Blueberry Syrup, unsweetened

http://empoweredsustenance.com/blueberry-sauce-recipe/
Blueberry Syrup Sauce

This was great. I used a 10 oz package of organic frozen blueberries to make this. It was amazing watching the arrowroot starch thicken the mixture up so quickly. I still used a little maple syrup, but far less than I would normally have for french toast.

Egg Drop Soup

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/45515/restaurant-style-egg-drop-soup
Egg Drop Soup

This was my first attempt at egg drop. I put eggs in last, as some commenters suggested. I had to turn the heat back on and boil  it though as the eggs weren't cooking enough off heat. I put in 4 whole eggs instead of the amount in the recipes, and I whisked them in quickly. I'm not sure if that was a mistake, but the texture was kinda weird and fluffy like.  Also I used half beef/chicken broth since that's what I had. I wouldn't make this again with this technique, I'm guessing it must work better somehow. The taste was fine, but I would have preferred all chicken broth.

Maple Cranberry Brussels Sprouts

http://autoimmune-paleo.com/maple-cranberry-brussels/
Maple Cranberry Brussels Sprouts

David really liked this.

Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup

Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup

Source: www.organizeyourselfskinny.com

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Total Time: 1 hr 10 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups chopped bell pepper (any color)
• 1 quart beef stock
• 1 (15-ounce) tomato sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) diced tomatoes
• ¹⁄₄ cup minute brown rice

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven, or large soup pot, and cook turkey until it is no longer pink.
2. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and Worchestire sauce.
3. Add in the bell peppers and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour in the beef stock, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25-30 minutes.
5. Stir in rice and cook until rice is cooked and peppers are tender, about 10 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 190
Fat: 7
Sugar: 5
Carbohydrate: 16
Fiber: 3
Protein: 16

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This was really good. I used green pepper and regular white rice. I left it too long on the stove and the rice sort of turned to starch, but it was a great way to make it more stew like which was appealing. 1.5 cups per serving.

Barbecue Ranch Chicken Mason Jar Salad

Barbecue Ranch Chicken Mason Jar Salad

Source: www.organizeyourselfskinny.com

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 min
Total Time: 30 min

Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 5 wide mouth mason jar salads
• 10 tablespoons ranch yogurt dressing
• 5 tablespoons barbecue sauce
• 1 quart cherry tomatoes halved
• 5 baby cucumbers sliced
• 1 avocado peeled, seed removed, and chopped
• 5 tablespoons canned black beans
• 5 tablespoons frozen corn
• ¹⁄₂ red onion chopped
• 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
• 5 cups chopped romaine
• 9 tortilla chips

Directions

1. Divide all ingredients among mason jars. Start with ranch dressing and barbecue sauce then layer tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, beans, corn, onion, chicken and end with romaine. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days. Pack tortilla chips on the side.
2. When ready to eat shake mason jar and pour onto a plate.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 363
Fat: 19
Carbohydrate: 25
Fiber: 7
Protein: 24

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I really love this salad. It is terrific and makes lunch easy.

Grilled Cheeseburger Wrap

Grilled Cheeseburger Wrap

Source: www.organizeyourselfskinny.com

Course: Main Course

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min

Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (I used 93/7 organic grass fed beef)
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
• 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon pepper
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• 5 100 calorie wraps (I use Flatout Wraps)
• 5 slices american cheese (I use wegmans organic)
• 2 roma tomatoes sliced
• 1 cup romaine lettuce
• Additional ketchup (optional)
• Mustard (opti0nal)

Directions

1. In a medium to large skillet coated with cooking spray cook the beef on medium till almost cooked through but still a little pink (about 7-10 minutes). Break beef up as it cooks.
2. Add worcestershire, ketchup, grated parmesan, dried onion flakes, salt, and pepper to the beef. Mix together until thoroughly combined.
3. Continue cooking until beef is cooked all the way through and is no longer pink.
4. Turn on indoor grill to 350 or you can also use a grill plan.
5. In the center of the wrap place a slice of cheese and ½ cup of the beef mixture. Add tomato and lettuce. Then if you are using , and I highly recommend you do, add some ketchup and mustard.
6. Roll the wrap and place seam side down on grill. Once there are nice grill marks turn over. Grill for another 2-3 minutes then remove.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the rest of the wraps.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 329
Fat: 15
Sugar: 8
Carbohydrate: 21
Fiber: 9
Protein: 32

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These are fantastic. I used medium tortillas the first time, (gf for me), but I definitely need to try with the flat out wraps because the tortillas let filling fall out.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Source: blog.myfitnesspal.com

Course: Main Course

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 (12-ounce) packages frozen butternut or winter squash puree, (about 3 cups) thawed
• 2 cups (490 grams) part-skim ricotta cheese
• ³⁄₄ cup (185 grams) reduced-fat 2% milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 (10-ounce or 285-gram) package frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (170 grams) shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• ¹⁄₂ cup (55 grams) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 9 no-boil lasagna noodles

Directions

1. Butternut Squash Lasagna
2. Ingredients
3. Directions
4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
5. Combine squash, 1 cup ricotta cheese, milk, sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Combine spinach, remaining 1 cup ricotta, 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella, and 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese in another medium bowl.
6. Spread 1 1/2 cups squash mixture in bottom of baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce (noodles will appear small but will increase in size as they cook and absorb liquid). Top with 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat 2 more times with 1 1/4 cups squash mixture, 3 noodles, and 1 cup spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheeses.
7. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until lasagna is bubbly and cheese browns. Let coo1 5 minutes. Cut into 8 portions.
8. Nutrition Information
9. Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 1 slice (4.5 inch-by-3.25 inch or 228 grams)
10. Per serving: Calories: 309; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 38mg; Sodium: 513mg; Carbohydrate: 33g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 20g
11. Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 489mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 221%; Vitamin C: 21%; Calcium: 47%

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 309
Fat: 11
Sugar: 4
Carbohydrate: 33
Fiber: 5
Protein: 20

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This was really good. I used one largish butternut squash that I had baked the night before. It came out to 3 cups puree.

