Paleo Pumpkin Moussaka

Okay, so I was eating my regular moussaka the other day, and thought, “why not change up the vegetable?” So I did.

I made it the same way, except instead of 28 oz of tomatoes, I used 28 oz of canned pumpkin.

Instead of dill, cinnamon, and allspice, I used a dash of herbs de provence, and a lot of cumin.  And added about 1/2 c of beef broth (didn’t measure any of the flavorings). . .I still used the nutmeg in the coconut topping.

Adam says this is superior to the tomato version.  I almost agree.  It’s definitely a nice change.

 

Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Dip

Ohmigosh. . .this dip is going into regular rotation.  I stole the recipe from here.

First, cut 1 eggplant into 1 inch cubes, and slice two red peppers.  Mix them with 4 peeled cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast the veggies at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

When the veggies are done, put them in a food processor with 3 tbsp tahini, a “glug” of olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp cumin, and salt to taste.  Blend until smooth.

Drizzle with olive oil before serving, and serve with veggies or veggie chips.

 

Sriracha Maple Brussels Sprouts

This is from this book.

Brussels Sprouts

• 1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup or raw agave nectar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Sriracha
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil, Sriracha, liquid aminos, and lime juice and whisk until well blended. Add the Brussels sprouts and toss until evenly coated. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Brussels sprouts to a nonstick or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet or a large cast-iron skillet and spread them in a single layer. Reserve any liquid left in the bowl. Bake the brussels sprouts for about 25 minutes, until tender and browned.

 

Holy magic.

Tahini Semifreddo

This weekend, Adam and I went to Zahav, and Adam was obsessed with the tahina semifreddo, which was like the smoothest gelato you’ve ever had, or like the ice cream version of Halvah.  So here I’m trying to recreate it.  Paleo-style.

*  4 egg yolks
*  1.5 large bananas
*  Pinch salt
*  1 c coconut cream
*  1/4 tsp cardamom
*  1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*  1/2 c tahini
*  Zest from 1 lemon, or 1 orange

1) Mix together the bananas, yolks, and salt until smooth

2) Blend in the rest of the ingredients.  I used a hand blender to make sure my final result was smooth

3) Freeze overnight

Note: You can’t use agave.  I mean, you can.  I tried.  But it doesn’t freeze.  Agave has a low freezing point, so you’ll be stuck with tahini semisouppo instead of semifreddo.  Use the banana.  Trust me.

Garlic Sesame Kale

I’m obsessed with this “Engine-2”-approved (I don’t know what that is, though) kale salad at the WholeFoods salad bar.  But I’m also not rich enough to pay like $8/pound or whatever it costs to get it.  So I figured I’d make it myself.

Mix together:

2 tbsp tahini (that’s paleo, I think)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp garlic (or more if you love garlic)

Once all of those are mixed, add in a few cups of raw kale.  Stir so that the kale is totally covered in the dressing, then let sit for a few hours so the kale really absorbs the flavor.

Then eat the whole bowl.

Bison Burgers with Pear and Onion

So these were pretty easy, so I’m not going to give much direction…

Basically, make quarter pound bison patties with ground bison, salt, pepper, and fresh sage (I used 1 leaf per burger)

Cut up two pears and 1/4 yellow onion, sauté in olive oil. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt. (To be fair, 1 ate about 1/2 of one pear….ok, maybe 3/4…so you can use less if you’re not a nibbler)

Wrap it up in a lettuce leaf and voila!

Horseradish Dijon Steak with Cinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Horseradish Dijon Steak

* 3.5 lbs steak – I used grassfed sirloin

* 2 tbsp dijon mustard

* 2 tbsp horseradish

* 1/4 c red cooking wine

* 1 3/4 c beef broth

* 4 cloves garlic, minced

*1/4 c butter, melted

1) mix mustard, horseradish, butter, and garlic

2) place steak in pan, and cover with mustard mixture

3) bake at 400 for 20 minutes

4) add red wine and beef broth, continue cooking until desired temperature (took me about another hour)

* note: be sure to pour beef broth and red wine AROUND the steaks, so you don’t wash off the mustard mixture

Cinnamon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

* 6 small-medium sweet potatoes

* 1/2 cup butter

* 1 tbsp cinnamon

* 1/4 c raisins

* 1 tsp nutmeg

* 1/4 tsp salt

1) peel potatoes, cut in half, boil for about 20 minutes, until quite soft

2) drain water from pot

3) add the remainder of ingredients, and use hand mixer to blend until smooth