Summer Paleo Series pt.2

Welcome back, round two of the Summer paleo recipe series takes a look at two go-to sources for carbohydrates - squash and sweet potatoes.  Not a squash or sweet potato junkie?  It seems like most are not until they give it a try for dietary reason.  Ironically, I can think of few who did not end up loving both.  Here are five delicious squash and sweet potato recipes to keep the Summer kicking!

Dill Butternut Squash Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash (about 2 pounds/860 grams)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
• salt, to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut the bottom off of the butternut squash so you have an easy cutting surface. Use a sharp knife or a peeler to remove the skin of the butternut squash. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, and cut into fry-size strips.
• Toss the fries in a large bowl with the coconut oil, dill, and salt. Place fries on the prepared baking sheet, making sure not to overlap in order to keep the fries cooking evenly.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Remove from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack to help retain their crunch. Eat while still warm.

Bacon Lime Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ pound bacon (225 grams)
• 3 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds/910 grams), cut into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 green onions, chopped
• handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped
• dash of red pepper flakes
• dash of ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper, to taste

 Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lay the bacon flat on the sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is slightly crispy. Let cool then roughly chop.
• In a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss the sweet potatoes and garlic in coconut oil and roast for about 30 minutes or until slightly browned.
• While the sweet potatoes are roasting, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Toss in green onions, dill, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and salt and pepper and mix well.
• Once sweet potatoes are finished cooking, toss them together with the dressing and bacon.

Rosemary Roasted Apples and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 sweet potatoes or yams, cubed
• 3 pink lady apples, seeded and cubed
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• salt, to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cube sweet potatoes and apples and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Pour coconut oil over the sweet potatoes and apples along with rosemary and salt. Toss with hands to fully coat.
• Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft and cooked through.

Bacon Wrapped Candied Butternut Squash Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash
• ¼ cup coconut sugar, divided
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound of bacon (may need to use less depending on the size of the squash)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the long end of the butternut squash off of the bulb. I only used the long end because the bulb is so tough to deal with because of it’s shape, but feel free to use it.
• Remove skin from the butternut squash then chop squash into 1 inch cubes. Place cubes into a bowl along with half of the ¼ cup of coconut sugar (meaning 2 tablespoons), cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Mix the sugar with the squash to well coat.
• Cut bacon in half (not lengthwise) to create about 3-4 inch slices of bacon. Wrap each slice of bacon around a cube of coated butternut squash, placing the end of the bacon underneath the squash cube so it doesn’t unravel when you bake them. Repeat with all cubes.
• Place bacon wrapped cubes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the rest of the coconut sugar (2 tablespoons) on top of the bacon wrapped cubes.
• Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Check at about 20 minutes to make sure they are not burning, this will just depend on the thickness of your bacon.

Post WOD Sweet Potato Coffee Protein Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed, cooked, and frozen* (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups almond milk
• 1 scoop protein shake
• 1 tablespoon sweetener (honey, maple syrup, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½-1 teaspoon ground coffee (depending what you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds (this is optional, but it thickens the shake a bit)

 Instructions:

• Place all ingredients in a blender/food processor and puree until completely smooth.