Creamy Horseradish Sauce (Dairy Free, Vegan, Paleo)

This recipe only makes a small amount, but is easily doubled. I made this to have with raw oysters, but it would also be awesome with roast beef or roasted potatoes. If you're a vegan, try it with a Seitan Sauerkraut Sandwich.

1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
3-4 Tbsp fresh horseradish, grated
1 tsp dill
1/4 tsp dry mustard
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Peel and grate horseradish root. I used a microplane. If you don't have one, a fine grater will do. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Make at least 6 hours prior to serving to bring out the flavor.  Store in refrigerator.

Smokey Salted Caramel Pecan Cups

These are ridiculously delicious. Great for when you're craving just about anything. They're easy to make, but take a long time, so it's something fun to do on a lazy afternoon. The first time I made these, I did it with 100% dark chocolate.

9 oz dark chocolate. I used 100% mixed with 65%

1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
pinch chipotle powder
1 cup chopped pecans

Optional:
Coarse Sea salt
Cinnamon
Chipotle

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and stir together.

In a heavy sauce pan, stir together coconut sugar, coconut milk, and sea salt. Turn heat on low, add smoked paprika, cinnamon and chipotle. Let boil for about 20 minutes, keep heat on low so it doesn't boil over and stir occasionally. When it is reduced and thickens, remove from heat and place in glass bowl. Stir in pecans and let cool.

Line a muffin tin with parchment cupcake liners. Spoon meltedchocolate into cups, coating the bottom. You only want to use enough to line the bottom with about 1/8 of an inch and save the rest of the chocolate for later. put in freezer for about 30 minutes or an hour in the fridge, or until chocolate hardens.

Remove cups from freezer and spoon the pecans caramel mixture into them. Spoon the rest of the melted chocolate over them and sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt and a slight dusting of cinnamon and chipotle. Put back in freezer or refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove cups from muffin tin and enjoy. Keep refrigerated.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

People often ask me how to cook Brussels Sprouts. It's pretty simple. 

1 Brussels sprout stalk
1 cup shallots, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp coconut oil or ghee
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Remove Brussels Sprouts from stalk and rinse. Cut stems, remove outer leaves and chop in half. Place in baking dish with shallots, garlic, salt,pepper and coconut oil. Roast for about 30 minutes.

Butternut Squash and Fig Soup

6 cups chopped butternut squash
1 cup chopped carrots
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or other fat)
1/2 cup chopped figs
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

Spice blend:
1/4 tsp cinn
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp ground fennel
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

In a small bowl, combine spices.

Put butternut squash, carrots and broth in a slow cooker

Heat oil in a pan. Add onions. cook onions on low heat for about 20-30 minute. you want them to turn translucent, but not brown. Add figs and cook for about 5 minutes, then add garlic, cook for about a minute or two, add spices, cook for about 30 second, then remove from heat and add onion mixture to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add more salt if necessary. Puree with when finished cooking.

Mashed Celery Root with Leeks

Celery root is a great alternative to potatoes. There are 42 calories and 9 grams of carbohydrates in 100g of celery root compared to 77 calories and 17g carbohydrates in 100g of potatoes. I like to use it in stews instead of potatoes and celery stalks.

1-2 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
1 large celery root
1/2 cup leeks, finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan heat coconut oil or ghee. Peel and dice celery root. add celery root to the pan with a dash of salt and cook until slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Add leeks, mix together and cook for a couple of minutes, then add garlic, salt and pepper. After about a minute, add broth and simmer until celery rood is soft. Transfer to a bowl and mash or puree using a food processor or immersion blender.

Fig Barbecue Sauce

Figs are awesome. This recipe works well with chicken, ribs, burgers or anything else you want to put BBQ sauce on. I have a recipe for Paleo Worcestershire Sauce or you can search for one on the web.


1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Balsamic
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp Mexican Oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 figs, chopped
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix spices.

In a sauce pan, heat coconut oil. Add onions and saute until translucent, then add garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds then add spices. After about another 30 seconds, add figs, vinegar, coconut aminos and Worcestershire  Stir together and bring to a low boil for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender. Makes about a cup.

Cauliflower Skordalia (Greek Style Potato Dip)

Skordalia is a Greek potato dip, usually served cold, but you can eat it warm if you prefer. This is a low-carb version.

1 head of cauliflower
2 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Juice from 1 lemon

Steam cauliflower until fork tender. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Garlic can be lightly sauteed in olive oil, or added raw. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil. If you used raw garlic, you might want to prepare this ahead of time to let the garlic mellow.

Banana Fudgesicles

It's freakin hot out. 115 degrees. It's a good thing I had these babies in the freezer. Dairy free, no added sugar, fruit sweetened and a good source of potassium, so it does double duty on a hot day!

