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.
Warm and comforting, this Stroganoff dish made with pastured beef is great. Slowcooked beef in a rich sour cream gravy fills you up. I like to serve it with sourdough whole wheat noodles.
Heat a cast iron skillet, add olive oil. Brown beef in pan, you may have to do this in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Salt and pepper to taste.
Remove beef and place in a slowcooker. In the same pan add onion, garlic, and mushrooms and saute until tender, add to slow cooker. Add paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
Pour 1 C. stock into cast iron skillet to deglaze pan. Pour drippings and remaining stock over beef and mushroom mixture.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Right before serving, turn slowcooker up to high. Mix sour cream and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Whisk in cornstarch mixture to thicken the gravy.
Serve over your choice of noodles or rice.
Editor’s Note: Try making your own pasta with Old-Fashioned Soaked Noodles recipe.
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
These are pretty simple to throw together, yet taste delicious, especially dipped in extra barbecue sauce!
Prepare pizza dough and let sour according to directions. When ready to bake, separate dough into 8 balls and roll each one into a 6″ circle. Spread bottom half of each circle with at least 1 T. each of barbecue sauce, chicken, pineapple, and bacon. Top with 1/4 or more shredded cheese, and then fold top half over, folding up edges to seal. Prick with a fork and bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with extra barbecue sauce and a big salad!
Baked kibbeh - it is literally the meatloaf of the Middle East. The details — caramelized onions, cardamom powder, ghee, toasted pine nuts — make this meat-and-bulgur version satisfyingly savory and delightful!
Soak bulgur and pine nuts: The night before, rinse the bulgur and soak in warm filtered water with a tablespoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or liquid whey. Rinse the pine nuts as well, and soak in a separate dish with salted filtered water. Cover both, and leave to soak overnight.
Toast the pine nuts: Preheat oven to 350 F. Drain the pine nuts from the soaking water, spread on a baking sheet, and place in the oven for pine nuts to dehydrate and start to toast, stirring a couple of times throughout, 5 to 10 minutes.
Prepare the cooked filling: Dice the onion and sauté in 2 tablespoons of ghee or butter until fragrant and a translucent golden color. Add the 1/2 pound of ground beef or lamb, break up the lumps into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and stir on medium heat until cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and stir well. Turn off heat, add toasted pine nuts to the meat mixture (reserving about two tablespoons of toasted pine nuts for adding to the top of the kibbeh), and mix. Set cooked filling aside while you prepare the raw meat-and-bulgur mixture.
Prepare the meat-and-bulgur mixture: Drain bulgur from soaking water in a fine-mesh sieve, making sure to squeeze well to remove any excess water. Put the bulgur in a bowl, and add to it 1 pound of ground beef or ground lamb (make sure you use the same type of meat you used in the filling). Add 2 heaping teaspoons ground cardamom, 1 teaspoon unrefined salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and mix really well, either by hand, with a wooden meat tenderizer, or in a food processor (easiest). Make sure all the ingredients in this step are so well integrated that you cannot tell one apart from the rest. Half the mixture and set aside.
Assemble kibbeh: Grease a 10-inch square baking pan or skillet with a little bit of ghee or butter, and evenly press half of the raw meat-and-bulgur mixture to the pan, with the sides curving up just a little bit. Add cooked filling evenly on top. Finally, with wet hands, scoop the second half of the raw meat-and-bulgur mixture, and bit by bit, add the mixture on top of the cooked filling, patting down each piece, connecting them and smoothing it over.
Cut and bake kibbeh: Once the kibbeh is assembled evenly, use a sharp knife to cut the pie in a cross-hatch pattern. Melt 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee or butter and evenly drizzle on the top of the kibbeh. In each diamond-shaped kibbeh piece, add a toasted pine nut or two for garnish. Bake at 375 F in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until fully cooked. You may wish to broil the top for a couple of minutes at the end for added golden color and crispy texture.
Serve warm with yogurt: Let stand for a few minutes, then serve warm with a dollop of plain, creamy yogurt alongside.
An easy, frugal, filling dinner with plenty for leftovers the next day. It’s adapted from a recipe a friend gave me for “Meatless Sloppy Joes,” but my family didn’t like it because it didn’t taste like “real” Sloppy Joes. So I tweaked it and presented it as “Saucy Lentils,” and now it’s a family favorite.
Soak lentils in warm water with 2 T. whey, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice for 8 hours or over night. Drain and rinse.
Place 3 cups of water, lentils, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, molasses, apple cider vinegar and spices in slow cooker and stir to combine.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours on high until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the lentils are cooked and the mixture is still too runny for your preference, you can add more tomato paste or take the lid off and let it cook until it reaches the desired consistency.
Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or biscuits, topped with melted cheese.
I love liver - there’s no way around that fact! Try this delicious recipe for calf’s liver (pastured, please) with a thickened honey-flavored vinegary sauce.
Prepare the liver: Thaw the liver if previously frozen by placing on a plate outside of the fridge for a couple of hours. Rinse the livers under running water, and dab them with damp kitchen paper to remove excess water. Then, season both sides with a little unrefined salt and pepper, and dust the slices lightly with flour, shaking off any excess. Place the the floured slices on a board.
Melt the butter and ghee: In a cast iron frying pan, melt a tablespoon of the butter with two tablespoons of ghee over medium heat and swirl the pan to mix together and to make sure the surface is coated.
Saute liver: Add the liver slices to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until browned on one side, then turn and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Once the outside is browned and the inside doesn’t release blood if sliced with a knife, then the liver is done. Be sure not to overcook as liver easily loses its tenderness when overcooked. Transfer to heated plates, cover with foil, and keep warm.
Make the honey sauce: In the pan, add the 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and stir in them 3 tablespoons of chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of honey. Boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, and then add the remaining (tablespoon) butter. Stir until melted and smooth. Place the slices on a serving plate, spoon the liquid over the liver slices, garnish with parsley, and serve warm.
A flaky, biscuit crust topped with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, and cheese. It’s one of our family’s favorite “breakfast for dinner” meals. It’s also a fun change from regular homemade pizza!
Roll out the biscuit dough on a pizza pan or baking stone all the way to the edges. Put in the oven and bake for 8 minutes at 450 F.
While the crust is baking, crumble and cook sausage in a skillet. Add butter to the skillet and stir until melted. (If sausage is especially greasy, reduce or even omit the butter.) Add flour and stir until liquid is mostly absorbed and the meat coated. Add in milk a little at a time while stirring. Still stirring, bring to a boil and let the mixture simmer until you have a thick gravy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the gravy over the top of the biscuit crust and scramble 2 eggs in the skillet. Add the scrambled eggs to the top of the pizza and cover with cheese. Bake in the oven for another 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.
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 🙂
This cheesy meatloaf is ultimate comfort food! Also a great way to stretch that grass-fed beef. It goes nicely with baked sweet potato and a green vegetable.
Whisk egg with milk, cheese, almond meal, onion and salt. Mix in ground beef until thoroughly combined, then shape into 10 miniature loaves and place in a parchment-lined casserole dish. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Partway through the cooking time, whisk together ketchup with sucanat and mustard and spoon on top of loaves, returning to oven to finish baking.