Lunch - Thai Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

I like squash, but I don't cook it much. I don't think too far outside of the box and remember my mom taking the time to cook it in the oven as a side dish. And I seem to prefer an all in one meal. Well, enough excuses because I've found this soup. If you want directions for stovetop cooking, see the website. I made this soup on the weekend, stopping by to stir on occasion, used the immersion blender and boom, lunch was ready for the week.

Thai Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

adapted from the website hostthetoast.com

Prep Time: 15 mins, Cook Time: 35 mins, Total Time: 50 minutes, Yield: 4

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

2 cups vegetable broth

1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1″ cubes (about 4 cups)

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk, divided

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

Naan, to serve, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

If making in the slow cooker: Add butternut squash, garlic, onion, ginger, Thai curry paste, broth, and salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to evenly distribute. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. 

Pour the soup into a blender in batches and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender to blend in the slow cooker. Before serving, turn off the slow cooker and mix in the coconut milk (saving a few tablespoons to garnish) and lime juice (if using). Mix well. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and add sriracha to taste for extra spice, if using. Pour into bowls and drizzle the remaining coconut milk on top. Swirl the coconut milk with a spoon. Serve warm with naan bread.

Dinner - No-Noodle Lasagna

I'd never made a lasagna before this recipe, although I had eaten it before! Lol! It's delicious, but it doesn't conform to Food Combining Rules to eat starch and protein together, so I was on the hunt for something like this that uses zucchini in place of the starchy noodles. 

I use vegan cheese in a lot of recipes, but this time I went with the real stuff. Which does go against Food Combining protocols in that we are not supposed to combine proteins because by doing so we could be activating different digestive juices as they start to break down the different proteins. In simple terms, this can lead to reflux. It didn't cause a problem for me, so I'm calling this recipe a keeper. 

No-Noodle Lasagna

adapted from Cook With Amber by Amber Kelley

3-4 servings

2 medium zucchini

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed and minced

1/2 pound turkey or pork sausage, casing removed

1-14 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1-6 oz can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

1-½ teaspoon salt, to taste

½ teaspoon pepper

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Parmesan cheese, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400ºF. 

Slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin so that they are paper-thin strips. Set out the strips on paper towels to dry out while you make the sauce.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the sausage and cook over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it’s no longer pink and crumbly.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, ½ to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on the saltiness of your sausage), and the pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 5 to 15 minutes, until thickened.

To assemble the lasagna, ladle about ¾ cup of the sauce over the bottom of a baking dish, I used a 10”x10”. Layer the zucchini, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with a small handful of mozzarella, a bit of parmesan, and then another ladle of sauce. Repeat until you are out of ingredients, finishing with sauce, topped with parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and cheese starts to brown. Let it cool slightly so that it can set  before serving. Enjoy!

Dinner - Creamy Kale & Spinach Soup

Another recipe using raw cashews to create a creamy base. If you haven't tried this I'm encouraging you to give it a try. But don't take a can of salted cashews and use in place of raw. You may need to pick these up outside of Redwood Falls! Try Cashwise! The cashew base adds a creamy and hearty base to this great soup. 

Creamy Kale & Mushroom Soup

adapted from the Creamy Wild Rice Soup at highcarbhannah.co

Ready In: 40 minutes Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Servings: 6

Saute Ingredients

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 a large yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Cashew Cream Ingredients

1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in 1 cup water for 3-4 hours)

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp tamari

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

Soup Ingredients

2 cups kale, chopped

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

2 tbsp Italian seasoning

1-10 oz package of cauliflower rice

Instructions

Place a large sauce pan on medium heat and add a few tablespoons of water to it. Add in your chopped onions, garlic and mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms become translucent (about 5 minutes).

While the saute is cooking, add your cashews (with the water from it soaking), tamari, nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar into your blender and blend on high until smooth. I use a vitamix and blend for a minute until it turns to a cream like texture.

Once the saute is done add the rest of your ingredients into your pot (except the cashew cream we just made). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 30 minutes.

Once its done stir and add in your cashew cream. Add some extra black pepper on top and enjoy.

