Lemon Curd and Lavender Cashew Cream Crepes

My love of lemon curd knows no bounds. Tart and rich and sweet and light... and perfect. It checks all my boxes. And now that I know how to make it myself? And how very easy it is?? Dangerous information, folks ;). Especially paired with this beautiful lavender cashew cream to give some balance to the citrus, it's just dynamite. Top with a little lemon zest, coconut and edible flowers for a stunning plate and enjoy!

YIELD 6-8 crepes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 to 6 crepes (my 6 ingredient wraps work perfectly!)
• For Lemon Curd
  • 2 lemons (I prefer Meyers lemons for their natural sweetness) for 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons raw honey
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
• For Lavender Cashew Cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender buds
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (from the can, after cream and liquid are thoroughly combined)
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, preferably soaked overnight and drained
  • 1/2 to 1 tablespoon raw honey, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• For Garnish (optional)
  • Lemon zest
  • Shaved or shredded coconut
  • Edible flowers (I used pansies)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare crepes and set aside
2. For lemon curd: Zest and juice the lemons
3. Beat eggs in a saucepan until lighter yellow and add in honey and lemon zest
4. Heat saucepan on low and constantly whisk until mixture begins to thicken (this takes some patience, 10-ish minutes of whisking, but it's well worth it!)
5. When it's starting to thicken add in the lemon juice and coconut oil and continue to whisk - it will thicken even more, looking fluffy and whipped - that's when you know it's done and you can remove it from the heat
6. Transfer to a glass or ceramic container and chill (lemon curd must be stored in the refrigerator)
7. Notes: Do not let curd boil at any point. If you end up with a few scrambled egg bits, don't worry. Just turn the heat down a little when you noticed them, keep whisking and when you're done pour the finished product through a sieve to remove the solid bits of egg.
8. For lavender cream: Put all lavender cream ingredients in a high-powered blender (or use an immersion blender in a jar) and process until smooth, then refrigerate
9. Once the lemon curd and lavender cream are well chilled, spoon the curd down the center of a crepe, roll the crepe and then top with the cream and sprinkle on garnishes. Beautiful!

Rainbow Slaw

Oh my yum. In honor of Saint Patrick's Day, this coleslaw is beautiful and rainbowy. Because food should be beautiful, right? And it should feel good in our bodies. So this rainbow slaw is lovely, nourishing *and* delicious. Who wouldn't want this on their plate (and in their bellies)??

INGREDIENTS

For Slaw

2 cups shredded red cabbage (1/4 small head)

1 1/2 cups rough-chopped snow peas (1/3 pound or roughly 30 snow pea pods)

2 cups golden delicious apples, spiralized (1 medium apple)

2 cups carrots, spiralized (2 whole medium carrots)

3 cups beets, spiralized (1 medium beet)

1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts to top

For Dressing

3/4 cup organic mayo

1 tablespoon raw honey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

horseradish to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare (chop and spiralize) produce
2. Combine dressing ingredients
3. Toss your beautiful veggies/fruit in the dressing and top with chopped walnuts to serve

Mini Egg-Topped Meatloaves

The other night I was in the mood for meatloaf, but really *not* in the mood for the hour+ it takes to cook. So I swapped out my loaf pan for my muffin tin and made these cute little meat muffins. Perfect. They cut the cook time in more than half!

And I don't know what led me to this next thought (probably the million eggs in the fridge), but I wondered how it would work if I baked an egg atop each little meatloaf. Well, the answer to that question is "Awesome. Tasty and awesome." How is this not a thing already? They're fantastic. And so stinkin cute. It's pictured here over some sautéed chard, with a little hot sauce. Thad ate them with ketchup. Dress them up however you like or eat them as-is, I think you'll love them too.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pound beef

1/4 onion, diced (1/3 cup)

1 carrot, grated (1/2 cup)

2 large mushrooms, diced

2 teaspoons coconut aminos

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Eggs: If you cook an egg on top of each one, you'll need 13 eggs (one to mix into the meat). When I did this, I cooked eggs on about half - totally up to you.

