Category Archives: Gluten Free

Gluten Free Tourtiere – French Canadian Meat Pie – with Kale and Celery Root!

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French Canadian Meat Pie - Tourtiere (made gluten free and a little less carb heavy).

French Canadian Meat Pie – Tourtiere (made gluten free and a little less carb heavy).

I know we just finished Thanksgiving but bookmark this one for when Christmas rolls around in a few weeks! How many of you ate “meat pie” on Christmas Eve?

Can I just tell you that when I decided to stop eating flour on a regular basis the thing that made me waver on it the most was meat pie???? Not pizza, not cake, not sandwiches, but something I ate only once or twice a year.  I grew up in a household that ate French Canadian Tourtiere (also known as meat pie) every Christmas Eve after we came home from the 7pm Mass (and right before my sisters and I exchanged Christmas presents with each other).  My mother was the cook in our household and she passed away in 2001 so while a lot of our traditions have changed since, I’m always quick to hold on to whatever I can that reminds me of her.  Tourtiere was not one I was willing to give up.  Just the smell of it cooking in the kitchen reminds me of being a kid and all the fond memories that go with holidays around that. It’s kind of funny how hard I’ve held on to that, especially considering I didn’t even eat pork or beef from my early teenage years until just a few years ago – but that reminder of family times is still there.

Looks naked without a top crust, I know, but it tastes so similar to the one I had as a kid - and won't make me feel terrible later!

Looks naked without a top crust, I know, but it tastes so similar to the one I had as a kid – and won’t make me feel terrible later!

Earlier this fall, on a chilly evening, I realized I had all the ingredients on hand to make Tourtiere but I didn’t want to make it with wheat flour – knowing that if I did, I would feel bloated, constipated and have joint pain for the next 4-5 days afterward. I decided I’d make a crust of sorts with coconut flour and I also decided to lighten up the carb load by using celery root instead of potatoes. And being the weirdo I am, I added a few cups of chopped kale to it too.  Believe it or not, the kale blends right in with the strong spice flavors so don’t shy away if you are a meat pie fan and want to make it a little healthier. And the celery root is completely passable as potato!!

I went with just a crust on the bottom of this pie instead of the traditional top and bottom crust because in all honesty, I’m not the best “dough” person.  I’m not super experienced in working with coconut flour or any other gluten free flour (let’s be honest – dough of any flour type fears me) and while I felt confident that I could make a pat in pan type of crust for this, I wasn’t so sure I could roll it out on top of the pie.  I’m sure there is a way to do it but the first night I made it, it wasn’t going to happen.  The second night I made this I tried to roll it out but I don’t think I moistened the flour enough – it might have worked had I added a second egg or some extra liquid.  I’m sure there are bloggers out there who can come up with a much better pastry than me for this particular dish – a couple of google searches will probably take you to them.  BUT, I have to say, the pie holds it’s shape pretty well without the second crust and the flavors all mimic the original pretty well.

No, celery root is not potato, no coconut flour is not wheat flour, and no kale isn’t extra pork or pork fat . . . but with these substitutions this is a dish that tastes like Christmas Eve without making me feel heavy and lethargic afterwards.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Ingredients
filling
1 lb grass fed ground beef or
1/2 lb organic ground pork & 1/2 lb grass fed ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 large celery root / celeriac, peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
a pinch of ground allspice (or more)
1 head of kale, chopped finely (steamed if you like it very tender)
sea salt and black pepper

Crust (makes just one layer of crust)
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut flour
generous pinch of salt

Directions
Put beef/pork, onion, celery root, water and bay leaf in a pot and simmer covered, stirring occasionally (to break up the meat and celery root) for 40 minutes, remove cover and let simmer for another 10 or until water is cooked off. Mash gently with potato masher if celery root isn’t completely broken up. While meat mixture is cooking, make your crust (fyi- this is just a one crust pie – different than traditional tourtiere).

That crust looks pretty good huh?

That crust looks pretty good huh?

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt your coconut oil or use softened butter and mix into coconut flour.  Add 1 egg and a pinch of salt and mix until well combined. If it seems very dry you can add a tbsp of water but it should resemble a thick dough. Transfer the dough to a pie plate and press out into the plate using your hands.  You’ll need to press from the center and work out to the sides. Don’t be shy about pressing it firmly and working it up the plate – coconut oil firms up as it cools and the warmth from your hands will help it be more malleable.