Jalapeno Poppers

Jalapeno Poppers - Baked

Source: recipes.sparkpeople.com

Course: Appetizers

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 25 min

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6 jalapeno peppers
• 4 slices turkey bacon
• 3 oz neufchatel cheese

Directions

1. Pre heat oven to 375.
2. Cut each jalapeno pepper in half lengthwise.
3. Remove seeds and ribs.
4. Fill each jalapeno pepper half with 1/4 of an ounce of neufchatel cheese.
5. Wrap each jalapeno pepper half with 1/3 slice of turkey bacon.
6. Place jalapeno poppers on a cookie sheet lined with foil.
7. Bake between 10 and 15 minutes or until bacon is to desired crispness.
8. Makes 6 servings of 2 poppers each.
9. Number of Servings: 6
10. Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SLCOLMAN.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 64.0
Fat: 5.2 g
Cholesterol: 19.1 mg
Sodium: 180.2 mg
Carbohydrate: 1.4 g
Fiber: 0.4 g
Protein: 3.0 g

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Love these. Love love love

Baked Cod with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Baked Cod with Pineapple Avocado Salsa

Source: blog.myfitnesspal.com

Course: Main Course

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless Cod fillets
• 1 cup (165g) Pineapple diced
• 1 cup (150g) Avocado diced
• ¹⁄₂ cup Cucumber diced
• ¹⁄₄ cup Red Onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice divded)
• 2 pinches Salt and Pepper divided
• Optional sides: Mixed greens brown rice, quinoa etc…

Directions

1. Baked Cod with Pineapple Avocado Salsa
2. Ingredients
3. Directions
4. Preheat oven to 400F.
5. In a small bowl, combine pineapple, avocado, cucumber, red onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice and a pinch of salt and mix until well incorporated. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
6. Meanwhile, very lightly grease a baking dish with cooking oil. Sprinkle cod with salt and pepper and remaining lime juice before transferring to baking dish. Bake until cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 15-20 minutes depending on thickness.
7. Remove from pan and top with salsa before serving. If desired, serve over a bed of baby greens or alongside a side of brown rice or quinoa.
8. Nutrition Information
9. Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 4-ounce cod filet + 1/4 of salsa
10. Per serving: Calories: 204; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 50mg; Sodium: 220mg; Total Carbohydrate: 10g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugars: 6g; Protein: 26g
11. Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 295mg; Vitamin A: 2%; Vitamin C: 43%; Calcium: 3%; Iron: 4%

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 204
Fat: 6
Sugar: 6
Carbohydrate: 10
Fiber: 4
Protein: 26

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This was ok. Clyde loves fish, but pineapple salsa made with canned pineapple fails to inspire.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-fry

I made this with chicken I had sauteed in advance and used a green bell pepper.  It worked fine that way too. I really liked this.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Source: www.bhg.com

Course: Main Course

Total Time: 30 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 pound broccoli
• 1 yellow sweet pepper
• 1 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cups rice

Directions

1. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, cornstarch, ginger, and sesame oil. Set aside.
2. Cut flowerets from broccoli stems and separate flowerets into small pieces. Cut broccoli stems crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Cut pepper into short, thin strips.
3. In a wok or large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir broccoli stems in hot oil for 1 minute. Add broccoli flowerets and sweet pepper; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from wok; set aside.
4. Add remaining oil to wok or skillet. Add chicken; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Push chicken from center of wok. Stir sauce; pour into center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Stir together to coat. Cook and stir 1 minute more or until heated through. Serve over chow mein noodles or rice. If desired, garnish with toasted sesame seed and serve with additional hoisin sauce. Makes 4 servings, 5 cups total.
5. Calories include 1/2 cup rice per serving.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 323
Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 61 mg
Sodium: 958 mg
Sugar: 5 g
Carbohydrate: 36 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 30 g

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Fennel Risotto

Fennel Risotto

Great risotto recipe that uses fennel bulb.

Source: allrecipes.com

Course: Side Dishes

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Total Time: 45 min

Serves: 7

Makes: 7 cups

This recipe has been adjusted from the original.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 cup trimmed, diced fennel bulb
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary divided
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest divided
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups uncooked Arborio rice
• ¹⁄₂ cup dry white wine
• 3 ¹⁄₂ cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¹⁄₂ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat butter in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel, bell pepper, onion, garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon rosemary and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Saute, stirring, until vegetables are slightly softened (about 2 to 3 minutes).
2. If you have any fennel stalks, chop those into chunks and simmer in the broth for added flavor. Chicken or beef stock is fine. Also put the hard core into the broth as well. Let simmer on low while you chop all the vegetables.
3. Stir in coriander and rice and saute, stirring, until rice grains are oil-coated (about 3 minutes). Pour in wine and stock and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is tender but firm. (Note: Stir once or twice while simmering.)
4. Remove pan from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in remaining mint, parsley, rosemary and lemon zest, then add lemon juice and cheese. Cover saucepan with waxed paper and let stand 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 219
Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 8 mg
Sodium: 449 mg
Carbohydrate: 38 g
Fiber: 3
Protein: 7 g

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Baked Tilapia

Baked Tilapia

Great main dish to bulk up on protein.

Course: Main Course

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 4 oz Tilapia fillets (or 1 lb)
• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt
• ¹⁄₂ tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Arrange fillets on silicon lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the spices over each fillet.
2. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 90
Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrate: 0
Fiber: 0
Protein: 21 grams

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Salmon Casserole

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/cottage-potatoes-recipe.html
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/potato-and-salmon-casserole-102852

Salmon Casserole

This is based on a blend of two recipes. It turned out great. This is a lower fat meal, in that there is no added fat.

2.5 lbs potatoes (or blend of potatoes and sweet potatoes)
2 eggs
1 small fennel bulb (preferably with fennel hair/herb that can be removed and added to cheese mixture)
1 small onion
1 14.75 oz can wild salmon (I removed the biggest bones)
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free milk (optional--I'm not sure how necessary this is to the recipe)
1/2 cup chopped green onion

Dice potatoes (skin on) and boil for 20 minutes, or until soft.
Saute chopped fennel bulb and onion in a nonstick skillet, using oil free cooking technique (with water). Add chopped green onion last, and saute until onion and fennel are soft.

In a bowl blend cheese, eggs, and milk. Also add salt and pepper, and fennel herb if there is any. Add sauteed vegetables after they are cooked and mix in. Add cooked potatoes and then salmon, and mix.

Bake in extra large glass casserole dish--the size bigger than 9x13. perhaps 10x15? for at least 30 minutes at 400.

David really liked this, and I did too.

Thai Peanut Sauce Pasta w/chicken and vegetables

http://www.betternpeanutbutter.com/recipes.php?page=3

Thai Peanut Sauce

1/3 cup Better 'n Peanut Butter
4 tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. red curry paste (perfect for adults, but Ila refused to eat it. Try a half Tbsp next time.
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. grated ginger root
1 tsp. cornstarch
2/3 cup vegetable broth

Before you mix up the sauce, pound out a couple chicken breasts and let them cook in the skillet so they have a little crust. Flip, and then set on plates while done. 

Mix up all ingredients in sauce except broth, then slowly stir in broth at the end.

Saute onions, peppers, green onions, small cut greens (like kale), and whatever other veggie you wish after the chicken is removed from pan (on in a second skillet depending on timing). Once cooked, add the peanut sauce and let it thicken and bubble. Add chopped cilantro last.

