Shepherd’s Pie

It took me awhile to come around to the health benefits of the white potato, a true superfood! Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate a lot of tubers - which are very low toxicity since they grow underground and don’t have to chemically deter animals from eating them as much as other plant parts. They’re also high in protein, vitamins and minerals - and cultures that ate a lot of them enjoyed robust health. Pair with ground beef, any other chopped vegetables of your choice like zucchini, carrots, summer squash, mushrooms, and even a little garlic, onion, and tomato paste if your body tolerates those! Be sure to make extra, even a double batch, as this freezes well and is sure to be a hit!

Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef, salted and browned

1 cup bone broth

1 zucchini, chopped

1 summer squash chopped

3 carrots, chopped

10 crimini mushrooms, rinsed and chopped

1 tablespoon potato starch

italian seasoning

sea salt

garlic, fresh or powder

onion, fresh or powder

Optional: 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Optional: 2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the potatoes.
   Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Brown the meat with the onions and garlic if using fresh.
   If using powders, add them after browning the meat.

4. Add broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce (if using), Italian seasoning, and vegetables.
   Cover and let steam for 5–10 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

5. Scoop out ½ cup of the brothy sauce into a bowl.
   Whisk in the potato starch to make a slurry (immersion blender works great).
   Pour this slurry back into the pan and stir to create a gravy. Add more broth if needed.

6. Strain the boiled potatoes and mash with milk, butter, and salt to taste.

7. Arrange the meat/vegetable/gravy mixture in the bottom of a baking dish or Dutch oven.

8. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the filling.

9. Sprinkle with parmesan.

10. Bake uncovered for 20–30 minutes.
    Optional: Broil for a few minutes at the end if the parmesan isn’t browned enough.

11. Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Chicken and Parmesan

This has quickly become one of my favorite quick weekday lunches. I can prep a couple spaghetti squashes on the weekend, and then have the shredded squash and chicken ready to go, and just assemble the meal in minutes. If it’s for a crowd, I would recommend combining everything in a casserole dish and baking it in the overn, which I do have another recipe for. This is more of a quick meal for one person. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash, shredded

3-4 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped up

1/2 Cup Milk of choice, I use skim raw milk separated with this

2 Tablespoons of shredded parmesan

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning or fresh basil

Salt to taste

A little melted butter for pre-baking the spaghetti squash

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the spaghetti squash in half with your biggest sharpest kitchen knife. Be careful. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and rub the inside of the squash with a little melted butter. Salt the inside of the squash, and place that side down on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes until it softens and the spaghetti squash strands can be scraped out with a fork. This can then be stored in the fridge for a week.

Place 2 Cups of shredded spaghetti squash in a small saucepan, add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer, covered. When hot, serve and enjoy! If you’re using fresh herbs, add them at the end.

High-Protein Orange Julius Smoothie

I love this smoothie! I drink it with my breakfast almost every day—or sometimes for a quick lunch. It’s such a great way to make sure I get my collagen in daily. It’s also a great source of protein and healthy carbs!

If it’s your whole meal, use low-fat or full-fat yogurt to get some fats in. Or go with nonfat yogurt if you’ve got another fat source in your meal (like eggs or buttery sweet potatoes).

You can also switch up the fruit additions—this morning I added half a cup of frozen wild raspberries for extra carbs. I also love this little glass blender I found on Amazon, so I don’t have to pull out and wash my big Vitamix every time: https://amzn.to/40M02kw

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic orange juice (I like pulp-free)

• 1 cup yogurt (I use nonfat or low-fat Greek)

• 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

• 4 tablespoons collagen peptides – I use this one

• ¼ teaspoon real vanilla extract

• Small dash of sea salt

• Optional: Add-ins like frozen fruit, mango juice, etc.

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, pour into a glass, and enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are probably my favorite food. I eat them almost daily. With eggs in the morning, in a curry, with chicken or beef for lunch or dinner. I often batch-cook these on the weekend to last me through the week, I can easily reheat them for a quick meal on a busy day. I’ve even taken to simply washing and slicing them with the skins still on, and then easily peeling them off just before eating them, to avoid the dreaded task of peeling them raw. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Ingredietts:

2 pounds of sweet potatoes, any size or color, cut into 1-inch rounds

2 Tablespoons of butter, melted

At least 1 teaspoon of sea salt

Optional: Garlic powder

Instructions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat. Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Pour any remaining butter mixture from the bowl over the sweet potatoes. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, and then flip them with tongs. Roast for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown and easily pierced with a fork. Take out and enjoy! Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to a week.

