{CC#15} Shrimp on the plate

The Whole30 is over and now we are reintroducing some of the foods we weren’t able to eat on the program.  Dairy.  Grains. Legumes. Gluten.  But the other days are compliant so we aren’t done with the ‘special’ foods yet.

The Pesto Shrimp with Cherry Tomatoes was on my menu today.

The pesto is made with spinach, basil, walnuts, and garlic.  It was good, but I did miss the Parmesan cheese I usually have in it.  Mixed with the shrimp and some tomatoes {I didn’t have cherry ones so I cut up some regular ones I had canned last summer.}

So very good.  And quick.

It appears that Shrimp has become my go-to meal when I want something quick.  I always have it in the freezer.  It is easy and quick to fix.

The recipe is from  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom (pg 359). Want to try it?  I found the recipe on the Whole30 blog.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

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{CC#15} chicken cacciatore

Yesterday was the last day of our Whole30.  WooHoo!!  We did it!!  That doesn’t mean we are quitting completely.  We have the reintroduction over the next ten days or so.  Slowly but surely getting back to ‘normal’ eating.  But recipes like this one will always be in the menu rotation.

 

The list of ingredients is long but it is simple to make.  You an have a healthy dinner on the table in an hour.  Capers, tomatoes, chicken, onions, bell peppers, and shrooms.

The one thing about Whole30 is that what may seem like a lot of food for two is healthy and filling.  Just because it says two people doesn’t mean you HAVE to eat all of it.  This recipe used a pound of drumsticks and 1/2 pound of boneless thighs. That’s a lot of food. But… it’s all good for you!

The recipe is on page 334 of  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom.  It is also on the Whole 30 blog.

Try it.  It is delicious.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#15} Green beans with Onions…

…and mushrooms, and peppers.  All cooked together where the flavors of each blended yet didn’t.  It was quite tasty.  {And more tasty than it looks!}  No fancy hard to find spices just salt and pepper to bring out the flavor.

The recipe says to precook and ‘shock’ the beans but I didn’t do that because I had some beans that we canned last year and they were already cooked. The sliced onions, and mushrooms and strips of bell pepper are cooked in a skillet until tender.  Add the beans back in.  Easy to cook {and easy to over-brown} while you watch over them and shake them  often.  The beans should be crisp and bright green.  Mine – not so much.  But still a great side that would go with anything.

This recipe is from  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom the book I have been using for March’s Cookbook Countdown.  You can find it on page 280.

If you want more info about The Whole 30 program just visit Whole30.  The program outline is there along with recipes, tips, and other great info.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#15} Cauliflower Rice

Last night was the end of Day 21 on Whole30.  So I celebrated with a Diet Coke, a HUGE plate of pasta and some mini cupcakes…

No!  Just kidding.  Maybe it was in my dream.  Funny thing, I started out thinking of all the things I CANNOT have – pizza, pasta, bread,  DIET COKE – but now its thinking about all the good things I CAN have.  Fresh fruit.  Fresh veggies.  Shrimp.  Beef.  Nuts.  Baked Potato.  I. Will. Survive!

Last night we had fresh fish browned in a little ghee and coconut oil  Okra. And while The Man had leftover ‘non-compliant’ mashed potato cakes browned in ghee I had..

Cauliflower Rice

It was easy to make.  Process cauliflower in the food processor.  Brown some onions, garlic, and carrot in ghee.  Add in the ‘rice’ and let it steam until soft.  Easy!  I think I liked it but I’m not really sure.  I think using a little Sesame Oil would really up the flavor.  

The recipe is on page 272 of  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom.    I also found the recipe on Recipe Girl’s Website if you want to try it.

I will try it again.  As much as I love cauliflower I’m not sure if this will be a hit or not.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#15} stir-fry chicken

For the last few days I have been reading It Starts with Food which has been very helpful in understanding the Whole 30 program.  It’s one thing to follow a program.  It’s another thing to understand how and why it works.  I wish I had found this program many years ago for many reasons.

But, anyhoo… I am still cooking from The Whole 30 guide etc. and still eating really well on really good food.  This is Day 18 and for dinner I fixed a good healthy Whole30 meal.

This chicken stir-fry included broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, carrots, and green onions.  For the cooking fat I used a mix of coconut oil and sesame oil which gave it  great flavor. On the plate I added a little Coconut Aminos (since I cannot have soy sauce) and that added more to the flavor.

The dish was clean, light, and filling.   The chicken is browned and right before it is finished you throw some garlic and ginger into the saucepan.  Remove the chicken and wipe out the pan.  I think this would have been better if the garlic and ginger would have been left and just added more oil and then the veggies.  But I always follow the recipe the first time.  No matter how you fix it – it’s good.

The recipe is from  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom  page 340.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#15} seared salmon benedict

I was getting a little tired of eggs for breakfast.  I mean, I love eggs – scrambled, poached, fried – but not EVERY morning.  I miss my cereal and oatmeal and English muffins.  But they will all still be there when I am ready to eat them again.

