Whole30 Vegetable Egg Cups

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

 

IMG_4391.jpg

 

 

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free,Dairy Free, and Ovo- Vegetarian

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 T of avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup of onion
  • 1/2 cup of red pepper
  • 1/2 cup of green pepper
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms
  • 7 eggs
  • 1/2 cup Nutpods (dairy creamer of coconut milk and almond milk combined-original flavor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
  • a pinch of finishing salt

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Dice all of the vegetables finely.
  3. Heat the avocado oil in a cast iron pan.
  4. Sauté the vegetables until tender
  5. In a bowl, crack eggs, add Nutpods, and add salt and pepper.
  6. Whisk until frothy.
  7. Line a muffin tin with silicon liners.  If you do not have liners, spray with cooking spray or use paper liners.
  8. Spoon veggie mixture into each muffin liner (approximately 1/4 the way full).
  9. Pour egg mixture on top.
  10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes; depending on the oven.  I usually put an aluminum drip pan underneath when baking in case of spills.
  11. Once the egg cups come out, they will still need time to set.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
  12. Sprinkle with finishing salt.
  13. Serve immediately or refrigerate.  These also can be frozen.

Note: These can be done with any combo of vegetable, and also with ham, bacon, and sausage.  I also sometimes add hot sauce into the egg mixture to make them spicy.

“Clean” Sloppy Joes

Posted on September 30, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

IMG_4621.jpg

 

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

Sloppy Joes.  They are reminiscent of growing up.  They are reminiscent of school cafeterias everywhere.  They are reminiscent of old Adam Sandler songs (I am dating myself with that one).  With the weather cooling down and tailgate/football season in full effect, I often make these when expecting people over.  They are easy to make, a crowd pleaser, and the sloppy joe mixture freezes well.  I sometimes defrost it and put it over zoodles or over cauliflower rice as well.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of grass-fed ground beef (I use 85%-15%)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of avocado oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/2 small red pepper
  • 1/2 cup of brewed coffee (I often use coffee leftover from the day before)
  • 1 cup of ketchup (make sure it is sugar-free and Whole30/Paleo Compliant
  • 1/4 cup of dijon mustard (make sure compliant)
  • 1/3 cup of coconut aminos
  • 1/2 tsp of Himalayan Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp of black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
  • rolls/buns of choice if not doing Whole30, roasted sweet potato if you are.

 

Directions:

  1. Take the ground beef out of the refrigerator a few minutes before preparing and allow to get to room temperature a bit.
  2. Put oil in a cast iron skillet. Add onions. and peppers.
  3.  Carefully crumble ground beef into the pan before turning the heat on.  You want to try to get it broken down as much as possible before browning.
  4. Brown the meat on medium heat.
  5. Once the meat is browned, add in coffee. Scrape the bottom of the pan and sides while stirring in.
  6. Add in ketchup, mustard, and coconut aminos and turn up the heat.
  7. Let simmer for 15 minutes.  Add in salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
  8. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and sauce has thickened.
  9. Serve over roasted baked potato or on a toasted bun (if not doing Whole30)

Blueberry and Pineapple Cauliflower “Oatmeal” Breakfast Bowl

Posted on September 24, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

 

IMG_4499.jpgWhole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

I have made this recipe a few different ways and enjoy it each and every time. The original recipe came to fruition after a few rounds of Whole30 and honestly, I was getting tired of eggs.  I missed my overnight oats.  While this recipe is not done overnight, it does mimic similar flavors of oatmeal.  It can be made with so many combinations and can be made on the stove top or in the microwave if you want.  If you want a one pot dish that is versatile and re-heats well for leftovers, this is the dish for you. SO delish!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag (12 oz ) of  defrosted frozen riced cauliflower
  • 1/2  cup of  French Vanilla Nutpods Creamer (or the milk substitute of your choice (vanilla flavored))
  • 1 cup of fresh pineapple
  • 1 cup of  defrosted frozen blueberries
  • 1/3 cup of sliced  toasted almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

  1. Defrost the riced cauliflower.
  2. In a pot, heat up the French Vanilla Nutpods Creamer until it bubbles.
  3. Once it bubbles, turn down the heat, and add in defrosted cauliflower.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes on medium.
  4. Add defrosted blueberries and pineapple to the  cauliflower mixture.  Cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes.  Sauce will thicken up a little bit and have almost the consistency of oatmeal.
  5. Add in salt.  Mix thoroughly.
  6. Serve in bowl.  Add toasted sliced almonds.  Serve warm, or refrigerate for a later time. (Add a drizzle of honey or agave nectar if not following a restricted diet)

