Hash Brown and Beef Hot Dish (gluten-free)

Tater Tot Hot Dish is a popular food in the Great Lakes region of the USA. Ground beef, veggies, gravy, and cheese, topped with crispy potatoes: what's not to like? Most hot dish recipes rely on processed ingredients such as canned cream of mushroom soup and tater tots, but I've opted to instead make this recipe with real, whole food ingredients. The result is a delicious meal that my whole family loves.

When I first made this recipe, I used storebought tater tots, but was dissatisfied with the ingredients therein (especially the unhealthy canola oil). Since my family ended up loving this dish, I developed a way to make it without using tater tots, by substituting hash brown potatoes instead. The resulting Hash Brown and Beef Hot Dish is now a family favorite recipe.

This recipe is one of the regional recipes featured in my All Around the USA Unit Study.

Hash Brown and Beef Hot Dish

Serves 8-10

·         Hash brown topping*:

o   1 stick butter, preferably nutrient-dense butter

o   Two 1-pound bags of southern-style hash browns (organic hash browns have only one ingredient: potatoes)

o   1 tsp finely-ground celtic sea salt

·         Filling:

o   2 Tb butter, preferably nutrient-dense butter

o   1 large white or yellow onion, chopped

o   8 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced

o   3 large carrots, chopped

o   1&1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably grassfed

o   1&1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

o   1/2 tsp pepper

o   1&1/2 cups frozen green beans

o   3 cloves garlic, minced

o   1/3 cup white rice flour

o   1&1/4 cups chicken bone broth, preferably homemade

o   1&1/2 cups whole milk

o   leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme

o   1 tsp blackstrap molasses

o   1/8 tsp hot sauce

o   1/2 tsp gluten-free soy sauce

o   1 tsp apple cider vinegar

o   1/8 tsp dried allspice

o   1 cup frozen peas (optional)

o   8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Make the Hash Brown Topping:

1. Melt one stick of butter in a very large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Add the frozen hash browns and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt.
3. Let the hash browns cook for 7-10 minutes, until they are starting to crisp up. Then flip/stir the hash browns. A bamboo spatula works well for this. To make the hash browns crispy, make sure you do not stir them much. 
4. Continue to stir them only occasionally, until they are well-crisped on all sides.
5. Turn off heat and set aside.

Make the Beef and Vegetable Filling:

1. Melt 2 Tb of butter in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and saute for about 10 minutes. It is fine if the onion starts to get some brown, caramelized color, but adjust the heat as necessary if the skillet is getting too hot.
2. In the meantime, prepare the carrots and mushrooms.
3. Add the mushrooms and carrots to the onions. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet and sprinkle with 1&1/2 Tb of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. (Use less salt if your chicken broth is salted. My homemade chicken broth is unsalted.) Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring every few minutes to ensure that the ground beef and veggies are cooking evenly.
4. In the meantime, mince the garlic. 
5. Combine the molasses, thyme leaves, soy sauce, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, and allspice in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Add the broth and milk, and stir it all together.
6. Sprinkle the garlic and rice flour into the beef and vegetable mixture. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, just until the garlic is fragrant.
7. Stir the frozen green beans into the beef and vegetable mixture. Then pour in the seasoned broth and milk mixture. Stir well to make sure everything is well-combined.
8. Bring the beef and vegetable mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened up nicely. Taste the mixture and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.
9. In the meantime, shred the cheddar cheese and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Assemble the Hash Brown Hot Dish:

1. Pour the beef and vegetable mixture into a 9X13 glass baking dish.
2. Sprinkle the optional peas on top.
3. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the meat and vegetables.
4. Spread the crispy hash browns over the top of it all.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until everything is bubbling and hot.
6. Remove from the oven, serve, and enjoy! Leftovers freeze well for easy future meals.

*Feel free to substitute storebought Tater Tots for the Hash Brown Topping, if desired. If so, skip the steps for preparing the hash brown topping, and just top the filling with the tater tots before baking.






























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Wyoming Baked Beans (grain-free : gluten-free : dairy-free : nutrient-dense)

My children and I are continuing our homeschool unit on the United States, and that means I have the opportunity to find more family favorite recipes from the regions we are studying. The latest recipe is Wyoming Baked Beans. I created this recipe the way I often create new recipes: by looking at several recipe variants of a dish and then mish-mashing them all together in the way I think will appeal most to my family's tastes. So I would say this recipe has been inspired by recipes for Wyoming Baked Beans, rather than being an authentic recipe for that region. 

