Paleo Goes Dutch

So my husband grew up with Dutch family members and with that comes many Dutch traditions.  Oliebollen are these dense little apple fritters that are traditionally eaten (at least around here) on New Years Day.  So tasty!  My favourite Dutch delicacy is Boerenkool.  Typically, it’s potatoes cooked up with  kale all mashed together then baked with juicy sausages on top.  Most of the relatives seem to eat it with either apple sauce or mustard and it’s a pretty basic comfort food.

When I first changed my lifestyle to eating Paleo, I made two meals.  One for me and one for my husband.  Exhausting and super annoying.  So, slowly I’ve got my husband eating more and more Paleo, through creative ways.  The one dish I was so scared to attempt to turn Paleo was Boerenkool.  I remember my first attempt received mediocre reviews.  No rants and raves but it was deemed acceptable.  That wasn’t good enough for me.  After a few tweaks, the reviews are great!  Tonight, I’m making Boerenkool for dinner tomorrow (although no kids, we live a busy life and meal plan is a must, along with pre-prepping meals).  It’s the perfect make ahead meal and it is easy to adjust the recipe for however many people you want to serve.  In our case, we love leftovers.

Paleo Boerenkool

1 large head cauliflower
2 cups kale
1 head roasted garlic
5 cloves raw garlic
1 parsnip
4-6 turkey sausages
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large pot, bring water to boil.
2. Cut cauliflower into florets. Peel 5 cloves of garlic. Wash and slice parsnip (no need to peel). Add all of the ingredients to the pot.
3. Wash and chop the top leafy portion off the stems of the kale. Add to the pot with the cauliflower, garlic, and parsnip.
4. Boil for about 10 minutes or until all of the ingredients are cooked through. Drain.
5. Let the cauliflower mixture sit in the strainer for a few minutes to let some of the liquid really drain off. The more liquid you let drain, the thicker the mashed cauliflower.
6. Put the cauliflower mixture into a food processor with the roasted garlic cloves and puree until smooth. (You may need to do this is two batches, depending on your food processor.) Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Take the cauliflower mixture into the bottom of a large glass or Corelle type dish. Nestle the sausages into the cauliflower.
8. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, bake for another 20 minutes.

The sausage juices will run into the cauliflower and oh yum! I hope you try my version of Paleo Boerenkool (I apologize if any Dutch people are offended in the making of this recipe) and I would love some feedback!