Sweet Potato Casserole with Tigernuts (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Though I did not grow up eating many sweet potatoes, I’ve been a big fan ever since tasting sweet potato casserole for the first time while visiting my grandparents who wintered in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Traditional sweet potato casserole, with its delicious sweet filling & nutty topping doesn’t work well for my body anymore, but with Thanksgiving & other holiday gatherings on the horizon, I wanted to develop an AIP-compliant sweet potato casserole that I could still eat.

Today, I usually prefer white sweet potatoes (Hannah or Japanese varieties), because they’re a little less sweet and a little more reminiscent of regular white potatoes. However, since traditional sweet potato casserole is almost a dessert masquerading as a side dish, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are necessary. Orange sweet potatoes provide naturally sweet flavors, needing only minimal additions of real maple syrup (or other AIP-complaint sweetener).

Tingernuts work as a wonderful substitution for pecans when making the topping. If you haven’t worked with tigernuts before, know that they aren’t actually a nut, but a tuber. I’ve worked with them in several forms: whole, ground into flour, and most recently “sliced.” The tigernut flour is a bit gritty, but I think that texture works well in this case where it is replacing actual nuts. The whole tigernuts can be really hard on your jaw, unless they’re soaked ahead of time. Organic Gemini, my favorite tigernut company, has recently released sliced tigernuts, & I find they work just perfectly in this recipe. Sliced tigernuts keep some of the crunch of whole tigernuts, but they are not nearly as tough to chew.

Aside from this sweet potato casserole containing ingredients that are AIP-compliant, I also appreciate that it can be made ahead of time. AIP advocates not only dietary changes, but also stress reduction, and typically holidays can be stressful!! With this year being my second holiday season on AIP, I know from experience that often AIP holiday meals require much more preparation (and many fewer convenience foods) than my previous “standard” holiday meals. I like having AIP-variations of my traditional holiday favorites, but often that means I have to make them entirely from scratch myself.  Thankfully, both this sweet potato casserole and the green beans I posted last week can be prepared ahead of time & reheated just before serving. Also, this recipe is vegan, just in case you have any vegan guests.

I would encourage anyone thinking ahead to Thanksgiving and other holiday meal preparations to plan ahead as much as possible, & to make things a couple days in advance if you can. Turkey & gravy (here’s a link to my favorite AIP gravy from last year) are often best made the day of, but many side dishes can be prepared a couple days in advance.

If you’re looking for holiday dessert inspiration, stay tuned for my next post & a very exciting announcement! 

In the mean time, here are some other resources:

• My friend Bre’anna at “He Won’t Know It’s Paleo” has a new holiday e-book "AIP Holiday"  
• Holidays on the Autoimmune Protocol : compiled by "Autoimmune Paleo"
• The Paleo Mom has a new e-book available: Thanksgiving Feast
• Paleo Magazine's 2014 AIP Thanksgiving Meal Plan

Sweet Potato Casserole with Tigernuts

yields 6-8 servings as a side dish

For the Sweet Potato Filling

3 pounds orange sweet potatoes

1025 g (4 1/3 c) sweet potato flesh (from the 3# of sweet potatoes above), room temperature

42 g (3 Tbl) Coconut Oil, melted

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 to 2 Tbl Real Maple Syrup (Grade A dark amber/Grade B preferred), depending on sweetness preferences 

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Vanilla Bean Powder

For the Tigernut Topping

60 g (1/2 c) Tigernut Flour

40 g (5 Tbl) Arrowroot Starch

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

39 g (2 Tbl) Real Maple Syrup (Grade A dark amber/Grade B preferred)

28 g (2 Tbl) Coconut Oil, melted

25 g (1/3 c) Sliced Tigernuts

1. Prepare the sweet potatoes for the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 F. the sweet potato filling: Wash the 3 pounds of sweet potatoes. Prick them with the tip of a sharp knife & place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 1-2 hours, or until very soft. Cool at room temperature & peel off the skin. Note: this roasting process can be done 1 to 2 days in advance of assembling the casserole. Store the baked/peeled sweet potatoes in the refrigerator
2. Make the filling by mashing the room temperature baked sweet potatoes with the remaining ingredients. Spread evenly in a baking dish. I used a 24 oz (2.3"x 9.8"x 6.3") Le Creuset Oval Gratin Dish but you could use another baking dish of comparable size. 
3. Make the tigernut topping by stirring together the tigernut flour, arrowroot, cinnamon and sea salt. Drizzle in the maple syrup and coconut oil. Mix until combined, but still a little clumpy. Stir in the slivered tigernuts. 
4. Sprinkle the tigernut topping evenly over the sweet potato filling. Bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are warmed & the topping begins to brown. 
5. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers. 

