Roasted Butternut Squash and Turkey Curry

(Serves about 6)

Ingredients:

• extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• salt and pepper (S&P)
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 small butternut squash, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• approx. 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
• cilantro for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Once preheated, lay out butternut squash cubes on cookie sheet, toss with EVOO, S & P, and roast for about 20 minutes, until just fork tender.
2. Meanwhile, brown the turkey in EVOO and season with S & P. Remove and set aside when done.
3. Add more EVOO if necessary and sauté onions and red pepper, seasoning with S & P, on medium heat until onions are translucent and peppers are tender (about 10 minutes).
4. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for another few minutes or until garlic and ginger soften, careful not to burn.
5. Add curry powder and stir well.
6. Add chicken stock and deglaze pan, letting liquid simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes.
7. Add tomatoes and coconut milk.
8. Add back in the turkey and add roasted squash. Simmer all together for about 5 minutes. Taste and add more S & P if needed.
9. Serve over a bed of cauliflower rice or basmati rice, top with fresh cilantro, and enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Grain and Dairy Free

(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers, cut in half long ways with insides removed
• 1 lb. chorizo
• 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced with insides removed
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• Salt and Pepper (S&P)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Optional toppings: your fav salsa, chopped cilantro, nutritional yeast

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Brown chorizo in pan. (I like cast iron to get that good crispiness.)
• Meanwhile, parboil bell peppers in a big pot full of water for about 3-5 minutes, until just tender. Remove, drain, and line up in baking dish, open side up. Season with S & P.
• Once chorizo is cooked, remove from pan to drain and set aside.
• Return pan to stovetop and add onion, jalapeño, and a little extra virgin olive oil if necessary. Season with S & P and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Once onion and jalapeño are tender, add zucchini and riced cauliflower, seasoning again with S & P.
• Add tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, and cumin. Mix well and sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes. Return chorizo to pan and mix well.
• Stuff pepper halves full with chorizo mixture. Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes to fully cook peppers and let everything come together.
• Top with whatever you like and enjoy!

Instapot Pulled Pork Ragu over Spaghetti Squash 

(Serves 4-6)

First of all, let me start by singing the praises of my Instapot.  I realize I’m a little late to the game here, but I am so excited about this early Christmas present of mine.  It was heavily discounted on Black Friday 🙂  I’ve been playing with it all week, and it truly amazes me how quickly I can create a delicious, yet simple meal with this pressure cooker.  It also functions as a slow cooker, steamer, rice cooker, etc.  And the best part…it has a sauté function so that I don’t have to dirty a separate pan.  Woohoo!  And now, on to the recipe…

Ingredients:

• 20 oz Pork Tenerloin
• 1 Spaghetti Squash, roasted, strands pulled out…SEE BELOW FOR RECIPE
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 (12 oz) jar Roasted Peppers, drained
• EVOO
• S&P
• 1 tsp. dried Thyme
• 1 Tbsp fresh Parsley (separated)
• 2 Bay Leaves

Directions:

1. Turn on the Instapot’s Sauté function and add a little EVOO to the pot.  Season pork with S&P.  Sauté pork for 3-4 minutes on each side, until all sides are browned.  Remove meat and set aside.
2. Add more EVOO to the pot if needed and sauté onions for several minutes, until translucent.
3. Add garlic and 1/2 Tbsp of the parsley.  Sauté for just a minute, careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Add tomatoes, peppers, thyme, and bay leaves.
5. Secure lid on the Instapot and cook under high pressure for 45 minutes.
6. When finished, allow the steam to release naturally (if possible time-wise, but not a deal-breaker), remove bay leaves, shred pork with two forks, and top with remaining 1/2 Tbsp of parsley.
7. Serve over Spaghetti Squash (see below for recipe) or pasta, if that’s more your thing 😉

Of course, you can follow this same recipe in the slow cooker or in a Dutch oven on the stove…it will just take a few more hours for the meat to become pull-apart tender.  The benefit of this slower cooking method is that the flavors have a chance to marry for longer.  However, the Instapot is a fantastic option when you are pressed for time and need to get dinner cranked out quickly.  Enjoy!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half length-wise.
3. Drizzle EVOO on flesh side of both halves and sprinkle them with S&P.
4. Place halves cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until squash is tender and you can use a fork to pull out strands like spaghetti.

Herby-Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 Chicken Breasts (I used thin sliced)
• Really any vegetables you have lying around that will roast nicely.  I used:
  • a small bag of organic Rainbow Baby Carrots
  • 1 crown of Broccoli florets
  • About 1 cup of Cauliflower florets
  • 1 medium Onion, cut into about 1 inch pieces with layers separated
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (separated into 1 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Salt & Pepper (S & P)
• 4 tsp chopped Basil (separated into 2 and 2)
• 2 tsp chopped Parsley (separated into 1 and 1)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Prepare a cookie sheet pan by spraying with cooking spray (I prefer EVOO spray, which you can find at your local grocery store).
2. Rinse and dry the chicken breasts well.  Place chicken on the sheet pan and season both sides with S & P.  Top with garlic, 1 Tbsp Balsamic, 1/2 Tbsp EVOO, 2 tsp Basil, and 1 tsp Parsley.  Allow to marinate while you prepare vegetables.
3. In a large bowl, toss veggies with 2 Tbsp Balsamic, about 1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO, S & P, 2 tsp Basil, and 1 tsp Parsley.  Coat well.
4. Spread vegetables onto sheet pan with chicken and bake for about 20 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.

