Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies

2 cups finely ground almond flour, sifted (8 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup dark maple syrup (it will be labeled Grade A, dark color with robust taste)
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Adjust oven rack to the middle position.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift the almond flour, using a sifter or strainer. Whisk together the sifted almond flour, baking powder, lemon zest and minced ginger, blending well.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the maple syrup and vanilla. Stir until a sticky dough forms and holds together.

Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, about one inch apart.  When done, go back and gently press each ball of dough, flattening slightly with the palm of your hand.

Place cookie sheet on center rack in oven. Bake 6 minutes, then turn baking sheet and bake another 6 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Remove from the oven. Let the cookies cool in the pan, apx. 3 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

If you are reusing the same baking sheet for multiple batches, be sure to cool between batches.

That’s baked love…!

In my humble opinion, the combination of lemon and ginger are a match made in foodie heaven!  Grated organic lemon zest and fresh minced ginger root are a sprightly flavor combination that make these lemon-ginger almond cookies simply irresistible!

Best of all, they are gluten-free (good-bye bloating, fatigue, mood swings and gut issues!); call for just a few whole food ingredients; and are super easy to make—you just need a whisk and a wooden spoon.  It is 100% dairy free (it does not even include eggs!) and is vegan- and vegetarian-friendly.

Baking tips: nut flours tend to clump; for best results, sift the flour into a mixing bowl using a sifter or strainer. Also, if you have a food scale,  weigh the sifted almond flour to make sure that you have the full 8 ounces (2 cups).

Enjoy!
 

Lemon Ginger Almond Cookies
Adapted from Elizabeth Barbone’s Gluten-Free Baking
Yield: 16 cookies

2 cups finely ground almond flour, sifted (8 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup dark maple syrup (it will be labeled Grade A, dark color with robust taste)
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 organic lemon (apx. 2 tablespoons)
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot

Preheat oven to 350°F. Adjust oven rack to the middle position.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift the almond flour, using a sifter or strainer. Whisk together the sifted almond flour, baking powder, lemon zest and minced ginger, blending well.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the maple syrup and vanilla. Stir until a sticky dough forms and holds together.

Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, about one inch apart.  When done, go back and gently press each ball of dough, flattening slightly with the palm of your hand.

Place cookie sheet on center rack in oven. Bake 6 minutes, then turn baking sheet and bake another 6 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Remove from the oven. Let the cookies cool in the pan, apx. 3 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

If you are reusing the same baking sheet for multiple batches, be sure to cool between batches.

I favor lacinato kale—also known as Italian kale, Tuscan kale, Dinosaur kale and black kale—the refined cousin of the coarser, more fibrous curly kale. Lacinato kale is a toothsome complement to pasture-raised meats and game, like beef, lamb, venison and duck.

Kale, like other cruciferous vegetables, is a source of goitrogens, compounds that can inhibit normal function of the thyroid gland. How? Goitrogens interfere with the thyroid’s ability to absorb iodine in the thyroid gland; this affects the thyroid’s ability to produce adequate thyroid hormones. As a result, goitrogens can be problematic for those of us, myself included, who have thyroid problems, like Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism.

The good news?  Cooking, especially longer, slower cooking methods, like braising (versus a quick saute) can dramatically reduce goitrogens in cruciferous vegetables, like kale.

In this vegetable braise, I use minced onion, garlic and carrot as my base. These vegetables add a natural and appealing sweetness that softens the strong mineral flavor of kale.

For this particular meal, braised Lacinato kale paired deliciously with pasture-raised Ginger Flank Steak. Enjoy!
 

Braised Lacinato Kale with Onion and Carrot

Serves 2

 
2 large bunches of organic Lacinato kale, leaves stripped from the stem, well washed
and spun dry
2 medium onions (by hand or in the food processor)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large organic carrots, trim and discard ends, peel, rinse well, and mince
1 cup homemade chicken stock, bone broth (or low/no sodium chicken broth)
OR filtered water
1 tablespoons organic coconut oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, or to taste

To chiffonade the kale:

Stack 5 to 8 kale leaves on top of each other and roll the stacked leaves tightly (lengthwise) into a cigar shape. With a sharp knife, thinly slice across the “cigar” of rolled leaves; repeat until the length of the cigar has been sliced. Continue stacking, rolling and slicing until all the kale leaves have been used. When done, fluff up the ribbons of kale with your fingertips. Set aside.

