Salisbury Steak

I had mixed feelings about taking this recipe on. Salisbury steak doesn't conjure up the tastiest memories for me, and I'm guessing I'm not alone in that boat. But I decided to see this as a fun recipe challenge, and yay for that. Because oh, it turned out soooo good. None of that overly processed, too salty, diner-y taste that I remembered. Just good ingredients, simple prep, and a dinner to be proud of. And the gravy! Can't wait for you to try this.

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

YIELD 4 servings (8 patties)

INGREDIENTS

        For Patties

        1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

        1/2 cup onions, finely diced (about 1/4 onion)

        1 egg, beaten

        1 medium mushroom, diced

        3 teaspoons dried mustard

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        For Gravy

        1/2 cup onions, finely diced (about 1/4 onion)

        2 medium mushrooms, sliced

        3 teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

        1 1/4 cup water

        2 teaspoons salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Mix ingredients for patties together with hands and form 8 patties

    2.    Heat oiled skillet on medium heat and place patties in, 4-5 minutes on first side, then about 3 minutes on the other side, or until center is no longer pink

    3.    When patties are finished cooking, set aside and keep the juices in the skillet

    4.    Turn heat down to med/low and add onions and mushrooms

    5.    While giving them a few minutes to begin to get tender in the skillet, dissolve your arrowroot powder in water (this is to prevent clumping in the heat of the skillet)

    6.    Now add the rest of the gravy ingredients to skillet; coconut milk first, then stirring in arrowroot/water, Worcestershire, salt and pepper

    7.    Allow to cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until it thickens up a bit, and spoon over plated steaks

Bacon, Eggs & Asparagus Skillet Over Fresh Greens

Oh the joy of one-pot cooking. Simpler, quicker and makes for fewer dishes to clean. Yes pleeease. Plus this recipe is a really fun (and gorgeous!) spin on breakfast for dinner. Hope you enjoy!

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        6 to 8 strips bacon

        1 bell pepper, sliced

        8 to 10 ounces asparagus, halved

        2 large mushrooms, sliced

        6 to 8 eggs

        salt and pepper to taste

        6 cups mixed greens

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Heat large skillet to medium, fry bacon for a few minutes on each side, until done

    2.    Set bacon aside and drain most of the fat from skillet, leaving just enough to coat it

    3.    Turn heat down to medium/low, place asparagus and peppers in skillet and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper

    4.    Cook 5-7 minutes, unto veggies begin to get tender

    5.    Add the cooked bacon back to the mix along with the mushrooms, crack eggs atop all of it (leave them whole) and sprinkle with a little more pepper

    6.    Place baking sheet over skillet (I use my pizza baking sheet) and allow eggs to steam for 4-6 minutes, depending on how firm you want the yolks

    7.    Be careful removing the sheet (hot and steamy now!) and serve the yumminess over fresh salad greens

NOTES

If you'd like, you can serve with a crisp vinaigrette, but ideally the yolks are creamy and soft enough to do the job.

Chili Potatoes with Crispy Prosciutto and Avocado

"This is one of the best things you've ever made!" Thad, as he was munching this down for dinner tonight (and without any questioning from me at all!). He's not a hard man to please, but still... I make a LOT of things. So on the Thad scale of tastiness, this is definitely rated near the tippy top. All to say, I hope you munch it down too, and love it.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        Turkey chili or Bolognese Sauce

        2 medium/large golden potatoes

        1 avocado, sliced

        4 slices (2 ounces) prosciutto, chopped into roughly 1" pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

    1    Bake the potatoes 

    2    While the potatoes are baking make the chili or Bolognese

    3    While chili simmers, crisp the prosciutto: Heat a skillet on medium/low and allow pieces 5-8 minutes to crisp up, flipping occasionally - Do your best to spread them out in the skillet, and if the skillet surface gets too dry, just add a little coconut oil

    4    When the potatoes are done, cut in half, place each half in a bowl with a healthy serving of chili, 3-4 avocado slices, and a sprinkle of prosciutto

Chicken Cacciatore Stuffed Peppers

A fun and yummy twist on a classic dinner favorite!

