Buffalo Shrimp

Hey y'all! I needed to pack a lunch today and it was so yummy I wish I had to pack lunch more often!

I made the most delicious Buffalo Shrimp last night and the leftovers are awesome!!

Here's all you need to make this super fast Whole30 Buffalo Shrimp-

Ingredients

 1 and 1/2 pounds Gulf Shrimp (wild caught is best)

1/4 cup Texas Pete or other compliant Hot Sauce

1 tsp dried minced onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika 

salt and pepper

1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus 2 tablespoons of coconut oil for pan. 

Method

In a large bowl (preferable with lid) whisk together hot sauce and spices. Melt 1/4 cup of coconut oil in the microwave and add it to sauce mixture, making sure to whisk constantly. Add shrimp (with shells and tails on, just dump them in the bowl). Put lid on the bowl and shake to coat shrimp. Let stand 15 minutes. 

While shrimp are resting in the sauce preheat oven to 400 degrees, put 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a glass casserole or 9x13 and pop it in the oven to melt the oil. Once the oil has melted add the shrimp to the pan and bake 11-13 minutes, tossing shrimp once during cooking time. 

(When you go to place the shrimp in the pan you'll notice the cold shrimp meeting the melted oil you used in the sauce has caused the coconut oil to become cakey--this is 100% fine. I just don't want you to think something has gone wrong, its just science. ;) )

You could prepare the shrimp earlier in the day and let them sit in the buffalo sauce as long as you like, it will make them a bit spicier, that way all you have to do is pop them in the oven a few minutes before you're ready to eat. 

I serve these with big salads and an empty bowl for shells. They are great as leftovers and can be added to omelettes, eggs, potatoes, slaw--really anything! We used ours again for omelettes--or I should say Joseph did the omelettes, that's why they are so perfect! ;)

 

Chicken Rub-Whole30

On my very 1st Whole30 shopping trip I spent a good 20 minutes on the seasoning aisle of my local grocery store reading label after label of seasoning blends. Almost every single pre-mixed seasoning contained sugar, sulfates or another eliminated ingredient.

I was a tad frustrated but knew I could easily fix this little problem by taking matters into my own hands in my own kitchen. 

I came home and started mixing and measuring and this is the final result of some trials and revisions and is now my go-to spice blend for chicken. I use it at least once a week (usually more) for three months now and we have not gotten tired of it nor do we miss the sugars one bit.

Meet my friend, 6 Pounds of Chicken Rub.

(It's enough to to do 6+ pounds of chicken, it doesn't make 6 pounds of rub, that would be crazy!)

Ingredients

2T Chili powder

1T Onion

1/2 tsp Aloha Red Hawaiian Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp Dry Mustard

1/4 tsp Corriander

1/2 tsp Chipotle powder

Pepper to taste

I also make a Spicy Steak rub that is great and sugar and preservative free

Ingredients

1.5 Tablespoons Mr. Pepper

1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground chipotle

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp red pepper

Salt to taste

The Taco/Fajita/Mexican seasoning I use is from the Pioneer Woman. I've made my own for years and always have it in hand. I always double it so here's the doubled recipe for you saving you some math. You're welcome.

4 tsp Chili powder

1Tablespoon Cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp red pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp onion

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

Thanks, PW! We love it! 

I keep all of my rubs and seasoning mixes in glass jars labeled on top and the recipe on the side. 

//Nail Color//

This makes it oh-so easy to spot them in the pantry and simple to remix them when I'm running low. 

If you need a label maker (and we all do!) here's the one I use. It lives in my pantry. 

Friday Favorites New Year Edition

I'm linking up here today to show you some of my favorite things this week!

Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you're loving too! 

Okay, okay its a New Year and we're nearly halfway through January!! I can't believe how fast time is truly flying, this year is whizzing on by and its time to start getting going and taking care of business! Here are my Friday Favorites that are helping me along so far this year.

