Sunday, January 22, 2017

Whole 30 Meals That We Love


Fajitas

            Seasoning
                        1 T chili powder
                        ½ T paprika
                        ½ tsp onion powder
                        ¼ tsp garlic powder
                        ¼ tsp cumin
                        1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
                        1 tsp sugar (leave out for Whole 30)
                        ½ tsp salt
                        ½ T corn starch (substitute coconut flour for Whole30)

            Fajitas
2 small (or one large) onion
2 medium green bell peppers
1 medium red bell pepper
1 lb chicken breast
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium lime
Optional: tortillas, cilantro, sour cream guacamole, salsa

 Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients for the fajita seasoning in a small bowl and set aside (chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt, and corn starch).
2. Cut the onion and bell peppers into ¼ to ½ inch wide strips. Place them in a large 9×13 inch casserole dish. Slice the chicken breast into very thin strips and add it to the casserole dish with the vegetables.
3. Sprinkle the seasoning over the meat and vegetables. Drizzle the vegetable oil over everything and then use your hands to toss the ingredients until everything is well coated in oil and seasoning. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once half way through. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over top of the meat and vegetables after it comes out of the oven.
4. Scoop a small amount of meat and vegetables into the center of each tortilla. Top with a few sprigs of cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and an extra squeeze of lime if desired.


Tacos

Taco Seasoning
                        1 T chili powder
                        ¼ tsp garlic powder
                        ¼ tsp onion powder
                        ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
                        ¼ tsp oregano
                        ½ tsp paprika
                        1 ½ tsp cumin
                        1 tsp salt
                        1 tsp pepper

Chicken Tenders
           
Ingredients
2 lbs. chicken tenders
1 egg
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
olive oil
salt and pepper
Instructions
1. In a shallow bowl combine almond meal, coconut flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper & smoked paprika.
2. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken tenders. In a small bowl scramble up 1 egg.
3. Dip the chicken tenders in the egg, then roll them around in the breading mixture. Press the mixture all over the chicken and then shake off the excess.
PLACE a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pan.
4. Once oil is hot, add a few tenders and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Be sure not to crowd the pan.
5. Continue with the rest of the tenders and serve with some paleo ketchup or compliant salsa!


Fajita Roll-ups

            Marinade
                        2 T olive oil
                        Juice of half a lime
                        1 clove garlic, minced
                        1 tsp chili powder
                        ½ tsp cumin
                        ½ tsp dried oregano
                        ½ tsp salt
                        pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
                        2 T cilantro, chopped
            Chicken
                        3 chicken breasts or 6 thin sliced chicken cutlets ¼inch thick
                        ½ red bell pepper, sliced
                        ½ yellow bell pepper, sliced
                        ½ green pepper, sliced

1.     In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, and cilantro.  Set aside.
2.     For the chicken breasts, if you purchased pre-sliced chicken cutlets, skip to the next step. If using chicken breasts, slice them long ways in to 2 even slices and firmly pound the chicken using the smooth side of a meat tenderizer to an even thickness of about ¼ inch. 
3.     Place the chicken cutlets into a large resealable freezer bag and pour marinade over top, making sure they are completed coated.  Allow chicken to marinate for a minimum of one hour to overnight.
4.     Once chicken has marinated, evenly place 6 bell pepper slices in the middle of the chicken cutlet, roll up and secure with a toothpick .  Repeat this step until all the cutlets have been rolled up and place seam side down in a prepared baking dish. 
5.     Brush tops of chicken with remaining marinade and bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Chicken Wings

            Ingredients
                        2 ½ pounds chicken wings
                        2 T avocado oil
                        1 tsp salt
                        2 tsp garlic powder
                        ¼ c ghee
                        ½ c Frank’s Original Red Hot

            Instructions
1.     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet tray with foil. Place a wire rack on top of the cookie sheet.
2.     Place the wings in a large bowl and pat dry with paper towel.  This will ensure crispy wings.
3.     Add the oil, salt, and garlic powder and toss evenly until coated. 
4.     Place the wings on the wire rack, skin side up.
5.     Bake for 40 minutes.
6.     In a saucepan, mix the ghee and red hot until combined, using a whisk.
7.     Once wings are done, coat them in the sauce and place back on the wire rack and bake for 5 more minutes.
8.     Then dip them in the sauce again and bake one more time for 5 minutes.

Cocoa Protein Balls (these are fantastic with a cup of coffee!!)

            1 c (pitted) dates/raisins
            1c cashews
            2/3 c coconut flakes (unsweetened)
            3T cocoa powder/2 oz dark chocolate
            scoop of almond butter if needed to help it mix together (if too thick, I also add Almond Milk)

Put all ingredients in blender or food processor and pulse together until just blended.

