Broccoli Salad, by Diane

This was a really great side dish to accompany my lunches this week! You can easily modify this to fit your taste, but I really loved this combo. Recipe insp from @wholefoodfor7, I mixed some ingredients in/took some out that I liked (posted below).

Ingredients:

6 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces
2 broccoli slaw
8 slices bacon (I used prosciutto), diced small
1/2 red onion, diced small
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup mayo
6 dates + 1 cup hot water
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar


Directions:

1. Soak the dates in hot water.

2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Blend mayo, vinegar, and dates (toss the water) until smooth, and pour over dry ingredients.

Chimichurri Beef Kabobs, by Cheryl

So we're doing it.. Jon and I have embarked on the journey of Whole 30. It just kinda came about and I dove into research and recipes! I have the first two weeks planned out and things seem to be going well so far (I'm on day 5). I feel like a lot of the meals that I make are pretty Whole 30 compliant anyway, but the snacking is killing me! I'm so used to just grabbing whatever I want! Anyway, this is the first dinner we had on Whole 30 and it was soooo good! We loved it. Actually it would have been good with some rice, lol. But seriously, it was super tasty and fairly easy to make although making the kabobs took a little bit. I'd make it again! I got this recipe from the Whole 30 book. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb lean steak (I used flank) cut into 1 inch dice

1.5 cups Chimichurri sauce

1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cut into 1.5 in squares

1 onion, cut into 6 wedges

1 zucchini, cut into 1.5 in thick rounds

Chimichurri sauce:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 shallot, minced

1/5 cups EVOO

1/4 cup cilantro

1/4 parsley leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1) If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour to prevent them from burning. 

2) Place steak in a resealable bag. Cover the steak with enough chimichurri sauce to coat thoroughly. Seal the bag  and marinate the steak in the fridge for 1-8 hours, more is better. 

3) Remove the steak 30 min before cooking. Preheat the grill to high heat (500).

4) Remove the steak from the marinade, discard the marinade. Prepare the kabobs by threading the steak, bell pepper, onion, and zucchini onto the skewers, alternating meat and veggies. 

5) Grill the kabobs directly over high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce heat to medium and grill to desired doneness (12 min). Serve with the remaining chimichurri. 

Chimichurri directions:

1) Combine the vinegar, lime juice, garlic and shallot in a food processor and mix on low speed. Drizzle in the olive oil while mixing, the dressing will being to emulsify. Add the cilantro, parsley, salt, and pepper and continue to mix on low until the dressing is uniform in texture and the herb pieces are chopped quite small. 

It'll last 2-3 days in fridge. 

Halibut with Creamed Corn and Tomatoes, by Cheryl

This recipe is from Eating Well Magazine and it was gooooooood! I've never made creamed corn before... I felt pretty cool steeping the milk with the cobs in it! One thing I changed was that I added some of the tomatoes to the creamed corn at the very end so they weren't so hard and cold. I wanted them slightly softer and warmer. I also kept some aside to see how they were that way too. I'd definitely make this again. Yum!

Ingredients:

4 ears corn, husked
1.5 cups whole milk
3 cloves garlic, divided
1 sprig fresh thyme
3 cups chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp chopped basil
2 tbsp EVOO, divided
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped shallot
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1.25 lbs halibut, cut into 4 portions

Directions:

1) Cut kernels from corn and set aside. Cut the cobs in half and put them in a saucepan. Add milk, 2 garlic cloves, and thyme. Cook over medium heat until starting to simmer around the edges. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain into a small bowl and discard the solids.

2) Grate the remaining garlic clove into a medium bowl. Stir in tomatoes, basil, 1 tbsp oil, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.

3) Melt butter in the pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about one minute. Add the reserved corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about three minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook for 30 seconds. While stirring, slowly add the milk. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

4) Sprinkle halibut with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the halibut and cook, turning once, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5-7 minutes total.

5) Serve the halibut with the creamed corn and tomatoes.