Corned Beef and Cabbage with Mashed Coconut Sweet Potatoes

Let me just begin by saying... Delicious! I was very pleased with how this dish turned out. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I decided to make some Corned Beef and Cabbage. I can't take credit for the Corned Beef, because I bought it from Trader Joe's. All I had to do was add some water and throw it in the oven for 25 minutes! But isn't that what most people do... I love that this brand was nitrite/nitrate free, therefore migraine free. :)

(This is a grain-free, gluten-free, Paleo diet friendly meal)

Anywho, here are the details...

Buy a Corned Beef Brisket (most come ready in a brine to be cooked according to directions. Trader Joe's had one pre-cooked that just needed some warm up time in the oven/microwave. I was looking for the kind that had to cook, but my Trader Joe's store is small. What I found was Pocino Naturals Uncured Corned Beef Brisket). The directions call for placing it in an oven proof dish, pouring one cup of water over the meat, covering with foil and sticking it in a pre-heated to 400 degrees oven for 25-35 minutes. Not ideal for throwing in cabbage towards the end. So I had to think fast... Here is what I came up with for my side dishes (mind you with ingredients that I already had at home, which was not much).

Sautéed Mustardy Cabbage

What I used (4 servings):

Half of a head of green cabbage (cut into slices and then broken up with hands)

2 Scallions (chopped up)

Tsp. of Dijon Mustard

1 TBL of butter

Water

First heat up your pan and add the butter. When melted, add the scallions and mustard. Cook until you have a nice aroma and add the pieces of cabbage in and mix until nicely coated. Pour a quarter cup of water over. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding additional water as necessary until cabbage is nice and tender. Yum!

Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I recently had a version of this at Mill Valley Kitchen, a great restaurant in St. Louis Park with a gluten free (plus many grain free options) menu. I decided I must recreate this amazingly sweet concoction. I admit I had no idea where I was going with this, but my gut led me to the perfect combination!

What I used (3-4 servings):

2 Yams/Sweet Potatoes

1 TBL Coconut Oil

1 tsp. Cinnamon (as much as you like)

Dash of Shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened)

Butter to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

I baked my sweet potatoes until tender (see recipe here for baked sweet potato - basically rub clean potatoes or yams with coconut oil and place on open foiled pan, poke holes throughout and stick in pre-heated oven for 45 min to an hour at 400 degrees). Once my sweet potatoes were done, I let them cool a bit, and then scooped out the insides into a bowl (you could use a food processor or blender to make them uber creamy, but mine turned out just fine with a little elbow grease). I added the coconut oil, coconut flakes and cinnamon and mixed well until smooth and creamy. I then added salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a little butter if you like.

So there you have it, two super simple side dishes to a simple corned beef dinner. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!! Happy St. Patty's Day. Don't forget to pair it with a nice Gluten Free Green Beer!

Note: I definitely have plenty of leftovers!!

Baked Sweet Potatoes

I recently found a site that I love... Nom Nom Paleo (http://nomnompaleo.com). Paleo recipes and sites are wonderful for grain-free diets because there are no grains in a Paleo diet. However, Paleo diets do not include any legumes or dairy, which is what makes it different from how I eat. I obviously don't always need to eat my beans or cheese, so these recipes are usually A-Ok for me! I do love my meat and veggies!

Anyway, I saw a recipe on this site that I had to try because I love sweet potatoes! Here is the link... http://nomnompaleo.com/post/1667354361/baked-yams-sweet-potatoes.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

What You'll need...

sweet potatoes

coconut oil

pan lined with foil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, simply clean the outside of your potatoes (so you can enjoy the crispy skin as well), coat the outside of the potatoes with coconut oil. Once nicely coated, poke multiple holes around the potato with a knife and place the potatoes on your pan lined with foil and stick them in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour! No need to cover the potatoes with foil, just place them on top. The insides should be nice and creamy and the outsides perfectly crispy. Enjoy like I did!!

Tip: I sprinkled some of my frozen grated lemon on top and it was amazing!! read more here... http://theshrinkthatshrank.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-life-gives-you-lemons.html

When life gives you lemons...

I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I want to emphasize the importance of eating your fruits and vegetables whole!! This is the only way to get all those great nutrients locked inside. Juicing and picking them apart will leave you with some of the missed goods. So try and eat your vegetables and fruits whole, rather than juicing them, etc. Okay, I will now step off my soap box to introduce you to a fabulous idea that is new to me... Eating a whole lemon! 

Before, I only ever used lemon juice and occasionally lemon rind. But here's a tip about lemons... the whole lemon is super nutritious and packed with vitamins. So how do you eat a whole lemon? Simple... freeze it! That's right, freeze those lemons until they are nice and rock solid. Then simply take a fine grater (microplane) and grate the whole thing down to the stem. I grated mine, rind, insides, seeds and all. What is left is beautiful fine gratings that you can add to almost anything... salads, drinks/cocktails, desserts, marinades, meals, seasonings, or just eat it plain like that... nice and cold and yummy! Obviously while I was grating I had some left on my fingers, so I simply licked my fingers clean and it was delicious!

I think I'll keep the gratings in the freezer to keep them fresh until needed.

(Lemon from my family's tree in Beverly Hills, CA)

Here are just some of the health benefits of lemons I've read about from various sites (sorry I have no references or links - so I can't guarantee these):

- Kills cancerous cells
- Fights bacterial infection and fungi
- Reduces fever (sprinkle some of that grated lemon in your tea)
- Helps cure the common cold (have an extra dose of Vitamin C!)
- Helps with Respiratory Problems
- Lemons have antioxidant properties
- Helps treat urinary tract infections
- Lemon juice is a digestive aid (so may aid in weight loss)
- Lemon has a calming effect (try inhaling lemon oil as well)
- A little lemon in your water may boost your energy when feeling fatigued
- Lemon can freshen your breath

So try the flavor explosion of eating a whole grated frozen lemon now, if not for your health, for your tastebuds!!

Roasted Cabbage

Here is a quick and very simple recipe that is healthy and delicious! A different way to eat your red cabbage... and I guarantee you'll think you were eating dessert! Roasting red cabbage brings out the natural sweet flavors, yum yum yum!

Roasted Red Cabbage

What you'll need:

1 Head of Red Cabbage

Some olive oil for drizzling

Salt and Pepper to taste

A baking sheet lined with foil (you could roast these directly on the pan too)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Now what?

Just cut your cabbage in half (lengthwise), cut out the bulky white part in the middle and start slicing into lengthwise pieces (don't worry if some of it falls apart... those loose pieces will get nice and caramelized and crispy so don't throw those pieces away!). Try and cut them as thin as you can (you can use a mandolin, but it's a bit tricky). Once you have all your round slices and those extra pieces, drizzle them with some olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper over them. Toss until evenly coated and spread onto your baking sheet or pan evenly (one layer, some minimal overlap is okay). Pop in the oven for about 20-30 min, until tender and caramelized. Serve as a veggie side dish to your favorite meal! Enjoy as always... :)