Tag Archives: vegan

Whole 30 – A Realistic Meal Plan – Week 4

recipes, whole30 September 22, 2014 Leave a comment

I forgot to post this when I actually finished but I did the entire Whole 30! By the end of it I felt really good, lost 8 pounds, and changed my relationship with food. I was SO tired of cooking that I honestly didn’t eat as much just because the thought of cooking yet another meal was enough to keep me from eating. I will definitely keep a lot of these habits moving forward though. Following the whole 30 shopping guidelines and meal plans at home for the most part but being able to eat out occasionally would be sustainable for a long time. Overall, I would recommend this plan, definitely one of the best cleanses or detoxes that I have done over the years!

Day 22:
Breakfast – Pork Hash and blueberries
Lunch – Red Curry with Chicken (leftover)
Dinner – Tarragon Cream Chicken with sautéed broccolini

Day 23:
Breakfast – Apple with Almond Butter
Lunch – Tarragon Cream Chicken (leftover)
Dinner – Chili over a baked yukon gold potato

Day 24:
Breakfast –Pork Hash
Lunch – Italian Chicken Stew (made night before)
Dinner – Chili over a baked yukon gold potato

Day 25:
Breakfast – Pork Hash
Lunch –Italian Chicken Stew (leftover)
Dinner – Steak with Roasted Purple Potatoes and sautéed broccolini

Day 26:
Breakfast – BLAT “Benedict”… without the egg
Lunch – Italian Chicken Stew (leftover)
Dinner – Ate out – side salad with grilled chicken, no dressing

Day 27:
Breakfast – BLAT “Benedict”… without the egg
Lunch – Apple with Almond Butter
Dinner – Seared Yellowfin Tuna with Roasted Broccolini

Day 28:
Breakfast – Banana
Lunch – Ate out at a Paleo Bistro
Dinner – Roasted Brussel Sprouts & Purple Potatoes

Day 29:
Breakfast – Pork Hash with mushrooms
Lunch – Apple with Almond Butter
Dinner – Pot Roast Stew

Day 30:
Breakfast – Pork Hash with mushrooms
Lunch – Pot Roast Stew
Dinner – Steak with Roasted Purple Potatoes and sautéed broccolini

Spinach Salad with Guacamole

recipes August 3, 2014 Leave a comment

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This is easily my favorite lunch to take to work with me. It is super healthy and Whole 30 compliant but it will also keep you full and fueled for the entire afternoon.

Ingredients (1 serving):
1 small tomato, diced
a handful of baby carrots, cut in half
1/4 of an English Cucumber, deseeded and sliced
1/4 of a green onion (green part), chopped
1 large handful of baby spinach
Approx. 10-15 dry roasted almonds
1/4 of a lime
2 tbsp. guacamole, homemade or Wholly Guacamole Minis are perfect for work lunches

Put the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and then when you are ready to eat, squeeze the lime juice all over it and put the guacamole on top of the salad. Toss the ingredients to coat everything in lime and guacamole (they are your dressing) and enjoy!

Variations: Add Grilled Chicken, Salmon, or Burger Patties to add more protein to the meal.

Roasted Vegetables

recipes August 3, 2014 Leave a comment

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I eat this side dish at LEAST 3 times a week. I always change out the veggies, the recipe is pretty much identical for asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, whole green beans, mushrooms, and any combination of those that you desire. Most of my pictures seem to be of broccoli but I would say that I actually eat asparagus the most often.

Ingredients:
Veggie of choice – enough for 2 people
1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 425F. Wash and chop veggies to desired size:
Asparagus – trim the ends off but leave each one in one long piece
Broccoli – florets ( I prefer pretty small ones)
Cauliflower – florets ( I prefer pretty small ones)
Green Beans – trim the ends but leave whole
Mushrooms – whole or halved

Toss veggies in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. (You can also do a sprinkle of garlic salt if desired.)

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Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and cook for 12-15 minutes until starting to get crispy and a little brown in some spots and serve immediately with your entree, they will get cool really quickly. Enjoy!

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Roasted Potatoes

recipes August 3, 2014 Leave a comment

This is one of most go-to side dishes, especially when we aren’t eating grains and my husband needs a little more substance to a meal than just veggies. You can use Russet, Gold, Red, Purple, Fingerling, whatever kind of potatoes you like and have on hand. My personal favorites are Purple, Fingerling, and Russet.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
1 large potato or 2 small ones
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch each of:
garlic salt
onion powder
parsley
salt
pepper

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Preheat the oven to 400F and slice the potato into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices or cubes, whichever you prefer. (The picture above is of a small cutting board, not the largest potato known to man!)

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In a bowl, toss sliced or cubed potatoes and all other ingredients. Make sure each and every slice is coated in olive oil or it will stick to the pan.

Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a baking sheet and put into the oven for 12 minutes.

After 12 minutes, flip each slice over or, for cubes, toss to stir and make sure nothing is sticking. Put the potatoes back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes until they are just turning golden brown. For a taste a little more like homemade chips, cook thin sliced ones until they just start to get crispy.

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Serve with your favorite main dish and enjoy!

Mushroom Risotto

recipes January 1, 2013 Leave a comment

Cooking can be therapeutic and this dish is a great one for a cold fall or winter day when you have a lot on your mind.  Just grab some wine and a wooden spoon and stir for 45 minutes or so and you will have a rich, comforting meal to warm you up.  It’s also a very impressive dish to serve at a dinner party, if you have the time and energy to make it for guests.  Risottos can be intimidating to prepare but as long you as you follow the steps in order, you will be fine.  I found them to be much easier than I expected originally and that’s from a girl whose cooking nemesis is, and always will be, rice.