Egg Roll in a Bowl

I just found this recipe and love it so much! My whole family loved it and I hope yours does too.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef or seed oil-free ground pork, lightly salted while browning

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups raw sauerkraut

1 t ginger powder

1 t garlic powder

3 T coconut aminos

2 T fish sauce

Poached eggs, one per person minimum

Small drizzle of sriracha

Instructions:

Brown the meat in a cast iron or stainless steel pan with a little salt. Add the shredded carrot, ginger powder, garlic powder, coconut aminos and fish sauce, and cook until the carrots are slightly softened. Turn off the heat and add the sauerkraut to warm through. Poach the eggs by boiling a saucepan of water and cracking the eggs into the simmering water, letting them cook through for a few minutes until the whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, scooping them out with a slotted spoon. Serve in bowls with an eggs and a drizzle of sriracha. Enjoy!

Chicken (or Beef) Greek Dinner

This is one of my go-to dinners for the family. It’s super versatile, you can use chicken, lamb, or beef and then add whatever toppings you have on hand, like feta cheese and kalamata olives and chopped cucumbers. The real star here is the tzatziki sauce - which is super easy to make and can easily be made high protein/low fat for weight loss. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Ingredients:

Chicken, -boneless/skinless breast, chopped and seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and oregano

And/or Beef/Lamb - either steak, thin-sliced, or ground beef formed into kafta - long skinny burgers seasoned with salt, garlic powder, and oregano

Cucumbers, julienned or half moons

Kalamata olives

Feta cheese, European origin for animal-based rennet (American rennet is made from mold)

Optional: small amount of peeled, seeded fresh tomato and/or a little chopped red onion, unless you have digestive or autoimmune disease (these are column 3 foods)

Tzatziki sauce:

2 Cups Greek Yogurt (nonfat for protein-sparing, full fat for weight maintenace or gain)

1/3 Cup cucumbers, minced

1 tablespoon each fresh dill and mint

1 t garlic powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice (half of a medium lemon)

sea salt

Instructions:

Grill or sauteed the chicken and/or steak in a cast iron pan after seasoning. If making kafta, combine the ground beef with the seasonings and form into long skinny meatball-shapes, frying in a cast iron pan until cooked on all sides. Arrange all of the ingredients on a large serving dish or place each topping in it’s own bowl so that guests can make their own plates with their desired toppings. Spoon tzatziki sauce on top and enjoy! This dish also goes well with the sauteed zucchini recipe as a side dish.

Sauteed Zucchini

This is a great side dish for your steak or burger. It’s my favorite go-to side. I call zucchini and cucumbers the “freebies” because they are nontoxic nonsweet fruits that have almost no carbs or calories. Although cucumbers are served cold, zucchini can be cooked and flavored for a delicious warm side dish! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 zucchini per person, sliced into half-moons

1 teaspoon grass-fed butter per zucchini

sea salt

Optional: garlic powder, European feta cheese, oregano

Instructions:

Heat a cast iron to medium high. Melt the butter, spreading it around the bottom of the pan. Add the zucchini and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until they are just cooked through but still firm. Add any optional ingredients and serve warm. Enjoy!

Bananas Awesome

My partner invented this dessert (and gave it this silly name) and it has quickly became our new favorite. It’s crazy how something so easy could be so delicious. Feel free to get creative with the toppings - I could see shredded coconut, berries, or nutmeg being fun additions.

