The Nourishing Gourmet

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Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds (AIP-Friendly)

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Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds - These only take fifteen minutes to make, and are a delicious way to enjoy sweet potatoes (look at the variety of sweet potatoes you can choose from! They are beautiful!) -- The NourishingGourmet .comI know this is a very simple recipe, yet it’s one that I use almost every single day right now. Sweet potatoes are thinly sliced, gently salted, and then covered with a light layer of fat. Roasting them for about fifteen minutes makes them crunchy on the edge and tender in the middle. I love them! Roasting mellows them, gives them a great texture, and I think brings out the nutty flavor in specific sweet potato varieties.

You can use them as a chip substitute and serve with my Paleo 7 Layer Mexican Dip, pile them high with braised meat and toppings, or enjoy as a simple snack. I like these because I can easily tire of the very moist and mushy texture that some sweet potatoes have when cooked. I am ALL about texture, and roasting the slices instead of the whole potato gives a better texture in my opinion.

But have you ever noticed the wide variety of sweet potatoes? I’ve enjoyed several of them in the past, but now that I am on the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) diet, where sweet potatoes are one of the few higher carbohydrates on the diet, I’ve learned to enjoy the range of sweet potatoes available. So far, my favorites have been purple sweet potatoes and Japanese sweet potatoes – both of which are lightly sweet, with a more nutty flavor.

You can use all of one variety, but I love mixing different types. For this batch, I took one sweet potato of every single variety available at my local store. Isn’t it pretty?

The following recipe is so simple, it’s really just a “method” or easy technique, so I’ve not included very specific amounts.

You can also add minced garlic, herbs, or spices too!

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds - These only take fifteen minutes to make, and are a delicious way to enjoy sweet potatoes (look at the variety of sweet potatoes you can choose from! They are beautiful!) -- The NourishingGourmet .com

Roasted Sweet Potato Circles

Ingredients:

  • Sweet Potatoes (any variety), scrubbed clean
  • Fat of choice (melted coconut oil, bacon grease, avocado oil, etc.)
  • Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2, Cut off the very end of the sweet potatoes, and then thinly slice. For a more chip like texture, go very thin. I enjoy about ¼ inch thick.

3. Drizzle the fat of choice over the slices of sweet potatoes, and lightly sprinkle with salt. Turn the slices over, and gently mix so that the fat evenly coats both sides of the sweet potato slices.

4. Place in the oven, and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the middle of the sweet potato slices are tender, and the edges are just starting to brown (how it takes to cook depends on how thinly you sliced your sweet potato).Remove from oven, and remove with spatula from pan. Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds
 
 
Ingredients
  • Sweet Potatoes (any variety), scrubbed clean
  • Fat of choice (melted coconut oil, bacon grease, avocado oil, etc.)
  • Salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. , Cut off the very end of the sweet potatoes, and then thinly slice. For a more chip like texture, go very thin. I enjoy about ¼ inch thick.
  3. Drizzle the fat of choice over the slices of sweet potatoes, and lightly sprinkle with salt. Turn the slices over, and gently mix so that the fat evenly coats both sides of the sweet potato slices.
  4. Place in the oven, and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until the middle of the sweet potato slices are tender, and the edges are just starting to brown (how it takes to cook depends on how thinly you sliced your sweet potato).Remove from oven, and remove with spatula from pan. Enjoy!

 

Garam Masala No Cook Pickled Onions

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Easy Garam Masala Quick Pickled Onions (No cook and lovely for DIY gift giving!) - These can be eaten plain, served on sandwiches, or served as part of a liver pate combination platter. -- The Nourishing Gourmet
This five-minute project produces the tangy pickled onions flavored with the warmth of garam masala – a spice mix that uses cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin and a variety of other spices. It’s delightful, and it makes a great DIY gift!

I like to eat them plain, put them on sandwiches (try it with my homemade chicken lunchmeat!), or served with this favorite liver pate recipe. In fact, I first made this recipe to go with this liver pate. This last Thanksgiving, we served it with these onions and fig jam. Sublime. It was gobbled down quickly by all. This is a variation of the pickled onion recipe I have in my cookbook, Ladled: Nourishing Soups for all Seasons.

Now I am making up some to give as gifts! Not all appreciate and adore the Christmas sweet treats generally given – this recipe is a great option for the savory loving friend. Give it with a list of ways to use it, and the recipe, if you please. For gift giving, you could use (affiliate links)  a cute canning jar  or a flip lid jar .

For other Christmas worthy ideas, check out the 12 Days of Christmas series we have going on! So far we have Chai Eggnog, DIY Mint Chocolate Lip Balm, and Sweet and Spicy Candied Nuts.

Garam Masala No Cook Pickled Onions

Ingredients: 

  • 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup water (filtered)
  • ½ cup raw apple cider vinegar
  • 15 cloves, optional (but they look beautiful)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala *
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon unrefined salt

Directions:

1. Place the onions in a jar. Mix the rest of the ingredients together until dissolved. Pour over onions. Seal and place in the refrigerator.

2. Serve at earliest three hours later. Will keep several hours, but are best consumed within the first week.

Notes on Recipe: If I am serving these within the first couple of hours of making them, I will up the garam masala a bit. It will get really strong, though, after 24 hours, so the longer you plan on keeping them, the scanter you should be on the garam masala. I tested this with a plain yellow onion, but sweet or red onions would be delicious.

