Whole30 – Page 9 – Gastography

Avocado Chicken Burger

April 18, 2015April 18, 2015Recipes2 Comments

This recipe makes a nice light burger that’s juicy, delicious from the fat, and a nice change from beef. It’s perfect with a sriracha mayo or asian-inspired dipping sauce, too.

Gluten-free, paleo, whole30

Avocado Chicken Burger

Based off the Chicken Avocado Burger recipe by Laughing Spatula

1 pound ground chicken
1 avocado, chopped
Juice of half a lime
2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. onion powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. – 1/2 c. almond flour
2 big pinches Kosher salt & a few grinds black pepper
2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Knead all ingredients together but the almond flour and avocado chunks. Your mixture should look really wet. Add half the almond flour, check to see if your mixture holds together (loosely is fine). Add the rest if needed.

Once your mixture is burger-able, gently fold the avocado into the mix.

Portion into 4 burger patties and pan fry over medium-high in 2 Tbsp. coconut oil 3-4 minutes per side (until cooked through and browned).

Serves 4

Guajillo Beet Puree

March 28, 2015March 28, 2015Recipes2 Comments

The inspiration for this recipe was a description used by a chef on a cooking show. I can’t remember which one, but if I were to guess I’d say either Chopped or Cutthroat Kitchen, since that’s what I’m currently watching.

I was intrigued by the thought of a guajillo’s smoke paired with the sweetness of a beet, and rooted by the beet’s inherent earthiness. I think they work and play well together, especially when paired with a nice fruity olive oil.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, vegetarian, vegan

Guajillo Beet Puree

2-3 roasted beets (about a cup, cup and a quarter total when mashed)
2 guajillo chilis, soaked in water for a few hours to reconstitute
2 cloves garlic
4 good glugs of a fruity olive oil
4 big pinches Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. dijon mustard (if doing a Whole30, substitute your favorite grainy mustard)

Roast and peel your beets.

Once that is done, peel and chop roughly and add to the bowl of a food processor along with the reconstituted chilis, garlic, 2 big pinches Kosher salt, the white pepper and dijon.

Drizzle in the olive oil (about a quarter cup total) while you puree to the consistency you want.

Taste. Hit with 2 more big pinches Kosher salt if needed.

Serves 2 as a light side

Apple Mint Salad

March 7, 2015March 7, 2015Recipes1 Comment

This quick and easy salad is just the thing to break up winter’s heavy, roasted tastes with a bright punch of acidity.

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, Whole30

Apple Mint Salad

1 apple (I prefer Fuji or Gala), julienned

2 Tbsp. fresh mint, minced

2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Pinch of Kosher salt

Few grinds black pepper

1 tsp. Apple cider vinegar

2 large radishes, julienned

Toss all ingredients. Great served alongside pulled pork, or Spicy Tuna Cakes.

Serves 2

Instant Pot Salsa Verde Pork

February 21, 2015February 21, 2015Recipes3 Comments

This is a fantastic pork dish. The salsa creates a great little sauce and the flavor can be dressed a bunch of different ways when dealing with leftovers.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30

Instant Pot Salsa Verde Pork

5 lbs. pork shoulder
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tsp. dried oregano
Juice of 1 orange
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 jar Salsa Verde (Trader Joe’s brand is Whole30 compliant)
1/2 of the empty salsa verde jar water

Sprinkle the pork with the salt, cumin and chili powder.

Press the Saute button to preheat the cooker. When “Hot” appears on the display, add the coconut oil and brown your meat.

Add the onion, garlic, oregano, orange and lime juices, salsa and water. Seat the lid on the pressure cooker.

Press the Manual button and use the + button to program 90 minutes cooking time.

When the finished beep sounds, it is best to let the machine release its pressure naturally if possible (takes about 20 minutes). Always check to make sure the pressure valve has dropped before removing the lid.

This is great served as-is, but if you want to go a step further and make crispy carnitas, kick your broiler on high. Spread the pork out on a baking tray covered in foil. Strain the cooking liquid and de-fat if desired. Pour over the meat and broil 5 minutes. Stir, broil 5 minutes more – or until desired crispiness is reached.

