I am not a fan of beets! My family will attest to that. However, when they come in my CSA box, I have to eat them. In order to do that I find or create recipes that allow me to incorporate them into my diet. I adapted this recipe from a recent Food and Wine recipe, and it was heavenly! I love to top this with Brown Butter and Sage leaves, but any pasta sauce will do.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish with a lid, place beets and drizzle olive oil to coat.
Salt and pepper the beats.
Add 1/4 C filtered water to the baking dish, cover and bake for 1 hour, until the beets are tender.
Uncover dish and let beets cool completely.
Peel skin of beets and cut into 1-inch pieces, transfer to a food processor or blender to puree.
In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, combine 1 1/2 C of beet puree (reserve any remaining for another recipe), ricotta, egg, nutmeg, 3/4 C Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, and 1 T of salt.
Mix until ingredients are combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Sprinkle flour at low speed until dough comes together. You may not need all of the flour.
Scrape dough onto floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth and slightly sticky.
Place into a bowl and cover with a damp towel.
Let stand at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour.
Cut gnocchi dough into 10 pieces and roll each piece into 1/2 in. thick rope.
Cut ropes into 1/2 in thick pieces and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add 1/4 of the Gnocchi to the water and cook them until they rise to the surface.
Repeat this process until all the dough is finished.
Drain them and place them on a baking sheet that has been coated in olive oil.
To serve: Melt butter in a large skillet until the milk solids start to brown.
Toss in sage leaves and simmer until fragrant (med. low temperature).
Add Gnocchi to coat and serve with extra Parmigiano-Reggiano.
So after many many trials, this is now my basic vege korma to get the desired basic flavor and consistency that I like. From here you can experiment by adding bay leaves, paneer, cloves, cashews, cinnamon, and coriander to further develop the flavor.
In a large skillet, warm oil on medium heat and add your veges and raisins.
I usually add the garlic, ginger, and onions half way before adding the tomato. Stir occasionally.
When your veges are close to tender, add the tomato and let cook for another five minutes. Stir occasionally.
Mix in cumin, turmeric, and curry and let cook for a few minutes. Stir occasionally.
I mix the coconut milk and yogurt together and then stir it in. And cook for about 5-10 minutes longer. Stir occasionally.
Take it off the heat and mix in the cilantro.
Serve over a bed of rice and enjoy!
*My husband has been noticing a slight dirt taste in it and after tasting each vegetable individually I am pretty sure it is the potatoes. I have started skinning the potatoes and the dirt taste is no longer there.
Just like in the animated movie, this ratatouille is visually pleasing and has the flavor to back it up.
Slice the tomatoes in half. Lay them face down on a cookie sheet. Broil for 5-7 minutes until lightly blackened.
Stew tomatoes on the stove for 15 minutes to slightly reduce. Add the onion and garlic.
Let the tomatoes cool slightly. Blend the tomatoes until lightly pureed.
Preheat the oven to 375*. Slice the zucchini, squash and peppers on a mandoline (or slice thinly with a knife).
Pour the tomato puree into a 9×13 pan. Arrange the zucchini, squash and peppers in a circular pattern around the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. (sprinkle with cheese if you want)
Cover with parchment paper cut to fit the dish.
Bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove the parchment paper ten minutes before taking the dish out of the oven.
Lots of eggplant? Too many summer squash? Here is a quick and easy dish with a classic French twist. Slow cooked veggies with tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers makes a great side to any roasted meat or alone with a slice of crusty bread. Also, a great dish when you are on the go.
Place diced eggplant and zucchini in an colander and salt it. Let veggies drain for an hour. In a cast iron pan, saute bell pepper and onion. Place in a slow cooker. In same pan, saute egg plant and zucchini until golden brown. Place cooked veggies in slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, thyme, and rosemary. Season with salt an pepper to taste. Cook for 6 hours. Serve with roast beef, lamb, or alone with a crusty loaf of bread.
Grass-fed flank steaks are thin and best when marinated to make them extra tender. This particular recipe uses kombucha as the acidic medium that tenderizes the steak. The ginger and tamari are particularly enjoyed with flank steaks because their flavors can penetrate the meat all the way through.
In the morning, or at least 3 hours before you plan to cook the flank steak, combine the coconut oil, kombucha, tamari, honey, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. It helps to drizzle in the coconut oil while whisking to avoid clumping of the oil as it cools.
Place the flank steak in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the steak. Allow to marinate for at least 3 hours, but preferably 6, turning it occasionally.
Heat a barbecue on medium low or get coals ready and hot.
Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Grill 6 inches from hot coals, if using wood or charcoal. If using gas or propane barbecue, turn heat to medium-low. Grass-fed steak should be cooked at lower temperatures for longer. Cook the steak about 3-4 minutes on each side for rare, 5 minutes on each side for medium. Grass-fed steak is best enjoyed on the rarer side.