Wyoming Baked Beans combines beans, beef, bacon, and vegetables, with a tasty tomato-based sauce. This dish could be a main course or a side dish. Everyone in my family enjoyed this recipe. 

Wyoming Baked Beans

Serves 6-8

• 1 pound dry white navy beans
• filtered water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tb Celtic sea salt
• 3 slices of thick nitrate-free bacon, chopped finely
• 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound ground beef, preferably grassfed
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup sucanat
• 2/3 cup ketchup (I use Annie's organic ketchup)
• 1 Tb blackstrap molasses
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tb Dijon mustard

1. In a large bowl, cover the beans with plenty of filtered water and the baking soda. The beans will soak up quite a bit of water, so be sure to add plenty. Cover and allow to soak overnight. This important step reduces the phytic acid antinutrient in the beans.
2. Drain and rinse the beans. Place the beans in a medium-large pot, cover with filtered water, and bring to a boil. Skim off and discard the foam. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stir in 1 Tb salt, and cook until the beans are soft, about 1.5-2 hours. Stir occasionally.
3. Drain the cooked beans, reserving the liquid for later use. 
4. In a large (4 quart) oven-safe pot, sauté the bacon for a few minutes until the fat has been rendered (melted). Meanwhile, chop the onion.
5. Add the onion to the pot and sauté in the bacon grease for about 5 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, chop the celery and carrots.
7. Crumble the ground beef into the pot. Add the carrots, celery, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.
8. Brown the ground beef for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Meanwhile, combine the ketchup, molasses, allspice, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine.
10. Sprinkle the sucanat over the meat and vegetable mixture. Stir in the ketchup mixture and 3/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid.
11. Put a lid on the pot and bake at 300 degrees for about 1 hour 15 minutes. If the beans look too dry, stir in a bit more of the reserved bean liquid. Remove the lid from the pot for the last 15 minutes of baking. 
12. Remove from the oven, stir the pot, and allow to cool a bit before serving. Marinated cabbage salad and/or fresh vegetables dipped in homemade ranch dressing pair well with this recipe.

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Beef Stroganoff Meatballs (gluten-free : nutrient-dense)

My family was surprised by how much we all enjoyed the food from Russia during our homeschool world trip. One of our favorite Russian-inspired dishes was Beef Stroganoff Meatballs. I was pleased to learn that Beef Stroganoff is often served over mashed potatoes in Russia, and my family really enjoyed eating this dish over buttery Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. My husband also gives this meal a thumbs-up as a frozen meal that he can re-heat for lunch at work.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Olga's Flavor Factory but I've made quite a few changes to make this recipe work better for my own family.

Beef Stroganoff Meatballs
Serves 6-8

• Meatballs:
• 1 large white or yellow onion, minced
• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1&1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1 egg, preferably from pastured hens
• 1&1/2 Tb white rice flour
• 1&1/2 Tb sour cream
• 1&1/2 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tb refined coconut oil plus 1 Tb butter
• Stroganoff Gravy:
• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1 pound brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 scallion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Tb white rice flour
• 3 Tb dry vermouth* or dry white wine
• 4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade 
• 1 tsp celtic sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tb sour cream
• 1/2 tsp dried dill

1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in 2 Tb butter for about 15 minutes.  Adding a small sprinkle of salt will help the onion cook faster, since it causes the onion to release its moisture. Let the onion develop a bit of brown, caramelized color.  Turn off heat and allow to cool off a bit.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, egg, sour cream, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine. Then add the caramelized onion and sprinkle with 1&1/2 Tb white rice flour. Stir until everything is well mixed.
3. Form the meatball mixture into small meatballs. I like to use a 1 Tb scoop to easily make the meatballs uniformly-sized. 
4. Heat a very large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2Tb refined coconut oil and 1 Tb butter, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the meatballs and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes.  (If you don't have a very large skillet, the meatballs will need to be cooked in two batches.) Turn the meatballs and cook another 3-4 minutes. It is okay if the meatballs are not fully cooked during this step, as they will continue cooking in the gravy. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. 
5. Melt 2 Tb butter in the very large, heavy-bottomed skillet.  Add the sliced mushrooms and scallion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and cooked down.  
6. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute, just until fragrant.
7. Stir in 4 Tb rice flour to coat the mushroom and scallions.
8. Whisk in the broth and vermouth. The vermouth can be omitted if desired, but it really does add good flavor to the recipe. The alcohol evaporates out of the recipe very quickly while it cooks.
9. Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow to cook for about 5 minutes, until it has thickened nicely. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.
10. Whisk in the heavy cream, sour cream, and dill. Add the meatballs to the gravy and simmer for 5 more minutes.Turn off heat and serve. This recipe makes plenty of gravy so it is excellent when served over mashed potatoes.

