Menu for the Week of Feb. 15

MENU: Week of February 15

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	Turkey Bacon/Fried Eggs
Monday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Leftovers	Baingan Bharta & Pasanday
Tuesday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Baingan Bharta & Pasanday	Creole Shrimp Salad
Wednesday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Creole Shrimp Salad	Paleo Lasagne
Thursday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Paleo Lasagne	Palak Chicken with Cauli Rice
Friday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Palak Chicken with Cauli Rice	Moroccan Chicken Salad
Saturday	Turkey Bacon/Fried Eggs	Moroccan Chicken Salad

Baingan Bharta

Ingredients:

Two large eggplants, cooked as instructed above.

2 medium onions, chopped finely

3 tomatoes, chopped into small chunks

1 heaping tsp crushed garlic

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp red chile powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

2-3 green chilies, chopped roughly

3 tbs oil

salt to taste

While your eggplants are cooking, make a Masala Melt (see post below). Start by frying in oil the cumin seeds and chopped onions on high heat, then turn down the heat and cook until they are nicely sauteed and clear. Add in the ginger and garlic, allow to cook through, then turn up the flame and add the red chile powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander. Once the spices sizzle, toss in the tomatoes. 

Once the tomatoes have melted down and the oil has separated from the masala, you are done. Now mix in the eggplant flesh (stems, too). If by chance when you peeled the eggplant there were some uncooked parts deep inside, you can cook everything for a few minutes in the masala paste to cook them through. 

I usually add salt once I see how much eggplant flesh I have because you might have more or less depending on whether or not you had a lot of seeds in the eggplant. Some seeds are okay, but if you had a lot of seeds, you should toss that part out. 

Add salt now, mix well, and then mix in your green masalas (cilantro and chilies), and the garam masala. Stick the eggplant stems on top as a garnish. If you have an eggplant shaped serving dish, even cuter!

Garam Masala Pasanda

1 lb beef rump sliced into 1 cm thick steaks (ask the desi butcher for pasanda)
(I have also made this recipe successfully with pasanda sized slices of chicken breast)
1 cups yoghurt
1 tbs good garam masala
2 heaping tbs coriander powder (pisa hua dhania)
1 tsb red chili powder
1 tsp salt or to taste
2-3 tbs oil

Pound the meat slices, stab them with a fork, beat and abuse to tenderize. 

Whip the masalas with the yoghurt. Add in the meat and marinate over night, or at least for a few hours so the yoghurt can tenderize the beef. 

Heat oil, add the meat and marinade. Cook on high heat for about 10 minutes or so until gravy separates from oil. 

If you are using chicken breasts, lower heat and simmer for 10 more minutes and you're done. For beef, add in about 1/2 cup water, allow to boil briefly, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour or more until beef is nice and tender. You may need to add a little more water if it gets too dry. The gravy should be thick, velvety and separate from the oil at the end.

Pasanda in Ginger Garlic Gravy

1 pound pasanda beef slices
1 cup yoghurt
1 tbs garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tbs crushed browned onion (bhuna hua pyaaz---I fry and freeze in large quantities, you will need to fry some up, say about 1 medium onion, if you don't have them on hand)
1 tsp red chili flakes
2-3 tbs oil

Mix the yoghurt and all the masalas except the browned onion. Add in the meat. Marinate overnight. Heat oil and add in the browned onion for one moment (don't blacken, just sizzle), then pour in the marinade. Braise on high heat for 10 minutes or so, add in 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer for one hour or until meat is tender.

Palak Murghi

The end result will be the spinach makes a wet gravy clinging to the chicken pieces, not a curry drowning the chicken in spinach:

2 tbs oil
1 skinless, bone-in chicken cut into medium pieces
2 tomatoes chopped
1 onion finely sliced
5 cloves garlic crushed into a paste
1 inch piece ginger crushed into a paste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 dried red chilies whole
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 heaping tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 tsp salt or more to taste

* if you don't have these all these spices at home and want to keep it simple, you could substitute all the powdered spices for some kind of curry powder that you like. use 1 1/2 to 2 tbs of the curry powder if so.

Heat oil, brown chicken pieces on high heat and remove from oil. Set aside. 

