Mixing up recipes for a second whole30

[EmilyK]

So, I'm beginning my second whole30 on Sunday.  I certainly have some favorite recipes and also some star players that worked for me the first time through and have continued to work for me even as I haven't been "officially" on plan. But I recall some hefty food boredom last time around, and I had a hard time finding different recipes at that point. 

 

So, hit me with your favorite things to make!  I'm adventurous and open to trying new things, too.  Except organ meat--offal hasn't ever really jived with me.  But I would love to hear your favorite meal!

[GFChris]

Once a week, I get a fresh piece of salmon, top it with olive oil, dill and garlic powder, wrap it in tin foil, and cook it at 375 for ~20 minutes. Easy peasy and I enjoy it with my veggies of choice.

 

Other faves:
- these blueberry turkey "muffins" (closer to a meatball than a muffin) with missmary's suggested changes. 
- Tom Denham's Hot Thai Chicken with Broccoli and Cauliflower 
- PaleOMG's artichoke lemon pesto chicken "pasta"

- Well Fed's Pad Thai (any excuse to have her sunshine sauce)

- while tomatoes are still in season, this farmer's market gazpacho

[EmilyK]

I will eat sunshine sauce all the time forever.

 

Those Blueberry Turkey muffins look awesome, as does the chicken artichoke pasta. 

 

Thanks!

[JenX]

One recipe I discovered on my 2nd round was Shepherd's Pie. I used this recipe from Alton Brown and made some necessary tweaks to make it compliant:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shepherds-pie-recipe2.html

 

For the potato top:

I used 1/2 potato and 1/2 cauliflower. Cook them until soft in the same pot, drain, and then add some ghee, salt/pepper, and a touch of coconut milk or broth if they need to be looser. Mash and then use a stick blender to get it really smooth/whipped.  Amazing as a side dish too!

 

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil coconut oil or Olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1+/- T. Coconut flour (enough to thicken as is cooks)
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth *(homemade bone broth for more flavor)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 2 cups finely chopped kale (subbed for the corn/pea) and it was delicious.  Cabbage would also work.
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Now I need to go buy some more lamb so I can make this again this weekend! It's particularly good for breakfast, btw   :wub:  

[EmilyK]

I usually make a cottage pie in my repertoire and use AB's as my takeoff--I tried it a couple of times in my first w30 but really, I haven't found mashed potatoes without dairy to be worth it at allllllll.

 

I may take your tweaks and try them, though.    I do like the idea of 1/2 and 1/2 potatoes and cauliflower--I really don't like mashed cauliflower on its own, but mixing with potatoes (or sweet potatoes?) might definitely make it better.

Thanks!

[JenX]

I can't taste the cauliflower at all. It just tastes like mashed potatoes. I haven't been able to up the amount of cauliflower beyond 1/2 the total though. Every time I do the flavor starts to come through.  But hey, any way I can get in more veg, I'm going to try!

[EmilyK]

I think I might need to try that this time.  And I feel dumb for not having thought of it myself. 

[Britishgal]

I love mashed cauliflower but not on its own on top of a pie...I mix half and half with mashed potato too (or half mashed carrot and half potato...or half mashed swede and half potato).

To add even more veg to any mince based sauce or pie base I add loads of finely chopped mushrooms in with the mince...it was a thrifty trick my nanna taught my mother who taught me to bulk out the expensive meat but I do it to add veg in rather than to save money per se

She was a canny woman my Scottish nanna

[EmilyK]

I don't know why I never thought of mixing veggies into mashed potatoes.  I wonder if it'll make my exceptionally picky 9 year old eat more vegetables, too...?

 

You all are just the best. 

[ladyshanny]

I don't know why I never thought of mixing veggies into mashed potatoes. I wonder if it'll make my exceptionally picky 9 year old eat more vegetables, too...?

You all are just the best.

In the winter one of my favourite side dishes is "yamiflower" which is basically just an already cooked sweet potato (orange) pureed into a pot of steamed cauliflower. This takes the taste and texture of mashed cauliflower up a notch and also adds some color that you don't get from just mixing cauli and regular potato. I have also buzzed a steamed acorn squash into the cauliflower for a similar result.

Some of my favourites (can't post links on my ipad, you'll have to google) are: Paleomg buffalo chicken "pasta", Well Fed Pina Colada Chicken (but made with extra peppers and 2# baby zucchini chopped right up into it and eaten as a casserole style), SBJ burgers from Well Fed 2 with roasted garlic baby potatoes and raw snow peas on the side. Check out the "list your favourite soups" thread in the cooking section of this forum for lots of awesome soup ideas too!

[Britishgal]

I don't know why I never thought of mixing veggies into mashed potatoes. I wonder if it'll make my exceptionally picky 9 year old eat more vegetables, too...?

You all are just the best.

My picky 7 year old announced he likes my mash (cauliflower) better than normal potato and my "orange chips" (butternut squash cut up and roasted with olive oil) better than chip shop ones.