*I love to use vermouth instead of wine, as it doesn't go bad like unused wine. Vermouth is shelf stable, can be used in place of dry white wine in cooking, and can be stored at room temperature indefinitely.

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Beef Liver and Mushroom Paté (nutrient-dense : grain-free : gluten-free)

Liver is a true superfood, providing abundant iron, vitamin A, all of the B vitamins (including folic acid), CoQ10, and trace elements such as copper, chromium, and zinc. Yet, when liver is unadorned, many people find its flavor to be overpowering and unpleasant. Beef liver is especially strong-flavored, but this nutritional powerhouse can still be a welcome addition to our diets with the right preparation techniques. A great example is this recipe for Beef Liver and Mushroom Paté.

I start by soaking the beef liver in kefir overnight. This mellows its flavor considerably.  Then I combine it with some great flavor additions in the form of grassfed butter, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. I also lighten the liver flavor by including ground beef in the recipe. The results are a delicious paté that can be enjoyed by many.

Beef Liver and Mushroom Paté

• 3/4 lb grassfed beef liver, sliced
• ~3/4 cup whole milk kefir or buttermilk, just enough to cover the beef liver
• one large white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, preferably grassfed
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1&3/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly-ground pepper
• 2 Tb heavy cream
• 2 Tb sour cream
• Equipment needed: large, heavy-bottomed skillet and food processor

The day before you will make the pate:

1. Carefully trim any membrane from the beef liver. 
2. Place the liver in a glass container with a lid and add enough milk kefir or buttermilk to cover the liver. Stir as needed to ensure that all of the liver is in contact with the kefir/buttermilk. 
3. Put a lid on the container and refrigerate 12-24 hours.

The following day:

1. Melt 2 Tb butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and a tiny sprinkle of celtic sea salt.  Saute the onion for ~5-10 minutes, stirring as needed but not too often. Let the onion get a bit of browned color, which indicates that it is caramelizing and releasing its natural sweetness. In the meantime, slice the mushrooms.
2. Add 2 Tb butter to the skillet, and then add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little salt and saute the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes, until they have released their moisture and cooked down a bit.
3. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook ~5 minutes until it is mostly browned.  
4. Add the remaining 4 Tb butter to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the liver to the skillet and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring and flipping the liver slices occasionally. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. The liver should be browned on the outside with a slight hint of pink remaining inside.
5. Turn off heat and allow to cool for ~ 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the meat and veggie mixture into a food processor. Add the heavy cream and sour cream. (I have a 7-cup food processor. If you have a smaller food processor, you may need to process half of the mixture at a time with half of the heavy cream and sour cream.) Pulse the mixture a few times and then turn the processor on until all lumps are gone and everything is thoroughly mixed.
7. Scoop the paté into a storage container and refrigerate several hours.  I also like to freeze some of the paté for later use.
8. This paté is excellent when served as a dip for veggie sticks, or spread on bread or crackers with a little mayonnaise. I love to top it with coleslaw and fresh tomatoes for a superb meal. Fermented bread and butter pickles also complement the flavor of this pate nicely.

 

Does your family eat liver? What is your favorite way to eat this superfood?

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My Family's Spring Diet

When I blogged a few months ago about My Family's Winter Diet, I promised to share what our Spring, Summer, and Fall diets look like as well. We are still primarily eating a nutrient-dense diet, but rather than aiming for perfection, I am aiming for an unstressed, maintainable diet that my family can eat for many years to come. We do eat somewhat seasonally, so our diet changes a bit with the seasons to reflect which fruits and vegetables are in season.  

Each Saturday morning, I spend a few hours in the kitchen preparing baked goods for the coming week. Typically, this includes making one custard cake (clafoutis), one or two batches of muffins, and perhaps some cookies or waffles to freeze. By preparing these items on the weekend, our breakfasts throughout the weekdays are very quick-and-easy. Here is a snapshot of our Spring diet.