Heat oil again, add in the whole cumin and dried red chilies, then after about 30 seconds, the onions and sautee stirring frequently on high heat until they start to brown a bit and get soft (7 minutes or so). 

Add in garlic and ginger, stir for minute till garlic looks cooked, then toss in all the rest of the spices, then after 30 seconds, add in the tomatoes and salt. Keep stirring on high heat for about 5 minutes and allow the tomatoes to melt down a bit. 

Then add the spinach back in and when it is no longer in frozen chunks, add the chicken back in. Allow to bubble up once, then lower heat and cover. Keep covered for about 25 minutes on very low flame (or longer, my local chicken cooks very fast and will fall apart if I cook for longer), stirring occasionally. 

It is done when the chicken is cooked and the oil separates from the gravy. 

Don't add water, some liquid should come out of the chicken and the frozen spinach. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with basmati rice or some type of flat bread, plus plain Greek yoghurt on the side.

Paleo Butternut Lasagne

Ingredients

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 red onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 15 oz can pizza sauce
• 1/2 c roasted red peppers
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• couple leaves of fresh basil (leave it out if you don’t have it, just freshens up the sauce a bit)
• 1 small butternut squash

Method

Get your oven to 400ºF. In a saute pan crumble the sausage and brown it, along with the onions & garlic. While that’s going, cut the top and ends of the squash off and peel it. Split it into 1/4′s. What I mean by that is, right where the squash starts to turn bulbous, cut it in 1/2, width-wise. Split those two halves in half, lengthwise. This will make it much easier to cut into planks. 

Pull out the seeds. Don’t be anal about getting out all the strings, as you won’t even notice those when they’re cooked. Slice the squash into the aforementioned planks.

Make the sauce by pureeing the pizza sauce, red peppers, olive oil and basil. If you don’t a contraption that will puree (blender, food processor, immersion blender), chop up the red peppers and just whisk everything together.

Using a 9×9 oven safe baking dish, put down enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. (This keeps the squash from sticking to the pan.) Next add the squash, trying not to overlap the pieces, then spoon on the sausage mixture, followed by the sauce. Repeat until all your ingredients are used up…trying to reserve enough sauce to cover the top of the lasagna.

Bake for 45 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly pan with a crispy, browned top. Right out of the oven, the lasagna may by liquidy, let it set for a good half hour before cutting into it, as it will solidify.

Creole Shrimp Salad

Ingredients

2 apples diced

Fennel Bulb

1 ½ lbs shrimp, peeled & deveined

2 bell peppers, diced (whatever color is your favorite–or cheapest)

4 stalks celery (and the leaves), diced

3 green onions, diced

2 recipes mayo (about ½-¾ c)

1 ½ t Old Bay seasoning (taste and then add more if you’d like, it’s quite strong)

1 lemon, juiced

s&p

Method

Once the shrimp are cool enough to handle, chop them up into bite size pieces. Dry them off really well with a dish/paper towel.

In your serving bowl, mix together all the ingredients.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

•4 medium sweet potatoes

•8 oz. mascarpone cheese* (or cream cheese or coconut milk)

•1 chipotle pepper in adobo (NOT 1 can) + 2 T adobo sauce from the can

•zest of 1 orange

•2 T maple syrup + extra for drizzling on top

Method

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

Split the sweet potatoes in 1/2, lengthwise, and coat with a bit of oil. Bake until they’re tender, depending on how big they are, about 25 minutes.

Once the potatoes are done and have cooled enough so you can handle them, scoop out their insides and place them into a mixing bowl, along with the rest of the ingredients. 

Mix well to combine. Place the mixture back into each of the potato halves and bake for 20 minutes. Put the oven on broil and caramelize the tops of the sweet potatoes until a nice brown-like crust forms on top–about 5 minutes, keep your eye on them.

Drizzle the tops with a bit of maple syrup and serve hot.

*Mascarpone is an Italian triple cream (40% fat) cultured cheese, similar to, but not quite like American cream cheese. It’s pretty freakin’ awesome. If you eat dairy, you must try it.

