Paleo & Whole 30 Pepper Onion Chorizo Omelette

8 Feb

While omelets do not actually take a long time to cook it can certainly seem that way to any commuter on a weekday!  It’s Sunday, so today is a perfect omelette day.  With yet another large storm headed for Boston, this Monday will also be a great omelette day for many people.  If you find yourself with some time to spare in the morning, cook yourself up a delicious breakfast.

Ingredients (per omelette, omelette will be half the size of a dinner plate):

1/4 of a red bell pepper, sliced to desired sice

1/4 of a sweet onion, sliced

1/2 a link of chorizo sausage, diced  (nitrate and sugar free, i.e. Wegman’s brand)

3 large eggs

Kosher salt

Pepper

2-3 tbl. coconut oil or ghee

Whole 30 pepper, onion, chorizo omelette

Whole 30 pepper, onion, chorizo omelette

Add the egg

Add the egg

Cook the filling to heat sausage and soften vegetables

Cook the filling to heat sausage and soften vegetables

Method:

Whisk eggs seasoned salt and pepper until foamy, set aside.  Add coconut oil or ghee to a 10 inch nonstick skillet (I used All-Clad stainless nonstick) over medium heat.  Once fat has melted add onion and chorizo.  When onion has begun to soften add pepper.  When pepper is crisp-tender pour egg into pan.  Move the pan around to make sure the egg has spread evenly.  As edges begin to cook, tilt the pan while pulling the edge of omelette up with a spatula to allow uncooked egg to run to the edge.  When there is barely any uncooked egg noticeable in the center, use a spatula to ease the edges and fold omelette in half.  After 30 seconds to one minute slide omelette onto a plate.

 

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Paleo Hot Chocolate

2 Feb

I was still in the midst of my Whole 30 January when 30 inches of snow fell on my house.  One thing I love to enjoy when I’m kept home from work due to a snowstorm is hot chocolate!  One thing that I cannot make (trust me, I tried) without some form of sweetener?  Hot chocolate.  So now that I’m through with my Whole 30 challenge to kick of 2015 I can go back to my semi-sweet (as needed) paleo life.  First up, hot chocolate!  Why?  Another storm is dumping snow on us and I’m still in my PJs.  There is a base recipe for the hot chocolate and from there you have so many options for flavors!

Snow day!

Snow day!

Basic hot chocolate

Ingredients (per serving):

3/4 cup full fat coconut milk

1/3-1/2 cup Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tbl. sifted cocoa powder

3/4 – 1 tbl. honey or maple syrup (if you want to be really good you can use Stevia or Monkfruit in the Raw to desired sweetness instead)

Paleo Hot Chocolate

Paleo Hot Chocolate

Method:

Whisk together all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat through over medium-low heat.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate:

Add a pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt  (or other fine grain sea salt) and 4-5 drops of Capella caramel flavor concentrate (available at http://capellaflavordrops.com/caramelV2.aspx)

Peppermint Hot Chocolate:

Once removed from heat add 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract

Mexican Hot Chocolate:

Add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (depends on how much cinnamon you prefer), a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional), and after removing from heat 1/8 – 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract.  You can also use a whole cinnamon stick as a stirrer.

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Paleo & Whole 30 Pickled Mustard Slaw

18 Jan

Last year I posted our amazing Whole 30 pulled pork recipe complete with Whole 30 north carolina sauce (click here to go to that recipe).  The majority of the time this is served over mashed sweet potato with a side of coleslaw (also an easy Whole 30 recipe).  We tried out a new slaw recipe last night that pairs equally well.  Personally I like to eat this as a tower or all mixed together in a bowl, but I know many people do not like their food to touch 😉

Ingredients:

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp. whole mustard seed

1 red onion, sliced thin

6 cherry peppers, diced or sliced thin

1 cup + 2 tbl. mayonnaise (made from canola oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, etc)

1 cup + 2 tbl. French’s natural yellow mustard (you can probably use another brand, just read the ingredient list)

1/4 + 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 head cabbage, shredded

1-2 cups shredded carrot

Kosher salt

Pepper

Whole 30 pickled mustard slaw over north carolina pulled pork and mashed sweet potato

Whole 30 pickled mustard slaw over north carolina pulled pork and mashed sweet potato

Method:

Combine vinegar, mustard seed, and 1 tbl. salt in a large bowl and microwave at least 2 minutes until the mixture is steaming and the salt is dissolved.  Add onion and cherry peppers to the bowl and let sit for 20 minutes to pickle.  In a very large bowl stir together mayonnaise, mustard, and cayenne.  Toss the mixture with cabbage and carrot.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the pickled onion and cherry pepper and 1/2 cup of the pickling liquid and toss to combine.  Add more pickling liquid if desired.

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Paleo & Whole 30 Steak Fajitas

14 Jan

What do you do when you have 3 hours to kill?  Think of ideas for dinner.  At least that’s what I did while waiting at Dana-Farber today.  For some reason I could not get fajitas out of my head, so fajitas it is!  This recipe will feed 3 hungry adults two meals (2 stuffed fajitas per person per meal).