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Roasted Green Beans with Bacon (AIP Reintroduction, Paleo, Low FODMAP, Whole30)

Perhaps never have I been so excited about a vegetable as I was about reintroducing green beans after my AIP Reset this past summer, especially since I was doing AIP + low FODMAP (and green beans are low FODMAP). Now that we’ve reached November, with important holidays, like Thanksgiving & Christmas, on the horizon, I’ve got green beans back on the brain. Oh, and that sweet potato casserole you see in some of the images? It's completely AIP & I'm sharing the recipe for it in next week’s post ;)

Because I spent a decade eating a mostly vegetarian diet, I ate a lot of side dishes at major holiday dinners. Green bean casserole was usually a staple (and one of my favorites). I’d love to concoct my own paleo/AIP reintroduction version of a green bean casserole, and perhaps someday I will, but for now, I’m way way more of a fan of speedy side dishes. A meal like Thanksgiving requires much more preparation than a “normal” meal & there are precious few shortcuts available. These green beans have almost zero hands-on preparation time (dump, drizzle, toss, sprinkle, & roast), though they still look and taste quite fancy when they’re finished.

One of my secrets when it comes to making side dishes, holiday or just regular dinner, is to embrace frozen organic vegetables. They require less hands-on preparation, I don’t have to worry about their shelf life like fresh veggies, and they’re delicious if prepared correctly. I still can’t stomach frozen-then-microwaved Normandy vegetable blend, due to poor childhood memories (sorry, Mom!), so most often, I roast frozen veggies. Something magical happens when vegetables are roasted: the flavor mellows & becomes more toasty/caramelized with such minimal effort. Usually, husband and I stand over the pan of freshly roasted vegetables & fight over eating the most crispy (what some might call “burnt”) pieces.

I’ve been roasting green beans with oil & coconut aminos for a while, but I only recently started adding some bacon to them. No, bacon does not make *everything* better, but somehow, adding a little chopped bacon to the pan of green beans helps make them feel a little more special. Please feel free to leave the bacon off if you want this dish to also appeal to any vegetarian/vegan guests you may have.

Additionally, most roasted vegetables, including these green beans, can be prepared in advance & reheated just before serving. They won’t be quite as crispy as freshly roasted but nevertheless delicious. When making these beans for a crowd, make more than you’ll think you may need. All vegetable shrink pretty dramatically during roasting! In fact, husband and I usually split a 16 oz bag (pre-roasted) of beans between the two of us as side dish for dinner.

A note on reintroducing green beans: green beans were once a “gray area” food, but since the publication of “The Paleo Approach” by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, it is now recommended that legumes with edible pods, such as green beans and green peas, be eliminated for at least 30 days.  Once the 30 days are complete & you see significant reduction (better yet elimination) of any symptoms, green beans are considered a stage 1 reintroduction. If you’re interested in reintroducing green beans to hopefully include on a  Thanksgiving menu, I recommend trying them out a couple weeks before the holiday itself. Just in case you’d happen to have a reaction to them, it’s better to know before a major holiday! If you’re interested in more in depth information about reintroductions, check out these resources (here and here).

Roasted Green Beans with Bacon (AIP Stage 1 Reintroduction, Paleo, Low FODMAP)
Yields 4 servings for a regular meal, or 6-8 holiday meal servings (if there are other side dishes) 

2-16 oz Organic French-style Green Beans
1/4 c Avocado Oil (or other melted fat of choice)
2 Tbl Coconut Aminos
2 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
Smoked Sea Salt, optional for serving.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet (Half Sheet Pan size), with a little of the avocado oil. 
2. Open both bags of green beans & dump them onto the sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining oil & coconut aminos  Toss lightly to combine. Sprinkle the bacon over the top (I usually use kitchen scissors to cut the bacon right over the sheet pan). 
3. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven & stir. Return to the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until well caramelized. 
4. Serve with a sprinkle of smoked salt, if desired, though the bacon & coconut aminos do have a good amount of salt already. 
5. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. 

Notes:

• Remove the bacon to make the dish vegetarian/vegan & make sure to use a vegetarian/vegan oil. 
• To make coconut free, omit the coconut aminos, though the flavor will change slightly. 
• I have only tried this dish with frozen green beans, not with fresh, mostly because I rarely have the time to prepare fresh green beans. 
• I prefer to use french-style green beans because their smaller surface area allows them to roast faster. You can also use regular cut green beans or haricot verts, but the roasting process may take longer. 

