Author: foodfamilywine

Mango Slaw

I just love this colorful salad. It’s so bright and enticing, isn’t it? The crunch of the cabbage along with the sweet mango and hint of spice really makes this salad something special. It is so refreshing and easy to throw together and it will be a great side dish for your next barbeque. Summer is coming to an end, but this salad is great all year long.

Mango coleslaw
1 large mango, peeled and sliced
1/2 red cabbage, shredded
¼ C chopped chives
½ C cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 T EVOO
½ t salt
1 t red pepper flakes

Directions:
This is so easy to make.
I put all of the ingredients in large bowl and mix it up.
Add some extra chopped cilantro and chives for garnish.

Whole30, Paleo, Coleslaw, Salad, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free

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Pumpkin Soup

It’s not quite sweater weather here, but I’m jumping right into fall with another pumpkin recipe.  Originally, I was thinking I was going to make this a Curry Pumpkin Soup, but I went with a traditional approach instead. This was made with smaller sized pumpkins for baking and they roasted up so nice.  The skins were so thin it may have been easier to peel the pumpkins before roasting, but I didn’t do that this time.  I roasted each half with a generous spoonful of Tin Star ghee and a good sprinkle of pink himalayan salt.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Recipe by Kimberly Smith

Ingredients:
4 ½ pounds of pumpkin, I used 2 small pumpkins
4 T ghee
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 T browned butter ghee
2 C coconut milk
1 t salt
½ t white pepper
¼ t dried sage
¼ t ground nutmeg
Pepitas for garnish

Directions:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• Cut pumpkins in half and remove seeds.
• Add 1 T of ghee to each half and sprinkle with salt.
• Place pumpkins on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast for 55-65 minutes or until pumpkin start to brown and is fork tender.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.
• While pumpkin is cooling, sauté shallots in 2 T brown butter ghee in medium sized skillet over low heat. Let shallots cook until they are soft and start to caramelize.
• Once pumpkin is cool to the touch, the pumpkin skin should peel off. You can also use a spoon to scoop the pumpkin out of the skin.
• Place pumpkin, shallots, coconut milk, salt, white pepper, sage, and nutmeg in blender. Puree until smooth. If you have a Vitamix, blend on high for 5-6 minutes until hot.
• If you do not have a Vitamix, place soup in saucepan and cook over medium heat until warm.
• Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk, pinch of nutmeg and pepitas.

Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

It’s officially fall which means soups, comfort foods and pumpkin recipes.  I am not a pumpkin pie fan, but I do love pumpkin cheesecake. I have been eating primarily Paleo for the past couple years, but just added low carb to my Paleo lifestyle.  This was really an experiment but it turned out so amazing!  When my husband tried these, he just kept saying WOW!  So mission accomplished, am I right?  He said, “You have to make these for Thanksgiving!”

In this recipe, I have used monk fruit and stevia sweeteners, but I have added other Paleo options.  I do think monk fruit and stevia are quite a bit sweeter than other sugars and I don’t like my desserts overly sweet, so you may want to add a little extra sweetener.  I always taste the mix and then adjust if necessary.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Recipe by Kimberly Smith
Makes 16 bars

Ingredients:
Crust
½ C Tin Star brown butter ghee
1 ½ C chopped pecans
1 ½ C blanched almond flour
3 T coconut flour
3 T Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener (or substitute coconut sugar, or brown sugar)
½ t salt

Pumpkin cheesecake layer
1 C pumpkin puree
1 8 ounce container of Kite Hill plain almond cheese spread (or substitute cream cheese)
½ C coconut milk
3 eggs
6 T Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener (or substitute coconut sugar, or maple sugar)
3 t cinnamon
2 t vanilla extract
1 t ground ginger
½ t ground nutmeg
¼ t ground cloves

Cream cheese layer
½ C Kite Hill plain almond cheese spread (or substitute cream cheese)
¼ C Tin Star brown butter ghee
2 T Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener (or substitute maple syrup)
2 T coconut milk
1 t lemon juice
½ t vanilla extract
6 drops stevia sweetener (or substitute 1 T extra maple syrup)

Directions:
For the crust:
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees for convection oven or 325 degrees for conventional oven.
• Line 9X9 baking dish with parchment paper. (Parchment paper should be long enough to have tabs to pull cheesecake out later). Spray parchment paper with coconut oil spray
• In a food processor, add all of the ingredients from the Crust list. Pulse until combined. This should be the consistency of cookie dough.
• Put the crust into the baking dish and flatten with your fingers.
• Place dish in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. The crush should be firm and may slightly start to brown.

While the crust is baking, make the pumpkin cheesecake layer
• Rinse out food processor
• Add all the ingredients from the Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer list. Mix until everything is combined and smooth.
• Once the crust is out of the oven, pour the pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the crust and smooth it out so it is even.
• Bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until the cheesecake is set.
• Remove and let the cheesecake cool on the counter for 1 hour, then in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

While the cheesecake is cooling, make the cream cheese layer
• Rinse out the food processor
• Add all the ingredients from the Cream Cheese Later list. Mix until everything is combined and smooth.
• After the cheesecake has cooled for 1 hour in the refrigerator, add the cream cheese layer and smooth it out so it is even.
• Place in the refrigerator for an additional 3-4 hours.