Coconut oil for sautéing

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Heat skillet on medium with a little coconut oil and sauté onions, carrots and mushrooms for a few minutes, until onions begin to get tender and translucent
3. When veggies are done sautéing, use hands to combine all ingredients with one beaten egg
4. Oil muffin tin and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop meat mixture into tins - amount should be just less than 1/4 cup, filling each little tin about 3/4 of the way (leave room for the eggs) and bake for 10 minutes
5. Next take them out and add the eggs - I find it works best to break an egg into a cup, and from there pour the egg onto the meat, one by one - it should come up just to the top of the tin, but don't worry if it overflows a tad. No biggie.
6. Put them back in the oven for 15 more minutes, until meat is no longer pink inside

Morning Porridge

I love love love this recipe. Ever since going grain-free, I have missed the ease and comfort of hot cereals in the morning. This porridge is so similar to cream of wheat (my all time favorite), both in consistency and taste, I am so stoked! Plus it's full of really good and satisfying ingredients, getting your day off to a solid start. 
It's absolutely dynamite warmed up and topped with blueberries or sliced bananas, nuts and coconut milk. But on sleepy mornings (as if they're not *all* sleepy) I just eat it cold. Right from the jar, all classy-like, and it's still great. A little goes a long way, as it's a rich, satisfying food, so portions may be smaller than you expect. I hope you try it and love it as much as I do!

YIELD 1 1/2 - 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

        1/2 cup cashews

        2 tablespoons chia seeds

        2 medjoul dates, chopped

        1 banana, chopped

        1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

        3 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut cream

        1 teaspoon vanilla

        3/4 cup water (plus more to cover cashews to soak)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. The night before, divide the ingredients (except banana) into 2 jars, and give Jar #1 a good stir to break up the chia seeds:

Jar #1

    shredded coconut

    chia seeds

    coconut cream

    vanilla

    3/4 cup water

Jar #2

    cashews

    chopped dates

    enough water to cover them

2. Allow jars to soak in the fridge for the night, and the next morning drain Jar #2 (cashews/dates) and combine them in your food processor with the entire contents of Jar #1 and the chopped banana

3. Process until it's a smooth, even consistency and transfer to a small pot to warm on the stove, or spoon straight into bowls to heat up in the microwave (or eat cold!)

4. Top it with yumminess or eat it as is!

Super Nachos Dip

This is one of the first dishes I learned to make after we were married. Passed down from my mother-in-law, it's a yummy Jackson family staple. This means, even though we don't eat corn chips anymore, it's definitely still on the menu. It just needed to be tweaked a bit. Biggest change: Now we use veggies to dip instead of chips (...and then sometimes we just eat it with a spoon, all fancy-like). Either way, it remains one of our favorites.

And bonus: Leftovers are awesome served with an egg and salsa the next morning for breakfast. Enjoy!

* If you're avoiding dairy, you can easily substitute a drizzle of cashew cream in place of the cheese.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound ground beef

        1 1/2 - 2 cups refried beans

        1 small onion, diced

        1 tomato, diced

        1/2 cup chopped green chiles (4 ounces)

        1/2 cup sliced black olives (4 ounces)

        3 to 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, finely chopped

        1/2 cup salsa verde (green salsa)

        2 cups shredded cheddar cheese OR 1/2 cup cashew cream

        Salt and pepper

        Coconut oil for sautéing

        2 to 4 cups salsa (optional)

        2 to 4 cups guacamole (optional)

        1 avocado, served on the side (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Sauté onions in a bit of coconut oil until nearly cooked/translucent

    2.    Add ground beef and cook on medium until thoroughly browned, seasoning with a little salt and pepper

    3.    Preheat oven to 350F

    4.    Spread beans in the bottom of large (3-ish qt) casserole dish

    5.    Spoon beef and onions over beans

    6.    Next layer on the chiles, tomatoes, olives, and jalapeños

    7.    Sprinkle cheese over top OR skip the cheese and drizzle cashew cream over top *after* it comes out of the oven

    8.    Drizzle salsa verde over all of it, cover and bake until cheese gets all melty, about 15-20 minutes

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Soup

Yup! Another meatball soup. I'm clearly a meatball soup convert. Which works out well, because this one is easy and so tasty. Yay. And in the slow cooker, it's perfect for when you want a hearty meal, but you're not in the mood to cook, or don't have the time.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        6 medium mushrooms (1 1/2 cups), chopped