I got this awesome stainless steel popsicle set from amazon. Some of the reviewers complain the the pops look phallic. It's a popsicle, you lick and suck it. What do you expect it to look like. It will not turn your son gay or make your daughter a porn star. Get over it and don't sexualize your food or your children. If you're concerned about plastic and want what's best for your family, no matter what it's shaped like, this pop mold is for you. I originally bought it to make deodorant sticks, but room temperature in the summer in Arizona is 80 degrees and the melting point of coconut oil is 76 degrees. You do the math. Needless to say, I keep my deodorant goo in a small mason jar. There will be a recipe for that eventually.


1 can full fat coconut milk
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup cocoa (or cacao) powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze. 

Horseradish Mashed Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 cloves roasted elephant garlic (or 4-6 cloves normal sized garlic, roasted)
2 Tbsp grated fresh horseradish
4 Tbsp clarified butter or olive oil

Peel and grate horseradish. 

Steam cauliflower until it's soft and mashable. Place cauliflower in a bowl and add butter or olive oil and start mashing. Add the rest of the ingredients and keep mashing until everything is fully combined.

Tomato Tortillas

Looking for a fun food? Are you at a loss for things to do with the plethora of tomatoes in your garden that you must use or preserve before their only fit use is to throw at mimes? Do you have an Excalibur dehydrator? If not, think about it. It's awesome. You want dense tomatoes for this recipe, I recommend heirloom. You don't want to use tomatoes that are too watery.

5 large heirloom tomatoes
1/2 a large onion
1 clove of garlic
dash of mexican oregano
dash of cumin
dash of chili powder (chipotle, cayenne, ancho, whatevere)
dash of smoked paprika
sat, pepper

You don't want to over do it on the spices because this will condense into a highly concentrated tomato leather. Line dehydrator trays with parchment paper or dehydrator liners (The parchment will be harder to peel off, so if you don't have patience, get the reusable liners) In a blender, combine all ingredients. When thoroughly pureed, pour into a 1 cup measuring cup (or 1/2 - 3/4 if you want smaller tortillas) and onto lined dehydrator trays. Spread into circles, about 1/4" thick. Dehydrate on 135 for about 12 hours. Dehydrating times may vary depending on climate. I live in vast desert wasteland, so my stuff dries quickly. Store in ziplock bags. You might want to put parchment between each tortilla to keep them from sticking.

Broclinguini

What do you do with broccoli stems? I've noticed a lot of supermarkets carry "broccoli slaw" which is basically julienned broccoli stems mixed with carrots. Apparently you can make slaw out of this. That sounds like a bag of gas to me.  I have a Benriner spiral slicer. There are several brands of spiral slicers out there, but I bought mine based on the amazon.com reviews. One reviewer bought 2 different spiral slicers and gave the one she didn't like to her mother-in-law and kept the Benriner. That was enough for me.

This is pretty simple. Cut the crown off of the broccoli and do with them as you please. I blanch mine and keep them in the fridge for a week of awesomeness. Cut the bottom 1/8-1/4 inch off the stem.

With a knife and/or peeler, remove the fibrous outer layer. the bottom of the stem is the most fibrous and as you get closer to the top, it's easier to digest. Spiral slice those stems! I had to cut mine in half to fit them on the spiral slicer. The top half where the crowns come off should be upright or they'll split apart. I used the widest blade attachment because I like linguini rather than spaghetti.

With the finished product, saute as you would zucchini linguini (or "zoodles" as some people call them. Does that make these "broodles") and serve with whatever sauce you like. Or you can eat this raw if you want a big plate o' gas.

Marinara Sauce

Squashetti Marinara

I'm in utter shock and awe that people actually eat tomato sauce out of a jar. I have yet to find one that tastes as good as any homemade sauce I've had, and I grew up in NYC so I've tasted a lot of homemade sauces. It's pretty simple to make and if you're pressed for time, you can do it in a slow cooker.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf.

In a stock pot heat olive oil. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute then mix in herbs and spices. after 30 seconds, stir in balsamic and then add tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf. Cook on a low flame for 1-2 hours. remove from heat and let cool. Discard bay leaf and puree. Reheat when ready to use. Or if you like a chunky sauce, don't puree, just serve hot.

Quick Ketchup

Mmm, Boar Burgers!

I guess "quick" is a misnomer since the recipe calls for smoked tomatoes and they take a couple of hours too cook. I don't have a recipe for smoked tomatoes. I throw tomatoes on the grill whenever I smoke meat and keep them around for extra added awesomeness. I use them in omelets, meat toppings (great on burgers!) or in sauces. If you don't have a smoker, you can use a regular grill and wood chips. You want indirect heat and the grill temp to be 200-250 degrees. You can do it in an oven too, but I'm not sure about the wood chips so add smoked paprika or ground chipotle to give it the smoky flavor.