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Refrigerator Pickles (AIP, Low FODMAP, Paleo, Whole 30)

Dill pickles have been one of my favorite foods since I was a small child. Finding commercially made pickles that fit within AIP guidelines (i.e no nightshades, or sugar/corn syrup, or questionable vinegars etc.) was a challenge; however, finding low FODMAP pickles in a store is pretty much impossible. 

As I navigate this unique health journey, I continually come back to the quote “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Thankfully, pre-low FODMAP, I had found a recipe from Charlotte, a fellow AIP blogger over at “It’s me, Charlotte,” for refrigerator pickles that were totally AIP & super easy to make.

I have made Charlotte’s original recipe a number of times, however her pickles do rely on delicious, delicious garlic cloves to flavor the brine/pickles. Once I went low FODMAP back in July, I knew I wanted to continue making pickles, but doing so would require a garlic clove substitution. Enter one of my current favorite pantry ingredients: garlic-infused olive oil. FODMAPs are NOT oil soluble, meaning that a garlic infused oil will not contain any FODMAPs, but will have some of that garlic flavor that I’ve been unable to replicate with any other ingredient.

As with many AIP / Low FODMAP recipes, I didn’t know how my substitutions would work until I tried it.... Mixing garlic oil & vinegar is a bit like making salad dressing, but it actually works in this situation! I still prefer Charlotte’s original recipe, but this low FODMAP version allows me to continue eating a variation on one of my favorite foods. That, most definitely, is a win in my opinion.

Low FODMAP refrigerator pickles
yield’s 1 Half Pint Canning Jar | Inspired by “It’s Me, Charlotte”

1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp Sea Salt (I use Real Salt Kosher Salt)
3 generous sprigs Fresh Dill
1 Kirby Cucumber, if possible, otherwise english/persian cucumber can work too
1 1/2 tsp Garlic-infused Olive Oil (Trader Joe's Garlic Flavored Olive Oil is my preference), divided into 1/2 tsp amounts
White Wine Vinegar
Filtered Water

1. Wash & very thinly slice the cucumber. I prefer to carefully use my small mandolin (similar to this one  set to the middle thickness, but you can also use a knife. The thinner the slices are, the better the brine can flavor the cucumber. Discard the ends of the cucumbers, as they can disrupt the pickling process. 
2. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the bottom of half pint canning jar . Top with a sprig of dill. 
3. Fill the jar approximately 1/3 of the way with cucumber slices. Drizzle over 1/2 tsp garlic oil. Add more dill. Repeat the process twice more until the jar is full of cucumber slices--there should be three cucumber layers at that point. 
4. Top off the cucumber slices with 1/4 tsp sea salt, fresh dill & the remaining 1/2 tsp of garlic oil.
5. Fill the jar 2/3 to 3/4 full of white wine vinegar, depending on how sour you prefer your pickles. Fill the remainder of the jar with filtered water.
6. Screw on the lid (I prefer the plastic storage caps for vinegar-y things like pickles, salad dressings & bbq sauces) & give it a couple gentle shakes. Let rest in the refrigerator over night before tasting. 
7. Jar will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Note that the garlic oil does solidify a bit in the refrigerator, which is completely normal. 

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Beef Skillet Supper (Low FODMAP, AIP, Paleo, Whole 30)

Everyone needs staple meals. Easy dishes that can be made when time is short (and that dirty fewer dishes during preparation). Things that require regularly “on-hand” ingredients. Meals that remain economical (AIP/Paleo isn’t always cheap) without compromising on food standards. And things that are tasty, of course :)

We’ve eaten variations on this beef skillet supper on many occasions over the past year & it seemed only fair that I share it with you, my beloved readers. The last couple times I've made it, my husband has even licked his plate to ensure nothing is wasted! I would have shared the recipe sooner, but alas, I never took the time to write down exact measurements... But that is sort of the beauty of this recipe: it doesn’t require exact measurements & it adapts well to whatever veggies you might have on hand.

My husband and I concocted this meal last summer (2014) after desperately staring into our refrigerator, wondering what to make out of the random mix of ingredients we had on hand. The skillet has gone through several transformations, most recently when I went back to strict AIP + adding in a low FODMAP component. But it still remains as easy, economical, versatile & delicious as ever.

