Roasted acorn squash

 Last week I bought an acorn squash without really knowing what I'd do with it....today, I did something.

•  1 acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (this was definitely a pain to peel, I tried the veggie peeler but that didn't work so well, but I did the best I could)

• 1TB coconut oil
• 1TB honey (or more, depending on how sweet you want it)
• 2t cinnamon (I just sprinkled a bunch of cinnamon on, again, use as much or as little as you want)
• A few dashes of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In an 8x8 baking dish, toss the acorn squash with the coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and salt.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender.

Primal Pumpkin Pie

So.  When I was like 8 I had a slice of pumpkin pie, and ended up throwing up later that night, which led me to an aversion of pumpkin pie for about 20 years.

A few years back, it was Thanksgiving at Nana's house and my Aunt Karen made a pumpkin pie from scratch (meaning with pumpkins she grew in her garden, yeah, she's hardcore like that).  OMG.  AMAZING.  Sadly, because there were more people there, I couldn't eat the whole pie.  But I was introduced to what I had been missing out on for the past 20 years.

Earlier this year I got a case of canned pumpkin on Amazon and I've only used 3 cans and I've been wondering what to do with them.  Pair that with the book club I have to go to tonight and I set out to the internet to find an answer to my dilemma.

Enter my take on pumpkin pie, at least the filling.  Or you could easily call it pudding, or maybe even a custard.  Whatever you want to call it is up to you.

• 1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree (use the pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling, it's loaded with sugar!)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used the Trader Joes brand-did you know they are carrying quarts of coconut milk alongside the almond, rice and soy milk?!  Well they are, and I had about a cup left to use, but I'm sure you could use canned coconut milk all the same)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and beat with a mixer on low under blended and smooth.

Pour into your baking vessel of choice (I used a 2 quart souffle dish) and place that in a roasting pan filled halfway with water and bake in a preheated to 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes and check to see if the center is set, if not, keep checking every 10-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  I had to bake mine for nearly an hour, but if you use a dish that's not as deep, you'll obviously bake it less.

This was a big hit at book club, came home with two small slices :)  See, just because it's primal, it's still delicious!

Savory cauliflower rice

Oh cauliflower.  You aren't the first thing that comes to mind when people think of rice, unless you are a primal eater, then, it's the first thing you think of as a substitution!  And it's so versatile, you can do it up so many different ways, and today I found another variation, savory cauliflower rice.  This dish is great as a side, or to serve alongside the pork carnitas that I made, or if you want to do a chicken/broccoli/"rice" casserole.  Really, it's endless.

• 1/2 head cauliflower, shredded into "rice"
• 2T butter
• 1T olive oil or coconut oil (or both like I did)
• 1/4 sliced red onion
• 1t minced garlic
• 4T coconut milk
• Parsley (fresh or dried, your preference)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sliced green onion

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes.  Add the cauliflower and stir for another minute or two.  Add the coconut oil and olive oil, coconut milk, parsley, salt, pepper and green onion.  Let simmer for a couple of minutes until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.  Adjust seasonings as necessary.