1 cup smoked tomatoes

Bison burger with a side of raw pickles and sauerkraut.

1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground yellow mustard
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 cayenne,
1/8 tsp ground cloves
4 Tbsp vinegar (apple cider or balsamic or           whatever, doesn't matter)
Salt to taste (1/8-1/2 tsp or optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender. I used the mini blender attachment to my immersion blender.

Garlic and Herb Sweetpotato Fries

I just got beef and lamb tallow from US Wellness Meats. They have pretty awesome customer service. I asked them to ship my order Wednesday because I was going to be out of town and was returning Thursday evening. I was afraid that my meat would thaw on my door step in the 90 degree AZ heat. They shipped it Wednesday, My meat was still frozen when I got home. The quality is pretty awesome too. Sometimes grassfed meat can sometimes bee pretty tough and gamey. Their meat is tender and flavorful.

I asked Nikos if he wanted his sweetpotatoes fried in beef tallow or lamb tallow. He chose lamb.

2-3 Sweetpotatoes
1/4 cup fat (coconut oil or tallow for high heat cooking).
3 cloves garlic
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt, pepper, thyme, oregano to taste

Cut potatoes into thick fries. Add some salt. Heat pan with fat. I did it in 2 batches so I used half the oil with each batch. cook the potatoes until brown, turning to get all sides. when potatoes are almost done, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds-1 minute. Remove potatoes from pan, and put in serving bowl.  Add salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and squeeze lemon over fries and toss.

Smoked Almonds with Thyme and Sea Salt

Wooden cutting board give these nuts a "rustic" look.

My name is Kat and I have a Marcona Almond addiction. They are not your standard almond. They're more round than, um, almond shaped. They are usually blanched, but the ones I get at Trader Joe's still have skin on them. They are fried in olive oil and covered in sea salt. If you have a salty-oily food addiction, these may be your downfall.

I couldn't find any last time I was in Trader Joe's. Probably better off that way. I've been known to eat an entire 6 oz bag at once. When I got home, I knew I had a bag of raw almonds waiting to be roasted. Almonds are one of those foods that I can eat cooked, but not raw. I bought those raw almonds with every intention of smoking them.

Za'atar is a Middle Eastern seasoning blend made from thyme, sumac, sesame seads, salt and sometimes other herbs (marjoram, oregano). The first time I had it was at a Lebanese Restaurant in Arlington, VA that served olive oil with za'atar to dip their fresh baked pita bread in. I was never one to over indulge on bread, but when it's fresh baked and I can drench it in seasoned olive oil it's a little hard to resist. Now that I don't eat bread, I need to find other things to drench in seasoned olive oil.

I didn't put sesame seeds in this because the almonds already have the nutty flavor, being that they are nuts. Sumac is widely used as a seasoning in the Middle East. Yes, it is from the same genus as poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, but the sumac berries used for seasoning are from a different species of plant, one that does not cause irritation. Don't worry, you won't get hives on your tongue. Sumac has a slightly bitter flavor and as we know, acidic flavors are good for bringing salty flavors to life.

Ingredients:
1 lb raw almonds
1/4 cup olive oil (If you don't want them dripping with oil, use 2 tbsp.
2 tbsp thyme
2 tsp sea salt (or less, these came out pretty salty)
1 tsp (or more) sumac (optional)

Hickory wood smoking chips. Or any wood, really.

Combine all ingredients and smoke for 1 1/2 hours. Rather than spreading the almonds out on a sheet, I put them in an aluminum loaf pan to save space and periodically shook them up. If you don't have a smoker, grill indirectly and don't forget the smoking chips.

Cilantro Pablano Pesto

I usually make my pestos raw, but I had a pablano that needed roasting. I almost used pistachios for this one but went with pine nuts instead. I think next time I'll use pistachios.

1/4 fresh cilantro (half a bunch)
1 Pablano Pepper (roasted)
2 oz raw pine nuts (you can sub walnuts, pistachios, etc)
Juice of 1or 2 limes
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Combine all ingredients in a mini food processor and blend into thick paste. Tastes better the next day after garlic mellows.

Great for omelets, zucchini pasta, seafood, chicken, use as a spread, mix with yogurt or mayo for a dip. So many possibilities.

Lemon Pumpkin Sauce

I borrowed this idea from Mark's Daily Apple. I was searching for pumpkin recipes and Mark just so happened to have a whole article filled with them. I thought I would tweak it a bit. I thought lemon would give it a nice touch. I didn't have any broth, but I did have coconut milk, so that made it in there. I didn't have parsley; I used basil. I did have onions, but I also had shallots and decided to go with that.