1.Essie/ Lady Like
I adore this nail color. Its soft and feminine and the perfect neutral. I might buy an extra bottle or two to keep in the car and at the beach house because y'all its perfect. Its almost the exact same shade as my nude nails and lips so its the perfect touch if you like your nails to be done but not distracting. I would buy this for my wedding, without a doubt. (If I were a bride-to-be, but I'm not!) Say goodbye to french manicures and kiss the greige goodbye because this nail color is it.

Buy it here and thank me later!


2. Podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts-- Now that school is back in session the house seems big and empty during the day. This week it really helped me to tune it to some friendly voices of like-minded moms while I packed away Christmas decor and cooked. Some that I'm subscribing to--

Big Boo Podcast these girls are hi-lar-i-ous. If you dont know BooMama and Big Mama you should!
Hello Mornings Podcast with Kat Lee
God Centered Mom Podcast
Wire Talk with Karen Stubbs

Are you into podcasts? I'd love to know what you're listening to! Tell me which ones you love so I can keep filling my house with sound, because I never learned how to whistle, so whistling while I work is out. Ha!

3. Zoe's Kitchen Greek Dressing.
We're back Whole30 this month and Zoe's dressing is a life saver. When we're out of homemade dressing this bottle saves the day every single time. It's easy to find all around Birmingham and Alabama, but if you just cant get to a Zoe's, just call me and I'll send you some!

That's it for me this Friday, but I'll be back soon! After some more encouragement from friends and family I'm back at blogging in the New Year. I shared my Recipes page recently on Facebook since so many friends were starting their own Whole30 reset, and so many of my friends have praised the recipes and the blog and asked for more--here we are! Thank you all for your sweet comments! And let me know what you're loving as we start this new year!

Oh! and see those updated pics in the sidebar ---->
I'll be posting more about those next week! Can't wait to share the fun day we had in Tuscaloosa!

Blueberry Pie with Whole30 Crust

This post has me grinning from ear to ear. 

 

I've been looking for some dairy-free dessert options, thinking about making a cobbler or pie but wasn't sure I wanted to conquer that. But bang! It's mid-summer and berries are bountiful, so I finally took the plunge! 

I'm so glad I did. 

 

This pie is wonderful! A great dessert but not so sweet that it feels like you're maxing out in sugars and will be left with a food hangover. 

I tried a few different crust variations and am so pleased with how this turned out! 

Enough about me, let's get into the recipe already!

Ingredients

For the filling: 

3 cups (or more) blueberries

1/2 cup coconut sugar

3 Tablespoons potato starch (or arrowroot starch)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

6 Tablespoons coconut flour

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a pie plate with coconut oil, set aside.

Combine filling ingredients in a storage bowl with a lid. Lightly mash a few berries (with a masher or fork) to burst them and get their juices flowing. Secure lid of bowl and shake vigorously to toss all of your ingredients together, stir if necessary, set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine all of the crust ingredients until dough forms. It will be a bit crumbly but should come together better once you roll it out. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap. Lay a second piece of plastic wrap over dough and roll out to no thicker than 1/4 inch. 

Carefully move dough to pie plate and press around to smooth. If you have cracks or tears in your dough just piece it back together by hand. Pastry work can be tricky especially when you're working grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. Give yourself some grace here. It's will still be delicious! You'll have enough dough to make the bottom crust and a top crust, I opted for some cookie cutter stars since it's almost July 4, and top crusts are even tougher to wrangle. I sprinkled the tops of my stars with coconut sugar just for an added touch of sweet.

 

Once your crust is in place spoon your filling over the crust. Add top crust (with slits to vent) and pinch the edges together OR decorate with crust cutouts. 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes then loosely cover with foil and return to bake another 20 minutes.

 

The perfect pairing with this pie? Coco Whip! 

 

Yep, think of our Ol friend Cool Whip after a Whole30. It's made by So Delicious, it's Dairy-Free and Dang Delicious!

I bought mine at Sprouts and brought them to the beach with me since I was pretty sure I couldn't easily find any down here. I'm so glad I did! This was the first time we've tried it and it was awesome! 

