Creamy Butternut Squash Noodles with Mushrooms, Bacon, and Kale, by Diane

This was a total winner for lunches this week! The original inspiration for this recipe came from @everylastbite1's Instagram, but I added some other fun things and it turned out really good. I thought mushrooms would be a good addition, so I used shitake from my Asian market and a splash of truffle oil, I swapped the spinach for kale because I eat a lot of spinach in my morning smoothies, I used a bit of beef broth I had on hand instead of adding more and more oil to the pan, and I added a bit of nutritional yeast to the sauce for extra "cheesiness".  Fairly easy to come together as well! Overall, it tasted like comfort food which was a very good thing on this cold 4th week of Whole 30!

Ingredients:

Butternut squash noodles (I used frozen for ease!)
5 strips bacon
Oil of choice (I used coconut with a splash of white truffle oil)
1 pack shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch of kale, leaves only, rough chopped
1/4-1/2 cup of beef broth (Whole 30 compliant- most have sugar!)
2/3 cup cashews, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
Water

Directions:

1. Make the butternut squash noodles and set aside.

2. Cook the bacon in a large pan, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Crumble when cool.

3. Leaving a tiny bit of oil from the bacon in the pan (as much as you want depending on fat/flavor), add coconut and truffle oil until hot. Add the mushrooms and 2 cloves of garlic and cook until browned. Add broth to the pan as the mushrooms absorb all the oil, scraping the bottom to incorporate the browned bits.

4. Add the kale to the pan and cook until wilted.

5. While the mushroom mixture cooks, blend the drained cashews, almond milk, remaining 1 clove of garlic, salt, pepper, and yeast until smooth. Add in water to reach desired consistency and adjust seasonings.

6. Combine the noodles, bacon and sauce with the mushroom mixture and mix well.

Healthy Veggie Chili, by Diane

3/4 of our family is on Whole 30 right now, so for last weekend's football playoffs we searched around for a chili recipe that didn't have beans in it. We found this recipe, which turned out to be a total dud. In short it didn't include any tomato sauce and was low on spice so it turned out to taste more like a really thick minestrone soup. We saved it with the ingredients I'm posting below though, so it turned out alright! Not pictured are the avocados some of us had with it as a topping.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground beef
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 each red, yellow, and orange pepper, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
3 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp paprika
Salt to taste (We use Tony Chachere's b/c it adds just the best amount of salt and spice)
1 28oz can tomato sauce
Optional: diced avocado topping

Directions:

1. In a large pot, brown the meat along with onions and garlic. Drain and return to the pot.

2. Add in peppers, carrots, and sweet potatoes, cook 10 minutes stirring often to soften. Cover the pot while cooking so the steam speeds up to cooking.

3. Add in spices, stir well, then add in tomato sauce.

4. Simmer for 30-60 min until the veggies are soft. Note: this isn't a good chili to keep on the stove for a long period of time as the sweet potatoes will break down and thicken/sweeten the chili too much!

Ginger Milk Tea/Teh, by Diane

When I was in Malaysia and Singapore, I drank the most amazing ginger milk tea. Back home in this cold I’ve been craving my daily “Teh’s” and decided to create a Whole 30 version. No where near as good as the original, but close and super healthy too!

Ingredients:

1-2 inches ginger, sliced into coins and smashed (depends on how spicy you want it)
2 bags black tea (Ceylon is the legit kind)
2 cups water
2 cups milk of choice (they use sweetened condensed milk or cream, I used coconut milk)
Sweetener of choice (they use sugar, I used date syrup!)

Directions:

Combine the ginger and the water and milk until boiling, add in tea and sweetener and simmer for 4-5 minutes (stir frequently so milk doesn’t scald!). Strain and enjoy!

Garlic Potato Puree, by Cheryl

These are the creamiest and silkiest mashed potatoes I've ever had. Jon found this recipe from The Sauce when he was making a side for smoked brisket. I loved it so much that I've made it a few times since then, pairing it with rack of lamb or steak. Yum!


Ingredients:

2 lb russet potatoes, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
salt, to taste

Directions:

1) Dice the potatoes into 2 inch pieces. Place in a pot of cool water. Add the cloves of garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Strain the water out.

2) In a separate pot, bring the butter and cream to a simmer. Add the potatoes and garlic in. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. Season with salt.