Whole 30 Pumpkin Mushroom Soup

Posted on September 19, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

IMG_4440 2.jpg

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

I love everything about this soup.  It is very reminiscent of one that I ate  from a local food specialty store growing up.  This one is very easy to make, takes no time at all, and uses all clean ingredients. Total Comfort Food.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons of ghee
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 8 oz of sliced Portobello mushrooms
  • 4 oz of shiitake mushrooms
  • 6 sage leaves (2 left for garnish)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 cup of bone broth or really good chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons or arrow-root powder
  • 2 cups of organic pumpkin puree
  • 2 teaspoons of curry powder
  •  13.5oz can of organic coconut milk (for cooking)
  • finishing salt if desired

Directions:

  1. Take can of coconut milk and put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes prior to using.  This will help the milk solids separate.
  2. Add ghee to large dutch oven.  Put on medium heat until melted.
  3. Dice the yellow onion.  Sauté in the ghee until translucent.
  4. Add in the mushrooms, 4 sage leaves roughly chopped, the salt and the pepper.
  5. Cook until caramelized.
  6. Add in the pumpkin puree and stir to incorporate.
  7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the bone broth and arrow-root powder.
  8. Turn the heat up and slowly add in the bone broth and arrow-root powder mixture (slurry)
  9. Bring the soup up to a bubble, it will start to thicken.
  10. Once it is thick, add in the coconut cream (it should be the top portion inside the can of coconut milk).
  11. Add in the curry powder.
  12. Bring the heat down and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, stirring.
  13. Serve immediately or freeze.  Garnish with sage leaves and finishing salt.

Whole30 Autumn Sweet Potato Hash

Posted on September 17, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

 

IMG_4388.jpgWhole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

Fall is my favorite season to cook in.  I love everything about it.  This hash is comfort food for me and ties in the apple flavor I crave.  It is easy to make and re-heats really well.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato (I used a white sweet potato and leave peels on)
  • 2 medium apples
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 4 strips of thick cut bacon or pancetta
  • 1 T of Primal Palate Breakfast Blend Spice Mix
  • 1/2 tsp of finishing salt

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Dice bacon and sauté in a cast iron skillet until crispy.
  3. Dice apples (peels on), sweet potato (peels on) and red onion.  I dice rustically but try to make sure that your cuts are roughly the same size.
  4. Place the diced sweet potatoes, apples, and onions in a bowl and add Primal Palate Breakfast Blend Seasoning.
  5. Add the bacon and bacon grease (approx 1 T of bacon grease) over the top of the sweet potatoes, apples, and onions.  Mix thoroughly.
  6. Spread mix on a parchment lined sheet tray.
  7. Bake at 425 degrees for 50 minutes.
  8. Check to make sure sweet potatoes are cooked through.
  9. Eat right away or re-heat later.

Note:  This hash is great for breakfast alone, or can be eaten with a fried egg on top (my personal favorite).  It also is great as a side dish (similar to a stuffing) with pork chops or turkey.

Spicy Whole30 Sweet Potato Chili

Posted on September 14, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

 

IMG_4069.jpg

 

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

Total Comfort Food.  I grew up eating chili on a regular basis.  It was delicious but was full of pre-packaged processed ingredients.  This chili recipe has the same spicy kick but with clean ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of sweet potatoes (you can use frozen or the steam bags as well)
  • 1 teaspoon of avocado oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 lb of grass-fed ground beef 85%/15% fat ratio
  • 1 can .6 oz of organic tomato paste
  • 1 can 14.5oz of organic fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Sea Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons of cumin
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 2 Tablespoons of scallions

Directions:

  1. Peel potatoes, and dice them into cubes.
  2. Microwave for 5 minutes to soften them.
  3. Add avocado oil to dutch oven and put on medium heat.
  4. Add onion and sauté.
  5. Once onion is a bit softened, add in ground beef.  Brown completely.
  6. Add in tomato paste and fire roasted diced potatoes.  Add water.  Bring up the heat until it bubbles.
  7. Once it is bubbling, add in spices and mix thoroughly.
  8. Add in the partially cooked sweet potatoes; mixing
  9. Cover with lid, bring down to low heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Note:  This can be served as is, or over a hot dog to make a chili dog.  It does freeze really well.  I freeze it flat in Stasher bags and re-heat in the bag when I want a quick meal.

Clean Hawaiian Chicken Salad

Posted on September 3, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

 

IMG_3980.jpg

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

This salad was made by a special family friend growing up.  She used sour cream and real mayonnaise but, it was always a favorite at get togethers.  I changed the ingredients some but the flavors are still there.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
  • 1 cup of celery
  • 2 T of pineapple juice from can or that has collected
  • 1 cup of red grapes
  • 1/4 cup of red onion
  • 1 cup of chicken (rotisserie works well here)
  • 1/4 cup of toasted almond slices
  • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I use Primal Kitchen Avocado Mayo)
  • 1/2 T of pepper
  • 1/2 T of Himalayan Salt
  • 1/2 T of celery seed

Directions:

  1. Dice celery, pineapple, red onion into bite sized pieces.
  2. Slice chicken into chunks or strips; depending on how you like it.
  3. Cut grapes in half.
  4. Toast the sliced almonds.
  5. In a big bowl, mix together, mayonnaise, pineapple juice, salt, pepper, and celery seed.
  6. Put in other ingredients and fold together.
  7. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight for best results.