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 medium bell peppers

        1 pound ground chicken

        1 medium onion, diced

        4 large mushrooms, chopped

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        2 teaspoons coconut oil (for sautéing)

        4 cups your favorite marinara sauce

        1 cup cashew cream to drizzle (diluted with 3 tablespoons water, or to desired consistency) OR 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

        Parsley to garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F

    2.    Fill a large pot (large enough to hold the peppers, nearly submerged - you can do two at a time if needed) with water - heat to boiling

    3.    While you're waiting for the water, wash peppers, cut tops off and hollow out seeds and white membranes - place in boiling water for 2-3 minutes

    4.    Place peppers into a large casserole dish, shaving a bit of their bottoms if they're not standing upright on their own

    5.    In a frying pan, heat a bit of oil and sauté onions and garlic until onions are caramelized and translucent

    6.    Next add ground chicken and mushrooms to remaining onions and brown chicken thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper

    7.    Stir 1 cup of marinara in with chicken and veggies and spoon mixture into peppers

    * If you're preparing the dairy-free version: Top with remaining marinara and after they've baked drizzle some of the thinned cashew cream over top

    * If you're preparing the peppers with cheese: Top them with remaining marinara and after they've baked sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded parmesan on each

    8.    Bake 15-20 minutes, or until peppers are tender, and top with the cheese or cashew cream and a little sprinkle of parsley before serving

Ashley's Almond Blossoms

Holidays are happening! Which means deliciousness abounds, and grain-free/dairy-free homes are no exception. I mean, look at these little beauties. Reminiscent of the peanut blossoms my family used to make at Christmas when I was little, but with body-friendlier ingredients.

They're "Ashley's" (my sister) because you can thank her for this idea. We were chatting about Christmas cookies a few days ago, and I realized I hadn't come up with a single holiday treat for the blog (yeesh... a full head nearly led to a cookie-less blog this year). Plus I miss her tons. Giant tons of tons. So the tonnage of my missing + her timely request meant I was figuring out this recipe in time for your holiday cookie baking. Hope you enjoy!

YIELD 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

        1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons almond flour

        2 tablespoons tapioca flour

        2 tablespoons coconut flour

        1/2 teaspoon baking powder

        1/2 cup coconut sugar

        1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

        1 teaspoon vanilla

        2 tablespoons almond butter

        4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, softened

        2 eggs, beaten

        3 1/2 ounce dark chocolate bar, broken into 24 pieces

        3 tablespoons chopped almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F, then thoroughly combine dry ingredients (except chocolate and chopped almonds): almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, coconut sugar and cinnamon

    2.    Stir wet ingredients (beaten egg, softened butter, vanilla and almond butter) into dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined

    3.    Use a tablespoon to measure/scoop cookie dough onto oiled cookie sheet or silicone baking mat, and bake for 10-12 minutes

    4.    When cookies are done, put a piece of chocolate on each cookie and give a gentle push - don't press too hard or cookie will break

    5.    Put batch back into oven for 1 minute, until chocolate is melty, then remove and sprinkle with chopped almonds

Chunky Turkey Bolognese over Zucchini Noodles

I could eat this by the spoonful all the livelong day. It's so darn good. In fact, it doubles quite nicely as chili on a baked potato with avocado and sautéed onions mmmm... another post, another day.

I used to be intimidated by Bolognese sauce, but no more. I think I was put off by the time it takes. But really, it's just a matter of getting the ingredients in your pot in the right order, and then letting it slow-cook for an hour. Not scary at all!

* If you absolutely must have Bolognese (which I completely understand) but you don't have the time, just cook until the veggies are tender to your liking, and it will still be plenty tasty.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound ground turkey

        4 medium zucchinis (for noodles)

        4 large mushrooms, sliced

        1 onion, sliced

        2 stalks celery, chopped

        1 large carrot, chopped

        2 medium tomatoes, diced

        12 ounces marinara

        1/4 cup tomato paste

        1 tablespoon butter, ghee or coconut oil, plus a little extra to coat the pan

        1/2 cup red wine (I prefer a cab or merlot with this)

        1 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

        1/2 teaspoon pepper

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1/4 teaspoon oregano

        1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

         1 teaspoon honey

         Red pepper flakes to garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Prepare super easy zucchini noodles and set aside without cooking

