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Gluten Free Lasagna

Yields one 9- by 13-inch dish
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

1 10-ounce box of Tinkyada Pasta Joy lasagna noodles
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 6 cloves minced garlic
1 cup chopped onion
¾ to 1 pound GF Italian turkey sausage
2 cups packed, de-stemmed, and chopped kale
1½ cups chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, optional
¾ cup chopped fresh basil
24½ -ounce jar of organic pasta sauce
12 ounces ricotta cheese
12 ounces shredded Italian blend cheese (make sure its GF)
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

Put the noodles into the boiling water for 14 minutes (2 minutes less than recommended cooking time on the box). Strain, rinse with cool water, and lay the noodles out on a towel to dry. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet; add the garlic and onion and stir. After cooking for a couple of minutes, add the sausage (emptied out of its casing). Use a spoon to break the sausage into small pieces and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add kale, mushrooms, salt, and chili flakes, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the basil and turn off the heat. Put a couple of tablespoons of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and spread it out (prevents noodles from sticking).

1. Lay down one layer of noodles on top of the sauce, and then spoon out half of the meat and veggie mixture over the noodles and spread it evenly.
2. Use your hands or a spoon to put dollops of ricotta over the top. Use half the container. It will not cover everything…that is fine.
3. Spoon half the jar of tomato sauce and spread it out over the surface.
4. Sprinkle 3 to 4 ounces of shredded Italian cheese blend over the top of this (about ¾ cup).

Repeat steps 1 through 4 again. Then put one more layer of noodles on the top and cover with remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle with dried Italian seasoning, cover with foil, put on a baking sheet and place in preheated 375º F oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the cheese gets crispy on the edges. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tangerine Carrots

With just a few ingredients you can transform those plain-jane carrots into a tasty, tangeriney treat!

Tangerine Carrots
(Roasted Carrots with Tangerine Butter)

Medicinally carrots benefit the lungs and digestive system, stimulate the elimination of wastes, are alkalizing, are one of the richest sources of Beta carotene… an anti-oxidant which protects against cancer and night blindness, benefit the skin, can increase the milk supply of nursing mothers, and they contain large amounts of silicon which strengthens the connective tissue and aids in calcium metabolism.

Simply Amazing!

And this recipe is so tasty; it can be eaten as dessert too!

Preparation time: 5-10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

• 1 ½ lb washed, peeled carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Optional sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish
• ½ cup fresh (if possible) tangerine or orange juice (Minneola’s or Clementine’s
• work great as well)
• ¼ cup dark agave syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
• 1 teaspoon tangerine or orange zest (lemon or lime zest is nice as well)
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the carrots in half lengthwise. If they are short, leave them with just this 1 cut. If they are longer, slice one or two times horizontally to make 4-5 inch long halves.
3. Place in a 9×13 baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and mix to coat. Roast for 20
minutes or until they are tender. Remove and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
4. Sauce: Place the juice in a small skillet with the agave syrup or the honey and the arrowroot powder. Stir to mix the powder until all of the clumps are dissolved. Heat to a simmer and add the tangerine or orange zest and butter. Keep the heat on low until the mixture is thick – about 5-8 minutes. Spoon the mixture over the carrots and garnish with fresh thyme or a tangerine slice.

Rosemary Yukon Gold Taters

If you cook them will they eat them? You bet! This recipe is so delicious, with its rich, buttery smooth finish; it’s a lovely and healthful way to incorporate veggies and fresh herbs into your diet. In this lesson you learn how to pick out good potatoes, the healing benefits of rosemary, and much more!

Rosemary Yukon Gold Tators

These tasty tators are a well-known Northwest crop. Their golden color contributes to the smooth way that they interact with your senses… like butter. Medicinally potatoes are used to neutralize body acids, and increase ones receptivity, nurturing, and compassionate nature (builds yin). Potato skins are VERY nourishing so be sure to eat the skin and all! Rosemary stimulates immune function, increases circulation, improves digestion, contains anti-inflammatory compounds, and is known to increase blood flow to the head and brain, improving concentration. In fact, in ancient Greece, students would place rosemary springs in their hair when studying for exams!