IMG_3980.jpg

Chicken and “Rice” Salad

Posted on August 27, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

 

IMG_3945.jpg

 

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

This salad is so basic and delicious.  I usually have a bowl of it in my refrigerator  at all times.  It gets better over time when the flavors have more time to meld together.  It is interchangeable.  I used vegetables that were abundant and in season for this recipe, but, it certainly could be changed with fall veggies as well.  It is delicious and is great to pack for lunches.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of  cooked chicken strips or shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
  • 1 cup of riced cauliflower and sweet potato mix (this is found in the freezer section and I defrosted it)
  • 1 cup of english cucumber
  • 1 cup or Roma tomatoes or the tomato of your choice
  • 1/2 cup of red onion
  • 6 leaves of fresh basil
  • 1/3 cup of avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp of Himalayan Sea Salt
  • 1/2 tsp of black pepper
  • 1/4 cup of pine nuts

Directions:

  1. Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion into a large dice or bite sized pieces.
  2. Heat the cauliflower/sweet potato rice blend.
  3. Add the avocado oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to the cauliflower/sweet potato rice blend.  Mix and let the rice absorb a bit.
  4. Add in the vegetables.
  5. Take the basil leaves and stack them, rolling them, slide them creating ribbons (chiffonade).
  6.  Add basil to the bowl.
  7. Toast the pine nuts in cast iron pan on medium heat, until lightly tan.  Add to bowl.
  8. Add chicken in and mix thoroughly.
  9. This salad can be eaten warm.  I usually will refrigerate overnight and let the flavors combine.

Note:  If not on any specialty diet, adding feta, or mozzarella is good. Also, I sometimes add black Kalamata olives as well.

 

 

Instant Pot Bone Broth

Posted on August 24, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

 

 

IMG_3901.jpg

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

I decided to try this after we bought a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods.  We were impressed with the flavor and how many meals we were able to get from it.  I decided to take the remaining bones and try and make my own broth.  There are so many good, nutrient dense bone broths on the market. They can be quite costly.  This broth came out delicious although, a bit lighter in color than some of the commercial ones.  I think if I had more bones, it would be more dense.  I plan to start saving bones and scraps from veggies in my freezer and to keep doing making broth from time to time.  It was really easy to make and perfect for soup and noodle bowls.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 rotisserie chicken carcass
  • 3 carrots, chopped into big chunks
  • 3 stalks of celery chopped into big chunks
  • 1 large onion, quartered (peels can be on)
  • 1/2 cup of chopped leek tops
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp of Nom Nom Paleo Magic Mushroom Powder (purchased from Whole Foods)
  • 1/2 tsp of black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp of flake salt
  • 1 tsp of red pepper flakes (I like my broth very spicy- omit this or leave out if you want)
  • 3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 8 quarts of water

 

Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients in Instant Pot.
  2. Set on manual /low pressure for 120 minutes.
  3. Let it release naturally for 10 minutes.
  4. Release any steam that is left (if any).
  5. Once cool enough, strain bone broth through a fine sieve into a pitcher.
  6. Fill Mason Jars with broth.
  7. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days or freeze.

 

Instant Pot Chili Lime Cod

Posted on August 21, 2018 by

Leave a Comment

IMG_3888.jpg

 

Whole30, Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free

This recipe is truly the easiest way to make fish! Using the Instant Pot and aluminum foil makes clean up easy as well.  This seasonings on this can also be adjusted for any type of cuisine (ex: Greek Seasoning; Italian Seasoning etc:

Ingredients:

  •  2 fillets of defrosted Alaskan Cod (My cod fillets weighed 1.2 lbs together)
  • 1 T of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1/2 tsp of pepper
  • 1 tsp of chili powder
  • 1 tsp of lime zest
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1 cup of water

Equipment Needed:

  • Instant Pot
  • Wire Rack Insert
  • Aluminum Foil
  • microplane grater

Directions:

  1. Put wire rack insert in Instant Pot.
  2. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
  3. Place fillets on a large sheet of aluminum foil.
  4. Add olive oil and rub in.
  5. Add salt, pepper, and chili powder.
  6. Grate lime zest over fish.
  7. Squeeze the juice of half of the lime over the fish.
  8. Close up fish into a packet and place on wire rack insert.
  9. Set Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 5-7 minutes (depending on thickness of fillets).
  10. Let steam release naturally for 5 minutes.
  11. Release any extra steam, remove packet and open (Use tongs to open or let cool completely)
  12. Shred fish with a fork.

Note: This fish is perfect for tacos, noodle bowls, salads, or any other creations.  It keeps well for a few days refrigerated.