Once you have it covering the pie plate, bake the crust for 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, stir in cinnamon, cloves, allspice and (raw or steamed) kale into the celery root and meat mixture. Season with salt and pepper.  Stir for a minute or two until kale wilts and then pour into the baked pie crust.  Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.  The longer you let it sit, the more firm it will be for serving. Serve with a tomato relish or ketchup (that’s how we ate it growing up!).

Note: Don’t be shy with this – the second time I made this I added mushrooms and dandelion greens instead of kale and it also blended in really well.  What swaps can you make in some of your childhood favorites that might be more nutritious?

Garlic Ginger Stir Fry with Chicken, Pak Choi, Red Cabbage & Japonica Rice

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Bright green, purple and orange means you're getting a wide variety of nutrients in your diet.

Bright green, purple and orange means you’re getting a wide variety of nutrients in your diet.

I know right now you are busy getting ready for Thanksgiving so the last thing you are thinking about is healthy dinners you can make – but I’m guessing, the week after Thanksgiving you may feel differently! Bookmark this page so when you can’t eat another tablespoon of gravy or cranberry sauce you have something lighter you can rely on. Also, today is the last day to register for the 1st round of the 12 Day Natural Detox starting December 1st, so click here if you want in!  Another round starts December 13th and you can register for that one until December 6th. Anyway, back to stir fry!

Do you find you avoid making stir fry ever because you feel like you need store a bought sauce to pull off anything tasty?  I used to feel that way too but I finally started playing around with making my own because – well #1 it’s better for you and #2 stir fry is such an easy meal, I want to be able to make it anytime I want! If you keep a few simple ingredients on hand (like tamari, fish sauce, sriracha, sesame oil, broth, ginger, garlic, sherry and rice vinegar) you can make some really delicious food very simply!  You may find you need to add a little brown sugar to make a sauce stand out if you’re used to sweet store bought sauce – and that’s ok – but I urge you to see what you can accomplish without sugar first.  Cook and taste it.  If it still needs sugar add a tiny sprinkle.  I left sugar out of this recipe because I don’t really feel like it needs it, but I think I’m accustomed to a lower sugar diet more than others are.  Adding sriracha or cooking sherry is another way you can brighten the flavors here.  Experiment!

This gets most of it’s flavor from the generous amount of garlic, ginger and fresh turmeric in it.  They add a spicy, earthy flavor and are so good for us!

I used black japonica rice here because I love it! It has a sweet nutty flavor to it and it takes the same amount of time to cook as brown or wild rice.  It’s nice to have some variety.  One of the great benefits of trying different things is the range of nutrients you can get in your diet that way.  Black japonica rice gets it rich color from a type of flavonoids called anthocyanins (red cabbage, cranberries and cherries do too!) which are known for providing many health benefits – they show promise for protection from atherosclerosis, inhibition of tumor cells and preventing inflammation.  How do make sure you’re getting enough anthocyanins and other antioxidants in your diet? By making sure you eat a rainbow of color every day. This stir fry is a vibrant green (pak choi), purple (rice and cabbage) and orange (turmeric) – making it an awesome option for someone trying to increase the amount of color in their diet.

Ingredients
1 lb organic chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite size pieces
2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled, finely diced or grated
2 inch chunk of fresh turmeric, washed, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp low sodium tamari
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp five spice powder
3 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
2 medium sized baby pak choi roughly chopped (bok choy works too)
1/2 large red cabbage, chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup black japonica rice, cooked

Makes 4 servings

chicken marinating and stir fried veggies.

chicken marinating and stir fried veggies.

Directions
Marinate the chicken in the tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, five spice powder, turmeric, ginger and garlic while you prepare your vegetables.  Heat a large wok or saute pan over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp coconut oil.  When the oil is melted and the pan is hot, saute the celery, onion, pak choi and red cabbage and saute for 3 – 4 minutes.  You may need to do this in batches so that the vegetables don’t steam – you want them to cook quickly and for a short period of time.   When the vegetables are slightly tender, remove them from the pan, place in a large bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.  Put the pan back on the burner and add the marinating chicken mixture.  Cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through and the sauce thickens a little.  Serve the black japonica rice topped with the vegetable mixture and then topped with the chicken mixture.