Ingredients:

Two 2 pound flank steaks

6 bell peppers of assorted colors, sliced

3 jalapeños, diced

3 sweet onions, sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Chili powder

Cayenne pepper

Delivery device:

I chose Julian Bakery Paleo Wraps.  Addition options: bacon shells, lettuce cups, or just eat it as a salad.  Paleo Wraps are available directly from Julian Bakery or at Amazon.  Shown below are the turmeric ones.

Toppings of choice (my choices):

Salsa*

Salsa verde*

Guacamole*

Iceberg lettuce

Fresh lime, cut into wedges (to squeeze over your fajita)

*If not making your own from scratch read the label!  Find ones without sugar and other garbage (they do exist).

Whole 30 Steak Fajitas (only 2# flank steak in photo)

Whole 30 Steak Fajitas (only 2# flank steak in photo)

Method:

Season the steak with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cayenne (careful with the cayenne).  Heat your cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons clarified butter (or other fat source).  Sear the meat on both sides and cook to medium rare or medium.  We did this all in the cast iron skillet because it is 21°F outside and nobody wanted to grill.  Set the cooked steak aside and tent with aluminum foil to rest.  Repeat the process with the second steak.  Add onion to the skillet and season, but remember all the seasoning from your steak is in the pan too!  Sauté for a few minutes.  Once onion is starting to lose crispness add garlic and sauté for an additional two minutes.  Remove onion/garlic from skillet.  Now add a little olive oil to the pan followed by your peppers, season and sauté to desired crispness.  Add cooked peppers to onion/garlic.  Once steak has rested slice the steaks against the grain into thin strips.

I loaded steak, veggies, salsa verde, lettuce, and guac into Paleo wraps (plural).

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Paleo & Whole 30 Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

7 Jan

It is 19°F outside.  Brrrrr.  Cold weather brings on a desire for warm soup so I whipped up a batch of Whole 30 tomato soup to enjoy.  Unfortunately I cannot come up with a Whole 30 grilled cheese to accompany it, so the soup will have to suffice 😉  I should mention this recipe is extremely fast, very easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbl. tomato paste

28oz can crushed tomato

2 cups organic vegetable broth

2 tbl. fresh basil, minced

Coconut milk

Kosher salt

Olive oil

Whole 30 creamy tomato basil soup

Whole 30 creamy tomato basil soup

Method:

Heat a pot with 2 tbl. olive oil over medium high heat.  Add onion and sauté until soft, approximately 4 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté  an additional minute.  Add tomato paste and sauté  for one more minute.  Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and basil.  Add coconut milk to desired creaminess (I used 3-4 tbl. of So Delicious culinary coconut milk).  Puree contents of pot with an imersion blender (I leave mine just slightly chunky).  Season to taste with kosher salt and heat through.

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Whole 30 Buffalo Wings

4 Jan

Whole 30 meets football playoffs 🙂 Enjoy these easy to make, delicious wings! Ingredients: Wings

18 chicken wings

6 oz. Frank’s Red Hot (Read the label: aged cayenne red peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, natural flavor, and garlic powder…its Whole 30!)

6 oz. melted coconut oil, grapeseed oil, canola oil, or clarified butter

Whole 30 Ranch Dressing

https://deliciousprimalcooking.com/2015/01/04/paleo-whole-30-ranch-salad-dressing/

Whole 30 buffalo wings with ranch dressing

Whole 30 buffalo wings with ranch dressing

Method: Preheat oven to 425°F.  Place wings in an even layer over two baking sheets covered with foil.  Bake the wings at 425°F for 20 minutes.  Move the bottom baking sheet to the top rack and the top baking sheet to the bottom rack and bake at 425°F for an additional 20 minutes.  Remove one tray of wings from the oven. Turn on the broiler, place one tray of wings on the top rack of the oven and broil wings for 2 1/2 minutes.  Remove and repeat with other tray of wings.   For the buffalo sauce, melt coconut oil (or use other oil/clarified butter) and mix 1:1 with Frank’s Red Hot (original).  Peel the crispy wings off the foil and toss the baked and broiled wings with the Frank’s Red Hot sauce.

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Paleo & Whole 30 Ranch Salad Dressing

4 Jan

Homemade italian dressing is our go-to when we are eating strictly paleo, easy to make and great on salad (and as a marinade for chicken).  It is just as easy to make a creamy italian dressing, but I was in the mood for something a little different.  Here’s a ranch recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise (made from olive, grape seed, canola oil, etc)

1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded and diced

2 tomatillos, husks removed and quartered

1 large or two small cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 tbl. fresh parsley, minced

3 tbl. fresh dill, minced

1-1 1/2 tbl. fresh chives, minced

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Juice of half a lime

Whole 30 ranch dressing

Whole 30 ranch dressing

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

I find that microwaving the lime for 5 seconds then rolling it between my hand and the counter before cutting it in half helps the juice release.

