Category: Sides

Grilled Romaine Salad Recipe

Have you ever made a grilled salad? You may think of salad as a cold food, but you’ll want to keep an open mind for this sweet, savory, smoky salad that’s just as refreshing as a cool, crisp salad on a hot day.

Hearts of romaine hold up well to the grill and develop a smoky wilt that balances out sweet grilled fruits and a tangy homemade balsamic dressing. This grilled romaine salad makes an excellent side dish that will become the star of any backyard barbecue.

To make it a main dish, grill your favorite chicken, steak, salmon or shrimp to top it with. Feel free to play around with the toppings to fit your diet or preferences. If you don’t have access to a grill, you can “grill” the lettuce, stone fruit and peppers on a hot cast iron grill pan on your stovetop.

Here’s how to make it.

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Easy Citrus Slaw Recipe – Keto, Primal, and Paleo

Coleslaw is an easy, tasty go-to when you’re looking for a versatile vegetable side for your meal when you want to balance a rich meal with a light salad, or when you need to add some crunch to your tacos and wraps. 

This creamy citrus coleslaw is a refreshing spin on traditional slaw that incorporates zingy lime and bright cilantro alongside cool cabbage. Lighter than the deli favorite, this zesty side goes great with fish tacos.

Coming in at 4 net carbs, you can work citrus coleslaw into any eating plan, whether you’re Primal, keto, or paleo. Want to make it vegan? Swap in vegan mayo in place of regular mayo. 

The best part? This citrus slaw comes together in five minutes! Bring it to a backyard BBQ, pack it along for your next beach day, or add a little citrusy crunch to a dinner of grilled meat or veggies.

Here’s how it’s done.

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Gluten Free Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe

There’s just something cozy about autumn aromas coming from the oven by day, culminating with steaming plate of home-cooked comfort food. Even if you’re laying low for the holidays this year, you can re-create your favorite family recipes that bring you back home with every bite. No Thanksgiving spread is complete without sweet potatoes or yams, and this Gluten Free Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe delivers the creamy, sweet experience without all of the sugar that traditional recipes call for. This recipe calls for small amounts of coconut sugar and maple syrup so that you get the fall flavors you crave, without the sugar crash later. Here’s how to make it. Gluten-free Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe Serves: 8 Time in the kitchen: 60 minutes, including 35 minutes baking time Ingredients For the souffle 6 medium/large sweet potatoes (mine were 6-8” long) 1 tbsp. avocado oil 1/4 cup almond milk (I used Elmhurst1925 brand) 1 tbsp. maple syrup 1 tbsp. coconut sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tbsp. coconut flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Brand) 2 tbsp. almond flour 1-2 tsp. cinnamon pinch of salt 3 egg yolks 4 room temperature egg whites For the pecan topping 1.25 cups pecans – some halved, some crumbled 3 tbsp. very soft salted butter or ghee 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. almond flour 1.5 tbsp. coconut sugar Directions Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the sweet potatoes in half and toss them in avocado oil. Place them cut-side down on a baking dish or baking sheet and roast for about 50-60 minutes, or until they are soft. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, make the pecan topping. Place the pecans in a bowl along with the butter, half of the almond flour and coconut sugar. Mix to combine so the butter coats the pecans and a crumble forms. Gently fold in the remaining almond flour. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool a little, then scoop the insides out into a food processor. Add the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract and pulse to combine. Then add the cinnamon, coconut flour, almond flour and salt and blend. Add the egg yolks and blend until smooth. Pour the sweet potato mixture into a large bowl. Whip the room temperature egg whites in a glass or metal bowl using a whisk or stand mixer until they start to get frothy (see the Tips section for tips on whipping your egg whites.) Keep whisking until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites a little at a time into the sweet potato mixture until they are incorporated evenly into the sweet potatoes. Spread the sweet potato mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle the pecan mixture all over the top. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the sweet potato feels firm yet springy. Allow the souffle to cool for a few minutes before serving. Tips You can use your favorite milk in lieu … Continue reading “Gluten Free Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe”

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Cranberry Sauce Recipe: No Sugar Added

Cranberry sauce adds a pop of color and tangy zing to any Thanksgiving spread. With so many savory and hearty flavors on the table, this old-school side adds balance to your plate. Unfortunately, cranberries are naturally pretty sour on their own, and the familiar sweetness you taste in most recipes usually comes from more sugar than a can of soda. 