Lunch - 1-Hour Vegan Pot Pies

 1-Hour Vegan Pot Pies

Minimalist Baker.com

PREP TIME 20 minutes 

COOK TIME 40 minutes 

TOTAL TIME1 hour

Servings 5 (mini pies)

Olive oil

3/4 cup chopped yellow onion 

1 large clove garlic (minced)

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)

1/4 cup unsweetened plain rice milk

1/4 cup brown rice flour

2 bay leaves

1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper

Store bought puff pastry

Preheat oven to 425º F.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Then add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt – stir. Cook until soft – about 7 minutes.

Add the flour and stir with a whisk, then slowly whisk in the broth.

Add rice milk and bay leaves and stir. Simmer until the mixture is thickened (about 10 minutes). If it still appears too thin, scoop out 1/2 cup of the broth and add 1-2 tablespoons more flour and whisk. Add back into the pot to thicken.

While the sauce is thickening, prepare puff pastry. Cut out, leave unbaked, and set aside.

Once the sauce is thickened, add the frozen vegetables and cook for 4-5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Discard the bay leaves and divide the mixture evenly between 5-6 lightly greased ramekins or a 8×8 baking dish. Top with puff pastry and brush the tops of the biscuits with melted vegan butter. Set your 8×8 dish or ramekins on a baking sheet to catch overflow and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly (about 14-17 minutes). Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

If making ahead of time, simply spoon the cooked veggie mixture into your ramekins or dish, top with uncooked puff pastry, and freeze. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 425º and cook until the pastry is golden brown and the mixture is bubbly – roughly 25-30 minutes.

Versatile - Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

 Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

from highcarbhannah.co

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk 

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)

2 carrots, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

Fresh basil for topping

Place a saucepan over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of water or coconut oil to the pan. Add in your minced garlic and onions and saute for 5 minutes.

Add in the rest of your ingredients (except the coconut milk) and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

When the soup is done, add in your coconut milk and pulverize in a blender. 

Dinner - Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Bake

 

Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Bake

foodmatters.com

1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1/2 cup raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coconut oil, plus a little extra

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Pinch of Salt

Lightly steam your cauliflower and then place into a baking dish.

In a small pot on a medium heat, sauté the onion, and garlic in the coconut oil until golden brown.

Add the vegetable broth, turmeric and salt, allow to simmer on a low heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a blender, add the cashew nuts, nutritional yeast and vegetable broth mix.

Blend until smooth and creamy then pour this mixture over the top of your cauliflower in the baking dish, spreading evenly.

Cook under the broiler for 5-8 minutes, or until golden brown.

3 servings

Dinner - Throw Together Chicken Cacciatore

More people would cook their own food if there were more recipes as simple as this. No lies. You can do this.

Throw Together Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from Food Matters

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tbsp dried rosemary

4 tsp dried Italian herbs

3 organic chicken thighs

½ cup cherry tomatoes

½ cup black olives, pitted

Riced cauliflower

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ a lemon

Salt and pepper

Greens to serve

Preheat oven to 400°F 

In an oven-proof dish of any size, empty tinned tomatoes. Add in tomato paste, garlic, rosemary and 3 tsp of the Italian herbs. Mix together in the oven-proof dish.

Place chicken thighs on top of the tomato mixture, followed by cherry tomatoes, olives and cubed potato, if using.

Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze over the juice of half a lemon.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are cooked through.

Serve with lightly steamed greens.

Lunch - Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Dahl

I have been looking for a sweet potato recipe that stands out of the crowd, and this is it! Flavorful and nutritious! And another recipe using red lentils, you've got to give this a try! If you do not have garam marsala in your cupboard just Google it. You should have all of the spices already in your cupboard and if you search for a recipe you can make your own blend. 

 Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Dahl

foodmatters.com

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow (brown) onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

½ long red chili, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garam marsala

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 x 14 fl oz (400g) can diced tomatoes

1 medium sweet potato, cut into small even chunks

½ cup red split lentils, soaked overnight

1 cup vegetable stock

½ x 14 fl oz (400mL) can coconut cream

1 cup baby spinach leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large, wide-base pot or pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften.

Add the garlic, ginger, and chili, continuing to sauté for another minute. Then add turmeric, cumin, and garam marsala. Lightly sauté for 2 - 3 minutes or until fragrant.

Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, sweet potato, lentils, stock, and coconut cream.  Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked. Stir through baby spinach leaves right at the end.