    2.    Melt oil in large pot on medium/high heat, and add garlic, salt, pepper, onions, carrots and celery - sauté until veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes

    3.    Add ground turkey and cook until browned and crumbly, then pour wine into the mixture and allow to cook for a few minutes to reduce and thicken

    4.    Stir in the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, marinara, honey and seasonings - basil, oregano and cinnamon), cover and allow to cook on the very lowest heat for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally

    5.    About 10 minutes before your sauce is done, heat a skillet on medium/low for the zucchini noodles and cook them for about 5 minutes until crisp-tender, and serve sauce over noodles with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Italian Wedding Soup

Confession: I've never been much for Italian Wedding Soup. Meatballs in soup... are weird to me. Right?? Just me? Well, the other night it was a million degrees below zero, which meant I was more than happy to stay in my cozy home and scrounge for what in the world we were going to eat for dinner, based on the odd assortment of things in our fridge. Turkey burger, a few veggies, eggs, a ton of condiments... half of a sad lemon. Ahhhh! Italian Wedding Soup! Sans-dairy and grains (and sad lemons), of course. It was something new I'd never made before, and felt like a fun challenge. And I'm soooo glad I tried it out. You guys, this soup is yummazing. Enjoy.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        For Meatballs

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 egg, whisked

        1/4 onion, diced and sautéed

        2 teaspoons minced garlic

        1 teaspoon salt

        2 teaspoons dried parsley

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

        Shredded parmesan (...or mozzarella, as pictured above because that's what I had in the fridge ;))

        For Broth

        6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

        2 teaspoons ghee (I add ghee for flavor and richness, but if you're strictly non-dairy, coconut oil can be added or the oil can be omitted entirely)

        2 celery stalks, chopped

        1/4 onion, chopped

        2 small bunches of bok choy (about 1/2 pound), chopped into bite-size-ish pieces (separate white stalk pieces from leaves)

        Salt and pepper to taste

        Pinch of cayenne (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    In a large pot combine chicken stock, salt, pepper, cayenne and ghee - heat on medium until it reaches a gentle boil

    2.    While broth is heating up, dice and sauté onions

    3.    While keeping an eye on the onions, thoroughly combine rest of ingredients for meatballs - mix in sautéd onions when they're ready

    4.    When broth reaches a boil, use a teaspoon to scoop meatballs and drop into the broth

    5.    When they're all in the pot, add in the celery, onions, and chopped white stalks of bok choy

    6.    Next stir the soup as you drizzle the whisked eggs into the moving broth. That's what creates strands of egg, instead of clumps (also it's fun).

    7.    As soon as the veggies begin to get tender, add in the bok choy leaves and allow to cook a few more minutes

    8.    This is great served with B&B Cashew Flatbread and some shredded cheese on top, if you eat dairy

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Is there anything better than the smell of fresh rosemary? Oh my goodness, I really don't know. And how it fills the kitchen when you bake it with lemon and garlic? I love when a dish makes my home smell so good that if someone stops by, I know they'll want to stay for dinner. And it tastes just as good as it smells. 

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Bragg's liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce or tamari.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders

        4 medium potatoes, diced

        1 tablespoon oil - butter, ghee or coconut oil, melted (my preference is butter or ghee, but coconut oil will work too if you're strictly non-dairy)

        4 to 5 large mushrooms, sliced

        6 to 8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

        Coconut oil to coat casserole dish and skillet

        For Marinade

        1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

        1 lemon's juice (2-3 tablespoons)

        1 tablespoon dijon

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        2 teaspoons tamari

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Mix marinade and toss mushrooms and tomatoes into it to coat

    2.    Place chicken tenders in large oiled casserole dish and pour the tablespoon of melted oil over top

    3.    Pour mushrooms/tomatoes/marinade over chicken, cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, and ideally several hours

    4.    Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, until thickest piece of chicken is cooked through

    5.    During the last 15 minutes of baking, heat a skillet on medium with a little oil and toss diced potatoes in, stirring occasionally until gently browned and tender

    6.    Serve chicken over potatoes

    7.    This dish produces so much yummy, saucy juice, spoon it over the chicken and veggies before digging in