I haven't timed it out precisely, so don’t quote me, but I do believe this skillet supper could be made + on the table faster than if one was to order & pick up a pizza. Even if the ground beef is initially frozen (I’ve included some quick-thaw guidelines in the recipe below), this meal is still quite speedy. Often it is one I fall back on if I discover the protein I had planned to cook has not yet thawed & dinner time is looming! As a bonus, the leftovers travel well & we don’t mind eating them either cold or room temperature, though sometimes it is difficult to actually *have* any leftovers (just ask my husband!) ;)

Note on FODMAPs: FODMAPs are confusing things... Certain resources will say that one item is “ok” and other resources will list that item as “avoid.” I am choosing to get my information about FODMAPs from Monash University & their app. Monash is continually updating their information & they are great about listing what quantity of food (both by volume & by weight) keeps it within the low FODMAP guidelines. As always, though, you know your body best. Just because one list says a food is fine, doesn’t always mean your body will be fine with it. Or on the flip side, just because one list says a food is on the avoid list, doesn’t mean your body is automatically going to be bothered by it. Do what makes your body & mind feel the best.

Beef Skillet Supper (Low FODMAP, AIP, Paleo, Whole 30) 
yields 3 low FODMAP servings for people with hearty appetites 

1lb grass-fed ground beef (my preference is 85/15, but more lean will work too, though more fat may be necessary)
1 tsp Solid fat (such as duck fat, bacon fat, lard...), plus additional if needed
300 g / 3 c / 1/2 a medium cabbage, sliced
210 g/ 1.5 c diced White Sweet Potato, (I used Japanese variety this time)
3 Tbl Coconut Aminos
1 tsp fresh Ginger, grated (optional, I’ve developed a sensitivity to ginger, so I often leave it out....)
100 g / 1 c / 1 large Carrot, very thinly sliced (I use a mandoline slicer set to the medium thickness, but a sharp knife could work too) 
140 g / 1.5 c / 1 medium-ish Zucchini, very thinly sliced (I use a mandoline slicer set to the medium thickness, but a sharp knife could work too)
Fresh herbs, such as cilantro or parsley, for serving
Scallion, green parts only, for serving
Sea Salt, for serving (Smoked Maldon is my favorite)

1. In a large skillet (I used my 12-in cast-iron skillet , melt the fat over medium high heat. Brown the ground beef in the melted fat. 
2. Once the beef is 2/3 of the way browned, add the cabbage, sweet potato, coconut aminos, and ginger. Cover the skillet & cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is cooked through. Add additional fat if any of the ingredients begin to stick to the pan.
3. Once the sweet potato is cooked through, turn off the heat. Add the carrot & zucchini. Toss everything together, replace the cover & allow the carrot/zucchini to steam for 3ish minutes, or until they are done enough to your liking. Turn the heat back on low for a minute or two if you desire more “cooked” veggies, but I prefer them a little on the crunchy side. 
4. Portion the hash on to plates, making sure to divide it into no fewer than 3 servings if following a low FODMAP diet. Top with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, scallion, and sea salt. 
5. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. 

FODMAPs in this recipe

• I find that I can tolerate cabbage just fine, though some FODMAP lists say to avoid it. Monash states that green cabbage (NOT savoy) in quantities of less than 150 g / 1.5 c fits within Low FODMAP guidelines. 
• Some sources recommend eliminating most starches while on Low FODMAP. I attempted removing most starches, but found that my body needs some starch for energy. I prefer to use small quantities of white sweet potatoes (they are less sweet), but in keeping with Monash guidelines, limiting my servings to 70 g / 1/2 c (pre-cooked) at most. 

To Quick-thaw frozen ground beef

• If the package of beef is wrapped in paper or on a plastic wrapped tray, place it in a ziplock bag. If the beef is in a fully sealed plastic package already, leave it as it is. 
• Fill a large bowl (or sink) with hot water. Immerse the package in the hot water & allow to sit until the edges are no longer frozen--it is ok if the middle is still frozen if the beef is to be sauteed. Sometimes, I’ll use a water-filled pan or dish on top of the beef to keep it fully submerged. 
• Cook the beef immediately. 
• This quick-thaw method is only safe if the meat is cooked immediately! Thawing the meat in cold water or in the refrigerator is a safer method if the meat is not going to be cooked immediately. 

If not following a low FODMAP diet, feel free to add in.... (you may need a bigger skillet!) 

• 1 onion, diced
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• additional sweet potato (or even substituting regular potato, if not AIP) 

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