Baked Eggs, by Cheryl

I'm sick of peeling hard boiled eggs. Day 23 of Whole 30 is here and I no longer have the time or patience. So I decided to bake them in a muffin tin. Easy peasy and tastes the same! And you can adjust the time based on if you want runny or hard yolks. I chose hard yolks since it's easier to eat on the go. Quick, healthy, and easy! Yum!

Ingredients:

12 eggs

avocado or coconut oil spray

salt, pepper, or any other spices you want to add on

Directions: 

1) Preheat the oven to 350.

2) Crack each egg into its own muffin tin with silicone holder. 

3) Bake for 20 minutes for hard yolks.

4) Sprinkle with what ever you want! In addition to salt I used Herbes de Provence.

Tuscan Garlic Shrimp, by Cheryl

Another winner from Paleo Running Momma! This was fairly easy to make and was really good! I had mine over cauliflower rice and Jon had his over some roasted potatoes, both which were good options! Yum! 

Ingredients: 

1lb medium shrimp, deveined, peeled

sea salt and black pepper

2 tbsp ghee

1 small onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp tapioca flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup full fat coconut milk

1/2 tbsp mustard

1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast

1.4 tsp Italian seasoning blend

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 cups baby spinach

chopped parsley for garnish 

Directions:

1) Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add ghee to medium high heat skillet and melt. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes per side. Plate and set aside. 

2) Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for one minute. Whisk in the tapioca, then add the chicken broth and coconut milk, scraping the bottom of the skillet. Stir to combine, then add the mustard, nutritional yeast, and italian seasoning. Cook and stir over medium heat until it starts to thicken, then add salt and pepper for taste. 

3) Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook until softened, then add the spinach to wilt. Return the shrimp to the skillet and stir, then sprinkle all over with parsley. Serve over cauliflower rice or zoodles. 

Pork Floss and Seaweed Pull-Apart Rolls, by Diane

 

I have been following a chef on Instagram, Kristina Cho, and she just published a cookbook called Mooncakes and Milkbread which is full of recipes for sweet and savory Chinese pastries. It's the first time I've looked at a baking challenge and thought I'd like to try making them, plus I love Asian bakeries. Yesterday it was a snow day here, and I thought what a great way to fill the day by making this recipe, which I've had my eye on for a while. Her cookbook is backordered, but this recipe was published in Bon Appétit. 

I was floored that these came out so well. I had several moments where I was sure I messed up the dough, including yeast that didn't ferment in milk causing me to borrow milk from a neighbor during the storm, and not having a stand mixer so not being sure how long to mix the dough by hand. These tasted WAY better than any one I've had in a Chinese bakery, which also really surprised me! This is partly due to her famous milkbread recipe, which is soft and pillowy and just slightly sweet. Overall, these made 8 craveable and super fun rolls, and I had been anticipating they wouldn't be so good but here we all are trapped in the house together...

I did a few things differently than her recipe- I used a shrimp flavored furikake because I like the way pork and shrimp go together (in the end I couldn't taste the shrimp but everything blended so well!). I also had some leftover fried garlic and onion from an Indonesian recipe so sprinkle that on top as well with the sesame seeds- definitely a great addition. 

I can't say enough about what a surprise hit these were, so savory and sweet and the dough was just soft and pillowy and comforting. I would definitely make these again, for when more people were in the house... I also loved the freeze and reheat instructions! FYI, this recipe takes about 5-5.5 hours to complete from start to finish.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup milk, divided (I had to use half and half here since my first batch didn't ferment and it was fine)

2 tbsp plus 2 2/3 bread flour, divided, plus some for flouring surface

1 tsp active dry yeast

A pinch plus 1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp diamond crystal or 1/4 tsp morton kosher salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

1 tsp vegetable oil

Filling/Assembly:

1/2 cup Kewpie mayo

1 cup pork floss

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

2 tbsp furikake

Nonstick cooking spray

1 large egg

1 tbsp milk or heavy cream

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

(I also added 2 tsp fried garlic and onion bits)

Directions:

1. Cook 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp bread flour in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly until thickened into a paste 2-3 min (mine never did so I added a bit more flour). Transfer this mixture, called tangzhong, to a small bowl and let sit until warm (should resemble mashed potatoes), 5-10 min. 

2. Bring remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp milk to a gentle rolling simmer over medium heat. Pour milk into a small bowl and let cool until warm to the touch (110 degrees). Stir in yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit until foamy, 5-10 min. (I had to sprinkle and stir the yeast in as my first batch clumped).