Carve the meat across the grain, into this diagonal slices.
Serve with your favorite stir-fried vegetables and soaked or sprouted brown rice.
This fun twist takes PB&J to a whole new level! Gluten-free, easy to prepare, with chocolately, gooey deliciousness in each bite!
(Editor’s Note: Probably shouldn’t make this one a regular lunch, but it would be fun to do for a special occasion or treat.)
Spread peanut butter on 1 slice of bread and top with banana slices. On the other piece, spread jelly and then sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Sandwich together, and then spread the butter on the outside of the sandwich (both sides). Heat a small cast-iron skillet, and grill sandwich until the outside is crunchy, with the chocolate and peanut butter hot and melted. Serve with a glass of cold, grass-fed milk!
Sweet and spicy soft gnocchi are engulfed in a creamy cheese sauce that will please the whole family. This dish does take some time to prepare, but it’s not difficult. We make it a family event and enjoy each other’s company while we’re preparing it.
Combine all of the ingredients for the gnocchi in a large bowl. The dough should be thick like play-doh. Add additional flour if necessary. Be careful not to overwork the dough as it will become too tough. Only stir until ingredients are pretty well combined. Cover and allow to sit on the counter overnight, or at least 8 hours.
Prepare the gnocchi to cook by putting on a large pot of water on to boil.
Divide the dough into 4 or so pieces. Lightly flour your work surface and roll each piece into a long log that is no more than 1/2 inch diameter. Dough should not be too sticky. If it is, add more flour to your work surface. Slice each log into pieces no more than 1/2 inch wide. Trust me here. These things grow. Keep them small for better mouth feel. My kids like to help roll them out and cut them. 🙂
If you’d like to, roll each piece with the back of a fork to create the classic gnocchi shape, but it’s not necessary and it’s very time consuming.
Working in small batches, drop gnocchi into salted boiling water. Gnocchi should sink to the bottom and then rise to float. Just because they are floating does not mean they are done though. They take about 3-4 minutes to cook. Remove finished gnocchi with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Continue with the rest of the gnocchi until done.
Make the sauce by heating a medium saucepan on medium heat. Melt the butter and add the arrowroot flour. Stir to combine. Slowly whisk in the cream and allow the mixture to thicken. Add the shredded havarti and stir constantly until melted into the sauce.
Remove from heat and pour over cooked gnocchi. Serve immediately.
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!
These chicken meatballs were delicious - also a great way to sneak veggies into your kids’ diets!
Preheat oven to 350°F
In a food processor or blender, pulse together the zucchini, carrots, parsley and garlic
Add almond flour, egg, and chicken
Then add salt, pepper and chili powder and process until thoroughly combined
Drop tablespoon sized balls of the chicken mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes
Serve!
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.
Traditional homemade falafel is a favorite dish in my Middle Eastern household. A yummy spin on a classic dish, this version includes sweet potatoes, and a bunch of green veggies, in addition to the typical chickpea flour. Perfect for days you’re in the mood for something vegetarian.
Soak chickpea flour overnight: Soak 1 cup of the chickpea flour in filtered water with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The flour will settle in the bottom by morning, and you can then strain out as much of the water so the flour is not watery.
Cook the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 375 F. Rinse 3 medium sweet potatoes, pierce them in a few places, and bake for 50 minutes to an hour until they’re done. When potatoes have cooled, peel them, throw away the skins, and mash the flesh.
Puree everything: In a food processor, add the following ingredients and puree till smooth: drained chickpea flour, mashed sweet potatoes, spinach, cilantro, parsley, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, baking soda, salt and pepper. Taste test a little bit to adjust the seasoning. Feel free to sneak in some more greens if you’d like.
Stick the mixture in the fridge: No need to transfer to another container if you can fit the blender container in your fridge. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or even overnight) until the mixture hardens and the flavors therein have been incorporated.
Toast the sesame seeds: In a small saucepan or skillet, add a few tablespoons of sesame seeds and stir for a few minutes on medium heat till toasted.
Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375F. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large baking sheet and spread to make sure entire surface is covered.
Add mixture in small patties to baking sheet: Using a spoon, scoop out a tablespoon of the mixture and add to the baking sheet. Flatten out with the back of the spoon, and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top. The mixture measurements above make about 25 2-inch patties. Feel free to split the mixture in half, and bake only 12 patties at a time. Refrigerate any unused mixture.
Bake the falafel patties: Bake for 15 minutes and then flip, sprinkle more toasted sesame seeds on top, and bake for another 10 minutes. The center should still be moist in the middle. Turn off the oven and leave in the oven until ready to serve.
Serve warm: These falafels taste best with tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, onions, or other vegetables. I served it with tahini sauce atop a big salad.
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