Cut up chicken and mix into sauce/veg mixture. Serve over rotini noodles

Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

2 cups shredded leftover chicken, or pieces.
1 small napa cabbage (aka chinese cabbage)
soy sauce
2 T black bean sauce
1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce/paste
a few peanuts thrown in (I had chili-lime peanuts so it worked well)
sesame seeds
cilantro
sesame seed oil to saute chicken
green onions
garlic
ginger

Mince garlic and ginger (large clove of garlic and equal amount of ginger), saute in 1/2 tsp sesame oil. Add chicken and soy sauce (a couple tablespoons maybe?), then the other sauces, both of which are in the asian aisle. Mix it up. If you have other veg you want to add that needs to be cooked/softened, put it in.

When done with saute, add to thinly sliced napa cabbage, and mix in cilantro, chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and peanuts. Toss together in a large bowl.

I really loved this meal. DH seemed to like it too.

I also put in some spiralized gold beet, that I sauteed with the chicken, but that was just because I needed to use it up. It just took on the flavors of the dish.

Notes: The last two times I made this the flavor has been a little too strong/salty. I'm not sure which seasoning is overpowering it, so I may try a different recipe next time.

Breadcrumb Crusted Cod

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/breadcrumb_crusted_cod_for_two.html

I really enjoyed this, but David didn't give it as high a rating as I would have.

Note: If only doing 8 oz fish, make half the mayo/yogurt  mixture. It is plenty for topping before baking, and no one ever needs any later on. For a pound of fish make full recipe.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-cheesecake-recipe.html
http://www.celiac.com/articles/23415/1/Cheesecake-with-Gluten-free-Almond-Crust/Page1.html

I used the above recipes combined to create this recipe:

Crust:

¾ cup finely crushed almonds ( put 3/4 c raw almonds into food processor)
¾ cup almond meal (or almond flour)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons butter, room temperature (i used 3)

Filling:
2/3 or half can of pumpkin puree (~8oz total)
16 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp clove
2 T oat flour
1 tsp vanilla

Press crust in using bottom of pyrex measuring cup. It only went up the sides a tiny bit. I used 8 inch springform pan.

Filling ingredients should be room temperature, especially cream cheese. Follow instructions on Paula Deen recipe.

Put pan of water in lower rack. Put cheesecake on rack above it and bake 50 minutes.

Dirty Rice II

https://www.pauladeen.com/recipe/dirty-rice/

Dirty Rice II

This recipe uses equal parts sausage and chicken liver, and I really enjoyed it. I made something a while ago with all liver and no other meat, and regretted it. This is a good recipe to make in order to get more liver into my diet.

I doubled the vegetables, sauteed them first in a little oil. Then I added sausage, and then minced liver near the end.  Also added cajun seasoning. I cooked 2 cups of dry brown basmati rice in the pressure cooker (15 minutes) with 3 cups water, but next time will use broth.

Black bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Black bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

I made this recipe but added some pork I had leftover from another dish. It was great! It worked well with Aldi GF tortillas. I squeezed 7 full tortillas into a 9x13 pan. I also put shredded cheese on top after I took it out of the oven, but you could do it before you put it in. Then served it with sour cream and avocado. The avocado wasn't really necessary. This is another good leftover sweet potato meal after making sweet potato noodles using the spiral slicer.

Lengua Tacos (tongue)

It took me over a year, but I finally used the beef tongue that came with the rest of the cow quarter I purchased. I used this recipe http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beef_tacos_de_lengua/

But instead of frying the slices at the end, i cut it up in the smaller pieces and fried the small pieces. I probably did it too long, but when I finally turned off the heat, the meat was rendered completely into crunchy chunks. It was a nice texture for tacos, so at least it wasn't mushy as I hear tongue often described.

I served it with queso fresco, red onion, avocado, tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream. I had corn tortillas and dh and kids had flour.

Paleo Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese frosting

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2015/09/the-best-birthday-present-ever-a-sale/
Paleo Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese frosting

I am sad to say this was not so great. I made it for Clyde's birthday cake. I'm not sure what went wrong, but I would not make this again. I only used 8 oz of cream cheese, but it seriously needed to be blended with something else, like butter or cream. I really don't like it on its own, even if it does have maple syrup in it. The sweetness is too little to notice for me anyway. I used regular pitted dates for this too, not medjool (it doesn't call for medjool, I'm just recording what I did.) I think I'd try the elana's pantry recipe next if I want another carrot cake someday.

Cabbage Carrot Casserole

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/228366/cabbage-carrot-casserole/

Cabbage Carrot Casserole

this was great.

Eggroll in a bowl / Cabbage and pork

http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/2014/07/eggroll-in-bowl.html

I put in much less soy sauce than called for, and added pinto beans  and halved the meat (since I only had 1/2 lb. It was good. I served it with rice. Ila ate only rice, and Clyde ate nothing at all though:)

Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

This is from Meals Made Simple, p152. The filling is fantastic. This is a great way to use up the leftover sweet potato bits after spiralizing for the arrabbiata recipe. You can just make the filling and serve it with tortillas and avocado.  That is more kid friendly and faster too, when needed.

Sausage and Peppers Arrabbiata

This is on p156 of Meals Made Simple. I adore this recipe. It also makes a large amount, enough to feed our family plus leftovers for 4 lunches for me. I used mild sausage and 1/4 tsp of red pepper.

Ground beef and potatoes

http://www.food.com/recipe/ground-beef-and-potatoes-oh-so-simple-282620

This was easy and delicious. I added some veggies too. David loved it especially.

Potato Pancakes

1 egg
1 med/small potato
1 tbsp almond butter
Salt

Put all in high speed blender. Or, grate potato and then use stick blender to make smooth with the rest of the ingredients.
Cook like regular pancakes and eat with applesauce on top.

Serves 1.

Update: this didn't cook all the way the second time I made it. Maybe it needs some flour after all. Try this next with a suitable Paleo flour. http://stephaniehenkel.hubpages.com/hub/Potato-Pancakes-Like-Mother-Used-to-Make-Only-Easier

Update 2: I followed the recipe linked in the previous update, and it didn't work any better. I used oat flour, and plenty of beef tallow for frying. It didn't cook the middle of the pancakes any better. I think I just have to grate the potato and squeeze it out like in standard recipes in order to have it cook well.

Paleo Lemon Cookies

http://empoweredsustenance.com/paleo-lemon-cookies/

I made these and they were good. It would have been even better if I'd bothered with the icing.

Sausage Casserole

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sausage-Casserole/Detail.aspx?evt19=1&referringHubId=672&mxt=t06dda
Egg and Sausage Casserole

Recipe based on above link, but I made alterations:

1 lb ground pork sausage
8 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
4 cups shredded hashbrowns (thawed)
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
8 oz mild cheddar, shredded
16 oz container small curd cottage cheese
salt, pepper, and 1 tsp ground sage (or alternate fresh/whole)

Mix hashbrowns and melted butter, pat into bottom of 9x13 casserole dish.
Put directly into hot oven @ 375F.

