Sweet, Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

• sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced into fries
• coconut oil (melted in the microwave for like 30 sec)
• salt
• cinnamon
• chili powder
• paprika

Preheat oven to 400degF.  Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Toss the sweet potatoes in a bowl with the coconut oil and seasonings (sorry I don't have measurements, I just sprinkle til I think I have enough...).  Mix til well coated.  Spread the fries out on the baking sheet.  Bake for ~30 min, flipping them half way through.  I like to cook mine til the edges blacken a little and they kind of caramelize.  These are a delicious side dish and so sweet - without added sweeteners!

Coconut Ice Cream (no dairy!)

Ingredients

• 2 13 oz cans of regular, full-fat coconut milk (find in Asian section), chilled overnight in fridge
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 cupish Sweetener (sugar, stevia, honey, etc) 
• (or for Whole30 use 100% frozen juice concentrate, just a few spoonfuls, like white grape or pear)

Optional Additions

• Sunflower Seed Butter (or peanut butter if you can eat that stuff without dying)
• Sliced bananas
• Frozen blueberries
• Other fruit

Mix the cold coconut milk, vanilla extract and sweetener in a blender.  Note, the coconut milk will separate when it's cold and all the fatty milk will be at the bottom.  This is totally normal and you'll be blending it together anyways.  If you're adding the butter stuff, add it to the blender too.  I never measure the ingredients, I just taste the mixture after it's blended and add more of whatever I think it needs.  

Pour the mixture in your ice cream maker and mix for like 25 min.  If adding fruit, add it in the last 5 min or so.  Enjoy right away for a soft treat or move to an airtight container and freeze for a more firm texture.

To freeze without an ice cream maker

No ice cream maker? No sweat.

You can make this without an ice cream maker, though it won’t be exactly the same consistency. Ice cream makers basically work by churning a ton of air into the mixture. If you beat the ice cream mixture by hand, it’ll be denser and a little coarser, because you won’t be able to get as much air into it by hand. That said, here’s what to do:

1. Make the coconut ice cream mixture.
2. Pour it into a large, freezer-safe bowl.
3. Freeze for about 30 minutes. Take it out of the freezer and whisk it briskly (or churn using an electric immersion blender). Return to the freezer.
4. Repeat step 3 every 30 minutes until your ice cream is creamy and frozen through.

Lebanese Mjudra

from Laura Sawaya

Syrian Bread (flat bread)
2 ¼ cups warm water
2 T. shortening, melted
1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
1 T. salt
2 cups wheat flour
3 cups white flour

Let raise. Knock down and form balls. Roll out balls of dough until flat. Broil in oven until baked, flipping half way through.

Note from Steve’s sister: As for the bread; I was surprised to note that if my flatbread was too crunchy instead of soft it was because I did not add enough flour, not because there was too much flour. I make my dough really sticky and then when I am rolling it out work in a lot of flour until I can handle the dough without it sticking to things. Also, just FYI; Liz and I have different bread recipes. Mine calls for 2 cups wheat flour, 2 cups white flour. Hers calls for 2 cups wheat, 3 cups white, which might explain why my bread was so crunchy to begin with. I have done a lot of experimenting, and you can make the bread with as much wheat or white as you would like. My favorite is 3 cups wheat, 1 cup white. All wheat makes a yummy, nutty tasting bread but it is not very good the next day. Everyone I have ever taught to make the bread eventually use a cookie sheet to cook the bread on because it bothers them to have a pile of flour in the bottom of the oven to vacuum out when they are done.

Tabouli
Cut into small pieces: parsley
  Lettuce
  Tomatoes
  Green onion

Dressing: 2/3 cup lemon juice
 2 t. salt
 ½ t. pepper
 1/3 – 2/3 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Can add bulgar wheat.

Mjudra
6 cups water brought to boil
Add: 2 t. salt
 1 cup lentils
Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes
Add: 1 large onion, chopped
 ½ cup rice
Simmer another 25 minutes (covered). Add pepper to taste after cooking is done.

Tsatziki sauce (yogurt dipping sauce)
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cucumber; peeled, grated and drained
1 clove pressed garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Homus recipe:
2 cups cooked chick peas
1 Tbsp tahini
1 whole pressed garlic (no joking)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper

Souvlaki
2 lbs chicken
5 cloves chopped garlic
1 Tbsp oregano
olive oil

stir fry until cooked, add salt and pepper and lemon juice.

Lentil and Ham Soup

From Laura Sawaya

Lentil Tacos

From Laura Sawaya

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese
sour cream
chopped tomatoes
whatever else you like on your tacos!!

1.  In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender.  Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened.  Mash lentils slightly.

2.  Stir in salsa or just add to tacos.  Either way works well.

3.  Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell.  Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and whatever else you like!

Two Ingredient Pancakes

Two Ingredient Pancakesoriginal source unknown, tutorial by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1 large banana (it should yield abt 1/3-1/2 cup, mashed)
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon baking powder (optional but recommended)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional but recommended)
*When I add PB2, I do 2 tablespoons, and I find the powdered peanutbutter blends best if I pulse the mixture in the blender just a few times.

Instructions
Heat a skillet on the stove top to medium heat.  While pan is heating, mash banana well and then mix in eggs, baking powder, and cinnamon.  When pan is hot (water droplets should sizzle) Spray pan lightly with non-stick spray.  Pour 2 tablespoons of batter at a time and cook until bottom appears set (30-60 seconds) flip with spatula and cook additional minute or less.  Serve warm with butter and syrup.  Yield: 10-12 3″ pancakes.

Nutritional Info (per 1 pancake alone)
Cal: 22  Protein: 1.2 g Fat: <1 2.6="" carbs:="" g="" p="">

NO DOUGH PIZZA!!!!!!!

From Karry Seaver

We've eaten this a few times and really like it-  

NO DOUGH PIZZA!!!!!!! This one is a WINNER!!!!

Gluten Free, Low Carb, Diabetic Friendly!!!!!!

For when you absolutely want pizza but not all the carbs!!!!!!!

Crust

1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Topping

1/2-cup pizza sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Toppings - pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers

Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spay a 9×13-baking dish with cooking spray. With a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese until combined. Spread into baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes, ou until golden brown. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes.

Spread pizza sauce on crust. Top with cheese and toppings. Sprinkle pizza with garlic powder. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.