He even asked for carrot sticks the other day...only raw, apparently he doesn't like them cooked (though he likes "orange mash"...mashed carrots...he just doesn't know what they are!)

He is also still unaware I hide veg in things ALL THE TIME.

He used to refuse to eat anything other than plain pasta, chicken and rice and it took an inordinately long time to get him to try these things...I feel your pain...

[Hannlib]

Another vote for the paleomg buffalo chicken pasta, it's delicious. I love the well fed Elvis burgers. The chicken and curry sauce from the new w30 book ( I cut the chicken up small, brown it then simmer in the sauce ). Fiesta pork chops from well fed.

[MrsStick]

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup all day every day (WF2)

 

The plantains - don't remember if they were WF or WF2. Regardless, yellow/brown plantains fried in coconut oil (or bacon grease...mmmmmmmmmm) with lime juice and salt are AMAZING. I love them especially with breakfast.

 

I do roasted breakfast potatoes with thyme, rosemary, S&P too. Mmm.

 

The West African nut butter stew linked in the crockpot recipe thread.

[realfoodwithdana]

Shepherd's pie is great! If you miss the heartiness of potatoes, try adding in some parsnips. I love mixing them with sweet potatoes and/or cauliflower as a topping like in this recipe! You can even get fancy and throw some crispy prosciutto on top  http://www.realfoodwithdana.com/shepherds-pie/

 

Chiming in in overwhelming agreement on the buffalo chicken pasta from paleOMG, it's SO delicious! Here's a link to it: http://www.realfoodwithdana.com/buffalo-chicken-casserole-juli-bauers-paleo-cookbook-review/

 

If you like that one, I'd also highly recommend her 5-ingredient pizza spaghetti squash pie! http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/

 

Some of my other whole30 favorites are...

Civilized Caveman’s BBQ Pulled Pork.- seriously the best pulled pork I've ever had! 

Nom Nom Paleo’s Damn Fine Chicken Drumsticks. 

Nom Nom Paleo’s Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice.  

Chocolate Chili from Well Fed 

Turmeric & Cumin Roasted Cauliflower & Olives. 

 

Hope that helps  

[JulieP757]

This is the best dish ever (or so say my kids):

 

http://thehealthyfoodie.com/west-african-chicken-stew-well-fed-2/

 

The carnitas are a close second:

 

http://theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/04/29/stovetop-pork-carnitas/

 

And Char Sui Fried Rice.  I made the Char Sui from Well Fed and used it in this recipe with the addition of a little sesame oil

 

http://paleomg.com/char-siu-fried-rice/

 

And Cracklin chicken thighs

 

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/74180911762/cracklin-chicken

[Mrs.Mathias]

That Buffalo Chicken Casserole is one of the most delicious things I have EVER eaten! Love it. With a passion. Making it again this week.

[Nuevodiva]

Just started my second month onWhole30 & my creativity was waning! I don't eat bacon, or pork of any kind, beef, or salmon, so as you can imagine I'm limited. So these recipes really helped- they are big on flavor, texture & variety. Hope they inspire you to keep going too!

Stir fry cabbage & turkey whole30

Ingredients:

8 ounces lean ground turkey

6 ounces savoy cabbage thinly sliced

1/2 med onion sliced

1/2 red pepper diced

6 scallions, sliced

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp minced ginger

1 teaspoon Coconut oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil (divided)

2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 jalapeño minced

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

Coconut amino acids

Heat some sesame oil & coconut oil on med hi, sauté veggies, add turkey & cook until meat is no longer pink & veggies are slightly soft. Take off the heat, & season w amazing acids, s&p, vinegar.

Lemon and Herb Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Shrimp (whole30)

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 small to medium spaghetti squash

12 oz. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Ghee

Salt and cracked pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lemons, juiced

1 tsp. lemon zest

½ cup chicken broth

1 tsp. mustard

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Capers & scallions to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cut squash right down the middle. Scoop out all the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil so they don't stick. Bake the squash in the oven for 45 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt oil and ghee over medium high heat, add shrimp and season with salt and pepper, sauteing for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes until shrimp is cooked through; remove from heat and set aside (you don't want to overcook the shrimp)

Add lemon juice, lemon zest, broth, mustard and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer until the spaghetti squash has finished baking.

Remove the skillet from heat and take squash out of the oven. Scrape out all the strands of spaghetti using a fork, throw spaghetti squash into a colander and place in the sink, pressing gently with a paper towel to allow any excess water to drain out.

Sauce is reduced, stir in chopped parsley (add more ghee if needed). Toss w spaghetti squash & shrimp, top w capers & scallions serve w extra lemons & pepper flakes

Thai coconut curry turkey meatballs (whole30)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground turkey

1 tsp curry powder

2 tsp ground basil

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp garlic powder

2 egg, beaten

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 jalapeño chopped

1 tsp lemon grass

2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1 c green beans trimmed

3 tbsp Thai red curry paste

1 14 oz can + ¾ cup full fat coconut milk

⅓ cup chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

Begin by preheating your oven to 375.

