Whole30 Beef Stew

In all truth, I'm not much of a fan of beef stew...it just has never done it for me.  But, this one was delicious and also one of those that gets even better with time- meaning I ate it 3 days after it sat in the fridge and it was amazing.  Note- it bakes for 1.5 hours in the oven so prepare in advance!

Whole30 Beef Stew

Primal Gourmet

• 2 lbs stewing beef - cut into 1" cubes chuck, shoulder, bottom round, or rump all work here
• 2 med-sized onions - quartered
• 4 celery stalks - chopped into 1" pieces
• 3 carrots - chopped on a bias into 1" pieces
• 2 parsnips - cubed (optional- I didn't use b/c I don't like them)
• 227 gr button mushrooms - quartered
• 7 cloves garlic - smashed
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary - finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves fresh or dried
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 L chicken or beef stock
• 8-10 baby white potatoes - quartered
• salt and pepper
• avocado oil
• fresh parsley - for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Pat meat very dry with paper towel and season both sides with salt.
3. Add 1 tbsp avocado oil to a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over high heat. Add beef to pot and brown in batches so as to not overcrowd the pot. Transfer browned beef to a bowl. **Note: if you’re beef does not brown it is because a) you did not dry the meat b) the pot is not hot enough c) you overcrowded the pot and are causing the beef to steam d) all of the above.
4. If required, add an additional 1 tbsp avocado oil to the pot. Add onion, celery, carrot and parsnips. Season with a small pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook an additional 60 seconds.
6. Add paprika and smoked paprika and cook an additional 45-60 seconds. Return browned beef to pot along with stock, potatoes and bay leaves. Bring everything to a boil, season with black pepper, cover with lid and transfer to 350F oven for 1.5 hours.
7. Remove from oven, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. If the meat is still tough, return to oven for an additional 30 minutes, then check again.
8. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley.

Paleo Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

courtesy

This was so good that I am posting on the same night I made it!  The flavors were spot on and it came together pretty quick.  I used frozen garlic and frozen ginger instead of fresh (I buy the Dorot cubes from Trader Joe's) but that's the only change.  Served it over cauliflower rice sauteed with a bit of avocado oil and chicken broth--perfect.

Paleo Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

I heart umami

For the Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Seasonings:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, thin sliced
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1.5 tsp arrowroot powder (or corn starch)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ⅛ tsp black pepper + ¼ tsp coarse salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
• ½ tsp aged balsamic vinegar
• ¼ tsp coarse salt
• 2 tbsp chicken stock
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder

Other:

• 4 large garlic cloves, thin sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 4 bulbs scallions, chopped and separate white + green parts
• 10 oz. broccoli florets, blanched
• Cooking fat of your choice, avocado oil or ghee

INSTRUCTIONS

• Thin slice chicken breasts to about ¼ and ⅛ inch thin. Season with ingredients under ‘Chinese chicken and broccoli seasonings’. Mix well and set aside in the fridge while preparing other ingredients. Stir well ‘Stir-Fry Sauce’ until there are no lumps. Prepare garlic, ginger, and scallions. Hot water blanch or microwave broccoli florets for 1-2 minutes on high and set aside to cool/drain.
• In a well-heated large stainless steel skillet or cast iron, add 1.5 tbsp cooking fat. Sear the chicken breasts in one even layer in the skillet over medium-high heat without disturbing until they are in golden brown color (about 3-4 mins.) then use a fish spatula to flip and sear the flip side. The chicken should be almost cooked through before setting them aside along with the pan juice and oil in the skillet.
• Use the same skillet and add 1.5 tbsp cooking fat, saute garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions over medium heat until fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt and stir fry frequently to prevent them from burning (about 8-10 seconds). Add chicken and broccoli florets to the skillet.  Toss and stir the stir-fry sauce one more time before pouring it in the skillet. Toss and coat the sauce over chicken and broccoli until the sauce is slightly thickened (about 8 -10 seconds). Garnish with green parts of scallions and serve hot or in room temperature with cauliflower rice, steamed rice, or lightly sautéed zucchini noodles.

Instant Pot Rice Pudding

We LOVE rice pudding but hate how long it takes. I worked on this recipe for a while until it was just like Mom used to make. It's SO yummy.

Instant Pot Rice Pudding

1 1/2 cups rice (we use long grain but any kind will work)

4 1/2 cups milk

1 cups sugar (add a little more if you want it super sweet, we add up to 1/4 cup)
pinch of salt

2 tsp vanilla

Put everything in the instant pot, except the vanilla. Put it on manual setting for 20 minutes. Allow it to naturally release. Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly before serving, or you can serve it cold. Mix-ins options: cinnamon, nutmeg, blueberries, cream cheese, raisins, craisins, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

She's not our grandma, but I can tell she's a baking wizard. I'm usually not a big apple pie fan, but this Allrecipes find is a total winner. I used one of those apple slicer/corer/peeler gadgets, and it made it so easy, but it also meant the apples were thinner. Take care to not let the apples get mushy during baking if you use thin apples (my adaptations are already included below).

