Category: Whole30 compliant

We have been living a “Whole30” lifestyle as much as possible for three months and will continue to do so as it has been incredibly beneficial for our health and weight.
I have let you know which recipes of mine are Whole30 compliant to make life a little easier.
http://whole30.com

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Cauliflower steaks with ginger, turmeric, and cumin

Belinda

I realize I have many cauliflower recipes, but it’s such an incredibly versatile vegetable. I keep finding more and more interesting recipes for this humble and inexpensive ingredient, each one so different.
This is adapted from another blogger’s recipe, but I have lost their name, so I’m hoping they will see this and remind me who they are!

Serves 3

1 large head of cauliflower
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin (I roast mine)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Small handful of cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Remove the leaves and trim the stem end of the cauliflower, leaving the core intact.
Using a large sharp knife, cut the cauliflower from top to base into three 3/4 inch thick “steaks”
Season each steak with salt and pepper on both sides. (Reserve loose florets for another use)

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Sear the cauliflower steaks until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
Gently transfer the steaks to a baking sheet.
Whisk together the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil, ginger, garlic, cumin and turmeric.
Brush or spoon the mixture on the cauliflower steaks.
Roast in the oven until tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and serve

 

 

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan · Whole30 compliant

Romesco dip

Belinda

 

This is great with my spicy chargrilled prawn recipe, raw crudites, cold chicken or salmon.

1 15 oz jar roasted red bell peppers
6 oz blanched almonds
4 to 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Makes about 3 cups

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Season to taste with the salt and black pepper, adding more of any of the spices to get exactly the pungency you want.

Serve!!

 

Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Spicy chargrilled prawns

Belinda

These are so wonderful to have in the fridge to throw in salads, serve hot or cold with a spicy mayonnaise or Romesco sauce or any other dish. The possibilities are endless once you’ve made them.

1 lb large (16 to 20 count) raw, peeled and deveined prawns
4 tbsp olive oil, approx
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp granulated garlic  (If you use fresh garlic, it can burn and taste bitter)
3/4 tsp paprika sweet or smoked
3/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Put the prawns into a glass bowl, throw in all the other ingredients and mix really well. The prawns will turn golden because of the the turmeric. Heat a heavy ridged cast iron griddle to high and when it starts to smoke, turn it down a bit and add the prawns.
By the time you lay them all down on the griddle and count to 20 slowly, it will be time to turn them over. The 2nd side won’t take so long.
 Don’t over cook them!

They will turn a nice toasty color like the picture above and the yellow from the turmeric won’t be so apparent!  They are delicious hot with a spicy mayonnaise dip, or cold in Caesar salads or just as a snack and they pack a punch with flavor too.
I’m sure you will come up with different spices to add to what I suggested so have fun and experiment!

Do-ahead · Poultry · Soup · Whole30 compliant

Rich, golden, satisfying chicken broth/stock

Belinda

It’s time to prepare for those lovely warming dishes you’re going to cook over the next few months. Don’t throw away those roasted chicken carcasses! Put them into freezer bags and throw them in the freezer until you have a day when you can turn them into pure golden goodness.

It is beyond simple, but you do need a very large and tall saucepan or stock pan. It’s a great investment as I use mine a lot.

All you do is to wait until you have at least 4 or 5 carcasses frozen, then defrost them in the fridge overnight.

Put them all into the large saucepan, pushing them down into the pan and cover with water. Grind some black pepper and put in about 1 tbsp of dried oregano. Bring to a simmer and keep it simmering on VERY low for anything up to 8 hours or more. The lower you simmer, the clearer and golden the broth.

Occasionally stir the pot and push down the bones. When you are ready for the next step, remove the pot from the heat and set aside until it cools down a bit.

Get a large colander and pour the soup through it catching all the bones and meat in the colander while the juice goes in to the saucepan underneath it.

When the meat and bones have cooled enough to touch them, wash your hands then pick through all the bones and remove the meat.
Throw the bones away, put the meat into containers and freeze to use in pies, soups or anything else.

Put the remaining chicken juice in the fridge overnight to let the fat rise to the surface.

