Whole 30 Archives - Page 2 of 4

Greek Meatballs

Meatballs are seriously my jam! I’ve never met a meatball I didn’t like, and these are certainly no exception! I am always pleased to have a stocked pantry of spices to throw something delicious together like these Greek meatballs without any hassle.

Raw Meat for Greek Meatballs Whole 30 Greek Meatballs Whole 30 Paleo Keto on Baking Sheet

These are perfect to enjoy with my Cauliflower Tabouli to make a complete meal. But you could also always serve these as an appetizer with my tzatziki sauce and have a healthy Whole 30 and Paleo compliant choice at a gathering! This travels great as well and almost always makes our menu for parties, tailgates, or just when we want have some Greek inspired food in our life (which is always).

Whole 30 Keto Paleo Meatballs Dipped Tzatziki Sauce

Yields about 18 meatballs

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (I use grass fed and grass finished)
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1 clove of garlic
1/2 Tbsp kalamata olive brine (optional)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped roughly
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped roughly
1 tsp of dried chives
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. My beef usually retains a lot of liquid and adding the brine also creates nice liquid. If you do not have extra liquid in yours, you could always add some oil or an egg. It helps keep the meatballs juicy and avoids dry meatballs
Form small to medium meatballs onto a baking dish
Cook in oven for 22 minutes
Turn oven temperature up to 425 degree F and allow the meatballs to bake another 5 minutes. This creates a crispy top of the meatballs. (Optional step)
Enjoy with my cauliflower tabouli and tzatziki sauce

Whole 30 Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Pepper

I think most of my inspiration for developing recipes comes from a longing to have old flavors I used to enjoy in a different way. For instance, I used to LOVE the chicken bacon ranch sub from Subway. In my first few years in college, I think I ate one once a week. When I stopped eating majority of all fast food because the processed junk upset my stomach, the desire for the flavors didn’t go away.

So here I am wondering how I can recreate this taste of my beloved chicken bacon ranch sub. For once, it didn’t make sense to put this on cauli-rice or some form of zucchini. But a stuffed pepper could really do the trick! And here we are. Trust me on this one, you can mend your cravings with this and know that you are still fueling your body with nourishing, whole foods!

Ingredients:

1 lb Shredded Chicken

4 strips of whole 30 compliant bacon, I used Pederson’s farms (link)

4 bell peppers

4 cups of cauliflower, riced

1/2 tsp of pink Himalayan salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 cup of my homemade ranch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400
Boil chicken in water for 25 minutes. Pull out and pull apart with two forks.
Rice and saute your cauliflower for 5 minutes until soft
Cut the tops off of the peppers so you can easily stuff them
Mix together ingredients for dressing
Mix together the chicken, cauli rice, and half of the ranch dressing
Stuff peppers with cauli rice and chicken
Place peppers in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes to soften the peppers to desired liking.
Pour remaining ranch on the peppers and enjoy!

Bolognese Sauce

Long gone are the days of sauce from a can. Especially when complaint sauce has been upwards of $9.00 lately! Sure, there is some convenience to buying your sauces and dressings but it is SO easy and simple to make a great tasting sauce at home with just a few fresh ingredients.

I do not have any Italian roots in my family, but that doesn’t stop me from craving a really great, homemade sauce. There is something so comforting about a sauce simmering on the stove all day. And sometimes I really just don’t want to make meatballs. So this Bolognese sauce is perfect for those days when you want the comfort without all the effort.

While this sauce certainly gets better with time spent on the stove, you can always shorten it into a quick, 30 minute meal for a week night. The fresh basil and parsley heighten the flavor depth in no time. Perfect to serve over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (I use grass fed and grass finished)
I package of white or cremona mushrooms, chopped finely
1 medium onion, chopped
28 oz marinara sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp of fresh parsley, chopped
1 package of basil, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:

Brown the beef in a large pan or cast iron skillet with salt and pepper
Add the onion and mushrooms and allow to soften
Add garlic – this burns quickly so stir continuously and move quickly in the next steps
Add marinara sauce, and fresh herbs
Let the sauce come to a boil and then simmer for at least 30 minutes.
This certainly gets better with time and age
Serve over zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash

Korean Barbecue Stir Fry

This Korean stir fry takes your average stir fry dish to the next level! The sauce alone is so good that I usually frozen veggies with this as a short cut! You can certainly use fresh veggies instead, but I always try to find time savers anywhere I can without scarfing taste and flavor.

This one dish wonder (who doesn’t love a one dish meal?!?) is perfect for any weeknight meal as it comes together in no time at all! You could easily leave out a few of the ingredients to make it Whole 30, such as the honey. Make sure you check your labels with the chili paste as well!

