I created this recipe after working all day in the garden and needing an easy meal that was quick, healthy, and delicious. It’s a great way to use up a surplus of vegetables (either in your garden or fridge)! This is a super quick and satisfying meal that scored big in my home. It’s especially delicious with portabella mushrooms, too. *Note: if you use veggies that require a longer cooking time, simply add them at the beginning when you sauté the onion. For veggies that cook up softer, add them at the end. I serve this over soaked and steamed rice Enjoy!
Chop and brown onion and carrots in 2 T. butter with a pinch of sea salt. When onions turn translucent and carrots begin to soften, cover pan with a lid and let simmer while chopping up remainder of vegetables. This will allow carrots and onions to slightly brown. *Sautéing carrots with the onions allow them the extended cooking time needed.
Remove lid and add 1 T. Butter, chicken thighs, and ½ tsp Sea Salt. Sauté until chicken turns color and is just over half done.
Add the Soy Sauce, Lemon Juice and Honey. Stir. Add the peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes, and stir to coat them. Place lid back on pan and let cook an additional 3 minutes or so – until chicken is finished cooking. *Be careful not to overcook and make your broccoli or other veggies soggy!
Remove lid, stir, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Serve over bed of soaked steamed brown rice and enjoy!
A nice big thick cut bone in rib eye is grilled to prefection and stuffed with blue cheese. This giant steak will feed a family of four on a special occasion.
Heat the grill to 550-600 degrees F. You want a nice high temperature to sear the meat quickly.
Sear each side of the meat for 7-8 minutes (sear it a little longer if you want it cooked more than medium or a little less if you want your steak more raw)
Butterfly the steak by slicing the steak in half starting with the opposite end of the bone. Cut down the middle towards the bone. The steak should still be held together on the bone end.
Sear the inside of the steak for 5-6 minutes (cook the meat a little longer if you want your steak cooked more than medium or a little less if you want your steak more raw).
Cut perpendicular lines (cut against the grain of the steak) ¼” deep inside the butterflied portion of the steak. Stuff the blue cheese inside the incisions. Close the steak so the meat sandwiches the blue cheese in the middle.
Turn the temperature of the grill down to 325 degrees F.
Cook the meat for 4 minutes or until the cheese is almost melted. Do not let the cheese completely melt on the grill because the cheese will spill out.
Let the steak rest covered at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting.
Enjoy with corn of the cob, a glass of dry red wine, and a piece of crusty bread.
One of my favorite comfort foods growing up was chicken drizzled with ghee and roasted to a crispy perfection. This za’atar-pomegranate glaze adds a slightly tangy thyme-based flavor to it, making it simply delectable. Best of all, it’s a super simple glaze to add to your roasting routine!
Rinse and salt chicken: First rinse chicken thoroughly under running water, and apply salt generously to skin and rub in. Leave for 10 minutes and then rinse off the salt.
Add to pot with ingredients: I use my stainless steal strainer pot because it is deep, but you can use any pot that would fit the chicken and water without splashing everywhere while it’s boiling. Add filtered water, chicken, onion, mastic crystals, bay leaves, cardamom, salt and pepper.
Cook the chicken: Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes or so. During the first 20 minutes of cooking, remove foamy scum that rises to the top and discard. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the inside of the chicken has cooked and the internal temperature is over 165F.
Preheat the oven and prepare chicken: Preheat the oven to 375F on the broil setting. Meanwhile, take out the chicken from the broth and set on a baking pan. On one side of the chicken, evenly drizzle 1.5 tablespoons of ghee and 1.5 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses to cover as much of the exposed side as possible and evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of za’atar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper.
Roast in the oven: I prefer to roast the coated side first before flipping to add the glaze, so that it roasts evenly and the spices stay put when I flip the chicken. Roast one side for 10 minutes or so, then take out of the oven to glaze the other side. Flip the chicken, and repeat the same step as above with the same ingredients and measurements for the glaze. Place back in the oven to roast for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. I like to spoon some of the melted ghee that has settled on the bottom on top of the chicken before serving, hot, next to roasted vegetables or a creamy soup! Enjoy.
Editor’s Note: You can substitute oregano for za’atar in a pinch, but it is definitely NOT the same. Make pomegranate molasses by reducing pomegranate juice over medium heat until it’s a a thick syrup.
These will be the most tender and flavorful ribs that you have ever tasted. I always use homemade sauerkraut for this delicous recipe. The apple reduces the strong pungent taste of sauerkraut. I also add caraway seeds for an extra splash of flavor. This is one of my favorite meals growing up.
Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on high for 12 hours.
Low carb, Paleo-style Swedish meatballs with gravy and mashed cauliflower (the cauliflower recipe is on my blog). This recipe makes a large batch that can either be frozen or feed a large group.
In a large bowl combine meats, almond flour, almond milk, egg, spices, and onion. Mix with hands until ingredients are combined throughout. Take a glass of cold water dip your hand in the water (so meatballs won’t stick), and roll into small golf ball sized balls.
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs leave a small space between the meatballs so they don’t stick together, and gently brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Place them on a heated baking pan in a low oven to keep warm.
For the gravy, add 1 cup of broth to a medium skillet with, let it simmer for 5 minutes while scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spatula. Strain the gravy into a clean saucepan and add the remaining 1 cup of stock. In a small bowl, mix the flour with 1/8 cup of cold water until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into warm gravy, and let simmer, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until thickened slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut and almond milk and season with salt and pepper.
To serve, arrange the meatballs on a serving platter, pour hot gravy over them, and garnish with parsley.
Move over PB&J !!! Do you have a child who doesn’t “like” peanut butter and yet you wish you could include this economical staple in his diet? Here is the answer!
