Butternut squash is one of my favorite ingredients year-round. I use it regularly to make a breakfast hash with some sausage and topped with a fried egg. I love working with this squash because you can go in so many different directions, flavor wise. …

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This past Memorial Day, my family got together, as we do for every occasion, for a big ol pot luck supper. We had our traditional smoked pork butt with all the fixins. I don’t know what quite goes better with barbeque pork than….barbeque baked beans. True, legumes are not a favorite among the paleo peeps, but every once in a while you just have to indulge, ya know? These particular baked beans are still gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and Primal friendly. The best part is, they only take 30 minutes to make!

Baked Beans
serves 16
Ingredients:

• 2 16oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 16oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 16oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 C paleo ketchup
• 1 TB instant coffee
• 1 TB coconut aminos
• 3 TB molasses
• 3 TB cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 4 strips bacon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Pour beans into a baking dish and set aside
• Add remaining ingredients to a small sauce pan over medium heat and stir until combined.
• Add salt to taste.
• Remove from heat and pour over beans.
• Top with bacon and cook 20 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes. My favorite food in the entire world. Ask any member of my family. I request mashed potatoes for every birthday dinner, every holiday, and pretty much any occasion that I think they would be yummy with whatever else we are eating. I have been known to just eat an entire bowl of mashed potatoes for dinner. Like I said. Favorite. Food. EVER.

So you can bet your bottom that I have perfected my own recipe for the creamiest most de-dang-licious mashed potatoes you will ever eat.

This recipe is considered “primal” because of the use of dairy, however substitutes will be listed for a dairy-free version.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Serves 2
Ingredients:

• 4 small-medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
• 6 TB butter [sub: ghee]
• 1/2 C sour cream [sub: coconut kefir, or coconut cream*]
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

*if you plan ahead of time, Paleo Cupboard has an awesome recipe for Paleo Sour Cream!

Directions:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.
• Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
• Boil for about 8-10 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.
• Drain potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Add butter and sour cream, and blend with hand mixer on high until smooth.
• Mix in salt and pepper and serve.

Are potatoes paleo?
I will be the first to tell you that I am not a doctor, nor a nutritionist. I am not qualified to tell you what you may and may not eat.
That said, I will refer you to these articles written by those more qualified than myself:
http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-blog/are-potatoes-paleo/
http://ancestralchef.com/why-arent-potatoes-paleo/

So there you have it. Mashed taters are one food I am very thankful to not have to give up!

These yummy greens are so quick and easy. I am sure you will all agree that bacon makes everything better!

Bacon and Green Beans
serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb fresh green beans
• 1/3 C bacon
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• Trim ends from green beans and add to a medium saucepan.
• Add about 1/2 inch of water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low.
• Cut bacon into 1/2 in pieces.
• Drain green beans and remove from pan, set aside.
• Add bacon to pan and brown.
• Return green beans to pan and toss.
• Season with salt and pepper.

• 8 hard boiled eggs
• 1 1/2 avocados
• 1 TB mustard
• salt and pepper

Directions:

• Remove egg yolks and place in a mixing bowl
• Add avocados and mustard to yolks and blend together until smooth
• Chop egg whites and add to avocado mixture
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste

This recipe is very basic. Feel free to spice things up by adding some dill relish, paprika, chopped onions, etc.

For perfect hard boiled eggs:
Place eggs in a pot and cover with water.Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Let them sit for 12 minutes, and then transfer to ice water. 

• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 2 tomatoes
• 4 or 5 red potatoes
• 1/2 onion
• 1/4 C each of parmesan and mozzarella cheese (optional)
• 1 TB olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• thyme
• oregano

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400
• Slice vegetables as thin as you can and arrange all but onions in a baking dish
• top with onions
• drizzle with olive oil and season to taste
• bake for 30 minutes or until edges start to brown
• top with cheese and bake another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melty 

Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:

• 3 cucumbers, peeled
• 1 sweet onion, peeled
• 1 C raw dairy cream (or coconut cream)
• 2/3 C apple cider vinegar
• 4 TB honey
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper to taste