Raw Carrot Cake

I don't make many desserts these days, but here is a fairly easy treat made entirely from vegetables, fruit and nuts.

Time: 25 minutes

Cake:
• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 3 large carrots
• 2 cups cabbage
• 6 dates
• 6 dried apricots
• 1/4 cup coconut shreds

Frosting:
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 dates
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Soak 1 cup of cashews in water overnight.

Soak the dates and apricots in water for 10 minutes. While they are soaking, add the macadamia nuts and 1/2 cup of unsoaked cashews to a food processor, along with the spices. Process until well chopped. Add the remaining cake ingredients to the food processor, process into a thick paste. Grease a pie tin with coconut oil, and then add the cake batter. With a spoon, tightly pack the batter into the tin. Place into the refrigerator while you make the frosting.

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add them to the food processor, along with the remaining frosting ingredients. Process until smooth. Top the cake with the frosting. Refrigerate before serving.

Nutritional info: 8 servings at 32g carb, 21g fat




Root Veg Soup

Time: 20 minutes

• 1 leek, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 3 cups taro root, peeled and cubed
• 1 large yam, peeled and cubed
• 2 heads of broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 Tbsp basil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Place your pressure cooker over medium heat with the lid off. Sauté the leeks in the coconut oil until they begin to turn translucent. Add all of the remaining ingredients plus 1/2 cup of water. Close the lid, increase the heat and bring the pot to pressure. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 6 minutes. Add the soup to a food processor or blender and process into a smooth puree.

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you could steam the taro, yam, and broccoli instead.

Nutritional info: 3 servings at 62g carb, 4.5g fat




Sausage Pate

Here is a great recipe to introduce those not fond of organ meats to nature's real superfood. The sausage flavor masks much of the telltale liver taste. Use a higher ratio of sausage to liver to help cover the flavor. If you like liver already, then I'd go with more liver than sausage.

You can also adjust the fat quantity to meet your needs this way. Use a lean chicken sausage and less added butter or lard to keep the fat content lower. If you want a more traditional higher fat version, choose pork sausage and add more butter or lard.

Use the pate as a topping on sliced veggies as a snack, or simply eat it as-is.

Time: 30 minutes

• 1-1.5 lb. beef liver
• 1-1.5 lbs bulk sausage
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1-6 Tbsp grassfed organic butter, lard, or tallow

Add a bit of butter, lard, or tallow to 2 skillets, and bring them to medium heat. Brown the sausage in one skillet and cook the onions in the other. Once the onions are translucent, push them aside and add the liver. Brown and cook through on both sides, but be careful not to overcook.

Let the sausage and liver cool a bit. Remove the livers and chop them into pieces, being sure to discard any hard parts. Add the chopped liver, sausage, and onions to a food processor. Add the nutmeg and butter, lard or tallow. Process into a fine paste.

Scoop the pate into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Nutritional info: 8 servings at 5g carb, 25g port, 7.5g fat
(totals for recipe of 1 lb chicken sausage, 1.5 lbs liver, 2 T lard)


Slow Cooker Lamb Shank

Active time: 5 minutes

• 3 lbs lamb shank
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Remove the meat from the bone and cut into bite sized pieces. Top with the remaining liquid and vegetables.

Nutritional info: 6 servings at 5g carb, 42g port, 30g fat


Asparagus Soup

Time: 45 minutes

• 1 lb asparagus
• 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• pepper to taste

Break the woody ends off of the asparagus. Cut the remainder into 2 inch pieces. Add to a medium pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for around 5 minutes; then drain the water. (Alternatively, to save time, you could use canned asparagus.)

Add the remaining ingredients to the asparagus. Bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors infuse, mixing and crushing the asparagus with a fork or a potato masher.

Nutritional info: 2 servings at 10g carb, 19g fat