While that is in the oven, chop up and then saute onion and bell pepper in a little oil until soft and pepper has lost some of its moisture. Then add pork sausage and brown it in the same pan.
While browning pork, mix in large separate bowl the cheddar, cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and sage.
Once sausage is cooked, pour off any extra grease. Then mix the sausage/onion/pepper into the cheese/eggs mixture.

Take the dish out of the oven. Pour mixture over potato crust. Then put back into oven for 40 minutes, or until eggs are fully set and top is golden. (pre-bake time approx 30 minutes)

Barbeque Chicken

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/barbeque-chicken-2/?mxt=t06dda

I roughly followed the method outlined in this recipe for cooking.  I filled up a cookie sheet with 11 legs and 11 thighs. I basted bbq sauce on before covering with tin foil. It was 1h20 minutes total baking time (20 minutes at 500, or nearly 500, and 1 hr at 300), plus two 4 minute high broil sessions after basting on more bbq sauce twice. I used the sauce recipe from the Nourish cookbook.  After the baking session, I poured off excess liquid before basting on sauce.

Grilled Thai Beef Skewers

Grilled Thai Beef Skewers from Nourish cookbook (by Rachael Bryant), p 49.

I made these in the oven and they were great. We didn't have any leftovers though, so it needs to be paired with a side dish. The thai curry recipe took a little bit of time to make, but I made a double recipe and can freeze it for later use.

Autoimmune Protocol + meal plan critique

This is not going to be a normal post. It is all about food though, so I will post it here and not on my other blog. The last 4 weeks I have followed the autoimmune protocol. To make it easier to start, I bought a meal plan that I followed exactly for most of the time. It was called 28 Days of AIP.

This was immensely helpful. It was totally worth buying. However, there were some issues with it (and spelling errors). It is designed to feed 2 people, so recipes usually have 4 servings. She builds her recipes around 1/4 lb of protein per person. That's a fine amount, but there were times when she oversimplified. For example, 1/4 lb of chicken wings is not enough for a serving. That is only a single wing. That was the very first dinner I made, and thankfully I realized I needed to buy more so we weren't all hungry. Also--she often says to buy 1 lb of sardines (pantry list), but she really means 4 tins of sardines in olive oil that are 3.75 oz each. Stuff like that.
There were no instructions for batch cooking. There were some weeks where you made chicken like 3 or 4 times, but it did not give a heads up that you could make it all at once. I tried to study the meal plans and look at all the recipes before shopping, but I still had issues.
Also, many of her salad recipes call for 2-3 times the amount of dressing you need. I foolishly mixed up everything to realize I had a salad with a cup of dressing left afterward. So keep that in mind with her salad recipes. Some of the salads also call for a random meat to make it a complete meal, but those random meats are not on the shopping lists. Also in week one there should have been 2 more cups of broth on the shop list.

There were a few meals that were pretty terrible, which is so discouraging when its all there is to eat.
This is my terrible list:
green smoothie (it is fine without the avocado, and with loosely packed greens. I put in 2 cups packed and it was horrid)
Nomato sauce (this may have been worse because I used vidalia onions instead of yellow, so was over sweet)
Root Vegetable Stew
Thai Whitefish Curry

Weird:
Sweet Potato, Artichoke, and Bacon soup

Did not make:
Pineapple Chili
Savory Plaintain Soup
--these were toward the end of the meal plan when I stopped making things that looked sweet or strange. There were times when I went hungry because I didn't want to eat the food, so I became more cautious.

Fantastic (or good):
Spiced Chicken Wings
Ranch Dip
Sausage and Apple stir-fry
Hawaiian Burgers
Spiced Sweet Potato Fries
Chicken Waldorf Salad
Strawberry-basil salad
Thai coconut soup (w/chicken added)
Veggie Delight Salad (w/o pickles though)
Spicy Coconut Whitefish
Five-Veggie Stir-fry
Moroccan Stew (more good than fantastic. i added pureed cauliflower to this too).
Apple Avocado Salad (Dressing is great too--but makes way too much)

The rest of the food was fine and does not stick out in my memory. I was not able to make every side dish, but I did make most of them. These recipes are all on the Clean Plate website. http://www.acleanplate.com/

Also, a word on her liverwurst and Kidney Stew recipes--I really can't stand organ meat. I made the food, and I ate it with my nose plugged. I really can't judge how good they were since I am not an organ meat fan. I think the stew would have been great if it had been regular stew meat. I liked the celeriac and collard greens in it.

I will stay on AIP, but make my own meal plans now, since I realize how valuable they are. I purchased Nourish, which I am thrilled about, and will use that as the base for meal plans.

Paleo Stroganoff

Paleo Stroganoff from Frugal paleo cookbook. https://books.google.com/books?id=DfyyAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT20&lpg=PT20&dq=stroganoff+%22frugal+paleo%22&source=bl&ots=VJ14agZg7K&sig=CTO4E4d0YCSxrawFFLZAJ7hRN4c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=cjqQVab8EITYoATVn4XwDQ&ved=0CFAQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=stroganoff%20%22frugal%20paleo%22&f=false

I really enjoyed this. I wish I'd written it down but I'll have to get it again from the library!

Paleo Apple Crisp [almost-AIP]

http://thecuriouscoconut.com/blog/autoimmune-paleo-apple-crisp
Paleo Apple Crisp

This turned out really good. I used 1.5 lbs of green apples. I did not have the brand of coconut butter she specifies, but I did have Lets do organic Creamed Coconut which is coconut butter-like. The recipe worked well in my 2 qt casserole dish. I wanted to eat all the leftovers but I was sooo full I couldn't believe it. I think the coconut in it makes it more filling.

Update: I found out sucanat is not strict AIP legal. So the topping would be less crunchy with maple syrup sweetener I believe, but maybe the recipe is still worth another try.

Green Plantain Pancakes -egg free [AIP]

http://thecuriouscoconut.com/blog/egg-free-green-plantain-pancakes-autoimmune-paleo
Green Plantain Pancakes

These made 8 pancakes, not quite enough for our family of four. I should do 1.5x or 2x recipe next time. I only had 3 T of gelatin instead of 4, and the pancakes seemed to work just fine. It did have the gooey middle mentioned in the recipe, but that didn't seem to bother anyone.

Chocolate Cake

https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=184&name=HERSHEY%27S-PERFECTLY-CHOCOLATE-Chocolate-Cake
Chocolate Cake

I made this and the frosting for David's birthday. I added a drained can of tart cherries too. I wasn't able to eat any of it, but everyone seemed to like it well enough.

Homemade Strawberry Yogurt II (or any fresh fruit)

http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/how-to-make-fresh-fruit-flavored-yogurt/
http://eurocuisine.net/recipes.php?recipe_id=5&fc_id=1
http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/family-recipes/reader-question-how-much-starter-do-you-really-need-to-make-yogurt

I used the recipe linked first as the base idea, but that recipe is similar to the second link. The third link is just a great troubleshooting site so I link it for future reference.