This doesn’t make a lot of sauce but I think you’ll find when you use fresh vegetables and fresh aromatic ingredients to cook with that you won’t need as much! Having extra tamari on hand is good for those who need a little extra flavor on their plate.  I also like to keep homemade sriracha on hand or buy a brand that doesn’t have a bunch of preservatives in it (whole foods has a few options) because I love the spicy stuff for meals like this!
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Toasted Millet with Mizuna, Kale and Sausage

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Not a pretty dish but really good! Looks aren't everything people!

Not a pretty dish but really good! Looks aren’t everything people!

You guys are going to think I eat sausage every day.  It seems like that sometimes because my favorite meals are the ones that include it! Haha! In all seriousness, we get quite a few pounds of organic sausage from well cared for pigs from our local CSA every season and since it cooks up fast and defrosts quickly, I sometimes use it up faster than I do the other meats we get out of sheer convenience.  Rest assured, I am not eating sausage 5 days a week, though John would tell you I would totally do it if it was possible and / or good for me.

While there is nothing mind blowing about this recipe (it contains only 6 ingredients-not counting salt and pepper), we really enjoyed it so I thought I’d share – especially because it’s so simple.  I’m constantly looking to remind clients (and everyone else in the world) that eating well doesn’t have to mean long laborious processes or a long list of expensive ingredients.  A few simple high quality ingredients are all you really need and truly doesn’t take much time or energy to prepare.

Oh, and if you can find mizuna at your local store or farm (I get it – we just received a lot of it this summer and fall so that’s why I’m using it in recipes), try arugula.  Mizuna is a tiny bit spicy (but not as spicy as arugula or mustard greens) and can be eaten raw or cooked.   Really, any green that cooks quickly can be used here.

This makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
1 lb spicy italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup uncooked millet*
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 big bunch mizuna, washed and roughly chopped*
2 cups kale or swiss chard, washed, ribs removed and chopped
sea salt & black pepper to taste

Directions
Start by toasting your millet.  Millet doesn’t have to be toasted to be eaten but it certainly tastes better when you do!  Spread 1 cup of uncooked millet in a large skillet and heat to low medium heat.  Gently “cook” the millet for 5 minutes or so (I feel like this depends on your stove top – if you have gas, this will take less time.  If you have a ridiculously slow glass electric top like me, you could be here for a bit!), shaking the pan or stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure all grains are gently toasted.  The color will turn slightly more golden and it might start to smell like popcorn.  This is when you want to take it off the heat.

Toasted and cooked millet

Toasted and cooked millet

To cook the millet, heat 2 cups of water in a medium sized pot, add the millet (careful not to burn yourself as I did this particular night – oops), a tiny pinch of salt and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the millet sit in the covered pot until you are ready to serve.

While the millet is cooking, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a large skillet (fine to use the one you toasted the millet in) and when it’s melted and the pan is hot, add the casing free sausage.  Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon as you go.  Once the sausage is cooked through, add in the diced red onion, mizuna and kale and cook until the onion is softened and fragrant (about 5-7 minutes).  Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and serve over the toasted millet.

That’s all there is to it!  I served it with a dollop of pesto on the side but it wasn’t necessary by any means (but pesto would be a great accompaniment if you felt you needed one because it goes great with everything).

*If you have hypothyroidism, skip the millet and use quinoa or another grain.  Millet has goitrogenic properties and while contains many valuable nutrients is not a good fit for those with thyroid issues.
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Coconut Curry Soup with Cod, Carrots & Zucchini

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Tastes way better than it looks. Someday I'll remember to take a pic before I've let it cook for too long!

Tastes way better than it looks. Someday I’ll remember to take a pic before I’ve let it cook for too long!

This meal was the result of a total “there’s nothing to eat in the house, what can we eat for dinner?” but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise (which let’s be honest, could have been a disaster).  It was filling and satisfying without being too heavy and the ginger & turmeric broth was great for a chilly night.  I was running pretty low on veggies (rare in this house), had a plantain that was going to be too ripe if I didn’t hurry up and use it and had some cod in the freezer.  I had coconut milk but no curry paste, no scallions, no cilantro etc.  I was half ready to pick up the phone to ask John to grab some takeout on his way home but I tasted it and it was actually pretty good.  I am not a fan of fish in soups . . .so this would not be my first choice of ingredients together. . . but I’m very grateful that random pantry & refrigerator cooking didn’t turn out disgusting!

