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BLAT Salad With Creamy Bacon Dressing (grain free, dairy free, GAPS-legal)

Last night for dinner we made grilled pizzas and BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato) salads. It was kind of 2 meals combined since I had to adjust meal plans this week. Justin and Rebecca had pizza and a small salad. I had a big salad. I LOVE BLTs. Always have. The taste of bacon and tomato together is amazing. So this salad is a favorite for me. It combines all the flavors of a BLT into a salad. Plus I always add avocado to my BLTs these days. It pairs so well with the flavors. This is a simple salad. And you can really add anything extra you like. I added cucumbers and chicken in addition to the bacon, avocado and tomato. The dressing is also very simple. Since a BLT is traditionally made with mayo, I used my homemade mayo as the dressing. But I added some of the bacon grease/drippings. I think I could eat this just about every day 🙂  A wonderful end of summer meal when fresh tomatoes are in season. This is more of a concept than a recipe, but I don’t want to forget about it. So I’m posting it as a recipe.

BLAT Salad

Lettuce (whatever kind you like…we had green leaf and romaine)
Diced tomato
Cooked bacon, crumbled (grease reserved)
Diced avocado
Any other salad toppings you like (cucumber, chicken, crispy nuts, cheese, croutons, olives, etc.)

Put lettuce in serving bowls and add desired toppings. Top with bacon dressing.

Creamy Bacon Dressing

1/4 cup homemade mayo
1/8 – 1/4 cup bacon grease/drippings
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir until blended well.

Zucchini Cakes (grain free, dairy free, GAPS-legal)

Everyone is posting zucchini recipes these days. And everyone is looking for ways to use zucchini right now…myself included. I recently saw a post on A Mom On A Mission for Zucchini Cakes. Looked easy and GAPS legal. I tried them last night. YUM!! I love them. Justin liked them too. As I expected Rebecca managed the one bite she was forced to try…too stringy for her 😛  No they don’t really taste stringy. She just has issues with it. These are super easy to make and so healthy. They are packed full of zucchini and eggs. Plus I fried them in lard…good way to get more healthy animal fat in my diet. I hope to make these again soon. They are a great snack to have on hand for me. And they would even work as a bread substitute. They would be great topped with pesto or spaghetti sauce. Very versatile. I used almond flour since I’m sensitive to coconut flour. So I increased the flour amount (coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond). Still worked great. I only did about 1/3 of a recipe and got 5 cakes out of it. 3 cups of drained zucchini takes a lot of zucchini 😛  I got about 1 cup from a few small zucchinis. I’ll post the recipe the way I made it. We used this as a side dish with ham and egg muffins. You could easily eat it as a main dish. It’s got protein, fat and veggies. I had the leftovers cold for breakfast today. So good!

Zucchini Cakes
~ 4-5 cakes

1 cup zucchini, shredded with water squeezed out
1 egg
1/4 – 1/3 cup almond flour (or 1/8 cup coconut flour)
Seasoning to taste (I used sea salt and garlic powder.)
Oil for frying (I used lard.)

Shred/grate zucchini (I used a microplane and grated it into a strainer). Squeeze with hands to get out as much liquid as possible until you have 1 cup of packed zucchini. Mix zucchini with remaining ingredients (adjust flour amount get the mixture thick enough). Heat oil in pan (I used a cast iron skillet). Scoop a glob of mixture out of bowl and flatten in pan. Repeat until mixture is gone. Fry until golden on each side. My mixture was quite moist, but they still fried up very nicely. The egg sets when they are fried.

Fresh Pea Soup (egg free, dairy free, grain free, GAPS legal)

Now that I’m doing GAPS I’m trying to get more creative with soups since eating chicken or beef and veggie soup all the time gets pretty boring. So recently I started doing pureed soups. Wish I would have done it sooner! So good. Last week I made cold beet soup. Yesterday I made beet, carrot and zucchini soup. I also made fresh pea soup for dinner. I used Ina Garten’s recipe as my base for ratios. But since I can’t have onions (for me or Abram) or dairy and don’t have mint my recipe is just peas and broth 😛  This is about as easy as it gets. And we all liked it. Even Rebecca. She ate her whole bowl!! That is really saying something. She gags on split pea soup. And doesn’t like many pureed foods. Definitely something I’ll make again. It’s a great, light summer soup. You could easily stir in some cooked chicken for more texture/to make it more filling. I added some avocado chunks to my bowl. Next time I think I’ll try pureeing some avocados right in to make it even creamier. The other nice thing is that you can prep this ahead. I made it about an hour before dinner (when I had a few minutes while Abram was sleeping), then just heated it a little more right before serving. I served it with grilled cheese (for Rebecca and Justin) and grain free zucchini muffins. The muffins went really well with it. This would make a great cold soup as well. Make it when you have time and stick it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat! I made a small batch…enough for our dinner and one leftover bowl.

