Sautéed Veggie Topping

This is a template for a delicious topping for burgers or really any kind of meat. Use your favorite veggies to accompany the eggplant; this is just an example.

Active time: 12 min
Cook time: 1 hour +

• 4 Tbsp. coconut oil (divided)
• 1 medium onion or 2 leeks, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 eggplant, peeled and diced
• 2 yellow, red, or orange bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 4-5 crimini mushrooms, sliced

Bring one tablespoon of coconut oil to medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chopped onions and sauté until they become translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for two minutes more.

Add the remaining veggies along with the rest of the coconut oil. The eggplant will absorb the oil, so you need to use a lot for it to turn out correctly. Turn the heat down to low and sauté for an hour or more, stirring occasionally. You want everything to become very soft.

Serve over burger patties, or any meat of your choice.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 11g carb, 14g fat.




Spicy Pickled Jicama

This makes for a great side or appetizer.

Time: 15 minutes

• 1 jicama, peeled and diced into small cubes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• dash of cayenne pepper

Peel and cube the jicama. Add the water, apple cider vinegar, and salt to a small pot; bring to a boil. Add the jicama cubes, Tabasco, cayenne, and maple syrup. Simmer for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Allow the pot to cool, and then transfer to a glass container. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Nutritional info: 8 servings at ~4g carb.


Tangerine Chicken Roast

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: ~1 hour

• 1 whole chicken
• 4 tangerines
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 2-3 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped, fresh ideally
• 2 Tbsp. grassfed butter or coconut oil
• optional veggies to roast like potatoes and carrots

Rinse and blot the chicken dry for a crispy finish. Separate the skin from the chicken so that you'll be able to stuff it. You'll need to cut some places where the skin is attached, but be sure to leave the skin intact so it'll hold the stuffing.

Peel and segment the tangerines. Puncture each segment in a few places so it'll release its juices more easily. Place the tangerine segments in a bowl along with the onion and rosemary. Mix, smashing the tangerine some but leaving it mostly intact. Now, stuff this mixture under the chicken skin and into the cavity. (see photo) Place the chicken in a roasting dish or pan.

Heat the butter (or oil) and salt in a small pan, then pour over the chicken. Add veggies on the side if you wish - if you do, add one two tablespoons more of butter or oil.

Bake at 425 degrees for around one hour or until the internal temperature is 190 degrees. For the last half hour, baste the chicken every 10 minutes.

Nutritional info (not including any side veggies): 4 servings at 12g carb, 43g protein, 40g fat.





Chicken Liver Baby Food

In the nearly nine years I've written this column, the recipes have tended to reflect how my family and I are currently eating. If you guessed that we might now have a baby, you'd be correct! This recipe is Keoni's first cooked food.

Time: 12 minutes

• 1/3 lb. organic chicken livers
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Sauté the chicken livers in the oil in a small skillet, about five minutes total. Allow them to cool for a few minutes, then add them to a blender or food processor and puree finely.

Spoon the mixture out into an ice cube tray, then freeze. Remove a cube or two and thaw before feeding baby.

Nutritional info: 12 servings (1 cube) at ~2g protein, 2g fat.