Earlier this week a dear friend gave me three rutabagas from her garden. I hadn’t cooked rutabaga before, but I was excited to give it a try. I treated the rutabagas like I treat many root vegetables: I simply cut them up, along with some carrots and parsnips, and roasted them in my oven. They turned out delicious, and the dish was so easy to put together.… Continue reading
sides
Simple Homemade Applesauce
As promised, once my boys picked all of the apples off of our tree [see HERE], we processed them to make a big batch of applesauce. Applesauce is so simple to make, and delicious to eat. For us, it was a great way to make use of our harvest of super-tart apples.
Applesauce is one of those things that is made almost entirely to taste (well, when you make it yourself instead buying it pre-made), so I’ll describe how we made ours below.… Continue reading
Cauliflower “Potato” Pancakes
We had a bowl of leftover cauliflower “mashed potatoes” in the refrigerator. Remembering back to what my family did with leftover mashed potatoes when I was growing up, I was struck by the thought of making nightshade-free “potato” pancakes. So I started experimenting.
After a few iterations, I came up with the following recipe. While my boys were disappointed that they didn’t taste like the grain-free banana pancakes they’ve had in the past (they focused on the word pancake, and forgot about the word cauliflower), they acknowledged that they were pretty good for a way to eat vegetables.… Continue reading
Grain-Free Breaded Zucchini Spears (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan)
We seem to be in a vegetable rut lately; always eating the same vegetables prepared in the same ways. So the other day I decided to try something new: breaded zucchini spears.
While the outside breading didn’t crisp up quite as much as I’d hoped, the final spears tasted great and were different from what we’d been consuming.
Everyone liked them, and, importantly, they were very easy and quick to prepare. … Continue reading
Healthy Snack: Avocado and Sauerkraut
When you’re looking for a snack that both tastes delicious and nourishes your body, here is a perfect candidate: half an avocado topped with a scoop of sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut not only has all of the health benefits of cabbage, but – as long as it is traditionally fermented and unpasteurized – it is also filled with healthy-gut-supporting probiotics. In addition to supporting digestive health, raw sauerkraut can boost circulation, stimulate your immune system, and reduce inflammation (Organic Facts, 2015). … Continue reading
Grain-Free Rosemary Sea Salt Biscuits
I was thinking about something special to go along with our roasted chicken for dinner the other night, when something else entirely unrelated brought rosemary to mind. I love the smell of rosemary, and was struck by the idea of making Rosemary Sea Salt Biscuits.
Unfortunately, time got away from me and I was unable to make the biscuits that night.… Continue reading
Pureed Parsnips
A dear friend of mine headed out of town this week. While I always miss her when I don’t get to see her, she passed along her weekly CSA allotment before she left. In it was a lovely assortment of local, organic, seasonal produce, including beets, lots of greens, eggplants, and a bunch of parsnips.
Parsnips are an often overlooked root vegetable.… Continue reading
Peanut Sauce Coleslaw
Today I was looking at the red cabbage in my refrigerator and was suddenly inspired: Peanut Sauce Coleslaw. It seemed like the perfect side dish for a hot day. It’s mostly raw, crispy vegetable, and it’s lightly coated with a yummy sauce.
So I whipped up a batch, and we all ate some as an afternoon snack. Delicious!
Here’s how I made it:
Peanut Sauce Coleslaw
1 Cabbage
½ cup Peanut Butter
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar, or to taste
½ cup Water
2 tablespoons Tamari or Coconut Aminos
2 tablespoons Honey
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon Ginger Powder
¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (or more to taste)
Shred the cabbage using a food processor slicing blade (or cut into whatever shape pieces you want with a knife).… Continue reading
Greens Cake: A Mixed Greens Side Dish
We’ve been eating a lot of braised greens lately (Garlic Braised Greens (recipe HERE), Braised Greens with Cranberries (recipe HERE), Eggs over Braised Greens (recipe HERE), and so on). So I was looking for another way to prepare them to add a little bit of variety into our greens consumption. As I was thinking about this, I remembered seeing this recipe on Elana’s Pantry years ago.… Continue reading
Sautéed Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a wonderfully healthy, earthy delight. They have complex flavors. They can be prepared to have a variety of textures. And they adapt well to a variety of dishes. One of our favorite ways to prepare mushrooms is actually one of the simplest: we sauté them in coconut oil and season them with salt and pepper. This simple preparation yields a delightful side dish that easily accompanies eggs, tops a burger, or graces a salad.… Continue reading