Fresh Pea Soup

2 cups homemade chicken broth
1 (16 oz.) bag organic frozen peas
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Cook peas in broth in medium pan for about 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender in the pan or in a regular blender of food processor. Season to taste. Serve warm or cold. You may stir in sour cream or creme fraiche or top with avocado.

Egg Wraps (grain free, dairy free, nut free, GAPS-legal)

Last night for dinner we had wraps. A fun, easy Friday night meal. But instead of the traditional tortilla/bread I made wraps out of eggs. I’m sure it’s not a novel idea, but I had never done it before. I got the idea from a cooking magazine at my OB’s office (I guess those long waits are good for something :P).

The wraps are so easy…just beat some eggs and cook in a pan. And they taste great!! What a fun, nourishing GAPS friendly way to enjoy a sandwich/wrap.

The whole family loved them. Even Rebecca…and she will rarely eat eggs. She thought it was so fun to make little sandwiches with hers. You can use any kind of filling for them. We had them with pesto, chicken and bacon…YUM!!!!

I cooked the eggs in palm shortening (so they wouldn’t stick). You could use any kind of fat – butter, coconut oil, etc. They were a little “greasy” to hold. I could have put them on a paper towel to dry before serving I’m sure. But we don’t mind messy fingers when you’re getting healthy fat 🙂  This would also make a great, quick breakfast (if you don’t mind cold eggs…I sure don’t :). Cook the wraps the day before. Then fill them with whatever you want in the morning (cheese, veggies, etc.). I’ll keep these in mind the next time I have leftover meat/veggies…stick them in an egg wrap. I used about 1 egg per wrap.

This post is linked to Fat Tuesday at Real Food Forager.

Egg Wraps (makes ~ 4)

4 eggs
salt

Whisk eggs and salt.

Heat a small pan on low/med-low heat. Add butter, shortening, coconut oil or lard. 

Ladle about 1/4 of eggs into the pan, covering the bottom.

Let the eggs cook a few minutes, until set. Flip and cook another 30 seconds or so.

Serve warm or cold with desired fillings.

Sweet and Sour Stir Fry (GAPS-legal)

I used to make stir fry all the time. And I always used the packets of powder for sauce. Needless to say I have not used those in quite a while. Too many questionable ingredients (never quite sure what those “seasonings” are).

So that means making my own sauce to make stir fry. Well…that’s tricky too. I try to avoid all soy…including soy sauce. So that eliminates just about every recipe you find.

I wanted to make stir fry last night. But I had no idea what to use for sauce. So I came up with a very easy, very tasty recipe! So simple. I had a little beef soup leftover in the fridge…which has lots of good flavor. I combined the broth with a little bit of honey…ta da…sweet and sour sauce that is actually very nutritious! And we all loved it.

Now when I have just a bit of soup/broth leftover I’ll know what to do with it. And now I can make stir fry more often again. No bright orange/red sauce with high fructose corn syrup.

This is a great way to get a variety of vegetables in one meal. Last night I used zucchini, sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrots, beans and corn (cooked in coconut oil for even more nutrition). And I used some leftover pork roast (from the freezer) cut in cubes. So quick and easy. A big hit!

I’m so glad I now have a healthy, easy way to make stir fry. The leftovers make a yummy breakfast, too. This recipe is even GAPS legal and very allergen-friendly. You can serve it over rice or quinoa. It is great on top of butternut squash as well.

Sweet and Sour Stir Fry

2 cups meat of choice, cut in chunks (raw or cooked)
3 cups vegetables of choice cut up
2 Tbsp. coconut oil or other fat (butter, lard, palm shortening)
1 cup any kind of bone broth
1/4 cup honey

If meat is raw cook in coconut oil in hot pan (if it’s already cooked start with next step).

Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

Cook the vegetables in coconut oil in the hot pan until done to desired tenderness.

Add in cooked meat. Add in broth and honey.