Finely mince carrots by hand. Alternatively, I use a large food processor, placing roughly chopped carrots into bowl and pulsing until finely minced. Remove from food processor and set aside.

To braise the kale:

Melt the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot—like a stainless steel Dutch oven or cast iron-enameled Dutch oven—over medium high heat. When the coconut oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions. Saute over medium heat, adjusting heat as necessary, about 4-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the minced garlic, stirring about 30 minutes.

Add minced carrot, cooking about 1 minute. Add the kale chiffonade, coating the leaves with fat, and stirring until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock or chicken bone broth or filtered water. Let mixture come to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, stir well, then cover. Let cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the kale is tender.  Stir in the Celtic sea salt.

Serve warm.

Serves 2 to 4

2 large or (4 small) lamb shanks
1 cup dry red wine, like a Rhone, Bordeaux, Burgundy
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
16 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, each onion cut into 4 equal-sized wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the marinade:
Place red wine, mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in a medium-sized stainless steel mixing bowl.  Whisk together well. Set aside.

To cook shanks:
Warm olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add lamb shanks and brown on all sides.  Once browned, transfer lamb shanks to the slow cooker. Arrange onion wedges around the shanks.

Warm the residual olive oil and lamb fat in the skillet (in which the lamb shanks were just browned) over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and mushrooms and saute apx. 5 minutes, or until softened. Spoon carrot-onion mixture over the shanks.

To the same skillet, add the red wine marinade and deglaze, scraping up bits of meat and vegetables sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour marinade over the shanks.

Set the slow cooker at high for apx. 2 hours.  Then, reduce to “low” for another 2-3 hours. Check lamb shank after 4 hours to see how it’s doing.

To check for doneness, insert a knife into the shanks. When it goes in and out easily and there is absolutely no resistance, the lamb shanks are done. The shank bone will also be showing when done.

Repurposing leftovers can be a fun challenge.

Too often, things like carrots, celery, the zucchini stubs that I save after making zoodles; jars of organic tomato puree or coconut milk (best used within 7 days) turn into science experiments in my fridge! Usually because I forget about them after using once for a specific dish that I’m cooking!

For the mindful cook, leftover anything (vegetables, meats, stock, herbs)  can be a wonderful thing to stretch a frugal food budget.
Classic ratatouille is a warm-weather Provencal stew of vegetables, seasoned with herbs—tomatoes, onions, peppers, zucchini and eggplant. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are in the nightshade family; if you have a sensitivity to one or more, you may want to omit or swap out. Here, I’ve simply used  leftover vegetables in my fridge—minced carrot and zucchini stubs—in a makeshift “ratatouille”.
 

“Ratatouille”
Serves 4

1 large onion, minced (apx. 2 cups minced)
2 cups minced carrot
1-1/2 cups minced zucchini
3/4 cup organic strained (pureed) tomatoes
1 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Celtic sea salt, to taste

You can chop by hand, but I used a large food processor to mince each vegetable separately.

Warm coconut oil in a 2-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with lid. When oil is hot (but not smoking), add onion. Saute apx. 8 mins. over medium heat, or until softened, stirring frequently.

Add minced carrot and zucchini; saute 1-2 mins. Add organic strained tomatoes, stirring well. Stir in ground cardamom. If vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a little filtered water to de-glaze. Bring vegetable mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook apx. 5 mins.

Serve warm.

• Red onion
• Leeks
• Ramps
• Scallions
• Chives
• Garlic Chives, a.k.a. Chinese Chives
• Shallots

Allium vegetables contain organosulfur compounds, which contribute to their distinctly pungent aroma. These sulfur compounds are also associated with anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting benefits.

Allium vegetables, like onions, red onion, scallions and shallots, are an excellent source of quercetin, an antioxidant linked with reducing inflammation, allergy symptoms and lowering cholesterol.

Quercetin can also help boost the immune system, and researchers have found that, IN THE EARLY STAGES, quercetin can help inhibit viral infections.

These Scallion-Shallot Turkey Burgers are a delicious whole food way to boost the immune system.
 