This recipe worked.  I measured an overflowing 1 cup of frozen strawberries and 2.5 T sugar, and cooked it down in ~1 cup water until it was thick and not much liquid. I did use a stick blender to blend the strawberry leftovers, but I'm wondering now if it would work better without the fibrous part. There is a recipe online that strains strawberries so I may try that trick sometime. I don't like to waste any fruit though so I will tinker with other stuff first.

I mixed it into the 1 quart scalded (normally to 180, but this batch I accidentally heated to 205) and cooled milk just after I added 3 T of plain yogurt starter. I also sprinkled some gelatin on the top and whipped it in. I didn't measure it, next time I will. I would do 1 tsp per pint since that worked when I made plain yogurt before.  Then pour it into glass jars and incubate. I did it for 10 hours, but David says it wasn't as tart as the TJ kind. Maybe I will try it for 12 hours next time.

This will make about 2.5 pints.

It turned out pretty well, except it is definitely grainy and has extra liquid separating from it. I think I didn't use nearly enough gelatin. The grainy part looks like the first pic in the 3rd picture set from the 3rd link at the top. Based on that picture, I may have used too much starter too. So I will experiment more and see.

But Ila liked it and ate it, and David says it is less sweet than the trader joes kind so that was my goal. It was not runny but not as thick as I wanted so more gelatin is needed.

Update: I made this again with 2 teaspoons of gelatin soaked over 1 quart milk, prior to heating to 180. The texture of the final yogurt was perfect. I think it needs more strawberry flavor though, so next time will add 2 heaping cups instead of 1 heaping cup of frozen strawberries. ALso, I cooked it 13 hours and it a little too tart. I think I will do 10 hours next time. Also, this time I used only 1 tsp of starter --plain lowfat anderson erickson yogurt, stirred into milk mixture after it cooled. I think that was a good change too. So for next time, do this:

1 tsp starter yogurt

2 heaping cups strawberries

2.5 T sugar

1 qt whole milk

2 tsp gelatin

let go for 10 hours

9/30/15: I made the changes I recommended, but the texture turned out even more grainy. More fruit only made it more grainy. Next time I will strain out the fruit while following the same steps otherwise, and see if that works better. The fruit syrup left behind should be boiled down as small as possible.

Strawberry Yogurt

http://be-it-ever-so-humble.blogspot.com/2012/06/how-to-flavor-homemade-yogurt.html

This did NOT work. I did everything it said. My strawberries were thawed, but the water would have been present whether thawed or not.  I am really bummed. Now I have a bunch of strawberry yogurt drink that kids won't eat.

I should say, that it was fine and made plain yogurt, but it did not set up in the fridge after adding the fruit and other extras.

Paleo Pad Thai

http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/05/08/paleo-pad-thai/
Paley Pad Thai

I adored this dinner. Love. I doubled the egg portion (and the thing mixed in it), and used 4 chicken thighs, and a whole sweet onion. I cooked them over 4/10 heat slowly over almost an hour. I had to put the lid on for the last 20 since they were still red next to bone. That made a nice texture to the chicken. Also, I baked spaghetti squash for 40 minutes on a small half, and 50 min. on the larger half (see this http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2008/09/30/eat-your-vegetables-spaghetti-squash/)

Also, I used peanut butter in the sauce. It was great, and there was more than enough for us all. I would add more snap peas next time. Use a 10 inch skillet for the eggs. A 12 inch was too big.

Green Plantain Pancakes

http://www.thepaleomom.com/2012/09/perfect-paleo-pancakes.html

I had some old green plantains that I'd put in the fridge at least 3 weeks back. They must have been a little riper than I thought, since these pancakes turned out sweeter than expected, but they were so fantastic. Now I know how to use up old plantains. This was barely enough for us (2 adults 1 little kids) with a vegetable and sausage patties on the side. They are light and fluffy, more so than other pancakes I make. They should be cooked at a little lower temp for longer time though, since the insides cook a little more slowly than regular pancakes.

Mayonnaise

This is the 3rd time I have tried to make it with a stick blender and it finally worked this time! yeah!
I did it just like this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3xx8Bpau0E

I used 1 tsp white vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp dijon mustard, and 3/4 cup cold pressed sunflower seed oil (very low PUFAs), and 1 room temp whole egg.  I buy pasteurized eggs for this so david doesn't worry about it. This recipe is from my Meals Made Simple cookbook.

If it doesn't work and you have to save it, just add an egg yolk to a bowl and slowly whip it while drizzling wrecked solution into it. It will save it, but the old fashioned way.

Deviled Eggs IV

This is how I like to make deviled eggs now. I use homemade mayo for it.

approx for 12 hard boiled eggs, add to yolks:

1-2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 T sweet mustard (a squirt, really)
1/2 - 1 tsp horseradish
1/2 cup mayo
salt

paprika on top

I've made this so many times now I can finally do it "to taste" and it works well. I just mash with a fork and spoon into the whites. It is easiest.

Makes 24 deviled eggs.

Calories are 130 for 2 deviled eggs. With miracle whip it would be 97 calories.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/garbanzo-bean-chocolate-cake-gluten-free/

I made this with a regular size can of beans. I did not have choc chips so subbed 1/3 c cocoa and 1/4 c coconut oil instead. This DEFINITELY needs frosting. I made some but it was too sugary. A more creamy frosting would work better than sugary icing.  The icing I made was  with a little soy milk (2-4 T) and palm shortening (3 T), and cocoa and powdered sugar(2+ cups? did not measure) (too much). Next time use more shortening and less sugar.

Also I made this in muffin cups and the paper does not peel off well. It tasted best after being chilled a little.

Pesto Pasta

This is one of my favorite quick meals.

Boil or saute 2 chicken breasts, then chop up. Also boil 1/2 lb rotini pasta. If gluten free, make sure to use 3 quarts of water in a 5 quart pot and stir a lot at the beginning so it doesn't stick together. When done, add pesto, a can of corn, toasted pine nuts, and avocado. Or, add chopped sundried tomatoes (drained). Any additions are fine. Use ~1/3-1/2 cup pesto.

Gluten Free Crepes

http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/gluten-free-crepes-xanthan-gum-free/
Gluten free crepes

I made 1/3 of this recipe. I used cashew milk and the result was too thick, so I added extra. It made 5 crepes. They were great.

Sugar Free Nutella

https://iquitsugar.com/recipe/sugar-free-nut-ella/

Sugar Free Nutella

This turned out great. I would make only half next time. The full recipe makes over 1.5 cups. I used dry roasted unsalted hazelnuts from trader joes, and the skins were mostly gone so there was no need to roast and remove skin. We ate it on crepes.