        1 medium onion, sliced

        4 small carrots (1 cup), peeled & chopped - no bigger than 1/2" pieces

        3 large celery stalks (2 cups), chopped - no bigger than 1/2" pieces

        4 cups chicken or beef stock

        1 tablespoon coconut aminos

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        Red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)

        For Meatballs

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 egg, beaten

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1 tablespoon dried onions

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        1/4 cup almond flour

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Thoroughly combine ingredients for meatballs (don't form them yet), and refrigerate to firm up

    2.    Put the rest of the ingredients, except the red pepper flakes, in slow cooker

    3.    Use a tablespoon to scoop meat balls, and spread them atop the vegetables (Don't worry if they touch a bit - they're easy to break up once they're cooked)

    4.    Cook on low for 4-6 hours

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

This dish is what would happen if a chicken pot pie and a creamy chicken casserole got romantic. Oh it's so so good.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        For Filling

        1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast

        1 cup peas

        1 cup carrots, chopped

        6 large mushrooms, sliced

        1/4 onion, sliced

        1 stalk celery, chopped

        1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

        Coconut oil to coat pan

        For Gravy

        1 can full fat coconut milk

        1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

        1 cup chicken stock

        1 teaspoon salt (or to taste, depending on the sodium content of your stock)

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        3 teaspoons coconut aminos

        For Crust

        3/4 cup almond flour

        1/2 cup cashews (ideally soaked)

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

        2 eggs

        1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

        1/4 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon baking soda

        Sprinkle of thyme

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F

    2.    Blend crust ingredients and set aside

    3.    While oven's heating up, sauté carrots, onions and celery in a large oiled skillet on medium/low for a few minutes, until beginning to get tender

    4.    When oven's ready, put your chicken in and allow to thoroughly cook

    5.    While chicken is cooking, dissolve the arrowroot in chicken stock and set aside, then add the rest of the gravy ingredients to your large skillet (still containing the veggies) and stir the combined arrowroot/stock mixture into the skillet last

    6.    Allow to gently simmer, stirring occasionally until it reduces and thickens - should be the consistency of a thick chicken gravy when it's done

    7.    When it's *nearly* reduced enough, add mushrooms and peas and give it a minute or two more (take it off the heat if it's done before the chicken is)

    8.    When chicken is ready, chop and stir into the skillet, along with the 1/4 teaspoon thyme (leave the oven on - you'll be using it again in a minute)

    9.    Transfer skillet contents to small casserole dish (mine measures 10" x 6 1/2")

    10.    Spoon and spread crust batter onto casserole - No need for this to be perfect! I spooned it out in fourths, spreading each as I went. My only caution is to try not to let there be any portions that are super thick or thin. The thickness should be uniform-ish, so it can bake evenly.

    11.    Sprinkle crust with a little thyme and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden and firm

NOTES

If you soak the cashews, do so for at least a few hours, or as long as overnight in filtered water with a tablespoon of salt, and then rinse and pat dry. 

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

A sweet spin on my chili potatoes, these are the epitome of cozy and comfy eating. Perhaps cable knit sweaters and candles should be involved. I think yes.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 medium or 2 extra large sweet potatoes

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 bell pepper, sliced

        1/2 medium onion, chopped

        2 medium tomatoes, diced

        1 tablespoon butter, ghee or coconut oil

        1/2 teaspoon dried basil

        1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

        1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

        1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

        1 avocado, chopped (for garnish)

        1 green onion, diced (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Bake sweet potatoes, and while they're baking add your tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat on medium

    2.    When oil is heated and glistening, add ground turkey - break up and stir occasionally as it browns

    3.    When it's mostly browned, add in the onions and bell peppers

    4.    Give the veggies a few minutes to cook, and when they start to get tender toss in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and herbs and stir it all in

    5.    Cook until veggies are tender and turkey in thoroughly browned, and set mixture aside until sweet potatoes are done cooking

    6.    Cut cooked sweet potatoes in half and scoop out a little of the insides from each half, leaving about an inch border by the skin

    7.    Stir the subtracted sweet potato into the turkey and veggies (I mash it a little with a fork as I stir, so it gets all mixed in) and spoon mixture into sweet potatoes

    8.    Then top each with avocado and green onions and serve