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

February 7, 2015February 7, 2015RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmmmm … cabbage rolls. I remember the cabbage rolls of my childhood fondly – except I never thought they had enough cabbage. I would have been happy if my mother served equal parts cabbage, ground beef and tomatoes. The rice I liked, but nowadays don’t need.

This recipe is cobbled together from different Internet sources, but draws mostly on inspiration from a recipe I found on Health-Bent.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

1 head green cabbage
1 Tbsp. ghee
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 big hot Italian sausages
2 Tbsp. onion powder
3 Tbsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika
2 tsp. ground cumin
Koser salt & pepper
1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Core your cabbage and cut into thin ribbons. Boil in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and toss with a few sprinkles salt.

While that is working, brown your meats in the ghee. Add the spices and combine. Let go a few additional minutes. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and mix well.

In a large casserole or baking dish, layer your cabbage with meaty tomato mixture – I used a large glass baking dish and had two layers of cabbage with one layer of meat. Do whatever makes you happy.

Bake 1 hour or until the top is browned and everything looks casserole-y. Let sit 30 minutes before serving so the juices can distribute evenly.

Serves 4 fairly comfortably.

Sesame Ginger Chicken Zoodles

January 31, 2015January 31, 2015Recipes1 Comment

This dish is quick to throw together, uses minimal ingredients I usually have on hand anyways, and is waaaaay better than takeout. A win/win/win situation.

Paleo, Gluten-free, Whole30

Sesame Ginger Chicken Zoodles

1 large zucchini
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1/4 cup toasted cashews

Sauce

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (which is surprisingly W30 compliant)
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
2 cloves grated garlic
1 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. white pepper

Heat 1 Tbsp. sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Add the rest of the chicken ingredients and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and browned.

While your chicken is working, make your zoodles (I absolutely love my Gefu spiralizer for this). In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together.

To serve, toss the chicken with the zoodles and sauce.

Serves 2 for dinner

Whole30 #3 – Day 30

January 30, 2015January 30, 2015Whole301 Comment

I feel like I should have eaten something more exciting – gone out of Whole30 with a bang, somehow. Of course, I didn’t think about adding flash or sparkle to my day until *after* I’d heated lunch and sat down to scarf leftovers before completing a few rows of knitting.

Breakfast

My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.

Lunch

The last of my leftover Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls with the one lonely leftover pork rind crusted chicken tender languishing in my Tupperware containers.

Dinner

Dinner was at least kind of exciting. I remember last Whole30 craving salsa like it was going out of style – this time, not so much. Luckily, I had the ingredients for a lazy Mexican bowl/pretty much paleo nachos minus the crunch on hand (you know, just in case I was stranded during the blizzard-that-wasn’t, or in case the Super Bowl thing we’re going to was lame and full of crap I don’t want to eat).

Snack

No real snacks, but I had a coconut water at yoga class.

More Whole30 goodness.

Whole30 #3 – Day 29

January 29, 2015January 29, 2015Whole30Leave a Comment

Today was good – dinner was delicious and lunch was a great repeat.

Breakfast

My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.

Lunch

Leftover unstuffed cabbage rolls again.

Dinner

Nom Nom Paleo’s Bagna Cauda with pork & beef meatballs.

Snack

1/4 cup sunflower seeds + sparkling water with orange.

More Whole30 goodness.

Whole30 #3 – Day 28

January 28, 2015January 28, 2015Whole30Leave a Comment

Temptation, thy name is unexpected tickets to a weeknight show – and themed cocktails.

Breakfast

My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.

Lunch

Leftover unstuffed cabbage rolls from last night.

Dinner

The hubby had a late lunch and didn’t care – and I wanted to make sure to have time for a workout before leaving for the show we were going to see, so I just made the protein portion of dinner – pork rind crusted chicken tenders. Despite the pork rinds being a bit chewy in spots, this was everything I had hoped it would be. I need more pork rinds.

Snack

Midday slump sunflower seeds + Starbucks Pike Place Roast with homemade almond milk on the way to the train. I did *not* have the first cocktail on this list – pout – even though it’s siren song was calling my name.