A Whole 30 Menu for Your Healthy 2017 Kick Off

It’s a Whole New Year – so let’s chat a little about Whole 30.

It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle. 

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So you’ve decided to look into the wonderful world of Whole 30. Feeling a little unsure?

I get it {giving up that evening glass of wine can be a daunting decision}. But I’m here to show you just how beautiful Whole 30 meals can be.

Not only are they aseptically pleasing; but they taste phenomenal and you will feel better about yourself. I promise.

Just a few of the things to look forward to while eating Whole 30 include:

• Sleeping longer – Because who doesn’t love sleep? Bonus: you’ll start to have some crazy-fun dreams too. 
• You’ll savor your food more – Yum in the Tum. 
• Your skin will be brighter – Totally serious here, sleep + water + more veggies = Younger Looking Skin. 
• Your hair & nails will be shinier – Hello Gorgeous. 
• Your tummy will be flatter – End of the day bloat, POOF, gone. 
• You’ll be a more peaceful person – Everyone will appreciate this. 

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What can you expect to eat on Whole 30?

Here’s your ultimate Shopping List.

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Now that you have the list of ingredients, what can you make with it? The possibilities are {sinfully} endless. Just look how beautiful some of these dishes are.

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Buffalo Chicken Casserole:

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cauliflower, grated
• 6 Eggs
• 1 pound Chicken, cooked and shredded {cheat sheet – use Rotisserie Chicken}
• 1/2 White Onion, diced
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 cup Buffalo Sauce {Frank’s Red Hot is compliant!}

Optional Toppings:

• Crispy Bacon
• Red Onion, diced
• Green Onion, diced
• Avocado, diced
• Ranch Dressing
• Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Tomato, diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the grated Cauliflower and Eggs. Mix well until fully incorporated.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and pour into a casserole dish.
4. Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on what size dish you used. A 2.5 qt. round dish will bake for exactly 1 hour.
5. Top with desired toppings and serve.

Recipe brought to you by Wicked Spatula. 

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Chili over Baked Sweet Potato

Ingredients: {for standard chili}

• 1 lb. Grass Fed Ground Beef
• 1 small can of Tomato Paste, organic – no sugar added*
• 1 regular can of Diced Tomatoes, no sugar added*
• Tomato Sauce, no sugar added*
• Sweet Potato
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Add-in’s: {add whatever you like in your chili, here’s what’s pictured above}

• Celery
• Onion
• Red Bell Pepper
• Mushrooms
• Garlic Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

1. Brown Meat in a large pot and then add ingredients listed above. Simmer on low heat for at least 20 minutes.
2. While Chili is simmering, bake the Sweet Potato in a 400F oven, wrapped in foil, with Olive Oil and Sea Salt for 50 minutes.
3. Pour Chili over Sweet Potato and enjoy. Pictured here with some steamed Broccoli.

Recipe brought to you by Whole 30.

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Greek Marinated Chicken with Caramelized Onion and a Tomato & Cucumber Salad with Asparagus

Ingredients & Directions:

For the Caramelized Onion {not pictured, oops}:

• 1 large Yellow Onion
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1. Cut the Onion into long strips/slices.
2. Heat Olive Oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add Onions and toss to coat with Oil. Cover and slowly cook Onions, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until a golden color is reached. Onions should be soft entirely through. Pile on top of Chicken.

For the Chicken:

• 1 Lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt & pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts {or you can use tenderloins like we did}

1. Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag or shallow dish and marinate for at least 30 minutes
2. Pan fry Chicken in large skillet with a little Olive Oil until brown on both sides and cooked through.

For the Asparagus:

• 1 bunch of Asparagus
• 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Wash and mix the Asparagus with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper.
3. Bake on a foil lined baking sheet for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the Asparagus.
4. While baking, saute Garlic in a dab of Olive oil for 3 minutes.
5. Top Asparagus with sauteed Garlic.

For the Cucumber-Tomato Salad:

• 1 large Cucumber
• 3 Roma Tomatoes
• 2 heaping tbsp. of fresh Dill
• 1/2 Red Onion, chopped
• Olive Oil, a generous drizzle
• Apple Cider Vinegar, a generous splash
• Salt & ground Black Pepper

1. Cut the Cucumber into large bite size pieces {thick rounds or quarters}.
2. Cut the Tomato the same size as the Cucumbers.
3. Add all ingredients to a bowl and chill for 30 minutes.

Recipe brought to you by Whole 30. 

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Balsamic Marinated Steak with Fingerling Potatoes and Garlic Green Beans:

Ingredients & Directions:

For the Steak:

• 1 1/2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp. Brown Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Parsley
• 2 grass-fed Steaks of choice

1. Place all ingredients in a zip-lock bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Grill steaks according to temperature preference.

