Whole30 Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage

1 onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups grated cauliflower (cauliflower rice)

2 pounds good quality ground beef

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Oil (coconut, avocado or olive oil) to sautee cauliflower, onions, etc.

Sauce:

2 cans (14.5 oz) crushed tomato

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen in Red/Black can)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prep Cabbage Leaves:

Boil whole cabbage in large pot for about 10 minutes. Put lid on pot for last 5 minutes. Drain water and let cabbage sit to cool off.

Filling:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sautee onion and minced garlic until onion is soft and just starting to turn golden.

Add riced cauliflower and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.  Cauliflower should be soft.

Put all into a mixing bowl and allow ingredients to cool.

Brown ground beef and spices, drain fat.  Allow meat to cool while you prepare the sauce. 

Sauce:

Add more oil to skillet and add crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Add onion/garlic mix that you prepared earlier and combine well.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of a large baking dish.

Assemble the Cabbage Rolls:

Carefully remove the cabbage leaves one leaf at a time. Try to be careful not to tear the leaves. You want them to be as whole as possible. Trim of any part of stem that is super thick. Pat dry any remaining moisture from leaves with a paper towel. The leaves should be able to lay open kind of like a bowl. Spoon about a quarter of a cup of filling into the leaf. Start at the bottom edge of the leaf and roll the meat up into the leaf, like a burrito/eggroll. Tuck in edges half way half-way to prevent your filling from falling out and continue rolling.

Lay each roll, seam side down, in the baking dish.

Pour remaining sauce over cabbage rolls and cook in oven for about 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Not as pretty, but this was lunch the next day. They heat up very well and can even be prepared ahead of time and frozen to heat up a quick meal on a busy evening!

Ghee! It Really Is Terrific!

Ghee.  Many of you have been messaging me and asking me about GHEE, so I thought that I should share a quick post about it.  Before doing Whole 30, I had not ever heard of the product either.  I started seeing posts about it and noticed that certain recipes called for it.

So what is it?

One easy description is : Clarified Butter or as I call it: LIQUID GOLD

Dictionary dot com says: A kind of liquid butter, used especially in the cooking of India, made from the milk of cows or buffaloes and clarified by boiling.

Since dairy is not considered acceptable for paleo eating, I am glad that ghee can offer that great goodness and flavor of butter without the dairy.

Ghee has a high smoke point (482*F) so it is ideal for frying and cooking.  It's rich in vitamins, source of healthy fat, and just tastes like the best butter you ever had.

You can find ghee at most health/organic food stores.  I buy mine at Trader Joe's, but I've also purchased it at a local Indian Market, and also at Wal Mart in the International Foods aisle.  Ghee can be pretty pricey.  I believe the 8 oz jar at Trader Joe's is about $3.50.  That 8 oz jar does not last long in my house!

Another way to get ghee is to just make it yourself! It's more cost effective and you can make sure that you are starting with a good quality butter for optimal results in your ghee.  I love Kerrygold butter.  Made from the milk of grass-fed cows - it is so creamy and tasty.  Like cheese I tell ya!

I use the crockpot method since I think it's the easiest way to do it.

You need:
3 or 4 -  8 oz packages of grass fed butter
Crockpot
Cheesecloth
Jar with lid

You can follow the directions and pictures here at Grass Fed Girl.  She has taken pictures of the process and it's really simple to follow.

But basically you put your butter in the crockpot on low, uncovered, for about 3 hours.  Different types of crockpots may make a difference in cook time, but you should be able to tell by the color when it is really done.

You put your cheese cloth in the jar and pour your melted butter right in.  I put a rubber band around the mouth of the jar over the cheesecloth just to hold it in place.  The cheesecloth should catch all the solids.

That's it! Keep the lid on your jar and use as needed.  Does not need to be refrigerated.  I keep mine right on the counter next to my coconut oil, salts and most used spices.

Here's mine right after I poured it n the jar:

I use it to cook eggs, vegetables, meat and more.  I add it to veggies that have been steamed as an added flavor or healthy fat.  I also like to make mashed cauliflower with it.  

Have you or do you use ghee?  What's your favorite way to use it?

Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest.  I love cooking and am very comfortable in the kitchen and mostly use recipes as a guide.  I never follow any of them exactly which is precisely why I'm not a baker. haha.  Here are the ingredients, but you can click on this LINK to her blog for the exact directions.  

INGREDIENTS:
250 gm of cleaned and cubed chicken pieces 
1 cup of sliced onions 
2 tbsp of oil (I use coconut oil) 
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder 
1 tsp of cumin powder 
2 tsp of coriander powder 
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder 
1" piece of ginger (I used powdered because I forgot this item)
2 green chillies (adjust to taste) 
2 flakes of garlic 
A few cubes of ripe tomato 
1 tbsp of poppy seeds, soaked for 15 mins (see notes) (didn't have ANY and thought I did)
2 cups of thin coconut milk (see notes)
1 cup of thick coconut milk 
A small bunch of chopped coriander leaves, for garnish (Cilantro)

This is my cauliflower rice.  I just raw cauliflower and hand grate it on my cheese grater. Then I get my pan hot with a bit of EVOO and start cooking my rice in it.  I add seasonings too of course.  Just keep moving it around until it's tender and then serve.  It will never BE rice, but it's a nice replacement. And that's coming from ME. The RICE lover.

This dish was so good that I made it three times on the Whole 30!  Quick, easy and full of flavor...

Hobo Dinner - Whole 30 Compliant

I'm basically in love with the colors in these photos. That's really the only reason I'm even posting this! Ha. Just kidding. It's a yummy, easy meal that the whole family will like, but still. Very colorful!

Peel and cut up all your root veggies and chop up any other veggies you want to add. I added bell pepper, golden potatoes and celery too.

I used Rainbow Carrots.  I'm obsessed with these!

Cook up some ground beef or turkey and drain any fat.  Season liberally. 

Add all veggies and cook until veggies are soft, but not soggy.  

I added a bit of arrowroot powder (mixed with water) 'cause I thought it might make a gravy, but I didn't really care for it and it didn't need it - so just ignore that I even brought that up!!  

Side of avocado for some extra healthy fats!

Serve just like that! No need for rice or pasta or anything else.  

Heats up really nice for leftovers too!

Easy Slow-Cooker Roast Beef - Whole 30 Style

Slow cooker recipes don't have to have a can of fake mushroom soup or cream of chicken soup added to them! This recipe is a classic, but I used to add a can of mushroom soup to it and an envelope of fake onion soup as well.  Yuck! No more of that!!

Chop up veggies. I used carrots, celery, onion, and bell pepper.

Sprinkle herbs and spices on top.

Dump some of your favorite marinara sauce on top. 

I used Trader Joe's Marinara  28 oz. can (Whole 30 compliant)

I used about half of that.

Put on low and cook for 6 hours.

SO good. Served here with Cauliflower Mash.

Could also add a lot more root vegetables if you have them.

ENJOY!

Whole 30 | NSV | Day 9

Of course I have some awesome food shots to share with you, but I also wanted to share some NSVs with you. NSV=Non Scale Victory

You are not to weigh or measure yourself during your Whole 30 challenge.  This helps you to get over the mindset that you're doing this just for weight-loss. Have you ever been dieting or working out a lot and your scale tips up instead of down one morning or two? 
For some people, that may motivate them to push harder, but for me, it would discourage me and make me feel like I was suffering for nothing and I'd give up. 

So, let's focus on the NSV: 

• bloated feeling completely gone
• full after each meal - hardly any cravings for non-compliant foods
• almost no headaches (used to get a few a week) now I've had one in 9 days and it was very mild. 
• my face was really drying out and now it feels so much better and looks better too! More clear!
• sleeping better-waking up feeling rested
• energy throughout the day

These things totally mean more to me than numbers on a scale.

Almond Crusted Herbed Salmon with a Super Green Roasted Veggie Mix 

Salmon:

1+ lb. Wild Caught Salmon Filets (I used 4 filets)

1/2 cup crushed almonds (I used dry roasted almonds and popped them in the food processor)

1+ Tbs. Italian Seasoning

1 Tbs. Dry Dill

Sea Salt

Juice from 1/2 Lemon

Ghee (Clarified Butter is fine)

Heat oven to 400*

Prep:

I used a glass baking dish. Coated it first with a bit of melted ghee or EVOO. 