3. Combine egg, salt, remaining 2 2/3 cup bread flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer w dough hook. Add in tangzhong and yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Add 1 piece of butter at at time, mixing until incorporated, then increase speed to medium high until dough is tacky and slightly sticky about 8-10 min. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, wet hands and form into a ball. (I just used my hands for all of these steps until it formed a tight ball and was a bit sticky). 

4. Coat a large bowl with oil and turn the dough until all sides are covered in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm draft free spot for about 2 hours until doubled in size. 

5. Roll dough on a floured surface to 18x10". Spread mayo over dough, then sprinkle pork floss, scallions, and furikake. Roll it up lengthwise into a tight log and pinch the ends and remove. Turning log seam side down, cut into 8 equal pieces.

6. Coat a 10" diameter cake pan with cooking spray, arrange rolls leaving a small gap between each one. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours in a warm draft free place.

7. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk egg and 1 tbsp milk/cream in a bowl and lightly brush the tops with this mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the tops (and garlic/onions if using).

8. Bake for 28 min until golden brown (I needed maybe another 3). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool in pan until warm.

9. If storing, chill in airtight container in fridge (warm at 300 degrees until warmed through about 5 min or 30-45 sec in microwave) or freezer (bake 350 for 10-15 min).

Uzbek Plov, by Diane

 

This weekend thanks to Covid our plans got cancelled and we were stuck at home, so my friend and I resumed our virtual Cooking through the Countries series and picked Uzbekistan. Plov is the classic Uzbek dish of meat and rice, and having had it before at a local restaurant I was excited to make this! Traditionally it's made with lamb, but I used beef here. This was really warming, and very tasty. 

The instructions for cooking the rice wound up being incorrect for both of us, so I'm writing what we did here as well to correct it. We also added more salt throughout the cooking process and changed the garlic instructions, and were glad we did both. All our notes are in the recipe below.

Overall through this series we have learned that pretty much every country has a meat and rice dish, and that rice is very hard to cook with all the different methods! Both of us said we would make this again, and my friend used chicken and said it also was great! 

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless lamb cut into 3 inch pieces (I used beef stew meat for ease here)

2 cups basmati rice

4 garlic heads, whole (we used 2 but think 3 would be great), washed and top trimmed off to expose cloves

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large onions, sliced thinly

5 large carrots, coarsely grated

2 tbsp each cumin and coriander seeds

1/2 cup fresh barberries (I subbed currants)

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

2 cups boiling water

2 tbsp salt (we used more)

Directions:

1. Cover rice in a bowl with warm water and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or skillet over high heat until smoking. Salt the meat, then add to pot, browning on each side. 

3. Stir in onions with a sprinkle of salt, cooking for 10 minutes until brown and soft.

4. Stir in carrots, cooking for 10 minutes until soft.

5. Stir in cumin seeds, coriander seeds, barberries and peppercorns. Stir in a pinch of salt and mix well. Add garlic heads face down on the bottom of the pan (this part was my addition and it worked well to caramelize the garlic). Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for 30 min. (We shortened the cooking time for beef to 20 and chicken by 15).

6. Wash and drain the rice until water is clear in hot water. Pour the drained rice in an even layer over meat mixture, then cover with boiling water about 3/4 inch and do not stir. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of salt and reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 20 min until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

*note- this method did not work for us, so we would either do this for 10 min then stir together and cook until the rice is soft, or mix all together from the start. Our water did not cover the rice by 3/4 of an inch either, and we both thought we might increase the liquid by .5 cup.

7. Stir everything together at the end, adjust for seasonings, and serve with garlic heads on top.

*note- we squeezed the roasted garlic out and stirred this in too, it made it taste great!

Classic Deviled Eggs, by Diane

 

A photo of my snack lunches from last week!

This week I wanted a healthy lunch of a mix of things, and I had a carton of eggs just staring at me, so I made this classic deviled eggs recipe. They were very good and easy, and tasted great with my new smoked spanish paprika from Penzey's. 

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

1 tsp dijon

1-2 dashes tabasco (I left this out)

Salt, to taste

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tbsp snipped fresh chives (I couldn't find these at the store)

3 tbsp mayo

Paprika and whole chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, then cover and remove from heat for 10-12 min. 

2. Peel under cool water and let sit in fridge for 15 min. 

3. Halve the eggs lengthwise, scoop out yolks, and mash with a fork.

4. Add in all ingredients except garnishes, combine well and fill egg whites.

5. Garnish and enjoy

Sweet Potato Hash, by Cheryl

Easy, basic, and healthy! This breakfast (or lunch or dinner!) hash complimented my sunny side up eggs and bacon! Whole 30 approved. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato, scrubbed and chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper

ghee

Directions:

1) Add ghee into a medium skillet. When melted add onions and peppers and cook until translucent. Some brown bits are good too! Set aside. 

