Whole 30 - Bacon-Vegetable Egg Bites (for dogs and humans 😁)

Well, this was fun!

And I'm sure my old boy Oliver will appreciate this breakfast addition to his little bit of morning dry food. The 6 on the left are his. The ingredients in the little white bowl: chopped green onion and pimentos, weren't added until AFTER I made his. Dogs can NOT have onions.

12 lg. pasture raised eggs

6-8oz. of my coconut and almond milk mix

I blended these together well with an immersion blender.

Grease the baking pan. Into each cup and the pan, I put crumbled bacon, finely chopped mushrooms and kale that were sauteed together until about half cooked. That's all that goes into those intended for dogs. Mix the ingredients in the little bowl with a spoon, then put equal amount in each of the remaining 6 on the right and the glass pan.

Pour egg mixture into the 6 for the dog, then blend seasonings into the rest for the humans👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. I used a little Himalayan pink salt and my black+cayenne mix. Pour that into the cups and pan. I had about 6oz. of that mixture leftover. I put it in a sealed jar for scrambled eggs in the next day or two.

Bake in a preheated 350° oven. About 15 minutes for the cup-bites and a half hour or so for the pan. When the center is firm, they're done. Cool then store in zip-lock bags. I haven't tried freezing these, but that might work.

I just had a couple of the bites, and they turned out great. Have fun cooking for yourself, the people and pets in your life. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Fruit Salad

Often a new recipe creation just hits me when looking in the 'fridge, freezer, on my pantry shelf, or like today - in the fresh fruit corner of my countertop.

Also, as a bit of an aside, in the past - the recent past, like right before Whole 30 - I'd make a fruit bowl like this and top it with turbinado sugar, "for crunch." Lots of sugar provided lots of crunch, but it also negated a lot of natural benefits of the healthy fruit. So as I assembled this I thought of that and wondered how the flavors and texture would be in this new, healthier approach. Well, for a big surprise, read this post to the end!

1 lg. Envy apple

1 med. banana

1 yellow or green kiwi

1 Cutie mandarin + peel

Dark seedless grapes

5-7 dried dates

juice of one lime

Wash everything well.

Peel the kiwi, don't peel the Cutie, and juice the lime. Cut, slice or chop, each of these fruits, into a medium size bowl. Drizzle with the lime juice, gently combine and distribute, making sure everything is coated with the lime juice.

I ate half of the fruit in the little bowl and was so surprised at the flavors the lime juice brought out! However, I had an idea. . .

I went back to the kitchen and sprinkled the rest of the fruit in my bowl with pink Himalayan salt and some of my black+cayenne pepper mix.

Wow!! You need to give this a try! . .Lin

Whole 30 - Another Salad Mix + Lemon-EVOO Dressing

No matter the time of year, and even though I live in Northern Minnesota, I almost always have a BIG fresh greens and vegetable mix in my refrigerator, so a salad can be put together in only a few minutes. This is my current one for the next few days. 

Salad Mix:

1 big petite or regular Romaine

6 big green onions

2 carrots

1 big handful of chopped kale

2c sliced-chopped purple cabbage

1/2 of a long, skinny, bumpy English cucumber

Slice the Romaine lettuce lengthwise into quarters. Cut into 1" cross sections. Wash well in your salad spinner, starting with warm-hot water, then drain and wash in icy cold water. Drain, spin several times to remove all the water. Rinse and dry the outer container then fill with the spun lettuce. Wash and prep the other vegetables then slice or chop them into the lettuce. Use this as the base for a tossed salad, like mine, or grab a handful and top with chopped chicken or tuna packed in EVOO. . .think of other ways to use these greens and vegetables. Chop up some fresh fruit: an apple, grapes, a whole Cutie Mandarin orange, including the skin! Put these on a bed of the greens and drizzle with the dressing. Mmmm, so good and fresh! Add to a pot of soup - grab a handful (put the cucumbers back in the mix) chop it fine and throw it into the pot.

