Here’s to my obsession with Kale and Thai food!

Serve this wonderful salad with a thai beef, chicken, pork or fish, for a kick-ass main dish salad!

Thai Chopped Kale and Avocado Salad

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch dinosaur or red kale, chopped
• 2 avocados(1 mashed, one diced)
• 1 lime
• a drizzle of sesame oil
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp coconut nectar
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ red bell pepper, sliced thinly
• ½ orange bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 red onion, chopped finely
• 3 green onions, cut diagonally
• 2 TBS chopped, cilantro
• black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

1. Place kale in a bowl, with the mashed avocado. Massage the avocado into the kale to soften. Add lime, sesame oil, fish sauce, coconut nectar, salt and pepper to taste. Mix to incorporate.
2. Add the bell peppers, mango, red onion, green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Toss and serve

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Our Mother’s Day was fantastic!  After working all day in the garden/yard we went to Dad and Rosemary’s house to have dinner. The mothers were asked to bring a simple side dish, and to sit down, with a glass of wine while the men made the main courses:

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon

and

 Grilled Norwegian Salmon

(OMG…I will not forget this meal for a VERY long time!!!!)

The girls played by grandma’s pond with Uncle Luke and fished for coy (good thing they didn’t catch any, or grandma would have skinned us alive)

I made this dish on a whim, but I think it would make a great side any day! It is super simple and very flavorful! Feel free to swap out the toppings, and the kind of winter squash you use!! If you want to keep it dairy free, top with some pistachios or cooked chopped bacon halfway into roasting, also you could swap out the dates for apple-juice sweetened cranberries! YUM!

Roasted Maple Butternut Squash with Gorgonzola and Feta

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

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Ingredients

• 2 small or 1 large butternut squash
• 1 TBS coconut oil, melted
• 1 TBS maple syrup
• 1 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 oz goat feta, crumbled
• 3 dates or 2 TBS dried, apple juice sweetened cranberries
• 3 TBS chopped chives
• fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a large baking sheet or dish with parchment paper.
3. Cut squash into halves, seed, and cut a piece from the bottom so it will sit nicely on the flat surface of your baking sheet/dish.
4. Drizzle the coconut oil and maple syrup over the squash.
5. Sprinkle with the crumbled cheeses and dates or cranberries.
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the cheeses are browned and the flesh of the squash is tender and starts to caramelize.
7. garnish with chopped chives and fresh ground black pepper

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The last week has been…interesting…

The baby had a horrible stomach bug early week and has been recovering all week, the hubby also had a bad fever, and chills, and the in-laws flew in from Sweden on Monday to stay with us for 3 weeks.

So in-between hand-washing, chicken soup, disinfecting, checking temperatures, snuggling,  and dispensing ginger kombucha, I have been doing my best to keep the in-laws healthy and happy. FINALLY, everyone is feeling better…and everything looks just a little bit brighter.

It’s amazing how sickness teaches you gratitude for your health.

Yesterday was the first normal day we have had in a looongggg time…and it felt sooo good!

Now we can have some quality time with the family…and eat some good food.

Here’s a recipe for my favorite meatloaf! I smoke this in my traeger, for a few hours before I bake it, but if you don’t have much time, it can be baked on the traeger or in your home oven with no smoking necessary!

I use my wonderful pastured lamb from Montana Highland Lamb in this recipe, but if you would like to cut the cost, ground beef or even pork would work wonderfully in this recipe. If you have never had lamb in a meatloaf before…you better try it.  I was amazed at how juicy and flavorful it was.

and…for those of you that say you don’t like lamb, I’ve got the prescription for you:

1. Get some super-fresh pasture raised lamb.
2. Make this recipe.

You won’t be disappointed!!!