Simmer the mixture until the broth reduces and forms a sauce. Add more broth if the mixture is too dry. Add more honey for a sweeter sauce.

Serve over rice, noodles, quinoa or squash.. Top with crispy nuts if desired.

Homemade Sausage

We love sausage. A few years ago I would have never said that. I never ate sausage…I was scared of eating fat 😛  Now I know better. And will admit I actually do like it…always have. Just wouldn’t let myself eat it before (although I can still honestly say I don’t like brats…other sausage/hot dogs I do). I wasted too many years without good food. I usually get our sausage (pork) from a local farmer. But yesterday I decided to experiment and make my own. I had some ground chicken in the freezer. I had been planning to make chicken burgers. But then I thought it might be fun to make chicken sausage instead. It’s so easy. And so good!!! The best part…I know exactly what is going into the sausage and I can control the spice (we don’t like things spicy…especially Rebecca). I know there is no sugar. And I know I am using good quality unrefined sea salt. You can add whatever seasoning you like. I kept it very simple. I added one egg to the mix. Not sure that it’s necessary, but it doesn’t hurt either. The mixture was very moist, but cooked up well. I cooked the sausage patties in my cast iron skillet in a combo of palm shortening and lard. Lots of healthy animal fat. You can make a bunch of these at once and freeze them for easy breakfasts later. I used 1 lb. and got 10 good size patties out of it. You can use any ground meat you like…pork, chicken, turkey, etc. I will be doing this more often for sure. And I’ll have to experiment with shaping them into links. Any shape would work…maybe something fun to experiment with for kids 🙂  I didn’t actually measure anything. But I’ll try to give rough amounts. Basically just add what you like/season to taste. Final bonus…GAPS legal 🙂  Bring on the sausage!!

Homemade Sausage

1 lb. ground meat
1-2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. minced onion
1 egg (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Chill for a bit. Shape into patties. Cook in greased skillet (use butter, coconut oil, palm shortening or lard) about 5-7 min. per side, until cooked through.

Egg Muffins (grain free, GAPS-legal)

Not much action in the kitchen these days. But I do still have to make dinner every night. Last night I just threw something together that turned out well. I had read about other people doing muffins with eggs. But I don’t think I ever actually read any of the recipes. So I didn’t have any quantities, etc. And I was really rushed making dinner. So I just threw a few ingredients together and baked it. Turned out great!!! Little muffins that are mostly just egg. You can add anything to them. I just added cooked breakfast sausage (thankfully I had prepped that earlier in the day) and a little shredded cheese. They could be dairy free without the cheese. You could add any kind of veggie too. This isn’t much of a recipe, but I’m posting it to remind myself when I need something quick for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And leftovers are great too! Eat them cold or warmed. A great thing for a busy mom of a newborn to have on hand 🙂  All 3 of us really liked these. And that’s saying a lot. Rebecca can be pretty picky when it comes to eggs. And she loved them.

This post is linked to Grain Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious.

Egg Muffins
(makes 9 muffins)

6 pastured eggs
1/2 lb. cooked breakfast sausage
1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional)
chopped veggies (optional)

Beat eggs. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased muffin pan (I greased it with palm shortening…came out very easily). Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Grain Free French Toast (GAPS-legal)

This isn’t much of a recipe. But it was a very tastey and exciting meal last night that I figured I’d share 🙂  When you start eating grain free there are a few things here and there that you miss…like french toast. I grew up eating french toast for breakfast almost every Saturday morning. So it was a wonderful treat to be able to eat french toast for dinner last night. Earlier in the week I made a batch of cinnamon raisin nut butter bread. Then I used that to make french toast. YUM!!!!! I drizzled it with honey instead of maple syrup (syrup tastes better…but not so good for the tummy) to make it GAPS legal. I felt like I got to eat dessert for dinner. And I didn’t have to worry about it making me sick. This is a very basic french toast recipe. I made it with kefir this time instead of milk to make it GAPS legal. Worked great.

Grain Free French Toast

6 slices nut butter bread (plain or cinnamon raisin)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk kefir
cinnamon (optional)

Mix eggs and kefir (and cinnamon). Heat griddle over medium heat. Grease griddle with butter, coconut oil or lard. Dip bread in egg mixture, coating both sides. Cook on griddle a few minutes on each side, until lightly brown and egg is cooked. Serve warm with honey.

