Dairy Free Sour Cream Saves the Day! -Whole30

Since giving up dairy, I've wanted to make sure we didn't feel like we were missing out on any of our favorites and Mexican food is certainly a favorite in our house. 

It was well after I completed my Whole30 that I discovered this little life saver, so I'm making sure to mark this recipe as a Whole30 Must-Have because its so simple and really satisfying. All you need is a can of unsweetened organic coconut milk, some citrus, a little salt and a mixer. 

It literally couldn't be any easier to make your own fresh and delicious dairy-free sour cream!

 

Ingredients

1 chilled can of unsweetened, full fat coconut milk (organic is preferred- -I use Thai Kitchen)

Juice of 1 lemon or 3 limes

Salt to taste

Method

Turn can of refrigerated coconut milk upside down, open the can and pour off the liquid. Spoon the cream into a small bowl. Squeeze in lime juice and add a dash of salt. Mix with the whisk attachment of a handheld mixer on high for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

 

Better Than 5 Ingredient Banana Muffins -Whole30

I love breakfast! We love muffins! We also live the way we feel when we make the choice to eliminate sugars and fake stuff in our food! I found 7 million pins for 5 ingredient Whole30 muffins!!!

....and they were......okay.

Wait--they were good if you hadnt had any sugar/flour/baked goods in a month. Yes. they were good.

But the first time I tasted them I knew they could be better. 

So I fixed them.

The original reciep I found called fro bananas, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and almond butter. 

I like the concept, tried it then married that recipe to my favorite go-to muffin recipe from Mel at Larson's Lingo. 

Poof!

A tender, flavorful version of the "Whole30 Muffin" was born. 

Now I'm sharing  it with you, my people. 

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup almond butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Coconut oil to grease muffin pan

Method

generously grease cups of a 12 cup muffin pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're making by hand mash the bananas in a bowl first using a wooden spoon or potato masher then stir in additional ingredients. Pour batter into greased muffin tins until 2/3 full. Bake 12-15 minutes.

If you want, use your food processor. I throw everything in mine, give it a whirl and then fill the muffin tins. 

If you want your kids to happily gobble up these muffins, add some milk chocolate chips to theirs. That means they are eating a wonderfully healthy breakfast/snack and you arent sweating whether or not they'll reject it because it looks healthy. Its a win-win if you aren't keeping your kids to a 100% Whole30 compliant diet. (Which we don't do at our house. Our kids still eat some treats and things that aren't compliant with the Whole30 plan but they see the choices we're making to improve our food and that, to me, is worth a few chocolate chips to them.)

These are a fantastic texture and well worth the effort of adding 7 ingredients to a bowl instead of just 5!

Enjoy them in the morning! Send them to school for snack! Use them for dessert! 

If you've tried the other muffin recipes, try this version and let me know if you agree!

Make the Mayo already. -Whole30

'Twas the eve of our Whole30, and all through the house, I was meal-planning and avoiding my spouse.....

The day before our Whole30 began I was making lists and checking them twice. I was planning and prepping and stressing and dreading. I had no idea how challenging and rewarding the next 30 days would be. I was sure they would be different, hopefully not desperate times for us. I was also sure Joseh was going to "need" some comfort foods. Mayo-making was at the top of my list of to-dos so I pinned recipes, compared, stocked the pantry and got to work making the mayo. 

And it was okay. Nothing to write home about, but okay. So I revisited my pins, reviewed and revised again and again every week until I have what now, we like best.

It's thick enough to stand alone but creamy enough to work into salads and dressings without being gloppy. 

I know there are lots of Paleo/Whole30/Homemade mayo recipes out there and try mine and if it's not right for you then try another, but this one is our favorite!

Ingredients

1 room temperature egg

1 Tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar

1/2 Tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup light tasting olive oil or avacado oil

Method

I use my food processor at home and the blender at the beach. Either way works great.

In the bowl of the food processor combine everything but the oil. Give it a whirl for about 20-30 seconds then remove the small cover in the lid and slowly drizzle your oil in through the hole with the blades going. Pour a slow steady drizzle until all of the oil is incorporated. (This takes me about 2 minutes, maybe a smidge less.)

I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge. I use a dry erase marker on the lid to make sure I know what's in there. 

Now, go ahead, make the mayo already! 

Hungry for more recipes? Click here to see my recipe index!

Chicken Salad-Whole30

This recipe saved me from throwing in the towel during our 1st Whole30 and has been a staple ever since. I'm sharing my process from start-to-finish. You can add or omit ingredients to your preference--here's the key--

1. Make your mayo

2. Add things you like

3. Don't quit your Whole30 before you've thrown yourself this life preserver. 

Now lets get to it!

Ingredients

For the Mayo

1 egg, room temp is preferred (just plunk it in a glass of warm water while you gather your indgredients)

1 T apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp dry Mustard

1/4 tsp white pepper

Salt to taste

3/4 cup Light Tasting Olive Oil (NOT EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL) or Avacado Oil

For the Chicken Salad

2-3 Grilled or Smoked Chicken Breasts cut into thirds

4-5 ribs of celery, washed and trimmed, cut into 2-3 inch chunks

2 carrots, washed and peeled, cut into 2-3 inch chunks

2-3 radishes, washed and halved or quartered

1/2 cup (or more or less) slivered almonds, chopped pecans, or other nut of choice (not peanuts)

1 cup (or more or less) red or black seedless grapes, washed and sliced in half

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tools I use

Food Processor

Large Mixing Bowl

Rubber Spatula

Knife/Knives

Cutting Board

Method

Place nuts on baking sheet and turn oven to 250. Place nuts in oven (no need to preheat).

In bowl of food processor with blade attached add egg, vinegar and seasoning. Turn food processor on to combine. Once combined remove the small cover and slowly (s l o w l y) drizzle in your oil with the processor running. Once complete you should have a thick creamy mayo. Turn off the machine, scrape all of the mayo into your mixing bowl. Its okay if you leave some in the bowl. No need to rinse anything. 

Replace the bowl and blade onto your food processor and add your chicken, pulse to desired texture (my crew likes it tiny, nearly ground), add finished chicken to the large mixing bowl. Replace bowl and blade again and add celery, carrots, radishes pulse and add to the mixing bowl. Grab your roasting nuts from the oven and add them to the processor, pulse then add to the mixing bowl. Slice those grapes on the cutting board (or use this gadget which is what I use) add them to your mixing bowl.

Now you're done with the food processor--it did all of the chopping for you and you only have to wash it once! Stir everything together in your mixing bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.

Keep in the fridge as a must-have-Whole30-kitchen staple. Enjoy it over greens, stuffed in celery, on its own, at home or on the go. (I do this exact process before every beach trip which is basically weekly this time of year!)

A note about veggies--you can totally make this chicken salad without them. Or you can make it with just celery--I add the extra veggies to add a few more vitamins, micronutirents and a little more texture to our chicken salad. Back before my Whole30 experience I wouldn't have bothered. Now I know they give my system extra fuel and don't distract from the traditional chicken salad experience.