These are my favorite side dishes for this meal:

• Cardamom and Orange Scented “Rice” with Sultanas and Pecans
• Chopped Thai Kale Salad (will be posting soon!)

a simple baked sweet potato and fresh green salad would also be divine

Spiced Tandoori Lamb Meatloaf

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 8

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour 35 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 onion chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs ground pastured, grass-fed lamb
• 2 tsp salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons tandoori seasoning
• 1½ tsp onion powder
• optional: BBQ sauce or ketchup (preferably homemade) to coat.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly.
3. Form into a loaf and bake on a parchment lined cookie pan, or press into a loaf pan.
4. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F
5. Drain and baste with fat half way through cooking, and brush with BBQ sauce or ketchup the last 10 minutes of cooking.
6. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and Serve!

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Traeger Spiced Tandoori Lamb Meatloaf

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 8

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

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IF YOU HAVE A TRAEGER or SMOKER/GRILL(wood pellet grill)

Ingredients

• 1 onion chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs ground pastured, grass-fed lamb
• 2 tsp salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons tandoori seasoning
• 1½ tsp onion powder
• optional: BBQ sauce or ketchup (preferably homemade) to coat.

Instructions

1. Set the traeger on smoke, place the meatloaf directly on the grill grates, and smoke for 1-2 hours.
2. Turn up the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 50-60 mins, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
3. Brush with BBQ sauce or ketchup the last 10 minutes of cooking.
4. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and Serve!

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Well, it’s starting to look like spring here in Montana…FINALLY! Grilling season is just around the corner and I’ve got a very special recipe to share with you today.

If you can, buy your meat by the 1/2 or whole. Not only is it more affordable, I have found that it introduces you to new cuts of meat and helps you to challenge yourself as a cook.  It can be scary, but it pushes you out of your comfort zone, and gives you the opportunity to grow.

Here’s a story:

A few years ago when I pulled the first pack of short ribs out of the freezer, I had a plan.  I thawed them, and just about had an anxiety attack as I realized they weren’t the beef spare ribs I thought they were. I got on the internet, and started searching for a recipe, and settled on a recipe that braised the ribs in red wine.  It turned out great, but as I have made my way through about 10 packages since then, I have found a favorite way to prepare these little babies.

My personal favorite (especially during grilling season) is to get my short ribs cut into individual pieces, and marinate for a super-long time, then I flash char them on the grill. These are awesome served with my Simply Pineapple Avocado Salsa.

Full-size short ribs are delicious, but need to be slow-cooked/smoked to produce a tender dish. You can also throw these on the grill, right before serving to char them up a little. These are amazing served with baked sweet potatoes or with mashed sweet potatoes and a nice green salad. Pour the sauce from the crockpot over the meat and the potatoes. Delish!

This Thai pineapple marinade can be used on anything. So get cooking!

 I’d love to see what you come up with!

Thai Spiced Pineapple Short Ribs (Grilled)

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Cuisine: Thai

Serves: 6

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

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Ingredients

• 2½ lbs bone-in individual beef short ribs, cut crosswise into ½ inch wide pieces
• ½ fresh pineapple, cored, and cut into 1″ pieces
• ½ cup coconut aminos, or tamari
• ¼ cup coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBS honey
• 1½ TBS lemon grass, prepared or peeled and minced
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 TBS sambal oelek(optional if you like it spicy)
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 1 TBS chinese 5 spice

Instructions

1. Put the short ribs in a large plastic bag or baking dish to marinate.
2. Blend all other ingredients in the blender until smooth. Pour over the beef and marinate for 24 hours, turning the ribs a few times.
3. Preheat your grill.
4. Grill the ribs on high for 3-4 minutes on each side, for medium.

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Thai Spiced Pineapple Beef Short Ribs(Crockpot)

 

Cuisine: Thai

Serves: 6

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 8 hours

Total time: 8 hours 10 mins

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Slow cook your full-sized Beef Short Ribs in a crockpot, you can throw them on the grill for a few minutes right before serving if you want that delicious charred goodness.

