Persian Spiced Beef with Butternut Squash

I love to be adventurous and try new recipes.  After reading an ingredient list, I can often tell if it will be well received or not.  In an effort to expand our horizons, I occasionally try something I'm not sure how it will go over with the fam.  This was one of those nights!   This 1 dish meal had wonderful flavor and not a bit was left in the pan.  Next time I will definitely double the recipe.  I made a couple alterations, so here are the links to the spice blend and original recipe.

Here is what I made:
For advieh spice blend, mix together
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cumin

Persian Spiced Beef with Butternut Squash:
2 lbs butternut squash peeled, deseeded and chopped into even chunks (about 1/2 large squash)
1 lb grass fed ground beef
1 medium red onion sliced into half moons
1/4 cup organic raisins
1/4 cup pistachios, crushed (I used roasted & salted and that was good.  Original called for raw, unsalted)
advieh spice mix
2 Tbsp ghee or grass fed butter
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220C/425F.
2. Place cubed butternut squash into a large mixing bowl and season with S&P, then drizzle over 1 Tbsp of melted grass-fed butter or ghee. Toss to coat.
3. Place into the lined baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the squash is roasted and tender.
4. While the squash is baking, heat a skillet on medium heat. Add in another Tbsp of grass-fed butter or ghee.
5. When the skillet is heated add in the red onion and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until softened.
6. Add in the grass-fed beef and using a wooden spoon, break up the meat as it is cooking.
7. When the beef is nearly browned, season with some S&P and the advieh. Mix to combine.
8. Add in the raisins and stir to mix. Let cook for about 5 minutes then add in the pistachios and stir.
9. Once the meat is almost done, stir in the freshly chopped parsley.
10. Remove the baked butternut squash from the oven and add it into the beef mixture.

Paleo BBQ Sauce

It is virtually impossible to find a paleo friendly BBQ sauce.  But we love to grill meat in the summer & smother it with BBQ!  I had to purchase natural liquid smoke from Amazon.  I subbed Worcestershire sauce for the fish sauce which isn't strict paleo.  I cannot justify buying ingredients that I won't use up for 1 thing, so I occasionally make concessions such as this.

This BBQ Sauce recipe was so yummy!  My kiddos couldn't wait for supper when they smelled it simmering on the stove.  We basted chicken thighs with it for the grill and then spread more on top for serving.

Barbecue Seasoning Rub and Grilled Watermelon Salad

I loosely followed this recipe and used what I have.  The rub was really good!  I used some thick cut sirloins since I didn't have a tri-tip roast and that worked well.  For the salad, I used a mix of homegrown lettuce and spinach instead of arugula.  I have never grilled watermelon before!  It was delicious and so was the dressing.  I plan to cube the watermelon into smaller chunks next time I make it.