I hope you'll believe me when I tell you this is a delicious dessert and simple to put together! I read lots and lots and lots  of pie recipes before trying this out. I got the gist of Paleo crust making but then simplified things because sometimes I feel like some cooks who are trying to create paleo/whole30 recipes are trying too hard to show off their culinary skills when all we really want to do is make something delicious without going to too much trouble. 

There are only 10 ingredients in the whole thing and it's great and festive and a wonderful dessert for the whole family! 

It's also divine when typing up a late-night blog post about pie! 

I hope you enjoy sharing this with your family! 

 

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!

 

Comfort Food Stuffed Peppers- Whole30

You guys. 

Growing up stuffed peppers were always a favorite. I always asked my mom to make them for my birthday, I make extra filling every time I make them because I love it and can eat it by the bowlful.

But the way my mom makes them and therefore the way I've always made them they have rice and corn and oh yes, Velveeta. Since completing my 1st Whole30 and cleaning up what I eat for months and months those ingredients are off my list. 

I've seen lots of recipes out there for Whole30 compliant stuffed peppers, and read through them but none seemed like they would even compare to my childhood favorite. So, I decided to just go for it and use the skills I've gained using different veggies in new ways and come up with my own. 

Its a winner! These have a great, rich texture. You might swear you're eating rice when you taste this filling. This recipe makes enough filling for 8 generous peppers-- but I just stuff 4 peppers and keep half of the filling (freeze it for next time, eat it for lunch with a salad, use it another night with some zoodles or a baked potato--I've done it all!)

Ingredients

2 pounds ground venison (or lean beef, or bison or whatever your red meat of choice is--mix it up if you want)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 red bell peppers tops, seeds and membranes removed (or 8 if you want to use all of the filling now!)

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 medium squash, grated

1 medium zucchini, grated

1/2 onion, grated

1/2 head of cauliflower, grated

1 can organic tomato sauce ( I used Muir Glen from Publix)

1/2 cup organic Chicken Stock (I use the Kirkland's brand from Costco)

2 Tablespoons Coconut oil

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method

Preaheat oven to 350, drizzle olive oil over prepped peppers and place them upside in a glass baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile melt coconut oil in a large saucepan or pasta pot over medium high heat to brown your meat, season with garlic powder and place a small skillet over medium heat.Add cauliflower and chicken stock to the skillet, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. Brown meat then drain and set aside. In the same pot saute diced bell pepper, squash, zucchini and onion. 

Now is a good time to add salt and pepper to the veggies and the cauliflower simmering in the skillet.Remove the peppers from the oven and turn them over to let them get ready for the filling. 

Once the veggies are soft, return the browned meat to the pot and stir in tomato sauce. After combining, fold in your cooked cauliflower rice. Your filling is done!

Fill the peppers and pop them back into the 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. 

You can freeze the other half of the filling or use it for more meals this week! 

A classic.

Comfort food.

Whole30 Compliant AND delicious. 

7 veggies, protein and healthy fat in one delicious entree. 

Happy, happy, happy!

Mexican Chicken Salad - Whole30

¡Hola, Amigos!!!

This chicken salad recipe I'm sharing today is simply delightful.

I'm a huge chicken salad fan and who doesn't love Mexican? 
 

I made it for lunch today and can't remember the last time I've loved my lunch like today's.

What's not to love? Chicken Salad gone for a trip south of the border?? 

Sounds like a match made in heaven, right?

You're right. It is.

 

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 small onion, diced

1 Tablespoon taco seasoning

1 Tablespoon fresh minced cilantro

Method

Combine all of this goodness in a bowl. Say the blessing. Dive right in.

 

Greek Chicken and Potatoes -Whole30

I'm excited to share such a simple, comforting recipe with you!

Even before we cleaned up our eating, this meal was a great go-to crowd-pleaser at the West house. 

I've even taken it to families when we've delivered dinner during an illness, after a new baby or after a loss.