Ingredients

• 2½ lbs full-size, bone-in beef short ribs
• ½ fresh pineapple, cored, and cut into 1″ pieces
• ½ cup coconut aminos, or tamari
• ¼ cup coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 2 TBS honey
• 1½ TBS lemon grass, prepared or peeled and minced
• 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 TBS sambal oelek(optional if you like it spicy)
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 1 TBS chinese 5 spice

Instructions

1. Place the beef in a crockpot
2. Throw everything else in the blender. Blend until smooth, and pour over the meat in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 6 hours.
3. Optional:
4. Preheat your grill.
5. Remove the short ribs from the crockpot, grill on high for 2-4 minutes on each side. The ribs should be slightly charred and tender.

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If you have been following my blog for long, you know I love simple, easy to make recipes.

As I have learned though much trial and error, food should be enhanced with complementary flavors, but not overpowered.

If you use high quality foods, that is just what you will get, a high quality meal!  Let the flavor of the food shine through, you will be pleasantly surprised at how delicious it can be!

“Let things taste of what they are.” ― Alice Waters

I leave you with a recipe for a Simple Pineapple Avocado Salsa, with minimal ingredients and TONS of flavor!

Serve this wonderful salsa with just about anything, but these are my favorites:

Thai Spiced Pineapple Short Ribs

Grilled Fish, Shrimp, Chicken, Pork or Beef

Plantain Chips

Simply Pineapple Avocado Salsa

 

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

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Ingredients

• ½ pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 2 TBS red onion or shallot, chopped finely
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 jalapeño, or some habanero (if you are super brave), chopped finely
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped finely
• juice from ½ a lime
• sea salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Combine pineapple, red onion, avocado, jalapeño, and cilantro in a medium sized bowl. Add lime juice. Toss gently, and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

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My husband has an affinity for potatoes…which is probably thanks to him growing up in Sweden, where boiled potatoes are served with almost everything. When we started the Paleo Diet, almost 9 years ago, potatoes were a forbidden fruit, so we cut them entirely from our diets.

In the years since, and as we learned more about them, and as we started moving towards eating locally and seasonally, we decided they weren’t as scary as we once thought.

I on the other hand, I have never really enjoyed potatoes. I would pick a baked sweet potato over a regular potato any day!

Until this idea came along…for possibly the world’s best potatoes…

Boiled, smashed whole potatoes seasoned and drizzled with coconut oil. Roasted for 30 minutes.

Soft and velvety on the inside, super crunchy on the outside, seasoned with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and served with your favorite pesto. Here’s my pick:

Lemon Thyme, Chive and Spinach Pesto

INCREDIBLE!!!

I like to boil my potatoes for the week ahead (usually on sunday), to save me the extra work/time/dishes, on weekdays when I am trying to get food on the table fast for my hungry family. Just smash, drizzle with coconut oil, season, and roast for 30 mins!

We served these with lamb chops, and a delicious green salad!!

Roasted Smashed Potatoes with Pesto

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

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Ingredients

• 1lb baby red potaotes
• 1 TBS coconut oil(melted)
• sea salt and pepper
• your favorite pesto(preferably homemade)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Put your potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Boil for 10-15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.(This can be done ahead of time)
3. Smash each potato with a potato masher.
4. Drizzle with coconut oil and season generously with sea salt and pepper.
5. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy!
6. Top with your favorite pesto!

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The Worlds Most Decadent Brownie.

Made with walnuts, dates, stevia, raw cacao and maple syrup.

And…

They take 15 minutes to make, with no baking required.

Need I say more?

Cut these into 16-20 small brownies, as they are super rich and a small brownie will satisfy even the most extreme chocoholic.

Trust me…

I live with one.