MIx together the ground turkey and sausage in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together curry powder, basil, ginger, garlic powder, and almond flour. Add to the and incorporate well. Finally, add the egg. Form the meatballs into 1 -1.5 inch diameter balls, and place on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

While meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat, add coconut oil. Add the chopped veggies: onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent. Add curry paste, than all of the coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the curry paste is completely mixed into the sauce.

Add meatballs to the sauce, and cook for another 5 minutes. Finish off with fresh basil.

[Robin R.]

On 5/3/2016 at 9:14 PM, Nuevodiva said:

Just started my second month onWhole30 & my creativity was waning! I don't eat bacon, or pork of any kind, beef, or salmon, so as you can imagine I'm limited. So these recipes really helped- they are big on flavor, texture & variety. Hope they inspire you to keep going too!

Stir fry cabbage & turkey whole30

Ingredients:

8 ounces lean ground turkey

6 ounces savoy cabbage thinly sliced

1/2 med onion sliced

1/2 red pepper diced

6 scallions, sliced

2 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp minced ginger

1 teaspoon Coconut oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil (divided)

2 teaspoons rice vinegar (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 jalapeño minced

Salt to taste

White pepper to taste

Coconut amino acids

Heat some sesame oil & coconut oil on med hi, sauté veggies, add turkey & cook until meat is no longer pink & veggies are slightly soft. Take off the heat, & season w amazing acids, s&p, vinegar.

Lemon and Herb Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Shrimp (whole30)

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

2 small to medium spaghetti squash

12 oz. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Ghee

Salt and cracked pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lemons, juiced

1 tsp. lemon zest

½ cup chicken broth

1 tsp. mustard

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Capers & scallions to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cut squash right down the middle. Scoop out all the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil so they don't stick. Bake the squash in the oven for 45 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt oil and ghee over medium high heat, add shrimp and season with salt and pepper, sauteing for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes until shrimp is cooked through; remove from heat and set aside (you don't want to overcook the shrimp)

Add lemon juice, lemon zest, broth, mustard and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer until the spaghetti squash has finished baking.

Remove the skillet from heat and take squash out of the oven. Scrape out all the strands of spaghetti using a fork, throw spaghetti squash into a colander and place in the sink, pressing gently with a paper towel to allow any excess water to drain out.

Sauce is reduced, stir in chopped parsley (add more ghee if needed). Toss w spaghetti squash & shrimp, top w capers & scallions serve w extra lemons & pepper flakes

Thai coconut curry turkey meatballs (whole30)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground turkey

1 tsp curry powder

2 tsp ground basil

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp garlic powder

2 egg, beaten

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 jalapeño chopped

1 tsp lemon grass

2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1 c green beans trimmed

3 tbsp Thai red curry paste

1 14 oz can + ¾ cup full fat coconut milk

⅓ cup chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS

Begin by preheating your oven to 375.

MIx together the ground turkey and sausage in a medium sized bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together curry powder, basil, ginger, garlic powder, and almond flour. Add to the and incorporate well. Finally, add the egg. Form the meatballs into 1 -1.5 inch diameter balls, and place on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes.

While meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat, add coconut oil. Add the chopped veggies: onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent. Add curry paste, than all of the coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the curry paste is completely mixed into the sauce.

Add meatballs to the sauce, and cook for another 5 minutes. Finish off with fresh basil.

I don't see the sausage on the ingredient list.  These look amazing!

[TJHigh]

My favorite tasty and convenient recipe is for sausage balls- great for breakfast. It's my own creation so no recipe link.

1 yellow onion, chopped 

salt

1 lb loose pork sausage (I get some from a local butcher that is just ground pork, pork fat, and spices)

1 sweet potato

1-2 Tbs Harissa spice blend

1/4 cup raisins

cooking oil (I've used ghee, coconut oil, or olive oil)

Saute onions over medium heat in enough cooking oil to soften and start to brown, salt to taste.  Add the harissa about mid way through cooking  (you can add at the end, but I like the flavor after it incorporates with the onion and gets toasty.) Remove onions from heat and put in a large bowl to cool (just to room temp or so, so they don't cook the sausage.)  Meanwhile, pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork and cook in microwave until soft- I usually do 5 min the turn and another 5. Again, let cool and then scoop out the insides and add to onions.  Add sausage and raisins and mix to combine. Form about 2 dozen golf ball sized balls and arrange on a baking sheet (I sometimes put a rack on the sheet to keep them out of the grease that drips, but there's really not much.) Bake at 350 for about 30 min.  These keep in the fridge for awhile, but they also freeze beautifully and can be heated up in the microwave in 45 seconds for a quick, fairly portable breakfast.