Lasagna is a favorite around here even though it isn’t made often. Why? I’m not really sure, because it is really rather simple, even when making everything from scratch. This recipe has the perfect balance for me. Not too much sauce or cheese plus it holds together well when taken out of the pan.
6-8 hours before you are ready to make your lasagna prepare your dough. Mix the flour and whey add about 1/2 cup water and start mixing. Add more water as needed until a smooth but stiff dough is formed. Let sit 6-8 hours.
At least two hours before you plan to eat start rolling out the pasta to dry. (If you have pasta already made you will only need 1 hour)
Roll out pasta to the thickness of a dime cut into strips that are 2 inches by however long your pan is (in my case I make them 2 x 13 and 2 x 9 because I like to do one layer the long way and one layer the short way.) Let dry for about 1 hour.
While the pasta is drying get sauce and toppings ready.
To make your sauce place all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan and cook on low until it just starts to bubble. turn off heat and let sit until ready to use.
Cook the meat, add salt and pepper to taste.
Cut veggies.
(Start here if you already have your pasta made) 1 hour before you want to eat start putting everything together. Put a little sauce in the bottom of the pan to keep the first layer of pasta from sticking. Put one layer of pasta in pan add a 1/4 of the sauce and then 1/3 of the meat, mushrooms, peppers, and ricotta. Top with 1/4 of the of the mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of pasta, sauce, meat, mushrooms, peppers, ricotta, and cheese 2 time. By now the meat, mushrooms, peppers, and ricotta should be gone. Put on one more layer of pasta the last of the sauce and mozzarella, then top with Parmesan.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Take out and let cool for 5 - 10 minutes before cutting and eating.
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.
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.
Thin crepes are layered with crispy bacon, sauteed Crimini mushrooms, spinach and cheese and then baked to create a delectable casserole that is both pleasing to the eye and the tummy. My children do not like mushrooms and always balk at their spinach, but they happily ate (and asked for seconds) this casserole.
I made these with sourdough crepes from GNOWFGLINS eCourse, but you could use coconut flour crepes for grain free option.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch pie dish.
Cook the bacon until crispy over low heat to render out the fat. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
Pour out all but 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease and save for another use. While bacon is cooling, add onions to the bacon grease, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and saute until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes or until mushrooms have shrunk and are softened. Remove from heat.
Crumble the cooled bacon and add back into the pan. Stir in the chopped spinach. Taste and add additional sea salt if desired, but remember that you will be adding cheese into the layers so be careful not to over salt.
Place one crepe on the bottom of the dish and spread a heaping tablespoon or so of the mixture over the crepe. Then sprinkle cheese over that. Continue this layering until all crepes are used. Sprinkle the top with any remaining cheese.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm (obviously there will be a couple of wedge shaped pieces).
To freeze: Layer the casserole as directed into a freezer-safe, oven-safe glass storage container and place in freezer. Bake frozen casserole with a lid at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour. Remove lid 15 minutes before removing to brown the cheese on top if desired.
This curry can be served over veggies or rice depending on your preferences and dietary needs.
If you are using shredded beef for this recipe you will need to plan ahead and place a roast in your crock pot with salt and pepper on low heat approximately 8-10 hours before you will be making this dish. After this time shred the meat with two forks and it’s ready to use.
If you opt to use strip steaks (or other similar cut) then heat the tallow in a skillet over medium high heat. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and sear the meat in the hot fat until well browned on both sides (2-4 minutes). Work in batches to avoid crowding the beef. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and thinly slice.
After you have your meat prepped, cook the chopped onion in the fat until it becomes tender. Stir in minced ginger and cook an additional minute. Stir in the curry paste and fry for another 30-60 seconds. Mix in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping up and dissolving any brown flavor bits from the skillet. Stir in the coconut milk and the fish sauce.
Increase heat to medium high and return beef and any juices to the skillet. Stir to coat with sauce and simmer until tender and the sauce has reduced some, about 15 minutes. Mix in the zest of 1 lime, juice of two limes, green onions and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
These burgers can be served on buns and also stand alone as the main dish of a meal. My grandchildren love these.
Open the can of salmon and drain out 1/2 of the liquid it contains.
Pour the contents of the can into a medium-sized bowl.
Using a fork, mash the salmon thoroughly.
Add the egg, onion, and 1 Tbsp Calgin All Natural liquid smoke. Mix together well.
Begin adding the soft bread crumbs, stirring them in a little at a time. Depending on the bread you use, it will need more or less. You want to be able to easily form the mixture into patties to fry.
Form into 5 patties, pressed together well and set them aside on a plate.
In a cast iron skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons of lard on medium-low heat and spread to coat the bottom of the skillet.
Place the salmon patties in the skillet and turn the heat down a little.
Cook approximately 5 minutes on each side. They should be nicely browned on one side before you turn them over, using a metal spatula.
Remove from the skillet and serve. They also can be refrigerated and re-heated for later.
These burgers are good served on a bun with homemade ketchup. They also can be served without a bun… very good with some brown rice and stir-fried greens. If there are leftovers, you can break them into small pieces when cold and add them to a green salad! Another option is to form them into “meatballs” and cook them like that.
A note about the soft bread crumbs. I save the heels of my homemade bread when it gets a little stale. I tear them into pieces and process in a food processor until fine crumbs are formed. These are stored in a lidded glass jar in the freezer and are ready to use whenever I need them.
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.
A German classic! This is a slowcooked marinated beef has a sweet and sour taste. Enjoy with potato dumplings and braised cabbage.
Salt and pepper roast and place in a container or glass baking dish.
In a pot, add cider vinegar, water, lemon, onion, juniper berries, mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf and rapadura. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Poor cooled marinade over beef, cover with a lid and refrigerate. Turn meat in marinade every 8 hours for the next 2 days.
