Seafood Medley

This is basically a variation on Jambalaya. It's also a large-batch recipe; you'll have lots of leftovers!

Those of you who are not carbophobes can serve this over rice, or mix it in before serving. Or, if you'd prefer, you can chop the cauliflower finely to serve as your "rice."

Time: 45 minutes

• 4 Andouille sausages, sliced crosswise
• 1 lb. shrimp, tail off & pre-cooked (defrosted if frozen)
• 1 1/2 lb. cod, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 28 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup rice, pre-cooked (optional)
• 2-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 Tbsp. Cajun spice
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large stockpot up to medium heat; add the coconut oil. Sauté the garlic and onions until they begin to soften. Add the sausage, veggies, broth, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the cauliflower is tender, around 20 minutes. If you are planning to add rice, then you'll want to cook it separately now.

Add the cod and cook until it has turned white, three to five minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for one to two minutes longer. Stir in the rice if desired.

Nutritional info: 8 servings at 28g or 9g carb (with/without rice), 37g prot, 8g fat.




Indian Spiced Fried Livers

Time: 12 minutes

• 1 lb. beef liver, cut into strips
• 2 Tbsp. beef tallow
• 2-3 tsp. garam masala
• sea salt

Heat one Tbsp. of tallow in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add one tsp. of garam masala to the skillet and mix well for about 30 seconds, then add some of the liver slices. Toss periodically, cooking for a couple of minutes per side. Remove the livers, then add more tallow and spices; repeat the process until you've cooked all your liver.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 4g carb, 24g prot, 10g fat.


Greek Style Greens

Active time: 12 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 12 minutes or more

Salad:
• 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's Mediterranean Greens (mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, and collard greens, all chopped)
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
• 1 can Trader Joe's artichoke hearts, sliced in thirds lengthwise
• 1/4 cup black olives, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup green olives, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise

Dressing:
• 8 oz. olive oil
• 2 oz. balsamic vinegar
• 2 oz. white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1//2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• sea salt & pepper to taste

Start by combining all of the dressing ingredients in a measuring cup, then whisk until well mixed. Chop the greens a little finer if desired. Place in a bowl, then drizzle with a good amount of dressing and mix well. Ensure all of the greens are wet with the dressing, and then allow them to soak for one hour. You can let them soak longer if you prefer softer greens.

Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until they just begin to brown. Add to the greens. Slice the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives; add to the greens. Toss well, and then serve with the remainder of the dressing on the side.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 7g carb, ~16g fat. (Adjust dressing as needed.)




Oysters and Bananas

Yes, this is very unorthodox. But don't knock it until you try it! With a new baby, I've occasionally been a little behind the curve in planning my meals. I was going to cook and eat the bananas and oysters separately, but then gambled and threw them together. To my surprise, it was good! Give this a try the next time you need a quick snack.

Time: 5 minutes

• 1 tin of Trader Joe's oysters
• 1 banana, peeled and sliced
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Heat the coconut oil in a small skillet. Sauté the banana for one to two minutes, then add the oysters and spice. Cook until the banana has softened.

Nutritional info: 1 serving at 35g carb, 11g prot, 22g fat.


Yet Another Sweet Potato Recipe

I couldn't think of a good name for this one. It is just a simple recipe that I stumbled upon recently that I thought was too tasty not to share.

Time: 12 minutes

• 2 large sweet potatoes (yellow flesh is best for this)
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
•2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• ~1 tsp. fenugreek

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Add them to your pressure cooker with about 1/2 cup of water. Bring to pressure over high heat. Cook the potatoes for five minutes once at pressure, then cool and drain the water. (You can also boil them until soft; it'll just take longer.) Add the remaining ingredients and mash well. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.

Nutritional info: 3 servings at 50g carb, 5g fat.