Egg Free, Dairy Free Liver Meatballs

Liver is an amazing superfood! It contains lots of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, iron, B vitamins, A vitamins, and folate. In our modern world, all of our livers are well taxed because of our exposure to chemicals. Anytime we know we need to support a particular organ, one of the best ways to do that is to consume the organ meat of the organ you’re trying to support.

You can spice your meatballs with anything you want but think of strong flavors. You want to neutralize the flavor of the liver.  You can also add any additional vegetables that you know your family likes. If you add additional vegetables like zucchini, eggplant or peppers and are finding the consistency of the meatball mixture to not be very sticky, you may want to add an egg to help bind everything together. Otherwise, these meatballs are egg free and dairy free!

This is a recipe that I recommend to a lot of moms! It’s a great way to help your kids eat a little bit of liver every day, which is the best way to eat liver. This recipe makes a lot of meatballs so you can freeze them and take out a few at a time to have for lunch or dinner.

Makes 27-30 Meatballs

Ingredients for Liver Meatballs:

• 2 lb ground beef

• ½ lb beef liver

• 2 carrots, about 1 cup grated

• ⅓ large white onion, about ⅔ a cup grated

• 6 large cloves of Garlic

• Oregano, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried

• Basil, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried

• ¼ - ½ tsp Pepper

• 2 tsp Salt

• 1 tbsp lard

Directions for Liver Meatballs:

For milder tasting liver, soak it in some kind of acid. Cover the liver in filtered water and then add the juice of one lemon or 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Be sure not to soak it for too long. The acid will break down the liver and start it “cooking” prematurely.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Grate your carrot, onion and garlic into very fine pieces. Add to a large bowl with ground beef. Add in oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands. 

Place your liver into a food processor once it has soaked. Pulse until smooth. Add to the bowl with the beef, vegetables and spices and mix again.

Spread lard onto the bottom of a glass oven safe casserole dish. 

Take a small handful of meat at a time and roll into a meatball. Continue to roll meatballs until you have filled your casserole dish. Keep consistency in the size and shape of your meatballs to ensure even cooking time.

Line meatballs, leaving some space between them.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Enjoy with spaghetti squash and make your own spaghetti sauce for a spaghetti night. Or enjoy with any variety of vegetables like brussels sprouts or broccoli!

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Egg Free, Dairy Free Liver Meatballs

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 lb ground beef
• ½ lb beef liver
• 2 carrots, about 1 cup grated
• ⅓ large white onion, about ⅔ a cup grated
• 6 large cloves of Garlic
• Oregano, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried
• Basil, 1 bunch Fresh or 1 tbsp Dried
• ¼ - ½ tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp lard

instructions:

How to cook Egg Free, Dairy Free Liver Meatballs

1. For milder tasting liver, soak it in some kind of acid. Cover the liver in filtered water and then add the juice of one lemon or 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Be sure not to soak it for too long. The acid will break down the liver and start it “cooking” prematurely.
2. Preheat your oven to 375.
3. Grate your carrot, onion and garlic into very fine pieces. Add to a large bowl with ground beef. Add in oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Mix with your hands.
4. Place your liver into a food processor once it has soaked. Pulse until smooth. Add to the bowl with the beef, vegetables and spices and mix again.
5. Spread lard onto the bottom of a glass oven safe casserole dish.
6. Take a small handful of meat at a time and roll into a meatball. Continue to roll meatballs until you have filled your casserole dish. Keep consistency in the size and shape of your meatballs to ensure even cooking time.
7. Line meatballs, leaving some space between them.
8. Bake for 45 minutes.
9. Enjoy with spaghetti squash and make your own spaghetti sauce for a spaghetti night. Or enjoy with any variety of vegetables like brussels sprouts or broccoli!

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Almond Flour Bread with Italian Herbs

This recipe is adapted from the basic bread recipe in the GAPS Gut and Psychology Syndrome book by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is legal on Stage Four. If you do a sweet version of this bread it is legal on Stage Five.

