Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Stuffed Delicata Squash [Paleo, Vegan/Vegetarian option]



INGREDIENTS
squash:
2 delicata squash, halved and seeded
Lightly rubbed with coconut oil (or other fat) and sprinkled with cinnamon if you want to do nut version.



Stuffing:
Regular version
3/4 cup or 6 oz ground quality meat   (you know what they are.) or cooked quinoa.
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoons cold-expeller coconut oil or bacon grease or grass-fed butter/ghee
2 cups of chopped raw greens (kale, spinach, etc..) or 3/4 cup of cooked/frozen greens
2 tablespoons any stock or water (optional, if your stuffing is dry or stuck to the pan.)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated raw cheese or bacon bits
Nut version
3 Tablespoons cold-expeller coconut oil or grass-fed butter/ghee
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped pine nuts
(or any nuts combined)
2 Tablespoon of real maple syrup or raw honey
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage optional
A pinch of sea salt to taste


** Ignore the sweet potatoes. i was cooking for dinner on that day as well. :-)**

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare squash, preheat oven to 400. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side up. Bake for 30 minutes or until soft.

While squash is roasting, prepare filling. In a saute pan, heat fat, then put in onion and garlic until they are lightly golden. Add ground meat (or your choice of protein), cook until meat is cooked through and onions are soft about 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except cheese or bacon bits, cook until everything is cook and well mixed. Remove from a stove and let cool down.

For nut version: In a saute pan, melt butter/coconut oil medium-high heat. Stir in sage and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in nuts until they are well mixed. Turn off a stove and pour in maple syrup or honey. keep stirring for a minute. Set aside.

Split the mixture among the 4 divided squash and top with grated raw cheese or bacon bits. If making a nut version, sprinkle some cinnamon powder. Put them back in the oven about 20 minutes or until filling is heated through.


Delicata Squash Fun facts:
- Other names: sweet potato squash or Bohemian squash, taste similar to that of sweet potatoes
-  Featuring  stripes on an oblong shape. 
- Winter squash
- Easily chopped and sliced and the outside peel is soft enough to eat when it's cooked.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Kiwi Vinaigrette - Paleo/Primal/Vegan/Raw

4 kiwi fruit, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoon coconut oil (I used expeller-pressed, instead of extra virgin coconut oil so its aroma doesn't overpower the kiwi's) or avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil (but I do not like the smell of kiwi and olive oil together; however, it's good if you want to keep it in a fridge since coconut oil becomes solid. Though I kept mine and it became solid. I warm it to the room temperature before serving)
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 Tablespoon (or to taste) raw honey - optional if you do not like very tangy or your kiwi is not sweet enough for you. i didn't put this in mine.
a pinch of sea salt (Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt if you eat Raw)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a serving container and serve over salad.

It also works very well with mixed fruit salad. I had some leftover and I tried to dip it with apples. It was yummm...

Enjoy
piyuthai



Adapted recipe from http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/dressing/kiwi-vinaigrette.html