If you are making a large batch you can keep the french toast warm in a 250 degree oven while you  make more.

Baked Bacon and Eggs (casserole and bowls) (Grain Free, GAPS-legal)

Yesterday for dinner I tried a recipe from Nourished and Nurtured for Baked Bacon and Eggs. Sarah’s recipe is for a casserole. I made them in individual cups  Pretty simple meal. And tasted great!!! What’s not to love about bacon and eggs baked together? 🙂  I lined some small pyrex dishes with the bacon, baked it for about 40 min., drained it and let it cool a bit. Then added the egg mixture and cheese and baked. Turned out really well. I’ll be making this again for sure. I had some leftovers for breakfast today. Still tastes great! I only made about a half recipe since I wasn’t making the full casserole. And I had to bake it at a higher temp since I was also roasting veggies. I used 3 strips of bacon per bowl. And 5 jumbo eggs total. And I just grated a small amount of cheese on top of each. I’ll have to try the full recipe sometime. I’ll post the original recipe and my modified recipe.

Baked Bacon and Eggs (8×8 casserole)

5-8 ounces nitrate-free bacon
10-12 eggs, preferably farm eggs
1/2 cup milk kefir (you can use whole milk, but then it won’t be GAPS legal)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. Celtic sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Cut bacon slices in half (so they are half as long). Place bacon slices in square 8X8 glass baking dish, covering the bottom. The bacon slices should be overlapping. Bake the bacon at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, just until it starts to crisp. Depending on how much you have overloaded the pan, you may want to rearrange the bacon some after it has cooked for 15 minutes (since it will shrink away from the sides).

While bacon cooks, prepare egg mixture. Combine eggs, kefir, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and beat with a fork or whisk until well-combined and fluffy. When bacon is done cooking, rearrange the slices as needed to cover the bottom of the pan (since the bacon may have shrunk away from the edges). Pour egg mixture on top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and return to the oven. Bake casserole at 325 degrees for about 40-50 minutes, or until set. The eggs will puff up in the middle when they are near done, and will then deflate while cooling. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop and enjoy.

*Time-saving tip: If you will be saving the majority of the casserole to eat as leftovers, do not allow to bake completely. Rather, pull the casserole out when the middle is just starting to puff up, and then eat portions from the sides. This will ensure that the leftover eggs will not be overcooked when reheated. We store our leftovers in small glass containers. Then all that is required on the following days is to place the glass container in the toaster oven set at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Baked Bacon and Egg Bowls (4 individual bowls)

12 strips nitrite/nitrate free bacon
5-6 jumbo eggs or 7 large eggs
1/4 cup milk kefir
1/4 cup grated paremsan cheese
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Cut bacon strips in half. Line each cup with 6 halves to cover dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until starting to get crisp. Drain. Set aside (you can do this ahead and let them cool if you want).

Combine eggs, kefir and salt in a medium bowl and beat with a fork or whisk until well-combined and fluffy. Divide egg mixture into prepared bowls. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until set. The eggs will puff up in the middle when they are near done, and will then deflate while cooling. Allow to cool slightly, then scoop and enjoy

Almond Crusted Tilapia

I’m still trying to eat fish once a week and come up with new ways to prepare it. I saw a recipe on Angela’s blog (Healing My Body Through My Tummy) for almond crusted tilapia. It sounded easy, healthy and good! So I made a version of it last night. I used Angela’s recipe more for the concept than the full recipe. I used ground crispy almonds and sunflower seeds. And I used homemade mayo instead of olive oil. Turned out great!!! Justin and I loved it. Rebecca…you just never know. Some nights she devours fish, some nights she won’t touch it. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t like the recipe. This was so easy to make. And a very healthy dinner. I will defintely make it again and play around with what kinds of nuts/seeds I use. I’ll post the recipe the way I made it. Check out Angela’s blog for the original version.

Almond Crusted Tilapia

2 tilapia filets
1/4 cup homemade mayo
1/4 cup ground crispy almonds and sunflower seeds (or whatever kind of nut/seed you like)
salt to taste

Heat oven to 425. Grind/pulse nuts/seeds in food processor until they resemble bread crumbs. Place a small amount of mayo in glass baking dish. Rub it on the bottom to grease. Place tilapia filets in pan. Spread remaining mayo on filets. Season with salt. Press nut/seed crumbs into mayo. Bake for 15 – 20 min.