Overnight Breakfast Casserole (nightshade- and dairy-free)

Nancy and I are headed to Fort Harrison State Park this coming weekend.  Nancy's parents, siblings, and sibling spouses are sharing the old general's house, where each couple will have their own bedroom or suite and bathroom.  A lot of planning and coordination has gone into meals, which we will all eat together.  I've been impressed and touched by the efforts folks have made to adapt foods to my dietary needs, or at least make sure there is something I can eat at each meal.  I am making an egg casserole for Saturday morning breakfast.  Fortunately there will also be biscuits and gravy that others are providing. Anyway, tonight's dinner is trying out a nightshade-free breakfast casserole.  I made a half-recipe, and am also serving blueberry pancakes for this 'breakfast for dinner' meal.

I found this recipe at http://kristinerudolph.com/overnight-breakfast-casserole/.  It calls for making ones own sausage using ground pork.  I used ground turkey instead, but otherwise followed instructions for making the nightshade-free sausage.

Feedback from my food testers is that it is a bit too sweet, and needs some work.  I like it; so does Nancy.  Not sure what changes to make, tho I will probably cook the sausage in bacon fat instead of coconut oil.  Saturday breakfast casserole may be a big surprise for all!

Saturday's casserole turned out fine.  I cooked the vegetables in bacon grease, and I used 1/2 a yellow onion, 1 turnip, 1 sweet potato, 1 rutabaga, and 2 Granny Smith apples.  I cooked the vegetables and turkey sausage at home.  Then Friday night I put the vegetables in a 9x13 inch pan, spread 8 eggs whisked with salt and pepper over them, and distributed the sausage on top of that; then covered the pan and put it in the fridge overnight.  Next morning, I uncovered it, added the last 8 eggs whisked with salt and pepper, recovered it, and baked about 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees F.  I then took the cover off and continued to bake about 15 more minutes.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground pork, turkey, or chicken

1/2 Tbsp plus 1-1/2 tsp sea salt, divided (I used less salt than recipe called for)

3/4 tsp black pepper, divided

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried ginger

3 Tbsp water

2 medium turnips, peeled and shredded

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded

2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and shredded

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 Tbsp solid fat - bacon grease, lard, ghee, coconut oil (I used coconut oil)

16 eggs

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Add ground meat to medium size bowl.  In small bowl, mix/whisk together 1/2 Tbsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, sage, thyme, and ginger with 3 Tbsp cold water.  Add water and spices to meat and work spice blend into meat with hands until well-combined.  Cover and place in fridge.

Melt fat/coconut oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent, adding 1/2 tsp of salt as you cook.  Add shredded turnips, apples, and sweet potatoes and more salt. Cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  Stir regularly/frequently to keep mixture from burning.

Spread mixture evenly in 9x13 casserole pan.  In medium bowl, beat/whisk together 8 eggs.  Pour mixture over shredded vegetables.  Set aside.

Remove sausage from fridge.  Using the same skillet, brown sausage, taking care to break up chunks. Crumble cooked and slightly cooled sausage over egg and vegetable mixture, making sure to spread it out well.  Cover and store in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove casserole from fridge and uncover.  While oven preheats, beat/whisk 8 eggs plus 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Pour egg mixture over sausage.  Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove cover and cook for 15 more minutes (or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Serve.

Nutritional Information:  makes 16, 137 g servings; per serving = 151 calories, 8.2 g fat, 441 mg sodium, 185 mg cholesterol, 10.1 g carbs, 1.7 g dietary fiber, 13.5 g protein 

Vegetable mixture

Turkey Ham Salad

This is what I did with our leftover turkey ham.  Mix all together and serve on crackers or as sandwich spread.