Slow Cooker Korean Grass Fed Beef Ribs

6 pounds of bone-in English-style grass-fed short ribs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 medium pear or Asian pear, peeled, cored, and chopped coarsely

1/2 cup coconut aminos

6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

3 scallions, roughly chopped

1 hunk of ginger, about the size of your thumb, cut into two pieces

2 teaspoons of Red Boat fish sauce

1 tablespoon coconut vinegar

1 cup organic chicken broth

Small handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Method

Preheat your broiler with the rack 6 inches from the heating element. Season the ribs liberally with salt and pepper… …and lay the ribs, bone-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Broil the ribs for 5 minutes and then flip them over and broil for another 5 minutes.

Stack the ribs in a single layer in the slow cooker. I lay them on their side to cram them all in the pot.

Toss the pear, coconut aminos, garlic, scallions, ginger, fish sauce, and vinegar in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the sauce evenly over the ribs……and add the chicken broth to the pot.

Cover with the lid, set the slow cooker on low, and let the ribs stew for 9-11 hours.

Let the braising liquid settle for 5 minutes and then ladle off the fat if you wish. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and pour a cup of sauce over the ribs.

Sprinkle on the chopped cilantro and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Moroccan Chicken Salad

Chicken

•1 ½ lbs. chicken breasts, cut into chunks

•2 t  paprika

•1 t coriander

•1 t cumin

•½ t cinnamon

•¼ t red pepper flakes

•salt

Salad

•2 heads romaine lettuce

•4 small golden beets

•1 small-to-medium butternut squash

•toasted almonds

•dried cherries (or cranberries–something tart will work best)

Dressing

•juice 1 lemon

•juice 1 lime

•½ avocado

•1-2 T vinegar (champagne or cider)

•¼ – ½ c avocado oil (olive oil will work too)

•s&p

Method

Preheat your oven to 400ºF.

Peel the beets and butternut squash (+remove the seeds). Chop into small pieces, salt/pepper and oil the pieces. Roast until the squash is soft, about 20 minutes (depending on how big the pieces are).

While the veggies are roasting…

In a large bowl, combine all the spices together. 

Toss the chicken pieces into the bowl and coat them evenly with the spice mixture. 

Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and saute the chicken until cooked through. Remove from the pan and add to the serving bowl.

Wash and chop the lettuce. Add it, along with the rest of the “tasty” ingredients to the serving bowl. Add the squash and beets too.

For the dressing:

Combine all ingredients into a small food processor and process until smooth. Of course, you could use a whisk and bowl, in lieu –just make sure you’ve smashed the avocado up before adding it to the dressing.

Weekly Menu

Here's the menu for the week:

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	Turkey Bacon/Fried Eggs		Scotch Eggs and Onion Spaghetti Gratin
Monday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Scotch Eggs and Onion Spaghetti Gratin	Fish Taco Salad
Tuesday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Fish Taco Salad	Beef Stew and Roasted Carrots
Wednesday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Beef Stew and Roasted Carrots	Chicken Karahi and Bhindi
Thursday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Chicken Karahi and Bhindi	Eggplant and Beef Strata
Friday	Half-Boiled Eggs	Eggplant and Beef Strata	Salmon, Sweet Potatoes and Greens
Saturday	Turkey Bacon/Fried Eggs	Salmon, Sweet Potatoes and Greens	Meatza

And of course - some recipes!

Orange Beef Stew

2-3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

salt and black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3-5 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh rosemary

(or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1 sprig fresh thyme

(or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1 sprig fresh sage

(or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

2 cinnamon sticks

extra-virgin olive oil,

for garnish (optional)

orange gremolata

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely

minced (about 2 tablespoons)

zest from 1 orange

(about 2 tablespoons)

leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme

(1/2 teaspoon dried)

2 cloves garlic, minced

(about 2 teaspoons)

1/2 teaspoon rose water (optional)

Sprinkle the beef generously with salt and pepper. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat, then add the meat in batches and sear on all sides. It’s important that you don’t crowd the pan. The meat needs air around it to achieve a crisp brown crust. With tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the browned pieces to a bowl to catch their juice. Repeat with the remaining cubes.

In the same pot, sauté the chopped carrot, onion, celery, and garlic for about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute.

Deglaze the pan. Which is just a cook’s way to say: Add the broth and vinegar, then stir with passion, scraping up all the wonderful brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken.