Once we eliminated sugar and preservatives, I recreated this recipe using real, whole ingredients and it's still perfect!!

Greek Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry. 

1 pound small new potatoes, washed, dried and cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup dried roasted sun-dried tomatoes (these are in the produce section at my Publix--on an end cap with jarred garlic, etc.)

1.5 T Greek Seasoning

Method

Preheat oven to 350.

Place chicken, potatoes and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add olive oil and seasoning  and toss until everything is coated. Pour contents of bowl into 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake 45-50 minutes. 

Serve this alongside a fresh green salad and dinner is done!

I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we do! Keep this in mind the next time you need to deliver a meal to a neighbor--they'll love it too! 

 
 

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!

Our Whole30 and where we are now.....

Some of you are here because you like us and like keeping up with what we're doing on a daily/weekly/holiday basis. And for that I am eternally grateful, because you are my  people. :)

Some of you, however, are here for the food. Welcome! You, too, are my people and I am grateful for you.

For several years I've been sharing what we're eating and what's cooking in my kitchen. I'm back to meal planning and sharing again because my people asked me to and people get what they ask for.

I thought I'd share a quick version of Our Whole30 experience and how the menus have shaped up at the West house these days.

We (I) decided in January that it would be a good "experiment" to complete the Whole30 (if you aren't familiar with the Whole30 Program click here.)

I first read about it online, from bloggers and instagrammers and then the Whole30 website. I looked at the calendar and knew that the day after my birthday would give me enough time to prepare and enough time to get Joseph to accept his fate for 30 days.

Then I bought the book.
I read it cover to cover over a few days. Then I read it again.

Websites, bloggers (like myself) and friends can tell you  lots about the program and real-life experience but buying the book, to me was key. And well worth the $30 I spent at Target. (Get it for $16.99 here.)

The book is revised and more in-depth. It tells you what you can expect over the course of 30 days and to me, I think a book holds itself more accountable than things you come across online.Buy the Book.

So, we started the day after my birthday and completed 30 days of elimination and "experimentation" with food and its effect on our bodies. We didn't take before pictures, but by day 5 I was wishing we did. My skin was noticeably clearer, my clothes fit better, and I felt different.

Before we started, I was drinking almost a pot of coffee daily. Fueled by caffeine, splenda and Sugar Free French Vanilla Coffeemate, I was so tired by 6 p.m. I didn't know what to do with myself. Cry? Collapse? Yell at someone? I think sometimes I did all three.

10 days in I was sleeping like a baby, waking up before the sun and had energy like I haven't had in years, maybe ever.

I have taken daily medications all of my adult life to treat acne.(nearly 20 years!!) A week into the program (and now 90+ days after) I don't need any of that.

Oh--and we dropped a few pounds. Together 43 pounds in 30 days.

When the 30 days were over, we evaluated how we felt and decided the best thing for us it to continue eating a diet filled with meat (mostly lean), lots of fruits and vegetables without refined sugars, dairy, and preservatives.

So here we are, nearly 4 months later and still feel great, sleep well, have plenty of energy and patience. We have a happier, healthier family. (and together have lost nearly 70 pounds in 90 days.)

Speaking of family--several members of our extended family have since begun a Whole30 for themselves. Many friends have started and friends of family members are now starting the Whole30 and seeing a difference.

Which brings us back to the blog. It takes thought and planning to keep at the "experiment" for 30 days. It takes even more brain-power and grocery lists to maintain a healthy diet like this for the long haul.

I've been sharing my recipes with family and friends via text, email and "here you have to try this" and finally have been asked enough times to start doing weekly meal plans that I'm digging in (but not before snapping a photo) to write out recipes to share with you and your families. I want to help you see that you can eat in a way that's best for you without feeling like you're missing out on the "good stuff".

I also want to know and I want you to know that we're in this together. :)

So starting next Thursday I'll be posting weekly meal ideas and recipes for you and your family who are Whole30, Whole90, or just want some new dinner ideas for yummy food.

