Whole30 Eggless Breakfast Hash

September 13, 2017September 10, 2017Leave a comment

This could be my favorite breakfast creation ever. Eggs or no eggs. It’s delicious.

So much of Whole30 breakfasts are centered around eggs. And after ten days of nothing but eggs for breakfast, I just couldn’t do it. Not another egg. (I’ll go back to eggs tomorrow.)

The beauty of this dish is the variety of veggies. It is truly a rainbow.

What you need:

2 apple chicken sausages, cut into half-moons
1 small yellow squash, cut into half-moons
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large handful of spinach
1 sweet potato, mashed
salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:

Bake your potato the night before and put in fridge.

Heat a medium skillet with avocado oil to medium-high heat. Add in the onion, squash and bell pepper. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic, red pepper flakes and sausage. Stir well to combine. Make sure the mixture evenly covers the pan. Cook on medium-high heat without stirring for about 5-6 minutes. This will give your meat and veggies a nice crust on the one side. Stir in spinach until it starts to wilt. Remove from heat and set aside.

Take your sweet potato from the fridge. Remove skin. Mash with a fork, and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Top with breakfast hash.

Enjoy.

Easy Salmon Cakes with Steamed Asparagus

September 12, 2017September 10, 2017Leave a comment

Sometimes you need dinner to be simple.

Simple dinners are winning dinners.

After a weekend full of travel and hours in the car, I was ready for a real meal. Not something I threw together. But something easy and planned.

The awesome thing about this dish is the convenience aspect of it.

What you need:

2 cans of wild caught pink salmon
2 eggs, whisked
1/4 cup almond flour
A dash of coconut flour
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried dill and dried parsley, to taste
1 bag of frozen whole asparagus spears

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl.

Open cans of salmon and drain off any excess liquids. Stir into eggs. Add almond flour and coconut flour. The consistency should be well combined and hold its shape when formed into patties, but the mixture should not look dry. If dry, add a splash of water or avocado oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley and dill.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form patties out of salmon mixture. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the salmon cakes cook, open the bag of asparagus. In a microwave safe dish, steam asparagus until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain off excess liquid, and season with avocado oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

When cakes are ready, plate the asparagus. Top with the salmon cakes.

I served my salmon cakes with a drizzle of Primal Kitchen Ranch and Chipotle Mayo.

Very tasty. Super easy. Low maintenance. Happy bellies. This is one you definitely want to make.

What are your favorite ways to used canned salmon?

Whole30 Parmesan Chicken

September 9, 2017Leave a comment

I’m a big fan of Italian food, but I don’t eat it very often. Pasta does weird things to my blood sugar.

On a rare occasion, I will whip up something inspired by Italy. But when you’re on Whole30 and the Italian craving hits, you have to improvise.

And so was born this Whole30 version of Chicken Parmesan.

After throwing the chicken in an egg wash, I breaded the chicken in a mixture of almond flour and coconut flour with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Heated up a jar of Thrive Market tomato sauce.

Sautéed some Veggie Noodle Co. butternut squash noodles.

And called this dinner.

And it is spectacular.

Full of flavor and texture. We loved every bite.

What are your favorite weeknight dinner shortcuts?

Roasting Veggies

September 2, 2017August 30, 2017Leave a comment

My favorite way to cook after a long day at work is with the handy-dandy oven.

I love roasting veggies in the oven.

Magic temperature of 400 degrees, give it 12-30 minutes (depending on what you are roasting) and boom, it’s all done.

I’ve even gone as far as briefly pan-searing meat in a oven-safe skillet and throwing it in the oven with the veggies. It’s life-changing.

Case-in-point: These roasted chops with okra, Japanese eggplant and baby tomatoes.

This whole meal was sourced from Me and McGee Market, my favorite farmers market in North Little Rock. The grow the okra, tomatoes and eggplant in their backyard garden, and they get their meat from The Farm at Barefoot Bend in Crowe, Arkansas (right outside Hot Springs Village).

But the true beauty of this meal, outside of I know exactly where it came from and who grew it, is the fact that I made it all in the oven.

As much as I love cooking an elaborate meal, I love convenience and speed of cooking just as much. Roasting veggies in the oven gives a deep flavor and a crispy texture, and I can’t get enough of it. As I said earlier, I’ve started pan-searing my meat with a little avocado oil for a couple minutes on both sides, and then I throw it in a 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size, until it has a nice golden crust on the outside.

I love how oven roasting meat and veggies doesn’t get my stove all messy. I love that I don’t have to stand watching over the stove. The oven just takes a lot of undue stress off of cooking dinner. Plus, if you are a good with meal prep, you can have all of your veggies for the week prepped and ready to go in the oven so making dinner is super easy.

What are your favorite veggies to roast in the oven?

Steak Tabbouleh

June 29, 2017Leave a comment

Green Chef is killing it with their Paleo menu this week.

I whipped this up in about 20 minutes after my one mile evening run. I loved the cauliflower rice mixture with tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mint, fresh parsley and a lemony vinaigrette. But I think it could have been better with chicken.

Tonight’s one mile put the hurt on me.

I’ve not been watching my pace. Just seeing what feels comfortable to my lungs and legs.

I was much faster today without intending to be. And I felt every step. My calves hurt. My legs cramped up. I had multiple side stitches. I chalk it up to not drinking enough water (and the three very small cookies I ate before leaving work).

Three days. Three miles. Things are on the up. I love these long summer days.