I really enjoy the Italian herb version of this basic bread recipe because I like strong flavors. For me, doing an almond bread that’s sweetened with fruit is not sweet enough. I prefer going with a savory bread instead that has a strong flavor.

The beginning piece of this recipe is the basic bread recipe that can be adapted into any other combination of ingredients.

You can use the herbs and combination of herbs of your choice in this recipe. I used tyme, rosemary and parsley. 

Bread is still a treat so it’s best to have one piece a day as a snack in between meals.

Ingredients for Italian Almond Bread with Herbs

• 2 cups fermented almond flour

• ¼ cup softened butter

• 3 eggs

• Herbs of your choice

• 1 clove finely chopped garlic, fresh or fermented

Directions for Italian Almond Bread with Herbs

24 hours in advance, make your fermented almond flour or make it from almonds.

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour and softened butter. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.

Finely dice the herbs of your choice.

Mix in with flour mixture. This mixture will look more moist than other bread doughs.

Line a glass baking dish with parchment paper. Optionally, add fat to your parchment paper. Place mixture into baking dish. Spread evenly.

Bake for about an hour.

Slice and enjoy!

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Almond Flour Bread with Italian Herbs

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 2 cups fermented almond flour
• ¼ cup softened butter
• 3 eggs
• Herbs of your choice
• 1 clove finely chopped garlic, fresh or fermented

instructions:

How to cook Almond Flour Bread with Italian Herbs

1. 24 hours in advance, make your fermented almond flour or make it from almonds.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Combine flour and softened butter. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.
4. Finely dice the herbs of your choice.
5. Mix in with flour mixture. This mixture will look more moist than other bread doughs.
6. Line a glass baking dish with parchment paper. Optionally, add fat to your parchment paper. Place mixture into baking dish. Spread evenly.
7. Bake for about an hour.
8. Slice and enjoy!

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Cast Iron Parboiled Lamb Meatballs

Meatballs are a simple way to add variety to your diet. They can also be a great way to get your kids to eat vegetables! Add finely chopped onions, zucchini, peppers, etc. in to your meatballs to add vegetables.

I’m making these meatballs with lamb burger but you can do it with any kind of burger.

If you have a lean cut, make sure you add fat! I prefer to not use a lean cut; it’s better for your health! Remember, fat is your friend.

My preferred way of making meatballs is to parboil them.

An added benefit of rolling lamb meatballs is the lovely lamb tallow on your skin! Tallow is fat and lamb tallow is the best for your skin. Your hands will be soft, moisturized, and waterproof after rolling your meatballs.

Ingredients for GAPS Friendly Lamb Meatballs

• 1 lb ground lamb

• Salt

Directions for GAPS Friendly Lamb Meatballs

Heat ½ inch of water in a pan.

Roll your lamb into inch sized balls. You can make your meatballs any size, just make sure they’re consistently sized.

Add your meatballs into your pan with water.

Turn your meatballs with a fork to continue to cook on all sides. Salt your meatballs generously.

As you turn them, continue to salt the meatballs.

After approximately five minutes, when you think your meatballs are done, cut one open to check it if it is done.

Continue to add water, meatballs, and salt in batches until you have cooked your desired number of meatballs.

Enjoy!

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Cast Iron Parboiled Lamb Meatballs

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 1 lb ground lamb
• Salt

instructions:

How to cook Cast Iron Parboiled Lamb Meatballs

1. Heat ½ inch of water in a pan.
2. Roll your lamb into inch sized balls. You can make your meatballs any size, just make sure they’re consistently sized.
3. Add your meatballs into your pan with water.
4. Turn your meatballs with a fork to continue to cook on all sides. Salt your meatballs generously.
5. As you turn them, continue to salt the meatballs.
6. After approximately five minutes, when you think your meatballs are done, cut one open to check it if it is done.
7. Continue to add water, meatballs, and salt in batches until you have cooked your desired number of meatballs.
8. Enjoy!

https://www.bewellclinic.net/blog-posts/cast-iron-parboiled-lamb-meatballs

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How to Make Your Own Spaghetti Sauce

I’ve always liked spaghetti and spaghetti sauce but when I started making my own spaghetti sauce, I realized I liked my own sauce best of all! I love making my own spaghetti sauce because I get to be in charge of the flavor, texture, and strength. Plus, I know everything that’s in it! I did try making my own tomato paste once but it was way too much work! I’m glad to have other options for tomato paste and sauce.