4 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (I used fresh)
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp fresh basil chopped
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
salt, pepper, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

In a medium sauce pan, saute shallots and garlic. when cooked, add pumpkin and mix. Then add basil, paprika, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper. Mix and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the coconut milk and lemon juice, continue stirring.

You can put it threw the blender when you're don't if you like, or not. I did to make it smooth.

Guacamole

I make guacamole for almost every party I go to. When I lived on the East Coast, got tons of compliments. People would tell me it was the best guac they ever had. Then I moved to Arizona where everyone has at least one Mexican Grandmother. I don't get as much love for it out here. So, I'm letting you guys in on my secret guac recipe because no one makes guacamole like Abuela. It's still pretty damn good.

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
Juice from 1 lime
2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed, smashed or minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato, finely cubed
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
Salt, pepper, cumin, smoked paprika or chipotle powder (optional) to taste


Cut 2 of the avocados in half. Do the fancy ninja trick to remove the pits and scoop out into a bowl. Add juice from half of the lime, garlic and salt and mash with a potato masher. You could also put the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and then transfer to a bowl.

Next add the onions and jalapenos and the rest of the spices and mix or mash together.

Add the 3rd avocado, employing the same ninja knife trick to remove the pit. Mash slightly. I like to leave some chunks. Then add the tomato and mix.

Smoked Pistachios with Chili Seasoning

Sometimes I make something that tastes so good I don't want to stop eating it. My Fra Diavolo Sauce almost became Fra Diavolo Soup. I am nuts for these pistachios. I probably shouldn't have made them so delicious. Too late. I just ate half the container.

Ingredients:
8 oz raw pistachios, shelled
2 Tbsp Olive oil (you might want to use less. I happen to like olive oil covered fingers.)
1 Tbsp Chili Seasoning blend (I used Penzey's Chili 9000. It has cocoa in it!)
1-2 tsp sea salt (if your chili seasoning is salt free)

Hickory smoking chips.

I had the smoker at about 250 and smoked them for about an hour. If you don't have a smoker, cook indirectly on a charcoal grill and don't forget the smoking chips. I put them in a loaf pan and periodically shook it up, rather than spread out on a sheet of foil.

Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken and Boba Feta (Coconut Crumbles)

My quest began last week to figure out a way to make something that vaguely resembles feta out of coconut. The other day I made coconut milk from scratch and the spent coconut meat that results has a consistency similar to Parmesan cheese. It made me think. What could I add to this to make it more cheese like?

Cheese has very distinct qualities. Texture varies between cheeses, but nothing else in the world has a texture similar to cheese. It's usually salty and has a sharpness or tangy-ness unique to itself. It can also be a little sweet. Coconut is a little sweet and it does have a creamy texture. Since feta is crumbly, pureed coconut that's been drained of it's liquid is a good start. A little liquid would first have to be added. My first attempt used fresh squeezed lemon juice, but the results were too sweet. (Holy Cannoli! I might have the makings of a future faux-mascarpone . . . fauxscarpone. . . mascarfaux?) My second attempt, which came out better, used dry white wine vinegar. It gave it enough of the bitter/sourness without any sweetness.

Because I'm a geek, I'm going to call this Boba Feta:

1/2 cup fresh coconut meat, pureed and drained of milk
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste


Any improvements and suggestions are welcome. You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge. Plus if you're like me and don't have a food dehydrator, what else can you do with the spent coconut? It doesn't keep long and I'm likely to eat it by the spoonful.

For the chicken:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
Juice from 1 lemon
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
oregano and pepper to taste.

Marinate the chicken for a couple of hours then grill.

For the salad I use arugula, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, green or red onions, bell pepper and slivered almonds. Making a salad isn't rocket surgury. If all you have is spinach and cucumbers, there you go. I always make my own salad dressing. It's pretty simple: 1 part oil to 2 parts vinegar or lemon/lime juice. For a Greek salad, olive oil and either lemon juice or white wine vinegar are good.

Salad Dressing
2 tsp Oregano Infused White Balsamic Or juice from 1/4 -1/2 of a lemon or 1 tsp of any white wine vinegar
1 tsp Garlic Infused Olive Oil (I get mine from here but it's not hard to find in some supermarkets or gourmet shops, or simply make your own)
Salt, pepper, oregano to taste, or Penzey's Greek seasoning
Sea Seasoning Kelp Granules (optional, great natural source of iodine)

If you leave off the Chicken, it makes a great side dish and it's Vegan! You could also top it with shrimp, salmon, lamb, etc. Go nuts.