Eating From The Garden

Well here's some of the pile I have to work with today.  So, for supper today we're having

Tuscan Pasta

Serves 3-4
8 ounces Italian Sausage, browned
4 ounces gluten-free Linguini
2 cups shredded zucchini or other summer squash
1 large, organic carrot, shredded
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Dairy Free Almond Yogurt)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used a non-dairy substitute)
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Cook linguine according to package directions.  If your squash is frozen and thawed, in a sieve or colander, drain the zucchini, squeezing to remove excess liquid. Pat dry.

In a large skillet, brown meat, remove to bowl,  saute carrot and zucchini in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender, add meat back to vegetable mixture.

Transfer to a large bowl. Add the yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper.

Drain linguine; add to zucchini mixture and toss to coat.

Chicken, Asparagus and Bacon

• 1/2 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
• 2 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
• 1 large boned chicken breast half, sliced into 4 pieces
• salt & pepper
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise, seeded,  and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 tablespoons flour (I use my gluten-free blend)
• 1/4 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

1. Cook asparagus in a small amount of boiling water about 3 minutes.  Drain.  Immediately plunge asparagus into ice water to stop cooking.
2. In skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.  Reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken in skillet with drippings about 5 min on each side over med-high heat.  Remove from skillet and keep warm.
4. Add squash to skillet and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. In a bowl whisk flour and broth with lemon peel.  Add to skillet.  Cook and stir until thickened.  Add asparagus and chicken.  Cover and cook about 6 minutes on med heat.  Sprinkle with bacon.

We added a sliced baked sweet potato to our plates.  Serves TWO.  It was a marvelous supper!

Shephard's Pie - Low Carb

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 1/2 bell peppers, large dice (use variety of colors)
1 pint jar tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 pound ground beef 
1 cup cooked Kidney Beans
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped and loosely packed
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, to taste
1/4 cup homemade beef broth 
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 450° F.

2.  Place 1 rimmed baking sheet to preheat in the oven. (optional, but helps cook the veggies faster and gives them a nice roasted bottom.)

3.  Take chopped cauliflower and toss it in a large bowl with 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Add in d salt. Toss to coat.

4.  In another bowl, toss the tomatoes, onion, and peppers in a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

5.  Once oven is heated, take out baking sheet and line with parchment paper, if desired. Place in an even layer the cauliflower on one side and the rest of the veggies on the other.

6.  Bake until nicely roasted, about 20-25 minutes.

7.  While baking, saute garlic in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Add celery and cook until slightly softened.

8.  Add in beef and brown, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked beans to beef.

9.  Once veggies are done, remove them (except for cauliflower) from their baking sheets and add to the beef mixture.  Pour in broth and vinegar and simmer until cooked down slightly. Stir in parsley.

10.  While mixture is cooking down, place the cauliflower in a high-powered blender or food processor and puree. You may need to add more salt at this point.

11.  Pour into 8″ pie plate and top with the roasted cauliflower puree.

12.  Bake at 375° for 15-25 minutes or until heated and the topping has a golden colour. 

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 red pepper, chopped in 1" pieces
2 cups shredded cabbage
8 ounces grass-fed, ground beef (1/2 pound)
1 pint jar tomatoes
1 tablespoon pure apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil

1. Lightly grease casserole dishes with extra virgin olive oil.
2. Sauté  the onions in extra virgin olive oil until translucent and edges browned. Add in red pepper and 1 clove garlic, sauté until softened. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
3. Return pan to the stove and sauté the remaining garlic and beef, cook until beef is browned add more Olive oil if necessary.
4. Season beef with salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp of each). Drain excess moisture/fat if desired.
5. Layer the ingredients starting with shredded cabbage, then the onion and pepper mixture then the ground beef in a 9x9 inch casserole.  Repeat until all the ingredients are used.
6. Add the apple cider vinegar to the tomatoes, add salt and pepper as needed and pour over the casserole. 
7. Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F. or cook in slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours.
8. Great served with carrots or green beans.

Chicken Asparagus Pasta Casserole

• 4 ounces Gluten Free mini penne pasta or similar shape (we prefer quiona pastas)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning blend
• 1 cup cooked asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups diced cooked Chicken

Preparation:

Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta in boiling water following package directions.

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter; add bell pepper and sauté until tender. Add garlic and green onion; sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until well blended. Stir in chicken broth, cooking until thickened. Stir in milk; continue cooking, stirring frequently, until thickened and hot. Add seasonings, asparagus, and chicken; heat through. Stir in the cooked drained pasta and pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serves 3 to 4.