Ingredients:
3 cups French style green beans
1/2 cup basil
8 leaves sage
1/4 cup evoo
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 small cloves garlic
Pinch of pepper
1 tsp salt
1/4 lemon, juiced
Directions:
1. Toss the green beans in evoo and pop them in the air fryer at 400 for 8 minutes, then 350 for 2-3 more minutes.
2. While the beans cook, combine remaining ingredients in a blender and adjust seasonings to taste.
Ingredients:
3 medium delicata squash
2 large shallots, peeled and left whole
EVOO
Salt and pepper
3 chicken apple sausage links, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 pack sliced shiitake mushrooms
5-6 cups kale
2 sprigs sage leaves, rough chopped
1/2 cup chestnuts, roasted and diced (I subbed in walnuts bc my store didn’t have them yet)
8 basil leaves
1/2 cup champagne vinegar (I subbed acv)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey (I subbed date syrup)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Optional: chicken bone broth, crumbled goat cheese
Directions:
1. Set oven to 350. Slice the squash horizontally and scoop out the seeds and innards (save some of the seeds). Brush the squash with evoo, salt and pepper, and roast on baking sheets dome side up for 25 min or until golden.
2. In the same oven, place the whole peeled shallots and squash seeds on another baking tray. Coat with evoo, and roast until golden brown (15-20 min).
3. While the squash roasts, add evoo to a large skillet at medium high heat. Cook the sausage and onions until the onions are translucent. Add in mushrooms and sage.
4. Add kale to the pan and stir until it wilts. If needed, add some broth to the pan to deglaze.
5. Combine basil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and 1/2 cup evoo in a blender with the cooled shallots until smooth and creamy.
6. Assemble the squash boats by adding the sausage filling, then sprinkling chestnuts, pomegranate seeds, squash seeds, and goat cheese. Drizzle with the shallot dressing.
Ingredients:
6 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 cup diced bacon, cooked
1/8 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup red grapes, sliced horizontally (I didn’t have these)
1/2 cup cashews or almond slices
1 cup mayo
6 dates, soaked in hot water
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Directions:
1. Mix broccoli through nuts in a large bowl.
2. Blend remaining ingredients until smooth, mix in.
Ingredients:
1.5 lb chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 can green beans
1 can sliced carrots
1 can white potatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can coconut milk
1 can chicken broth
3 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup ghee
1 tsp poultry seasoning
Directions:
1. Put chicken and veggies in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Mix coconut milk through salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until simmering.
4. Add the arrowroot powder in a small bowl with 1 tbsp water and mix well, pour into pot.
5. Let simmer 10 min until thickened, pour over chicken mixture.
6. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl until a dough is formed. Make small balls and put on top of the casserole.
7. Bake for 35 min until the top is golden.
This was a really unique dish! The secret to the taste is Szechuan peppercorns, which taste peppery, lemony, and also make your mouth tingle in a funny way. I wound up taking them out after a few bites, because I liked the dish ok it’s own without the tingling. Contrary to how it looks, it’s actually not spicy- the Chinese dried red chili’s also add an interesting flavor without the heat. This recipe comes together FAST so make sure you have all your ingredients prepped like it says in the recipe. Also- this is the most perfectly cooked shrimp I’ve ever made- what a difference!
Ingredients:
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tbsp coconut oil (she suggests avocado but I didn’t have it)
1/8 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 garlic powder
.25 oz ginger, minced (I used about 1.5 inches)
.5 oz garlic, minced (I used 5 small cloves)
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
4 red dried Chinese chili peppers (if you want heat, crack them open first, otherwise leave them whole)
4 scallions, sliced white and green parts
1/4 lb green beans, chopped (this was supposed to be 1 green bell pepper but I can’t have peppers on this protocol, and the green beans were amazing!)
3 tbsp cashews, toasted
2 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp arrowroot powder
1 tsp Szechuan chili oil (I couldn’t find this so I omitted it)
Directions:
1. Butterfly the backs of the shrimp by making a shallow incision down the back (don’t cut all the way through). Place in a bowl with white pepper and garlic powder and set in the fridge.
2. While the shrimp chills, assemble the ginger through chili’s on one plate, and the scallions and green beans on another. Have your cashews on a third plate/bowl.
3. Mix together the final 4 ingredients, whisking well to combine and set aside.
4. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. When the pan shimmers, add the shrimp in a single layer and cook one minute each side. Remove and set aside.