Note: the link is different from the book which is where I made it the first time. The ingredients on the website are correct except it should be 1/3 cup brown rice syrup. Using only 1 T is not enough. You need more to counter the bitterness of the nuts.

Biscuits and Gravy (gf/df)

Semi based on this: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/06/quick-easy-drop-biscuits-recipe.html

I used coconut oil in place of butter, 8 oz of gluten free flour and 3/4 cup of soy milk. The flours I used were not measured individually, so this is approximate: 2 oz sorgham, 2 oz buckwheat, 1 oz tapioca flour, 1 oz almond flour, 1 oz millet flour, and I can't remember another--perhaps the add .3 oz to the first 3 listed.

Anyway, I baked it 20 minutes and they were good. I think it was done after 15 but it crisp on the bottom after 20.

For the gravy, I used 1/2 lb ground pork sausage, 2 cups cashew milk, 1 cup water, 2 T tapioca starch, and salt and pepper plus some green garlic I had. The cashew milk is from the recipe on my blog. Also I added 2-3 tbsp lard. It was really tasty. Ila loved it, and even wanted leftovers when I was eating them for lunch the next day. The tapioca starch could be switched for a different starch. It does have a strange gumming effect, but it was tasty and smooth anyway.

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart / Instructions for mini tarts

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/strawberry_mascarpone_tart/

I used my mini tarts (3 inch diameter at top) to make these for a baby shower. I made 18 tarts using a double crust recipe, and a single recipe for the tart filling seen above. I used all the cream filling, but had some leftover strawberries I couldn't fit into the tarts. Also, I had some crust leftover. I added 1 tablespoon sugar to my regular recipe for double crust, and the sweetness was just right.
I whipped 4 oz cream and mixed it with 8 oz mascarpone for the cream (along with other additions) and it worked well. Make sure to spread syrup when it is very hot, don't let it cool or it is too hard to spread well.

If you want a dozen tarts, a single recipe for 9 inch crust should be just enough. You will definitely have extra strawberries, so using 1 lb or 1.5 lb may be sufficient.

Six of the tarts I used a muffin tin to set them. For those I cut out large circles using a round tupperware container, with a diameter of nearly 5 inches.

Beanie Weenie

Beanie Weenie

1 lb polish sausage

greens, or celery (including celery leaves). Saute this with 1 tsp red palm oil. 

~30 oz can Pork & Beans

Get celery sauteing in red palm oil. The strong flavor is masked in this dish, so I like to use it since it is a good vit e source. If using greens of some kind, they can be put in at the same time as sausage.

Slice sausage in half longwise, then sliced into cross sections. Add after a few minutes.

When sausage/celery looks browned enough, add pork and beans and saute another 5-8 minutes until thickened.

Serve with a veggie side dish!

Beanie Weenie

http://lrhrecipes.blogspot.com/2015/04/beanie-weenie.html
Remember to use turkey kielbasa for accurate calories

Source: www.myfitnesspal.com

Course: Main Course

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup(s), Celery raw
• 2 container (1 4/5 cup, (130g) ea.) Pork & Beans In Tomato Sauce
• 1 container (14 oz ea.) Lean Turkey Polska Kielbasa

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 383
Fat: 11
Sugar: 11
Carbohydrate: 50
Protein: 25

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Soaked Teff and Millet Bread

http://glutenfreedairyfreerecipes.com/whole-grain-gluten-free-sandwich-bread/
Soaked Teff and Millet Bread

I was really excited about this bread. I made it and though it wasn't as fallen as in the picture, the flavor of the bread was very strong and didn't appeal to me. I made the substituions mentioned in the recipe, adding 2 tsp soda instead of yeast and also subbing psyllium husk for xanthum gum. It was very crumbly, impossible to toast or do anything with. I ended up eating most of it sliced and microwaved with jam on top. I will not make this again.

Cashew Milk

http://againstallgrain.com/2015/01/17/cashew-milk-recipe/
Cashew Milk

I've made this twice, and the first time the cashews were too grainy because I didn't blend enough. This time, I followed the directions in the Against All grain recipe and blended it for 30 seconds on low and then 90 seconds on high (speed 10). This resulted in a good blend with a lot less graininess. Also, I added 4 cups of water instead of 3 cups, as recommended here: http://www.blendtec.com/recipes/cashew-milk, and I like the consistency with 4 cups of water. I actually blended it with 3 cups and then once it was smooth, I added the rest and blended it a bit more. I added 2 tsp of honey as recommended.

No-Cook Chocolate Pudding

No-Cook Chocolate Pudding, p 268 Meals Made Simple.

This is good if you have a long chill time. It is good pudding after 6 hrs, but if you have overnight or more then it is a quite thick and more mousse or cheesecake like, which I like a lot. This does taste like chia seeds though. I weighed medjool dates and it took 6 of them to equal the weight needed for the recipe.

Homemade Yogurt

I made yogurt in my instant pot when I'd run out of regular (except for 3 T that I used as a starter.)

For one pint:

Let 2 cups milk come to 180 degrees on stove. Turn off heat, then whisk in 1 tsp gelatin. Let cool to 110 (or so) and stir in 4 T leftover yogurt (it worked with 3T).

Pour into pint jar and put into instant pot on yogurt setting. Mine went for about 11 hours and it turned out perfect. I think 8-12 is the recommendation, up to 24 at most.

Just double all values for 1 quart (which will use 1/2 cup yogurt as starter).

slow cooker sesame-orange chicken

slow cooker sesame-orange chicken from page 130 of Against All Grain.

This recipe was so so so good. I loved it. And it worked perfectly in my instant pot (on low). This is one to make frequently!

Notes: this is great also if you substitute the honey with 2-3 TBSP of Swerve.

Poblano & Chorizo Polenta (or Grits)

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/06/roasted-poblano-grits-with-chorizo/
Poblano & Chorizo Polenta (or Grits)

I used Bob's Red Mill Grits for this recipe. I used light coconut milk from Trader Joes in place of the milk, and the sweetness was a great contrast to the spiciness of the poblanos. (This brand of coconut milk is my new favorite since there is no thickeners added, and for many applications light coconut milk is perfectly adequate, especially when directly substituting for cows milk. It is also only a dollar per can, compared to $2.50!). I also mixed coconut oil into the finished polenta in place of butter.

I cooked a whole pound of bulk chorizo (from Hy-vee butchery) and we served it on the side, not mixed it. David liked being able to mix it in various ratios according to his likes.

Finally I served it with a ripe avocado that I sliced. And David put shredded cheese on his. But we all loved the meal. LOVED.

Banana Muffins

http://minimalistbaker.com/banana-almond-meal-muffins-gluten-free-vegan-optional/
Banana Muffins

These are good. I only used 1 T of brown rice syrup, and should really leave it out totally. I spread this over 12 muffins and it did need 25 minutes in the oven.

