- BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH CRANBERRY-ONION RELISH
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GINGER BISQUE
- CASHEW-BUTTER BREAD (grain-free)
- COCONUT RED LENTIL DAHL
- EGGPLANT BHARTA
- MOONG DAL HALWA (dessert)
- ROASTED CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP
CRANBERRY-ONION RELISH
-1 bag organic cranberries,
-1/2 cup organic dried apricots, finely chopped,
-1/2 organic yellow onion, finely chopped
-1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
-1 pinch dried thyme,
-1 pinch Celtic sea salt
-2 Tbsp of pastured butter,
-1/4 cup red wine
-3 Tbsp organic red wine vinegar,
-1 1/2 cup hot water,
-2 to 3 Tbsp coconut sugar, to taste.,
While the squash is baking at 375 degrees (do not remove the seeds before baking as it imparts a nice nutty taste and it's much easier to scoop them out of a baked squash):
-soak dried apricots in hot water,
-saute onions in butter in large pan,
-add wine and vinegar and cook down for about 5mns,
-add apricots along with the soaking water,
-add garlic, thyme, salt,
-cover and cook for 60mns, stirring occasionally,
GO READ A CHAPTER OR TWO...
-add cranberries and simmer 15mns uncovered,
GO READ SOME MORE...
-blend with a wand or mash with a fork,
-taste...it will be pretty bitter and a bit tangy,
-add coconut sugar to taste.
Remove squash from oven and scoop out seeds.
Fill the hollowed squash with the beautiful thick red sauce. I could/should/would have topped it with crushed roasted almonds but my book was beckoning me from the sofa.
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GINGER BISQUE
-2 to 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed.
-3 carrots washed and chopped.
-1 big onion, chopped.
-1 inch fresh ginger, grated or minced (about 1 Tsp)
-1 orange, for peel and juice.
-2 quarts filtered water or vegetable stock.
-dash of ground nutmeg.
-1/2 bunch fresh parsley (optional) chopped.
-sea salt or Himalayan pink salt.
-fresh ground white pepper.
-1 Tsp olive oil or grass-fed pastured butter.
Heat olive oil or butter in stock-pot, medium heat.
Saute all the chopped veggies until lightly browned.
Add stock, orange zest and orange juice.
Bring to a boil, lower to simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes.
Veggies should be tender, a knife going easily through.
Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and chopped parsley if using.
Puree the soup with a food-processor or wand.
Add a dollop of sour-cream or coconut cream with a sprinkle of chopped parsley for a more refined look!!!
This soup will keep up to a week in the fridge - that is if you don't eat the whole darn pot in one sitting.
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grain-free
Ingredients (makes 1 8.5×4.5 loaf)
1 cup extra smooth raw cashew butter at room temperature
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 to 2 tablespoons honey (french toast or sandwich bread?)
2.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper, then spread coconut oil on the sides of the pan.
Mix cashew butter, egg yolks, milk, vinegar.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and beat until combined. You'll get more of a wet batter than a dough. Get all of the sticky mixture off the bottom of the bowl.
Pour the beaten egg whites into the cashew butter mixture, beating again until just combined. Don't over-mix but make sure the whites are well incorporated in the dough.
Pour batter in the pan and put in oven IMMEDIATELY.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick or knife-blade comes out clean.
DON'T open the oven door anytime before 40 minutes, or the loaf will not rise properly.
Remove from the oven, then let cool for 15-20 minutes.
You might need to use a knife to release the sides.
Flip onto a cooling rack.
Cool right-side up for at least 1/2 before serving.
The loaf will keep up to 1 week well-wrapped and in the fridge.
Enjoy!
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1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 Tbsp ghee
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 pinch cayenne
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 1/2 cup red lentils (sprouted is best)
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups home-made vegetable or chicken stock, or water
1 can unsweetened coconut milk (14 oz)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Medium heat, heavy pot, melt ghee and cook onion about 6mns until golden.
Add ginger and garlic, cook stirring 1mn.
Add spices, salt and jalapeno, stir and cook 1mn.