The following day, skim all the fat off the top of the stock and store the fat in a glass jar in the freezer to use for roast potatoes.

The broth should be really gelatinous if you’ve simmered it for long enough. Pour it into containers and freeze. You can use this very rich broth for soups, gravies, stews and almost anything. If you have stuffed your chickens with lemons, onions and fresh herbs when you roasted them, you will have all this added flavor to the stock.

Now sit down, look at your stack of golden goodness, pat yourself on the back and pour yourself a glass of wine.

I just had a bowl of neat steaming chicken broth and it was stunning!

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Poultry · Whole30 compliant

Tender and crisp whole chicken legs with sweet tomatoes, garlic and basil

Belinda

 

This is a simple, family friendly Jamie Oliver recipe that ALL the family will love, especially if you serve it with really good ciabatta bread that you can dunk in the gorgeous juices.

This takes minutes to put together as you just chuck everything in a pan without any pre-cooking then it needs looooong, slooooooow gentle cooking.
What happens in the pan is well worth the wait as the skin gets super crisp (my favorite part) and the meat gets sticky and tender and falls off the bone. The tomatoes are slow roasted and create a terrific broth and you just squish the garlic out of it’s skin with a fork and it’s incredibly sweet.

Serves 4

4 or 5 large whole organic chicken legs
salt and ground black pepper
a really big bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped. (I buy a large plastic container of basil from Trader Joes.)
2 or 3 big handfuls of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved and ripe plum tomatoes, quartered
2 whole large heads of garlic, broken up into cloves. (Try and choose heads with large cloves)
olive oil

Play with the recipe, it’s incredibly forgiving. My favorites to add are olives and Chorizo.

* Optional additions
Fresh chopped chili or dried red chili flakes
1 good handful of pitted Kalamata olives
2 handfuls baby potatoes.
1 drained can of cannellini beans
1 whole mild or spicy Spanish chorizo, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch slices.

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Season the whole chicken legs all over really well, (even more than you are comfortable doing) and put them into a snug-fitting shallow-ish heavy pan in one layer.
Throw in all the basil leaves and stalks, then chuck in your tomatoes.
Scatter the unpeeled garlic cloves (chopped chorizo, potatoes, beans and Kalamata olives, if using) into the pan and drizzle over some olive oil.
Mix around a bit with your hands, pushing the tomatoes (etc) underneath the chicken.
Place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, turning the tomato mixture halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.

* You can serve with the unpeeled garlic cloves, just tell your guests to squish the cloves with their knife or fork so the sweet, tender garlic oozes out.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Roast garlic puree

Belinda

There are multiple uses for this and it’s well worth doing once a week. Thanks to the incredible Nigel Slater for this recipe.
Ideas on different uses for this wonder-condiment are below the recipe

4 large, juicy heads of garlic (the huge heads of elephant garlic are ideal, but if you can’t find these, use regular garlic)
a wine glass full of olive oil
fresh thyme sprigs
bay leaves

Slice the heads of garlic across the diameter. Put them in a shallow baking dish, cut side up.
Tip over the olive oil and tuck in a few sprigs of thyme and a couple of bay leaves.
Bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 40 minutes, basting from time to time until they are golden and the cut edges are very slightly caramelized.
The cloves must be soft enough to squash between the fingers.

Scoop the soft cloves from their skins with a teaspoon and remove the tiny brown root. Mash to a puree using a pestle and mortar, wooden spoon or if you’re doubling or trebling the recipe, a food processor.
You should get a good heaped tablespoon from each head.

Now you have a jar of fragrant, honey colored garlic cream to play with!

*  Spread the neat puree thinly on toasted baguette as an appetizer
*  Mix with a little cream cheese as a spread
*  Make a suave, rich sauce by mixing 2 tbsp of garlic puree with 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of Marsala and about 3-4 oz heavy cream in a small pan over low heat. Cook till thick, then season with salt. It’s great with poultry!
*  Add a spoonful to a soup or stew during cooking.
*  Use instead of fresh garlic in stir fries
*  Store in an airtight jar in the fridge, with it’s surface covered by a thin layer of olive oil. it will keep for a week or two.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Roasty,spicy,crackling cauliflower!