Once you pull out the cheesecake, I run a knife along any part that is touching the dish. Then pull the parchment tabs up and take the entire cheesecake out of the dish and place it on a cutting board.

I sprinkled some pumpkin pie spice on the top of my bars, but you can also use ground nutmeg or cinnamon.

Paleo, Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Desserts

 

foodfamilywine4 Comments

Jambalaya

My family loves this Jambalaya recipe. When I first started making it, I used white rice but have since adapted the recipe to use cauliflower rice.  This makes a big pot of jambalaya that easily serves 8 people.  Even when I make this just for my husband and me, I make the full recipe because the leftovers make great lunches or a quick redo meal during the week.

I make this a lot on Sundays because it does take a little over an hour to prep and cook.  It also just feels like a good comforting meal that is perfect for a Sunday evening.

Recipe by Kimberly Smith
Ingredients:
2-3 T lard, ghee or bacon fat
3 T Cajon seasoning
12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 t salt
2 t file powder
½ t fish sauce
½ t black pepper
½ t red pepper flakes (optional)
1-2 t hot sauce
1 16 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
4 C chicken stock
2, 12 ounce packages frozen cauliflower rice
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 green onions, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven or pot heat 1 tablespoon of fat over medium high heat.

Add sausage and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned. Remove sausage from pot with a slotted spoon and place sausage in a bowl or large plate leaving any excess fat in the pot.

Add 1 additional tablespoon of fat to the pot. Season chicken with Cajon seasoning and add chicken to the pot. Cook chicken for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken pieces are browned. Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon and place the chicken pieces in the bowl with the sausage.

Lower heat to medium. If there is no oil left in the pot add 1 tablespoon of oil, then add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook about 5 minutes until veggies are tender and onion is translucent. Then add salt, file powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, fish sauce, and hot sauce and stir to combine.

Next, add the crushed tomatoes. Heat until boiling and cook for 5 minutes.

Then add chicken and sausage back to the pot and add chicken stock and stir. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes until liquid has reduced.

Add cauliflower rice, return to boil and cook for 15 minutes.

Last, add shrimp and stir. Cook 6-10 minutes until shrimp turn pink.

Serve jambalaya in bowls and garnish with green onion.

Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Low Carb, Comfort Food

 

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Asian Inspired Meatballs

Meatballs are always on hand at my house.  I always have some variety of meatballs, sausage and/or burgers in the freezer for an easy weeknight meal or for those times when we need something fast.  I make big batches and then freeze them in single serving portions so on those nights when we are having leftovers, we can pick what sounds good and we both don’t have to have the same thing.  We use these single portions for lunches as well.

These asian inspired meatballs are full of flavor and a nice change to a traditional meatball.  I like serving them with either roasted or stir fried veggies, fried cauliflower rice, or sauteed coleslaw.

 

Asian Inspired Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground chicken
½ C almond flour
½ C chopped cilantro
½ C chopped chives
4 T minced ginger
2 T coconut aminos
1 t salt
½ t pepper
¼ t cayenne pepper

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix together.
Form into 1-2 inch balls
To cook in a skillet:
Use a large skillet. Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil of choice and once heated, add meatballs to pan. Do not overcrowd the pan. You will have to do a couple of batches to cook them all.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until they are browned, then use tongs to rotate the meatballs to brown on the other sides.
To cook in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the meatballs on the parchment paper about 1 inch apart.
Place sheet pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned. Then increase temperature to broil, move baking sheet to top rack, and cook 2-3 minutes until nicely browned.

Dipping Sauce
1 C coconut aminos
¼ C ginger juice
2 T coconut vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds(optional)

Mix all ingredients together and serve with your meatballs. I store any extra in a small container and the leftovers are great for stir fry.

**Tip-when rolling the meatballs, I pour some olive oil on a plate and coat my hands before making the meatballs.  By doing this, the meatball mixture doesn’t stick to my hands and makes for much easier clean up. I use the remaining oil for stir fried veggies.

Alternate version-I used ground pork instead of chicken and left out the almond flour for a nut free version. They turned out amazing!

These meatballs are Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free, Low Carb, and De-lish!

pinterest asian meatlbass

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Olive and Sundried Tomato Tapenade

If you are looking for something to add flavor to your dish, this is a must try. This is delicious on grilled salmon, chicken, steak, burgers, pork and veggies. It is a great spread to top your favorite crackers or added to a charcuterie platter. Try a spoonful on your frittata or omelet to jazz up your breakfast.

Olive and Sundried Tomato Tapenade
1 C olives, I use a mix of green and Kalamata olives
1 C sun dried tomatoes
¼ C capers
¼ C flat leaf parsley (basil would also be great instead)
2 T chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, chopped
Pinch of Salt and Pepper
1-2 T EVOO

Directions:
Place all ingredients except EVOO in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the EVOO to desired consistency and stir.

Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free

foodfamilywine2 Comments