And, yes, I'm going to continue sharing all summer long from Birmingham and the beach. Bathing suits and aprons are all the rage.

See you back here next Thursday for week 1! In the meantime feel free to comment to tell me about your family or who you're cooking for! If you're new here, we are a family of 4--with a 5 year old and a 4 year old and the sweetest big black bulldog in the world!

Pecan-Crusted Chicken- Whole30

My oh my.

I knew this would be tasty before I actually made it.

But then I actually made it. And the house smelled so good, and the food looked so yummy, and the family was all "feed us right now!"

And we gobbled it all up before I took a picture!!

So, I made it again today and took a picture before anyone got near the table!

I hope you'll love this as much as our family did! It's allllll the deliciousness of fried chicken AND ITS WHOLE 30 COMPLIANT!

You're welcome! 

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 eggs well beaten

3/4 cup pecan meal (which translates to pulverized pecans)

4 Tbsp ghee

Salt and pepper

Method

Place skillet over medium heat and melt ghee.Place eggs in a bowl and beat, spread pecan meal in a pie plate or dinner plate. Dredge your chicken in the egg then into the pecan meal to coat both sides. Brown the chicken over medium heat, 8-10 minutes per side. Turning the heat up too high will scorch the pecans so keep it to medium/medium-high and everything will be just fine.

You guys, I would eat this any old time Whole30 or not. You'll love it and won't feel like you're deprived or missing out on anything. 

Except maybe grandmommy's biscuits, but I can't do a darn thing about that. 

Here's the pecan meal I use.

It's from the pecan holy-land since we pass it just about every weekend on our way to the beach this time of year. 

(More about that here.)

If you aren't passing by Priester's just get yourself some pecan halves or pieces and give the a whirl in the food processor. 

For more recipes click here to check out my recipe index!  

Green Onion Turkey Sausage

I had some Green Onion Sausage a few weeks ago from a vendor at a farmer's market at the beach...I NEEDED to recreate that this week while we were home in Birmingham this week and I have to say I did a pretty good job!

Also, sausage doesn't photograph well. But looks aren't important here. It's important that this was sweet and delicious. It's important this was a cinch to make. It's important that this much sausage would've cost me $12-15 from the farmer's market. 

Ingredients

1 pound organic ground turkey

1 and 1/12 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

3 green onions washed, trimmed and cut into 2-3" sections.

Method

Place onions in food processor to mince. Add dry spices and pulse. Add your turkey and let the processor combine your ingredients. I turned mine out onto freezer paper and formed it into a tube. 

Then cooked some the next morning and  it smelled so great cooking I couldn't wait to dig in. 

Can I get an amen?

 

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!

Broccoli Salad-Whole30

We'd been eating Whole30 style for about 3 months before I ever thought to make broccoli salad. Don't make the same mistake I did! Make this today.

Ingredients

16 ounce bag broccoli florets, trimmed to bite size

2/3 cup Mayo (here's my recipe)

1/4 red onion finely diced

6-7 Mejdool dates pitted and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cover and chill 2-3 hours or overnight.

This is an incredible make-ahead salad in that it gets better with time! Cool and crisp and a little sweet, this salad is a great thing to bring to a pot-luck to make sure you have something compliant but non-whole30-ers will enjoy it as well! 

Lemon Roasted Green Beans-Whole30

I just love fresh green beans and since they are completely Whole30 compliant they should be in the awesome veggie rotation a time or two this month!!

 

These are quick and simple to throw together and a bright and crisp (in flavor AND texture) addition to your plate.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

Juice from 1/2 lemon (slice the other half)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Method

Preheat oven to 375 and place a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, place green beans on the sheet and set aside.

In a bowl mix lemon juice and garlic then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add parsley and give another stir then drizzle the lemon oil over the beans and toss to coat. 

Place in oven for 25 minutes tossing midway through. Add a few lemon slices to the top for the last 5-10 minutes of roasting. 

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.