The plantain does a great job of thickening the broth and adds a little sweetness that rounds out the flavors (especially since I didn’t have some of my usual curry staples on hand).  And it blends in pretty well – if someone didn’t tell you there was plantain in it, you’d probably have no idea.  If you don’t have access to plantains, you can try adding a grated potato or sweet potato instead.

And I hope it goes without saying, use the full fat coconut milk (not the lite stuff).  There is not much other fat in this meal (cod, veggies, spices) and the saturated fat in coconut milk and coconut oil are good ones to have in your diet.  Remember, keeping your blood sugar stable and cravings under control is really about having a balance of fat, protein and fiber in every meal and if you try to go very low fat you throw that balance off and you may find yourself digging in the cabinet for sweet treats not too long after dinner.  Fat = satisfaction.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, diced
5 medium carrots, peeled, sliced
1 large shallot, diced
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 can coconut milk (Look for BPA free brands like Arroy-D and Native Forest)
2 cups unsalted vegetable or chicken broth
1 inch chunk ginger, peeled, finely diced
1 inch chunk fresh turmeric root, peeled, finely diced
3 medium zucchini thickly, sliced
1 to 1 1/4 lbs wild cod fillets (or other white fish)
1 yellow plantain, peeled and grated or diced
big handful of fresh parsley or cilantro
sea salt and black pepper to taste
optional: a big squeeze of fresh lime juice
optional: cayenne or red curry paste for heat

Directions
Heat the coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  When hot, saute the onion, shallots and carrots for 3 – 4 minutes, then add the curry powder, cardamom and smoked paprika and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the coconut milk, broth, ginger, turmeric and plantain to the pan and bring to a boil.  Add the cod and zucchini, submerge, cover and bring back to a boil and reduce to a low simmer.
curry1
Cook for another 7-9 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.  Stir in the parsley or cilantro, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lime juice and serve.

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Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel, Delicata Squash and Tomatoes

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thighs3I’m turning in to a squash lady.  I’ve had more squash this fall than ever before, probably because our CSA at Middle Branch Farm gave us many varieties this year (blue hubbard, red kuri, butternut, acorn, buttercup etc).  Oh and I’ve fallen in love with kabocha squash – I could eat it daily.  So here’s yet another recipe with squash in it! Tis the season and this girl likes to eat in season when she can.

Anyhow, I feel like this isn’t really a recipe since it’s a typical type of meal for us – random vegetables and protein roasted together in one pan. Boom.  Dinner is done.  But this one was pretty tasty (thanks to flavorful fennel, garlic and the richness of chicken thighs) so I wanted to share it, again as an example of how eating whole foods and avoiding processed food doesn’t have to be incredibly difficult.  To show you that you CAN do this. This was so delicious that I ate leftovers of it for breakfast the next morning.  Yeah, eating whole foods regularly makes you opt for non-traditional breakfasty foods on a pretty regular basis.  I don’t question it, I just eat!

I actually had never had delicata squash before but I saw organic ones at the store this week and decided to buy them since you can eat the skin (yay for not cutting my fingers off!) and they’re easier to cut than other squashes.  The flavor is similar to butternut and the skin texture is similar to a thick summer squash.  You can use chicken breasts or tenders in this instead of chicken thighs but they will definitely be drier than chicken thighs.  Thighs have more fat in them (but it’s not necessarily a bad thing – they’re higher in omega 3s than lean chicken) and it keeps them tender through even long cooking time.

And as with many of the recipes you will find on this blog – don’t feel like you have to stick to the ingredient list exactly! Sub one squash for another, if you don’t have fennel, try something flavorful or crunchy like celeriac or jicama (or whatever else you like). Veggies are our friends and if you are willing to experiment you may find a new love!

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients
1.5 lbs organic boneless skinless chicken thighs (4-6 thighs)
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 small delicata squash, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed, sliced in 1 inch half moons
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 medium beet, peeled, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 fennel bulb, fronds removed, sliced into 1 inch chunks
1 bell pepper, sliced into large chunks (let’s say 8-10 pieces)
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 an onion, peeled
1 – 2 tsp dried thyme leaves
sea salt and black pepper

Put it on a big sheet pan. It's ok if they're a little crowded!

Put it on a big sheet pan. It’s ok if they’re a little crowded!