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Paleo & Whole 30 Spaghetti Squash Chorizo Quiche

2 Jan

Every year for Thanksgiving I make my great Aunt Dot’s spaghetti stuffing, a recipe that has been passed down from her mother-in-law’s family.  The vermicelli (lately I use gluten free spaghetti) and pecorino romano cheese dominating the recipe mean that is it definitely not paleo.  It is delicious.  This is my Whole 30 take on spaghetti stuffing…for breakfast!

Ingredients:

2.5-3 pound spaghetti squash

12 oz chorizo (read the label if you’re looking for Whole 30 compliant!), chopped

6 large eggs

2 tbl. fresh parsley, minced

Kosher salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Whole 30 Spaghetti squash chorizo quiche

Whole 30 Spaghetti squash chorizo quiche

Whole 30 compliant chorizo

Whole 30 compliant chorizo

Read your labels! Most chorizo has sugar added to it, this one does not.

Read your labels! Most chorizo has sugar added to it, this one does not.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400°F.  Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds.  Coat the squash flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F until soft, approximately 45 minutes.  Heat 1 tbl. olive oil or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the chorizo and sauté for 10 minutes to give color and heat through.  Set aside to cool.  Once squash is cooked, use a fork to shred and set aside to cool (discard skin).  Whisk eggs and season with parsley, salt and pepper.  Combine eggs with squash and chorizo and pour into a pie plate greased with coconut oil.  Bake at 350°F until cooked through, approximately 45 minutes.

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Paleo & Whole 30 Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Casserole

2 Jan

Friends sent me purple sweet potatoes from Hawaii for Christmas!!  Yum!  Going Whole 30 for the month of January to get the year off on the right foot.  Breakfast seems to be the stickiest point for a lot of people trying Whole 30.  This seems to be for two reasons, 1. People get tired of eating eggs. 2. Many people lead busy lives and need more of a grab and go breakfast.  While this isn’t exactly grab and go, you can make it in advance and quickly reheat a piece.

Ingredients:

One 3-pound spaghetti squash

One pound of sweet potato (I used purple, but the color doesn’t matter), peeled and shredded

One sweet onion, peeled and shredded or diced

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

8 large eggs

1 tbl. fresh parsley, minced

Kosher salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Whole 30 spaghetti squash breakfast casserole (color from purple sweet potatoes)

Whole 30 spaghetti squash breakfast casserole (color from purple sweet potatoes)

Roasted spaghetti squash

Roasted spaghetti squash

Shredded spaghetti squash

Shredded spaghetti squash

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400°F.  Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds.  Coat the squash flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F until soft, approximately 45 minutes.  Shred your sweet potato and onion through your food processor.  Heat 2 tbl. olive oil or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onion and sweet potato.  Mince and add the garlic.  Cook until sweet potato is soft, set aside to cool.  Once squash is cooked, use a fork to shred and set aside to cool (discard skin).  Whisk eggs and season with parsley, salt and pepper.  Combine eggs with squash and sweet potato mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour mixture into an 8×8 inch glass or ceramic baking dish and bake at 350°F until cooked through, approximately 45 minutes.

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Paleo Autumn Squash Soup

29 Dec

Panera Bread introduced a new soup to their lineup: vegetarian autumn squash soup.  Their recipe started off just fine: pumpkin, butternut squash, water, milk…now things go downhill QUICKLY…cream cheese, brown sugar, sugar, honey, (because you need 3 sweeteners in your soup when butternut squash is already sweet?) cornstarch, sea salt, vegetable base, ginger, spices, onions, cream, butter, carrot, apple juice, lemon juice concentrate, curry powder, turmeric, roasted salted pumpkin seeds.  You can see how a serving of this soup easily became 350 calories at Panera: milk, cream cheese, brown sugar, sugar, honey, cream, butter.

Panera, you’re doing it wrong.  Here is an easy, tasty, paleo version, without all the junk!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

1 sugar pumpkin

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

11oz So Delicious culinary coconut milk

1.5 cups organic low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup local apple cider

1 tbl. honey*

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Kosher sat

Pepper

Olive oil

Gourds

Gourds

Roasted gourds

Roasted gourds

So Delicious culinary coconut milk

So Delicious culinary coconut milk

So Delicious culinary coconut milk ingredients

So Delicious culinary coconut milk ingredients

Paleo autumn squash soup

Paleo autumn squash soup

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Halve the gourds lengthwise and deseed.  Coat the inside flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast at 425°F until fork tender (about 40 minutes).  In a large pot sauté diced onion and over medium heat in olive oil until soft.  Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes.  Scoop pumpkin adn squash flesh from skin and add to pot.  Add broth, cider, and coconut milk.  Puree with an immersion blender until smooth.  Add spices, honey*, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and then warm through.  If desired toast pumpkin seeds for a garnish (and some crunch).

*Omit the honey to make this recipe Whole 30 compliant!

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