After marinating, warm olive oil in a cast-iron pan. Brown all sides of the roast and then place in a slow cooker. Lay bacon over roast. Pour marinade over roast and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Once roast is done make the gravy with the sweet roux. In a small pan, melt butter and rapadura until it starts to caramelize. Add flour to complete the roux. Turn heat up to high in the slow cooker and add roux. Whisk until well combined and starts to thicken. Slice or shred roast and serve with gravy.
Serve with potato dumplings and sweet and sour cabbage!
A great alternative to chicken nuggets, these chicken bites have a nice coconut flavor and are gluten free.
Cut the chicken breasts into large, bite sized pieces.
Combine the coconut flour, shredded coconut, salt and coconut sugar (if using) into a large plastic bag. Seal and shake until well combined.
Add the chicken pieces to the bag and shake until well coated.
Place the beaten eggs in a large plastic bag.
Add the chicken pieces and shake until well coated.
Add the chicken pieces back into the bag with the coconut flour mixture, and shake until well coated, pressing the shredded coconut into the chicken.
Using a large skillet, over medium-high heat melt enough coconut oil to cover the chicken at least half way.
Place each chicken piece into the hot oil in a single layer (do not crowd). Cook until golden brown on one side, turn over and cook until golden brown on the other side.
Drain on a paper towel.
I call this my “meat lovers” pizza. It is delicious and satisfying. The caramelized onions add a lovely sweetness to the savory meat toppings. It gets rave review wherever I serve it!
Prepare your pizza crust and sprinkle the pizza pan with corn meal (adds a pleasant crunch but is optional).
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. and bake the crust for 6 minutes on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Remove from oven. This step will prevent the crust from getting soggy.
Peel and dice the onions. Peel and mince the garlic.
In a cast iron skillet, melt together the butter and olive oil on medium/low heat. Add the vegetables.
Saute the onions and garlic, stirring often, until the onions are very tender and browning nicely. These will be “caramelized” onions.
Move the vegetables to the outside edges of the pan and add the ground beef. Chop it up and cook, stirring together with the onions, until it is all browned, but not crispy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drain the beef and vegetables well on paper towels.
Dice the bacon and fry it in the same pan until it is getting crispy. Drain well on paper towels.
Now it is time to assemble the pizza. The oven needs to be pre-heated at 475 degrees F.
Spread the sauce on the pre-baked crust to within 1 inch of the edge all around.
Distribute the meat toppings evenly all over the sauce.
Spread the shredded mozzarella all over the toppings.
Bake until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown a little. Start with 8 minutes in the oven and watch it carefully. Don’t let it bake until the cheese is brown all over… just until it begins to brown.
Remove from oven and cut into slices with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve!
This pizza may be assembled, carefully wrapped and frozen for later use. Allow to thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
Fettah (also spelled fattah or fatta), is meat – often lamb or beef – with rice and toasted pita bread. Fettah is one of my favorite feast recipes, though I have to admit it’s a bit carb-heavy. The flavor of the meat and broth with the rice and toasted pita is not only filling but also sublimely flavorful. Even though I wouldn’t advocate repetitious consumption of this on a weekly basis, I recommend it as a party-pleaser and a great filling meal for feasts and large gatherings. I’m making this for Orthodox Easter this weekend!
Soak the rice in enough water to cover, plus 1 tablespoon of whey, lemon juice or vinegar. Cover and let soak at least 8 hours.
Cook the lamb. Add 7 cups of water to a large pot on the stove. Add bay leaves, cardamom seeds, chopped onion, salt, and pepper. As soon as the water starts to boil, add the 3 lamb shanks, lower to medium heat, and cover pot. It takes the lamb 1-1.5 hours to fully cook. Use this time to prepare the other components.
Toast the pita bread. Cut up the 2 small loaves of pita bread into 1-inch pieces (you can use kitchen scissors or simply do it by hand) and place in a pyrex dish and drizzle with a bit of ghee. In a 250-degree oven, toast the pita bread for about 15-20 minutes, checking on it occasionally to make sure it is not burning. Remove and set aside.
Make the rice. Drain the soaking water off of the rice and rinse with filtered water. Once the lamb is at least halfway done, take out two cups of the lamb broth for making the rice. In a separate pot, add two cups of the broth to one cup of rice, stir, and turn heat to high. As soon as it starts to boil, immediately lower heat to low. Stir one or two times before turning off the heat after about 20 minutes.
Sauté the garlic and add vinegar. Peel and grind 6-7 cloves of garlic with a mortar and pestle or hand-held blender. Melt a teaspoon of butter (or you can use ghee) and sauté the crushed garlic for a few minutes until it starts to turn brown. Once brownish, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar and stir on medium heat for about a minute.
Cut up lamb. Remove cooked lamb meat from heat, and with knife, remove meat from all sides of the bone, and cut up into small pieces. Discard bones.
Flavor broth. Add broth to garlic and vinegar mixture and boil for a few minutes.
Add yogurt. Add 3 tablespoons of yogurt to the mixture and use food processor to blend well.
Mix it all up. In a pyrex dish, mix together cooked rice, cut up lamb meat, and toasted pita bread.
Add broth. Pour over the mixture slowly, making sure to cover each part of the dish.
Bake. Bake on 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
When served with sprouted grain pasta, this sauce offers a nutrient-dense alternative to jarred commercial pasta sauces. It freezes well, too, and children love it!
In a cast iron Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed large stainless steel pan, melt the lard and oil together on medium/low heat.
Add the diced onion and saute, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and garlic. Continue to stir and cook, chopping up the meat until the meat is all browned (not crispy!)
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper, soda and sweetener, stir well and bring to a boil.
Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
This will nicely top a pound of sprouted wheat pasta.