Sides
- Asian Slaw
- Buffalo Cauliflower
- Corn Chowder
- Corn Tortillas
- Creamy Veggie Soup
- Eggplant Fries (Air Fryer)
- French Fries (Air Fryer)
- Mexican Street Corn
- Mom's Skillet Cornbread
- Potato Stacks
- Roasted Asparagus with Peanut Sauce
- Shredded Kale Salad
- Sweet Carrot Soufflé
Asian Slaw
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
Slaw
- 1 head purple cabbage
- 1 head green cabbage
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 3-4 green onions
- 1 c shredded carrots
Dressing
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/4 c rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (or like 1 tsp-ish ground ginger)
- 1 tsp chili flakes (or red pepper flakes) (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
Directions:
- Chop veggies into thin slices (mandolin is great here)
- Mix dressing
- Pour dressing onto the slaw
Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients:
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch (sub corn starch)
- 1.5 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
- Chop cauliflower into bite-sized pieces
- Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl
- Stir cauliflower into the sauce and toss to combine
- Cook cauliflower in the air fryer at 360°F for 14 minutes, shaking halfway
Corn Chowder
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb gold potatoes, quartered
- 2 small onions, cut into 1/2" wedges
- 1 lb corn (off the cob)
- 4 c chicken broth
- 1/4 c heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Olive oil
- Bacon bits (optional, for topping)
- Green onions, thinly sliced (optional, for topping)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Toss the onions and potatoes in olive oil, then place on a baking tray, placing potatoes cut side down. Roast until golden brown and tender, about 25-30 minutes.
- Combine half the roasted vegetables in a pot with chicken broth and bring to a light boil, then puree with a hand blender until smooth (you can use a standard blender, but I would recommend letting it cool down a bit first.
- Add the remaining roasted vegetables, corn, salt, and pepper and bring back to a simmer. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low before stirring in the heavy cream and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning.
- Serve with crumbled bacon bits and thinly chopped green onions.
Corn Tortillas
Servings: 6-10 tortillas
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup masa harina
- 1 Tbsp beef tallow/lard/butter
- 1 1/2 cup water
Directions:
- Add the melted tallow/lard to the water, then add the mixture to the masa. Only add about half at first, then mix together before adding more. The key is to get a dough that isn't sticky but is also soft
- Once combined, knead the dough and place in a bowl and cover with a damp kitchen cloth for 30 minutes
- Cut the dough into equally sized balls, 6-10 depending on the size you want
- Using a tortilla press, lay down wax paper (actually, I have better luck using a ziplock bag), followed by your dough, then another layer of wax paper
- Press the tortilla flat
- Place the tortilla on a hot (medium high+), DRY skillet and cook for 20-30 seconds. Flip the tortilla and cook for 50-60 seconds. Flip back to the first side for an additional 20-30 seconds, then remove.
- NOTE: Your tortilla will probably feel a bit hard at this point - that's okay, but the next step is crucial for softening
- Place the tortilla in a tortilla warmer (or tupperware) lined with a dry kitchen towel to keep warm and to steam
- Repeat steps 5-9 with the remaining tortillas
Creamy Veggie Soup
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1 head cauliflower, sliced into florets
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced in rounds
- 4-6 stalks celery, sliced in 1" pieces
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 c chicken stock
- 1 c heavy cream
- 4 tbsp avocado oil
- water, as needed
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a pot over medium heat, add the oil, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook until softened.
- Add the zucchini slices and garlic and cook until slightly browned, then add in the cauliflower.
- Add the chicken broth and enough water to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer until the zucchini and cauliflower are fork tender.
- Remove from heat, transfer into a blender (or use an immersion blender), and blend until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Eggplant Fries (Air Fryer)
Servings: 4 (but they're healthy, so it's okay to eat them all)
Ingredients:
- 1 eggplant
- 1/2 c Italian bread crumbs (sub GF if desired)
- 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 c flour (sub GF if desired)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 eggs
Directions
- Slice the eggplant into 1/2" rounds, then from there into 1/4" sticks.
- Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper in a bowl. Pour flour into a second bowl. Crack and beat the eggs in a third bowl.
- Dip the eggplant sticks into the flour, then into the eggs, then into the breadcrumbs. Place the sticks onto a plate to rest for 5 minutes.
- Place the eggplant sticks into an air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching (you may need to do multiple batches), and cook at 370°F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
French Fries (Air Fryer)
Servings: 3-4
Ingredients:
- 5 yukon gold potatoes (or 3 large baking potatoes)
- 2 tsp dill weed
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
- Cut the potatoes into your desired french fry shape
- Add the sliced potatoes to a bowl of ice water and let soak for 30 minutes
- Drain the potatoes and pat completely dry
- Dump the water out of the bowl, dry it out, then add the potatoes back in
- Add olive oil and all spices to the potatoes and toss well to mix
- Place the potatoes in the air fryer and cook at 400° for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until they are crispy on all sides
- NOTE: If you cut the fries extra thin, you may need to do two batches. The key here is to have close to a single layer in your air fryer
Mexican Street Corn
Ingredients:
- 3 cans sweet corn, drained
- 1/4 c mayonnaise
- 1/4 c sour cream
- 1/2 c crumbled queso fresco
- 1 c cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2-1 tsp cayenne
Directions:
- Mix ingredients together and adjust to taste
Mom's Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients:
- 1 c yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 c flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 c buttermilk
- 1/2 c whole milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 + 2 tbsp shortening (I use beef tallow)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F
- Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine.
- In another bowl or measuring cup, mix the buttermilk, milk, and egg together. Beat the egg, then stir in the baking soda.
- Combine the milk mixture with the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until combined.
- Melt the 1/4 c of shortening then slowly add it into the batter, stirring until just combined.
- Heat an iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, melt the remaining 2 tbsp of shortening in the skillet, then pour in the batter. The batter should sizzle.
- Cook on the stove top for 1 minute, then transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (edges should be crispy).
- Remove the skillet and turn the cornbread out onto a baking rack or plate to cool (cool upside down to keep the crust from getting soggy)
Potato Stacks
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 2.5-3 lbs russet potatoes
- 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 lb bacon
- 2 green onions, chopped
- Olive oil
- Creamy White Sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F
- Wash and slice potatoes into rounds about 1/4" thick. Add to a baking sheet and drizzle generously with oil.
- Bake potatoes until golden and crispy, but still soft in the middle (~40 minutes)
- While the potatoes are in the oven, cook the bacon and crumble into bacon bits.
- Once the potatoes are out of the oven, spread some white sauce on each round, followed by a pinch of cheese and bacon bits. Place back into the oven until the cheese is melted
- Remove and top with green onions
Roasted Asparagus with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb asparagus
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2-3 tsp water
- 2 tbsp oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Combine oil and garlic. Place asparagus on a baking tray and drizzle with the oil and garlic, then roast for 12-15 minutes until tender.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, adding just enough water to make the sauce pour-able.
- Coat the roasted asparagus with the sauce and serve.
Shredded Kale Salad
Ingredients:
Salad
- 8 c raw kale, packed
- 1/4 inch slice red onion
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 c almonds, toasted
Dressing
- 5 tsp olive oil
- 5 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
- Put the salad ingredients into the food processor with an "S" blade and process until shredded.
- Combine the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad until evenly coated
Sweet Carrot Soufflé
Ingredients:
- 3 1/4 lbs (52 oz) fresh or frozen carrots
- 1 3/4 c sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 6 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 c whole eggs (about 7 large eggs)
- 1/2 c butter, melted
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
Directions:
- Steam carrots for 45 minutes or until extra soft. Drain well, then add sugar, baking powder, and vanilla while the carrots are still warm. Mix until completely smooth.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, eggs, butter, and powdered sugar. Add this mixture into the carrot mixture (while carrots are still warm) and blend well.
- Pour into a baking disk and bake for 45 minutes. Top with marshmallows and return to the oven until golden brown