Triple Chocolate No-Bake Brownies

 

Serves: 20

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

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Ingredients

• for the brownies:
• 4 cups whole walnuts
• 1½ cup raw cacao
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 12 oz fresh medjool dates, pitted
• 8 drops liquid stevia
• for the chocolate ganache:
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Process walnuts in your food processor, until finely ground.
2. Add raw cacao(or cocoa powder), and sea salt. Process until incorporated.
3. Add the stevia, and then the dates one at a time through the top feed, while the food processor is running. Once all of the dates are used, the mixture should look crumbly, but stick and hold together. Press mixture into a 9×9 baking dish, cover and place in the fridge while you make the ganache.
4. add the cocoa powder, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, sea salt and vanilla extract to the food processor (no need to clean in-between), and process until emulsified. Spread ganache evenly over the top of the brownies. Place in the fridge or freezer to set for 1 hour before cutting.

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Ever Since I got my Cappello’s Grain-Free Pasta, Lasagna Sheets and Gnocchi in the mail, I have been planning to make this recipe. I have been developing a salmon lasagna recipe in my head for quite a while. Yes, I am one of those people that I wakes up in the middle of the night dreaming of new flavor combinations, and ways to prepare food.

Wow…I can’t believe I just admitted that…

I made something similar to this about 6 months ago, but with thin sliced red potatoes,and frozen peas. It was delicious, but the asparagus was better suited to this dish. As soon as I opened the package of lasagna sheets, little miss “quality control” pushed me out of the way and well… you get the point. Once she declared that it was ok to eat, we started cooking. No need to cook the fresh lasagna sheets before you layer them into the casserole, so that saved us one step. I baked the salmon, made the béchamel sauce, and sautéed the veggies.

Then we started the layers. Starting from the bottom:

1 layer of lasagna sheets

1 layer of asparagus/leeks

1 layer of salmon with a sprinkle of blue cheese

repeat

1 layer lasagna sheets

1 layer mozzarella cheese to top.

This was a big hit, and my husband made me promise to make this again.

Since this dish has quite a few different components, It isn’t super-easy or quick to make, but if you have leftover salmon from the night before, this is a great way to use it up, and like I said, if you don’t have Cappello’s wonderful lasagna sheets on hand, you can easily substitute thinly sliced potatoes or sweet potatoes. Don’t be afraid to omit the cheese,  the creamy béchamel would be amazing over the lasagna just by itself!  I always like to make a “fun” paleo meal on Sundays, they tend to be more time consuming than my go-to week day meals, but they are well worth it!

Include the whole family and create some wonderful memories in the kitchen! Split the components up between family members, and this meal will come together in no time!

Salmon Lasagna with Leeks, Asparagus, and Blue Cheese

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 6

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

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Ingredients

• for the salmon:
• 1 lb cooked salmon, flaked
• ½ lemon
• salt and pepper
• for the béchamel sauce:
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 TBS coconut flour
• 1(15oz) can unsweetened full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• asparagus and leeks:
• 1 TBS Butter
• 1 bunch asparagus(or go forage your own!)
• 2 leeks
• salt and pepper to taste
• layering:
• 4 oz blue cheese
• 1 package grain-free lasagna noodles or thinly sliced potatoes
• ½ cup shredded or fresh sliced mozzarella cheese to top

Instructions

1. salmon: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze ½ the lemon over the salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min or until fish flakes easily.
2. bechamel/white sauce: In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter, add garlic and coconut flour, and stir for about 1 to 1½ min until flour has browned slightly(it will develop a nice golden color). Add the coconut milk, sea salt and white pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened.
3. asparagus and leeks: melt butter in a saute pan, Add the leeks and asparagus and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Layer, in a 13×9 baking dish, top with mozzarella and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

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All winter, we have been eating out of our freezer, we ordered and split a whole cow with a good friend, last spring. Buying your meat this way is the best way to get grass-fed beef, it is more economical, and your money is staying in the community.

