Sweet Potato Casserole

*Can reduce sweeteners by quite a bit. Too sweet for Jared as is. 

For the Filling:

3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cubed

⅔ cup maple syrup

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

¼ cup milk

½ cup unsalted butter cubed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Topping:

½ cup dark brown sugar packed

½ cup all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

1 cup pecans chopped, toasted

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Makes: 

9 x 9inch rectangle

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Peel and then boil the sweet potatoes in cold water, just covering, until fork tender. Drain well.

Mash the sweet potatoes into a puree using a food processor, immersion blender, potato masher, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. While the potatoes are still warm, add the butter, stirring until it melts. Then add the maple syrup, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt. If using a stand mixer, you can mix everything using the mixer.

Pour the mashed sweet potato mixture into a 1 ½ - 2 quart casserole dish.

Mix all of the topping ingredients together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the pecan crumble topping over the top of the casserole.

Bake the sweet potato casserole for 30-40 minutes until bubbling.

Notes

Technique - Be sure your potatoes are fully cooked by piercing them with a paring knife. If there is any resistance, place them back in the boiling water until they are completely tender.

Variations - Some people enjoy a casserole with marshmallows. Try adding mini marshmallows before baking to make the sweet potato casserole a little sweeter and gooier.

Storage - Store leftover sweet potato casserole in an airtight container or the original baking dish in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. You can freeze sweet potato casserole as well.

Air Dry Clay

Materials:

1 cup Baking soda

1/2 cup Cornstarch

3/4 cup Water

Instructions:

Step 1: Cook the Clay

Add baking soda, cornstarch, and water to a pot and stir together.

Place the pot on a burner over low to medium heat. Stir continuously until the mixture starts to pull away from the pot and it forms a "mashed potato" consistency.

Pull the pot off the heat immediately when it reaches this thickness. Do not overcook!

Put the clay into a bowl or spread it out on a baking sheet to cool. Let the clay reach room temperature before working with it.

It will take at least half an hour to cool down.

Step 2: Use the Clay

The texture of the clay should be very soft and moldable, but not sticky. If the clay sticks to surfaces, or your hands, dust the work area with cornstarch.

Allow the clay to air dry for 3 to 5 days. Or bake it in the oven at 200F for 1 to 1.5 hours, flipping the piece half way through.

Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

 4 tablespoons (57 grams) butter, unsalted

 8 ounces (226 grams) yellow onion, chopped

 4 celery stalks, chopped small

 1 1/4 cups (295 ml) chicken or vegetable stock

 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

 6 cups (1.5 kg) cornbread, broken into large pieces

 Salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Butter the baking dish you're using.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, cook stirring often for 5 minutes until softened. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the fresh sage and cornbread, stir to mix well. * see note

Add the rest of the stock and stir well to combine. ** see note

Test for seasoning. Depending on how salty the chicken stock is, add a pinch of salt if needed.

Transfer the stuffing into the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until it starts to brown on the top.

Notes

* Only add 1 tablespoon of fresh sage if you are using my sage cornbread.

** Only add as much stock as you like depending on how moist you like your stuffing

Apple Crisp

Ingredients (double for 9x13)

Filling:

5 cups fresh apples sliced

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup old fashioned oats

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep dish pie plate or 9 inch square baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the sliced apples with the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix until all of the apples are evenly coated. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

In a separate medium size bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and stir until well coated and crumbly. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top of the apples.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until fruit is soft and the topping is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top. Enjoy!

Notes

Slice your apples evenly. I slice my apples using this slicer to speed up the process and remove the core easily. I then slice the apples one more time each with my knife so that the widest part of the slice is roughly 1/2 an inch wide. You can also chop them into big chunks if you would prefer, but just make sure that you chop your apples to a uniform size to ensure even baking in your apple crisp.

Prevent over-browning. If your topping is starting to get too brown but your apples still need more time to cook, simply place some aluminum foil loosely over the top of your pan and continue baking.

Optional additions: Chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts would be a delicious addition to the topping! I didn't add any to ours because my son has a nut allergy.

Serving: this apple crisp tastes AMAZING with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! You could also top it with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Yum!

Cool Whip

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

• Pour heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl.  (If you using a hand mixer, make sure the bowl has high sides because the cream will splash quite a bit initially. I’ve found using the whisk attachment helps a lot!)
• Beat on medium speed just until soft peaks are formed.
• Add sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Store refrigerated.

Baked Mac and Cheese

1 pound mozzarella (I did some cheddar)

1 pound Colby Jack cheese

8 ounces sharp cheddar (I did cheddar w/ gruyere notes)

1 pound cavatappi pasta (I did macaroni)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons salted butter

3 tablespoons AP flour

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (I skipped)

2 cups heavy cream (I did raw milk)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Shred the blocks of cheese: 1 pound mozzarella cheese, 1 pound Colby Jack cheese, and 8 ounces sharp cheddar into a large mixing bowl, then toss together and transfer half to a separate bowl.

Cook 1 pound cavatappi pasta in salted water according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, combine 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper in a small prep bowl and set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons salted butter in a skillet, then add half the seasoning mix and stir.

Add 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and immediately whisk and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, the butter/flour mixture should be bubbling.

Add the 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk and whisk constantly. Once it begins to thicken and bubble in the middle of the pan, add 2 cups heavy cream, the remaining half of the seasoning, and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and whisk until thickened.

Add half of the shredded cheese mixture to the skillet a handful at a time and stir until completely melted and thick.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to coat.

