ALMOND & APPLE CHICKEN SALAD

Sometimes, life gets crazy. Sometimes, you and your hubs get home from work and have homework to help with, plus both baseball and Girl Scouts on the same night (WHY WHY WHY), plus dogs to feed...oh and yourself and all the people who live in your house who expect to eat every single day. And that's when you need to have a ton of this chicken salad in your fridge so you have something to scarf down before you run out the door. (Again.) It's great on it's own, with crackers, on bread, or on top of greens!

Also, it's, like, the easiest thing ever to make.

These measurements are good for two very large servings, so feel free to double or triple it for mega food prep. (Make during your weekly meal prep and you're golden!) Most weeks, I throw a couple pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in my slow cooker for 4 hours and then shred it all to have on hand during the week, and that works perfectly here. I also make my own mayo, because...I'm crazy (Just in case you would like to try this, I double the Whole 30 recipe) but you can use regular mayonnaise, of course (I suggest Hellmann's for traditional mayo or Primal Kitchen Avocado mayo if you're paleo/Whole 30). I also sometimes top it with Danielle Walker's Against All Grain Thai Almond Dressing and it is DIVINE.

Alright, let's make chicken salad!

Almond & Apple Chicken Salad

2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken 

4-6 Tbsp of mayonnaise of your choice

1 small apple, cored and chopped 

1 stalk of celery, chopped

2 Tbsp of roasted or raw almonds

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Against All Grain Almond Dressing

Mix all ingredients together and salt and pepper to taste. Top with almond dressing, if desired. Can be stored in fridge up to three days.

Enjoy!

NO BEAN CHILI (whole30, paleo, grain free)

Fall is in the air here on the East Coast! And fall means comfort food, like big bowl of chili. When I first started eating Whole 30, I was reluctant to try chili because to me, chili meant beans. But this no bean chili is so good! My family actually loves this chili more than any other one.

I originally posted this recipe on a Whole 30 recap post, but it's so good I wanted to share it again all on it's own. It's the perfect fall dinner and only takes about 30 mintues!

Whole30 No Bean Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef (grass fed if that's your thing) or ground turkey

1 large bell pepper, any color, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

2 cans mild Rotel 

1 6oz can tomato paste

2 cups water

1-2 cups of beef stock (make sure to read your lables) 

1/2 -1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder, depending on your preference

1/2 tablespoon cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Toppings:

Avacado, cilantro (if desired)

 

In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Add the chopped green bell pepper and onion, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain off grease. Add Rotel, tomato paste, water, and spices, stir. Bring to a simmer, and cook about 10 minutes, Add 1 cup of beef stock, stir. Continue cooking for 20-30 minutes, adding more stock to reach your desired consistency. Adjust spices as desired. Serve topped with avocados and cilantro if that's your thing. Enjoy!

(whole30, paleo, grain free) ZUCCHINI FRIES

People. These zucchini fries are so delicious, that you will eat them off the pan, burning your mouth, and you simply won't care. You'll just shove more in your mouth, and say things to your children as they set the table like, "Do you want zucchini? No? That's fine! You can have carrots sticks instead tonight! No, you don't even have to take one bite!" And then you will eat all the zucchini fries all by yourself.

These are super simple, super quick, and so so so good. Annnnnd: totally grain free, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and Whole 30 compliant.

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries
4 zucchini, cut into sticks
1/2 cup almond flour/meal
1 Tbsp spoon garlic salt
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/8 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 large eggs

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil, parchment or a baking mat (such as a Silpat). Preheat the over to 425 degrees.
Whisk the eggs. Toss the zucchini sticks in the eggs until coated. Set aside.
Mix the almond flour and all the spices together. Coat zucchini sticks on all sides and lay in a single layer on your prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then increase heat to 450 degrees and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from and oven and serve hot.

Enjoy!

CREAMY TOMATOES & CHICKEN OVER SPAGHETTI SQUASH

One of my absolute favorite foods is pasta with cream sauce. I will 100% go to a fancy Italian restaurant with dozens of authentic, delicious, farm to table dishes and be that person who orders Fettuccine Alfredo. I will order anything that claims to be "three cheese." I will use bread to mop up all the extra creamy sauce on my dish. I love it all-gnocchi, tortellini, parma rosa, the before mentioned Alfredo sauce. 

The problem is, as I get older, I've (sadly) gotten wiser. I do silly things like run for exercise and say no to things I don't want to do and listen to my body about things that I eat that make me feel like crap. Which means I really really really limit both dairy and gluten. The key elements to my pasta with cream sauce love.

Luckily, this growing older has also taught me to embrace things I love, one of which is cooking and coming up with recipes. This past year, I've really worked at taking meals we love and turning them into things that are Whole 30 compliant. This creamy tomato and chicken dish is both dairy free and grain free but creamy and decadent tasting. 

