There’s an unwritten rule in our house – I cook, my husband washes up. So I imagine it won’t overly surprise you to hear he loves today’s recipe, not least for the fact it is delicious (of course đ ) but it takes just a couple of trays to make. Woohoo, practically a night off! Not only does a lack of chores make for happy husbands though, it keeps you right on track with your daily nutrient requirements and here’s why.
Different experts have their own views as to what appropriate vegetable consumption should be. For instance, governments across much of Europe campaign for a “5 a Day” guideline, that is five servings of fruits and vegetables in total. A British single serving, for the record, is 80g or the equivalent of 4 heaped tablespoons of cooked kale, 3 heaped tablespoons carrots, 2 broccoli spears or a 5cm piece cucumber. Quite laughable really!
Down under they are a little more ambitious, Australians being advised to “Go for 2+5” and New Zealand “5+ A Day”. Interestingly the U.S. changed from “5 a Day” to “Fruits & Veggies – More Matters”, their citizens being encouraged to eat anything up to 6.5 cups per day, although over 90% of them do not!
![Tray Roasted Squash Sausage [HFE]](https://i1.wp.com/healingfamilyeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tray-Roasted-Squash-Sausage-HFE-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
In the holistic world far away from government nanny states, Dr Terry Wahls, who wrote The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All  Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles, credits eating nine cups of high nutrient dense fruits/vegetables a day for putting her Multiple Sclerosis into remission and replacing her wheelchair for a bicycle. In a podcast interview with Eileen Laird (of Phoenix Helix) Dr Wahls breaks it down as follows: 3 cups (about one heaping plateful) of leafy green vegetables (such as kale, collards, chard, spinach or lettuce) which provide vitamins A, B, C and K. 3 cups of sulfur-rich vegetables (such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, mushrooms and asparagus) because they support the removal of toxins from the body. 3 cups of colourful vegetables and fruits (ideally three different colours each day), because theyâre full of antioxidants. They have to be coloured all the way through, so apples and bananas donât count as coloured, but berries, peaches, citrus, beets and carrots do.
And finally the Paleo Mom, in her bible of a book, The Paleo Approach, goes one step further by saying we should be consuming 8-14 cups of vegetables alone per day, making sure to ‘eat the rainbow’ and include something green with every meal. She also advocates keeping our daily fructose intake to no more than 20g.
It’s important to note that for optimal nutrient absorption it is essential to eat high quality fat and protein with your veggies, so for this recipe choose the best sausages you possibly can, my Bratwurst being a perfect example. Made with quality ingredients, the fat:meat ratio is high, meaning not only is it satiating and succulent, but perfect for ensuring our bodies make the most of that tray of nutrients. Don’t worry if you can’t source high quality sausages where you live, simply make mini skinless sausage pieces by mixing pasture raised ground fatty pork with fine sea salt.
![Tray Baked Bnut and Sausage [HFE]](https://i0.wp.com/healingfamilyeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tray-Baked-Bnut-and-Sausage-HFE-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
![Tray baked squash sausage [HFE]](https://i1.wp.com/healingfamilyeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tray-baked-squash-sausage-HFE-683x1024.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1)
tray roasted butternut, romanesco and sausage with sage oil
I love romanesco for its vibrant lime colour and architectural shape. However cauliflower makes a fine replacement, as does broccoli at a pinch.
(serves: 4)
Print the recipe here
for the sage oil:
3/4 cup mild olive oil
8 sage leaves
for the tray roast:
3 tbsp coconut oil or other solid fat
1 small butternut squash, halved, seeds discarded and cut into wedges (unpeeled)
1 medium romanesco (or cauliflower), cut into small florets
6-8 shallots, peeled but left whole
8 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
6 large best quality pork sausages, casings removed and torn into 1+1/2 inch pieces
1 bunch black kale (lacinato) leaves, thick spine removed, roughly chopped
12 sage leaves
2 tbsp capers packed in salt, rinsed and dried thoroughly
Preheat oven to 400F. You will need a couple of large trays for this.
Make the sage oil:
Put the olive oil into a small pan with the sage leaves. Turn on the heat and take several minutes to gently warm through the oil – you should be able to put your little finger knuckle in just comfortably. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool down and infuse the sage leaves.
Make the tray roast:
Heat 1+1/2 tbsp of the oil in each tray and divide the squash between the two. Turn the wedges over to coat in the oil and place into the oven for 10 minutes. Next divide the florets, shallots and garlic cloves between the trays, turning quickly in the oil. Bake for 15 minutes then add the sausage pieces, give the pans a shake and turn the squash over. Bake another 15 minutes, adding more coconut oil if you feel itâs needed. Now add the kale, sage leaves and capers, making sure to coat them in the oil. Put the trays back into the oven for a final 10 minutes.
Remove the sage leaves from the small pan and pour the oil into a glass jar. Serve the tray roast and allow everyone to drizzle over the sage oil.
What does the romanesco taste like? Does it taste like cauliflower or broccoli? I’ve never used it….my husband likes the taste of both broccoli and cauliflower, but finds the texture unappealing, I wonder if I could sell him on this dish. (If not, more for me!).
I love that you put capers in?
Hi Rebecca, romanesco tastes more like cauliflower than broccoli but it’s a little sweeter. I love the fact you can separate the florets into little turrets and they keep their texture, whilst looking so pretty. I wouldn’t mind if my family didn’t eat them – definitely more for me đ
Looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! It will be my first time using romanesco too. Now I know what I can do with it, lol. Thanks!
I hope you love it, Cherie đ
I love Romanesco and it’s so pretty roasted, but as you’ve suggested, I use it interchangeably with cauliflower in many dishes, unless color is important to the dish. (To Rebecca: try making cauliflower soup for your husband! When you blend it it’s smooth as silk, like scary smooth, and it’s unbelievable delicious. When I make it, which is often, no one can ever guess that it’s cauliflower!)