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prep all your vegetables (tip: save the fennel fronds and freeze to add to homemade broth later!) and lay them on a cookie sheet with the chicken thighs.  No need to trim the fat if organic (unless they are overly fatty or not organic).  The fat will add a lot of flavor to this dish.  Pour the melted coconut oil over the vegetables and chicken and quickly toss with your hands to coat.  Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. It’s like a bowl of warm, earthy fall goodness!

Serve with a side of cooked or raw greens!

Yummy fall dinner!

Yummy fall dinner!

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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

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So good, you'll want to make more than one at a time!

So good, you’ll want to make more than one at a time!

I know pumpkin season is winding down so I’m a little late with this (but hey, girl has been busy).  Sometimes you want something that tastes like it’s bad for you, but isn’t.  This smoothie will hit that spot. The best part is that it’s dairy free, gluten free and there’s no added sugar or chemicals in it.

For once, I resisted the urge to put 10 cups of vegetables in my blender to make a nutritious snack.  It was difficult. I found my hand reaching for the refrigerator door to grab some greens! But I resisted! Sometimes I forget that there are foods that are good for you that aren’t vegetables. Haha.

This smoothie is absolutely delicious! And you can enjoy it guilt free.  No pumpkin flavored bullcrap chemicals – we’re using real pumpkin here so you can get a huge dose of vitamin A and fiber.  Real spices (did you know that cloves have one of the highest polyphenol content of any food or spice?  Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant) and fresh ginger (great for belly discomfort and a potent anti-inflammatory). The only sweetener in it is banana.  It’s a decent source of potassium and iron too!

I like to drink it warm but it’s delicious cold too!

Makes 1 (about 12 oz) serving

Ingredients
1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree
1/4 cup organic coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 banana
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 inch chunk of fresh ginger root
optional: 1 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
optional: sprinkle of sea salt

pumpkinsmoothieDirections
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined.  You can drink this smoothie cold or hot.  I like to let the blender run for another minute or two until the smoothie is warm.  There’s only a few grams of protein in this one, so feel free to add a few more tbsp of pumpkin seeds to give this more staying power (make it a meal).  You also can omit the seeds entirely if you don’t like them or don’t have any on hand – it will still taste fine without them.

Serve immediately or someone else will drink it on you.

Warm Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Bacon and Cider Honey Dressing

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Bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon!

Bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon!

Who said you can’t eat salads in colder weather? This warm spinach salad is exactly what you need to eat when you want to eat a salad but it’s also cold enough to put the heat on.

Back in the day when I was a bar hopping mad woman living in Portsmouth, my friends and I spent most Sunday’s at Molly Malones for several hours of brunch and cocktails. They had this great warm spinach salad with hard boiled eggs and mushrooms and at the time (many years ago), I had never had anything like it.  A warm salad? That’s crazy talk! Well, since then, I’ve seen and had many versions of that same salad at other restaurants and often make it at home.  It’s so delicious you forget that you’re eating a salad! I’m sure there are hundreds of versions of this salad on the internet but this is how I do it when I’m in the mood for a salad from a restaurant that no longer exists.  So good and super filling! This is a salad that will keep you going and it’s an awesome way to sneak in veggies for people who don’t like them (because bacon)!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
7 to 9 oz container of Organic Baby Spinach
4 Hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
16 oz white button or portobello mushrooms, sliced
8 oz Nitrite Free Bacon (organic if you can get it), cooked & chopped
1 large vidalia or red onion, cut in half, then sliced thinly
1 tbsp coconut oil, pastured butter or olive oil
optional: 1 bunch lightly steamed broccoli (I like to toss in extra veggies!)

Dressing
3 tbsp honey
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 large shallot, finely minced (or 2 tbsp of onion)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
(you can add  thickener like corn starch at the end of the cooking process if you want but it’s unnecessary – if concerned about gluten free eating, double check the brand you use.)

Directions
Cook your mushrooms and sliced onions in a tbsp of coconut oil or butter until onions are soft and mushrooms browned.  Season them with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the mushrooms and onions from the pan and make the dressing by adding the minced shallot, honey and cider vinegar to the same pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is soft and some of the liquid reduces, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour the mixture (carefully) into a small bowl and whisk in the dijon mustard until well blended, then whisk in the olive oil slowly until everything is well combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the spinach, mushrooms, onions, broccoli if using, hard boiled eggs, and bacon among 4 plates.  Top with a little of the warm dressing and serve immediately (then wish you had made enough for seconds!).
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No Bean Turkey & Kuri Squash Chili

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Looks kinda gross but tastes good!