Ingredients:

One banana per bowl, chopped

A pinch of sea salt

A few shakes of Ceylon Cinnamon

A small dollop of homemade whipped cream (1/4 C or less)

Optional: small drizzle (1 teaspoon) of organic salted caramel sauce, I like 365 Whole Foods Brand - found here: https://amzn.to/48xrsfK

Instructions:

Place the chopped banana in the bowl. Lightly salt the banana, add the few shakes of Ceylon Cinnamon, and a small drizzle of caramel sauce, if using (adds 4 grams of carbs from sugar). Prepare the whipped cream in another bowl with an immersion blender, using 2 T of heavy whipping cream for every serving of the dessert (it will double in size when whipped), with 1 teaspoon of honey or 2 drops of Nunaturals liquid vanilla stevia. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top of the banana and shake a little more cinnamon on top for garnish. Enjoy!

Korean Bulgogi (Bibimbap)

This recipe is one of my new favorites and the first night I made it, my partner and I and my 10 year-old son ate almost 4 pounds of meat in one meal! They both said it was the best meal I’ve ever made. So it officially went into the regular dinner rotation at our house and it’s so easy and delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of thin-sliced steak, preferably grass-fed (Costco usually has thin-sliced ribeye or NY strip)

Marinade:

1/4 Cup Raw Honey

1/3 Cup Coconut Aminos

1/2 teaspoon Ginger powder or 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder

2 Tablespoons Rice vinegar

Sides and toppings:

Minced fresh cilantro

Julienned blanched carrots

Julienned cucumber

Poached or soft-boiled eggs

Optional: White rice

Instructions:

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients and pour over the beef, stirring it in. Allow the marinade to sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to one day, covered. Grill or saute the beef in cast-iron until just cooked through. If using cast-iron, then broil the beef in the oven for 5 minutes to get a little char on the edges. Serve immediately with the sides, including blanched carrots (simmered in water for a few minutes), cucumbers, eggs, cilantro, and optional white rice.

Beef Stew with Carrots

This is the perfect fall meal. I have a Halloween bonfire in my front yard every year, and I make a big pot of this stew for my friends and family. There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of beef stew with thick gravy and warm carrots on a chilly fall or winter evening. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of bone-in beef roast, chopped into 1 inch cubes

6 cups of chopped carrots

1 T onion powder

1 T garlic powder

3 cups beef broth

sea salt

optional: 1 T tomato paste

optional: 2 T potato starch, in a slurry with 2 T warm water before adding to stew

optional: a couple handfuls of crimini mushrooms (baby portobello), halved or quartered

Instructions:

I like to make this stew in a large dutch oven on the stovetop, but you could easily make it in a slow cooker or an Instapot instead. The reason I use a stovetop is because the stew meat needs to simmer for 3.5 hours and the carrots (and optional mushrooms) only take 20 minutes, so I like to add them at the end. To start, add the beef, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and broth to the dutch oven or large pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is starting to become tender. Add the chopped carrots and any optional ingredients, and continue to simmer until the carrots are cooked through, about 15 more minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Frittata

This is such an easy weekend breakfast, and I like to double the recipe because then there are leftovers for the week! Just warm in the microwave or in a covered cast iron pan with a little water and it’s a quick and easy breakfast that is just as delicious the next day. Low- or fat-free ham (without nitrates or other weird ingredients) is a great way to enjoy high-protein pork without the seed oils that are usually present in pork fat.

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

1/2 C dairy (preferably raw): milk, yogurt, or sour cream

1 C chopped ham

1/2 C shredded cheese, preferably raw (I like the Emmi gruyere from Costco)

1 T butter

Instructions:

Make sure your 12-inch cast iron pan is well seasoned. If it is not, you can warm it and rub it down with some extra butter before cooking. Preheat the oven to 400. Melt the butter in the pan and warm the ham through on medium heat. Beat the eggs in a bowl with some sea salt and stir in the cheese. Pour the egg mixture on top of the warm ham and turn off the heat under the pan. Put the pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are just set but not brown on top. Remove from oven just when a knife comes out clean. Invert the pan onto a cutting board so the frittata stops cooking and let it cool a minute before serving.

Ground Beef and Gruyere Zucchini Boats

This is a fun and super easy dinner that my kids love. It’s honestly one of the only ways I can get them to eat zucchini! You could use any cheese, although I’m in love with the Swiss Emmi-brand gruyere from Costco, which is raw and so delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large zucchinis, washed and ends cut off

2 lbs ground beef (lean for protein-sparing, or 80/20 for weight maintenance)

8 oz Gruyere, shredded

2 t dried italian seasoning

1 t onion powder

1 t garlic powder

sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seedy insides with a spoon, leaving a little on the ends so the ground beef mixture doesn’t leak out during cooking. Combine the ground beef in a bowl with all of the other ingredients except the cheese and zucchinis. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place all of the zucchini “boats” on the parchment, filling with the beef mixture, and covering with a layer of gruyere. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cheese is brown and the zucchinis can be pierced easily with a fork. Enjoy!

