Tuna Cakes (Whole 30)

 From: The Defined Dish

Ingredients:

• 2 5-oz cans tuna
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise (Primal Kitchen is a great one that is Whole 30 compliant!)
• 1/4 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil

For the aioli dipping sauce:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• salt, to taste

In a bowl, add tuna, egg, 1 Tbsp mayo, bell pepper, garlic, almond flour, salt and pepper. With a fork, mix to combine.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out 1/4 cup of the mixture. Transfer that to your hands and form a patty. Continue until all patties are formed.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, but not smoking, using a spatula, carefully lay the tuna cakes into the oil and let fry until golden brown, about three minutes.

Using a sturdy spatula, carefully flip and continue to cook on the other side until golden brown, about three more minutes.

Transfer patties onto a plate and sprinkle with salt. Let rest for two minutes before serving.

Combine aioli ingredients, stir to combine.

Serve with aioli and enjoy!

Verdict:

Thumbs up! I love tuna, and honestly I could eat it every day, but I also like fried foods, so this is right up my alley! They didn't take long to cook and they had that great crispy outside that I love. I will note that I had to cook them closer to 6 minutes on each side to get them as brown as I wanted them.

Pot Roast (Whole 30)

 I tweaked this recipe based on what I normally do for a pot roast, and what would make it Whole 30. Not a lot of changes!

Ingredients:

3 lb chuck roast {or: rump, round, brisket}

3 cups beef stock

1 lb baby potatoes {whole}

4 cups carrots {peeled and cut into large pieces}

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 cup onion {chopped or sliced}

4 cloves garlic {minced}

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 tsp thyme {dried}

Verdict:

Thumbs up! I mean, a pot roast is really Whole 30 compliant anyway. I do normally add some Worcestershire sauce, but this didn't need anything extra. Perfect and simple! I love this for the nights that I work late and don't want to eat dinner at 9pm!

Grilled Chicken with Homemade Spice Rub (Whole 30)

 From: Joyful Healthy Eats

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl, mix everything but the chicken (and the kitchen sink?). Rub the mixture over both sides of the chicken. Place chicken on preheated grill and grill on each side until it's no longer pink in the middle.

Verdict:

This chicken was DEEEEVINE! The smoky flavor was on point. I didn't have coriander on hand so I substituted garam masala since it has coriander in it. Seriously, this was so flavorful and I was so mad I didn't make more at one time to save for later!

Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Whole 30)

 From: Paleo Running Momma

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil plus additional if needed
• Sea salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 small onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot (I used almond flour)
• 1 cup chicken bone broth
• 1/2 cup coconut milk full fat, blended before adding if needed
• 1/2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
• 1 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
• 1/8 tsp black pepper or to taste
• 2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

Season the chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. In a large skillet add the coconut oil and cook the chicken thighs on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until browned and no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.

Add additional oil if necessary and cook the onions over medium heat until soft, then stir in the garlic and cook another 45 seconds.

Whisk in the tapioca or arrowroot, then add the broth and coconut milk. Stir to combine, then stir in the mustard, yeast, Italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until it starts to thicken.

Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and allow mixture to simmer until spinach is wilted and tomatoes are softened. Add chicken back to the skillet and simmer another 2 minutes. Serve over cauli rice, zucchini noodles, or with roasted potatoes. Enjoy!

Verdict:

Thumbs up! I don't normally cook with chicken thighs and I remember why... they're so fatty! Yes, they were cheap, but I had to trim a ton of fat off. I'd rather just buy breast cutlets next time for this recipe. The sauce, though, I was LOVING! I was a little surprised because I don't like coconut anything, so I was afraid the coconut oil and milk would be too much in this recipe. I couldn't pick out that flavor at all though. I really liked the tanginess of the sundried tomatoes. I think they added a lot to the recipe. All in all, very good, and I will probably make again, although I will half the recipe next time because I could see me doing this for a nice lunch for myself the next time I cook it.

Whole 30 Chicken Salad

 From: Mary's Whole Life

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• 15-20 grapes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries or diced apple
• 1/4 cup pistachios or pecans, raw or dry roasted
• 1/4 cup chopped celery, (optional)
• 1/4 cup mayo , Use Primal Kitchen for Whole30
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, more or less to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Cook chicken: Bring a large pot of water to a boil with chicken breasts inside. Once boiling, cover and remove from heat. Let the breasts sit in the covered pot for 15 minutes. Chop/shred and add to a bowl. Omit this step if using rotisserie chicken! (If doing Whole 30, make sure any rotisserie chicken is compliant!)