Looks kinda gross but tastes good!

Chili. I love it, don’t you? Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t love beans and he can’t tolerate really spicy food anymore so I don’t make it too often these days. But I do often modify old favorites into something we both can enjoy. I also love to cook using whatever I just happen to have on hand (which is something you just have to get used to when you take part in a CSA).  I don’t want to have to run to the store for a single ingredient or two (have I told you how we’re a good 20 minutes from the nearest full service grocery store?) so being comfortable with substituting ingredients is really important.

Last week I desperately wanted a warm bowl of chili but I didn’t have bell peppers, corn, cilantro or anything else chili like on hand, but I did have kale, kuri squash (which I’ve never had before) and parsnips so I decided to roll with it and make a chili anyhow.  It worked! The texture of the squash and parsnips blended in really well with the turkey (a great fill in for my bean cravings) and the kale was completely unnoticeable texture-wise. Using squash, kale and parsnips also gave this chili a nice earthy flavor that I think is a nice change from most chilis.

Red Kuri squash - it's thin skinned (edible actually) and to me tastes like a cross between butternut and kabocha. Buttery texture!

Red Kuri squash – it’s thin skinned (edible actually) and to me tastes like a cross between butternut and kabocha. Buttery texture!

This doesn’t really need to be topped with anything – I think it’s flavorful enough to stand on it’s own but if you enjoy topping chili with other things then I think sliced avocado, sliced scallions and my dairy free sour cream would work awesomely.  Feel free to swap out the ground turkey for ground beef or beans or whatever other protein you like.

Don’t let the need for specific recipes hold you back from experimenting in the kitchen.  If you have a couple of techniques down, you can experiment confidently.  Use your intuition. If you have a palate and preferences, you’ll know what you will like.  Cooking healthy on a regular basis becomes a lot easier when you release some of the rules that complicate our lives.  And if something doesn’t turn out so tasty? So what? It’s just one meal.  On to the next!

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
20 oz ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
3 cups of sliced kale
1 kuri squash*  (see note below about prep)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
2 15 oz cans organic fire roasted diced tomatoes
sea salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or 1 tbsp diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Directions
Heat a 4 qt sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil.  When the pan is hot, add the ground turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is no longer pink.  Add in the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes.  Add in the parsnips, kale, chopped squash, cumin, chili powder, cacao powder, oregano, garlic powder and fire roasted diced tomatoes (and cayenne or chipotle in adobo if using).  Bring to a low simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes (covered) or until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.  Season with sea salt and pepper and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve as is or top with avocado, cilantro & scallions.

*Note: You have two options for preparing the kuri squash for this recipe.  My personal preference is #2 as (I’ve said this before on this blog) I don’t like cutting into really hard squash.  I’m rather accident prone and I just know I’ll lose a finger one of these days if I try! #2 obviously takes a little longer than #1 so just keep that in mind.

1) Cut in half, scoop out the seeds/membrane and then chop the flesh into 1 inch chunks (you can keep the skin on – it’s edible).

2) Roast the entire squash in a 350 degree oven until soft enough to cut in half easily, about 30 minutes.  Let cool briefly, cut in half, peel, scoop out seeds/membrane and then chop into 1 inch chunks.

Easy Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

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Simple Roasted chicken with root vegetables.

Simple Roasted chicken with root vegetables.

One of my favorite cold weather go-to dinners is a whole roasted chicken.  You just need a couple of minutes to get it ready for the oven and then you can sit back and relax while it cooks!  Cook it with some veggies all in the same pan and all you’ll have to do when it comes out of the oven is slice it without burning yourself! Plus, if you use an organic, pasture-raised (and hopefully local) bird, you can also save the carcass to make homemade chicken broth afterwards. Probably the best thing ever for keeping us healthy in the winter!

I used to be really intimidated by cooking whole chickens (or any other roast).  All the recipes I’d see on TV or online all seemed so complicated.  They all had me believing you had to truss it up with kitchen twine, stuff it or don’t stuff it, put herbs under the skin and aromatics in the cavity, and rub various fats and seasonings on the skin.  Jeez! Can’t I just cook the darn thing?? It seemed like way too many ways for things to go wrong and too many steps that may not matter all that much in the end result.

