Japanese Mountain Yam

This month's "expand your menu" food is the Japanese mountain yam, sometimes also known as a Chinese wild yam. It's also known as nagaimo. This tuber is known for its immune enhancing and anti-inflammatory properties. Mountain yams are easy to find in any Asian market.

They peel very easily, but you'll then find that the yams are very slimy or mucilaginous. Hang on to the tubers and your knife carefully! Don't worry - once cooked, the sliminess is gone and they are delicious.

Time: 25 minutes

• 1 large Japanese mountain yam
• 3 green onions
• 1-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce (wheat-free)
• ~1/4 cup water
• 1/8 tsp Chinese five spice

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet to medium. Peel the yam, then slice it crosswise into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the yam slices and the remaining ingredients. Sauté, being sure to toss frequently. The water will thicken into a sauce. Once it does, cover as you continue to sauté and toss. Add more water if needed, as you want to finish with a bit of sauce. Once the yams have all turned translucent, they are done.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 15g carb, 3.5g fat.




Jicama Salad

Time: 7 minutes

• 1 jicama
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp tangerine juice

Peel the jicama (a knife works best). Slice it crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices, then slice these across making 1/4 inch "matchsticks". Add to your salad bowl.

Stem and seed the pepper, then cut into strips and dice. Chop the cilantro. Toss everything thoroughly in the bowl. Serve chilled.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 8g carb.


Kale and Cherry Salad

Time: 15 minutes

• 1 bunch purple kale
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped in half
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• sea salt

Slice the kale leaves off of the stems. Chop all of the stems finely.

Bring a small skillet to medium heat and add the coconut oil. Sauté the stems and onion until they become soft and translucent. About 2 minutes into this, add the cherries and hazelnuts.

Meanwhile, chop the kale leaves well. Add to a salad bowl. Once the sauté is finished, add this to the salad, along with the olive oil, salt, and vinegar. Toss well. Chill before serving, if you wish.

Nutritional info: 3 servings at 17g carb, 14g fat.


Overnight Roast

Active time: few minutes
Cook time: overnight

Here is a simple idea that we've been using lately. It's a huge time saver, and it turns out tasty, tender meat every time. You can use any type of roast (grass-fed, of course). If you want, you can use seasonings, rubs, or marinades. I never bother, and the meat always turns out great. I used to use a slow cooker, but the meat would frequently turn out tough. This method works much better.

• 1 roast (chuck, rump, etc)

Place the roast on a roasting pan. Bake in the oven set to 200 degrees. You'll let it roast overnight. That's it! You have meat ready for the next few days. You can also cook the roast during the day while you are at work.




Chicken & Green Bean Curry

Here is a quick pressure cooker recipe. We'll be making a large batch so as to have lots of leftovers! I'm writing this as somewhat of a convenience recipe, but you can always use fresh ingredients if you have the time.

Time: 25-40 minutes (longer time is if using frozen ingredients)

• 1 large bag chicken thighs (Trader Joe's)
• 1 large bag green beans (Trader Joe's)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce (wheat-free)
• 2 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 Tbsp ginger
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• sea salt

Place the whole bag of chicken thighs into your pressure cooker, along with a small amount of water (1/2 cup should be plenty). Bring to pressure and cook for 22 minutes. If using fresh or thawed chicken, 10-12 minutes should be plenty. Cool the pressure cooker and remove the chicken to a bowl. Save the cooking juices.

Add the green beans to the juices in the pressure cooker. Re-seal and bring to pressure, cook the beans for 10 minutes (4-5 min if thawed or fresh). Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks; it should shred easily.

Cool and open the pressure cooker. Discard all of the juices except for about one cup. Now, add the chicken back to the green beans, along with all of the remaining ingredients. Mix and simmer for 10 minutes over low-medium heat (uncovered, not at pressure).

Nutritional info: 6 servings at 4g carb, 22g prot, 21g fat.