(It's also basically one pot, which means less clean up, thank-you-Jesus-and-the-universe, we could all use less time doing dishes, can I get an Amen?)

Cast of Characters:

 Tomatoes, chicken, olive oil, chicken stock, coconut cream and tapioca flour are the base of this dish. Fresh basil and rosemary, plus garlic and onions give this dish a ton of flavor. Salt and pepper, of course, plus a little crushed red pepper for a tiny kick.

First we're going to roast a spaghetti squash to serve all this creaminess over.

While the squash is roasting, we brown the chicken in olive oil.

Once the chicken is cooked up, set it aside. Add a little more oil and the onions to the pan and brown them. Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Finally, add the tomatoes. Cook it all up. Your kitchen is starting to smell divine.

We add the broth and bring everything to a boil and then simmer it all together. Toss in that basil and the rosemary. And the key to the creaminess: coconut cream and a little tapioca starch diluted in water. We season everything with salt and pepper and add that kick of red pepper flakes. Add the chicken back in and warm everything up. Now your kitchen smells like Italian heaven (and if you're having a dinner party this is when your guests should show up and shower you with praise like "It smells so good in here!" and there is dinner all in one pot with nary a dish to wash and you feeling all chef like! *Praise hands*). 

Run a fork through that spaghetti squash to make "noodles". Top that squash with a piece of chicken and creamy tomatoes. Eat, enjoy, and don't feel a bit guilty. 

Creamy Tomatoes and Chicken Over Spaghetti Squash

2 Tbsp chopped basil

1/2 Tbsp chopped rosemary

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, chopped

2 lbs of fresh tomatoes, chopped OR 1 28oz can chopped tomatoes

2 lbs chicken breasts

1/2 cup coconut cream

1 cup chicken stock

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp of tapioca flour*, dissolved in 2 Tbsp of cold water 

Big Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper, to taste.

1 large spaghetti squash

*Tapioca flour can be found in the "health food " section in most grocery stores. This part is OPTIONAL. It makes the sauce a little thicker/creamier, but if you can't find it don't worry about it!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and place on a rimmed cookie sheet, cut side up. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until flesh is soft (if you can stick a fork in it with little resistance, it's ready).

While the squash is roasting, make your sauce. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper, and when the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken to the pan. Cook for about 7 minutes, each side, until the chicken is nicely browned and cooked through. Remove from the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate; leave the brown juices in the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and return the pan to the burner. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the pan. Add the onions to the pan and cooking until soft and slightly brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes and then add the chopped tomatoes, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. 

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chopped herbs and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the tomatoes for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the coconut cream and 2 Tbsp of the dissolved tapioca starch, if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add in the crushed red pepper flakes. If you'd like the sauce a little thicker, add more of the dissolved tapioca starch, 1 Tbsp at a time until desired thickness is achieved. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer another 5-7 minutes to warm the chicken.

Shredded the spaghetti squash with a fork. Serve the chicken and sauce over the spaghetti squash.  

Enjoy!

POWER BREAKFAST: GROUND BEEF, SNAP PEAS & EGGS (IRI IRI PAN PAN)

Earlier this summer, I read the book Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother's Toyko Kitchen by Naomi Moriyama, which, despite the ridiculous title, was a very interesting look at the day to day cooking in a Japanese home kitchen. The diet "secrets" are the usual-eat smaller portions, walk more, eat at home- but I found this book to be a very good introduction to Japanese home cooking, and it included several recipes plus lists of ingredients and cookware essentials for a Tokyo kitchen.

The Japanese diet in this book focuses on small portions, light cooking, beautiful presentation, "power breakfasts" and is based around eating fish, vegetables, soy, noodles, rice, tea, and fruit. I can get behind fish, veggies, tea and fruit-those are staples in my kitchen-but soy, rice, and noodles are not often in my pantry, since I try to maintain a mostly Whole 30ish way of eating. So I thought I'd try to convert some of the recipes in this book to Whole 30 complaint versions. 

This Japanese power breakfast is a combination of ground beef, snap peas and scrambled eggs called Iri Iri Pan Pan. By making just a couple changes (no soy sauce, no rice, no sugar) I made a version that is Whole 30 compliant AND delicious! Guys, Japanese food for breakfast is a thing and you should try it.

Iri Iri Pan Pan Power Breakfast

recipe adapted from Japanese Woman Don't Get Old or Fat

A (very) generous single serving or two small servings  

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp seasme oil, divided

1/2 lb. of ground beef (see note below)

1/2 an onion, diced

2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari or soy sauce if you eat soy)

12 snap peas, string removed and split (if desired)

1 Tbsp ghee (or butter)

2 eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a bowl, whisk eggs with salt and pepper, set aside

Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a large skillet pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper and cook until brown. Add the onion and the coconut aminos. Cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Remove meat and onions from pan. Wipe out pan and return to burner.