Breakfast

• Since I wake up early, I often eat two breakfasts. My first breakfast is generally simple, followed by a more substantial breakfast a couple hours later. 
• This Spring, my first breakfast is often one of the following along with a glass of raw milk: 

• Cranberry orange morning round with butter and cream cheese
• Lemon raspberry muffins
• Blueberry muffins 

• My second breakfast is most often sprouted whole wheat or white sourdough toast with eggs and frozen veggie mix sauteed in butter, usually with a glass of raw milk. I have a dose of extra-virgin cod liver oil with my second breakfast perhaps once a week (as determined by when I feel a craving for it). At this time of year, I spend so much time outside that I don't seem to crave cod liver oil as much as I do during the winter months, so I reduce how often I take it to match my desire. 

• My husband eats homemade custard cake for breakfast 6 days of the week every week. (He likes eating the same thing over and over; I can't stand doing that!) In the spring, I most often make one of the following custard cakes for him to have for breakfast each week:  
• Triple berry custard cake 
• Banana clafoutis
• Applesauce custard cake
• This Spring, my 6-year old son often eats one of the following, sometimes with an egg, and always with a glass of raw milk:

• Cranberry orange morning round with butter
• Apple cinnamon morning round with butter and honey
• 7 sprouted grains cinnamon raisin bread with butter, cream cheese, and honey
• My 9-year-old daughter often has one of the following for breakfast this Spring, sometimes with an egg, alongside a glass of raw milk. 
• Blueberry banana grain-free muffin 
• Raspberry chocolate grain-free muffins (or strawberry chocolate muffins using the same recipe with strawberries instead of raspberries)
• Whole milk yogurt with honey and/or fruit 

 

Lunch

• My husband takes frozen homemade leftovers to work for lunch everyday, which he re-heats in a toaster oven.  This Spring, his favorite leftover lunches are:
• Cheesy hashbrown casserole
• Shepherd pie with green beans and mushrooms (made with only beef since I don't generally have ground lamb available)
• Beef and beans

• This Spring, the lunches my children and I are eating most often are:
• Cheesy scrambled egg sandwiches, with mayonnaise, served on sprouted whole wheat bread or gluten-free waffle
• Lunchmeat rolls with cheddar cheese, homemade honey mustard, and fermented pickles, with a side of avocado oil chips or crackers (Absolutely gluten-free flatbread is a great, grain-free option that we all enjoy)
• Leftover soup (from the freezer)
• Canned sardines, served with buttered crackers or sourdough toast (or waffle for my daughter)

 

Snacks and Desserts

• The only snacks my kids are allowed between breakfast and lunch is fruits or veggies, which they have to get for themselves. That makes it where they are certain to be hungry at lunch (whereas previously when they were allowed more-filling snack options, they often didn't eat well at lunch). In the spring, their fruit and veggie snack options are:
• Fresh seasonal fruit, including strawberries and apricots
• Bubbies fermented dill pickles 
• Carrots
• Dried fruit, such as Just Bananas or Just Fruit Salad
• Dried Just Peas
• My husband typically has one of the following snacks while at work:

• Kind bars
• Granola bars
• Salted, roasted cashews
• Banana chips
• Perhaps 40-50% of the time, the kids will have a small snack after our afternoon Quiet Time, usually consisting of nuts, fruit, or cookies (such as butter shortbread or chocolate macaroons). I am always ravenous when I wake from my daily nap, so I always have an afternoon snack such as plain whole-milk yogurt, butter shortbread, apple and cheese, etc.
• The kids and my husband have a snack before bed every night; usually fruit, fried fruit, yogurt, or applesauce. About twice per week they will have dessert such as ice cream or cookies. I'm not generally hungry after dinner, so I don't usually eat anything before bed.
• Perhaps once a week, my husband and I will each have a package of Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

 

Drinks 

The drinks we consume the vast majority of the time are:

• Raw milk
• Homemade triple berry kombucha
• Fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice in sparkling spring water
• Homemade soda

 