Now, I know this sounds silly, but just eating an egg for lunch was a nice change.  {I had leftover gumbo for breakfast! It’s a topsy-turvy world!}   I had a nice poached egg over a piece of seared salmon with a touch of  Hollandaise on top.  More commonly known as Salmon Benedict.  It with a nice change.

The recipe for the salmon is on page 210 of The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom. but you can also find it on the Whole30 site along with the Hollandaise recipe (page 314) {in which I used less lemon and it was perfect}. Perfect poached egg is on page 150.

I have to tell you I think I could eat this every day.  I loved the mix of the soft yolk with the crisped salmon and the luxuriousness of the Hollandaise.  Yep!  Definite repeat.

We are beginning our third week of The Whole30 program and plan to follow it ’til Easter. We can do this!!  I am starting to feel the benefits of the program now.  My eyes are brighter, my coat is shinier… just kidding.  But I am feeling good, not craving anything like I usually do,  and feel like I am doing the right thing on this program.  I started this program to lower my VERY, VERY high triglycerides and see if I could lower my blood pressure. Losing weight was also a consideration but not the most important one.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#15} W30 sweet potato soup

It has been chilly here in the deep south for the last few days.  Highs only in the 60s and lows in the 40s.  Now that may not seem chilly to many of you up north where the temps are LOTS lower but to those of us in the south it is soup and gumbo weather. So last night I made gumbo and today I made a Whole30 Sweet Potato Soup.  And then the temps went up the mid 70s and it wasn’t soup weather any more.

Sweet potatoes mixed with cinnamon and ginger then simmered in water and coconut milk .  Thick, filling, tasty.  Tasted like sweet potato casserole at Christmas.  Without the marshmallows and nuts.  Although, I could have garnished it with chopped pecans. Over the top for soup?  I don’t think so. { I was searching for the  recipe  on the Whole30 blog and  ran into a curried sweet potato soup where curry powder was added while the soup was simmering.  What a GREAT idea!}

Anyway.  The recipe is from The Whole30:  The 30 day guide to TOTAL HEALTH and FOOD FREEDOM  {page 300} my book for March’s Cookbook Countdown.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#15}Romesco garlic shrimp with Zoodles

As some of you know Kayte, Leslie, and I started the Whole30 program last Wednesday. Now on day 9 we are doing well.  We keep track of each other, encourage each other, and keep each other going.  It is easier when you have other people on your side.

I modified some of the recipes from Low-Fat, Low Cholesterol Cooking to finish off February. For March I am using The Whole 30 guidebook as my Cookbook.  There are lots and lots of great recipes in there so it won’t be hard to eat well for 30 days or share with y’all for Cookbook Countdown #15.

Like this recipe:

 romesco garlic shrimp with zucchini noodles.  [Recipe is HERE}

This was very very good and very easy to put together.  I used my new gadget – I could no longer resist purchasing a Spiralizer – to make the zucchini noodles.  So much fun to use.  

The romesco sauce is a tasty combination of tomatoes, onions,  garlic, almonds, chili powder, paprika and red wine vinegar. Delicious!

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 15 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#14}Indian-Style Okra with Potatoes

One last recipe from my cookbook choice for Cookbook Countdown for February – Eat to Beat High Blood Pressure.

If you have read my past posts you know how much I love Asian and Indian cuisine.  I guess they are my favorites over all.  Sure, I like Italian and American and Mexican but the flavors of the “Orient” just draw me in.

You also know I am on the Whole 30 Program so finding recipes that are compliant are not easy.  But many are easy to adapt.  Like this Veggie dish.

Lots of wonderful spices mixed and sauteed with some fresh okra and potatoes. Tumeric, coriander, cumin, cilantro.  All blended together to soak into the potatoes and come out with lots of flavor.  {I have to say the flavors weren’t as strong as I would have liked but it was still good.}  And it was fairly easy.  16 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking.    

To make this compliant I left out the raisins and used coconut oil rather than canola or sunflower.  Everything else was good to go.

I found the recipe HERE!

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 14 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).

 

{CC#14} Mushroom and Herb Omelet

Wednesday I started the Whole30 Program.  My triglycerides were through the roof and I knew I had to do something.  I mentioned it to my friend Kayte and she decided to do it with me.  Then I mentioned it to another friend, Leslie, and she joined in, too.  With the three of us not living anywhere near each other we are not really together but we can keep each other motivated and on the right track.

I didn’t want to not do at least two more recipes from my current cook book for Cookbook Countdown so I am finding recipes that are, or can be, Whole30 compliant.  Like this breakfast.

Two Three eggs mixed with 1 tsp chervil curly parsley, 1 tsp tarragon, 1 tsp chives, all fresh and chopped. Dash in a little water.  Don’t over beat the eggs.

Make your omelet as you usually would and wrap it around about 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms and 1 chopped clove garlic that have been sauteed in about 1/tsp or so of coconut oil. Breakfast is done!

Using the coconut oil instead of butter makes this dish Whole30 compliant. Everything else is already there.

I’m linking this post with Cookbook Countdown 14 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily’s Cooking (Makan2).