Cilantro Carrot Mash {AIP, GAPS, SCD, Paleo, Low FODMAP}

This is a real linky post but I just had to tell you about the best weekend ever. Mickey Trescott from Autoimmune-Paleo came to Vancouver at the weekend to meet up with the local AIP crowd which was a lot of fun. I hosted a lunch for Mickey and her lovely husband, Noah, along with fellow local AIP bloggers Astrid from Heal Me in the Kitchen and Vanessa from True North AIP before heading off to drink tea and Kombucha in the brilliant O5 Rare Tea Bar. There we met up with Petra from Petra8Paleo and made some new friends from the Vancouver AIP Group Facebook Page. An entire table of AIP peeps, feasting on AIP food was a rare treat … you really, really should try and do this if you can, I mean join your local Facebook AIP group and have a get together, maybe organize a potluck. It’s such a morale booster, knowing you're all eating for health. And the knowledge that everything on the table is up for grabs is ah-maz-ing!

What did I feast on with my new friends?

• Pork and Chicken Liver Terrine with Spiced Apple Compote
  
• homemade sausages using my new best friends, here and here
• beef liver and herb paté (recipe coming)
• butternut squash roasted in lard with rosemary
• green salad with a coconut/olive oil/herb dressing (must write out that recipe)
• a variety of different kombuchas
• mugs of hot organic chamomile and tulsi teas
• Banana Cinnamon Teacake.

So because I've been cooking my little heart out, I'm giving you a seriously quick and easy peasy recipe this week. I love mashed accompaniments but because I like to vary the veggies I mashed up carrots for a change and whacked in a shed load of cilantro (that's coriander to the Motherland!) to flavour it up. The brood loved it.

In Chris Kresser's excellent book, Your Personal Paleo Code, he describes herbs as ranking second on the nutrient density chart, after liver (cilantro, btw, is particularly useful for helping you drain heavy metals). Granted you have to eat an awful lot of them to get optimal nutrition, so that is one reason why I always keep a jug of assorted herbs in my fridge and add them to pretty much anything and everything. The other reason is they are delicious!

cilantro carrot mash
If you don't like cilantro, or haven't any to hand, just use what you do have. Dill, flat leafed parsley or a mixture would be equally delicious!
(serves 4 as a side)

2 lb (900g) carrots
1/2 packed cup cilantro, roughly chopped
3 tbsp bacon or sausage fat, or lard
pinch mace
1 tsp salt

Wash and cut the carrots into 1/2 inch rounds. Put them into a large pan with an inch worth of water, or into your steamer if you have one. Cover with a lid, bring the water up to a simmer and cook until tender, approximately 12-15 minutes. Drain thoroughly and put the carrots into a food processor with the 'S' blade attachment. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

There - I told you it was easy!