Dinner

• I make a from-scratch dinner meal about 2-3 times per week (and I always make a large portion so there will be enough to freeze for my husband's lunches, or for us to have as leftovers). I can't stand eating the same thing two days in a row, so I plan to eat leftovers a few days later, or freeze them for a future use. This Spring, as the temperature is warming up, we move away from soup and onto other foods. The dinners I'm making most-often are:
• Parmesan fried chicken
• Parmesan fried chicken
• Parmesan fried chicken (no, this isn't a typo: my family loves this chicken recipe so much that I am making it often)
• Ground beef taco meat served as tacos or taco salad
• Side dishes I've been making most often this Spring are:
• Butter smash boiled potatoes (I haven't blogged this recipe, but I will if there is interest)
• Coleslaw with cabbage, carrots, and celery (I could blog this recipe, too)
• Roasted potatoes
• Simple buttered veggies with frozen peas or broccoli 
• Green salad with lettuce, cheese, carrots, celery, and homemade ranch dressing
• Carrot sticks with homemade ranch dressing
• On days when I don't make a from-scratch dinner, we have leftovers or dinners which include some already-prepared ingredients (which I consider to be compromise dinners). The ingredients in our compromise dinners aren't absolutely perfect, but they are pretty good, and incorporating these items into our diets allows for busy days when I don't have hours to spend in the kitchen. Our most commonly-consumed compromise dinners this  Spring are:

• Pizza made with Against the Grain crust, quick-and-easy homemade pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sauteed mushrooms
• Nitrate-free sausages such as kielbasa or hot dogs, served with frozen sweet potato fries or chips, and fermented pickles
• Tuna salad or chicken salad sandwiches, made with canned tuna or chicken, served with kettle chips and fermented pickles
• We eat out at a restaurant about 2-3 times per month. We also often eat Sunday dinner at my mom's house, and are often blessed with leftovers to often bring home which will make for an easy meal some other day of the week.

 

 

 

Do you find it helpful or interesting to see what we're eating?  What are your favorite Spring meals? 

 

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Italian Beef and Veggies Over Quinoa (nutrient-dense : gluten-free)

This recipe is my twist on the typical spaghetti dinner.  I saute up plenty of fresh veggies, add some ground beef and marinara, and then serve it over top of some quinoa.  Yum!

Italian Beef and Veggies Over Quinoa
Serves 6-8

• Quinoa:
• 2 cups organic quinoa
• 1 Tb raw apple cider vinegar
• filtered water
• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• celtic sea salt
• Italian Beef and Veggies
• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 8 medium cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 1&1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably from grassfed cows
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jar of Italian Herb Pasta Sauce, 26-ounces (or your favorite marinara sauce)
• celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• shredded raw cheddar cheese, to garnish

1. Soak the quinoa: In a glass bowl, cover the quinoa with filtered water, stir in a splash of apple cider vinegar, and allow to soak at room temperature for 4-18 hours.  Soaking the quinoa in an acidic medium helps in reducing the anti-nutrients (such as phytic acid) that are present in grains.  I find that quinoa gets rather mushy when allowed to soak for too long, so I often only soak it for a few hours before cooking it.
2. Start cooking the onion: About 40 minutes before dinner, melt 2-Tb butter in a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt, and saute. It is fine if the onion gets a bit of browned color; that means it is caramelizing and releasing its natural sweetness. (I love to use my bamboo spatula for this recipe.)
3. Drain and rinse the quinoa: In the meantime, drain the quinoa in a mesh colander.  Then rinse the quinoa VERY well.  The more the quinoa is rinsed before cooking, the less bitter it will be. I like to rinse the quinoa until the water becomes crystal clear.  
4. Cook the quinoa: In a medium pot, combine the quinoa with about 3-4 cups of filtered water. The amount of water depends on how long the quinoa was soaked; use less water if you had a long soaking time, or use closer to 4 cups of water if the soaking time was short.) Add a sprinkle of salt.  Bring to a low boil.
5. Add the carrots and celery to the onion: Once the onion has been cooking for 5-10 minutes and is becoming translucent, add the celery and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and saute for a few minutes. You may need to reduce the heat a bit if the pot it getting too hot.
6. Skim the foam from the quinoa: Once the quinoa has come to a low boil, use a shallow spoon to skim off the foam. Discard the foam. Then add the butter to the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally.
7. Add the mushrooms to the veggies: Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and saute for a few minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and shrunken down some.
8. Add the beef to the veggies: Crumble the ground beef into the veggies. Add 1.5 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is mostly browned. The beef does not need to be completely cooked during this step.
9. Add in the garlic: Add the garlic to the veggies and cook for about a minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
10. Add the pasta sauce: Pour the pasta sauce over the veggies and beef. Stir to combine, then put a lid on the pot and let it simmer.
11. Check the quinoa: It will be done when all of the moisture has been absorbed and it is nicely soft.  If the quinoa is done before everything else, just put a lid on the pot and turn off the heat.
12. Simmer the beef and veggies: Let the beef and veggies simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
13. Shred the cheese: In the meantime, use a box grater to shred the cheese.
14. Plate it up: To assemble the meals, start with a scoop of quinoa, add some beef and veggies, then top with a generous sprinkle of cheese. My kids and husband prefer to have a smaller amount of quinoa with more of the beef and veggies. I prefer to have equal amounts of both. 
15. Enjoy!

