whole30 Sheet Pan dinner

Weeknights are a perfect time for a simple and beautiful sheet pan dinner.  It’s only a few ingredients drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with your favorite seasoning blend.  Make extra to use for leftovers. This is great reheated, or try my Italian Sausage Frittata with your leftover sausage.  

Whole30 Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients:
1-pound brussels sprouts, halved
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
1 lb package of your favorite sausage, try Greensbury Market Italian Sauasage
1 package cut butternut squash or sweet potatoes
2 T olive oil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper, or your favorite spice blend

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place brussels sprouts, onion, butternut squash, and sausage on the sheet pan.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
With hands, toss ingredients to coat everything evenly.

Place sheet pan in the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Grain Free

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

It’s kinda funny that I was never a pumpkin lover growing up. I never liked pumpkin pie and really never had it any other way.  Fast forward and I can’t get enough of fall and all things pumpkin.  This recipe works great with any pumpkin that is in season or butternut squash.  It’s so convenient to have pre-cut butternut squash available in most grocery stores which would cut down on a lot of the prep work for this recipe.  The key is really to use a good ghee, brown butter ghee if possible, when roasting your pumpkin and sauteeing your shallots.  It really adds so much flavor to this soup.

Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds of pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
4 T brown butter ghee, melted
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 T brown 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 400 degrees
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add cubed pumpkin to the baking sheet and add melted ghee and salt. Toss to coat.
• Roast for 35-45 minutes or until pumpkin starts to brown and is fork tender.
• 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.
• Place roasted pumpkin, shallots, coconut milk, salt, white pepper, sage, and nutmeg in blender. Puree until smooth. If you have a Vitamix, blend on high for 2-3 minutes until hot.
• If you do not have a Vitamix, place soup in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until warm.
• Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk or aged balsamic vinegar, pinch of nutmeg and pepitas.

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Freeroasted pumpkin soup2

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples

With cooler weather on the horizon, I am totally craving sweet potatoes and everything that comes with fall.  I really love adding cinnamon to my roasted sweet potatoes and I decided why not add some apples too.  This combo is pretty fantastic and is a great side for any meal.  In fact, I’m thinking it would be a great addition to our Thanksgiving dinner!  Too early to be thinking about Thanksgiving dinner ideas? I mean there is already Christmas stuff at Costco.  Anyone else already thinking about what’s going on the Thanksgiving menu this year?

Anyways, I love simple recipes and this one is pretty simple. I hope you give it a try.  If you do, let me know what you think.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, chopped into ½ inch cubes
2 apples, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes
3 T olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil
½ t cinnamon
½ t salt
½ t pepper

Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place the chopped sweet potatoes and apples on the parchment paper
• Drizzle with oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper
• Mix the sweet potatoes and apples to get them evenly coated
• Bake for 25-35 minutes until slightly browned around the edges

Whole30, Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Side Dish

 

Salsa Verde

I make salsa all summer long.  All of the ingredients are plentiful right now and I have fun creating new salsa variations.  This salsa verde is on my regular rotation. I love it with chorizo and eggs, but it is also my base for chili verde.  You can increase or decrease the spice level by adjusting the amount of jalapenos you use in this recipe.

The key to a good salsa verde in my opinion is getting  a good char on the peppers, onions, and tomatillos. I add the garlic to the roasting tray too, but I keep a close eye on it. You don’t want the garlic to burn, it should just be lightly toasted.

Ingredients:

3 pounds Tomatillos
2 Poblano Peppers
1 Yellow Onions, cut into quarters
1 Jalapeno
4 Garlic cloves
1 bunch of cilantro
1 lime, juiced

Directions:

• Turn oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatillos, poblano, onion and garlic on the lined baking sheet and place them on the top rack of the oven.
• Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the tops are charred, rotating to brown all sides and broil for another 3-5 minutes.
• Once everything is charred, remove from oven.
• Remove stems and seeds from jalapeno and poblanos
• Add everything to a blender along with the cilantro and 1 tsp salt pepper. Pulse until combined. Add juice from 1 lime.

Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Asparagus and Strawberry Salad with Creamy Vinaigrette Dressing

Strawberries and asparagus are beautiful right now and I pick both up almost weekly during this time of year. This is a refreshingly light salad that’s loaded with goodness.  I love the sweetness from the strawberries and the zestiness from the balsamic vinegar.  This salad is so versatile, feel free to add your favorite in season fruits and veggies.

**If you are a fan of adding cheese your salads, crumbled goat cheese, feta or gorgonzola would be an extra layer of deliciousness here.

Asparagus and Strawberry Salad
Created by Kimberly Smith
http://www.foodfamilywine.com

Ingredients:
1 packages of mixed greens or spinach
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pint of strawberries, sliced
4 radishes, chopped (or 1/2 c chopped jicama)
½ C pecans or honey roasted almonds
Creamy White balsamic Vinaigrette, recipe below

Directions:

The first thing you want to do is blanch the asparagus.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add 1 T salt to boiling water and stir.
Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove asparagus from water with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl with iced water to stop the cooking process.
After 1 minute, drain the asparagus and pat dry.

To make the salad place salad greens in a large bowl, add asparagus, sliced strawberries, chopped radishes, and pecans.

Top with the creamy vinaigrette.

Creamy White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Created by Kimberly Smith
http://www.foodfamilywine.com

Ingredients:
½ C avocado oil or light olive oil
¼ C white balsamic vinegar
1 T honey (you can omit the  honey for Whole30 or substitute honey for real maple syrup or agave nectar for a Vegan version)
1 T Dijon mustard
1/8 t salt
1/8 t pepper

Immersion Blender Directions:
Place all ingredients in a mason jar or 2 cup measuring cup.
With the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar, turn on the blender and slowly move wand to emulsify the dressing.

Blender Directions:
Place all ingredients in the blender except the oil. Turn blender on low and start drizzling the oil into the blender slowly until the dressing emulsifies.

Paleo, Low Carb, Whole30 option, Vegan option, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Grain Free

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Asparagus and Fennel Soup

It’s officially asparagus season. During asparagus season, I get at least one bunch every time I go to the farmers market. It is a short season, and this is one of the recipes I make every year. It only has a handful of ingredients and it is easy to make. The recipe is Whole30, Paleo, Keto, and Vegan. This soup is delicious all by itself, but, I like topping mine with bacon, crab, shrimp, or a poached egg for some extra protein.

Asparagus and Fennel Soup
Ingredients:
3 T olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed and chopped
½ t salt
2 C water
½ lemon, zested

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over low heat. Add shallot, fennel, and salt. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until fennel and shallot are tender.
Add water and increase to medium high heat. Bring to a boil.
Add asparagus and cook for 5 minutes.
Transfer all ingredients to blender. Add lemon zest and blend on high until creamy and smooth.

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

asparagus soup