5. In the same pan, add remaining 2 tbsp oil and add in ginger through chili’s, cook for 10 seconds.
6. Turn the heat to medium high and add scallions and green beans, cook for another 10 seconds.
7. Add back the shrimp and cashews, cook another 10 seconds and add sauce, stirring well for another 10 seconds. Serve hot.
This recipe came from a friend who got me into dehydrating (and actually gave me my dehydrator for my birthday!). This could not be easier! And again, the house smelled absolutely amazing all day!
Ingredients:
Apples (ideally a sweeter one like gala)
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Directions:
1. Slice apples evenly on a mandolin and remove seeds.
2. Arrange in an even layer and sprinkle with seasonings.
3. Dehydrate at 158 for 5.5 hours.
Growing up, I loved egg drop soup! But I didn’t realize until I began traveling that the thick gelatinous consistency of egg drop soup I was used to is actually the Chinese-American version. The authentic Chinese version is a bit thinner, with whisps of eggs rather than big chunks. The Chinese version also has a lot more aromatics like ginger, scallion, and sesame oil.
This was seriously easy to whip up, and tastes as good as any authentic Chinese restaurant I’ve had! I’ll definitely keep this on rotation for winter.
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in
Coarse sea salt
1 tbsp avocado oil (I used coconut)
4 scallions, bulbs separated from stems
1/2 inch ginger, sliced into coins
6 cups chicken bone broth
2 tbsp soy sauce (coconut aminos for Whole30)
2 tbsp cornstarch (arrowroot powder for Whole30)
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp water
4 eggs
Toasted sesame oil
Directions:
1. Pat the chicken dry and rub with some salt.
2. Heat a large soup pot to medium high heat. Add in oil and chicken thighs. Sear for 3 min per side.
3. Crush the scallion bulbs with a knife and add them into the pot along with ginger.
4. Add in broth and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 min.
5. While the soup cooks, make a slurry of cornstarch/arrowroot, pepper, turmeric, and water. Set aside.
6. Whisk the eggs in a measuring cup and set aside.
7. After 20 min, discard the scallion bulbs and ginger. Remove the chicken and shred the meat, add back to the pot.
8. Taste and season the broth, adding in soy sauce/aminos.
9. Add the slurry slowly and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Make sure to stir the slurry before you add it as it will separate.
10. Using a pair of chopsticks or a fork, constantly stir the soup at the same time as you pour the eggs in a slow stream from high above. Leave the eggs to sit for a few seconds after this is done, then break up lightly with chopsticks.
11. Serve hot topped with sliced scallion tops and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Ingredients:
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 egg
1/2 red onion, diced small
1/4 cup cilantro, rough chopped without stems
Bibb lettuce cups
Avocado oil spray
For the batter:
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 black pepper
For the sauce:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 cup mayo
Directions:
1. Whisk the egg in a shallow bowl, set aside.
2. Mix the batter ingredients with a fork until combined in a small bowl, set aside.
3. Dry the shrimp, dip first in egg, then in batter until fully coated. Place evenly spread out in a air fryer (spray the air fryer with cooking spray first).
4. Spray the tops of the shrimp with avocado oil (I have found this oil gets the food most crispy!).
5. Cook at 380 for 8 minutes, flipping halfway and spraying again with avocado oil.
6. Mix together sauce ingredients until smooth, and adjust seasonings as needed.
7. Arrange the lettuce cups with shrimp, sauce, and top with red onion and cilantro.
Ingredients:
Pears, sliced thinly and evenly with a mandolin
Cinnamon
Allspice
Ginger
Directions:
1. Place the pears on a dehydrator rack spaced apart. Remove all seeds and stems.
2. Sprinkle 2 parts cinnamon to one part ginger and allspice (these two are stronger than cinnamon and I didn’t want them to overpower the flavor) over the pears.
3. Dehydrate at 158 for 10 hours, or until hard when completed (they should break when you bend them). Store in an airtight container, preferably a glass one.
Ingredients:
1 cup arugula
1 cup basil
1/4 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup evoo (I also added a splash of truffle oil here
Salt and pepper
Directions: Blend all ingredients together and adjust as needed.
This is my second week of an anti-inflammatory and Whole30 protocol, and I am pretty limited on what I can eat. As part of a running theme in which I was determined to eat something other than just chicken and steamed veggies, I decided to get creative. I made my first cauliflower crust, without cheese like most of the recipes called for (this recipe used coconut flour as the binder). I also had to get creative with the bbq sauce, as I can’t have sugar or tomatoes. I love Georgia mustard bbq sauce with pork at my fave bbq joint, and so I sought to recreate it here on this pizza.