Serve topped with cilantro leaves and a dollop of coconut yogurt.

4 servings

Lunch - Rice Paper Rolls with Tamari Dipping Sauce

Rice Paper Rolls with Tamari Dipping Sauce

Adapted from Food Matters

12 rice paper wrappers

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 medium cucumber, deseeded, cut into matchsticks

½ red bell pepper (capsicum), thinly sliced

¼ head red cabbage, thinly sliced

½ cup snow peas, topped and tailed, cut into matchsticks

½ bunch cilantro

1 avocado, thinly sliced

Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon tamari

½ lime, juiced

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

½ tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Wash and prepare vegetables. Set aside on a plate ready for rolling. Mix together your dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Fill a large bowl or baking dish large enough to dip your rice paper wrappers in with room temperature water. Working with one at a time, submerge 1 rice paper wrapper in the water for 10 - 30 seconds until soft and pliable. Lay the wrapper on a large piece of parchment paper or on a chopping board. Arrange ingredients on top of each other, leaving at least an inch on the sides (the fresh ingredients should be no longer than 3 inches).

Bring the bottom of the wrapper up and over the pile and begin to roll gently, making sure you don't tear the delicate wrapper. Tuck the ends in as you go. Set each roll aside until all rolls have been assembled.

Cut in half and serve with dipping sauce.

Dinner - Indian Chicken

Funny but I've been finding a lot of recipes lately that use canned coconut milk. It add a depth of flavor similar to heavy whipping cream but coconut is considered a neutral in food combining, so it keeps this recipe on plan. Enjoy!

Indian Chicken

Adapted from The Southbeach Diet: Quick And Easy Cookbook

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon EVOO or coconut oil

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 cups of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 (13.5 ounces) can coconut milk

½ cup vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

Season chicken well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion, garlic, curry powder and ginger to the same skillet. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cauliflower, coconut milk, and broth; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken back to the pan and cook until sauce is thickened and reduced, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Lunch - Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Serve with a side salad for a veggie packed lunch!

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

adapted from Cook With Amber by Amber Kelley

4 servings

¼ coconut oil

2 leeks, sliced thinly and cleaned thoroughly

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 cups vegetable broth

2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (abt 4 cups)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the leeks in oil with salt and pepper, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the starch into 1 cup of the vegetable broth until it has dissolved, making sure there are no lumps. Pour the starch mixture and remaining stock into the pot.

Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-render.

Working in batches, place about ⅓ of the soup in a blender. Put the lid on but remove the bap, and cover the hole with a kitchen towel. Blend until creamy and smooth. Repeat with rest of the soup.

Add more salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Lunch - Naked Nachos

I had this for lunch today and know right away that this recipe is a keeper! I left out the black beans to meet the Food Combining requirements, as well as the cilantro because I'm allergic to it! If you wanted to tone down the onion, you could soak it in water before chopping for this recipe. Enjoy!

Naked Nachos from Food Matters

Sweet Potato Chips

2 medium sweet potatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Pinch of unrefined sea salt

Simple Guacamole

1 avocado

½ lime, juiced

Pinch of unrefined sea salt

Chunky Salsa

1 tomato, diced

¼ red onion, diced

½ lime, juiced

Pinch of unrefined sea salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Peel and slice the sweet potato into thin discs, about half a centimeter thick, and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of paprika and sea salt. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then arrange the sweet potato slices on it. Put in the oven to roast for 20 - 25 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are in the oven, prepare the guacamole and salsa.

Plate the nachos, top with salsa, and the guacamole.

Versatile - Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

Here's a great versatile vegan tomato soup to combine with a protein for dinner or a carb/starch for lunch. The coconut milk gives this an amazing depth of flavor.  And I always think the vegetable broth does that as well. Give it a try. The original recipe called for 4 tablespoons of cashew butter. I opted to swap in the coconut milk per the authors own suggestion. I have some almond butter in the fridge but not cashew, and I know specialty nut butters can be expensive. So I tried the suggestion to sub the coconut milk, and I won't try it with the cashew butter! I like the way it turned out with the substitution! Plus I also substituted honey for the maple syrup. The original recipe calls for using an immersion blender, but since my soup was too thick and the blender wouldn't work I put mine in the blender to pulverize and changed the directions accordingly. 

