Though steeped in nutrition professionally and personally, I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Most of what I prepare has very few ingredients which are whole (unprocessed). And most of my food preparation has very few steps.
Before getting into the below "recipes", I should add, I believe...
Eating is personal. Food carries individual meanings for all of us. We need to move beyond "good" and "bad."
Sharing solid information about the relationship between food, nutrients, the micro-biome, and their relationship to inflammation in the body (and brain) have more impact than telling someone what to do.
There's not a perfect diet for everyone. We're all different. Some of us have difficulties regulating trace metals that occur naturally in food, some of us have methyl/folate imbalances, some (probably all of us) - imbalances in our gut flora, some - gastrointestinal candida/yeast overgrowth, some - histamine intolerance, some - food allergies or food sensitivities. Needless to say, the below recipes won't be for everyone.
Too, when it come to ingredients, we're all at a different places - ie. conventional, organic, grass fed, etc. Startwith what works for youat the moment. There's no perfection here...or anywhere else for that matter.
Changing what we eat is a process, one that requires replacing food, not eliminating it.
And lastly, I believe...
Celtic sea salt is magic. When asked, "What did you DO to this chicken" My answer, "Salt....celtic sea salt."
My must have kitchen gadgets -
a Nutribullet (.."or something like that") for making nut butters, nut or non-gluten grain flours, avocado dip, plantain tortilla chips.
dehydrator for drying nuts (I soak them first - for how and why to prepare nuts, see my Dec. 8th, 2015 Facebook post)
All of these recipes are gluten free, all but one (the ranch dip) are casein free. None of these recipes use grains (unless you replace nuts with gluten-free grains) and therefore would be relatively consistent with the GAPS diet and the SCD diet - diets that avoid grains. Many of these recipes would also work with a Paleo Autoimmune Diet and most, (except those with banana, honey or yogurt) would work for a candida/yeast free diet.
Ranch Dip
Whole yogurt
mix in celtic sea salt, garlic granules or minced, onion granules or minced and pepper to taste
serve with cut cold veggies, diced chicken or wrap ups or use as a salad dressing.
Avocado Dip
avocado, lemon juice or Vit. C powder & celtic sea salt
blend in processor
serve with diced chicken, cold cut veggies or with cubed chicken breast
Cubed Chicken for Dipping
cook diced white meat, little butter/ghee & celtic sea in skillet until brown (may cover initially to get inside cooked
serve with avocado or ranch dip
Plantain "Tortilla Chips"
3 plantains, 2 T coconut oil & 1/4 tsp salt
process into a paste and spread thinly on parchment paper on baking sheet, use knife to make squares
cook at 400 until crispy (25 min).
Wrap Ups
serve large pieces of lettuce with:
small bowls of ground meat, diced or roasted chicken, chopped hard boiled eggs, tomato, cucumber scallions, avocado, ranch or avocado dip
Chicken Wings
spread out cut wings in glass pan
sprinkle celtic sea salt & lemon juice (or Vitamin C powder)
cook at 375F for 1 hr
"Spagetti" (Squash)
cut off stem end & then cut in half
scoop out seeds
cook face down on baking sheet at 375 for 25 min. or until fork just pushes through skin
Meat Balls
mix ground meat, egg, celtic sea salt, garlic*
make into balls
cook in covered skill with broth or water
cook uncovered to brown outside
Spagetti Sauce
Simmer tomatoessalt, garlic (granules or minced), oregano, basil, butter/ghee/olive oil in pan on stove top for as long as you want
Fries
Cut sweet potato, rutabaga or butternut squash into sticks.
Cook at 375 on baking sheet with 1 Tb coconut oil & salt until crispy. Toss periodically.
Broiled Veggies
put diced butternut squash, onion & green apple or cauliflower and orange pepper or asparagus on baking sheet,
sprinkle with olive or coconut oil, salt and pepper
push around periodically
cook at 375 until it's how you like it
Steamed Veggies
put cut broccoli (or other veggie) in metal strainer on top of pot filled with 2 in. water
cover with lid
boil water to steam as long as you want
sprinkle with salt & lemon juice (or not)
Roasted Chicken
whole chicken in crock pot
celtic sea salt & pepper
cook - high setting 6 hrs
Chicken Soup/ Broth
3 leg with thigh pieces in lg. pot
cover with water
celtic sea salt & pepper
once boils, put to simmer - 2.5 hrs
Chicken "Noodle" Soup
Add spagetti squash to chicken soup (remove bones if you don't like a big leg bone in your soup)
Vegetable Soup
add garlic and cut veggies (leak, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, etc.) bring to boil and simmer for 25-30 minutes
Pancakes
mix 3/4 C nut butter, 1/2 C pureed zucchini/other squash/plantain, 3 eggs & salt to taste (add more eggs if want thinner)
cook in skillet in butter/ghee/coconut oil
Bread/Muffins
Mix 3 C ground nuts, 1/4 C soft butter or coconut oil, 4 eggs, 1/4 tsp salt
Cook in greased loaf pan or at 300 for 1 hr
If you use ground quinoa, millet for flour, add an extra egg or two.
Banana Bread
Do bread recipe
add in 2 mashed bananas, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cup honey or less and/or add stevia to taste.
Apple Crisp
peel, slice & add cinnamon & lemon juice to 6 green apples.
put in glass square pan with sm. pieces of butter/ghee - 2T
sprinkle clumpy mixture of ground pecans, butter, cinnamon, salt and stevia (to taste)
cook at 350 covered for 30 min, uncovered for 15 more
Lemon Ice
lemon juice & a little stevia over ice cubes
blend with Nutri-bullet into a snow consistency
Cookies
Mix 1 cup nut or seed butter,1 egg, pinch of salt, stevia or honey to taste
cook at 350 for about 10 min
Carmel Candy
stir 1 C butter & 1 C honey constantly over medium heat (it will come to a rolling boil)
Stir for 10 minutes
pour into glass pan(s), cool at room temp, cut into small pieces
After each of these, I would add..."or something like that." Use these as ideas, experiment and make them your own.