Add remaining ingredients into a large bowl with the cooked chicken. Mix well until combined. Refrigerate until ready to eat! Can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Verdict:

Such a big thumbs up! This was absolutely delish. I used grapes, apples (beware of dried cranberries like they suggest, because the ones I almost used from my pantry were NOT compliant), celery, and almonds. I used the Primal Kitchen mayo which is my saving grace for many meals. It honestly didn't taste different to me than regular chicken salad! Perfect for a quick lunch.

Healthy Crockpot Pulled Pork

 From: The Clean Eating Couple

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Barbecue sauce of your choice (I made my own)

Clean off "silver skin" from pork tenderloin to make sure it's lean.

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil and spices. Marinate pork in olive oil and spices overnight if possible, in a ziploc bag. Otherwise, place tenderloins in crockpot and cover with oil/spice marinade. Make sure all areas of the pork have some marinade on them.

Pour chicken stock on top of the marinated tenderloins.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours in the crockpot, or on high for 4-6 hours.

Use tongs or a fork to pull the tenderloins apart when they are done cooking. All the juices to soak into the pulled pork. 

Toss with barbecue sauce if you choose!

Verdict:

This was a big thumbs up for everyone in my house! We had about three small slices of tenderloin left over. To be honest, it was a little sweet for my taste buds, but considering it was a hit with everyone else in the house, I'll probably make it again.

Whole 30 Barbecue Sauce

 From: 40 Aprons

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil

1 cup yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup dates, chopped

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp mustard powder

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 6oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup coconut aminos

1 cup water or chicken stock

4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

In a medium saucepan, heat the ghee or coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Transfer mixture to blender carefully (it will be very hot!). Blend on high speed until smooth. Season with salt.

Verdict:

I didn't care for this sauce. It was missing something for me... probably all the sugar from what I'm used to!! I'll have to keep messing with sauces to find a good barbecue recipe. Any that you love that are Whole 30 compliant?

Sausage-Cheese Bake

From: Southern Living 1988 cookbook

Ingredients:
1 lb bulk pork sausage
1 8-oz can refrigerator crescent rolls
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tbsp chopped green pepper
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook sausage in a skillet until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain and set aside.

Unroll each half of crescent roll dough, making a rectangle. Line bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish with rectangles, pressing seams securely to seal.

Sprinkle sausage over dough; top with shredded cheese and green pepper.

Combine eggs and remaining ingredients, and pour over casserole. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! I love this combination of ingredients. So easy a 10-year old can do it! I also love that there aren't any weird ingredients. I had pretty much everything on hand already. I will definitely make this again, or even do it in muffin tins next time for single serving sizes!

Stovetop Granola

Not sure where I found this recipe. I printed it out years ago and only just now tried it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp butter
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped almonds
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp dried cranberries
I added chopped up chocolate bits as well!

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats, then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet and spread to cool.

Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries. Any additional nuts and fruit can be stirred in at this time also.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Very easy and so simple to make it however you like. I don't love granola but I do really like the sweetness factor paired with the crunchiness of the oats, so I have to admit I'm digging this as a snack.

Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1/4 cups cornstarch
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic minced
3/4 cups soy sauce
3/4 cups water
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup grated carrots
green onions for garnish

Cut flank steak into thin strips. Place in a ziplock bag and add cornstarch Shake to coat.

Add olive oil, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and carrots in a slow cooker. Stir ingredients. Add coated flank steak and stir until coated in the sauce.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 4-5 hours until tender. Can serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Verdict:

This was so good. The thin flank steak was absolutely perfect for this recipe. I think we all agreed it tasted just like it would in a Mongolian restaurant (which we are really missing right now!) The flavor of this sauce was thick and sweet, and it also paired perfectly with the rice. It was almost as good leftover as it was the night I made it. I think this is one of my favorite meals I've ever made. A must-try!

Apple Fritter Rings

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
5 large tart apples
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a bowl, beat egg, milk and oil. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; stir into the egg mixture until smooth (batter will be thick).

Peel, core and cut apples into 1/2 inch rings. In a deep fryer or skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees. Dip apple rings into batter; fry a few at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over hot fritters. Serve warm.

