Whole 30 Paleo compliant Detox Salad

 Hi!  I don't know if I was overly hungry but I couldn't stop eating this salad.  This recipe claims to be a detox salad because of the ingredients and I will share with you my adaptation of the original recipe found at DetoxDIY (get it?  Detox D-I-Y? funny).  So what attracted me to this salad it's portability.  I liked that they were all crunchy pieces that could take a beating in a container and still taste fresh.  I did skip the dressing, mainly because I am on the Whole 30 Program and I wanted to stay compliant.  The only ingredient that I would not recommend making prior to consumption is the mixing in the avocado.  I am not a huge fan of avocado mixed into a salad. I think it loses it's composition and starts to spread itself onto everything else and I don't like that.  Avocado in guacamole is different, because it is a spread.  So, let's get to it! 

The What's:

• 1 small broccoli head, cut in small florets
• ¼ small red cabbage head, finely diced
• 1 small red onion, finely diced (I don't like raw onions so I omitted)
• 1 avocado, peeled and cut in cubes
• To garnish: toasted almonds and chia seeds

The How's:

Prepare everything as listed in the ingredient section and mix all together. I added cherry tomatoes quartered and left out the avocado until I dressed the salad.  I skipped the dressing portion and used the juice of a lemon, salt and light olive oil as my dressing.  Once dressed, I added in the almonds, chia seeds and avocado.  I lightly tossed these together and serve.  I ate and I ate and I ate.  Pretty guilt-free too I may add!

Paleo Whole 30 compliant One-Pot Chicken

This recipe comes from Stupid Easy Paleo.   In my spare time I search for Whole 30 compliant meals, heck I have even made a pinterest board with all of my findings-Follow me here! This particular recipe is called Tuesday Night Chicken Recipe and since I have planned ahead, I naturally wanted to serve this on Tuesday! 

This was the first time I ate Fire-Roasted Tomatoes.  I really dig them, yum!  I thought this recipe was good enough to prepare for others but I wished my family appreciated my efforts more.  I did save some chicken for my children (second image) and left those pieces out of the sauce so they wouldn't complain; overall it's important to get them to eat than require them to enjoy the recipe! In addition, I didn't follow the recipe well enough so I marinated the chicken in the Italian Seasoning instead of the House Seasoning but added the House Seasoning to the chicken while I cooked it.  I am trying to lay off of salt, but I noticed others using salt at the table while eating it.  

The What's:

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound [454 g])

1 tsp (5 g) House Seasoning Blend (see below)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (150 g) diced white or yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 batch Italian Seasoning Blend (see below)
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 (14.5 oz [411 g]) can fire-roasted tomatoes
Fresh basil and/or flat-leaf parsley for garnish
For the House Seasoning Blend:
1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne, ½ tsp black pepper
For the Italian Seasoning Blend:
1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp marjoram, ½ tsp thyme, ¼ tsp red chili flakes

The How's:

1. Prepare the chicken breasts first by filleting lengthwise to make 2 thick breasts into 4 thinner ones. Dust both sides with the House Seasoning Blend.
2. Heat a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and add a little bit of olive oil to the pan—enough to just coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, lay the seasoned chicken breasts in to sear. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan as overcrowding leads to steaming, not browning. When the chicken has been seared (note, not fully cooked) on both sides, transfer it to a plate and set aside.
3. Reduce the temperature to medium and replenish the pan with a little more olive oil if it looks dry. Add the onion, garlic, Italian Seasoning Blend, kosher salt and cinnamon and cook, stirring often. If you are not accustomed to building sauces this way, I know it may appear a bit strange, but trust me on this. Applying heat and oil to the dried herbs prior to immersing in liquid revives the oils and creates a deeper flavor. It’s the trick to crafting a rich tomato sauce in such a short amount of time.
4. Cook until the onion is translucent and the garlic and herbs fragrant. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and mix together. When the sauce bubbles, add the par-cooked chicken back to the pan, nestle it into the spiced-tomato-goodness, cover and reduce the temperature to a simmer.
5. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes while chopping the fresh garnishes—use either or both basil or flat-leaf parsley.
6. I like to serve this directly from the pan after scattering with the vibrant green fresh herbs.

 

Whole 30 compliant Roasted Turkey Breast

Today it's TURKEY!  I am on The Whole 30 eating plan so I have been using more seasoning when I cook and today I am excited to share with you a fantastic find! Today's recipe Clean Eating Roasted Turkey Breast adapted from: Barefoot Contessa comes from Whole Foods New Body.  I found Turkey Breast at a great price so I thought we should eat it early in the week so I could have leftovers. I followed the recipe pretty much to the "T" (my exception was the chicken broth on the bottom of the pan) and found the breast extremely flavorful.  We could taste the seasoning throughout the breast when eating everyone found it very tasty. 

The What's:

Clean Eating Roasted Turkey Breast (adapted from: Barefoot Contessa)

• 5-6 lb. turkey breast (thawed in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours)
• 1 1/2 tbsp. garlic (chopped)
• 2 tbsp. Herbs de Provence
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice ( fresh squeezed or organic)

The How:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix garlic, herbs, oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice in small bowl.  Place turkey on a roasting pan skin side up. Make a pocket underneath the skin and rub half of the herb mixture under the skin of the turkey. Use the other half of the mixture to rub all over the top of the skin.  (Optional: Pour chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan.)

Bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees. I covered my turkey most of the roasting time but left uncovered the last 20 minutes after turning off the oven giving me time to prepare the sides.  Recipe says to cover with aluminum foil for 15-20 minutes (assuming you have left it uncovered the majority of the roasting time-opposite of my method). Slice and serve with the pan juices.

 I can't wait to for my husband to have his dinner tonight.  With myself I am well pleased.