Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Sweet Potato Topping:

2 large sweet potatoes, diced (2 lbs. sweet )

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Turkey Filling:

1 ¼ lb ground turkey or beef

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrots

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 ½ cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons flour

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

1 tsp dried thyme

For sweet potato topping: In a saucepan combine sweet potatoes, 1 tsp salt, and enough water to cover them.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Drain potatoes; return to warm pan.  Add butter, nutmeg, cinnamon,  1 tsp salt and pepper.  Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until smooth.  Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

For turkey filling: Heat  olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add ground turkey, 1 tsp salt, black pepper, and dried thyme.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add onions, carrots, and celery.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.  Add fresh parsley and sage.  Sprinkle flour over meat mixture, stirring until combined and flour is no longer visible.  Add chicken stock.  Simmer, stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat; place mixture in 2 ½ quart casserole; top with sweet potatoes and spread all over using a spoon.  Bake about 20-30 minutes, until hot. 

Paleo Mayonaisse

2 eggs
2 tsp coarse mustard
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups olive oil (not extra virgin)

Place all ingredients, except olive oil, in small round container.  Mix well with an immersion blender.  Very slowly, drizzle olive oil in while immersion blender is on in the container.  Continue blending and slowly pouring until olive oil is all mixed in.  This should take several minutes.  Store in refrigerator for several weeks. 

Herbed Grilled Chicken

1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 TBS finely chopped fresh parsley

1 TBS finely chopped fresh basil

1 small garlic clove, minced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

zest of ½ lemon

2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ tsp coarse salt

4 chicken breasts, pounded to ¼ inch thick

Combine the herbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a large ziplock  bag.  Add the chicken breasts to the bag and seal it.   Rub the herb mixture all over each piece.   Place the plastic bag in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate for at least an hour, or as long as overnight.   Turn the bag over occasionally. 

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat.  (You can also broil the chicken in your oven.)  Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.  


serves 4
“It’s All Good” by Gweneth Paltrow

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

4 small zucchini

4 carrots, peeled

6 scallions

1 yellow onion

1 medium sized spaghetti squash

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

½ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Poke several holes in the spaghetti squash; place in microwave.  Cook on full power 10 minutes.  Remove from microwave; set aside until cook enough to handle.  Once cool, cut squash in half and remove seeds.  Scrape out flesh with a fork into long spaghetti-like strands.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large serving bowl.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon EVOO , ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper.  Set aside. 

Preheat over to 450 degrees.  Slice peppers, zucchini, carrots, scallions, and yellow onions in thin strips.  Place on a large baking sheet; drizzle with 3 tablespoons EVOO, 2 tsp coarse salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence.  Toss vegetables until coated evenly.  Divide vegetables between 2 large baking sheets.  Roast vegetables in oven for about 20 minutes, until they begin to turn golden brown and move easily when you shake the pan.  Remove from oven.  

Add roasted vegetables to spaghetti squash along with grape tomatoes and fresh basil.  Toss gently to combine.  Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.  Add more salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve at room temperature or warm. 

To complete the meal, brown 1 package turkey kielbasa cut into small rounds in skillet, until golden in color.  So Delicious!

 Serves 6
(adapted from Giada De Laurentis)

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large (or 2 small) head cauliflower

4 cups vegetable broth

Juice of ½ lemon

Course salt

Black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Chop cauliflower into florets and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast until golden brown, 15-25 minutes. 

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion; season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper; sauté 5 minutes, until softened.  Add garlic, sauté 2 minutes.  Add cooked cauliflower and vegetable broth.  Increase heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Turn heat off stove.  Using an immersion blender, process soup until smooth.  Add 1 cup water if soup is too thick.  Add in lemon juice and stir a few more times.  Serve warm.  

("Family Circle")
serves 6

Mocha Steak

1 Tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 tsp salt

½ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa

2 tsp ground coffee

4 rib-eye or New York strip steaks that are 1-1 ¼ inch thick

Crush all spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl with the end of a wooden spoon.  Massage run generously into steaks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and allow to rest for 30 minutes-4 hours before cooking.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Add 1-2 tablespoons clarified butter to the pan and swirl to coat the bottom.  Add the steaks and cook until well browned on one side, about 5 minutes.  Turn steak with tongs and cook to desired doneness. 

Rare: 3 minutes more

Medium-rare: 4 minutes more

Medium: 5 minutes more

Serve with Roasted Cauliflower Soup

(from “It Starts with Food”)
enough for 4 steaks

Paleo Beef Stew

                      

2 lbs stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped sweet potato
2 cups chopped yellow and orange peppers
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup canned pumpkin
14-oz canned diced tomatoes
4 cups beef stock
2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp course salt, plus more to season meat
1 tsp ground pepper, plus more to season meat

Preheat large skillet to medium-high.  Add 2 tbs olive oil and the stew meat.  Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.  Cook several minutes on each side until meat is golden brown and caramelized.  Remove meat to crock pot.  Pile everything else in the crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours. 

serves 6-8