If you’re going to indulge in sweets, save it for dessert. This no sugar added cranberry sauce recipe is sweetened with applesauce. You can use maple syrup, honey, or your favorite natural sweetener if you want to tone down the natural tartness. A fresh, homemade no added sugar cranberry sauce is the perfect side dish to your turkey and green bean casserole for the holiday feast.

No sugar-added cranberry sauce is easy to make, and will likely be the quickest recipe you’ll make for your whole Thanksgiving celebration. Here’s how to make a whole berry cranberry sauce from scratch, right at home.
How to Make Cranberry Sauce With No Added Sugar
Time in the kitchen: 15 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

18 oz. fresh cranberries (we love Honestly Cranberry)
1 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. honey
Zest from ½ orange
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Directions
Place the cranberries and water in a pot and heat over medium heat.

Mix in the applesauce, orange juice, honey, and orange zest.

When the pot comes to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and stir in the ground cloves and ginger and the cinnamon.

Allow the sauce to simmer for around 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches the consistency of your liking. Taste the sauce occasionally and adjust the sweetener to taste.

Serve this cranberry sauce alongside your favorite meat or holiday meal. It’s also delicious as a lower sugar sweet option when paired with a bit of coconut cream, dark chocolate or fresh whipped cream.

Tips:
– If the cranberry sauce is too tart for you as written, feel free to add additional honey. You could also use maple syrup.
– Depending on the strength of your stove top burner and the size of your cranberries, you may need a little more or less time for the sauce to finish cooking.

Nutrition Facts (1/8 of recipe):

Calories: 60
Fat: 0g
Total Carbs: 13g
Net Carbs: 10g
Protein: 0g

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Pickled Vegetables, Two Ways: Home Fermented and Quick Pickles

Backyard gardens are putting forth the last of their bounty, and late summer vegetables are at their peak of freshness. To squeeze every last drop out of your harvest, give fermentation a try. Fermented vegetables date back hundreds of years. Back before we had freezers, people had to preserve food somehow. Somewhere along the line, someone figured out that salting food and letting it sit for a week creates a crunchy, tangy pickled vegetable that tastes better than what you started with. A lot of people find home fermentation to be intimidating. And it can be, at first. As long as you sanitize your cutting boards, jars, and tools with boiling water before you start, there’s a great chance you’ll end up with a beautiful pickle at the end. Here’s how to do it. Home Fermented Vegetables: Pickled Giardiniera Recipe Serves: 10-20, depending on serving size Time in the kitchen: 15 minutes, plus 5 days hands-off fermentation time Ingredients 1-2 heads cauliflower, cut into small florets 6-7 carrots 5-6 stalks celery 1 red bell pepper 1 large leek 1 lb. green beans 1 tsp. black peppercorns 3/4 tsp. mustard seeds 4 bay leaves 4 cloves garlic, smashed 1 small bunch oregano 3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or 1-2 sliced jalapenos) Water Salt Directions Using boiling water, sanitize whatever vessel you plan to use for your fermenting. Use care not to burn yourself! Wash all of your veggies and chop them. Double wash your leeks as they’re notorious for being very sandy. We recommend a 3.5% salt solution for your fermenting. To figure out how much salt you need, weigh your crock or jar on a small kitchen scale. Tare the scale while the empty jar is on it so the weight reads as 0g. Fill the jar with water until it’s a few inches from the lip of the jar. Record the mass of the water and then multiply the amount by 3.5% to find out how much salt you need. Pour the water out and add the appropriate amount of salt to the jar. Then, subtract the amount of salt you added from the total mass of the water that fits in the jar. This will give you the mass of water you need to add to the jar. At this point, pour the salt solution you created out into another jar, you’ll need it in a minute. Layer your crock or jar with all of the chopped veggies, the peppercorns, mustard seeds, bay leaves, oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour enough of your salt water solution into the jar so the vegetables are fully submerged. Alternatively, you can keep the salt water solution. Add a few crock fermentation weights to the top which will keep all of the vegetables submerged. Cover your jar with the appropriate lid. We used an airlock lid kit, which has a small hole in the lid that the airlock attaches to. Fill the airlock with the appropriate amount of water based on your … Continue reading “Pickled Vegetables, Two Ways: Home Fermented and Quick Pickles”

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Grilled Greek Summer Veggies Recipe

When planning a BBQ menu, the meat is usually the star, and the sides are an afterthought. With this Grilled Greek Summer Veggies recipe, a platter overflowing with colorful marinated and grilled vegetables steals the show.

This is the perfect vegetable side dish for summer. It’s very no-fuss, keeps well in the refrigerator to eat throughout the week, and can feed a crowd.

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