For the Fingerling Potatoes:

• 1 bag Fingerling Potatoes, mixed colors (about twelve small Potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Sea salt & Pepper

1. Cut the Fingerling Potatoes in half or quarters so that all pieces are the same size.
2. Lay Potatoes out on baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drizzle a little Olive Oil on Potatoes and brush to evenly coat. Sprinkle Sea Salt and Pepper onto Potatoes.
3. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until Potatoes are cooked and browned slightly.

For the Green Beans:

• 1lb fresh Green Beans
• 2-4 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 4 cloves of Garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Wash beans and snap ends off.
2. Place Green Beans in boiling water or chicken broth for 3 minutes. Drain.
3. Place Olive Oil in skillet and bring to low heat.
4. Saute Garlic in Olive Oil until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
5. Add Green Beans and toss for 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Steak recipe brought to you by Everyday Maven, Potatoes and Beans by Whole 30.

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Roasted Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Zoodles:

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs shelled and de-veined Shrimp, with tails on
• 4 tbsp. pasture-raised, grass-fed Butter (or Ghee or additional Olive Oil)
• 4 tbsp. Olive Oil, plus enough to prepare the baking sheets
• Zest and Juice of one Lemon
• 3 tbsp. Garlic cloves finely chopped (about 8 cloves)
• 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• ½ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ cup finely chopped Parsley

Directions:

1. Sauté garlic and lemon zest in butter and olive oil, over medium low heat, for 5 minutes, or until garlic begins to become fragrant and brown slightly. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
2. Take pan off the heat and add salt, pepper, lemon juice, red pepper flakes.
3. While the marinade is cooling, shell, de-vein, and rinse your shrimp, then pat them dry.
4. When the marinade has cooled, but is still liquid, pour mixture over shrimp and marinate for 20 minutes to an hour (not longer or the lemon juice will start to “cook” the shrimp).
5. Preheat oven to 425.
6. Evenly disperse the shrimp onto the two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and roast until they are opaque and pink. They cook fast, like minutes fast, so you have to really watch them! In my gas convection oven, they finish cooking in three minutes (seriously).
7. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Make-ahead instructions:

1. Shell, de-vein, and rinse your shrimp. Pat dry and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
2. Prepare the marinade as described above and place in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator.
3. minutes before you plan to roast the shrimp, remove marinade and heat until it becomes liquid, (I zap it in the microwave for a minute). Contents may have separated, so give it a quick stir. Pour marinade over the shrimp and place back in the fridge to marinate. Don’t forget to leave time to preheat your oven.
4. Follow roasting directions above…

**Serve Shrimp over a bed of Zoodles mixed with Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper. Top with fresh Basil.

Recipe brought to you by A Whole New Twist.

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Whole 30 compliant Burger and Plantain Chips:

Here’s a perfect example of how you can still indulge in a Burger and “Chips”. Did you know that the Plantain Chips from Trader Joe’s are Whole 30 compliant? Cook your grass-fed, organic Beef Burger to desired temperature and serve over a bed of Zoodles, Tomato slices and top with Guacamole. Boom – Lunch is served.

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Sweet Potato Noodles with Brussels, Toasted Almonds, Sesame Seeds and Pomegranate:

A beautiful twist on your classic Noodle Bowl. This recipe was inspired by Ali at Inspiralized.com, but since her dressing was not Whole 30 compliant this bowl was completed with Sesame Dressing from Fuel my family.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 tsp. natural Mineral Salt
• 1 tsp. ground Black Pepper
• 2 tsp. ground Ginger
• ¼ cup raw, organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¾ cup Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Water
• 2 tbsp. pure Sesame Oil
• (Optional: ½ tsp. crushed Garlic)

Directions:

1. Put dry ingredients into salad dressing bottle, including Sesame Seeds, followed by the wet ingredients.
2. Shake to combine, and refrigerate.
3. Prior to serving, leave out of refrigerator for 20 minutes or so, to come to room temperature.

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If you’re asking yourself, can I eat out while eating Whole 30? That answer is YES, and the best place to go {from experience} is Chipotle.

Seriously – Eat your little Guacamole Heart Out.

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I hope that these recipes and photo’s have helped you make your decision to take on the life-changing journey of eating Whole 30. I would like to thank my dear friend, Kortney Holtzhower, for the photo’s featured here. Doesn’t she have the cutest dog ever? That’s Lyla.

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Happy New Year. Let’s make 2017 the best year yet! 🙂