Scallion-Shallot Turkey Burgers

Serves 2

 
1 pound pasture-raised or organic ground turkey
1/2 cup scallions
1/3 cup shallots
1 heaping tablespoon fresh, minced gingerroot
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (finely ground)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Unrefined coconut oil

Place all ingredients—except the coconut oil—in a medium stainless steel bowl. Using your hands, combine ingredients well, but do not overmix.

Once all ingredients have been combined, form 6 patties.

Warm 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons coconut oil in a 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the coconut oil is hot, but not smoking, add patties to the pan (you may need to cook in 2 batches). Reduce heat to medium and cook for apx. 3-4 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary; lower heat if burgers start sticking in the skillet.
Flip burgers and cook second side apx. 2-3 minutes, lowering heat as necessary, and covering the pan the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Serve warm.

Spiced Turkey-Apple Ragu

1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons organic, unrefined coconut oil
1 pound all-natural or organic ground turkey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon whole cloves, then, grind in spice grinder
2-3 tablespoons minced, fresh gingerroot
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, to taste
2 medium organic Granny Smith apples, skin on, cored and minced
*You can throw apple into a food processor and mince or chop by hand
1 cup filtered water OR homemade chicken stock

Heat coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

When the oil is hot—but not smoking—add the ground turkey.  Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat, stir frequently, and cook 3 to 5 minutes (NOTE: ground white turkey meat will cook faster than dark meat), or until no pink is visible. If the ground turkey begins sticking in the pan, lower heat and add a little water).

Add spices and fresh ginger, combining well with the turkey, apx. 1 minute. Stir in minced apple, mixing well; then, add 1 cup of filtered water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then, lower heat, cover and cook apx. 5 minutes, or until the apple is soft and cooked through.

Stir in 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt, or to taste.

Serve warm.

Shrimp is also a thyroid-friendly source of protein: 4 ounces contains an impressive 26 grams of protein. It is an excellent source of the mineral selenium, which helps activate thyroid hormones so that they can be used by the body. Selenium also has antioxidant properties that can potentially protect the thyroid gland from free radicals (unstable cells that can damage cells, causing illness or accelerated aging).

Shrimp is also a good food source of iodine, a mineral that is needed to make thyroid hormones. Although iodine deficiency can cause or worsen hypothyroidism (low thyroid) or goiter (enlarged thyroid), it is best to increase your consumption of iodine-rich foods, like shrimp, seaweed, fish and eggs rather than taking an iodine supplement. Iodine is a fickle mineral. While too little iodine increases risk of hypothyroidism, ingesting too much iodine (e.g., kelp tablets) can also hurt the thyroid gland.

Truth be told, I’ve never been a big shrimp lover. But, in this fresh and sumptuous zoodle salad, “X” (shrimp) hit the T-spot (my thyroid!) in a memorably delicious way!

This is the ultimate all-you-can-eat thyroid-friendly, hormone-balancing salad.

Regularly consuming salads or smoothies that include RAW cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage, baby kale or broccoli, can be detrimental to the thyroid, especially if you have Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism (low thyroid). While cruciferous vegetables have many health benefits, they contain goitrogens, naturally occurring substances that inhibit your body’s ability to use iodine, and, as a result, disrupt thyroid function by inhibiting the release of thyroid hormone (by the thyroid gland) OR by inhibiting the conversion of T4 (storage form of thyroid hormone) into T3, active thyroid hormone that the body can actually use. This translates into a slower metabolism.

The good news… There are no goitrogenic vegetables in this lemon-garlic shrimp zoodle salad! Radicchio is a type of chicory (not a cruciferous cabbage). If you are sensitive to nightshades, you may want to remove or swap out the red pepper.

The combination of low-calorie, high-water and all-organic salad ingredients—spring mix + radicchio + spiralized zucchini + red pepper + scallions + shrimp—makes this a particularly satisfying “all you can eat” salad, especially if you’re a volume eater. (Personally, I am allergic to small portions and “small plates”!)
 

Lemon Shrimp Zoodle Salad with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette

Serves 2 to 4

 
Prepare the Wild-Caught Shrimp:

1 pounds wild-caught shrimp, peeled, deveined and well-rinsed
Zest of 1 organic lemon (apx. 1 tablespoon)
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
Scant teaspoon of Celtic sea salt
Scant teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium glass bowl until the shrimp is well-coated. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour or more.  *While the shrimp is marinating, prepare the salad and vinaigrette (see recipes below).