Transfer half the pasta mixture to a 9×13-inch baking pan and layer with a third of the remaining cheese. Add the rest of the mac and cheese on top then finish with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then broil for 1 to 2 minutes to give the mac and cheese a nice bubbly, golden brown top.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Notes:

Make Ahead Mac and Cheese Instructions:

If you want to prepare this mac and cheese in advance, it’s very easy to do! Simply prepare the recipe right up until baking then cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, tent the aluminum foil so it doesn’t touch the top layer of cheese and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until heated through. Finish with the broil.

Freezing Tini’s Mac and Cheese:

Follow the make-ahead instructions above, but be prepared to add an additional 30 to 35 minutes to the baking time while covered in foil.

Cornbread Fresh Milled

1 cup cornmeal (freshly milled popcorn)

1 1/2 cup flour (freshly milled soft white wheat) 

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with skillet in the oven.

Mix dry ingredients together

Add remaining ingredients

Whisk all together until fairly smooth

Pour into greased 8’’ – 10’’ cast iron pan (or any pan that size). Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Slather butter all over top, let rest for about 10 minutes, and ENJOY!

Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

250 grams (2 cups) whole grain spelt flour 

5 mL (1 tsp) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt or 2.5 mL (½ tsp) table salt

2.5 mL (½ tsp) baking soda

115 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter

150 (3/4 cup) grams dark brown sugar

100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar

1 large egg(s)

10 mL (2 tsp) pure vanilla extract

175 grams (1 cup) 70 % dark chocolate chopped, or 250 mL (1 cup) dark chocolate chips

120 grams (1 cup) chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (175 °C). (Bake at 365 for 3300 elevation.) Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter, the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar until it's very light and fluffy.

Add the egg and the vanilla, and mix well until the mixture is light and fluffy again. Make sure to clean down the sides of the bowl as needed with a big spatula.

Dump in the whisked dry ingredients, and incorporate them either with the hand mixer on low, or by hand with a big wooden spoon.

Mix in the chocolate and the chopped walnuts. The dough should be quite thick.

Scoop approximately 50 gram portions of the dough, rolling them into balls.

Place 8 cookies per cookie sheet, being sure to space them apart and stagger them.

Bake the cookies one sheet pan at a time until the edges just begin to brown (this takes about 12 to 14 minutes). You might want to rotate the pan partway through the baking to make sure the cookies brown evenly.

Let the cookies cool completely on the sheet pan while you bake the second pan.

Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Variations: you can make these with white, milk or dark chocolate, and with toasted walnuts, peanuts, or pecans. If you skip the nuts, add more chocolate. The cookies may end up thinner if you omit the nuts without substituting.

Baking temperature: You can bake these cookies at 400 °F to ensure they stay thick, or at 350 °F to allow them to spread a little more. Feel free to bake a test cookie at this temperature to make sure you like the results and adjust the temperature accordingly.

If you want to garnish: you can't go wrong with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt which will help balance out the sweetness of the cookie dough.

Osso Buco Pumpkin Stew

1 tbsp tallow

2 large (or 4 small) beef shank soup bones

4 carrots, cut into 3/4 to 1 inch cubes

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 large bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste 

4 cups beef stock

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree

1/2 cup apple juice

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Sear beef shanks in a skillet on all sides until browned. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours. Discard rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. 

The Carnivore Code Cookbook by Paul Saladino MD

Chocolate Syrup

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. Vanilla 

1 Tbsp. Butter or Ghee

Combine sugar water and cocoa. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. If too runny it can be thickened with cornstarch and a little water.

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

2 tbsp butter

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

~1/2 tsp basil dried

~1/2 tsp oregano dried

~1/2 tsp parsley dried

(Optional heavy cream, vinegar for acid?, ground beef/sausage)

Whisk all ingredients into a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until heated through. Serve over favorite pasta noodles. 

Large batch:

3 lbs ground beef

4 tbsp butter 

1 can pumpkin puree (29 oz)

1.5 cups chicken broth 

1.5 cups Sour cream

1/2 cup Parmesan

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Oregano

Basil

1/2 to 1 tbsp salt

Sunday Italian Gravy Spaghetti Sauce

Sauce

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 short ribs

3-5 cloves garlic minced (if not using 1 bulb roasted garlic above)

2 cans tomato paste 6 oz

1 28 ounce can tomato puree or sub another can whole tomatoes

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1-2 28 ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes whole tomatoes

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried parsley 

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt

1-2 cups water or beef broth

Optional Ingredients

1 bulb roasted garlic cloves

1 lb cooked and drained ground sausage 

1 lb cooked and drained ground beef

⅛ – ¼ cup brown sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes (I used 1/8)

1 zucchini washed and grated (optional)

*1-2 parmesan rinds

*1-2 Carrots shredded or zucchini or other veggies

Toss in a handful of fresh basil oregano or thyme if available (optional)

In a large stock pot, add oil and brown short ribs. Set aside. Add the tomato paste to cook and darken for extra flavor. Add crushed and strained tomatoes. Squeeze whole tomatoes with your hand as you add to the pot. Stir in spices. Place short ribs back into the sauce. Siimmer for 4-6 hours (or longer), stirring occasionally until reduced. Add more liquid if getting too thick. Remove ribs. Can blend with immersion blender for smooth sauce. 

Optional add cooked and drained sausage and ground beef. Simmer for another hour. Serve over pasta.

Crockpot: after initial prep, can add sauce to crockpot to simmer on low for 8-10 hrs. *Tried - 4 hours covered on low and 4 hours uncovered on high. Worked well.

Use immediately or allow to cool to room temp before storing. Store in fridge or freeze extra.

Buttermilk Ranch

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup sour cream 
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4-1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 very small bunch of chives or half that amount of scallions
• small handful parsley or 1 tsp dried 
• 1/2 clove of garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dill
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• pepper/white pepper, to taste