INGRDIENTS

2-3 cups ground turkey ham (chunks of turkey ham processed in food processor)

1 cup finely diced celery (3-4 stalks)

1/4 cup finely diced sweet red or yellow onion

2 hard boiled eggs, diced

1/4 cup pickle relish

2-3 Tbsp soy free Vegennaise

1 tsp prepared mustard (Dijon, yellow, or spicy brown)

Simple Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

This recipe is from Add a Pinch http://addapinch.com/cooking/simple-slow-cooker-ribs-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds pork ribs (your choice of kind - I used spare ribs)

1 recipe BBQ sauce (I used Autoimmune Paleo (nightshade free) BBQ Sauce)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Spray slow cooker insert with non-stick spray.  Arrange ribs in insert (wrap around inside or cut into thirds or halves if necessary).  Pour BBQ sauce over ribs, reserving 1/2 cup in covered container in fridge for later.  Cook on Low for 6 hours.  Put reserved sauce over ribs for serving, or serve sauce on side.

Autoimmune Paleo (nightshade free) BBQ Sauce

I wanted ribs.  And I didn't want to risk triggering pain, so I needed to find a nightshade-free BBQ sauce to use while cooking the spareribs I bought.  I found this recipe at the Primal Palate http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/autoimmune-paleo-bbq-sauce/

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh sqeezed + 1 tsp for other step

1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp bacon grease

1 tsp ground ginger

1 cup raw carrots, diced (3-5 carrots)

1 cup onion, diced (1 medium onion)

1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped (10-12 large strawberries)

1/2 tsp salt (smoked salt) - I was going to try using liquid smoke if I couldn't find smoked salt, but I found sea salt flakes, smoke flavor, at Fresh Market.  I used 2 small pinches of the flakes)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan, add maple syrup, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger, onions, carrots, strawberries, and bacon fat.  Bring to boil, stir and lower heat to simmer.  Add smoked salt, stir until dissolved, and taste for salt.  Add more if needed.  Simmer about 20 minutes, until onion and carrots are tender.  Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Return to saucepan and simmer about 10 minutes more.  Will keep in fridge up to 5 days - freeze if you aren't planning to use it all within 5 days.

Baked Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Nancy made this oatmeal casserole this week.  The recipe is from Alexandra Cooks http://www.alexandracooks.com/2013/08/09/baked-steel-cut-oatmeal/   Nancy substituted almond milk for whole milk, and Earth Balance for butter.  She also used dried blueberries instead of fresh or frozen, and sliced almonds.  I liked it a lot.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup steel cut oats

1/2 cup walnut halves or almonds, toasted and chopped

1 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 to 1-1/2 cups blueberries

2 cups almond milk

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 large egg

3 Tbsp soy free Earth Balance buttery spread, melted and cooled slightly

2 tsp vanilla extract

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, syrup, egg, buttery spread, and vanilla.  Pour the milk mixture over the oat mixture.  Store in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sprinkle blueberries over bottom of 8-in square baking pan.  Pour oat and milk mixture over.  Bake 50-60 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes - if browning too quickly, reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information: per serving = 286 calories, 14g fat (2g saturated, 6g monounsaturated, 3g polyunsaturated), 31mg cholesterol, 773mg sodium, 33g carbs, 5g dietary fiber, 14g sugars, 7g protein

Chicken, Green Bean, Corn, and Farro Salad with Goat Cheese

We received some farro with our Christmas goodies.  I've only used it once so far, just all by itself as a substitute for rice last time I had salmon.  It was tasty.  This recipe is from Epicurius http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-green-bean-corn-and-farro-salad-with-goat-cheese-354298

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup semi-pearled farro or spelt berries (I used regular farro)

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

12 oz green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (I used thawed frozen corn)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp minced fresh marjoram (I used 1 tsp dried)

1/2 tsp course kosher salt

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp minced shallot (I used red onion)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

4 oz goat cheese crumbles

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Cook farro in medium saucepan of boiling, salted water until just tender, 20-25 minutes.  Drain, cool.

Cook chicken (I poached mine, or salt & pepper chicken and cook in 1 Tbsp olive oil for about 8 minutes per side) and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes.