2) Add more ghee and add the sweet potatoes. Stir to coat. Cover and cook about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and peppers back in and stir. Enjoy with eggs and bacon or sausage! 

Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, by Cheryl

This meal was delicious!!! I went to Paleo Running Momma and it all came together after I realized I didn't have a plan for tonight! Every bite had a punch of flavor and it was fairly quick to make. I did make a couple of changes - I used spinach instead of kale since that's what I had, I boiled the chicken and shredded it afterward, and I used pre-made Primal Kitchen ranch dressing instead of making my own. Below is the modified recipe. I'm definitely making this one again. Yum!

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed

coconut oil and salt (for baking the potatoes)

1lb chicken breast, skinless and boneless

2 large handfuls of spinach, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ghee

Chipotle sauce:

1/3 avocado oil or olive oil

2.5 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

cilantro and ranch to serve

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425. Rub sweet potatoes with coconut oil and sprinkle sea salt on them. Pierce with a fork to let the steam out. Bake for 1 hour. 

2) Boil the chicken. 

3) While chicken and potatoes cook heat a skillet over medium heat and add ghee. Add chopped onion and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. 

4) Add the chopped spinach, sprinkle with salt, stir, and cook until wilted. Lower heat to avoid burning.

5) Whisk the spices together in a bowl with the lime juice. Slowly pour in the avocado oil while stirring until fully combined. Set aside. 

6) Shred the cooked chicken with two forks, then add it to the spinach mixture. Give the sauce a whisk and pour it over the chicken and spinach. Heat the skillet to medium and cook, stirring until coated and heated through. 

7) Cut each sweet potato in half and divide the chicken mixture amongst the potatoes. Top with ranch and garnish with cilantro. 

Creamed Spinach Chicken, by Cheryl

Day 11 of Whole30! I have been loving the recipes from Paleo Running Momma and that is where this one came from. It is creamy, filling, delicious, and Whole30 compliant. Yum! 

Ingredients: 

1.5lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

sea salt and pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 tbsp olive oil or ghee, divided

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz almond milk cream cheese

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

8 oz baby spinach

Directions:

1) Season the chicken with salt and pepper and all the spices. 

2) Heat a large skillet with ghee over medium heat. Once hot add the chicken in a single layer and cook on for 6-7 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. 

3) Lower the heat and add oil or ghee. Add the onions and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in the cream cheese, broth, lemon juice, and mustard. Stir in the nutritional yeast. Whisk well until combined. 

4) Stir in the spinach and cook until it wilts, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and let simmer for one minute, then remove from heat and serve immediately. 

Potato Skins Whole30 Style, by Cheryl

I was really excited to try this recipe. I LOVE loaded potato skins so when I came across this recipe from Paleo Running Momma I was psyched! So I can't compare these to regular potato skins... they just can't compare. But they do the trick in regards to taste and keeping it Whole30. I did make one mistake. I was supposed to leave a thin layer of potato in the skin and I took the whole thing out! So if I made them again I would add this step back in because it would have added to the flavor. They were definitely a delicious side with our dinner tonight! Yum! 

Ingredients:

4 large Russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried well

Coconut oil

Package of compliant bacon

8 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped

2 medium onions, sliced thin

Ghee

Salt

Compliant Ranch dressing

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2) Coat each potato with a little coconut oil and salt. Bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes. 

3) Meanwhile, caramelize the onions. Heat a medium skillet over low heat and add ghee. Add in onions and add salt. Stir. Keep on heat for 25 minutes and stir occasionally. 

4) Cook the bacon. Reserve the bacon fat.

5) Coat the broccoli in bacon fat. Roast at 400 for 15 minutes. 

6) Once potatoes are done, allow to cool, then cut in half and scoop out insides except for a thin layer. 

7) Using a pastry brush, coat the insides with the bacon fat. Sprinkle with salt. 

8) Place face up in oven and broil for 5 minutes. Turn skins over and broil another five minutes. 

9) Fill each potato skin with onions, broccoli, and bacon. Drizzle some ranch dressing on it. Serve immediately. 

Sunshine sauce, by Cheryl

We have embarked on our third Whole 30 journey. While we have bought some whole 30 approved sauces and dressings, we decided to make this one. We've used this as a dip for raw veggies, but I think it would be excellent as a topping for chicken! This is a good dipping option and tastes great. Yum!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sunflower seed butter

Juice of one lime

1 tbsp coconut aminos

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

1) Mix all of the ingredients together in a sealable container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.