Miso Salad Dressing

http://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe/295
Miso Salad Dressing

This is my new favorite dressing. I love it. It is slightly sweet, but not too sweet for David. I love the sweet since it makes me want to eat more salad! I followed the recipe exactly. I did not measure the honey however--it may have been a little less than 1 tsp. Also, I don't think this needs extra salt. I did add a little pepper though.

This is my first time using miso. I used the trader joes brand. I am interested in finding other uses.

Sauerkraut II

http://wellnessmama.com/663/homemade-sauerkraut/

For this sauerkraut batch I bought a small organic cabbage head weighing 2.35 lbs. After taking off outer leaf and the core, it was 2 lbs, and I was able to fit it into my 1 liter fido jar. I added a little less than 1.5 Tbsp sea salt (I used Real Salt, no iodine added). I hand sliced it and then added salt and ~ 1 tsp caraway seeds. After letting it sit for around an hour in a large bowl, and tossing it whenever I happened to walk by, I pounded it with a meat tenderizer for a little bit.  It had reduced in volume and easily produced enough juice to be packed into this jar and be submerged in its own liquid. I did fold up the outer leaf to help keep floaters down. I did not add any whey or any other thing, as I wanted to do this *wild*. I plan to let it go at least 4 weeks. I put it under a towel so it will be in the dark.

Day 2: I pounded it a little more, and let out some air. Sandor Katz's recipe suggests doing more pounding up to 24 hrs in, since the cabbage continues to release more liquid.

Korean Beef Noodle Bowls

Korean Beef Noodle Bowls p 184 Against All Grain

This was a bit too watery. The zucchini didn't really dry out much or lose much water during the salting phase. I think it would be good with half zucchini half vermicelli noodles. David  liked it as is, but I thought there was too much zucchini. Also it is plenty spicy with only a light sprinkle of red pepper flakes. I probably put 1/8 or 1/4 tsp in in stead of 1 whole.

Maple, Orange, Chipotle Sweet Potato Crisp

Maple, Orange, Chipotle Sweet Potato Crisp. This recipe is from Primal Cravings, p 167.

David really liked this. He thinks it would be great for a side on Thanksgiving. He generally does not like sweet potatoes or yams that much, but this recipe he liked a lot because of all the interesting flavors. I made it exactly as written.

Banana Bread: Against All Grain

http://allfueledup.blogspot.com/2013/08/against-all-grains-banana-bread.html
This is from the Against All Grain cookbook.

In the above link it says in the comments how the bread can appear when undercooked. I think mine was undercooked, and it was quite wet, even though the toothpick came out dry. The middle looked a little under, but I trusted the toothpick. Next time, don't trust the toothpick! Let it go at least 50 minutes. Also, I may have put in a little less coconut flour than called for, and I know that can make a difference. Also I mixed it by hand, and so next time I will use a hand beater.

I think this recipe will turn out better next time. I subbed 1 T brown rice syrup for the 3 T honey and it was plenty sweet. It probably did not need any sweetener.

Creamy Chicken Soup

http://meatified.com/creamy-chicken-soup-aip/
Creamy Chicken Soup

I love this soup. I think it a great way to use up leftover cauliflower, which is what I had after making the Chicken Rice Casserole. I did add about 1/3 cup of coconut milk to make it even creamier. The bone broth I had was made mostly from chicken parts so it tasted very chickeny and yummy!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

 Chicken and Rice Casserole, from Meals Made Simple, p 140.

This was so fantastic. It did take me about an hour to do prep, but I can be much more efficient I'm sure. It is worth making frequently. Both kids liked it, and David and I loved it.

Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made the Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Primal Cravings.

I think I ruined the recipe, since I replaced the butter with palm shortening, and the sugar with sucanat. It did not mix up like it was supposed to, and I had to add twice the water it called for. They did cook up and look normal, but they had a strange flavor and I'm not sure if its the sucanat or the flours in the recipe. I think with my diary-free restrictions this is not the best recipe for me, since it is designed around using butter, which has a particular moisture content that does not compare to the replacements.

Hummus II

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/hummus-recipe.html

I only used 1/4 cup tahini in this. I think there was too much garlic and lemon in this recipe. I prefer less kick and more smoothness. I have an old hummus recipe on here from 2010. I will try that next since I liked it before and it has less garlic and lemon. Maybe I will like it again!

Cowboy Hashbrown Skillet

Cowboy Hashbrown Skillet from the Primal Cravings cookbook p 62.

I tried to make this in my enameled le creuset skillet but it always tends to burn things, so this was a little burnt too. However, I still enjoyed it a lot. David said he would rather it have potato than plantains. He likes plantains a lot, but he thought they weren't detectable in the dish because of the strong flavor of the chorizo. So I'll make this again with potatoes, but I'll need to squeeze them out since they are quite wet compared to plantains.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies St. Patricks Day style

http://againstallgrain.com/2013/03/15/cinnamon-oatmeal-raisin-cookies-st-patricks-day-style
Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies St. Patricks Day style

These turned out great. I used sweetened sunbutter I got from Trader Joes, so I left out the honey to compensate. Also only used 5 dates since they were hefty medjool ones. They were great! I made them in the morning and by dinner they were a very dark green. Success!

Meatloaf Meatballs

Meatloaf Meatballs from p 148 of Meals Made Simple.

These are great. They were very loose but still managed to hold together enough to flip and cook. Mine needed 25 minutes, but they were a little large I think. I also used pork sausage since I didn't have ground pork,and that made them a little bit more fatty than they should have been. As they baked a lot of oil came out, but they were still great. I made them with coconut flour.

The sauce was good. I used brown rice syrup instead of honey. The sweetness level was perfect, and I think the recipe was supposed to be like homemade ketchup (with a bit of mustard). It was great! I did use tomato puree in it, which I had never bought before. I've read that strained or crushed tomatoes would be equivalent to puree.

We ate these with rice and corn, but the rice is really not necessary. These really are like meatloaf and stand on their own.

German Apple Pancakes Grain free

http://www.riddlelove.com/2014/11/grain-free-german-apple-pancakes-recipe.html

German Apple Pancakes Grain free

These did not turn out well. It was mostly soggy and didn't puff or anything. The apples on top were good, but everything else was soggy. Nobody liked it except Clyde (my 1 year old). I used "So Delicious Coconut Beverage" as the milk for it.

update: these are much better as cold leftovers. The soggyness is much less pronounced. I'm interested in finding a coconut flour muffin recipe that is good for snacks, (i.e. unsweetened or with 1 T only)

Gluten free dairy free pie crust

https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/143974/gluten-free-pie-crust-with-libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie-filling/?recipeFoodType=100-pure-pumpkin~pies-tarts

This crust rolled out well. I mixed it up in my food processor, and needed and extra 2-4 T of water. I used lard instead of butter, so that might have altered the water content too since its dryer than butter I think.