Stir in stock or water, lentils and coconut milk. Cover and simmer about 25mns, stirring a few times.
Season with more salt if needed.
Serve with chopped cilantro on top.
Great with any other Indian dish, basmati rice and naan if you eat grains.
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Prep time: 15 mins Cook time 20 mins.
Ingredients for 4 servings
-2 medium-sized eggplants
-2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
-2 tsp cumin seeds
-1 large yellow onion finely chopped
-2 tbsp crushed or diced garlic
-2 tbsp crushed or diced fresh ginger root
-1 tsp ground coriander
-1 cup diced tomato
-1 tbsp garam masala
-1 tsp turmeric
-optional: a few hot-pepper flakes
-½ tsp Himalayan pink salt or Celtic salt
-a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped
-Preheat oven to 425F.
-Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and sprinkle with salt on the fleshy side.
- Put a few drops of olive oil in an oven-safe dish and place halved eggplant flesh side down.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes until the flesh is tender. It's OK if the skin gets a bit charred as it will impart a nice smoky flavor to the dish.
-Heat ghee or coconut oil and cumin seeds in a heavy-bottom pan on medium-high heat. Cook seeds for 1-2 minutes until well toasted.
-Add chopped onion, garlic and ginger and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions are tender and translucent.
-Add the tomato, garam masala, coriander,turmeric and salt.
Cook on low-medium low 10 minutes stirring often.
-Remove eggplant from oven and carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl (discard the skin), mash it with a fork, and add it to the onion-spices mixture.
-Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with half of the fresh cilantro.
- If you have a wand-mixer, give the mixture a few pulses but don't puree it. Chunky is good.
-Sprinkle the other half of the chopped cilantro.
-If you can eat grains, serve over rice or with naan.
I find that the more I reheat the left-over bharta, the better its flavors come out.
I've also added a 1/2 cup of plain full-fat homemade yogurt to the bharta and the sourness of the yogurt brings a whole new dimension to this dish.
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MOONG DAL HALWAIt is a rich, creamy dessert reminiscent of pudding but made with split yellow moong beans, delicious and nutritious for the winter months as it is supposed to warm up the body and protect from the chill.
It takes some patience to make it but well-worth the effort
Ingredients for 4 servings
-1/2 cup split yellow Moong dal, washed
-1/2 cup unsalted pastured butter or ghee
-3/4 cup raw honey
-1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
-Pinch of saffron
-2 cups of water
-1 tablespoon of sliced almonds for garnish
-Wash dal thoroughly, soak in 3 cups of water for at 4 hours or more.
-Drain the water, put dal in blender and pulse into a paste, adding just enough water as needed to blend.
-Boil water and honey in a pan over medium heat, for 3-4 minutes.
-Remove from heat. Add cardamom powder and saffron; set aside.
-In a heavy bottom frying pan add moong dal paste and melted butter or ghee. Mix well.
-Fully cook dal paste on medium heat. Use wooden spoon or a spatula, gently pressing the paste, folding it over and pressing again a few more times until the texture becomes grainy and turns light brown in color (approximately 15 minutes)
-By now the aroma should have brought the whole family, if not neighborhood, into your kitchen.
-Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the syrup you set aside to the dal, little at a time. Watch for the splatter.
-Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
-Remove cover, stir, cook for another minute and turn off the heat.
-Garnish with almonds. .
The halwa will get a bit thicker as it cools down. I prefer to eat it slightly warm and mixed with a few tablespoon of coconut milk.
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Roasted Cream of Broccoli Soup
Preparation: 5mns
Servings: 6
1 1/2 lbs. broccoli florets
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. Celtic salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Put broccoli florets and shallot slices in a bowl.
Pour olive oil over, add salt and pepper and mix well.
Spread mixture onto a large cookie sheet.
Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, remove and cover with foil. Let it sit.
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large stockpot.
Add the broccoli mixture and return to a boil.
Lower heat down to simmer for 10 minutes.
Blend with wand-mixture until smooth. Stir in coconut milk and reheat to warm.
