Blame Games and Kidney Meatballs
The blame game is real. I get caught in it with my husband, myself…I even pour myself a piping hot coconut chai tea latte of shame sometimes. First, I blame myself for the modifiable lifestyle factors that could have led to Hashimoto’s, and then I feel the searing hot shame of my ignorance in the past. These emotions are a BABE… strong enough to make me want to spiral into a “Love After Lockup” bingewatch in order to make me feel better about my life choices.
If you haven’t read or listened to Brené Brown’s book called “Daring Greatly”, and you’re caught in a similar cycle of blame and shame- do yourself a favor and download it now. I listened to the audiobook, and she has this Texas accent that really just sells you on living your most authentic life. She taught me that shame is like a gremlin, it thrives in the dark. Speaking about your shame is like letting a sunbeam in.
I don’t know how you feel about the theory of held in emotions causing disease. It sounds a little woo-woo. But I’m learning that what happens in my gut is directly affected by what is happening in my mind, and vice versa. They are literally connected by what is called the “gut-brain axis”. For me, it’s more like a gremlin superhighway. I actually think I have one caught in my throat. So I’m speaking my truth, and hoping for a little sunshine.
Kidney meatballs came about as a result of having to eat more organ meat, and you can hide things really well in meatballs. Offal, especially liver, is high nutrients per calorie. Healing requires more nutrients, so we are eating more offal. I would suggest starting with offal from smaller animals like chicken or lamb, since it has less of a strong flavor, and working your way up to grass fed beef offal. I’m sharing this recipe with you because it was the first time since starting AIP that my husband said, “You could make this for dinner every night”. I hope you like it too!
I adapted my herbed coconut sauce from Wendi’s AIP Kitchen, see her version here: https://wendisaipkitchen.com/2018/03/30/aip-ranch-dressing-dip/
Lamb and kidney meatballs with sautéed kale on a bed of cauliflower puree and herbed coconut sauce
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
1# ground lamb
2 lamb kidneys
¼ cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 head cauliflower, quartered
1 Tbsp turmeric
1 Tbsp duck fat
2 bunches dino kale, deveined and chopped
1 cup full fat coconut yogurt
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
3 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Parchment paper
1. To make coconut herb sauce: place coconut yogurt, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley and dill in blender. Blend to desired consistency, add salt to taste. Refrigerate overnight to thicken.
2. To make meatballs: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. There is a tough core to each kidney, so you will want to use kitchen scissors to trim off the outer meat. Discard the tough, white interior. Chop the kidney into small pieces. Use your hands to mix kidney, ground lamb, red onion, garlic, rosemary and a couple dashes of salt in a large bowl. Roll mixture into ~1/3 cup size balls, place on baking sheet. I put a piece of parchment paper under the meatballs for easier cleanup. Bake for 20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160F.
3. To make cauliflower: Place cauliflower in steamer basket, and steam until very soft. Transfer to a blender, add duck fat, turmeric and salt to taste. Blend until smooth.
4. To make kale: Warm a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add a glug of olive oil, then saute kale until soft. Add garlic powder and salt to taste.
5. To serve: Spoon cauliflower mixture onto plate. Top with kale and meatballs. Drizzle coconut sauce over the top.
Bon AIP-etit!
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