Tag: Paleo

Thai Cashew Sauce

I feel very strongly that a sauce can make a break a meal. No sauce? No meal at ALL. I know that may sound dramatic to some, but I truly mean that.

This Thai Cashew sauce is perfect to throw on top of a pad thai, a stir fry, or even my Asian lettuce wraps. It truly takes any dish to the next level.

Investing in a few key pantry items slowly each week, as you can afford, really pays off. You can have a sauce like this on any given evening and don’t have to spend a ton of money on pre-made sauces. While those are always convenient, in my opinion, it is SO easy to make one of your own that tastes even bettering fresher!

Whole 30 Paleo Keto Thai Cashew Sauce

Ingredients:
3 tbsp of coconut aminos
1 tsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of rice vinegar (check your labels)
2 tbsp of cashew butter (I used Justin’s Cashew Butter)
1 tbsp hot sauce
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp of ginger
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp of salt (I always use Pink Himalayan Salt)
1/2 tsp of pepper

Directions:
  • Heat olive oil in a sauce pan
  • Cook garlic until it becomes soft and fragrant
  • Add remaining ingredients
  • Allow the cashew butter to melt and then remove from heat
    • TIP: This step does not take long and I suggest continuously  stirring the sauce

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.

Korean Barbecue Stir Fry Whole 30 Paleo

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

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

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.

Paleo Sonoma Chicken Salad

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!

Paleo Sonoma Chicken Salad

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!

Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats

I pretty much love anything and everything that involves buffalo chicken. Now that I think of it, I can say the same for zucchini. It’s no doubt that I paired them together for this easy go to weeknight meal of Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats for me.
zucchini boats
I know I say this often, but in order for me to sustain this lifestyle I have to keep it simple. Dinner needs to be ready in a matter of minutes for me. The best part about this recipe is that it is great for leftovers. So easy to just heat the oven and put these in there for a bit as I pack my lunch for work the next day. Sometimes if I’m really lazy, I even eat them cold! Topped off with my Whole 30 compliant ranch.
Whole 30 and Paleo Shredded Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats with Homemade Ranch
Ingredients:
1 lb of cooked boneless chicken breast, shredded
4 zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
2/3 cup red hot sauce
2 Tbsp of ghee or coconut oil
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1-2 Tbsp of fresh dill (I love dill so the more the better, just depends on preference)
Directions:
  • Boil chicken on the stove top in a sauce pan for 20-25 minutes. Pull it out and shred with two forks
  • Melt ghee on stove top in a saucepan. Add hot sauce, celery salt, ghee
  • Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
  • Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scrap out the middle seed area with a spoon. I used the inside to mix with the onions and chicken but you can toss them if you don’t like the insides.
  • Place zucchini in oven and cook for 18 minutes
  • Saute the onion and zucchini insides (if you saved them) in salt and pepper in a pan
  • Add the shredded chicken and sauce to the pan with the onion and zucchini insides. Mix together
  • Pull out the zucchini boats from the oven and stuff them with the chicken and onion mixture.
  • Bake in the oven for another 10 minutes
  • Garnish with more dill
  • I enjoyed mine with homemade (Whole 30) dairy-free ranch