Sweet Potato Cheese Dip

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! It felt so nice to have some time off and see my family:

Sister-brother bonding time

Since my family eats at home for Thanksgiving, we have LOTS of leftovers each year. My favorite food to eat? Sweet potatoes! And with so much leftover sweet potatoes, I enjoy making this each year!

Sweet Potato Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups of roasted and puréed sweet potatoes

1 and 1/2 cups water

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp ghee

1/2 tbsp brown mustard

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a pot and cook over medium-low heat until hot all through. Serve.

 

 

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Artichoke and Lemongrass Sauce over Summer Squash Noodles

One last summer recipe before the start of fall recipes! Since fall doesn’t officially begin until next week, I feel that I’m still within reason to post a recipe with summer squash in it 🙂

Artichoke and Lemongrass Sauce over Summer Squash Noodles

Ingredients:

1 summer squash

1 tbsp ghee

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp lemongrass paste

1 handful of fresh thai basil, chopped (you can use regular basil instead)

1 can artichokes, drained and chopped 

2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk

1/4 cup feta cheese

salt and pepper 

Directions:

Use a vegetable spiralizer to make summer squash noodles. Place noodles in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

In a deep skilled, melt ghee over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in lemongrass paste, basil, and artichokes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add in coconut milk, cheese, noodles, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve.

Coconut-Tomato Sauce over Japanese Yam “Pasta” (Paleo)

For the past few days, I’ve been on a mini-road trip and vacation to visit my friend  in North Jersey. Living right on the Hudson River, this meant a day trip into New York City!

And rather than going to the #1 Tourist Spot (AKA Times Square), we decided to take the aerial tramway to Roosevelt Island. Totally recommended day trip idea! It wasn’t overcrowded as the rest of the city and I got to see the ruins of the Smallpox hospital, catch Pokemon on the promenade, and visit the FDR memorial at one of the island’s tips. I swear, I want to be proposed to there one day- so pretty and tranquil.

After the last few days of eating out, I was ready to make a home-cooked meal. Unfortunately, I was too tired from my trip to go out shopping for more ingredients and instead settled for whatever was already in my kitchen. No regrets though- this meal turned out to be a winner. The only thing I might do next time is add in some more veggies 🙂

Coconut-Tomato Sauce over Japanese Yam “Pasta” (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp ghee (or butter or oil)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

salt and pepper

1 and 1/3 cup full-fat, canned coconut milk

1/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp fresh basil + extra for garnish

1 medium-sized Japanese yam

Directions:

Heat ghee in a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add in garlic, onion, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Next, stir in coconut milk, broth, tomato paste, and basil. Bring sauce to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let cook for another 10 minutes.

While waiting, make the yam into a pasta with a vegetable spiral. Once the sauce is done cooking, mix in pasta. Don’t worry if it seems like you don’t have enough sauce!- just mix it in the best you can and top with a lid. Let cook for 15 minutes (during this time, the noodles will get soft and shrink). Afterwards, stir the pasta around around in the sauce, adjust with salt and pepper, and place in a serving bowl. Top with the extra fresh basil.

Vegetable Casserole (Paleo)

This casserole definitely fits the bill as comfort food. It has a rich taste that you can (and will) keep piling into your mouth. Unlike most comfort food, however, this casserole is jammed packed with veggies and all-good-for-you ingredients. So feel free to go back for second, third, and forth helpings!

Vegetable Casserole (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower, chopped into florets 

2 tbsp ghee

1 lb green beans, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 cup raw carrots, coined

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

2 eggs

2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish.

Place cauliflower into a pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Drain and transfer cauliflower to a food processor. Add in ghee and blend until cauliflower is at a mashed potato-like consistency. Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir all together.

Spread the casserole ingredients into the baking dish. Place in the oven for 40 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Paprika and Thyme Chicken and Spinach in Lemon Sauce (Paleo)

This weekend I had the house to myself. Which is good in a way because nobody could see how crazy I get with finals.

That and I get to try recipes without worrying about my picky-eaters (AKA- my dad and brother).

So, I got to make the following meal all for myself. Of course, I’m a big believer in sharing the love. But hey, if you’re not there to share, that’s their loss and my gain 😉

Paprika and Thyme Chicken and Spinach in Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

2 organic chicken breast, thawed

2 tbsp avocado oil, divided

2 tbsp ghee (or butter), divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried thyme 

3/4 cup chicken broth

Juice from 1/2 a large lemon

3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Directions:

Rub paprika, salt, and pepper on both sides of the chicken. In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp of ghee and 1 tbsp of avocado oil over medium heat.

Add in chicken and cook for 4 minutes on one side before flipping. Add in the remaining ghee and avocado oil, as well as the garlic cloves and thyme. Let cook for another 2 minutes.

Add in chicken broth and lemon juice, cover the skillet with a lid, and reduce to low heat. Let cook for 10-15 minutes.

Afterwards, add in the fresh spinach, cover with the lid again, and let cook until spinach is slightly wilted. Add salt and pepper, if needed, and serve.