Low Carb Fish Pie

2 lbs. flounder or other thin fish
grated rind of one lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large shallot, diced small
1 tblsp olive oil
8 oz. creme fraiche or sour cream
2 egg yolks
1 tblsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 tblsp grated parmesan
1 medium spaghetti squash
2-4 tblsp grated cheddar

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease a pan, maybe 9x12, and lay out the raw fish in an even layer.  Sprinkle fish with half the lemon peel and all the lemon juice.  Cook the shallots in olive oil until they begin to brown.  Remove from heat and add creme fraiche and then egg yolks (and 1-2  tblsp potato starch if you want a thicker sauce).  Stir in parsley, the other half the lemon peel, salt and pepper, and parmesan.  Shred cooked spaghetti squash into a bowl and mix with the sauce.  Layer squash mixture over the fish.  Sprinkle with grated cheddar.  Cook at 400 for 30-40 minutes, or until it begins to bubble.

no sugar added chocolate cheesecake

1-2 teasp butter
2 tblsp almond or other nut flour
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa or more)
1 oz (1/4 of a 4 oz stick) butter
3 8 oz blocks cream cheese, room temperature
4 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
a little salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup cherry juice concentrate (found at many health food stores)

Preheat oven to 325.  Grease a springform pan with butter and sprinkle bottom with almond flour.  Wrap outside with aluminum foil.  Melt 1 oz. butter with chocolate over very low heat.  Set aside to cool a little.  Beat cream cheese and add eggs and yolk and salt.  Beat in one at a time heavy cream, cherry juice concentrate, and melted chocolate mixture.  If you prefer a somewhat lighter cheesecake beat an extra minute or two.  Pour into prepared springform pan and place in a larger pan.  Pour hot tap water (not boiling water) into the larger pan about 1/3 to 1/2 way up the side of the springform pan.  Bake at 325 for about an hour, or until mostly puffed or beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool in over with door ajar for 30 minutes or so. Cool fully before serving but it is softer and creamier if you make it the afternoon you are going to serve it and don't refrigerate it before serving.  Remove sides of the pan and serve from the pan bottom.

Duck with Rhubarb in the Persian Style

4 duck legs
1 onion
1 large shallot
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tblsp grated fresh ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup port or apple cider
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 large stalks rhubarb – cut into 1 inch pieces with stringy bits removed if the skins are very thick
1/2 cup golden raisins
salt and pepper as needed
1 Tblsp potato starch mixed with a little cold water
¼ cup minced mint and parsley

In a deep saucepan or dutch oven brown the duck legs then remove from the pan. Cook the onion and shallots in the rendered duck fat.  Add the coriander and cumin and saute a little longer.  Add cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, stock, port, tomato paste and the duck legs.  Bring to a boil on top of stove. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in a 300 degree oven and cook for 1/2 hour. Add the rhubarb and raisins and cook for an hour more, or until meat is very tender.  Strain out the solids and boil the sauce until reduced by half.  Remove some of the fat with a fat separator or skim it, then taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if needed.  Return the solids to the pan and add the potato starch slurry.  Remove from the heat and stir in the mint/parsley mixture. Serve over pureed celery root. 

Credit for the recipe we worked from: http://getting-stitched-on-the-farm.blogspot.com/2011/05/mahboubeh-persian-tulips-and-lamb-and.html