Kate, your photos of this dish are magnificent and you had me at shallot. I love the way that the butternut looks in it, but just wish I could eat it. I can eat all other types of winter squash, but butternut will screw up my digestion for weeks. Sadly, the only decent looking squash available where I live right now is butternut, so I’m going to save this glorious recipe for next fall when the other varieties are abundant. I love the flavors that you’ve compiled in this dish and the sage and sausage make me want to dive right in. This would make a phenomenal Thanksgiving side dish.
Thanks Susan. What a shame you and butternut are not friends- I hope you find some decent squash to play with for another day though. In the meantime you could always use sweet potato instead.
Enjoy your weekend!
Perfect solution, color-wise, and I adore sweet potatoes! Thank you!
This was delicious! My kids inhaled it. I had to fend them off so I could have some for lunch leftovers tomorrow. I used ground pork (1.5lbs) seasoned with an AIP mix my husband created. I crumbled the pork in loosey goosey pork balls it seemed to do the trick. I enjoy cooking your recipes. We have similar tastes. Thank you!
Haha, that’s funny. I can just imagine your kids trying to eat it all up – just like mine. Leftovers are a rare thing in our house!
So pleased you enjoy the recipes, thanks so much for letting me know đ
Where do I find AIP compliant sausage? I can not have any pepper and they all have it. Thanks.
Hi Vanja, if I were you I would ask your butcher to make up a batch for you. My butcher was fantastic about doing that for me so I don’t see why yours wouldn’t either. You will need to remind him to season just with sea salt and also ask him to wipe the relevant machinery down beforehand. Alternatively, buy some ground fatty pork and make up your own mixture simply by adding some salt (and some herbs if you like), then form into small clumps. Given the casings are removed in the recipe, this would give you great results.
Finally, if you fancy making your own (and have a Kitchenaid) you can buy a grinder and sausage stuffer attachments, or if no Kitchenaid there is this sweet little machine that you can use to do the lot. I have one and it works really well. It’s actually a lot of fun too!
Never made sausages before so this will be the first one for me. I will make them and will report back. Thank you for your suggestions. đ
Vanja I’m well impressed you fancy giving it a try and I would love to hear how you get on. I got some natural hog casings from my butcher and had so much fun making up my own recipes. Have a look at this video, the recipes aren’t AIP friendly with all those spices but the general principle is certainly there. Have fun đ
Made it last night for dinner with homemade sausages and I still have enough leftovers for lunch today. It turned out great. Thaks for the recipe.
That’s great to hear, thanks for updating me. And how was the sausage making?
đ
As you suggested I got some pork, added salt, sage and a little thyme. I am quite handy in the kitchen but with this AIP I need a little inspiration. đ
Starting out on the AIP does take a bit of adjusting to but once you get into the swing of it, it’ll all fall into place. Glad you got those sausages made đ
Hi, there. Made this tonight for myself and the hubs. We ADORED every single bite. The roasting is a brilliant idea for these kinds of veggies. I would recommend this to anyone I came across. Yum!
Thank you for developing these recipes. You give a little gift to people in the special diet community each time!
God bless,
Celeste
Hi Celeste. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for popping in and saying such lovely words.
All the very best to you đ
I have been doing some version of pales/AIP etc for years and have NEVER been able to find pasture raised pork. Not even from local farms. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to find it? Thanks!
Where do you live Tessa?
Portland OR!
I used the search words “pasture raised pork portland OR” in Google and there are loads of possibilities. Here are just a handful for you –
http://www.fairvalleyfarm.com/new-page-2/
http://www.marionacres.com/porkopen
https://deckfamilyfarm.com/livestock/
http://www.sherwoodmeat.com/heritage-hogs
This is in the dinner rotation. My family loves it. Comment tonight from my 24 year old was “I really like that cooked lettuce (kale :). Romanesco is the best but cauliflower is an almost just as good as a replacement.
We’re on the same plan, I cook and my husband cleans up. Minimal dishes with this recipe!
Happy house, thank you!
Hi Kathleen, How great that the whole family enjoys it – that makes me so happy. Thanks so much for letting me know.
Cooked lettuce
Kate,
I’ve made this many times over the past few years but it had been a while. Made it tonight and was reminded that it is such an outstanding fall dish! I can’t eat pork so make the little mini patties with lamb and it’s a lovely combo. Thanks for all your hard work and wonderful recipes.
Katie
Katie I’m so happy you’re loving the recipes. I like these veggies cooked with skin-on chicken thighs too
Tried this tonight! I replaced the capers with apples and added some fresh feta at the end for a sweeter/creamier take and it was delicious (we don’t avoid any foods, even though I limit sugar…often unsuccessfully) I love romanesco! Thank you!
Any suggestions to streamline/speed up the prep time? Would love to make again.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed the veggies. Your version sounds delicious!
This is my kind of recipe! I have two questions for you.. I live in the Vancouver area too and would like to know where you got your enamel roasting pans? Also, who is your butcher that you can get AIP friendly sausages?
Hi Maiken. I brought my roasting pans over from the UK, they’re made by Le Creuset. Also the butcher I was using has unfortunately closed since writing this recipe. However I love Oyama on Granville Island. If you can tolerate black pepper, they have a large selection of otherwise AIP friendly sausages. If you don’t do pepper, it’s worth asking them if they’ll make up a special batch for you.
Thank you Kate. Yes, I’m familiar with Oyama, it’s just such an ordeal to go to Granville Island and park etc.. But, maybe I should go again to check it out. Happy New Year!