Prosciutto Pineapple Turkey Burger

A fun and delicious play on a Hawaiian burger!

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        For Burger Patties

        1 pound lean ground beef

        1 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 teaspoon dried parsley

        1 tablespoon minced dried onions

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        1 egg, beaten

        Toppings

        4 large lettuce leaves

        8 to 12 small slices of prosciutto

        2 to 4 rings of pineapple

        1 large tomato

        Mayonaise

        4 slices of cheddar or swiss (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 375F

    2.    Thoroughly combine all burger patty ingredients with hands in a mixing bowl

    3.    Shape four patties with your hands

    4.    Bake 30 minutes (until internal temp reaches 165F) and if you eat dairy, as soon as they come out of the oven top each with a slice of cheese

    5.    Place a couple slices of tomato on a lettuce leaf, spread burger with a touch of mayo, place on tomato and top with several chunks of pineapple and a few slices of prosciutto

NOTE

If you prefer your prosciutto crispy, just oil and heat a skillet on medium/high and let them cook on both sides for a minute or two

Sausage & Eggs over Brussel Sprouts

I love this meal. Tasty, comforting and satisfying. And SO easy to make. One of my best friends introduced me to it years ago, and I've been playing with it ever since. But the essentials remain: savory chopped brussel sprouts with a broken egg yolk sauce. Just yum. 

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts, rough-chopped

        1/2 onion, chopped

        6 sausage links, precooked and sliced

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        4 to 8 eggs (1-2 eggs per dish)

        1 avocado

        salt and pepper to taste

        1 tablespoons oil (coconut is my favorite, but if you use olive oil, just make sure the heat doesn't get too high)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.     Heat oil and garlic in a skillet

    2.    Add chopped brussels and onions, allow to cook for 8-10 minutes (until tender)

    3.    Toss in cooked sausage rounds, season with salt and pepper, and turn heat to low

    4.    Fry eggs (1-2 per person) over easy/medium

    5.    Dish up your hash, and top with eggs and sliced avocado

Bacon Avocado Salad with Eggs

Here's another fun way to enjoy breakfast for dinner. A hearty and filling dinner salad with lots of bright vegetables and healthy fats!

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        6 cups salad greens

        6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

        1 bell pepper, chopped

        4 to 8 eggs, hard boiled and sliced

        8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes

        2 avocados, sliced

        1-2 cups creamy dairy-free ranch dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Hard boil the eggs, slice and refrigerate (my favorite hard boiled egg method)

    2.    While the eggs are cooking, fry and chop the bacon and set aside

    3.    Get the rest of the veggies ready and top your greens

    4.    This goes perfectly with my creamy dairy free ranch dressing

Hearty Turkey Chili

I love how inviting and cozy chili makes the house smell! Know what else I love? It's so easy. I think of this sort of recipe as a “dump” dish, because you can pretty much dump in the ingredients, let it cook and you’re good to go!

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        2 bell peppers, diced

        2 tomatoes, diced

        1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

        1 - 2 cups chicken stock (start with one, and keep the second on hand to add into the pot, in case it reduces to quickly)

        1/4 cup tomato paste

        1/4 cup dried currants (trust me)

        1/2 cup fire roasted green chilies

        1 tablespoon dried minced onions

        2 teaspoons chili powder

        1 teaspoon cumin

        1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

        1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

        1/2 teaspoon oregano

        1/2 teaspoon basil

        2 teaspoons salt

        2 teaspoons honey

        1 can red kidney beans (optional, for those who eat legumes)

        Cheddar cheese, shredded to garnish (optional)

        Oil to coat pot (coconut is my favorite, but if you use olive oil, just make sure the heat doesn't get too high)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Brown the turkey in a large pot on medium heat with onions and a bit of oil

    2.    Once turkey browns, pour in your chicken stock, stir in the tomato paste and add in all the rest (except cheese): veggies, beans, currants, honey and seasonings and allow to simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

    3.    Garnish with a sprinkle of cheddar on top if you eat dairy or a few slices of bell pepper

Creamy Ranch Dressing

There's nothing not to love about this dressing. It's so good. My husband is a ranch-lover and he heartily approves. Plus I use a preservative-free, unsweetened mayo from Trader Joe's, so I know every single ingredient that goes into this. I hope you try it and enjoy!