Whole 30 Shrimp, Sausage, and Cauliflower Grits, by Diane

Holy cow this is one of the best dishes to come out of my kitchen, and it just so happens to ALSO be Whole 30!! This took me way back to NOLA and my cousin's creole cooking in Houston, TX. The fact that it was Whole 30 but tasted amazing is so awesome, because a lot of people find Whole 30 boring. To them I say TRY THIS!!! Also, this tasted like it cooked for hours but in reality it came together in under 20 min.

Three side notes- first, I thought this came out too spicy (my cousins and the population of NOLA may disagree), so I would taste the final product before adding the cayenne since the recipe already has sausage and red chili flakes. Second, as much as I LOVED this dish the night I made it, I unfortunately didn't care for the leftovers. So, I would adjust this to make it for just the night of. Third, I loved the sauce so much I added in double the chicken broth and made 2 batches of slurry.

Ingredients:

1 package sugar-free smoked sausage or kielbasa (I used Nature's Promise Chicken Chorizo)

1 lb raw shrimp, thawed (I used cooked shrimp to speed this up)

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp onion powder 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp water

1 tsp arrowroot powder

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1.5 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp ghee (I omitted this and added a bit of EVOO, not sure this is necessary)

Directions:

1. Place cauliflower in a large pot of water and boil for 10-15 min until fork tender.

2. While the cauliflower cooks, heat a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add in the olive oil, shrimp, and sausage and cook for 5 min until the sausage browns a bit. 

3. Add the spices (garlic powder through red pepper flakes) and cook another 2 min.

4. Add the chicken broth and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the chicken broth reduces by half.

5. When the broth is reduced by half, combine the arrowroot powder and water in a small bowl and make a slurry. Add to the pan and stir, mixture should thicken quickly. Set pan aside.

6. Meanwhile, drain the cauliflower and add it back to the pot along with the remaining ingredients. Using an immersion blender, blend until creamy. 

Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts, by Diane

I have been saving this recipe for a while from @littlebitsof_realfood IG account. It was decent, although I like the other brussels sprouts recipes I have created on here before. Once you shred the sprouts and cook the bacon, this recipe comes together in under 5 min!

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, shredded or thinly sliced
4 slices bacon
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. compliant Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon and remove, keeping the grease in the pan (I kept some but also added healthier coconut oil).

2. Add the sprouts and cook about 5 min until just tender.

3. While the sprouts cook, whisk remaining ingredients together. Pour the mixture along with crumbled bacon into the pan and mix well.

Kimchi Beef Cauliflower Fried "Rice", by Diane

YUM- this was amazing!!! If you love Korean food and kimchi this is the recipe for you! I saw this on @thedefineddish's Instagram, and it was perfect for my whole 30 dinners this week. The original recipe was made with a fried runny egg on top, but I just mixed the rest of the eggs in since I was batch cooking for the week. The other corrections I made were just for flavor since I thought the cauliflower absorbed a good bit of the seasonings and the final result needed more. This recipe was cooked exactly how I cooked things when taking classes in Asia- instead of removing things from the pan as they cooked and setting them aside to add them in at the end, you instead push the cooked ingredients to a side of the pan and keep cooking. I loved the way this turned out- this one is a keeper!!


Ingredients:

1 lb. skirt or flap steak (I used chuck tender roasts bc the other cuts were pricey), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
Oil of choice (I used coconut)
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
4 large eggs, whisked
1 cup kimchi roughly chopped (I used closer to 2 bc it needed more flavor after the cauliflower)
1 bunch scallions, chopped, green and white parts
4 cups raw riced cauliflower
2 tbsp. coconut aminos (I used 4)
1 tsp fish sauce (I used 2)

Directions:

1. Heat oil of choice in a large pan over medium high heat (you'll need a large one for when the cauliflower is added). When the oil is hot, add steak, onion, salt, pepper, and chili flakes and cook until beef is golden brown on all sides (abt 8 min).

2. Push the beef mixture aside and pour the eggs into other half of the pan so they can cook omelet style for 2 min. Chop the egg mixture and push it to the side with the beef.

3. Add the kimchi and scallions, cook with sesame oil for 2 minutes, stirring often.

4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and cook just until the cauliflower is tender, about 4 min.