If you want a really smooth sauce, I recommend using tomato paste. If you don’t mind it with a little texture or you have an immersion blender, you can make it with crushed tomatoes. Using crushed tomatoes to make your sauce is preferable because there is less processing involved. Whole, raw tomatoes can also be used. Simply cut them into chunks, put them into a pot with water, and simmer slightly. You can remove the seeds but if you don’t mind them, that’s one less step and less work!

After the tomatoes have cooked for a period of time and are soft, you can puree them with an immersion blender or stand blender. After the tomatoes are pureed, simmer on low heat and begin adding your spices.

I also love tomato sauce because as long as you are tolerating tomatoes, you can eat this on the introduction diet of GAPS, as early as stage four. If you are on the introduction diet, make sure you are adding fresh herbs. When using fresh herbs, you will need to use larger amounts and plan to simmer your sauce for a longer period of time. A long simmer simply makes your sauce more delicious.

For a quicker spaghetti sauce, use crushed glass can tomatoes, like the ones pictured below. Begin cooking them and, when warm and soft, immersion blend them or add them to a stand blender. If you want the sauce less chunky, you can blend before you add your herbs and spices.

If using tomato puree or tomato paste, you will need to reconstitute it with water. A small amount of paste can go a long way! Start with adding equal parts water and paste. Continue adding water if needed until you get to your desired consistency. Make sure you do not use tin canned paste, especially if it’s lined with plastic coating. I recommend only using glass canned items from a company you know and trust.

If you have any fermented garlic, add a tablespoon or so of the liquid at the very end of your cooking. This will send your sauce over the top.

Traditional spaghetti sauce recipes have sugar in them. If you are transitioning your family from a sugary diet, you could consider adding a little bit of honey into the mixture. However, it is best to not add a sweetener if you can avoid it.

This spaghetti sauce recipe can be used for a lovely spaghetti night, or you can use it to make zucchini pizzas!

Once you have your tomato base, read below to find out how to finish your sauce.

Ingredients to Make Your Own Tomato Sauce

• 18 oz. crushed tomatoes

• 2 Bay Leaves

• 1 tbsp lard

• ⅓ cup minced onion

• 3-5 cloves of garlic

• 2 tsp Dried Oregano

• 1 tsp Dried Sage

• 2 tsp Dried Thyme

• 1 tsp Salt

Directions to Make Your Own Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe uses crushed tomatoes. You can also use tomato paste or whole tomatoes. (See above for directions on using tomato paste or whole tomatoes to make your sauce.)

Add one 18 oz. of crushed tomatoes into a pot. Add a bit of water to the jar, swirl, and add to the pot. Immersion blend the tomatoes at this stage if you like texture in your sauce.

Add two whole bay leaves into tomatoes on the sauce.

Warm your lard in a cast iron skillet. Finely chop your onions and garlic. Add onions to your skillet first. Mince your garlic. Add garlic.

When onions and garlic are softened, add them in with the tomatoes. If you would like a completely smooth sauce, you can immersion blend the sauce at this stage.

Add your dried herbs into the mixture and stir together.

Add water as you need it if your sauce is too thick. As it simmers it will reduce so to start, you want a soupy consistency for better mixing. If you add too much water at any point, you’ll simply need to simmer your sauce longer.

Simmer for at least twenty minutes. The longer you simmer your sauce, the better it will be.

Store any leftover sauce in the jar that your tomatoes came in. I leave the bay leaves in so the sauce continues to be flavored. It will keep for about a week in the fridge.

Use your spaghetti sauce to top roasted spaghetti squash or to make zucchini pizza bites!