Allergy info: This recipe is gluten free.  I do use Sheep’s milk cheese but it is just as good without it, so for a truly dairy free dish omit the Pecorino Romano.  For a vegan version, omit pancetta & pecorino and use mushroom broth instead of chicken.  Also, this dish can be a bit pricy so I have put less expensive substitutes in parentheses by ingredients that can be changed.  This meal will still be delicious!

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This picture has a few extra ingredients in it since the last time I made this was for Christmas dinner with my family.  Anyone who gives me a Le Creuset pot for Christmas has earned themselves a homemade risotto!  To make risotto you will need:

1/2 pound of baby portobello mushrooms, stems removed, sliced (don’t use white button!)
4 cups of organic chicken stock, I use low sodium and stock really is better than broth
2 cups of water 
6 tbsp vegan butter (I use Earth Balance sticks)
2 oz diced pancetta (can substitute bacon for a more economical meal)
1/2 cup chopped shallots (can substitute 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions and 2 minced garlic cloves)
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (no substitutes, use arborio)
1/2 cup dry white wine (plus a glass to sip while you stir!)
1/2 tsp saffron threads (can omit if you are on a tight budget)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and water and bring to a simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots (or bacon & onion & garlic) over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stir occasionally.

Add the mushrooms and sauté another 5 minutes, stir occasionally.

Add the rice and stir to coat all of the grains of rice with butter.  Add the wine and cook 2 minutes.

Now the fun part, you are going to be stirring for awhile but it’s fun to watch it come together and even better if you have some company in the kitchen.  Add 2 ladles of chicken stock mixture to the rice and the saffron, salt, and pepper.  Stir and simmer over LOW heat until the stock is absorbed, about 5-10 minutes.

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Once it is absorbed, add 2 more ladles of stock and stir every minute or so.  Cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then repeat this step until all of the stock has been incorporated.  This should take about 25-30 minutes total.  When you are finished the risotto will be thick and creamy and won’t seem dry.

Take the risotto off the heat and stir in about 1/2 cup of pecorino (if you are using cheese).

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Serve immediately with pecorino as a garnish.  Enjoy!

I have a simple, delicious recipe for any risotto leftovers that I will post soon as well.

 

 

Chicken Noodle Soup (minus the chicken)

recipes December 4, 2012 Leave a comment

I absolutely love soup and I crave the comfort and convenience of a good canned soup when I am feeling under the weather, but I haven’t found any canned soups that fit my allergy restraints that actually taste good.  This is the simplest soup in the world, on purpose, so that I have the energy to make it for myself when I feel sick.  It’s so simple, comforting, and healthy, and I always have the ingredients on hand.

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1/2 cup Tinkyada Organic Rice Pasta – Penne, Elbows, or Shells – whatever you have in your pantry
3 cups Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth (Use vegetable broth to make this recipe vegan)
2/3 cup Organic Frozen Mixed Veggies (I use peas and carrots but the mix with those veggies plus corn is really good in this too if you can eat corn)
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Thyme
Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Bring the chicken broth, spices, and some salt and pepper to a boil in a covered saucepan.  Add the mixed veggies and bring to a boil again.  Add the pasta, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Watch the pot the first few minutes, it has a tendency to boil over while cooling from boiling to simmering.  Salt and Pepper to taste when you serve it.  This recipe is for 1 so adjust as necessary for the number of people you are cooking for, you may only need 2 cups of broth per additional person, you only need 3 for the first one to be sure there is enough liquid to cook the pasta and veggies.

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Quinoa Salad

recipes November 28, 2012 Leave a comment

I spent the summer of 2011 living in Tulsa with my brother Thomas and it was regularly 110-120 degrees, truly unbearable.  We ate a lot of this salad that summer, and even took a huge batch with us to Bonnaroo, the cucumber is so refreshing.  My brothers call this the “keenest wa” when they request it.  It has become one of my year round go-to recipes for lunches, I make a big batch and have it for lunch a few days throughout the week.  I will confess that I don’t measure when I make this meal so the amounts on the ingredients list are estimates and can be tweaked to your own taste.

Here are the ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 hothouse cucumber, seeded and sliced
3-4 stalks green onions, minced (both green and white parts)
1/3 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup goat milk feta (optional)

Prepare the quinoa according to directions on the package.  Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and some salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the hot quinoa in a large bowl and stir well.  Let the quinoa cool while you chop your veggies.  Split the cucumber down the middle and scoop out the seeds then slice.

Chop the dill and green onions and, once everything is ready, add it all to the quinoa at the same time and add a little more salt and pepper.  Toss well.  Give the salad a taste and feel free to play around with the ingredients, you may like it with more olive oil, more or less dill or green onions.  This salad ends up a little different every time I make it.

If you can eat goat milk and are not trying to prepare a vegan meal, put in some small chunks of feta to taste and stir carefully.  Let the mixture sit for an hour and come to room temperature, or refrigerate overnight.  I personally think this salad is better the next day after the flavors have really blended.  If you do refrigerate, let it come back to room temperature to serve and taste to be sure the seasonings are balanced.

I hope you enjoy the salad as much as Thomas and I do!