A Second Round of Whole 30: Three recipes

I am about 2.2 weeks into my second Whole 30. If you are at all familiar with this whole food challenge, you'll know that the focus is re-booting your system with whole, unprocessed ingredients, and the marked lack of sugar, grains, legumes, and dairy. While I try to adhere as closely as possible to the Whole 30 shopping list, I have made a few variations for the sake of kitchen creativity (namely, vanilla extract and store-bought mayonnaise). 

This tapioca and chia seed pudding has saved my sanity when it comes to my sweet-tooth and creamy-something cravings. It is very delicious. As is the Turkey Pumpkin No-Bean Chili. You know it's Fall when Becca begins cooking with pumpkin! The last recipe came about because I dearly wanted to try making Sweet Potato toast. As you'll imagine from my notes below, I wish I had a toaster oven to help in the endeavor. Whether you're eating Whole 30 or not, enjoy!

Tapioca and Chia Pudding

 

1 can Coconut Milk (full fat)

3 Tbsp. Tapioca mini pearls

2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

Dash of Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Lemon zest

Cinnamon

1 Peach, peeled and diced

1/3 cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Pour coconut milk into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Pour in tapioca, stirring quickly. Once the pudding thickens, remove from heat and stir in chia seeds, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest. Set aside. In a separate small sauce pan, boil diced peaches and blueberries in a small amount of water, long enough to soften. When water has evaporated, pour fruit into the pudding and stir well. Cool before serving.

Turkey Pumpkin No-Bean Chili

(Inspired by Sweet Anna’s)

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. Chili powder

1 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Turmeric

1 ½ lbs. ground Turkey

1 large Onion, diced

1 large Bell Pepper, chopped 

1 Zucchini, diced

2 Tbsp. Green Chilies, diced

2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced

1 28oz can Diced Tomatoes

3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

1 can of Pumpkin purée

1 can of Chicken broth (about 1 ½ cups)

3 cups Kale, diced

salt & pepper to taste

Chipotle Chili powder, to taste

In a large soup pot, begin to brown the ground turkey in olive oil, seasoning with spices. Then stir in the onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and garlic, cooking until onions are translucent and meat is fully browned. Add tomatoes, green chilies, tomato paste, pumpkin, broth, kale, ad remaining spices. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato Toast with Avocado, Tomato and Tuna Salad

 

1 large Sweet Potato, sliced flat, length-wise

1 Avocado

1 Large Tomato

1 can of Tuna

1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise

Red or Green Bell Pepper

Chili Powder

Begin by slicing your avocado, tomatoes, and peppers. Then open a can of tuna and stir in mayonnaise. Set both aside.

Toast sweet potato in the toaster or a toaster oven. (NOTE: Long even slices toast the best. You will need to push toaster button down 2-3 times. If you’re afraid of burning, use a toaster oven or regular oven.)

Once the toast is cooked assemble your open-faced sandwiches. (NOTE #2: As pretty as these look, they are best eaten with a fork.)

Green, Purple, and Citrus Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing

Sometimes, when I find inspiring recipes on Pinterest, I try them out on myself. But sometimes the amount of ingredients and variety of flavors makes me want to share them with friends. I made this salad for a church potluck last Sunday. It is inspired by Tieghan Gerard who blogs at Half Baked Harvest. She shoots amazingly beautiful food photography. I encourage you to check out her site.

Note: When I tried to buy Red Grapefruit, I accidentally bought regular grapefruit instead. Be careful, if you do, in fact want that pop of pink.

 

Green, Purple, and Citrus Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing

Inspired by Half Baked Harvest

Dressing

2 Tbsp. Tahini (sesame seed paste)

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Juice + Zest from 1 Lemon (use only half of the zest)

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Fresh Ginger, grated

Salt + Pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir until combined.

Salad

1 8 oz  can of Garbanzo beans

2 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

1/4 tsp. Chili Powder with a dash of Cayenne Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the chickpeas out on a towel and dry them completely. In a small bowl, toss the garbanzo beans with the soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper. Pour out into a tin-foiled pan. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir the chickpeas around and roast another 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are browned. Remove from the oven, and set aside.

4 cups Tuscan Kale, chopped

2 cups fresh Broccoli florets, sliced thinly

1/4 head Purple Cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup fresh Parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

Black and White Sesame Seeds

2 Red Grapefruits, segmented, with all peel removed

2 ripe, but firm Avocados, sliced or chopped

Add the kale to a large bowl and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage the kale until it is well coated and has slightly softened. To the bowl add the broccoli, cabbage, parsley and cilantro. Toss well. Add the dressing and continue to toss until all the veggies are coated. Gently toss to combine. The salad will taste best if the dressing has a few hours to soak into the green vegetables. Just before serving, add the grapefruit, avocado, garbanzo beans, and sesame seeds.

Serve alongside Tahini Lemon Rice!

Prepare rice as you normally would, before bringing water to a boil, add Tahini paste, lemon juice, butter, and salt.