This is a simple recipe.  No fuss. No truss!!  Does trussing and all that junk make for a more flavorful or tender bird? Probably. But I’ve never had anyone turn up their nose or say that the meat from my bird was too dry or that it was not flavorful.  There are some things in life I can’t be bothered with and tying up a dead bird before I cook it’s carcass for an hour and half is one of them.  It’s not like it’s going to try to escape. Maybe for a special occasion you want to go the extra mile and make a fancy bird, but some of us just want to get dinner on the table on a Wednesday night without wrestling with poultry.

Cook it with some veggies all in the same pan and all you’ll have to do when it comes out of the oven is slice it without burning yourself! Plus, if you use an organic, pasture-raised (and hopefully local) bird, you can also save the carcass to make homemade chicken broth afterwards. Probably the best thing ever for keeping us healthy in the winter!

This recipe takes 90 minutes to cook.  I realize that is an asinine amount of time to make dinner for the average day of the week so there are a few options for this:
1. Make it on the weekend.
2. Make it AFTER dinner one night and eat it the next evening. It reheats beautifully.
3. Chop the veggies & prepare the chicken etc the night before, store in the fridge and pop in the oven as soon as you get home.  It’s hands free for 90 minutes so you can get lots of other things done, like your work out, laundry or helping kids out with homework.

Feel free to swap out these particular root veggies for other winter vegetables that you may have on hand or prefer.  Parsnips, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and winter squashes all work well too!

This makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
5 lb whole organic chicken, giblets removed
optional: 1 head of garlic, top sliced off (to expose cloves)
2 medium beets, peeled, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 onion, peeled, cut in half and each half cut into thirds
2 large carrots, peeled, sliced into 2 inch lengths
1 turnip or rutabaga, peeled, cut into 2 inch or so chunks
1.5 cups roughly chopped dandelion greens, tatsoi, mizuna or baby spinach
1 tbsps olive oil, melted coconut oil or pasture butter
sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the beets, potatoes, onion, carrots and turnip/rutabaga with the olive oil or coconut oil in a large roasting pan (if you care about presentation, you may want to toss the beets separately as they will coat everything red!).  The pan needs to be large enough to accommodate both a 5lb bird and all the vegetables at the same time.  I use one that is large enough for roasting a 20 lb turkey.  Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper on the vegetables.

Salt and pepper the inside cavity of the bird and if using the garlic, insert inside.  The garlic will add some flavor to the veggies and to the chicken but not so much that it’s absolutely necessary.  It WILL make your house smell amazing and make you hungry. Just a warning.

Make a bit of a well in the center of the roasting pan by moving the veggies towards the sides of the pan and insert the chicken in to the well. Liberally salt the skin of the bird (especially if you plan to eat it).  There is no need to add oil or butter to the skin (for this recipe anyway!).

Cook the chicken and vegetables for 90 minutes or until the juices in the thigh run clear when you insert a knife into the thickest part of the thigh.  Normally, I don’t need to do anything at all while this meal cooks (except maybe enjoy a glass of wine) but once in awhile you get a bird that doesn’t seem to release much liquid.  If that happens, you’ll start to smell burning (usually from the most sugary of veggies in your roast).  To fix that, give the veggies a gentle stir and add a few tablespoons of water or stock to the pan and continue cooking as normal.  A little browning adds delicious flavor – no one wants burnt vegetables though.

Going back to inserting a knife into a thigh to see if juices run clear . . .if you are wary of this as a gage of “doneness”, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh for a reading of 160 degrees.  Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting.  The temperature gage will continue to rise and letting the bird sit before cutting will help it to retain juices.

After 15 minutes, remove the bird from the pan and carve for serving.  Stir the greens (mizuna, tatsoi, baby spinach etc) into the roasted root vegetables (in all the delicious chicken juices, fat and gelatin – don’t be grossed out, that’s good stuff!). They will wilt somewhat but should remain vibrantly green. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve the chicken and veggies with a dollop of dijon mustard on the side for the chicken (at least that’s how I like it lately!).

Lemon, Asparagus & Spinach Risotto (Cheese Free)

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Creamy cheese-free risotto!

Creamy cheese-free risotto!