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Spaghetti Squash

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 18 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 tbsp lard
• ⅓ cup minced onion
• 3-5 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Dried Sage
• 2 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Salt

instructions:

How to cook Spaghetti Squash

1. This recipe uses crushed tomatoes. You can also use tomato paste or whole tomatoes. (See above for directions on using tomato paste or whole tomatoes to make your sauce.)
2. Add one 18 oz. of crushed tomatoes into a pot. Add a bit of water to the jar, swirl, and add to the pot. Immersion blend the tomatoes at this stage if you like texture in your sauce.
3. Add two whole bay leaves into tomatoes on the sauce.
4. Warm your lard in a cast iron skillet. Finely chop your onions and garlic. Add onions to your skillet first. Mince your garlic. Add garlic.
5. When onions and garlic are softened, add them in with the tomatoes. If you would like a completely smooth sauce, you can immersion blend the sauce at this stage. 
6. Add your dried herbs into the mixture and stir together.
7. Add water as you need it if your sauce is too thick. As it simmers it will reduce so to start, you want a soupy consistency for better mixing. If you add too much water at any point, you’ll simply need to simmer your sauce longer.
8. Simmer for at least twenty minutes. The longer you simmer your sauce, the better it will be.
9. Store any leftover sauce in the jar that your tomatoes came in. I leave the bay leaves in so the sauce continues to be flavored. It will keep for about a week in the fridge.
10. Use your spaghetti sauce to top roasted spaghetti squash or to make zucchini pizza bites!

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash for Spaghetti Night

Roasted spaghetti squash has long been a favorite of mine, even before I started the GAPS Diet. Spaghetti squash is unique to others in the squash family because of its texture. It’s meaty insides look more like long strands of spaghetti and it has a less pureed texture than acorn squash or zucchini. This makes spaghetti squash  a great pasta alternative and so easy to prepare. All you need to do is cut it open, clean it out, slice it and forget it (for 45-60 min).

Spaghetti squash is GAPS Legal! However, Dr. Natasha has recently recommended that spaghetti squash not be consumed until Full GAPS. It was previously allowed beginning on Stage 1 in soups, and Stage Four fried or baked. But because it is so fibrous and carb-dense it is often not well tolerated until Full GAPS.

You can use the spaghetti squash as a spaghetti alternative for white or red sauce. I also like to refry it and warm the spaghetti squash up in butter with lots of sauce (this is a great comfort food to support my body when it’s stressed.)

Ingredients for Roasted Spaghetti Squash

• Spaghetti Squash

Directions for Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.

Remove seeds and strings in center. You can compost the seeds but you might get lots of volunteer spaghetti squash seedlings. (Which is not necessarily a bad thing.)

Roast in the oven for 35 minutes to an hour. It depends on the size of your squash. I like my squash to be very soft and well cooked. This is also important for the GAPS Diet to have well cooked vegetables.

Check your squash after 35 minutes to see if they are softened and squishy. They should not be mush, but should feel much softer.

When they are soft, remove them from the oven. If you need your squash to cool faster, you can flip them over. I prefer to keep them with the middle side down so they continue while they cool.

Check your spaghetti squash with a fork to see if it is done. If not, cook for a while longer.

Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, remove the insides of the squash by scraping a fork along the insides.

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Author: Amy Mihaly

prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash

instructions:

How to cook Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.
3. Remove seeds and strings in center. You can compost the seeds but you might get lots of volunteer spaghetti squash seedlings. (Which is not necessarily a bad thing.)
4. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes to an hour. It depends on the size of your squash. I like my squash to be very soft and well cooked. This is also important for the GAPS Diet to have well cooked vegetables.
5. Check your squash after 35 minutes to see if they are softened and squishy. They should not be mush, but should feel much softer.
6. When they are soft, remove them from the oven. If you need your squash to cool faster, you can flip them over. I prefer to keep them with the middle side down so they continue while they cool.
7. Check your spaghetti squash with a fork to see if it is done. If not, cook for a while longer.
8. Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, remove the insides of the squash by scraping a fork along the insides.

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