Ingredients:

1 lb flank steak or top round steak

2 packages of frozen stir fry veggies (or desired fresh veggies, such as snap peas, broccoli, red peppers, carrots, celery)

2 Tbsp of Coconut Aminos

1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Chili Paste

1 Tbsp of Honey (optional)

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp of ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp almond butter

Scallions for toppings

Directions:

Cut your steak or meat in desired sizes. I like to cube mine into 1.5 inch cuts
In a cast iron or grill pan, sear meat for 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through
Remove steak from heat and allow to set on a plate for later
Add frozen veggies or fresh – whatever you decide. If you are using frozen veggies it may create more liquid than if you are just using fresh. Depending on your preference, you may want to dump some water.
Let them cook for about 10 minutes (or until fully cooked)
Turn your heat down to low if it was above
Add the coconut aminos, sesame oil, chili paste, honey, and seasonings
Make a little whole in the center of the veggies and add the almond butter to it. Utilize the liquid that the veggies released to thin your almond butter and create a sauce.
Mix this all together until you have desired consistency. You can add some coconut aminos if it is too thick for your liking.
Add the steak back in and let all the flavors come together for 2 minutes
Serve with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice

Steak Power Bowl

It seems like bowls are all the fad lately. Power bowls, smoothie bowls, burrito bowls…you get the idea. Not sure how I missed the memo for so long but now that I’ve hopped on board, I totally get the appeal!

Bowls are such a great way to pack protein, veggies, and your needed carbs and fat in a neat package. If you are not a huge meal prep person, bowls are key for you. Just cook a few different kinds of protein and veggies and mix and match all week long. This especially helps if you get sick of the same thing day after day.

First thing you want to do is pick a base. I usually go for spinach or messaged kale. Next grab your protein – I love to do steak but chicken or pork would work too depending on what you have on hand.

Next, choose a hearty vegetable like sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or brussel sprouts. If you do well with grains you could add brown rice or quinoa as well.

Now it’s time to make it pretty with the finishing touches. I think broccolini or asparagus not only taste delicious but add a great texture to the bowl. I love to then top it off with bright colors or pickled onions or tomatoes. And of course we can’t forget about the sauce, because that’ what we’re all here for, right? I love to add some avocado, creamy ranch, mayo, or tahini dressing (below) to finish the bowl off right.

Ingredients:
4 ounces of steak, cubed and cooked to desired wellness
1 cup spinach
1 sweet potato, cubed
4 – 5 sticks of broccolini
1/2 cup of pickled onions
Sesame seeds
1/2 avocado

Tahini Lemon Dressing Ingredients:
2 Tbsp of tahini
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of water to thin it out to your desired consistency. Start with a tbsp and go from there!
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper

Directions:

Cook steak – I used Butcher Box sirloin steak
Bake sweet potatoes at 400 degree F for 30 minutes
Bake broccolini in oven at 400 degree F for 15 minutes
Combine lemon tahini dressing ingredients
Add all ingredients in the bowl and enjoy

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Anyone else ever have a love affair with PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps?? Just me?

Whenever there is an appetizer at a restaurant involving lettuce wraps I’m always interested. However, sometimes even when something appears healthy, there are so many hidden ingredients that you may not really want to be consuming. Which is why asking questions is always key. If you feel uncomfortable asking right there, call ahead! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and they are usually super nice and helpful. Just make sure you aren’t calling at a super busy time.

So yet again, I find myself inspired to create things I’ve loved in my past life in a healthy way. These are so simple and light to throw together for a quick dinner. Even better to have as a starter or appetizer at your own get together! The best part is that are no secret ingredients hiding in there that may upset your stomach or have negative side effects on your health.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1 head of lettuce for wraps
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cups of cremini mushrooms, diced
3 stalks of green onion, chopped
1/4 cup of coconut aminos
1 tbsp rice vinegar (read your labels!)
2 tbsp of sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger

Directions:

Brown ground chicken in large frying pan
Add onion, red pepper, and mushrooms
Let veggies soften, draining some water if it does not evaporate
Add coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and spices in the dish and let flavors combine
Cut head of lettuce in fourths to make a bed for the chicken mixture to lay in
Garnish with green onion

Strawberry Vinaigrette

There is something that happens to your taste buds when you switch from a Standard American Diet (SAD) to a whole foods based diet. I NEVER wanted fruit on my salads before. I even remember when I was younger I couldn’t imagine eating strawberries without dumping loads of sugar on them first.

Thinking back on that is so wild to me because strawberries have so much flavor to me now! There are perfectly sweet just the way they are. In so many ways I am glad I went on this journey from a pretty terrible diet to a whole foods based diet because it makes you so much more appreciative of food in its natural state.