Add the rest of the sesame oil to pan. When the oil is hot, add the snap peas to the pan and flash cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the peas from the pan. Return pan to the stove, add the ghee and reduce the heat to low. Add the eggs to the pan. Let eggs sit for 30 seconds, then gently stir. Repeat this process until eggs are fully cooked, about 2-3 minutes. The eggs should look like small curds. 

Place the beef, snap peas, and eggs on a plate to serve. Enjoy!

Note: I make a big batch (like, 2 lbs) of this ground beef on my meal prep Sundays and then just reheat it in the pan for this meal. A pre-made hamburger patty would also work well for a single serving of this meal.

RUSTIC BEEF & ZUCCHINI FRITTATA

Frittatas are both an easy and delicious food. This egg dish tastes equally good warm or cold, and can be a perfect meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Also, as long as you have eggs, you can put pretty much anything in a frittata and have it taste good.

This beef and zucchini frittata is Whole 30 (so that means gluten, sugar, and dairy free!) and super easy to whip up during food prep. You can make it on Sunday and have it in your fridge for breakfasts and lunches all week or you can serve it for brunch on Sunday. I'm, using ground beef in this one, but it would be equally delicious with ground turkey if you don't eat beef, or with potatoes and bell peppers if you don't eat meat. That's the genius of frittatas: you can make it totally to your taste AND clean our your fridge at the same time. It's a winner.

(Also, I called it rustic because I like the top of my frittatas to be browned and also I don't have to worry about it looking perfect. Fun fact: "rustic" makes it sound like your not perfect things are that way on PURPOSE so you never have to feel like you've failed. Try it out:

"I made a rustic birthday cake!" instead of "I totally ran out of frosting."

See?? Totally changes the perspective. You're welcome.)

Rustic Beef & Zucchini Frittata

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

8 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp. cooking fat, such as olive oil or ghee (or butter if you aren't trying for whole 30/no dairy)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the ground beef in a heavy bottom pan over medium high heat, until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Remove meat to a plate and drain the pan, retaining one tablespoon of grease. Add zucchini and onion to pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Return beef to pan and combine. Add cooking fat. Pour in beaten eggs and gently fold into meat and veg mix. Allow to sit, without stirring 3-5 minutes, until eggs are set on the side and bottom of pan, but still wet looking. *Carefully transfer to a pie dish  Cook under the broiler (or at 500 degrees) for 5 minutes until the top is browned and eggs are cooked. Serve warm or refrigerate. Can be reheated of served cold.

Enjoy!

*If you're cooking the frittata in a cast iron pan or other oven safe pan, you do not need to transfer it to a pie dish; you can simply stick that pan in the oven. I use the pie pan because it's easier to store in the fridge and I need my cast iron throughout the week. 

WHOLE30: WEEK 2

 

Week 2, done! So here we are, down another week of this Whole30 . (You can read about Week 1 here). There were lots of tomatoes. Lots of avocados. So many eggs. But you know what? I spent a lot of time not really wanting to eat anything. Not in a grouchy "I hate all these limits" way. I'm just not hungry.

Well, I might have been hungry for crackers. I may or may not have daydreamed about eating an entire box all by myself during nap time. But, I did not. Because I have purposely cleared my home of all crackers, because I knew these feeling would be coming.

But the food. We had some lows this week-I don't know how to make "cauliflower rice" evidently-but we also had some really good meals. No bean chili (recipe below!) and spaghetti squash are both deliciously satisfying and things we had never eaten before. The kids are doing AMAZING on cutting sugar and processed snacks. They're less grumpy, sleeping better, and not always hungry. I hadn't realized how bad we were getting about unhealthy snacks, so Whole30 has been a big wake up call on that. And I truly love eating so healthy and having my family eat healthier too. We're getting back on track and it feels great.

But I still miss crackers.

 

This chili was the highlight meal of the week. EVERYONE loved it. And it was so so simple.

 

 

Whole30 No Bean Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef (grass fed if that's your thing) or ground turkey

1 large green bell peppers, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

2 cans mild Rotel

1 6oz can tomato paste

2 cups water

1-2 cups of beef stock (Kitchen Basics is Whole30 compliant)

1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder

1/2 tablespoon cumin

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Toppings:

Avacado, cilantro (if desired)

 

In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Add the chopped green bell pepper and onion, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain off grease. Add Rotel, tomato paste, water, and spices, stir. Bring to a simmer, and cook about 10 minutes, Add 1 cup of beef stock, stir. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, adding more stock to reach your desired consistency. Adjust spices as desired. Serve topped with avocados and cilantro if that's your thing. Enjoy!