Verdict:
Ohhhh my. These were SO good! They were incredibly easy to make, too. I have a ton of apples so I'm trying to find new ways to use them. I only used two apples because I wasn't sure how much we were going to like them. The outside was so much like a funnel cake, and then there was that burst of apple flavor on the inside. MORE, PLEASE!!

Stuffed Baked Apples

From: Cooking Light

Ingredients:
4 medium cooking apples
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
Cinnamon

Core apples to within 1/2-inch of bottom, leaving a 1-inch wide cavity. Peel around top third of each apple.

Arrange apples in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan. Fill cavity of each apple with 1 tablespoon raisins. Combine water and lemon juice; pour over apples. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until apples are tender.

Verdict:
I don't really love baked apples, but I am overrun with apples right now, so I'm trying a few new recipes. This recipe was good, but not my favorite. I feel like it was missing a little something but I'm not sure what. So if you've made a recipe similar to this with extra ingredients, let me know!

Teriyaki Beef Broil

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:
1 3/4 lbs top round steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp molasses
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp dry mustard
6 cloves garlic, minced

Partially freeze the steak; slice diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch strips. Place steak in a shallow container. Combine soy sauce and next 5 ingredients; pour over steak. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Remove steak from marinade, and thread onto skewers. Place skewers on a lightly greased rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for 6-7 minutes, turning once.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! You know I love a simple recipe with ingredients I always have in the pantry! These were so easy to make and totally delicious! We'll definitely eat them again.

Chicken 'N' Biscuits

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Biscuit ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

In a saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in flour, basil, thyme, and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in milk and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes.

Stir in vegetables, chicken and Parmesan cheese; reduce heat to low. Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Combine milk, oil and parsley; stir into dry ingredients just until combined.

Transfer hot chicken mixture to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Drop biscuit batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.

Skillet Pork Chops

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:
4 pork chops
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2-3 Tbsp grape jelly
1/4 tsp ground ginger
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp cold water
Rice

In a skillet over medium heat, brown pork chops in oil; drain.

Add onion; cook until tender.

Pour broth around chops; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover simmer for 12-16 minutes or until the meat is tender. Remove chops and keep warm.

Stir jelly and ginger into broth. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; add to broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over pork chops and rice.

Verdict:
I liked the simplicity of this recipe. I loved that I didn't have to go to the store for any ingredients! But it wasn't my favorite pork chop recipe. I think would like it to be a little sweeter. The sauce didn't have quite as much flavor as I'd hoped. I think you could add more grape jelly and ginger and solve that problem. The consistency was great and it was very good over hot rice!

Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

From: Martha Stewart magazine

Ingredients:
3 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
24 caramels, halved

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter; beat on medium speed until combined but some pea-size butter chunks remain. Add chocolate chips and beat until combined, then beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Scoop dough into 4-oz balls (about 1/3 cup); make a deep, wide hollow in each center. Enclose three pieces of caramel in each, roll back into a ball. Place 6 balls on each sheet. Freeze 15 minutes.

Bake, with one sheet on each rack, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, swap sheet positions, and bake until centers are almost but not completely set (press gently on tops with your fingers to check), 7-10 minutes more. Remove from oven. Bang sheets on a counter a few times to create cracks in tops of cookies. Place sheets on a wire rack; let cool completely.

What we did differently:
I halved the recipe and I'm SO GLAD we did. These cookies were MASSIVE!! Other than that I didn't change anything, but I will give you a tip, because I've made a lot of stuffed cookies in my day. Make sure the dough completely covers the caramel on the oven, or the caramel will ooze out of the bottom of the cookie and make it fall apart easier.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Love, love! These are SO good and super easy to make!

Honey Cake

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
1 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer. Combine flour and next three ingredients; gradually add to honey mixture, mixing well.

Dissolve coffee granules in hot water and add to mixture, beating well. Stir in flavorings.

Pour into two greased and floured 9x5x3-inch loafpans.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon; sprinkle over loaves. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool on a wire rack.

Verdict: Thumbs up!! First of all, obviously, this is not my picture. Apparently I forgot to take pictures of my finished project. This cake was SO good. I ate it for dessert and breakfast until it was gone. #noshame  It was still really good left over. And sometimes I warmed it in the microwave and melted butter on top. I will DEFINITELY make this again.