Guinness Shepherd's Pie - The Perfect Comfort Food For Fall

We all love comfort food, especially when it is chilly outside. Shepherd's Pie has always been one of our favorites. We found a recipe for it, which used pureed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes (something I do often) and used coconut flour as a thickening agent. The only changes I made to the recipe were excluding the peas and adding Guinness. It was awesome. I felt sorry for my 11 month old daughter who had to watch the three of us chow down on this delicious meal when she had to eat her baby food. At least it will only be a few months until she's able (and willing) to eat it.

You can have grilled cheese

My husband found a great recipe for bread made with flax seed meal. I haven't had a grilled cheese sandwich (or any kind of sandwich for that matter) in over a month, so I thought it would be worth a shot. The bread turned out well, though it did end up being a touch sweet for savory sandwiches.

It is sort of a pan bread that contains a bit of coconut oil. I think I may try to make the same bread with olive oil instead and see if that removes the sweetness.

It was still nice to be able to have a grilled cheese sandwich, after such a long time. And, my 3 year old loved the bread. I will try this bread with some almond butter and a drizzling of honey. That should be fantastic.

Leeks

I have made potato and leek soup in the past, and loved it. But I thought the onion-like texture and taste would turn me off if I tried to eat it by itself (and not pureed until it was unrecognizable). I took the plunge and tried it last night. I first boiled them in vegetable stock, and then sauteed them in some butter, salt, and pepper. 

Thinking I might have a gag reflex, I closed my eyes and took a bite......it was great! I am no longer afraid of the mighty leek.

A Dish With A Lot of Sole

I absolutely love sole. As a friend once put it, you can wrap it around shrimp, put crab on top of it, or just drizzle a butter sauce on it and you don't even have to set the table....yummy!

Sole with beurre noir-beurre noisette (brown butter sauce), spicy collard greens, and parsnips.

Hearty Breakfast

Aged Gouda tastes good in just about everything. I especially like it in egg dishes.

Scrambled eggs with aged Gouda, bacon, and tomatoes.

Who Needs Pasta?

I think zucchini works better in this dish than eggplant, especially when the zucchini is first caramelized a bit in the oven. I just slice it lengthwise, using my mandoline, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and put it under the broiler for a few minutes. Then layer it as though it were pasta, with ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite meat sauce.

Who needs pasta?

Turnips

I took the plunge and made an Indian turnip dish. The sauce was great, and I really wanted to like the turnips. However, I just couldn't get past the underlying taste. I can't really put my finger on it, but unless I find a way to cook that flavor out of a turnip I don't think I can eat them again.

Animal Style Protein Style

Tonight I made buffalo bacon cheese burgers which were wrapped in lettuce, and accompanied by parsnip fries. It was absolutely delicious! It wasn't exactly the same as In-n-Out Burgers, but it was close.

Sugar High

We attended two children's birthday parties this week. At the first party I was able to stick to my Primal diet and stay away from the chocolate ice cream cake. At the second party, however, I was unable to avoid the homemade chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream which was made by a very good friend of mine (who happens to be an excellent baker). I was amazed at how quickly and strongly I felt the sugar high and how hard I crashed. I felt awful and had a terrible headache. I have only been on this diet for 3 weeks, but obviously my body has already gotten used to it. Next time I will only take a few bites.

Stir Fry Sans the Soy Sauce

Stir Fry with Shrimp

I sort of threw the kitchen sink in on this one. It was a yummy concoction that I hope I can replicate. And it contains absolutely no soy sauce!

Tis The Season

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

I can't resist anything made with pumpkin, especially in the fall and when it is covered with bananas and honey and is accompanied by a side of bacon (or two or three sides of bacon). These pumpkin pancakes were delicious.

Fish and "Potatoes"

Halibut Steak with Mashed Cauliflower and Garlic Aioli

Even your toddler won't realize he's not eating real potatoes!

A Northwest Favorite

Salmon with sauteed broccoli and wild rice.

Wild rice is not totally Primal, but it is a better option than regular rice. All really good salmon needs is some salt, pepper, and a little bit of dill. Saute it in butter, and you are good to go.

Breakfast of Champions

Omelette with bacon, cheese, tomato, and avocado.

 

This protein and fat packed breakfast keeps me going all morning...that and a cup o' joe.

I Can Have Pizza?

Primal Pizza

Despite the crust being a bit crumbly, due to the almond flour, the pizza was pretty good. I actually like Meatza better, and I don't miss the bread at all. I particularly like it when the meat crust tastes like a giant meatball.