In a small bowl, combine roughly equal parts of Coconut butter, Peanut Butter and Honey. Using a fork, stir together well.
Spread on some Really Good Bread.
Enjoy!
You may, of course, alter the ratio of the 3 ingredients, adding more or less of any of them. Even though the Coconut Butter, on its own, is only mildly sweet, when you add a little honey, oh my goodness! It’s incredible!
I first heard of this dish many years ago, watching a PBS cooking television show. My father decide right then and there that we just had to try it. This then became a go to dinner in the Biasi household. And why wouldn’t it? Bacon, potatoes, cabbage fried in all that bacony goodness. Yep it is now my families’ favorite dish.
In a cast-iron skillet, render chopped bacon over medium heat.
In a separate pot, boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.
Drain and then mash by adding milk and butter.
While potatoes are boiling and bacon is rendering, slice cabbage.
Once bacon is golden brown and most of the rendering has been done, add cabbage and saute until tender. (The cabbage will squeak while cooking in the grease).
Then add potatoes to cabbage/bacon mixture. Toss until combined (the frying potatoes make a bubbling sound).
Serve immediately.
Delicious and spicy, this recipe lives up to its name…it’s very quick to assemble and cook. It’s great for a last minute main-dish because it has basic ingredients.
Brown ground beef and add salt, garlic powder, basil, chili powder and cilantro. In a 9×13 pan, layer bottom with torn pieces of tortilla. Sprinkle half of the ground beef over tortilla pieces. Layer with half of each of the beans, sour cream, cheese and hot sauce. Add another layer of tortillas and repeat. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Editor’s Note: If you don’t have already cooked beans, the night before you want to make this, soak 1 cup of beans in warm water with a tablespoon of lemon juice in them overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain soaking water and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and skim off any scum that rises to the top. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 2 hours. Proceed with the recipe above. I personally soak and cook huge batches of beans and freeze them so all I have to do is thaw them for use whenever I need them.
This recipe is based off of an old favorite of ours from The Rachel Ray show called “Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes.” It is so easy to make and has so much flavor! Best part - this version is grain free and GAPS legal!
Cut spaghetti squash in half, remove seeds, and place cut side down on a cookie sheet filled with an inch of water. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool (I like to do this early in the day before dinner). Place butter in a 9×13 pan and set in oven while it preheats to 400 degrees. When oven is preheated, remove the pan and add the tomatoes and garlic. Stir to coat with butter, then sprinkle salt on top. Roast until the tomatoes begin to burst (10-15 minutes). Remove from oven and carefully smash tomatoes with a fork. Gently fold in spaghetti squash (use a fork to scrape squash into spaghetti-like strings), basil, and cheese. Add salt as you go, to taste. If desired, top with additional cheese and set in the still-warm oven to melt.
When I first saw the title of this recipe on the Plan to Eat blog, I was very skeptical; “cheese” isn’t what comes to mind when I think “lentils.” However, it is delicious, and more in the Italian food vein than Indian. It’s a great base recipe to expand upon with your favorite ingredients. Mix and match veggies as you like, and try others, too! As always, organic foods are preferred but of course not required. It’s one-dish easy if you skip the saute, too. Can be dairy-free with cheese substitute.
Cover lentils with warm water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, vingar or whey. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 7 hours to break down anti-nutrients. Drain when ready to proceed with the recipe.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Optional Saute for deepened flavor:
In a medium skillet, heat the oil.
When a droplet of water spatters upon contact, add the onions and saute until translucent, stirring occasionally.
While the onion cooks, chop or slice the mushrooms.
When onions are soft and translucent, add the mushrooms and saute until slightly browned.
Add garlic and saute for one minute more, stirring to keep garlic from burning.
Remove from heat and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
You may begin here if you want a one-dish meal:
Combine lentils, onions, mushrooms, garlic, stock, seasoning, spices, and tomatoes in a large 9×13-inch baking dish
Cover tightly and bake 30 minutes
Uncover and stir in carrots, celery, and pepper if using
Bake, covered, for another 40 minutes, or until vegetables are fork-tender
Gently stir in parsley (if using) and lemon juice
Sprinkle cheese over top
Bake, uncovered, 5 or more minutes until cheese melts and browns nicely
Try serving with sweet potatoes (baked in the oven at the same time to conserve energy,) a green salad, sauteed kale, or other green veggie
Chicken nuggets. Simple. I wanted to try to make chicken nuggets for my son since he’s been asking for some.
Wash and put chicken breast into a food processor or blender until chicken is paste like in texture (I used a blender). Move to a medium mixing bowl and add 1 tbs salt and 1 tsp minced garlic. Mix thoroughly.
Measure out 2 tbs of chicken mixture at a time. When all of the chicken mixture is measured out, dampen hands and roll each in hands and flatten, like a patty.
Beat two eggs in a separate, small bowl. In another medium bowl, add fine crumbled, bread crumbs. Salt and pepper crumbs to taste.
Dip each patty in eggs, then put in bread crumb bowl and coat evenly.
I used an electric skillet set to 350 degrees, to fry the chicken. Add coconut oil, a thin layer will do. Grill chicken for two minutes on each side (4 minutes total).
Enjoy 🙂
Looking for a healthier alternative to chicken nuggets? Grab your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Pat chicken tenders dry.
In a bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour and flakes to create a mix.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dip into egg mixture, then coat with coconut mixture.
Bake 375*F for 20-25 minutes until crispy. May be turned half way through cooking, though not necessary.
Enjoy with ketchup or a homemade honey mustard sauce (1 part honey, 1 part mustard). Great for an instant dinner!
TO FREEZE: wrap prepared (but uncooked) chicken nuggets in plastic wrap. Store in a ziplock bag. Defrost and bake.