Lamb-Stuffed Butternut Boats
Lamb and butternut squash join forces in this beautiful showpiece recipe, and it's a divine pairing. The savory lamb and natural sugars of the squash create a rounded sweetness made better by a heady combination of Middle Eastern spices in this Paleo and AIP recipe. Briny green olives and a scattering of fresh herbs put the finishing touches on this special and nourishing meal.
While the sumptuousness of lamb's fattiness is magic here, you could also substitute grass-fed ground beef, bison, or wild game (like venison or elk) if you're not into (or can't find) ground lamb.
This recipe happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and AIP compliant.
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Chef's Notes:
This recipe comes to us by way of my dear friend and fellow Thyroid Thriving chef, Kate Jay, NTP, CGP of Healing Family Eats. Kate is an AIP expert and cookbook author. Here's what she has to say about this gorgeous recipe:
"I’m an avid lover of comfort food and am therefore always on the hunt for compliant ways to feed the desire. I think lamb and butternut squash are beautiful together. The squash soaks up the fattiness that lamb offers and gives a rounded sweetness that takes your mind completely away from treats and onto thyroid healing.
Rubbing the butternut with garlic before baking ensures that extra flavor gets deep into the flesh. The mix of spices gives a Middle Eastern feel to the filling and makes me think of warm days and heady scents of exotic places far away—all the while retaining the cozy!
If you can find smaller butternuts, each person will be able to have their own “boat”. Not to worry if you can’t, though: I know from personal experience that butternuts are usually oversized and way too large to share between two. If this is the case for you, fill the squash as directed in the recipe, and take it to the table. Once everyone sees how pretty it looks, you can cut it into wedges.
You’re going to find this recipe filling with lots of flavor to delight everyone, whether they’re on a healing diet or not. Enjoy!"
Thyroid Healthy Recipe Highlights:
- Butternut Squash: 1 cup of butternut squash contains over 450% DV of Vitamin A, which may help reduce the risk of developing hypothyroidism.
- Winter Squash: Though it is naturally sweet and filling, the glycemic load for winter squash (including varieties like butternut) is very low, with a score of 3 to 5, making it a good choice for weight loss.
- Lamb: In addition to selenium, zinc, and iron, a 4 oz. portion of ground lamb provides 91% RDI of the essential amino acid tyrosine, which the thyroid gland combines with iodine to make thyroid hormone.
- Garlic has many powerful healing properties and can aid or alleviate some of the symptoms of thyroid disease, such as inflammation, cardiovascular issues, decreased immunity, and increased infection. It can also support the liver in its detoxification efforts.
- Cilantro: Studies have shown that cilantro can help accelerate the body’s excretion of mercury and lead. Heavy metal toxicity from mercury has been linked to an increase in thyroid antibodies which are an indicator of autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto’s Disease.
Happy cooking, happy thriving, and enjoy the recipe (below)!
P.S. If you're anything like me, when I started down the path of thyroid-healthy eating I had questions-- lots of them. What I didn't have was a step-by-step system, to get me where I wanted to go. I wasted a lot of time piecing together bits of information about what to eat, what to avoid, and HOW to make thyroid-healthy dietary changes. That’s why I created the Thyroid-healthy Meal Plan Kickstart. Ready to harness the power of thyroid-healthy eating? Let’s get you kickstarted! Learn more HERE.
More Thyroid Friendly Squash Recipes:
- Pumpkin Sage Macaroni and Cheese
- Chex Mix Inspired Delicata Rings
- Stuffed Delicata Squash with Sausage, Greens, and Garlic
- Mashed Winter Squash: Three Ways
- Paleo Pumpkin Spice Creamer