Directions:

Lay filets skin side down in dish and squeeze 1/2 lemon over all of them. Remove seeds 'cause you forgot to pick them out when you first cut the lemon.

Season each filet with the Italian, Dill and Sea Salt and then maybe more Italian.  *see what brand I use in the recipe below*

Coat each filet with the crushed almonds.  You could also use Almond Flour/Meal if you wanna. 

Drizzle melted Ghee over each filet.

Bake in oven for about 15 minutes

If crust does not look golden, you could pop it under the broiler for about 5 minutes which is what I did.  You want that nice crust without over-cooking the fish.

ENJOY!!

Super Greens:

3 cups chopped Kale (try to avoid having any tough stems in the mix)

4 small zucchini

2 cups fresh Brussels sprouts

Crushed Red Pepper

1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic

Course Sea Salt

EVOO

Ghee

*water or chicken broth

Prep:

Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.  Be sure to remove some of the thick stems from your kale. I had a few that snuck in.  They're just annoying and difficult to chew - so ditch them.

I cut my brussels sprouts in half and if they are large, I even quarter them.  This helps them to cook up a little faster and you also get some loose leaves that get a nice roast on them, which I really like.

Directions:

Place all chopped veggies, except Kale, in a bowl and drizzle with Olive Oil.  Add your seasonings.  I love the McCormick Grinders and use the Italian and Crushed Red Pepper ones all the time!

Then I use my hands to toss them all together, making sure every piece is evenly coated in goodness.

Once you get these in the pan, you will do the same with the kale - it just goes in later.

**This cooks up pretty quick, so it's best if you put  the more dense vegetables in first.

Heat pan or skillet (I use a huge cast-iron skillet that I LOVE) and keep at a medium heat.

Throw the brussels sprouts and zucchini in there and let it cook. Do not cover at all.  You don't want them getting mushy, but if you feel like you need to hurry the process - splash some water or chicken broth in there and it will give them a real good steam treatment.

Cook and maybe move them every 7 minutes or so.  I like the number 7. When they look like they can be pierced with a fork - or maybe just try that - then you can add the kale.  

Just pile it all on there.  Let the pan over-flow if you want 'cause it will all cook down.  

Just keep tossing it all around in there until it's the consistency you want.  Add a bit of Ghee for flavor if you want. I put it on errthang.

Gobble it up!!

Spaghetti Squash and Paleo Meatballs

This meal was Aaaaahhh-mazing!!  I really felt like I was eating a plate of comforting pasta!
It was also my first time roasting a spaghetti squash. So easy.  This is what I did...

Preheat oven to 375*

Cut squash in half

Scrape seeds out of middle and discard seeds and "pulp"

Brush or rub a little olive oil on the cut side of the squash

and season with a little sea salt and garlic powder.

Add about a half inch of water to a roasting pan and

place squash cut side down.

Roast for about 45 minutes or until water is evaporated and

"meat" of squash pulls easily away from the skin.

Run a fork across the meat of the squash and watch as it magically

shreds. =) So exciting. You can scrape all of it from the skin

virtually leaving an empty shell.

And now for the meatballs! 

1 lb. of lean ground beef

1 lb. of ground pork

1/2 cup almond flour

3 large eggs beaten

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

garlic powder

sea salt 

italian seasoning (I used McCormick's Italian Herb GRINDER)

Mix all ingredients and form small meatballs and 

place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Add them to the oven with the squash on a different rack,

but only for about 20 minutes.

not pretty, but sooo good! 

The Sauce

I chose to use Classico Mushroom and Ripe Olive Italian Sauce because I had it on hand.

From this point on however, I will be buying fresh ingredients to make my own sauce.

Once the meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and simmer for another 20 - 25 minutes.

Top your shredded spaghetti squash with some sauce and meatballs and then grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!  Even my daughter Naomi gave it a thumbs up and she is my picky eater!

Have you ever cooked spaghetti squash? Did you do anything different that you'd recommend? Let me know in the comments!