I love to enjoy this dressing in my food freedom with some goat cheese, onion, and almond salad. It really heightens the dish and is perfect for gathering as it brings so much color to the table.

1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tbsp of avocado oil
2 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp of sherry vinegar
8 small strawberries

Directions:

Add oil in a sauce pan on medium heat
Add the shallots and allow to cook until softened
Add garlic and let cook for another 2 minutes
Place pan mixture in an immersion blender friendly container and add vinegars and strawberries
Note: you can really get creative and use any kind of vinegar mixture. I’ve used red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, try a few out! Even switch this up with raspberries or other fruit as well.
Blend together with immersion blender and allow to cool before serving

Yields about 1 cup

Italian Dressing

I always say a salad is only a couple tablespoons of dressing away from being unhealthy. Unfortunately so many of the “healthy” choices in restaurants are salads, which are topped in multiple different cheeses, croutons, and tons of dressing. Unfortunately many of these dressings and dressings found in the grocery store are filled with unhealthy oils such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, or safflower oil that is highly processed.

Our attempt of making a healthy choice is stripped right from us without most people knowing. Or at least knowing to what extent the damage those oils can do on your body.

There are definitely more options that are Paleo and Whole 30 compliant that are certainly great for convenience. I would be careful though, as many of those are still made with oils that aren’t great for us to consume on the regular.

I almost always make my own dressings these days. It’s not difficult, you can double or triple a batch for the week, and you can control what is going in your body. In my opinion, these are also wayyy tastier than those factory made dressings.

Ingredients:
1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tbsp of avocado oil
2 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp of sherry vinegar

Directions:

Add oil in a sauce pan on medium heat
Add the shallots and allow to cook until softened
Add garlic and let cook for another 2 minutes
Place pan mixture in an immersion blender friendly container and add vinegars
Note: you can really get creative and use any kind of vinegar mixture. I’ve used red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, try a few out!
Blend together with immersion blender and allow to cool before serving

Yields about 1/2 cup

Sonoma Chicken Salad on Collard Green Wrap

There is something so delicious and fresh about Sonoma chicken salads. Most store bought versions though are full of so much junk and things I can’t even pronounce. Convenience is always great but not at the expense of crap ingredients, especially when something like this can come together in a matter of minutes.

If I am going for convenience, I try to take short cuts by buying rotisserie chicken or a store bought dressing that has clean ingredients. You can also double this and bulk it up for a weeks worth of quick, clean eating. I absolutely love putting a heaping scoop of this inside a collard green and making a fun wrap. Great for traveling as well!

Ingredients:
1 lb of shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
1 cup of diced red grapes
1/4 cup of finely chopped celery
1/4 cup of red onion
1/4 cup of homemade mayo
1/4 cup Honey Poppyseed dressing (such as Tessemae’s)
Collard greens to wrap

Tip: If you can’t find the Honey Poppyseed Dressing you could always combine equal parts apple cider vinegar, honey, and poppy seeds with the mayo for the dressing.

Directions:

Combine mayo and dressing in a large bowl and combine
Add chicken, grapes, and celery to bowl and combine with dressing
Cut hard vine out of collard green and steam on the stove in a pan until soft and easy to handle
Place chicken salad mixture in the center of the collard green and wrap tightly
Enjoy!

Greek Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

Most of the time my food freedom consists of delicious salads that you would never guess are healthy! For some reason it is just what I crave! Throw together some romaine leaves, protein, all the toppings, and some killer dressing and I am good to go!

While this recipe is not specifically Whole 30 or Paleo, it is super easy to omit some of the toppings that don’t fit into your lifestyle.

Have you guys ever roasted chickpeas? They are seriously delicious and serve as a great replacement for a crouton if you are really missing that crunch on top of your salad.

Roasted Chickpeas in a Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken

I don’t often eat salami. In fact before I made this salad, I probably hadn’t had any in years. But isn’t that what food freedom is truly about? Listening to what sounds good to your body on that day at that time. Was this salami Whole 30? Definitely not. But I made the best choice available to me and enjoyed it without any guilt.

greek salad with grilled chicken and salami

Finished this salad off with all the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and my homemade dairy free tzatziki dressing.

Ingredients:

1 can of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

1 can of artichoke hearts

1 package of sliced salami

10 ish olives

1/3 of a Cucumber

1 cup of cherry tomatoes

1/4 thinly sliced red onion

1 tsp of dried dill

1 tsp of dried oregano

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Tzatziki Dressing

Feta cheese to top

Directions:

Roast chickpeas with oil in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until desired crispiness

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!