Thanksgiving is coming up in America, which means holiday recipes! But this time of year can be stressful and many are burnt out by the end of the year, so easy holiday recipes means more time to enjoy family, friends, and the actual holidays themselves. This recipe is only four ingredients (okay five if you count the salt) and very simple to make.
allergy friendly cinnamon and ginger roasted carrots
I utilize ginger and cinnamon not only because they go fantastic with the sweetness from the carrots and are two of my favorite spices, but also for their health benefits. Check it out:
Did you know cinnamon is great for balancing blood sugar? The perfect spice to include on a day where you’ll be eating a lot. It’s also great for fighting infections and lowering inflammation.
I’ve talked about ginger quite a bit because it’s my all time favorite, but it’s also a great anti-inflammatory, fantastic for digestion, and has been shown to help balance blood sugar and cholesterol.
Utilizing these two spices during the holiday season is fantastic with all the heavy food this time of year!
This simple, easy side dish will make holiday or weeknight cooking easier! This recipe is only five ingredients, but packed with flavor, fiber, and gut healthy benefits.
Servings 4people
Author Victoria Faling
Ingredients
2lbs.rainbow carrots
2Tbspcoconut oil
1tspground ginger
1tspground cinnamon
1/2tsppink himalayan salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425F
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Trim your carrots then cut in half lengthwise and lay in one even layer on the baking sheets.
Toss carrots in oil to fully coat.
Mix the ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl then sprinkle the carrots with the mixture.
Roast for about 35-45 minutes, flipping half way, until the carrots are fork tender and just beginning to crisp.
Here is a super simple side dish for any night of the week. You can sub this celeriac rice out for normal grain-filled rice in any of your favorite Mexican dishes (tacos, taco bowls, fragrant rice w/ fajitas anyone?) or any meal you love having with rice!
Cilantro Celeriac “Rice”
Serves 2-4
Ingredients
1 large celeriac
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
Peel and chop the celeriac into large chunks. Place in the food processor and pulse until you get a rice-like consistency.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the “rice” and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro and salt to taste.
Mashed potatoes are a classic Thanksgiving dish. If you eat paleo you may still eat them on Thanksgiving, but if you are on any type of strict paleo diet or version of it, they are probably out of the question. They are for me with being on a low-fodmap, nightshade free paleo diet.
My favorite mashed potato substitute is mashed cauliflower. That’s a pretty classic trade in the paleo world, but it can get a little old. I decided to spice this dish up and just in time for Thanksgiving dinner ;). So this week I’m bringing you another super simple side dish that everyone will love.
Rosemary Faux-tatoes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 medium celeriac (celery root), peeled and cubed
1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 tbs. coconut oil
1 tbs. coconut cream from the top of a can of full fat coconut milk (you can replace this with milk or more coconut oil)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary
Steam celeriac and cauliflower until soft and easily pierced with a fork. The cauliflower may finish cooking first, which is fine, just keep checking and pour out the cauliflower when it’s done to let the celeriac cook a little longer.
Once cooked, put the veggies into a bowl or food processor and add all the remaining ingredients except the rosemary. If using a food processor, pulse/blend until desired consistency is reached. If in a bowl, use an immersion blender or handheld mixer to mash everything together. I like my “faux-tatoes” well blended and fluffy but some like them on the chunkier side, so blend/process until you reach the consistency you love! Mix in the rosemary at the end and sprinkle extra on top for presentation, if desired.
I love Thanksgiving because it’s the one day of the year were it is socially acceptable to eat a lot of delicious food. And who doesn’t love that? Plus, in my household, Thanksgiving is our favorite because we love cooking! My mom and I put together a unique and delicious meal every year. We always make everything from scratch (I mean everything). As my dietary needs have changed over the years, we cook to accommodate and that makes it all the more fun. I always love a challenge in the kitchen.
Anyway, butternut squash is not only a classic winter staple but a must as some part of the Thanksgiving meal. So here is SIMPLE butternut squash recipe that no one will be able to resist when you are sitting around the table on Thanksgiving. You can easily sub out pumpkin in this dish, but I promise butternut squash gives you the perfect sweetness needed in this recipe.
allergy friendly paleo and pumpkin seed butternut squash
This is a delicious and easy side dish that is perfect for part of a holiday meal or just a weeknight dinner!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Easy, fall, Simple, winter
Servings 4servings
Author Victoria Faling
Ingredients
1large butternut squashpeeled and chopped into cubes
2Tbspextra virgin olive oil
8fresh sage leavesfinely chopped
1/4cuppumpkin seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425F.
Mix butternut squash and sage leaves with the olive oil and spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 min.
Remove from oven and mix in the pumpkin seeds. Bake for another 10-20 minutes until butternut squash is easily pierced with a fork and pumpkin seeds and sage are fragrant and golden.
allergy friendly paleo and pumpkin seed butternut squashallergy friendly paleo and pumpkin seed butternut squash
A (Lyme) friend of mine introduced me to Kohlrabi the other month. I’d seen it in the store before but had never tried it. She eased me into the process of what it was, what it tasted it like, and how to “deal” with it. And now I’m obsessed.
I personally think kohlrabi tastes like a milder version of jicama, not quite as sweet. I’ve enjoyed snacking on it raw or in salads along with cooking it. This recipe makes for a super yummy, uber simple, soul-warming side as the months get colder.
This would also make a totally appropriate Thanksgiving side if you doubled or quadrupled the recipe (depending on number of guests). Get ready, over the the next 3 weeks I’ll be bringing you all Thanksgiving worthy dishes!
Cinnamon Kohlrabi
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
2 kohlrabi, peeled and chopped into cubes
1-2 tbs. EVOO
3 tbs. coconut aminos
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Heat 1 tbs. of EVOO in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the kohlrabi and saute for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften.
Add the coconut aminos, cinnamon, and ginger. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Add more olive oil during the cooking process if kohlrabi begins to stick to the pan.
This has been my new favorite breakfast recently… and dessert… and… you get the idea. My recipe is based on this recipe, but with a few tweaks. I found her waffles too oily for my liking and didn’t quite fluff up as much as I like. Plus, I like to add a protein boost so I added some plant-based protein to the recipe (although you can easily use some coconut or even almond flour instead)
Plantain Waffles
Makes about 2-3 waffles (depending on how big you make them)
Ingredients:
1 large ripe plantain (yellow with some brown spots)
1 large unripe plantain (green)
1.5 tbs melted coconut oil
2 tbs. coconut flour OR plant-based protein
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2-1 tsp. baking soda (use 1/2 if at altitude, 1 if at sea level)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Plug in your waffle iron and let it heat up while you prepare the batter.
Peel your plantains and chop into quarters. Place plantain chunks in high speed blender or food processor and blend for about 30 seconds (until roughly pureed).
Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. You should have a thick batter that isn’t easily pourable (you’ll have to scoop it into your waffle iron).
Follow waffle iron instructions. You may need to cook these waffles slightly longer then a normal waffle, but they should be fluffy and perfectly browned when done.
Top with fresh fruit, fruit compote, almond butter, maple syrup, whatever your heart desires. And, Enjoy!
Hi! I'm Victoria. I was diagnosed with Lyme in 2012 and have been on a healing journey ever since. I love helping others on their road to healing through allergy friendly recipes, exercise, and overall well-being.
