Bacon Artichoke Bake
1 lb bacon, chopped
1 lb frozen leeks 6 cloves garlic, chopped
12 oz frozen artichoke hearts
½ lb frozen spinach
1 chopped tomato
4 cups broth (chicken, beef or veggie works fine – homemade is best!)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Juice from one lemon
¾ cup canned coconut milk
Sea salt to taste
In large stock pot, crisp the bacon and remove bacon pieces to add back later, leaving the rendered fat.
Add leeks and saute till tender.
Add garlic and saute for a couple more minutes.
Add broth, artichokes, spinach, tomato and seasonings, bring to a boil for a couple minutes and reduce to simmer.
Stir in lemon juice, coconut milk, and bacon pieces.
Remove from heat and puree. Immersion blender is safest and works best!
Add salt to taste.
If you tolerate some cheese, some fresh parmesan grated on top would be awesome,
Healthy Traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe
(gluten-free, dairy-free and grain-free)
From: Heart of Cooking, adapted from Eatingwell.com
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR * MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
Onion topping
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ground almond, pecan or hazelnut meal/flour
Sauce & green beans
2 cups water
2/3 cups soaked cashews
Pinch grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (3 cups)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 12-ounce package frozen green beans, or 12 oz. fresh – trimmed and blanched
Steps:
1. To make onion topping: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and golden, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spreadbreadcrumbs nut meal on a baking sheet and toast, stirring once, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
3. To make sauce: Combine water, cashews, and nutmeg in a blender and process until very smooth. Poor into a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat immediately to low and continue stirring until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring, until tender, 5-6 minutes. When veggies are cooked, add the thickened cashew sauce and stir into the veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. To assemble and bake casserole: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread green beans evenly over the bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Toss together the reserved onions and breadcrumbs toasted nut meal in a small bowl and spread over the beans. Bake until bubbling, 18 to 25 minutes.
Grain Free Mozzarella Sticks
Ingredients
- 16 oz block of Mozzarella Cheese
- 3 oz pork rinds/cracklings (Make your own cracklings--recipe in Beyond Bacon)
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp water or coconut milk
- Cut the mozzarella cheese into 12 (3/4-1" thick) sticks
- Grind the pork rinds/cracklings into a food processor or chopper until crumbs are formed.
- On a plate combine the crumbs, parsley, and garlic powder.
- On another plate combine the coconut flour, salt, and black pepper.
- In a medium shallow bowl or dish whisk the eggs and water (or coconut milk) until thoroughly combine.
- Coat the mozzarella in the coconut flour and shake off the excess.
- Coat the mozzarella in the egg mixture and then into the crumb mixture. Be sure to coat evenly on all side of the mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining mozzarella sticks.
- In a large cast iron skillet heat enough coconut oil to cover the pan 1/2" high over medium high heat.
- Add the mozzarella sticks, in batches, cook for about 30 seconds on one side or until golden brown. Flip the sticks over and cook for another 15-20 seconds.
- Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Serve with marinara sauce.
Pork Cracklings
Makes 8 servings
active time
20 min
total time
2 hr
ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 (2-lb) piece pork fatback with skin, fat trimmed to 1/3 inch thick
- 3/4 cup water
- Special equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder
Preparation: Pulse kosher salt and fennel in grinder until fennel is coarsely ground. Arrange fatback, skin side up, on a work surface with longest side nearest you. Score pork skin (1/4 inch deep) crosswise with a sharp knife at 1/3-inch intervals (do not cut through to fat). Pat skin completely dry with paper towels, then rub fennel salt into skin. Let stand, loosely covered, at room temperature 1 hour.
Put oven rack in bottom third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Pat skin completely dry with paper towels again, then cut skin into strips using scored cuts as a guide. Arrange strips close together in a large shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and slowly pour water into pan (not over skin). Roast, stirring twice (use caution, as fat may splatter), until strips are golden, blistered, and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, then discard fat remaining in pan.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-Cracklings-231671#ixzz2p4lqSBUL
LOADED SWEET POTATO BITES
This is a great alternative to those loaded potato skins we all love. Bacon, cheddar, sour cream and green onions are always such a great combination.
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. Sweet Potato – Sliced in ¼ inch thick slices
3 Tbs. Olive Oil – More if needed
Salt and Pepper – To Taste
½ Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Shredded
6 Slices Bacon – Cooked Crisp and Crumbled
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
2 Green Onions – Chopped
(2 Tbs. Peace and Love)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°
In a large mixing bowl, combine sweet potato slices, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until sweet potatoes are well coated.
Line in a single layer, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the top rack for 25 minutes.
Top each sweet potato with cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onions.
Prep Time – 10 Minutes
Cook Time – 25 Minutes
Crispy Haystack Onion Rings from Kelly the Kitchen Kop:
Ingredients:
- 1 whole onion, sliced very thin — I like sweet onions
- 2 eggs, pastured eggs are best of course
- 1/4 cup einkorn flour, but you could also use sprouted flour, or your favorite gluten-free flour like a gluten-free flour blend (probably the first one I’d try if it was me), almond flour, or arrowroot flour (I haven’t tried any of those though, so let me know how it is if you try them — update: Nandi in the comments tells us the arrowroot flour was delicious!)
- Healthy fat for frying — our favorite is beef tallow from pastured cows OR you could also use the unflavored coconut oil. We use deep fryers for this since it’s the least messy — read more about deep frying here: Deep Fried Heaven. (Or read more about healthy fats here.)
- Real sea salt for the top
Instructions:
Beat the eggs well and stir in the sliced onions. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir it all together to coat the onions. Drop small batches at a time into the frying oil and fry until they’re golden brown. Remove with a large slatted spatula and drain on a paper towel until your burgers are ready. Sprinkle with sea salt. Good luck staying out of them before it’s time to assemble your burgers! We make extra so we can snack on them as they come out.