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BBQ Beef Open-Faced Sandwiches - No Grill Required! (gluten-free and grain-free options)

It is over 100 degrees outside here, and at this time of year I avoid using the oven or slow cooker because I don't want to heat up the kitchen too much.  This recipe for BBQ Beef Open-Faced Sandwiches cooks up in less than 30 minutes, and my family loves it!  We prefer to eat these open-faced, with just one piece of bread each, so we eat this meal with forks and knives.

Most of us eat this BBQ Beef on toasted, buttered sourdough bread; since my daughter still does best avoiding gluten most of the time, I serve hers on top of a homemade gluten-free freezer waffle. (I now leave the vanilla extract out of the waffle recipe so that I can use waffles as an all-purpose bread substitute for my daughter.) For a grain-free alternative, grain-free sandwich bread could be used.

BBQ Beef Open-Faced Sandwiches
Serves 6-8

• one small white onion, diced
• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1&1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably from locally raised grassfed cows
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• BBQ Sauce (loosely based on Steven Raichlen's recipe):
• 1 cup ketchup*
• 1 Tb blackstrap molasses
• 2 Tb apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tb Dijon mustard
• 2 Tb sucanat or brown sugar
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 Tb gluten-free soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp dried celery seed
• 1/4 tsp dried cayenne
• 3/4 tsp dried paprika
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• celtic sea salt and pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese, to garnish
• bread, such as sourdough, homemade gluten-free freezer waffle, or grain-free sandwich bread
• butter for bread

1. Melt  2Tb butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, sprinkle with salt, and saute for 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent. 
2. In the meantime, combine the BBQ Sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
3. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet with the onion. Brown the meat for several minutes, stirring occasionally. It is not necessary to fully cook the meat at this time.
4. Add the minced garlic and saute about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
5. Pour the BBQ Sauce over the meat in the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat a bit, just to maintain the simmer. Loosely cover the skillet and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. In the meantime, toast the bread and lightly butter it. Shred the cheddar cheese.
7. Take the lid off the meat, and allow to cook a couple minutes uncovered to allow some of the moisture to evaporate. Taste the meat for seasoning and add salt/pepper as needed. When it is done cooking, the sauce will have thickened, but will still be very moist. Turn off heat.
8. Arrange the toasted, buttered bread on plates. Top it with the BBQ Beef and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.  Crispy fried potatoes and a side salad make great accompaniments! Or to keep it simple, you could just serve these sandwiches with some organic Kettle chips. 

*Since the probiotics in fermented ketchup would be destroyed by cooking, I use storebought Annie's organic ketchup in this recipe.

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Beef, Sweet Potato, and Veggie Stew (grain-free : gluten-free : nutrient-dense)

I love sweet potatoes, but my family doesn't generally enjoy them unless they are fried.  While my kids love broccoli and peas, there is something about sweet potatoes that they just don't like.  So when I first made this stew, I didn't tell anyone that it had sweet potatoes in it. They all just assumed the orange pieces were carrots.

I watched with anticipation to see if anyone would make a face or complain that they didn't like the soup.... nope. Both of my kids consumed it with glee! Now everyone knows there are sweet potatoes in the stew and no one minds. They all eat it anyway.  And me? I love, love, love this stew! It is my new favorite stew.