Lemon-EVOO Dressing: 

1c single source EVOO*

1/2c pure lemon juice

2t Himalayan pink salt

1t black+cayenne pepper mix

1/2 -1t granulated roasted garlic - optional

*I can't stress strongly enough, how important it is to read labels on extra virgin olive oil. If there's a 'code' at the bottom - telling which countries the oil came from - PASS on it!! It's been proven, through chemical analysis, that often these multicountry offerings test as substances other than olive oil!! Buy only EVOO from one country / point of origin, i.e.: California, Spain, Italy, Greece, or the best by far: Moroccan.

Combine in a 14oz., or larger, glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well. This keeps in the refrigerator a long time, a month or more, but probably won't last long. In addition to using as a salad dressing, it would be a good addition, just a drizzle, to mayonnaise for coleslaw, egg salad, tuna salad and also as an excellent marinade for meats.

Today, my salad for a 1pm breakfast-lunch was a big handful of the salad mix, with the addition of 1/2 medium tomato, 1/2 large avocado, 1 hard boiled egg and a handful of walnuts. Drizzled with a good amount of the dressing. Don't worry about this type of 'fat'. It's the absolute best type for your body. So many nutrients here! The fresh vitamins from the greens and tomato, the protein and fiber from the avocado, egg and walnuts. This is anti-inflammatory and it all tastes so great. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Langostino Bisque

This was a fun recipe to create! 😃

The end result was a little too thin - too much bone broth - as well as a bit too lemony. Nevertheless, it's really a great bisque, but I think my favorite of all has been each of my Crawfish Bisques.

Saute the chopped carrots, potatoes, green pepper 2 of the garlic cloves-minced, and celery into a couple tablespoons of butter or ghee, in a 4 quart soup pot.

Sprinkle this with Himalayan pink salt, black + cayenne pepper and Old Bay seasoning, then saute and let it sizzle together a few minutes. Add some bone broth, cover and simmer 7-8 minutes.

Next add 2-3T of lobster Better Than Bouillon, 2-3T pure tomato paste, the kale, celery tops, 5-6 chopped green onions and the other 3 crushed-minced garlic cloves and 5 oz. of the langostino to the pot. (If you're not restricting alcohol, 1/2c or so of a good cooking Sherry could be added now.) Stir, cover and simmer, on low heat, another 7-8 minutes. Then remove from the burner to cool just a little.

Cut the remaining 7oz. of whole langostino into smaller pieces, drizzle with a little pure lemon juice, and set aside until after the bisque has been blended.

Once everything except the lemon-marinated langostino has been added to the pot and simmered, then cooled slightly, pour in the can of coconut milk, then use your immersion blender to blend everything - a little bit, or smooth, your choice.

At the very end, stir in the langostino and the lemon juice they were marinating in. 

Reheat, just until barely bubbling, stir and ladle into bowls. Garnish and serve accompanied by whatever crunchy things you like. This would pair nicely with a Chef's Salad or just a big bowl of chopped mixed greens (and crusty bread if you're not restricting grains.) . . . Lin

Whole 30 - Chicken-Mushroom-Zucchini Stew

Saute 10oz. sliced mushrooms in ghee until lightly browned.

Add cubed Yukon Gold potatoes and zucchini and a little chicken broth. Stir in 1-1/2c chopped peppers and onion, 1T mild Japanese curry powder, 1c marinara, 1c coconut-almond plant milk (recipe posted below) and 8oz. roasted chicken.

Stir everything together and gently simmer until the vegetables are done the way you like. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Citrus Infused Water

This is a great cleansing drink for whatever food plan you are, or aren't, following. We should all be getting half the number of our weight in ounces each day to keep "all systems 'GO'." (i.e.: if you weigh 150# aim for 75oz. water daly) 

Fill a pitcher with 8-12oz. pure lemon juice. Squeeze additional Cuties and limes. Add this juice and the squeezed fruit to the pitcher. Fill with filtered tap water. Serve over ice or hot. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Scandinavian Woman's 'Shepherd's Pie'

I recently made a meatloaf using only Whole 30 approved ingredients:

1# ground chicken, 1# ground bison, lots of chopped celery and onion, 2 extra large pasture-raised eggs, 12oz. marinara sauce, Himalayan pink salt, black and cayenne pepper, granulated roasted garlic.