This made two crusts. They were great for gluten free, but not as good as real wheat crust of course. They were a little thin, but they still worked well. These would be great for a double crusted pie too. I used this for a pumpkin pie and it worked great. I made the pie dairy free by subbing coconut milk for evaporated milk.

Vegan Cheesecake 1

http://minimalistbaker.com/7-ingredient-vegan-cheesecakes/
Vegan Cheesecake

I had just over a cup of cashews, so did not have quite enough. Also I did not have dates, so I added 3 T of brown rice syrup to the walnuts and that worked fine. Also, I used brown rice syrup instead of agave. And I used coconut cream instead of coconut milk. These were hard to pop out, and get soft very quickly.

This was good, but I think the coconut made it a little richer and softer than I prefer. The next time I make this it will be a coconut milk/cream free version.

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

http://www.accesshollywood.com/grain-free-recipes-for-the-whole-family_article_98913
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

This was really good. It is in the Meals Made Simple cookbook p. 166. The yellow squash has a lot of seeds in it, so I wasn't able to julienne as much as the spiral slicer would have done. I may buy one of those someday.

Pot Roast in the Crock Pot

My Instant Pot *low* function cooks a little too low, unfortunately. I'm glad I kept my old 6 quart crockpot, as it can hold more and does better at sensitive slow cooker stuff.

I had two 2-lb chuck roasts and wanted to do them both at once. I used this recipe as a guide (http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-best-chuck-roast-356560) but did not add the mushroom soup since it has wheat & dairy. I put in a few yukon gold potatoes and some carrots, and onion and celery too. I may have put in a small amount of cabbage, I forget. I put all that on the bottom and then put the meat on top. I did sear the meat, and then the two roasts were slightly overlapped since they were bigger. I think I added coconut milk to this to replace the mushroom soup, and it turned out fantastic. I couldn't taste any coconut, but it was the best pot roast I've had in a long time. I served it to the Parkers and there wasn't anything left at the end of the meal.

Next time I would like to add mushrooms too.

Gluten Free Banana Bread

http://minimalistbaker.com/one-bowl-gluten-free-banana-bread/

Gluten Free Banana Bread

This is a great recipe. I used coconut milk instead of milk, and did not add the sugars. I used bob's red mill gf flour blend since I had it on hand. Also used trader joes almond meal. And old fashioned oats. This is very good, and is sweet enough without the sugar.
David thought it had too much baking powder that added a bitter taste, and that it was too dense.

Spanakopita Soup

Spanakopita Soup p 89 from Primal Cravings.

I did not like this at all. There was way too much spinach for my tastes, and I don't like lamb served this way as there are no strong flavors to counter the lamb flavor. David liked it a lot though.

Shredded Tenderloin Pork

I had 5.5 lbs of tenderloin pork, 3 roasts worth. I seared them with onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 T cumin, 1 T oregano, and olive oil. Then I pressure cooked for 70 minutes. It was partially frozen initially, so if thawed I would subtract 20 minutes or something. It wasn't very flavorful on its own, but with tostadas and other toppings it worked fine. It shredded easily, but didn't have the same flavor as a pork butt because it was so lean. I prefer the pork butt/shoulder for shredded pork.

Moo Shu Cabbage Cups

Moo Shu Cabbage Cups from Primal Cravings Cookbook, p. 90.

This was great in a tortilla. I did not bother with cabbage cups, but I did chop up and saute some cabbage to go with it. It was very good, we all loved it. It makes a great filling. Although I must say it tastes nothing like the Moo Shu Pork I remember from chinese restaurants. Those had a sweet plum sauce. I might try and add that sometime.

Caramelized Coconut Chips

Caramelized Coconut Chips from Well Fed cookbook, p 153.

This was pretty yummy and quick. It is quite salty, just like popcorn. I may use less salt and more cinnamon next time to see if it is more of a sweet treat next time. I was satisfied after a few bites too, there is more than half of it left.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole

From Against All Grain/Meals made simple cookbook, p. 62.

Use more potatoes, fewer eggs. I had to put it under the broiler at the end since the top wasn't cooked in my instantpot. Also, I did it on medium for 6 hours. It may cook faster in a standard crockpot that has a wider base. David thought it was bland and he missed the cheese. I used ground pork intead of sausage because that's what I had, so next time I should get some italian sausage and add in more seasonings. I also used regular unpeeled potatoes instead of sweet.

I thought this was yummy and a nice change on standard crockpot dinners of x over rice or soup.

Creamy Pesto Pasta

http://againstallgrain.com/2012/03/31/springtime-creamy-pesto-pasta/
Creamy Pesto Pasta

This was really good. The zucchini was time consuming to prepare with my julienne slicer, but the end product was good. I used more basil than the recipe called for, but not a ton more. I would make this again for sure. Might try rice pasta next time. I used hot dogs instead of prosciutto.

The cashew based sauce was great. I am dairy-free now and so am glad to have an alfredo type option.

Poached Salmon

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/poached_salmon/
Poached Salmon

This was quick but I did not care for the soggy consistency of the skin. I prefer the skin to be crispy, so this isn't my favorite method. I ate it with homemade mayo on top though and it was a great topping.

Chicken Enchilada Empanadas

Primal Cravings cookbook p 108, Chicken Enchilada Empanadas

These were really good. It took almost 90 minutes to make dinner though, so I won't be doing it too often. Also I really don't like goat cheese, and I ended up picking it out of the ones I ate. But it turned out well. I used 2 silpats and a flat plate to squish the dough into flat rounds. Also I should have covered the dough since it got kinda dried out and didn't roll out as easily by the second half. Also, I could only fir 6 empanadas on the baking sheet so I did two rounds of baking. The second batch was ready after dinner, but we didn't need them anyway. So next time I might try to do two small sheets instead of one large one.

Thai Beef Stew

http://againstallgrain.com/2014/07/07/crockpot-paleo-thai-stew/
Crockpot Thai Beef Stew

I used a different red curry paste, and this was good. (it was actually a blend of two). I used only about 3 oz of it because I know from experience the one linked in the original recipe is extremely mild. I served it over rice.

Microwave Hummus

http://minimalistbaker.com/best-ever-5-minute-microwave-hummus/

This is quite thick, but good. There is a lot of tahini, which makes this more strong flavored.

Fried Rice

I did it in the style of this website: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/12/cambridge-fried-rice/

I used parsnip, green onion, carrot, and celery. It was great. I sliced them in the food processor. I had some mild sausage so used that, but it turned out to be more spicy than I anticipated. I also added soy sauce and sesame oil to the vegetables as they were cooking, and turmeric to the rice as it fried in coconut oil. Having a wok is so nice to make stuff like this that needs a large volume. I put all the cooked food into another bowl as they were completed like the recipe shows. Then I mixed all together at the end. Next time try it with plain ground pork or other meat that is not seasoned.

5/2017: This works well with quinoa too, if the quinoa is not soggy.