Beef, Sweet Potato, and Veggie Stew 
Serves 6-8

• 2 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• one large yellow or white organic onion
• 2 stalks organic celery
• 3-4 medium organic carrots
• 1&1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme OR 1.5 tsp fresh thyme
• 3.5 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
• 2 cups filtered water (or use more broth is using store-bought since the flavor of storebought broth is much more mild than homemade broth)
• 2 medium organic Garnet sweet potatoes
• 2 medium organic Yukon Gold potatoes
• celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• frozen organic green peas (optional)

1. Chop the onion.  Melt the butter in a 4- or 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaf, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and saute for 5 minutes. A bamboo spatula works great for putting this recipe together.
2. In the meantime, chop the celery and carrots. Then add them to the pot and saute for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Crumble the ground beef into the pot.  Sprinkle with 1&1/2 tsp salt and about 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper. Add the cumin and thyme.  Stir to combine with the veggies. Increase the heat to medium-high and brown the meat for a few minutes. (There is no need to fully cook the beef during this step.)
4. In the meantime, peel and chop the potatoes and sweet potatoes. (I love my Rada vegetable peeler.) I leave the peel on one of the Yukon Golds and remove the peel from both of the sweet potatoes.  Since the sweet potatoes can oxidize (turn brown) rather quickly once peeled, chop them last and throw then straight into the pot. 
5. Add the broth, water, and potatoes to the pot.  Bring to a low boil and skim the foam.  Discard the foam.
6. Reduce the heat to bring the pot to a low simmer. Scoop out a bit of the broth and taste to see if any more salt or pepper are needed. Cover the pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are fully cooked.Turn off heat.
7. Since my kids love green peas, I add a few frozen peas to their bowls before serving.  These thaw nicely once the stew is added, and they also help cool the stew down to the perfect temperature for eating.  My husband and I prefer this soup without the peas.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve!

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Homemade Fast Food: Ground Beef Over Crispy Hash Browns (gluten-free : grain-free : nutrient-dense)

Over the last 6 weeks while we've been renovating, packing, and moving to our new home, I have had much less time to spend on preparing food for my family.  We have been relying more on real food convenience foods, making a few compromises, and eating some very simple homemade foods.  This recipe for Ground Beef Over Crispy Hash Browns is my family's version of fast-food.  With only a few ingredients and very quick preparation, this meal is on the table in about 20 minutes, start-to-finish.  My husband and both kids love this meal!

Ground Beef Over Crispy Hash Browns

Serves 4

• one pound ground beef, preferably from grassfed, pastured cows
• one 16-ounce package organic frozen hash browns (I buy Cascadian Farms brand, which contain only one ingredient: organic potatoes)
• one stick (1/2 cup) butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, salsa, honey mustard
• equipment needed: heavy bottomed skillet with a lid for the hash browns, and another skillet or saucepan for the beef

1. Start by melting one stick of butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium low heat. (I use a 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe.) Once the butter is melted, swirl it around the pan to coat the bottom and sides. Then add the frozen hash browns and increase the heat to medium-high. Sprinkle generously with fine-ground celtic sea salt. Put a lid on the skillet and let the hash browns cook undisturbed for about 10 minutes. (The lid for my stockpot happens to fit perfectly on my cast iron skillet.) To make the hash browns nicely crispy, make sure you do NOT stir them much.
2. In the meantime, cook the ground beef in another skillet (or saucepan, if necessary). Crumble the ground beef into the skillet and cook over medium heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper to taste. I like to use about 1 tsp of the chunky grey celtic sea salt for one pound of ground beef. You could definitely add a spice or two (such as a sprinkle of oregano, thyme, or cumin) if you'd like. Stir occasionally to make sure the meat gets browned on all sides.
3. Once the hash browns have cooked with the lid on for 10 minutes, remove the lid and flip/stir them. I find that a bamboo spatula works particularly well to scrape the hash browns from the bottom of the skillet so that the crispy goodness doesn't get stuck to the pan, and then I can just flip them right over. Check the heat and adjust as necessary to keep the hash browns sizzling but not burning.
4. In the meantime, prepare any optional garnishes such as shredded cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, etc.
5. Once the hash browns are crispy on both sides, it's time to eat!  Add a generous scoop of hash browns to each bowl, topped by the beef and any garnishes. This is a great substitute for a fast-food dinner. If you feel the need to have some sort of vegetable with this meal, I find that Fermented Bread and Butter Pickles or Sweet and Sour Snow Peas are a good complement.

Do you have your own version of homemade fast food?  What is your favorite quick-and-easy dinner?

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