Steam green beans, cool.  Mix with farro.  Add corn and green onions.  Make dressing (whisk together marjoram, salt, white wine vinegar, shallot/red onion, mustard, and 2 Tbsp olive oil; pour over salad; cover and chill.  Sprinkle with goat cheese when served.

Carrot, Apple, and Red Cabbage Slaw

This recipe is from Growing a Greener world.  http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/apple-carrot-coleslaw-recipe/. There is a video showing how to make it, too.  He recommends using a mandolin to slice the cabbage and make sticks/strips of the apples.  I just used a knife, and I left out the parsley.

INGREDIENTS

1 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced. (6 cups)

4 carrots, grated (2 cups)

2 apples, unpeeled, cut into matchsticks (3 cups)

1/2 cup flat leaf Italian parsley (I left this out)

Salt & pepper to taste

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2-1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2-1/2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place cabbage, grated carrots, julienned apples in a bowl.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill.

I made 1/2 a recipe, because that is how much red cabbage I had.

Rainbow Rotini Pasta Salad

Nightshades seem ubiquitous in pasta salads - peppers and/or tomatoes in all the recipes I found.  But I also found that most use either a bottled or homemade Italian dressing and other either raw or lightly steamed, cooled, and marinated vegetables.  Pepperoni and olives also seem popular.  So this is the version I made today, with what was in the house.  Lots of other possibilities.

INGREDIENTS 

1 12-oz pkg rainbow rotini, cooked, drained, and cooled

1/2 cup favorite Italian or oil & vinegar dressing

1/2 cup quartered turkey pepperoni

1 cup lightly steamed asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup lightly steamed baby carrots cut into thirds

1 cup lightly steamed peas

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half

1/2 cup sliced green olives

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, cut up

Mix everything together and let marinate before serving.

Buffalo Chicken

The recipe and photo are from son John, sent from his apartment in Arizona.  He had some leftover gluten free pancake mix batter and some leftover Buffalo Wings sauce.  So he bought some chicken, cut it up, coated the pieces with his pancake batter, and then cooked them.  He said it turned out very tasty.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup pancake mix

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

3 Tbsp butter

1 pound chicken

Note from John:  the recipe originally also called for 1 tsp paprika to go with the pancake mix, but I figured the buffalo sauce would provide the requisite spice.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Mix the pancake mix, salt, and cheese.  Separately, beat the eggs.  Then dip the chicken in the eggs, then cover in the mix, then repeat.

When that's done, melt the butter and spread in over the chicken.

Bake at 450 for 12-14 minutes, flipping at 6 minutes.

Glazed Turkey Ham

I bought a Jenny-O turkey ham last grocery shopping trip.  I heated it (comes already fully cooked) at 325 degrees in a little water in a covered 2-1/2 quart casserole.  I found the recipe for the glaze I used at http://articles.philly.com/2008-10-09/entertainment/24991824_1_ham-glaze-creole-style-mustard.  The turkey ham was 2.2 pounds - heat half an hour per pound.  I made less glaze than the original recipe by using smaller amounts of the ingredients - below is what I made.

INGREDIENTS

2-4 pound fully cooked turkey ham

1/4 cup brown sugar

2-1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

1-1/2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp soy free Earth Balance buttery spread

1-1/2 tsp corn starch

1 Tbsp water

Salt & pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk together brown sugar, vinegar, honey, mustard, and wine.  Heat in small sauce pan until well mixed and sugar has melted.  Add slurry of water and cornstarch.  Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until glaze has thickened.  Remove from heat.  Add melted buttery spread and salt & pepper.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Score turkey ham by cutting diagonal slits first in one direction, then in the other to form a diamond pattern.  Put turkey ham and about 1/2 cup of water into casserole bowl.  Brush glaze over surfaces of turkey ham.  Heat, covered, in oven 1/2 hour per pound of turkey ham.  Brush with additional glaze every 10-20 minutes.

Slice and serve.  Leftover glaze may be added to slices.

Photo was taken after we had eaten about half the turkey ham and refrigerated the leftover.