I love risotto. I remember being so intimidated by it when I first learned to cook.  Having to stand in front of a stove stirring constantly for 30 minutes just seemed like too much of an opportunity for my ADD to screw it up but I eventually gave it shot and it really wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be.  The key is maintaining a constant temp (not too high, not too low) and stirring relatively regularly while it absorbs the liquid (but not constantly).  I’ve made a lot of different risottos over the years and most of them were drowning in parmesan reggiano, mascarpone or pecorino in addition to whatever other deliciousness (pancetta! butternut squash! fried sage!) I put in there.  I wanted to make it a little less of an indulgence and more of a regular day meal so I made a few tweaks to the traditional recipes I’ve made.  This one has no cheese, I’ve swapped out some of the arborio rice for brown rice, and I’ve included a couple servings of veggies but make no doubt about it – this is still a delicious and indulgent tasting dish!

Risotto is usually made with a high starch rice like Arborio, because the starch content lends itself to creaminess when cooked slowly with liquid.  But the problem with most rice that is right for risotto is that they are stripped of the whole grain (otherwise making risotto would take hours!) and when you eat them they can spike your blood sugar just like white rice.  No bueno.  To counter that (a little), I decided to use 1/2 arborio and 1/2 brown rice for this batch. It makes a difference!

Note about substitutions: This can easily be made vegan by opting for vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth and using coconut oil or olive oil in place of the butter (though I would opt for extra virgin olive oil for the 2 tbsp of butter stirred in at the end – more flavor!).  This can also easily be alcohol free.  The wine is just for flavor.  You can omit it and add in a little extra lemon juice at the end or a dash of your favorite vinegar to brighten the flavor.

This makes 6 side dish servings or 4 main course servings (though I would add protein to serve this as a main dish).

Lemon zest.

Lemon zest.

Ingredients
3/4 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup brown, wild or japonica rice (any whole grain rice of your choosing!)
5 – 6 cups low sodium organic chicken broth
1 onion, diced
3 tbsp unsalted pasture butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup white wine (I’ve even used vermouth in a pinch)
1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off, then stalks cut into 1 inch pieces
2 -3 cups baby spinach
1 – 2 organic lemons, zested and juice reserved
dried or fresh parsley – your call as to how much (I love it so I use a lot!).
sea salt & black pepper

Directions
You’ll need 3 sauce pans or dutch ovens for this recipe. I honestly believe (now) that risotto isn’t that complicated but I do recommend reading through the entire recipe before starting so that you have an idea of what is coming next while you are cooking.

Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and turn heat to medium-low. In another saucepan or dutch oven, begin cooking your brown or wild rice according to the package directions (or if you’re me, just pour a few cups of water in a pan, boil and add rice).  You will only cook the whole grain rice for half it’s normal cooking time (so if it requires 45 minutes to cook, you will cook it for 22-23 minutes.  When you’ve cooked the wild rice for the allotted time, drain if necessary.

In another saucepan, (while the whole grain rice cooks), melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until it softens. Add the arborio rice and stir well to coat the rice with the pan liquids. When it’s well coated add the wine to the pan. Stir and let it cook until it’s mostly absorbed. Once the wine is mostly absorbed, add a small ladle of hot stock to the rice and stir. It should be absorbed into the rice in about 2 minutes. Continue adding small ladles full of stock to the rice, one at a time, stirring occasionally and allowing it to completely absorb into the rice before adding another.

Do this until the stock is gone (20 – 25 minutes). Note: You may have to turn your heat up or down a little to make the liquid absorb at the right speed.  Add in the whole grain rice when it’s cooked at it’s halfway mark – usually after the first couple of ladles of stock have been added to the risotto so that the arborio and whole grain rice finish cooking together.

Co

Coating the arborio rice with pan liquids.

When you are on your last ladle or two of chicken stock, add in the asparagus and allow it to “cook” with the rice.  One the liquid is absorbed, turn the heat down, add in your lemon juice, lemon zest, baby spinach, parsley, salt and black pepper.  Stir until the spinach wilts and then stir in the remaining 2 tbsps of butter. Taste to adjust seasoning if needed and serve!

This is a great base for risotto – meaning you can change this really easily by adding herbs, or by swapping out the vegetables for different ones.  You can skip lemon juice & zest and see if you like a less tangy flavor! So many options.  Enjoy!

Wilting the spinach at the end of cooking.

Wilting the spinach at the end of cooking.

I like to add sliced smoked sausage or pan seared wild sea scallops to mine. Yum!

I like to add sliced smoked sausage or pan seared wild sea scallops to mine. Yum!