Mayonnaise!

I've been making homemade mayonnaise pretty regularly for quite a while now.  It is the perfect condiment to use as a salad dressing, on top of eggs, as a sauce for meat, as a dip for raw veggies, or as a dressing for chicken salad.

It wasn't HARD to make, but required a bit of patience to let the oil drip slowly into the egg as you mixed with the immersion blender.  I recently discovered a new recipe for homemade mayonnaise on The Healthy Foodie that has revolutionized my mayonnaise making!  You don't have to wait for an egg to come to room temperature.  You don't have to slowly drip the oil in.  Update your recipe file now to include this SUPER easy mayonnaise recipe!  The recipe calls for lemon/lime juice and light tasting olive oil, but I have subbed in equal amounts of apple cider vinegar (for the lemon/lime juice) and avocado oil (for the light olive oil) with equally delicious results.  If you haven't tried making your own mayonnaise, I encourage you to go for it!  You won't be disappointed!
Below are some mayonnaise flavors we regularly make and enjoy:

Roasted Red Pepper mayonnaise: after making the mayonnaise, add 4 jarred roasted red peppers, 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.  Blend until peppers are completely blended into the mayonnaise.

Chipotle mayonnaise: after making the mayonnaise, add 4-5 adobo peppers (I use canned ones and rinse them before adding them to the mayonnaise).  Blend until peppers are completely blended into mayonnaise

Garlic and rosemary mayonnaise: after making the mayonnaise, add 1 T chopped fresh rosemary, 3 cloves fresh garlic, and 1/4 tsp coarse salt.  Blend until garlic is completely blended into mayonnaise.

Cilantro mayonnaise: Cilantro Mayonnaise

Curry mayonnaise: after making mayonnaise add (I use the curry mayonnaise in my Curry Chicken Salad) 3 T curry powder, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp garlic poweder, and 1/4 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Blend until all spices are mixed in.

Paleo Fruit Pizza

My mom has always made THE BEST fruit pizza- you know, the kind with a chewy sugar cookie crust (my mom made hers with lot of butter and a secret ingredient-cream of tartar-which made it even better than using store bought cookie dough).  Needless to say, when I cut gluten and refined sugar out of my diet, traditional fruit pizza was out.  For a long time now I've thought about trying to make a paleo version of fruit pizza and with Rem's encouragement I finally got around to it!  The crust is a rich, crumbly short bread, spread with a thin layer of coconut frosting, then topped with cooked autumn fruit.  In the spirit of fall flavors, I added some cinnamon and cardamom to each component as well.  The remnants in this picture?  Yeh, that's all that was left after the day I made it.  Needless to say, this satisfied my craving for fruit pizza.  I have to say, my mom's is still the best, but this one comes in a close second!  Now Rem and I are playing a game of chicken, slowly stealing small bites since neither of us wants to be the one to eat the last piece.  I have a feeling it will disappear tonight...

Paleo Fruit Pizza

Crust:

½ c melted coconut oil

5 T maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch salt

½ c coconut flour

¼ c arrowroot starch/powder

1 tsp each cinnamon and cardamom

Mix all ingredients with a fork.  Let sit 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  When it's done, the crust should be JUST beginning to brown around the edges.  Let crust cool, then frost and pour fruit on top. 

Frosting:

¼ c canned coconut milk

¼ c melted coconut butter (warm, but not hot)

1 T raw honey

1 tsp each cinnamon and cardamom

Beat with electric mixer until smooth.  Spread onto crust once it is cool.

Fruit Topping:

2 pears

4 plums

1 apple

1 T raw honey

1 tsp each cinnamon and cardamom

Chop fruit into small pieces and saute over medium heat in 1 T butter.  Add 1 T raw honey and cinnamon and cardamom while sauteing.  Cook until fruit is soft.  Let cool before pouring on crust.  

Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash

I spent a long time trying to come up with a creative name for this recipe, but in the end I decided to just call it what it is.  Sometimes simple is better, right?  I combined some of the amazing produce from our CSA share this week to make this yummy dish that is refreshing yet filling.  

Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash

1 large spaghetti squash, cooked and cooled (I recommend just making it a day ahead of time)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground pepper (about 8 grinds)

In a large bowl, combine cooked and cooled spaghetti squash, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and pepper.  Before serving, add a sprinkle of sea salt.  Keeps in the refrigerator 1-2 days.  Serves 8 (large servings!)

Beef and Sauerkraut

Although sauerkraut is mostly known for it's role in the classic New Year's Day "Pork and Sauerkraut," it's too delicious not to include in other dishes at other times of the year. This easy meal is perfect for a weeknight when you don't have a lot of time to cook, or on the weekend when you want to cook up a BIG batch of food for the week.  In the latter case, just double the recipe and you'll be good to go!

Beef and Sauerkraut

2 lb. grass fed ground beef
1 onion, diced
salt
freshly ground pepper
1 lb. sauerkraut (from a jar, with cabbage and salt as the only ingredients)

Brown beef and onion in skillet until beef is cooked through.  Add sauerkraut and cook on medium high for about 10 minutes more, or until sauerkraut is hot.  Enjoy!  Yes, it's that easy!