Put the meat and its drippings back into the pot. Add 3 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, a healthy dose of pepper, the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, sage, and cinnamon sticks.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the pot only partially covered for about 90 minutes. This is not a soupy stew, but if the stew starts to dry out, add more water, about a 1/2 cup at a time. Simmer until the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid in the pan has been reduced to gravy-like status.

During the last 15 minutes of stew cooking time, make the gremolata. In a small bowl, mix the parsley, orange zest, thyme, garlic, and rose water.

Remove the cinnamon sticks and herb stems from the stew pot. Ladle the stew into deep bowls and top with a few pinches of orange gremolata. Bonus points if you also add a light drizzle of olive oil.

 ------

Fish Taco Salad

INGREDIENTS

·         1 bag angel hair cole slaw or about a pound of cabbage, finely shredded

·         1 cucumber

·         1 avocado, cubed

·         2 scallions, thinly sliced

·         Red Onion

·         Mango

·         4 skinless fish fillets (I used cod; tilapia or mahi would work very well but you may need to adjust cooking time)

·         Old Bay or other seafood seasoning or blackening seasoning (cumin, salt, red chilli, peper)(

·         1-2 Tbs ghee or other high-heat fat of choice

·         1 batch fish taco sauce

·         Minced cilantro and lime wedges for serving

·         Tomatoes

·         Romaine

DIRECTIONS

1.Make the fish taco sauce and chill until ready to serve.

2.Preheat oven to 350 F.

3.Heat the ghee or oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until very, very hot. Meanwhile, season the fish liberally with Old Bay on one side. Cook the fillets on the unseasoned side for 1 minute, then flip and cook on the seasoned side for 2 minutes. Put the skillet directly into the oven and cook for 8 minutes or until flaky.

4.Meanwhile, distribute the cabbage, mango, scallions, and avocado evenly among four plates. Top with the fish, drizzle with sauce, and serve with lime wedges and fresh salsa.

San Diego-style Fish Taco Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: About one cup

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream (Greek yogurt is delicious as a substitute if you’re not a fan of sour cream)
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (you can use full fat, but, the spices are so delicious, you won’t miss that particular flavor contribution)
1 lime, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon capers, minced
1 hot pepper of your choice, seeded and minced (jalapeno is delicious, as are the cherry bomb poppers I used in this batch).
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended.

2. Squeeze the juice from one lime half into the fish taco sauce mixture, then whisk thoroughly. You’ll want the consistency of a pourable, creamy salad dressing. If still too thick, add more lime juice from the other half. If too runny, add sour cream.

3. Add all of the spices, whisking to mix thoroughly. Add the capers, minced pepper and cilantro, and whisk thoroughly.

4. Cover the bowl with wrap and refrigerate the fish taco for at least one hour — the longer the better.

5. Serve chilled. Spoon white sauce over fish tacos, or add into taco salads or rice bowls.

 

ONION SPAGHETTI SQUASH

•1 spaghetti squash

•Half a large onion (or 1 small onion), sliced

•1 can coconut milk (I recommend Thai Kitchen brand), chilled in the refrigerator

•1 Tbs lemon juice

•1/2 tsp salt

•2 Tbs fresh minced parsley

•2 Tbs fresh minced chives, plus extra for sprinkling

•1 tsp cold coconut oil or ghee, plus more for sauteeing

•Dash of garlic powder

•Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

•Paprika for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat oven to 400 F. Split the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Sometimes it's easier to cut if you microwave the spaghetti squash whole for 2-3 minutes first. Put the halves cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Do not turn off the oven. Let cool thoroughly, then separate the strands using the tines of a fork and scoop out the flesh into a casserole dish.

2. Meanwhile, saute the sliced onion in a skillet over medium-high heat in your fat of choice. Cook until translucent but not browned. Set aside.

3.Combine the coconut milk solids, lemon juice, and salt as per this tutorial to make sour cream. Be sure to see the photo tutorial!

4.Combine the squash with the sour cream, onion, parsley, chives, garlic powder, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

5.Smooth the top, sprinkle with paprika, and dot with the cold oil or ghee. Return the dish to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool and sprinkle with extra chives just before serving.