How to Cook the Perfect Steak

Knowing how to cook the perfect steak is imperative to becoming animal-based! I love using cast iron pans for all of my kitchen cooking. Of course, nothing beats a steak on the grill, but if you want to cook your steak inside in cast iron, here is how!

Ingredients:

1 lb of steak for each person (ribeye for weight maintenance OR filet/lean sirloin/tenderloin for a protein-sparing day)

Butter for the pan

Sea salt

Optional: sprig of rosemary or sage

Instructions:

Make sure the steak is fully defrosted. It can be cold from the fridge or first brought to room temperature. Salt liberally with a high quality sea salt like Himalayan or Redmond’s Real salt on both sides. Place the cast iron pan on the burner and turn the heat to HIGH. Let the pan get good and hot for 1 minute, but not smoking. Add a small amount of butter to the pan, to just lightly cover the bottom with melted butter. Place the optional herbs in the butter, if using, and then push them off to the side of the pan. Place the salted steak in the hot pan as soon as the butter is melted but hasn’t yet browned. Turn the heat down to medium-high for a thinner steak (less than an inch), or medium for a thick steak (1.5-2 inches thick). Cook for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is nice and brown and a crust is beginning to form. Flip the steak and continue cooking on the second side and spoon some of the butter and juices from the pan back onto the steak as it cooks. You may need to continue flipping the steak every 3-5 minutes until it is done.

Optional: use a kitchen thermometer to check the internal temperature. I like to pull the steak out of the pan when the temperature is 10 degrees lower than the desired doneness because it will continue to rise about 10 more degrees. Rare is a final temp of 120, medium rare is 130, and medium is about 140. So, for medium rare, I like to cook my steak to about 120 degrees and it will continue to heat to 130 as it rests for 5-10 minutes on the cutting board. Resting also allows the juices to absorb so that they don’t run out when you cut into the steak. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, make a small incision in the middle of the steak in the pan to check for your desired doneness.

Honey Lemon Curd

Frankly, I don’t want to live a life without desserts like lemon curd. This is one of the reasons why I follow an “animal-based” way-of-eating, and not strict carnivore (zero-carb). Also, eating a little honey helps with electrolytes, sleep, and muscle cramping. I think our ancestors ate honey and fruit. This recipe is healthy and divine, although it is fairly high-fat and high-carb if you are protein-sparing. But what a great treat for a refeed day!

Ingredients:

2 eggs and 4 egg yolks

1/4 C honey, preferably raw

2 T butter, cut into small pieces

2 t lemon zest, finely grated

1/2 C lemon juice (about 2-3 large lemons)

dash sea salt

Instructions:

Mince the lemon zest with a food processor or a sharp knife. Cream the butter in the food processor, or use a hand mixer or whisk. Add the zest, honey, lemon juice, salt, eggs, and egg yolks. Mix until well combined. Pour the batter into a small saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly until the curd coats the back of a spoon (just before a simmer) or reaches 165 degrees. Remove from the heat, add the butter pieces, and stir another minute. Pour into small custard cups and refrigerate until cool. Enjoy!

Photo by James Trenda on Unsplash

Carnivore Swedish Meatballs

These are delicious, extremely healthy, high-protein, and can be made in 15 minutes. Serve with zucchini noodles stirred into the sauce at the end until they are warm!

Ingredients:

3 pounds lean ground beef

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

3 large zucchinis, spiraled into noodles or thin sliced

1 C milk, half and half, or heavy cream, preferably raw

2 t sea salt, or to taste

1 egg, beaten

2 t Worcestershire sauce, optional

Instructions:

Combine raw beef, egg, and 1 t salt and form into meatballs. Brown these in a dutch oven or large cast iron pan until the outside is cooked (optional to butter the pan). Add dairy, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce, if using and bring to a simmer. Place a lid on top and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. I like to stir in the zucchini noodles just until warmed through (don’t overcook or the water will come out and make the sauce too watery). Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash Beef Casserole

I saw someone post something similar on one of my carnivore groups this week and I immediately thought it was such a good idea! I made it right away and all 3 of my kids ate it up, so I knew it was a success!