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

from highcarbhannah.co

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk 

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)

2 carrots, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

Fresh basil for topping

Place a saucepan over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of water or coconut oil to the pan. Add in your minced garlic and onions and saute for 5 minutes.

Add in the rest of your ingredients (except the coconut milk) and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

When the soup is done, add in your coconut milk and pulverize in a blender. 

Lunch - Mushroom Stroganoff

 Some minor adaptations to this recipe from evergreen kitchen.ca make this recipe a good gluten-free lunch option. I used both brown rice flour and brown rice noodles in place of their recommendations. It's delicious and creamy! If I hadn't made it myself I would have guessed someone used a can of Cream of Mushroom soup here!

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

Adapted from evergreenkitchen.ca

4 servings

2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided

1 large yellow onion

1 lb cremini or button mushrooms

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, picked

3 tablespoons brown rice flour

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock

7 oz dry brown rice tagliatelle egg noodles

1/2 cup plain almond milk

Salt and pepper

Heat a 1 tablespoon of oil in large skillet (or pot) over medium-high heat. While the pot heats, dice onion. Cook onion for 6 minutes, or until it’s translucent and slightly golden brown on edges. Meanwhile, cut the ends off the mushrooms and slice. Add mushrooms to the pot and cook for 8 minutes, or until mushrooms have released all their liquids and are golden brown.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, minced garlic and freshly picked thyme leaves to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and mix well until vegetables are coated evenly. Then add vegetable stock. Scrape any brown bits off the pan and stir well. Bring liquid back to a boil.

Once boiling, add noodles and non-dairy milk. Use spoon to distribute the noodles so they’re fully covered with liquid. Stir every couple minutes to ensure even cooking. Cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until the noodles are el dente. Keep an eye on your mixture: if noodles need more liquid, add extra stock in very small increments. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately and garnish with chopped parsley and cheese of your choice.

Lunch - Veggie Fajita Burritos

I went looking for recipes for some favorite Mexican recipes that I haven't been making because they aren't Food Combining compliant.  Here's one that I found and adapted to fit my needs. It's good and pretty spicy too!

Veggie Fajita Burritos

from twopeasandtheirpod.com

3-4 Servings

Fajita Seasoning:

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

For The Fajita FIlling:

2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

For Serving:

Tortillas, corn or flour

Guacamole

Vegan shredded cheese

Rice

In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onion, and mushrooms and stir until the veggies are coated in the oil. Add the fajita seasoning and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and lime juice and cook for 2 minutes. The vegetables should be tender but still slightly crisp. I like to serve these in the jumbo tortillas and wrap em' up like a burrito so it's not so messy.

Can serve with a little bit of rice to help cut the heat of the spices!

Dinner - Salmon Patties

I went looking for a recipe that would remind me of my mom's old salmon loaf recipe, but one that was food combining compliant. With some modifications I put this salmon patties recipe together!

Salmon Patties

lowcarbyum.com

Prep time 5 minutes, Cook time 10 minutes

14 ounces canned salmon
2 large eggs
1 large zucchini, spiralized
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast or 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil

INSTRUCTIONS

In medium bowl, mix together salmon, eggs, zucchini, nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese), parsley, garlic powder, oregano, and salt.

Form salmon mixture into 6 patties.

Heat oil in non-stick pan. Fry each patty in the oil until browned on both sides.

SAUCE

Mix together sour creamer mayo with some brown mustard

Versatile - Turmeric, Carrot & Ginger Soup

I needed just a couple of adaptations for this recipe. I used vegetable broth in place of the bone broth they called for. And I left out the pound of shrimp. This makes a great lunch with GF bread or GF crackers. Or put the shrimp back in for a great dinner!

Turmeric Carrot & Ginger Soup

Adapted from Atkins Eat Right, Not Less

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 carrots, thinly sliced

2 cups cauliflower florets

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon peeled, grated ginger

1 quart vegetable broth

Warm the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, cauliflower, garlic, salt and pepper; cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables start to brown. Add the turmeric and ginger and cook 1 minute more to blend the flavors.

Add the broth and cover, increasing the heat to medium high. As soon as the soup comes to a boil, reduce to low and cook 7 to 8 additional minutes, until tender. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.