Preparation time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 45-50 minutes | Yields: 4-6 servings

• 1 ½ – 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 medium tators)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh rosemary (dried is OK as well)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Place them flat side down and cut in half lengthwise again. Make 4-5 horizontal cuts to create medium/large chunks of potato.
3. Place the potatoes in a 9×13 baking dish. Place the potatoes in the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and drizzle oil over the top. Add salt, pepper, and rosemary, then mix to coat and distribute the seasonings and herbs. Place the dish back into the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or so until the potatoes are tender and slightly browned. These are great with toasted
Parmesan cheese on top!

Sprouted Quinoa Flat Bread

Ok, hands down this is one of my most favorite recipes! It is oh-so-delicious and very popular with folks. Not being much of a baker myself, I wanted to create a recipe that was easy to make, abundantly healthful, and as satisfying as a bite of bread. In this lesson you learn how easy it is to sprout quinoa and make the perfect flatbread for wraps, rolls and pizza!

This flat bread is best made thin. It is oh so easy, delicious, incredibly healthful, AND it even freezes well! I have a friend who doesn’t like quinoa, but he loves this flat bread! The sea veggie is not a must in the recipe, but it is a great way to get life supporting minerals in your body and it does add a subtlety to the flavor that I enjoy. This flat bread can also double as a pizza crust!

Preparation time: 10 minutes (in addition to overnight soaking of grain)
Cook time: 10 to 15 minutes
Yields about a 9X11 piece, or 2 smaller pieces

1 cup of quinoa
2 inch strip of kombu or wakame (sea veggie)
1/8 cup unrefined olive oil
2 cloves raw garlic
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
A little less than 1/8 teaspoon Xanthan gum (purchase at healthy grocery store)
Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons or any herb that you may be fond of.

1.Soak the quinoa and sea veggie over night in 4 cups of filtered water in a large jar or bowl (cover with a sprout lid or paper towel). The next day, rinse the grain at least one time, but two times is recommended. Use the soaking water to water your plants… they will love it!
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
3. Put the rinsed grain and sea veggie into a blender. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, the optional herbs, garlic, and Xanthan gum. Blend until rather creamy. You will most likely need a tamper of some sort to help the blender because the batter will be pretty thick.
4. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Use your hands or a spatula to spread the batter over the parchment paper. I find it easier to make a rectangular type shape, but you could do two rounds (or whatever shape you like for that matter). Make it nice and thin, but without holes.
5. Place it in the oven on a baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then slide it off the baking sheet and right onto the over rack for an additional 8 minutes or so, or until crispy.
6. You can then dress it up with pesto or tomato sauce and toppings of your choice. Then put it back into a 375-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Another option is to cool and freeze the flatbread for later. I also use it for sandwiches or to dip in soup. Fantastic!

Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Pumpkin Seeds

This dish truly brings fun to the table! These little cabbage-patch-like veggies are so fun to eat your imagination just can’t help but come out to play! And the best part? In this recipe, these lovely little bites are scrumptious and healing too!

This way of preparing Brussels sprouts is simply DELICIOUS! I feel like they could be eaten as dessert! Brussels sprouts are splendid at supporting the body in detoxification, decreasing the development of cancer cells, repairing DNA damage (imagine that!), are a good source of omega 3’s, and an excellent source of vitamins C and K. The pumpkin seeds can help expel parasites, help with motion sickness and nausea, are high in zinc and omega 3’s, and are used medicinally to treat swollen prostate and impotency.

Preparation time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Yields: 4 servings (as side dish)

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts
• 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp course ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash the Brussels sprouts and cut off any parts that might be brown or yellow.
3. Slice the Brussels sprouts in half.
4. Put them into a bowl and toss them with balsamic vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and the raw pumpkin seeds.
5. Pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet or 9 x 13 baking dish, with the cut sides of the Brussels sprout down.
6. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender inside and crisp outside. I suggest stirring them 1 to 2 times during the cooking process to mix them up.