All posts tagged: recipe

Kale and Fennel Gratin Casserole

My husband hates kale.  Almost all kinds.  But he thought this was good. That should tell you this isn’t your average kale recipe!  I adapted this from my local organic farm CSA, and it was a hit at our house.  You can make it dairy free without the cheese, it just won’t be as thick.  Enjoy, it’s like a great spinach quiche sans crust. Fennel, Kale and Rice Gratin Gluten free, Low Carb, (can be dairy free, see below) Serves 4-6 click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE large bunch kale, stemmed and washed (you can use curly kale, like above OR lacinto kale, which looks more like a flat big leaf  spinach, either one works.  I like the flat one best) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 2 medium bulbs fennel, trimmed, quartered, cored and chopped (about 2 cups chopped) Freshly ground pepper to taste 2 large garlic cloves, minced ¼ cup chopped fresh dill  (or 1½ T dried dill) 4 eggs ½ cup coconut milk (the kind in …

Roasted Root Vegetables

Now that it is autumn, nothing is in season more than root vegetables.  They are a GREAT accompaniment to any meat/fish or poultry. Roasted Root Vegetables are easy to make, healthy to eat, and flexible, in that you can use almost any root vegetable.  Here’s how I make them, and people can’t believe they’re eating something so healthy! Take any favorite root vegetables: Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Turnips Parsnips Carrots Beets (if you do beets, keep them in a separate bag or you’ll have pink veggies!  LOL) add other favorites:  small halved Brussels sprouts, diced onion, rutabaga I use a chopper that makes small squares.  They are available online and most kitchen stores.  Here’s an example of one. I use the larger setting to make even sized squares.  I put them all in a ziploc bag with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Shake it up.  Thyme is another spice that works really well with these combos.  Use paprika or pepper if you want.  Add garlic.  There is no wrong way to season, use what you …

Wheat Free Snickerdoodles

It’s raining here today, as it usually does on Memorial Day weekend.  I decided to play around with a recipe that I had for wheat free snickerdoodles, one of my husband’s favorite cookies.  Success!  Here it is.  (These are higher in protein and lower in carbs, but they still have some carbs due to the maple syrup — those of you who want no carbs, you may know how to replace the maple syrup with sugar alternatives, but I haven’t tried that yet.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners. Makes approx. 2 dozen small cookies. Ingredients 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup arrowroot powder ½ teaspoon sea salt 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon 2½ cups ground blanched almond flour (it should be beige, blanched means no almond skin, I use Honeyville) 6 T shortening (I use Nutiva, a combination of palm, red palm and coconut, Spectrum is another brand) ½ cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I use Penzey’s double strength) cinnamon sugar for garnish (optional) …

Shallot Vinaigrette

I have resorted to making most of my salad dressings these last several years because salad dressings have lots of hidden SUGAR.  Just look at your favorite dressing, many have HFCS in them (high fructose corn syrup) and most are full of preservatives. Here’s an easy dressing that is worth the prep time (~15 min) and will last about a week in your frig. Everyone who has had it raves about it, so I think I’m on to something.  If, when you’re done it is too vinegary, just add a bit more oil or a teaspoon of honey. It is helpful to have a really good blender for this recipe.  You cannot create it without one. 2016 update:  I also want to add that this recipe can change VASTLY if you have huge shallot bulbs.  See my notes below.  A friend made this when I first posted it and it was awful, but her shallot bulbs were HUGE.  I use small shallot bulbs, the size of a garlic clove.  You can use the big ones, …

Artichoke Lemon Hummus

Eileen’s Artichoke Lemon Hummus I made this recipe up on the fly one summer day when I was having friends over.  Many hummus recipes are too thick and pasty for me, almost so thick you couldn’t dip with them.  I wanted something a bit more refreshing for the summer.  This has been such a hit with my kids I make it almost all the time instead of regular hummus. Makes 20+ portions.  You can easily cut this in half if you have a smaller family… or don’t want to eat hummus for every meal! 😉 Two 15 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained 1 cup tahini (sesame paste) ½ cup olive oil 1 lemon, juiced 4 cloves garlic 1 can drained artichoke hearts– NOT the kind in oil, the canned kind 1 pinch red pepper flakes or Aleppo Pepper sea salt ground black pepper Put all in food processor.  This is a recipe that the amounts aren’t crucial; add more garbanzos, less artichokes, whatever.  Add more ground red pepper flakes to make it spicier. …

Low Carb Meatloaf

My husband and I have been in a  ground beef rut.   Sick of making hamburgers (grass fed only), spaghetti sauce, tacos, and chili.  But Meatloaf had been off limits to us because of the fillers in it.  It often has bread crumbs and/or oatmeal, which have carbs.  So, here’s our version of meatloaf with a lower carb load.  Yes, it has some cheese, but one serving doesn’t amount to very much. Serves 4-6    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ingredients: 2 lbs. grass fed lean ground beef 2 whole eggs, beaten 2 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped up 1 cup tomato sauce, preferably organic – we used one with basil and garlic in it 3 T Wheat Free Tamari Sauce (or soy sauce if you can’t find Tamari) 4 cloves of garlic, minced ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 T onion powder 1 T dried parsley ground black pepper to taste Mix everything together in a bowl, using clean hands to combine it well.  Create a loaf shape in a 9 x 13 inch glass pan …