Turkey and Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp. almond flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp. (paleo, if desired) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• APPROX 1/2 cup of almond milk (depends on size/amount of potatoes!)
• S & P

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Boil sweet potatoes until soft for mashing (about 10 minutes) and drain.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, brown the turkey in a fat of your choice (EVOO, ghee, coconut oil…), being sure to season with S & P.  Once cooked thoroughly, transfer turkey to a plate and set aside.
4. Add more fat to the pan and sauté the carrots and onions, seasoning with S & P, until soft.
5. Add the garlic and the peas and sauté for a couple minutes, until fragrant.
6. Add the almond flour, mixing well, and let cook for a couple minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
8. Add the turkey back into the pan, along with the Worcestershire, rosemary and thyme, and turn heat down to simmer until the sauce thickens.
9. To finish the potatoes, mash them with the coconut oil and almond milk.  Add the milk SLOWLY, paying attention to the consistency of the potatoes.  You may not need to use the full 1/2 cup.  Season with salt.
10. Put the turkey mixture into a square baking dish and top with the mashed sweet potatoes.
11. Bake in oven for 25 minutes.  After the 25 minutes, turn the oven up to broil in order to brown the potatoes slightly.  Don’t let it burn!
12. Enjoy this delicious and healthy comfort food as much as I do!

Coconut Curry Shrimp with Basmati Rice (serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked (according to package directions) Basmati rice
• 1 lb peeled, deveined, de-tailed (if preferred) shrimp
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 can coconut milk
• squirt of honey (optional)
• squirt of Sriracha (optional but adds a great heat!)
• juice of half a lime
• S & P
• 1-2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped and according to taste

Directions

• Cook the rice if you haven’t!
• Season shrimp with S&P and sauté in healthy cooking fat, such as Ghee or EVOO.  These cook quickly so just a minute or two on each side!  Remove and set aside on plate.
• Season onions with S&P and sauté, adding more fat/oil as needed, cooking for several minutes until soft and translucent.
• Add garlic and cook for a couple minutes.
• Add curry powder, incorporating well, and cook for another couple minutes.
• Add can of coconut milk, stirring well.
• Add honey, Sriracha, lime juice, and salt (as needed…taste as you go!), stirring well.
• Allow sauce to bubble and thicken for a few minutes before adding the cilantro and shrimp back into the pan.  Cook for another minute.
• Pour over rice and enjoy!

Although I can’t take credit for this one (it’s pretty much straight out of The Whole 30 Cookbook), I can vouch for its deliciousness.  I just made this for lunch, and not only was it yummy, but it is also fairly easy and provides lots of great nutrients to the body!  I did change some of the cooking techniques from what they are in the book, as they made more sense to me.  But the end result is the same 🙂

Romesco Garlic Shrimp with Zoodles

(Serves 2)

For the Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. healthy cooking fat (i.e. EVOO, Ghee)
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 2 medium-large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO (or more if necessary)
• 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• S & P to taste

Directions

1. Sauté the almonds and onions in the fat for a few minutes, stirring often.
2. Add garlic and cook for about another minute.
3. Add the chili powder and paprika and cook for about another minute.
4. Finally, add the tomatoes and cook until heated through.
5. Add EVOO, red wine vinegar, and S & P, and transfer mixture to blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth and set aside.  This can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

For the Shrimp and Zoodles

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini, spiralized and drained well
• 2 Tbsp healthy cooking fat (i.e. EVOO, Ghee)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• S & P to taste
• 2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• Romesco sauce from above

Directions

1. In a large skillet, sauté the onions in the cooking fat for a few minutes until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and continue to cook for about another minute.
3. Add the “zoodles” and cook for a few minutes, until al dente.
4. Season with S & P.
5. While the zoodles are cooking, use a separate skillet to sauté the shrimp until pink (this happens very quickly!), making sure to season with S & P.  If you want to save a skillet, just transfer zoodles to serving bowl when done cooking and use the same pan to quickly cook the shrimp 😉
6. Add the cooked shrimp to the zoodles, and toss with some of the Romesco sauce.
7. Finally, top each serving with a little chopped parsley, making the dish as pretty as it is tasty!

Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowl

(Feeds 2-4, makes two “bowls”)

Ingredients

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Manchego cheese (I chose this sheep-milk cheese because I can’t do cow or goat milk products…but pick your personal favorite here!)
• diced avocado for topping
• chopped cilantro for topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 to roast the squash.  Slice squash in half lengthwise (hot dog style!).  Scoop out the seeds and discard.  Rub EVOO on the inside of each half, sprinkle with S & P, and place on a baking sheet, cut-sides down.  Cook in oven for around 40 minutes or until tender enough to pull “spaghetti” strands out with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the onion and pepper in a healthy fat of your choice (i.e. EVOO or Ghee).  I’m on a major Ghee (clarified butter) kick right now.  It’s amazing!  Cook for several minutes until softened.
3. To the onion and peppers, add corn, black beans, tomatoes, spices, and green onion.  Mix well and heat through.
4. Pull out the strands of spaghetti squash with a fork (leaving enough squash attached to the skins to help the “bowls” maintain their form).  Incorporate the squash strands into the filling mixture.
5. Refill both squash bowls with the filling mixture.
6. Top each squash half with 1/4 cup cheese and broil until cheese is melted (watch closely!)
7. Remove from oven.  Top with avocado and cilantro.  EAT!  Feel good for eating delicious, nutritious food.