Salmon with Rosemary Pesto and Butternut Squash

These no fuss plates are my favorite kinds of meals to put together.  Ya know why? Because this nutrient dense dish is actually SUPER easy, inexpensive, quick to put together and will definitely impress your significant other.  I love this meal because you’re getting three delicious servings of healing vegetables as well as brain-boosting essential fatty acids from the salmon.  

The creamy pesto does require a high-speed blender.  If you don’t have access to one, try a food processor, which will yield a chunkier pesto. Be sure to mince the garlic and rosemary before processing if you don't use a blender.  Several springs of chives would be a nice alternative to the rosemary if you have some growing wildly in your backyard (or your neighbors).

Yield 2 servings

Ingredients

1 can sockeye salmon (I bought mine from Trader Joes)

2 cups frozen butternut squash cubes

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 Tbs ghee or coconut oil

salt and pepper to taste

Pesto

½ an avocado

2 large cloves roasted garlic (you can also use raw, I personally don’t enjoy the flavor as much)

Juice of half a lemon

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbs or more of water

3 generous handfuls of kale, spring greens, or whatever fresh greens you have.

1 spring fresh rosemary, or any other fresh herbs available. 

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Procedure

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 1-2 inches water.  Once boiling, fill a steamer basket with squash and frozen peas and place in saucepan.  Cover. Steam for 3-5 minutes or until tender.  Drain.  Set aside.
2. In a high-speed blender, add all ingredients for pesto.  If mixture is too thick, thin it out with more water, one tablespoon at a time.  Process until pesto is creamy and smooth.
3. Add vegetables back into empty saucepan.  Toss with ghee or coconut oil and salt and pepper.
4. Divide the vegetables between two bowls.  Divide the salmon between the two bowls.  Lastly, top each portion of salmon with a couple generous dollops of pesto.
5. Enjoy!

Creamed Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage Butter

What a cozy winter meal! I originally made a version of this super satisfying dish for 20 retreat-goers a couple weeks ago in the peaceful Santa Cruz mountains.  With just a few ingredients, this easy dish is nutrient-dense, slightly sweet and makes an awesome creamy substitute for you mac & cheese lovers.

Make this recipe dairy free by using ghee or refined coconut oil instead of butter.  To make this AIP friendly, swap brown rice pasta out for zucchini noodles and use 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/4 tsp mace instead of coriander.  

Creamed Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage Butter

Yield: 4 servings

Allergens: dairy. 

Ingredients  

3-4 medium garlic cloves
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
2 medium butternut squashes, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into medium chunks
2 cups fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bag brown-rice pasta; I like the spiral pasta, rotini
1 bunch of fresh sage, finely diced
6 Tbs organic butter (ghee or coconut oil work too)
1-2 cups of bone broth (you can also use chicken or vegetable broth)
1 tsp coriander
1/2 a bag of arugula (you can subsitute spinach)
salt and pepper to taste
optional: meatballs or other protein

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  In a sheet of parchment, wrap peeled garlic cloves with a touch of oil and roast for 30 minutes.  Toss squash with 1 Tbs oil, salt, pepper and place in large baking dish in oven for 30 minutes, checking halfway. Once cubes are soft all the way through and slightly browned, remove from oven to cool slightly. Remove garlic and set aside.
2. In medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbs olive oil.  Sauté mushrooms for 5 or so minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
3. Using an immersion blender or stand blender, combine squash, roasted garlic, coriander, salt and pepper to taste.  Start by adding 1 cup of broth. If the mixture is not blending, add a quarter cup extra at a time until a thick consistency is reached, but not watery.
4. In a large pasta pot, boil water with a few pinches of salt and a couple dashes of olive oil. Cook pasta according to directions on packaging.
5. While pasta is cooking, over low heat, brown the butter and infuse with sage, stirring occasionally.
6. Once pasta is cooked through, drain it and pour back into pasta pot.  Add sage butter and combine with pasta thoroughly.  Mix in the arugula and mushrooms.  Finally, stir in the creamed squash.  Feel free to add a protein, like meatballs or shredded chicken. Garnish with sage.