As a follow-up to my previous blog on thyroid health, I wanted to highlight a few recipes from the Essential Thyroid Cookbook, written by dietitian, Lisa Markley and Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, Jill Grunewald. This book provides a more detailed explanation of how nutrition impacts the thyroid gland, ways to set up your kitchen with the cooking essentials, over 100 thyroid-nourishing recipes, and more. Although these recipes are great for anyone looking to support optimal thyroid function, the book is geared toward those suffering with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. All recipes are gluten and dairy-free, both of which can interfere with thyroid function. You will find recipes categorized as “Vegan”, “Paleo”, “Autoimmune Paleo”, “Elimination Provocation Diet”, and “30 Minutes or Less.” This cookbook offers practical and delicious recipes for those who are interested in using food as medicine to support optimal thyroid function. Take a look at some of my favorites below!

Brazil Nut “Parmesan”

Makes 10 – 2 Tbsp servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Brazil nuts
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ – 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.
2. Transfer mixture to a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Spinach Sauté ­­

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or ghee plus more, if needed
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3-4 cups baby spinach
• Black pepper to taste
• 2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a large saute pan over low-medium heat. Add garlic, shrimp, lemon zest, and salt and saute for approximately 1 minute.
2. Add spinach and continue to cook for an additional minute to allow spinach to wilt. Add a small amount of additional oil or ghee, if needed.
3. Shrimp will become opaque and curl into a C-shape when fully cooked. Pull from heat to prevent overcooking. Add pepper and brighten with a spritz of lemon juice before serving.

Flourless Triple Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Good quality dark chocolate contains thyroid-supporting magnesium!

Makes 12-16 brownies

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil, for greasing pan
• 1 cup packed almond butter
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons cocoa nibs

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish with oil.
2. Place almond butter, cocoa powder, egg, maple syrup, melted oil or ghee, vanilla, baking soda, and salt in bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 30-60 seconds until ingredients are well combined. Using spatula, scrape batter out of bowl and spread evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts, chocolate chips, and cocoa nibs evenly over the top, gently pressing into batter until partially covered.
3. Place baking dish in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly for 5 minutes before cutting in 12-16 brownies. They will continue to firm up as they cool.