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 double pie crust, homemade or store-bought

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 Tbs all purpose flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

6-8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced and splashed with lemon juice and optional  cinnamon (about 1/2-1 tsp)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, salt, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Mix apples with the sugar and butter sauce, reserving about 1/3 cup. Fill crust with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the remaining sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, taking care to cover the edges with foil so they don't burn. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue baking for 25-35 minutes, until apples are soft (bake 35-45 minutes if using thicker apple slices).

Cajun Chicken Pasta (Whole30)

courtesy

I've made this twice in the last week- its that good.  The sauce is super spicy and perfect with the peppers, zucchini, and chicken.  I made a few changes in the recipe because of which meat I chose, but you can stick with the original if you'd like.  

Cajun Chicken Pasta

The Defined Dish

1. 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on your tolerance for spicy)
2. 1 tsp. black pepper
3. 1/2 tsp. salt
4. 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
5. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
6. 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
7. 1/8 tsp. dried oregano leaves
8. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (you can add any meat you like here- beef, chicken, sausage, shrimp, etc.  I used Aidell's Chicken and Apple Links and it was perfection!)
9. 1/4-1/2 cup arrowroot starch (less if you're using the chicken links)
10. 2-4 tbsp. olive oil
11. 2 cloves garlic, minced
12. 1 tbsp. ghee
13. 2 tsp. lemon
14. 1 cup chicken broth
15. 2-3 zucchinis, spiralized (If you have the option, spiralize the noodles on the wider setting)
16. 1 red bell pepper, diced large (I used all of the peppers I had in the fridge, which was ALOT)
17. 1/4 onion, sliced thinly (I diced these smaller)
18. 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional- I didn't use them)
19. 2 tbsp. olive oil
20. salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all of the spices (cayenne, black pepper, salt, red pepper, thyme, rosemary and oregano) in a small bowl. Set Aside.  If you're using chicken links, skip to step 6
2. Place a boneless, skinless chicken breast on a cutting board. Hold it flat with the palm of one hand and, with a chef's knife in the other hand, carefully slice it in half horizontally to make a thinner breast of chicken. Cut all of the chicken breasts this way.
3. Season the chicken, to taste, on both sides with a little salt and pepper.
4. Pour arrowroot into a bowl or plate and dredge the chicken in the arrowroot so that it is just coated on both sides. Set aside on a plate while you continue to coat all of the chicken in the arrowroot.
5. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet. sear the chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side and, when the chicken is browned set aside on a plate. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this in two batches and you may need to add more olive oil if your skillet dries out. Your chicken does not need to be cooked through, just golden brown. It will continue to cook in the sauce in a minute.
6. Reduce heat on the skillet to medium-low. Add the tbsp. ghee and melt.
7. Add minced garlic to the skillet and saute for 1minute, being careful not to burn.
8. Pour in the broth, lemon juice and the spice mixture, stir to combine. Nestle chicken cutlets (or put chicken links with 1 Tbs. arrowroot starch or corn starch for thickness) back into the sauce and reduce heat so that it is simmering. Simmer in the sauce until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, heat a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil and add the red bell pepper and onion and saute for about 4 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and continue to saute for another 4 minutes. Be sure to season with salt and pepper, to taste. Now, add in the zucchini noodles and saute until just tender, about 2 minutes, being careful not to over cook as they can get watery.
10. Pour chicken and sauce over the noodle mixture, serve and enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

courtesy

I had to make a few adjustments to fit this into Whole30, but man was it worth it!!  I love comfort food and this marks all of those boxes.  Everyone loved it at our house and it makes enough for a crowd.  I'm going to post recipe with my adjustments, but if you'd rather see hers in true form, just click the link below the title.

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Lillie Eats and Tells

• 1 tbs oil (or butter)
• 1.5 cups diced shallots 170 g
• 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves pulled off the stem
• 3 cups (316 g) carrots, chopped
• 2 cups (260 g) celery, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbs arrowroot starch (or flour)
• 30 g bone broth (or dry white cooking wine)
• 2 cups fat free milk (or cashew milk for Whole30)
• 2 cups bone broth 
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast, 650 g
• 2 cups frozen peas (230 g) (omit for Whole30)
• 20 oz cauliflower, steamed, then blended with a little of your broth
• salt and pepper to taste         

1. In a heavy bottomed pot or large, deep skillet, sauté oil (or butter), shallots and thyme for a few minutes over medium-hight heat until soft and fragrant. 
2. Add carrots, celery, and salt and sauté for five more minutes. Then add garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Sprinkle veggies with 2 tbs arrowroot (or all purpose flour) and stir until well combined. Add the 30 g broth and let it cook for just a minute, then add milk, whisking gently until it thickens.
4. Add broth, shredded chicken, frozen peas, and blended steamed cauliflower and combine well. Finish with some fresh cracked pepper and any additional salt to taste.
5. At this point you can serve it as a soup alongside a biscuit or piece of crusty bread. Or you can cover with a layer of pie crust or biscuit dough and bake until the top is brown and cooked through for a more traditional pot pie.