Category Archives: Main Dish

Main Dish

NO NOODLE ZUCCHINI LASAGNE

Organic Ingredients if possible (suggest Muir Glen tomato products)

 Ingredients:
  • 2 large zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 pound organic ground beef or buffalo
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 cup tomato paste
  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • hot water as needed
  • 1 free-range egg
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil a deep 9×13 inch baking pan with coconut oil.

Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander.

To prepare the meat sauce, cook and stir ground meat and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add in green pepper and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a small amount of hot water if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, stir egg, ricotta, and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.

To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 the zucchini slices, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by all of the mushrooms, then 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Spread Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

 

Main Dish

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts (bone in, skin on)
  • 2-4 ribs celery
  • 4 green onions
  • 1/2 can water chestnuts
  • Raw almonds, chopped
  • Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons or more fermented soy sauce (or tamari sauce, if exceptionally gluten sensitive
  • 1-2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar
  • Freshly grated ginger
  • Mung bean sprouts (if desired)
  • Sesame oil
  • Tahini (sesame seed butter)

Salt and pepper 2 chicken breasts (bone in, skin on) and bake until done (preferably pasture-raised chicken), debone and take off skin and cube meat.

Saute celery in small amount of olive oil.  Add cubed cooked chicken and ginger and saute about a minute.  Add green onion, almonds, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, small amount of sesame oil for flavor and dark balsamic vinegar.  Cook until heated through.  Add mung bean sprouts, stir and serve.

Rinse and dry Romaine lettuce leaves and/or raw red cabbage leaves.

To serve, place mixture in a cold romaine leaves, red cabbage leaves or red leaf lettuce.  May add a little tahini on top of mixture.  Makes about 8 wraps.  This is delicious!

 

Main Dish

Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup almond meal/flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 small onion, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup marinara pasta sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
  • minced parsley for garnish
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey and beef, eggs, almond meal, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Try not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Main Dish

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Ingredients:
  • 1 small spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 pound grass fed beef or buffalo
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • baby portabella mushrooms (optional)
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I use Muir Glen roasted canned tomatoes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh leaf oregano, chopped (may use dried)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or combination of cheeses)
Preparation:

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place spaghetti squash, cut side down, in a baking dish; add water to the baking dish. Cover and bake spaghetti squash in a 375° oven for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender and easily pierced with a fork. (You can also cook the squash in the crock pot for 8-10 hours).  When cool enough to handle, scoop out squash, separating strands with a fork. Set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the beef and pour off grease;  add onion, red and green peppers and garlic and cook just until vegetables are tender.   Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and squash. Continue to cook and stir for about 2 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 1 1/2-quart casserole; stir in 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Bake uncovered at 350° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle spaghetti squash with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and cook for 5 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.

Main Dish

Crustless Quiche Ramekins

  • Butter (for ramekins)
  • Coarse sea salt
  • 1 package (10-oz.) frozen broccoli florets, or fresh
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • Ground pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheese (3 oz)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter four 8-oz. ramekins; set aside.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.  Add broccoli and cook 1 minute.  Drain well in collander and blot dry with paper towels.  Transfer to cutting board.  Chop coarsely.  Divide broccoli and cheese evenly between ramekins.

In large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg.

Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.  Ladle egg mixture into ramekins, dividing evenly.  Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes.  Serve with a mixed green salad.

Main Dish, Soups

Brazilian Fish Soup (Moqueca)

Ingredients:

  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped, divided
  • 1 green onion (white and green parts), chopped, divided
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 6 Tablespoons coconut (or olive) oil, divided
  • 4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
  • 1¼ pounds cod, cut into bite sized pieces (I buy wild-caught frozen cod at Sam’s)
  • 1-1/3 cups chopped organic bell peppers (red/orange/yellow)
  • 2 cups organic chicken stock or broth
  • 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
  • 2 Tablespoons organic tomato paste
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup canned or jarred hearts of palm, drained and sliced
  • 2 small Roma tomatoes, seeded, and diced
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

In a shallow bowl, mix together half of the green onion, half of the yellow onion, half of the ginger, half the cilantro, half of the garlic, and 4 Tablespoons of oil. Add the chunks of fish and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 3 hours.

Minutes prior to cooking, remove the fish from the fridge to let it come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay out your fish on a large baking sheet and pour the lemon juice on top. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the remaining green and yellow onions to the pan along with the bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes until softened.

Add the remaining garlic and ginger to the pan and sauté for one minute. Pour in the chicken broth and let it come to a full boil. Add the coconut milk and tomato paste and return to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to medium-low or so and gently simmer the sauce while you prepare the fish.

Place your tray of fish in the oven and bake until the fish is almost but not quite cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes (depending on thickness).

Add the almost-cooked fish and cooking juices into the simmering broth. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the fish is soft and tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Uncover the pan, add the hearts of palm and tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

Stir in the fish sauce and black pepper, then serve topped with the remaining fresh cilantro.

(This soup takes some time to make, but it’s delicious)

Main Dish, Soups

Organic Zuppa Toscana Soup

  • 1 lb Italian sausage (buy organic if possible)
  • Several small purple potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch, to make about 1-1/2 to 2 cups
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled (no nitrates)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cups organic swiss chard or kale, chopped in 1 inch pieces
  • 1 large carton organic chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup heavy cream (organic)
Directions:
Crumble uncooked sausage into small pieces and brown in ceramic skillet.  Add to crock pot, along with chicken broth and water.  Stir then place onions, potatoes and garlic in the pot.  Cook on high until potatoes are tender.  Add bacon pieces, salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for another 10 minutes or so.  Turn off crock pot and add kale/chard.  Put lid back on and let set until greens are wilted.  Add cream right before serving and stir.  Serve and enjoy