Filipino Shrimp Patties with Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, by Diane

I saw a Whole 30 version of this Filipino recipe on @paleorookie's instragram, and was intrigued! Her recipe called for matchstick carrots combined with shrimp, scallions, and arrowroot flour that you pan fried. I know from experience that pan frying things like these fall apart, and sure enough a few people in the comments said this. So I wound up putting the mixture in a food processor and then air frying them (see last post- really trying to get the hang of this new appliance!).

I also changed the dipping sauce from the Filipino version with sugar to the Vietnamese version. I fell in love with this stuff during my time in Vietnam- it's on nearly every table in restaurants and its SO good. As it turns out it's also super easy to make and tastes just like in Vietnam! Plus it has no sugar which is good bc I'm on Whole 30. I had to use red pepper flakes bc I forgot to buy the small chilis they put in them, usually thai or bird's eye chilis, but next time will buy them for sure! Sauce recipe (both sugar and non sugar versions) from hungryhuy.com.


Ingredients:

3 cups shredded carrots
1 bunch scallions, green and white parts, sliced
1 cup shrimp, cooked and diced
1 egg
1/4 cup each almond flour and arrowroot flour
6 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. red boat fish sauce
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Optional: 2 tbsp. sugar and thai or bird's eye chilis


Directions:

1. Combine carrots through arrowroot flour in a large bowl. Add the mixture to a food processor just until the matchsticks become small bits, but don't overmix.

2. In an air fryer, make the mixture into patties and fry at 370 for 15 minutes, flipping halfway.

3. While the patties cook, combine remaining ingredients for the dipping sauce.

Coconut Almond Chicken Fingers, by Diane

I am trying out new air fryer recipes for this latest round of Whole 30, and I created these one weeknight for a quick dinner. They were pretty good, but definitely tasted more baked than fried. I read that spraying them with oil helps them taste fried, and will try that next time!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts cut into strips (or chicken tenders)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup almond flour
1 egg
1 cup arrowroot flour
salt and pepper (I used Goya seasoning)


Directions:

1. Prepare three bowls: arrowroot flour, whisked eggs, and coconut/almond flour/seasoning. You want to over season the coconut mixture so that its almost too salty to taste as it will taste less salty once they are done.

2. Dip the chicken first in the arrowroot, then eggs, then coconut mixture and place in air fryer basket.

3. Cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flip and cook another 6.

Roasted Beet, Orange, and Avocado Salad, by Cheryl

This is a great start to any meal! I actually roasted the beets the first time I made it, but used canned beets for other times and it was still great. I put it on a bed of arugula to get some greens in. The recipe is from the Whole 30 cookbook. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 medium beets
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 orange, halved, one half zested and juiced, the other peeled and cut into segments
salt and pepper
1 avocado, diced
Extra greens (optional)


Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425. Rinse the beets thoroughly and stab all sides with a fork. Oil the beets and place in tin foil pinching the top to create a seal. Roast for 35 minutes, or until tender.

2) Remove the skins from the beets. Dice the beets into one inch pieces and place in serving bowl.

3) In a small bowl, combine the 1 tbsp EVOO, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, orange juice, salt, and pepper, and whisk until combined.

4) Add the orange segments and avocado to the beets. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle in orange zest, toss to coat, and serve.

Stuffed Acorn Squash, by Cheryl

First post of 2020! Woohoo! This meal was like having a spoonful of Thanksgiving in each bite! It was soooo delicious and sooo comforting! And obviously healthy and hearty! The recipe is from Paleo Running Momma who has many scrumptious Paleo and Whole 30 meals. The recipe is whole 30 compliant and absolutely a favorite. I'll definitely be making it again. Yum!

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
1 tsp coconut oil or ghee
1 lb pork sausage (I used compliant chicken apple sausage)
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small apple, diced
1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup raw pecans, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish if desired

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and strings. Brush each half with some coconut oil or melted ghee. Roast top down (I do top up) for 25 minutes.

2) While the squash roasts, prepare the stuffing. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with ghee. Add the sausage, breaking up the lumps so it all cooks evenly. Once browned, remove from heat. Leave the fat in the skillet.

3) Add the onions and celery and soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4) Add the diced apples, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

5) Add the dried cranberries, pecans, and browned sausage to the pan. Lower heat to medium low and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

6) Preheat the broiler. Scoop the sausage mix into each of the acorn squash halves. Broil until the tops of the stuffing are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh minced parsley.