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash

1 T melted butter

Sea salt

2 pounds ground beef

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1 C cream, preferably raw

1 C parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1 C shredded cheese, preferably raw (I like Costco’s raw gruyere)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Rub the melted butter all over the inside and salt liberally. Place inside-down on a cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes. When they are cool enough, use a fork to scrape out the “spaghetti” from the squash rinds.

In a sauce pan, warm the raw cream to 120 degrees and stir in the parmesan cheese with a little salt and the lemon zest.

Brown the meat with salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Stir the spaghetti squash, beef, and alfredo cream sauce together in a large bowl and spread in a glass baking dish. Top with the shredded cheese and place under the oven broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is just melted. Serve and enjoy!

Salmon Poke Bowls

These are super easy, delicious, and versatile. Set out little bowls of all of the ingredients, and let your guests or family build their own! Top with tamari and pickled ginger and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Sushi-grade raw salmon, chopped

Julienned or sliced English cucumbers

Shredded carrots

Sliced avocado

Chopped mango

Chopped pineapple

Shredded nori

Wheat-free tamari sauce

Pickled ginger

White rice, if desired

Chaffles!

These are amazing! Waffles made with cheese and eggs. That’s it. So easy and delicious. You can use egg whites and low-fat cheese for a protein-sparing day. These can be topped with butter and a little honey or maple syrup for a treat, or use 2 as bread for a carnivore sandwich with deli meat and a bit of cheese or avocado! Yum!

Ingredients:

2 eggs *OR* 4 egg whites

1 Cup shredded cheese: mild cheddar, parmesan, or low-fat mozzerella

Directions:

Blend the eggs or egg whites with an immersion blender or fork and then stir in the shredded cheese. Preheat your mini waffle maker until it is hot, and then add a couple tablespoons of the batter and cook for 6 MINUTES (3 times longer than a regular waffle). Enjoy!

Coconut Thai Curry Chicken

This high-protein meal is perfect for a chilly fall day. It can be modified to be protein-sparing by using light coconut milk. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 T coconut oil or butter

1 can organic coconut milk with no gums - I like Native Forest

1 C bone broth

2 C chopped carrots

1 t fish sauce

1 T wheat-free tamari or Braggs coconut aminos

1 t garlic powder

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced, or 1 t ground ginger

1 t onion powder

1 t ceylon cinnamon

1/2 t turmeric powder (optional)

1 T dried cilantro leaves (not coriander seed)

1 t fish sauce (gluten free)

1 T dried Thai basil

Directions:

Heat a large cast iron pan on medium-high. Add the coconut oil or butter, chicken breast chunks, tamari or aminos, and ginger. Stir-fry until chicken is cooked through and onion is soft. Add all other ingredients and stir well. Simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20-25 minutes and serve.

Moroccan Orange Cake

I found this recipe online and altered it to make it gluten-free and low-carb and honestly its one of my favorite desserts I’ve ever made. I made 3 of these cakes in 3 days! This recipe is so healthy it can be a fun breakfast, or serve it at the end of a dinner party with whipped cream and chocolate shavings for something more decadent. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 eggs (yes, one dozen)

1 cup coconut flour

1 cup greek yogurt (nonfat if you are protein-sparing)

1 stick (half cup) butter, softened (reduce to 1/4 C for protein-sparing)

zest and juice of two large oranges

1 t vanilla

1/2 t sea salt

1 t baking soda

1 cup raw honey + 1 t vanilla OR 100 drops Nunaturals liquid vanilla stevia

High-quality, organic extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer or with an immersion blender or hand mixer. Grease a pan with olive oil and cut a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter in the pan, smooth the top, and drizzle high-quality olive oil on top of the batter. Cook in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the top is fully browned and a knife comes out clean. Yum!

Photo by Dana Nestorova on Unsplash