Belinda

This is heady with spices and roasty flavor. We love cauliflower and I could almost devote a recipe book to this wonderful vegetable!

Serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets, about 6 cups
1 cup diced red onions
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp crushed red chile flakes
2 tsp salt
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 400F

Place the cauliflower, onions, canola oil, curry powder, Garam masala, fennel seeds, red chile flakes, salt, garlic, ginger, lemon zest and pepper in a large bowl.
Toss the ingredients together and blend until each piece of cauliflower is coated with the oil and spices.
Place the mixture in a large shallow baking pan and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is crisp tender, turning the cauliflower every 10 minutes to cook evenly.
When done the cauliflower should be golden brown.
Place the cauliflower in a large serving bowl and mix in the peas and cilantro.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Whole30 compliant

Ginger green beans

Belinda

I’ve recently been coming across recipes I used to make years ago and had forgotten about.
Due to eating too much on our recent two week vacation in the wine country, we both feel we need to clean up our act and lose some weight.
This is a lovely recipe, as it’s packed full of interesting gingery flavor but incredibly low in calories.

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp plus 1&1/2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1&1/2 lbs green beans, trimmed
1&1/2 cups chicken broth
freshly ground black pepper and salt

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until lightly browned.

Add the beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the chicken broth and continue cooking, tossing,for about 5 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the beans are tender. (If they are still too crispy, you can cover the pan for a short time, then remove the lid to reduce the sauce)
Season with pepper and salt and serve immediately

 

Gluten Free · Meat · Whole30 compliant

Easy and quick oven roasted mustard/herb crusted racks of lamb

Belinda

Serves 6

These are divine and so easy and quick. For me living in Los Angeles, the best lamb to buy is New Zealand lamb and Trader Joes sell a great rack of lamb, unfrozen and vacuum packed.
Be careful not to overcook the lamb and 25 minutes is the perfect time for me to achieve this color above. I have been known to double the mustard/herb topping
This is a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa and is bulletproof.

1 1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup good Dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 racks of lamb, “frenched”  Trader Joes has already done this for you

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the salt, rosemary and garlic until they’re as finely minced as possible. Add the mustard and balsamic vinegar and process for 1 minute.

Place the lamb in a roasting tin, not too deep, with the ribs curving down and coat the tops with the mustard mixture.
Allow the lamb to stand for 1 hour at room temperature.

Roast the lamb for exactly 20 minutes for rare or 25 minutes for medium rare.
Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil
Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then cut into individual ribs and serve


Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Oven roasted ratatouille

Belinda

This is the very best recipe for ratatouille that cooks all together, has that toasty flavor and is packed with garilcky, basil flavors. You can double or treble this or even make it for a crowd, spreading it out over baking sheets. It’s also great at room temperature and so easy to prepare.
All you need is some great tapenade, good bread and a BBQ boned and marinated leg of New Zealand lamb and you’re in heaven!!

Serves 4

1lb cherry tomatoes, whole or small tomatoes, halved
3 -4 medium zucchinis
1 medium eggplant
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1inch squares
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 1 inch squares
4 fat cloves garlic, chopped small
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch squares
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch squares
6 tbsp good olive oil (or more if you want)
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper (plenty)

For a less traditional Ratatouille, you may want to try cauliflower florets,  leeks, chopped into 1″ cubes or butternut squash also cut into 1″ cubes.

You will need a large shallow roasting roasting tin, about 16″ by 12″ or so
Preheat the oven to the highest setting

Gently put the tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, peppers, onions and any other vegetables you use in a very large bowl and sprinkle over the chopped garlic. Roughly tear up the basil and sprinkle over the vegetables with the olive oil. Make sure all the vegetables are well coated with the oil and finally season really well with salt and pepper. Toss really gently until everything is well incorporated ( I like to do this with my hands, it’s gentler and easier and fun.) and then gently tip out onto a large baking shallow sided baking tray.
Roast on the highest shelf in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are roasted and tinged with brown at the edges.
Remove from the oven and serve straight away.