Warm Escarole, Pineapple, and Toasted Coconut Salad (AIP, Paleo, Vegan, Whole 30)

Vegetables. Give me all the vegetables! Since starting the autoimmune protocol, I have found myself trying out so many new veggies. Some I never even heard of just a few years ago, others I have known about, but was always to scared to try them. Are you trying new vegetables now that you have changed your diet?

If not, or even if you are, I have a tip for you. If you are fortunate enough to have an international market near, like an Asian market, I recommend you go there. Even if you don't have one, go to your local grocery store. Each week, pick one new vegetable you have never tried before and give it a go.

This week I tried escarole for the first time. I learned, through trusted Google, escarole is a form of endive. It's got broad leaves and a bitter flavor. Basically the perfect match for a sweet crunchy warm salad. As I do with almost any other recipe on the blog, I checked the fridge to see what I could mix with it. This warm salad is a perfect way to get in your greens, but in a bit of a nontraditional way.

Warm Escarole, Pineapple, and Toasted Coconut Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup finely diced pineapple, reserve 1 tablespoon of juice
• 4 cups, chopped escarole, approximately one small head
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• A pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Warm a large frying pan over medium/low heat.
2. Once pan is warm, add the shredded coconut to the pan. Leave alone for 3-4 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Toss and cook for another minute.
3. Add pineapple to pan and toss with shredded coconut and cook for about two minutes.
4. Add escarole and extra virgin olive oil to frying pan and toss to combine.
5. Stir often and allow to cook for 2 minutes, just enough to combine everything and warm up the escarole, but not enough to wilt it.
6. Remove from heat and place in a mixing bowl.
7. Add in reserved pineapple juice, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt. Toss to combine.
8. Serve as a side to your favorite meal.

Seafood Chowder (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30)

There is nothing more comforting than a big bowl of seafood chowder. There are a lot of fantastic recipes out there for AIP chowder, and I highly recommend you check them out too. This was simply my version, based on what goodies I found in my kitchen. I tend to prefer a not so thick chowder, but you might. If you would like to make this a little more thick, I recommend reserving some of the cooked potatoes and blend them separately, then add them back to the chowder.

Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons lard
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine*
• 1 medium white sweet potato, diced
• 2 cubs bone broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cassava flour + 1 tablespoon of water, whisked together
• 1.5 mixed raw seafood, I used 1 lb of shrimp and 8oz of mussel meat

*use bone broth instead of white wine for Whole30 compliance.

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, heat oil and lard over medium heat.
2. Once oil is warm, add shallots and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes.
4. Pour in white wine, and let cook for about 3 minutes, until it starts to reduce.
5. Now add  sweet potatoes, bone broth, coconut milk, and herbs to pot. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors come together and potatoes to cook.
6. Whisk in cassava flour/water mix.
7. Add seafood to pot and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until it is cooked.
8. Serve and enjoy.

Kabocha Tots (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30, Vegan)

Kabocha squash has quickly become one of my most favorite squash. I only recently discovered it since going AIP, and wasn't entire sure what to do with it. Roasting tastes great, but I found they could hold up their structure well enough to become yummy tater tot like side.

Ingredients

• 1 medium kabocha squash
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon savory
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
2. Wash the squash, then cut in half and deseed. You can leave the skin on or cut it off, it is based on your preference.
3. Cut squash into small, bite-size pieces and to a medium size bowl
4. In a small bowl combine garlic powder, ground ginger, savory, cinnamon, and sea salt.
5. Sprinkle seasoning blend and avocado oil over kabocha tots and stir to completely coat.
6. Pour seasoned tots on to a parchment paper lined backing sheet.
7. Put tots in preheated over for 25 minutes, toss them half way through cooking.
8. Remove, let cool for minute, then serve and enjoy!

Grilled Marinated Summer Vegetables (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Growing up, my summers included swimming all day and countless cookouts in parents backyard. They would invite friends and neighbors over, and we would grill and eat outside as often as we could. As an adult, I realized grilling can be done year round, but it is not the same as grilling between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

One item you could always count on as part of every summer party was my dad's grilled veggies. He could never seem to make enough either. They were good immediately off the grill, a few hours later, or even cold from the fridge later that night or the following morning.

A few weeks ago, I was craving these veggies so badly with the warm weather we have been having, so I had to figure out a way to make them ASAP. Normally, my dad would marinate the veggies in a store brand Italian Dressing, but knowing this option was not going to work for me, my first step was to create an AIP friendly Italian Dressing.

These veggies are perfect to take to any cookout for fellow AIPers or non-AIPers and can be enjoyed even a day or two after, if they last they long. This weekend, my parents came over for a cookout at our house and I made these veggies for everyone to enjoy. My dad said they were just as good as his, if not possible better, so I had to share the recipe with you all. Feel free to use the recipe as a guide to add and subtract veggies as you like to make the perfect dish for your family.

Grilled Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 cup brussel sprouts, halved
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 6-7 garlic cloves, whole
• 2 cups white mushrooms, sliced 
• 3-4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 medium red or sweet vidalia onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup Homemade Italian Dressing

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure veggies are completely coated in dressing.
2. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hrs, but can be up to 24 hrs. I recommend doing it the night before, or in the morning before work for dinner in the evening.
3. When ready to grill, heat grill over medium heat. You will need to use either a Vegetable Basket, aluminum foil boat or some other grill pan that will prevent the veggies from falling through the grates.
4. Once the grill is warm, add veggies to basket (or aluminum or pan). If you have a smaller grill or basket, you might need to do it in batches.
5. Grill veggies for about 35-40 minutes, stirring every so often. You want them to have some nice grill marks, but not be too over cooked. They will still have some crunch to them.
6. Enjoy along side your favorite summer time dishes. 

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable
Featured on Autoimmune Paleo Recipe Round-Up June '15

Homemade Italian Dressing (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

One of the hardest things to find is an AIP friendly or even Paleo friendly salad dressing. Most salad dressing you find at the store include about 20 ingredients that make no sense and about 4 that you actually feel comfortable consuming. As an alternative, many of us learn to live with a little olive oil and vinegar, and that works a good bit of the time. However, sometimes you really want a salad dressing that tastes like one.

When I set about coming up with an Italian Dressing recipe, it was partially because I missed it, but what I missed more was a dressing that can also be used to make Grilled Marinated Summer Vegetables. This dressing can be tossed on a leafy green salad or as a marinade or in anything you would normally use Italian dressing.

Homemade Italian Dressing

Ingredients

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon dried basil
• ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Place everything but the olive oil in a large wide mouth mason jar or large bowl. 
2. Use an immersion blender or whisk to combine ingredients.
3. Once other ingredients are combined, slowly add in the olive oil while blending or whisking.
4. Store in a mason jar in fridge for up to two weeks. Recipe makes 1 cup of dressing.

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable
Featured on Autoimmune Paleo Recipe Round-Up June '15