5-Days Whole30 Menu

I am participating next week in 5 days of clean eating with a health group. This will be a perfect time to reset my eating, as I'll abide by Whole30 recipes for the week! I intend on participating in a Whole30 during the month of May, so this will be a great prep!

I planned next week meals, as follows. Check out the recipes below if you need gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free recipes! And I even included the ingredient list below each recipe!

Dinners:

• Shrimp Pad Thai from Diane Sanfilippo's book - We LOVE this recipe! It tastes just like the original thing! Except you use zoodles! Yum! This time we will probably add in a sliced chicken breast in addition to the shrimp for extra protein sake!
• Ingredient list:

4 large zucchini or yellow squash

1 cup snow peas, sliced lengthwise into thin strips

4 dozen extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

FOR THE SAUCE

1/2 cup almond butter (raw or roasted)

1/2 cup coconut aminos

4 drops fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon minced or grated garlic

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

sea salt and black pepper to taste

FOR GARNISH

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

1/4 cup sliced green onions (scallions)

1/4 cup thinly sliced cucumber

• Sweet Potato Nachos (in place of Taco Tuesday!)
• Ingredient list:

One bag Jackson’s sweet potato chips or one batch Primal Palate sweet potato chips
One batch avocado crema
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves removed and chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained
Lime slices for garnish, optional

Ingredients for Avocado Crema:
1 small avocado
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp sea salt + more to reach desired taste preference
1/2 clove elephant garlic or 2 cloves regular garlic (If you have access to elephant garlic for this, USE IT!)
5 tablespoons water

Ingredients for sweet potato chips:

sweet potatoes

coconut oil

• Blackened Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa by Against All Grain - I will probably not use the spice based herbs on my own salmon, as I'm trying to stay mainly Autoimmune Paleo (AIP), but I think the husband will enjoy it! I am planning on serving some cilantro lime caulirice and maybe the collard greens listed below.
• Ingredient List:

1½ to 2 pounds wild salmon fillets, boneless and skin on
3 teaspoons melted grassfed butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1½ tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cracked pepper
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp cayenne

Caulirice Ingredients

1 Head Cauliflower
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1⁄2 Small Onion (diced)
1 Clove of Garlic (chopped)
1 Lime, juice and zest
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped

• Hawaiian Burgers - No picture but sounds SO good! And I will incorporate a sweet potato into dinner somehow, whether that's sweet potato fries or just roasted. I may not use the portabello bun and rather side for some lettuce (from my own garden!).
• Ingredient List:
8 whole portobello mushroom caps, stems removed (or as mentioned, some big lettuce leaves)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 rings pineapple
2 whole avocados sliced
1/2 cup red onion sliced

Sweet potato or 2 for fries/side

• Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken - I think I will try this with a whole chicken instead of just thighs. Served with brussell sprouts (listed below) and sweet potato (see a pattern?)!
• Ingredient List:

8 boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
½ onion, diced
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste

2 Sweet potatoes for side

 

Breakfast: 

• Ground beef and sweet potato Breakfast hash. I make a big batch on Sunday that lasts us all week. It is a complete meal for us, in addition to my 1/4 of an avocado I eat every morning!
• Ingredient List:
3 large sweet potatoes, shredded (approx 1.5lbs)
12oz brussell sprouts, quartered
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 pieces of bacon, cut into 1/3 inch strips
1-3lbs ground meat*

2 Avocadoes for me the week

• If we ate eggs (we don't due to food sensitivities), I would totally make a batch of these Egg Nests, or ones similar to them! They seem so easy and are healthy.
• Ingredient list:

1 large Sweet Potato
1 Sweet Apple
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil + more for greasing muffin cups
5 large Eggs
Sea Salt, to taste
Chives, optional
3 slices uncooked Bacon, diced small
Balsamic Vinegar, optional

 Snacks:

• Baked kale chips - I have never tried kale chips but they look SO delicious! and the husband enjoys chips, so this would be a healthy alternative to try.
• Ingredient list:

2 bunches of kale
1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil
fleur de sel or your favorite seasoning salt

• Carrot cake smoothie - okay, hands down how good does this look and sound?! Maybe for a special snack or breakfast!
• Ingredient list:

1 cup carrots, peeled and then grated (if you have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, you could probably just roughly chop them)
1 organic banana, frozen
1 1/2 cups homemade almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of your choice)
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked for two hours (or 1/4 cup homemade cashew nut butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Medjool date
1 tablespoon organic raw shelled hemp seeds (optional for protein)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Sides:

• Collard Greens  - As previously mentioned, these are so good! I try to serve greens with every meal, so this will make an appearance at least once.
• Ingredient list:

1 bunch collard greens

~1.5 cup broth 

up to 8 cloves garlic

1 TBSP Himalayan salt

sprinkle of:

 cayenne pepper

salt & pepper

chipotle chili seasoning

• Brussel Sprouts - These will be delicious! The husband loves brussel sprouts! Perfect side!
• Ingredient list:

For the Onions:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 whole red onion

For the Brussel Sprouts:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cups brussel sprouts
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Note concerning lunches:

• It's just me and the husband in our house, but most recipes make 4 servings, at least. So our lunches are leftovers from the previous night's dinners. Some recipes will only make 2 servings, which is why I cook a big meal at the beginning of the week (that balsamic chicken), so we can have those leftovers a few times when other dinners lack. 
• I pack my own lunch every day, so I grab leftovers, a fruit, a sweet potato maybe (if it's a big workout day I especially have to), the other 1/4 of an avocado and a mason jar salad.