Garam Masala No Cook Pickled Onions
 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup water (filtered)
  • ½ cup raw apple cider vinegar
  • 15 cloves, optional (but they look beautiful)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala *
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon unrefined salt
Instructions
  1. Place the onions in a jar. Mix the rest of the ingredients together until dissolved. Pour over onions. Seal and place in the refrigerator.
  2. Serve at earliest three hours later. Will keep several hours, but are best consumed within the first week.
Notes
If I am serving these within the first couple of hours of making them, I will up the garam masala a bit. It will get really strong, though, after 24 hours, so the longer you plan on keeping them, the scanter you should be on the garam masala. I tested this with a plain yellow onion, but sweet or red onions would be delicious.

 

Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin

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Pumpkins aren't just for decor! Enjoy this Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin for a beautiful fall side. -- The Nourishing Gourmet

 Fill your home with the autumnal warmth of a roasted pumpkin and put the whole family in the mood for a delicious fall meal.

By Renee, from Raising Generation Nourished 

As I get older (Older? Maybe more mature?!) I have really come to appreciate fall a bit more. Maybe I enjoy getting back to a school routine after a lazy summer. Or maybe I just like to take a break from the outdoor gardening and harvesting tasks and summer outdoor activities, and start hibernating a little more!

Probably a little of both, but there is nothing quite filling your home with the aroma of a cinnamon buttered roasted pumpkin. Everyone gets drawn to the inside of the kitchen, and as simple as this recipe is, it tastes so good.

You can put a slow roasted chicken or roast beef in the oven and roast your pumpkin to go along with it – such a simple supper and so delicious and satisfying. If you want to take your cinnamon roasted pumpkin just a little further, you can make it into pumpkin soup filled with nourishing bone broth too.

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CINNAMON ROASTED PUMPKIN

  • 1 pie pumpkin (sometimes called sugar pumpkins), halved and seeds scooped out
  • 3 TB butter
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 – 2 tsp cinnamon (depending on your preference)
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place the halved pumpkin flesh side up on a baking sheet and butter the flesh. Sprinkle the sea salt and cinnamon over the flesh as well.
  3. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour. You can scoop the squash right out to the plate, or you can scoop the squash into your food processor or blender to puree completely if you prefer that texture. Serve the pumpkin with a pat of butter and sprinkle of cinnamon. If you are serving a bigger crowd you can definitely get at least 2 pie pumpkins on a baking sheet – if you are using a large jellyroll pan you can get 3 pumpkins on there!

Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 pie pumpkin (sometimes called sugar pumpkins), halved and seeds scooped out
  • 3 TB butter
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 - 2 tsp cinnamon (depending on your preference)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place the halved pumpkin flesh side up on a baking sheet and butter the flesh. Sprinkle the sea salt and cinnamon over the flesh as well.
  3. Roast in a 425 degree oven for 1 hour. You can scoop the squash right out to the plate, or you can scoop the squash into your food processor or blender to puree completely if you prefer that texture. Serve the pumpkin with a pat of butter and sprinkle of cinnamon. If you are serving a bigger crowd you can definitely get at least 2 pie pumpkins on a baking sheet - if you are using a large jellyroll pan you can get 3 pumpkins on there!

 

Balsamic Maple Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds

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Balsamic Maple Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds

By April Swiger, Contributing Writer

Sweet and salty with a bit of crunch, these brussels sprouts are enjoyable to even the hardest critics. This cold-weather vegetable from the cabbage family is often seen as undesirable for having a bitter taste. I believe it all depends on how you cook it though. For those who typically overlook these tiny buds, you may be pleasantly surprised by this combination.

Maple syrup is in abundance where I live in New England, and I love finding ways to incorporate it into my recipes. For a vegetable like brussels sprouts, where a bitter taste may need to be tamed, I knew this natural sweetener would be the perfect addition, along with the tang of balsamic vinegar. Throw in some chopped almonds, or your nut of choice, and it’s reminiscent of my favorite homemade candy, almond roca.

Balsamic Maple Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds

There’s something about roasting vegetables that makes my mouth water. I love the golden brown pieces that are left in the pan, drenched in butter and salt. If I have a vegetable that I’m not sure what to do with, I will typically roast it, knowing it will likely turn out delicious. This is the only way I’ll prepare brussels sprouts from now on!

If you’re tired of soggy boiled brussels sprouts, you may just fall in love with this sweet and salty caramelized version. It only takes minutes to prepare. Also, you may love Kim’s version of Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Yum!

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Balsamic Maple Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds
 
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These sweet and salty Brussels sprouts will satisfy even the hardest critic!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts, rinsed, stemmed, and halved
  • 3 Tbls Coconut oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbls Maple syrup
  • 1 Tbls Balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ Cup chopped almonds
Instructions
  1. Preheats your oven to 400 F. Rinse the brussels sprouts, trim the stems, and slice them in half.
  2. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roast the Brussels sprouts with coconut oil, and salt and pepper, for 20 minutes. Toss them after 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk together the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar, and coarsely chop the almonds. Drizzle the maple and balsamic mixture over the brussels sprouts, sprinkle the almonds over them, and roast for 5-7 more minutes.