YIELD About 1 1/4 cups

INGREDIENTS

        1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

        3 tablespoons mayonnaise

        1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

        3/4 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        1 tablespoon finely chopped green onions

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Finely chop the green onions and thoroughly combine with the rest of the ingredients

    2.    Store in the refrigerator for about a week

Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini is one of my favorite veggies in the whole world. It blends so easily into almost any dish, lending its subtle crisp sweetness. Here's one of my favorite ways to prepare it.

* And a handy tip: If you're hoping to make this dish vegetarian, just omit the ground turkey and substitute 2 cups of chopped mushrooms or a combination of the veggies you're already using.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound ground turkey

        2 medium/large zucchinis (about 8 inches in length)

        1 small onion, diced

        2/3 cup tomato, chopped (approx 1 roma tomato)

        1/2 bell pepper, chopped

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 egg, beaten

        1 1/2 cups cashew cream

        1/2 teaspoon dried basil

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        Black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F

    2.    Heat an oiled skillet and cook ground turkey for a few minutes, then add onions and pepper

    3.    While turkey is browning, cut each zucchini in half, length-wise, using a spoon to scoop out the insides of each half, leaving 1/4-1/2 inch walls (It's easiest for me to turn my spoon downward to scrape the insides out)

    4.    Pat the zucchini insides dry with a towel or paper towel to soak up some of the excess moisture

    5.    In a large bowl, combine cooked turkey, onions, bell pepper, garlic, beaten egg, 3/4 cup cashew cream and salt with the zucchini insides

    6.    Spoon into zucchini halves and bake for 45 minutes (Stuff zucchinis until they're full. If you have leftover filling, just spoon it into the pan, around the zucchinis to eat on the side)

    7.    When they're done, add a little water to the remaining cashew cream (not much - to your desired consistency), drizzle over top and sprinkle with black pepper

Loaded Burger Soup

Enjoy a big, juicy burger with all the fixings in a bowl of this savory, hearty soup! I give you ideas for "toppings" (like onions, mushrooms and bacon) in the ingredients list, but this recipe has a lot of room for play. So think up your fave burger toppings and have fun with it.

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 1/2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey

        3 cups chicken stock

        2 tablespoons tomato paste

        1 small onion, diced

        1 large tomato, diced

        4 large mushrooms, sliced

        3 to 4 strips bacon, chopped

        1 1/2 teaspoon salt

        1 cup full-fat, canned coconut milk

        2 teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 teaspoon honey

        Salt and pepper for seasoning ground meat

        1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.     Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces, fry and set aside

    2.    Season ground meat with salt and pepper, brown in a large pot, and drain excess fat

    3.    Stir stock and coconut milk into that same frying pan with ground meat

    4.    Add the rest of your ingredients, except for bacon and cheese, and simmer until veggies are tender

    5.    Stir bacon in to warm just before serving

    6.    And for you dairy-eaters, top with shredded cheddar after dishing up (It's so good without it too though!)

Garlic Shrimp over Zucchini Noodles

Here's my scrumptious grain-free version of garlic shrimp and pasta. And both the shrimp and zucchini noodles cook up so quickly, you can have it done in a snap. Don't feel like zucchini noodles (which I love love love)? Serve them over stir fry veggies. Either way, it's a total winner.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp

        4 medium zucchinis, "spiralized" or cut julienne 

        1/4 cup chopped green onions

        2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

        2 to 3 tablespoons minced garlic

        1 1/2 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil

        1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

        1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt

        Black pepper, to taste

        1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional for a little citrus tang)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Heat skillet to medium high and sauté 1 tablespoon of butter, ghee or coconut oil, green onions and shrimp for a few minutes, until shrimp is almost cooked (about 3 minutes for 20-35 count)

    2.    Turn heat down to medium/low add parsley, red pepper flakes, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and lemon juice - cook a few more minutes, until shrimp is thoroughly cooked (completely opaque) and add a bit of water to thin the sauce, if you like

    3.    Take the shrimp out of the skillet, set aside

    4.    Spiralize zucchini, put 1/2 tablespoon of butter, ghee or coconut oil in skillet and add zucchini noodles

    5.    Season with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, and allow to sizzle for 5-10 minutes, or until desired tenderness

    6.    Serve shrimp over zucchini noodles and enjoy :)