Here's the 411 on Mason Jar Salads:

1. Decide on using a pint sized (side salad portion) or quart sized (full salad) mas on jar. 
2. Add your salad dressing to the very bottom of your glass mason jar. (For us that's usually a homemade vinaigrette of EVOO, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar and some herbs!)
3. Put your hardier toppings in next: nuts, seeds, hardy veggies like carrots; toppings that won't get soggy or go bad sitting in the dressing all week.
4. Put in the remaining toppings such as mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, any fruit etc. that might be soggy or turn bad if sitting in your dressing (other salad toppings suggestions: artichoke hearts, olives, celery, bell peppers, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, sugar snap peas, broccoli to name a few...what other ones do y'all like on your salad???). I do NOT recommend avocado in these jars though.
5. Your greenery is next: make sure it's fairly dry & doesn't touch the dressing! While iceberg lettuce is most common (as shown here, I found an Organic head on Manager's special!), it is also the least nutritional so venture out and try other salad greens like spinach (also shown), arugula, kale, turnip greens, etc. We usually buy the "spring mix" from the store that has a combo! (Remember to buy organic greens!)
6. Store in the fridge & when ready to consume, dump onto your plate & it's instantly mixed! Enjoy!

• Ingredient list:

greens (spinach is my preference)
cucumber, sliced
couple of carrots, sliced
various veggies, sliced

I am definitely looking forward to next week! Especially since the menu is planned! Woohoo!

~Rachel_unrefined

“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, 

cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” ~William Londen

Asparagus Stuffed Chicken & Collard Greens

Dinner the other night was asparagus stuffed chicken with collard greens. It was SO delicious; we will absolutely be making this meal again!

For the collard greens, I saw this original recipe on Instagram (below). My husband has taken a liking to collard greens, so I knew I had to try this out! I used a whole bunch of collard greens, but upped the broth to about a cup and a half (enough for the greens to boil). Also, I used chicken broth!

I stumbled across this "Asparagus Stuffed Coconut Chicken" recipe online and thought it looked delicious! However, I had to do some altering to fit our dietary needs. I still followed the recipe instructions, just changed the ingredients up some. My changes are in red below:

• 2- 8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon basil (more or less to liking)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1 dash salt (more or less to liking)
• 1 dash pepper (more or less to liking)
• ~16 spear asparagus (2 or 3 per each wrap)
• 1 large egg white (substitute)

When we made this recipe, I didn't notice the coconut flakes weren't in the ingredient list, but I will be adding into the mix the next time I make it!

~Rachel_unrefined

Paleo Breakfast Hash

I love breakfast hashes. I make a big batch at the beginning of the week and reheat servings each morning. This ensures my husband can start the day with breakfast (because he doesn't cook anything on his own normally) with his morning coffee!

I was inspired by someone else's breakfast on Instagram, so we changed things up a bit based on what we had in our fridge and came up with this concoction. It is fantastic, tastey and, best of all, dairy-/egg-/grain-free! And there's bacon...we all love bacon!

Including Ol' Roc'!

This can be edited many ways. (Add in a handful or two of greens at the end of cooking to wilt.) Also, the amount of servings is variable on how much one eats at one time. I consume about 4oz of the hash at a time, but I believe my husband eats less...on weekdays.

Breakfast Hash

Servings: 6-10, depending

Ingredients:

3 large sweet potatoes, shredded (approx 1.5lbs)

12oz brussell sprouts, quartered

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 pieces of bacon, cut into 1/3inch strips

1-3lbs ground meat*

*Any type of ground meat; we went with ground beef this week, but I have been known to use ground bison, half turkey and half pork, etc. Also, the quantity of meat depends on your personal preference. 1lb ground meat would yield a more veggie based hash, 3lbs yields a protein packed hash (great for those of us upping our protein for increase muscle mass).

Directions:

1. Brown the meat. Possibly add in an herb or two during this portion. I used Majoram, salt & pepper.
2. While browning meat, prepare all veggies & bacon. (I shred my sweet potatoes using my Kitchen aid veggie shredder attachment. But this can also be done using a cheese grater, chopped in a food processor or diced by hand. You will need to adjust cooking time for the latter.)
3. If using one pan, wait until meat is browned, drain and set aside, then begin cooking all other ingredients. If using two pans, you can cook as you prepare all other ingredients. Begin by cooking the bacon pieces. Once slightly cooked, add in garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Add in brussell sprouts and onions, cover pan and cook until tender. Add in the sweet potatoes, cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender. You may need to add in extra cooking oil (I use coconut oil) during this process if the bacon fat is not enough to prevent sticking). Stir periodically so sweet potatoes do not stick to bottom of pan.
4. Cook until tender. Then mix together with meat mixture. Enjoy! 

One of my favorite breakfasts!

~Rachel_unrefined