MEATZA PIE

Meat Crust:

1 pound ground beef

2 teaspoons Italian Sausage Seasoning

Sauce:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

(about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon Pizza Seasoning (p. 49)

3 ounces tomato paste (1/2 can)

1/4 cup water

Toppings:

1/4 cup steam-sautéed broccoli (p. 33)

1/4 cup steam-sautéed bell pepper strips

10 black olives, pitted and sliced

a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves

Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix the ground beef and Italian Sausage Seasoning until combined.

Make the meat crust. Divide the meat in half, roll into a ball, and press evenly into an 8- or 9-inch round pie pan. Cover only the bottom of the pan and smooth the meat with damp hands until it’s an even thickness. Repeat with the other piece of “crust.” Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and the edges are brown. Leaving the oven on, remove the crusts from the oven and allow to cool in the pan.

Make the pizza sauce. Heat a small saucepan over low heat, then add the olive oil, garlic, and Pizza Seasoning, stirring with a wooden spoon until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the tomato paste and stir until combined, then stir in the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Set aside.

Make your meatza. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the meat crusts on the baking sheet. Spread about ¼  cup sauce on each meat crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Arrange the vegetables on top, pressing them gently into the sauce. Pop the pizza back into the oven for 10-15 minutes, until hot and browned to your liking.

Bonus! Drizzle each pizza with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil when they come out of the oven.

 

Scotch Eggs

2 pounds ground beef

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch cinnamon

pinch cloves

1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon dried chives

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

8 large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled

1 bag (2 ounces) fried pork rinds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the ground pork in a large mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, tarragon, parsley, chives, and garlic. Knead with your hands until well mixed.

Divide the pork mixture into 8 equal servings. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten it in your palm into a pancake shape. Wrap the meat around a hard-boiled egg, rolling it between your palms until the egg is evenly covered. This is much easier than it sounds. If the meat sticks to your hands, moisten them with a little water. Place the meat wrapped eggs on the baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes, then increase the temperature to 400 and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until the eggs are golden brown and crisp.

 

Cumin Roasted Carrots

1 pound fresh carrots (about 10)

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 fresh lemon (optional)

a few leaves of fresh parsley and mint, minced,

for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and peel the carrots, then cut them lengthwise into thin strips, about 1/4-inch wide. Toss them into a large bowl.

With a fork, mix the cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add the coconut oil and microwave until melted, about 15-20 seconds.

Pour the seasoned coconut oil over the carrots and toss with two wooden spoons until the carrots are evenly coated. Sing a verse of your favorite song so you don’t skimp on tossing time. Do a taste test and adjust the seasonings.

Spread the carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 15-20

minutes, until tender and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the top.

Sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

Eggplant and Beef Strata

3 1/2 pounds globe eggplants (about 2-3)

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 pounds ground beef

3 tablespoons Italian Sausage Seasoning (p. 49)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

1 (28 ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)

8 large basil leaves, slivered (about 2 tablespoons)

4 eggs

salt and black pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil and brush a 13X9-inch pan with some of the melted coconut oil.

Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2-inch thick and place on baking sheet. Brush the eggplant with the remaining melted coconut oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and allow to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F for the next stage of baking.

While the eggplant is roasting, crumble the ground pork into a large mixing bowl with your hands, then add the Italian Sausage Seasoning and knead until well blended.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the pork into the pan, then break up large chunks using a wooden spoon. Cook until the pork is nicely browned, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the meat to a bowl and return the pan to the stove.

Reduce the heat to medium, then add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and the garlic to the pan. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Stir to combine, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

When the tomato sauce is cool, scramble the eggs in a small bowl, then blend them into the tomato sauce with a wooden spoon. Warning: This will not look like something you’ll want to eat, but soldier on.

To assemble the strata, place a single layer of eggplant in the bottom of the greased 13X9-inch pan. Sprinkle half of the cooked meat on top of the eggplant, then top with 1 1/2 cups of the sauce. Create another layer of eggplant, top with the remainder of the meat and 1 cup of the sauce. Build your final layer with eggplant and spread the remaining sauce evenly over the top.

Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing or eating. Before serving, lightly brush the top of the strata with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the remaining basil.