles cooked in tomato sauce  with dates & orange juice - Delish! 

1.25 – 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 ½  t paprika

1 t salt

¾ t cinnamon

2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 medium shallots, sliced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and spiralized

1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

½ c chopped pitted unsweetened dates

¼ c fresh orange juice

Sliced almonds, toasted

Place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic warp and use the flat side of a meat mallet to flatten to an even ½ inch thickness.  Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the paprika, salt and cinnamon.

Heat the olive oil in a an extra large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and shallots.  Cook, turning one, until the chicken is lightly browned but not cooked through.  About 2 to 4 mins.   Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm

Add the sweet potatoes noodles, tomatoes, dates, orange juice and shallots to the skillet and stir to combine.  Return the chicken to the pan and cook until no longer pink and the sweet potato noodles are tender.  About 6 to 8 mins.  Serve with sliced almonds and parley if so desired.  

Courtesy of:  Whole30  cookbook, Melissa Hartwig