This was absolutely outstanding!! This sauce was a hit and would be great on pretty much anything. It was also incredibly filling for being a cauliflower crust. Definitely a winner!!
For the sauce:
1 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar (I subbed date syrup)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp butter (I subbed ghee)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I subbed a mix of the main ingredients of tamarind paste, coconut aminos, and cloves)
1 tsp each salt, black pepper, celery seed, Tabasco sauce
For the crust:
2.5 cups riced cauliflower, cooked and cooled to room temp
1 egg
2 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano (I omitted this since it wasn’t an Italian pizza)
Toppings:
2 cups shredded pork
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 small handful cilantro, rough chopped
Directions:
1. Mix all the bbq ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10 min. Combine with pork and set aside.
2. Strain the cauliflower with a tea towel until all liquid is removed, and combine with remaining crust ingredients.
3. Preheat oven to 425.
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and spread the cauliflower mixture out into a rough circle (don’t go thinner than 1/4 inch or it will break apart). Bake for 15-20 min or until golden brown on top.
5. Remove from oven, top with pork and onions, bake for another 10 min or until onions begin to cook.
6. Remove from oven and top with cilantro.
The French Herbal required herbes de Provence, which Cheryl introduced me to a long time ago and so I had on hand, but I had to make part of it from scratch because the herbes de Provence in this recipe was much more comprehensive than what was in my jar. No complaints- it came out better than my jar of herbes de Provence by a landslide (looking at you, Cher!).
The French Herbal won because it was so complex and had so many different tastes as you ate the steak. The standout flavor was fennel, which I was surprised by given all the ingredients in it, and definitely would not have thought it paired well with steak! The Smoky Chocolate Coffee rub was deep and dark with a hint of heat, but I’m not sure I’d pick this one over the French Herbal one again! Overall this was an easy way to make a dinner unique and fun!
Ps- the directions for both rubs include massaging the rubs into the meat ahead of time, ideally a few hours, and then bringing the meat to room temp before cooking.
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp herbes de Provence (1 tbsp dried fennel seeds, 2 tbsp dried rosemary, 1/4 cup dried thyme, 3 tbsp dried marjoram, 3 tbsp dried summer savory, 1 tbsp dried tarragon, 1 tbsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp dried chervil, 1 tsp dried lavender)
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp allspice
Smoky Chocolate Coffee Rub:
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp ground espresso
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Ps- I cheated and used ground pork to save time/money rather than pork tenderloin, and it was still amazing!
Ingredients:
2 jalapeños, blackened (I used 1/4 of one and didn’t blacken it)
1 16 oz can diced green chiles, hatch chiles preferred
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
6 tomatillos (about 2 cups rough chopped)
1 tbsp oil
2 lb pork tenderloin, cubed (I used 1 lb ground pork)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, diced (I kept skins on)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
6 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup coconut milk
Directions:
1. In a blender, combine jalapeño, chili peppers, tomatillos, and cilantro until chunky. Set aside.
2. In a large soup pot, add oil and pork to the pan, cooking 7 minutes until browned (for the ground pork I just cooked until done).
3. Add in the garlic, onion, potatoes, bell pepper, and seasonings and cook for another 7 minutes.
4. Add in the chicken broth and pepper mix and stir to combine, bring to a boil for 5 minutes and then turn down to simmer for 30 min.
5. Add in the coconut milk and adjust seasonings, garnish with extra cilantro.
The trick for the cake brownie is to keep it dense, but not fudgy like a traditional brownie. I did some research and found this recipe which was very highly reviewed! The result came out exactly like at the restaurant, which allowed us to keep the tradition alive!
Note: I learned that self-rising flour is simply flour with salt and baking powder (1.5 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt per each cup of flour)! This is part of what makes it a cake brownie.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup self rising flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour a 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar, then add in eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding the walnuts last, and pour into the pan.
3. Bake for 25-30 min or until edges are firm.
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| I need a clear glass mug! |
Ingredients:
Half gallon of apple cider
A few star anises
A few cinnamon sticks
Maybe a tablespoon of whole cloves (that was my plan, but didn't have any so I used ground and you really couldn't tell the difference)
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
Darker alcohol like bourbon or dark rum (I used a dark rum)
Directions:
1) Put everything except the alcohol in a pot on medium high heat. Reduce to low once it starts simmering. Keep on stove for about 2 hours to let the flavors meld together.
2) Add the alcohol, mix, and serve!