Asian Chicken Salad

            Dressing:
                        ¼ c coconut aminos (I substituted balsamic vinegar)
                        ¼ c fresh orange juice
                        2 T extra-virgin olive oil
                        2 T toasted sesame oil
                        1 T minced garlic
                        1 ½ tsp minced fresh ginger (I substituted ¼ tsp ground ginger)
                        1 tsp salt
                        ½ tsp black pepper
                        ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (I used 1/8 tsp to keep it from being too spicy)

For the salad:
            4 c shredded napa cabbage
            4 c shredded green cabbage
            1 ½ c snow peas
            1 c shredded red cabbage
            1 c shredded carrots
            ½ c chopped fresh cilantro
            3 green onions, sliced
            2 c shredded cooked chicken
            ½ c sliced almonds, toasted
            2 T black sesame seeds
            2 T sesame seeds

***I cheated and used the premade Asian salad from WalMart so that I would have a variety of cabbage, carrots, etc all ready to go (but I obviously used my own dressing and did not use the wontons).

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

            Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1x3-inch wedges

3 tablespoons soybean oil (often labeled "vegetable oil")

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
1.     Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray.
2.     Place sweet potatoes and soybean oil in large bowl, toss lightly. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.
3.     Arrange potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd.
4.     Bake until tender and golden brown, turning occasionally. Cooking time is 18 to 24 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Sautéed Apples (can also add sweet potatoes if you like)
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato (I just used extra apples)
2 medium apples (I used Gala or Honeycrisp)
2 tablespoons of ghee
pinch of salt (sea or kosher is best)
Optional: pinch of cinnamon, ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

            Directions
1.     Warm a large skillet to medium temperature and melt in the butter or ghee.
2.     Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into a large dice.
3.     Place the sweet potatoes into the warmed pan and melted butter/ghee. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
4.     While the sweet potatoes soften, peel and dice the apple to match the size of the diced sweet potato.
5.     After the sweet potatoes have cooked for about 10 minutes add the apples. The potatoes take much longer to cook and need the head start.
6.     Stir the ingredients together, coating everything in the browning butter. Cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through; stir often.
7.     If using the cinnamon and/or chopped nuts, add them to the pan and mix prior to serving.

Banana Shakes
           
Ingredients
          Bananas, sliced (I started with 8)
                        1 Can coconut milk
                        About ½ cup of Almond milk

            Directions
1.     Slice bananas into even slices and put in glass bowl.  Freeze overnight (or at least for a few hours).
2.     The next day, blend ½ can of coconut milk and about ¼ cup of almond milk together in blender until a bit frothy. 
3.     Slowly add in chunks of banana alternating with coconut milk and almond milk to incorporate the bananas in, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed.
4.     Continue until you have the amount of “ice cream” you would like.

Stovetop Pork Carnitas
           
Ingredients
3-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (6-ish pounds if it’s bone-in; you must use pork shoulder or Boston butt)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 heaping (!) tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
            Directions
1.     Cut the pork shoulder into a few large chunks. You don’t want them bite-sized; I make mine about 3-4 inches.
2.     Mix cumin, garlic powder, salt, coriander, black pepper, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Place the pork chunks in a plastic container with a lid or a Ziploc bag. Pour in the spice blend, then toss the bag vigorously until the chunks are completely coated on all sides.
3.     Place the pork in a large, deep pan. Pour the lime and lemon juice into the bottom, then add water to just cover the meat.
4.     Turn heat to high and bring the water to a rip-roaring boil. You want big bubbles! When it’s rolling, turn the heat to a simmer. Keep the pan uncovered. You want it bubble a fair amount, but not be a roiling boil.  While it’s cooking, it will look like uninspired soup. Do not be discouraged!  Essentially, you’re waiting for the water to evaporate from the pan, but while the water is evaporating, the powerful acidic qualities of the lime and lemon juice are tenderizing the meat. Yay, science!
5.     At about the 2-hour mark, check the pot. The water should be much lower and maybe even almost gone. Now things get interesting… allow all the water to cook out of the pan and watch as the meat magically fries and caramelizes. It is a thing of beauty. But seriously, you need to watch it at this point.
6.     Carefully turn the hunks of meat–without shredding them–to brown all sides, then remove the hunks to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before eating. If you’re into this sort of thing, you can save the pork fat from the bottom of the pan in a glass jar and use it for other cooking projects.

Sautéed Garlic Asparagus
           
            Ingredients
                        3T ghee or extra virgin oil
                        1 bunch fresh asparagus
                        3 cloves garlic, chopped

            Directions

1.     Melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2.     Add the garlic and asparagus spears; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is tender.

3.     If you like your asparagus well done, reduce heat and cook an additional 10 minutes.

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