To Cook the Shrimp:

Warm 1-1/2 tablespoons coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  When the coconut oil is hot—but not smoking—add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes until pink and firm to the touch. Take care not to overcook. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a non-reactive bowl and cover to keep warm.

For the Zoodle Salad:

5 to 6 cups organic spring mix, well rinsed, and spun dry
4 medium organic zucchini, spiralized
1 medium organic red pepper, cored, de-seeded, quartered, and sliced very thinly
1 small head organic radicchio, quartered, cored and sliced thinly; use apx. 2 cups of thinly sliced radicchio
1 cup thinly sliced scallion rounds (green part only)

For the Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons coconut aminos
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced gingerroot

Place the organic spring mix, spiralized zucchini noodles, red pepper slices, 2 cups sliced radicchio and scallions in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the sesame-ginger vinaigrette over the zoodle salad; toss and combine well.

Arrange cooked shrimp on top.

Enjoy!!!

Paglia e fieno, Italian for “straw and hay”, is a classic Italian dish, featuring a combination of yellow and green tagliatelle, fettucine or linguini (whatever your druthers) served with some variation of a sauce containing peas, cream, prosciutto and cheese.

At my favorite beyond-organic vendor at the farmers’ market, I found the yellow squash, Zephyr squash and ripe red Jersey tomatoes irresistible. The ingredients were so fresh and so beautiful that I was  inspired me to make my own version of paglia e fine served with a homemade meat ragu.
 

Straw & Hay Zoodles with a Bolognese-style Ragu

For the zoodles:

3.5 pounds yellow squash and Zephyr squash
Using a spiralizer, spiralize the yellow and Zephyr squash for your homemade “pasta”.
 

For the ragu:

1 pound of ripe, Jersey tomatoes, cored, and cut into chunks
(*I do NOT peel or seed the tomatoes) OR 8 oz. organic strained tomatoes
1 pound organic ground turkey
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (I use a food processor)
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced (I use a food processor)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (add only after ragu has been cooked)
 
IF YOU ARE USING FRESH TOMATOES (OTHERWISE, SKIP TO NEXT STEP FOR ONIONS): Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but NOT smoking, add tomato chunks. Cook until the tomatoes “melt” and are very soft. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked tomatoes to a blender, puree and set aside.

Add 1-1/2 tbsps. coconut oil in Dutch oven. When hot but not smoking, add onions. Reduce heat to medium and saute onions until translucent, about 4 mins. Add garlic, cooking 30 seconds. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Add ground turkey and cook until there is no visible pink, apx. 3-5 mins.

Pour 1 cup pureed cooked tomato sauce into the ground turkey mixture. Stir until well combined and warmed through.

Stir in Celtic sea salt, seasoning to taste.

Plate the yellow squash zoodles and serve with a generous ladel of ragu.

Pasture-raised lamb is an often overlooked—and under-appreciated—rich source of omega 3 fat. With its stellar omega 6 to omega 3 ratio (.77:1), you can think of grass-fed lamb as “land salmon”!
 

Slow Cooker Leg of Lamb with Garlicky Lemon-Rosemary Rub

 
3 pounds pasture-raised, boneless, butterflied leg of lamb
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons rosemary, minced
3 tablespoons tarragon, minced
Grated zest of 1 large organic lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 cup filtered water
Juice of (zested) organic lemon
Purple sweet potato, sliced into rounds

Season leg of lamb with Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place garlic, rosemary, tarragon, lemon zest and Celtic sea salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the olive oil.  Using the pestle, crush all ingredients together until it forms a paste.

Spread rub over both sides of the butterflied leg of lamb.

Arrange leg of lamb in a single layer in the slow cooker. Add 1/2 cup of filtered water + juice from the lemon you zested. Add purple sweet potato rounds.

Turn setting on slow cooker to HIGH for 1 hour; then, turn to LOW for 2 hours. Check lamb for desired doneness.

Once lamb has reached desired tenderness, cut into slices and arrange on serving platter (or plates). Drizzle jus over lamb.

Enjoy!