The meat supply is starting to dwindle, but I will tell you this…after the long winter here in Montana, I do start to get sick of roast. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great slow cooked roast in wine and herbs, but at this point in the year, I just want something FRESH!

this is where my Steak and Arugula Salad drizzled with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette comes in. Only one problem. Marcus hates steak…and when I say hate, I mean he loathes it entirely…

Yes, my man HATES steak…

He is usually so good about eating everything I set in front of him, but if I give him a juicy steak right off the grill he will get up from the table, give me a disgusted look and start cooking something for himself…I know what you are thinking…

Marcus??? COOKING?

So steak is out, but I decided to smoke one of my round bone roasts on the Traeger, and see what happened…this is essentially a huge steak, but we won’t tell him that.

So I used some stoneground mustard to coat the whole roast, and sprinkled all sides with herbes de provence, salt, and pepper. Then I smoked it in the Traeger, slow and low, for 5 hours at 225 degrees. Check out that smoke ring!

As the roast came off the grill to rest, I started the salad. I used my usual mix of seasonal local veggies…arugula, sliced watermelon radish, shredded carrots and a honey crisp apple. I topped it with the sliced meat, organic blue cheese and homemade balsamic fig vinaigrette. It was just what I hoped it would be. fresh and delicious…and the husband ate it without any complaints…he even said he liked it, though it resembled steak…and there are leftovers for tomorrow! SCORE!

Smoked Beef Roast with Mustard and Herbes de Provence

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 8-10

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 hours

Total time: 5 hours 5 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 4.5-5 lb Round Bone or 7 Bone Roast
• ¼ cup Stone ground or home-made mustard to coat
• 3 TBS Herbes de Provence
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Coat all sides of the roast in stoneground or homemade mustard. Season all sides generously with Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.
2. Place on you smoker/grill and cook at 225 for 4.5 to 5 hours, or until a meat thermometer registers:145 degrees F; medium-rare, or let it reach 155 degrees, if you like your meat well done.
3. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

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Today concluded the last of the winter Farmers Markets at the Emerson.

We like to be there early to make sure we get in on the beautiful greens that Gallatin Valley Botanical provides, but this morning, I drug my butt out of bed much later than usual.  Luckily for us, there was plenty of lettuce available, and we snagged 5 heads of butter lettuce, and some gorgeous pea shoots.

Artisan Charcuterie had 2 salamis for 1, so I picked up two of my favorite flavors, Bay Zinga and Salamette.

Amaltheia Dairy also had two tubs of goat chevre for the price of one, so I got a Spiced Pepper, and a Roasted Garlic and Chive.

We stopped and talked to Rancho Picante about possibly purchasing 1/2 a bison and picked up more of their wonderful Bison Brats.

It was the perfect way to end the winter season, though we will miss this market, and can’t wait until June when the Bogert Park Market starts up,but until then, we are going to be depending on Market Day Foods’ online market to keep our fridge stocked, and our bellies full!

When I got home, the hubby was starving, so I threw together these delicious lettuce wraps with egg salad, made with eggs from our great friends pastured chickens.

I topped the lettuce wraps with a sprinkling of chopped salamette (insert your favorite salami) and fresh pea shoots.

This was the perfect “fast” real food for our rumbly tummies!

Classic Egg Salad in Butter Lettuce with Pea Shoots and Salami

 

Author:

Jody Engstrom

Serves: 6

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

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Ingredients

• For the Classic Egg Salad:
• 1 dozen pastured eggs, hard boiled, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped finely
• 2 green onions, chopped finely
• 1 kosher dill pickle, chopped finely
• ½ cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
• 1 TBS stoneground mustard
• 2 TBS kosher dill pickle juice
• a few dashes hot sauce
• Salt and pepper if desired
• For Serving:
• 1 head of butter lettuce
• chopped salami
• pea shoots for garnish

Instructions

1. Put the chopped eggs, carrots, green onions, and pickle in a large bowl. Add the mayo, mustard, pickle juice, and hot sauce and mix. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
2. Serve on a butter lettuce leaf with chopped salami and pea shoots.

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