Nothing grain-based to hold it all together, but even without that, although this was looser than usual meatloaf, it worked out well. I baked this at 350° about an hour. Originally, I served it as is, with potatoes and vegetables, then decided to crumble it for this recipe.

Whole 30 Shepherd's Pie:

First, scrub, chop and simmer several baby red or Yukon Gold potatoes. Drain, mash, add a little ghee, Coconut-Almond plant milk (see previous post) salt and pepper. This went into the bottom of a 9"x9" glass baking pan. For the next layer, crumble the meatloaf mixed with a little marinara and the plant milk. Spread this over the mashed potatoes. Then top with lightly cooked vegetables sauteed in ghee. I used sliced Brussels sprouts, sliced carrots and cubes of green cabbage. Heat in the oven or microwave, cut into squares and serve.
This would pair nicely with a crispy green salad. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Coleslaw with Snow Pea Pods, Raisins and Almonds

Since being on Whole 30 I've been more careful about reading labels. I'm shocked at how much sugar, dairy and grains sneak into our cooking under various names. These ingredients are all approved for the plan.

Finely slice about 1/3 of a large head of green cabbage and 1/4 medium head of purple cabbage into a large bowl. Add 1 large shredded carrot, 5 or 6 chopped green onions, some sliced crispy snow pea pods, 3/4c golden raisins, 2±oz. toasted slivered almonds.

In a little bowl, whisk together: 1/2-3/4c mayonnaise, 3T red wine vinegar, 3T dijon mustard, a sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt and some black and cayenne pepper.

Pour over the vegetables, toss, refrigerate an hour or so to blend the flavors before serving. This is good by itself or as a compliment to just about anything that needs a little freshness, protein and crunch. . .Lin

Whole 30 - Chicken Vegetable Soup with Fennel, Lemon and Dill

Today is March 12th. While only 37° it's a beautiful, crisp, sunny Spring day! I have some crisp, fresh ingredients, so it was the perfect inspiration for this soup. Since I'm following the Whole 30 detox-elimination program, this contains no sugar, dairy or grains and is compatible with that plan.

I made a pot of chicken bone broth yesterday from a big, perfectly roasted chicken. Strained it repeatedly, then put it outside on my deck to chill. This morning I skimmed off the fat then simmered it with a few bay leaves. Meanwhile, I chopped the longest cooking vegetables to saute before putting them in the soup pot. 4 celery stalks and 3 medium carrots. While simmering those for 10 minutes or so, separate the fennel bulb from the fluffy fennel fronds and slice the bulb. Put the fronds aside for now.

Chop 1/4 large green pepper, slice-chop the fennel bulb and add both to the pot to simmer while chopping the potatoes, 5 large garlic cloves crushed and minced and snap peas. Stir in 2T± of chicken low-sodium Better Than Bouillon, half-1t black+cayenne pepper blend, 1t Himalayan pink salt, stir then cover and simmer on low. Chop the fennel fronds. Add those and 8oz. roasted chicken chunks. Stir, check the flavors add or balance the seasonings, adding 1-2t dry dill, 1/2 squeezed lemon putting them in the pot. Add water if needed. edit: I froze a quart of this and refrigerated the rest.

edit: When I scooped out some to reheat, the bone broth had gelled perfectly! For some reason this is always unpredictable. I don't vary my technique, nor the basic ingredients, so it must depend on the chicken. The more it gells, the more collagen it contains. Collagen is a very important protein to keep our skin and connective tissues healthy. Our bodies produce less of this as we age, so it's good to find a natural way to supplement. Well-gelled bone broth is an excellent source.

Heat to just bubbling, check doneness of the vegetables.
Ladle into soup bowls and serve. . .Mmmm. . .Happy Spring! .😊. .Lin