Incredible, Easy, Perfect Beef Tenderloin

We served Filet of Tenderloin for Christmas this year and it was incredible.  First of all - start by buying Costco's finest ... seriously, I haven't found more tender filet.  Highly recommend it.  Secondly - buy more than you think you'll need, because your guests will go back for seconds and thirds.

There are two great options for seasoning the meat.  You can go the simple route, using 1 T. kosher salt, 1 T. coarsely ground black pepper, perhaps 1t. of garlic and/or onion powder.  My personal favorite is Penzey's English Prime Rib Rub, which doesn't work if you're doing Whole30 (darned sugar) but works great otherwise.  Use enough to coat the tenderloin.  For me, more is more :o)

Lastly - be prepared to smoke up your house on this.  I promise - it's worth it.  If the weather is pleasant enough, open the doors and windows to allow for a cross breeze.  If not, just suck it up - the meat will be amazing.

Ingredients
1 whole filet of beef (4-6 lb.), trimmed
2 T. softened clarified butter (ghee) if available - unsalted butter if not
Seasoning (see options above)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 500 deg. F. 
2. Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then place it on a roasting rack in a roast pan.  Rub the butter all over the meat with your hands, then spread the seasonings evenly on it. 
3. Open the windows if applicable.  Roast the meat in the oven for 22 min (rare) to 25 min (medium-rare).  Smoky is normal.
4. Remove the beef from the oven, then wrap it tightly with aluminum foil.  Allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
5. Slice and serve with Fresh and Jazzy Creamy Dill Horseradish Sauce.

Fresh and Jazzy Creamy Dill Horseradish Sauce

This goes incredibly well with any kind of a beef roast or steak or filet...

Creamy Paleo, Dairy-free, Dill Horseradish Sauce

Special kudos to Kat at the Caught Somewhere in Thyme blog for this one - I needed something for my holiday dinners while plowing through my most recent Whole30.  My non-W30 guests went crazy with it too - glad I made a lot!  Since it takes a bit of lead time, recommend making enough for multiple meals (the amounts below should cover a few meals for two) ... it saves well for a while in a Tupperware in the back of the fridge.

1/2 C. full fat coconut milk
6-7 T. fresh horseradish, peeled and grated fine
2 t. dill (dried is fine)
1/2 t. dry mustard
juice of 1 lemon
1 t. salt
1/4 t. finely ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small Tupperware - mix well.  You can serve it immediately, but it benefits from sitting for 4-8 hours in the fridge. 

Out of this World Rack of Pork

Lately Costco has had rack of pork available - and I must admit that I've never even thought of the idea of a rack of pork.  Rack of lamb, sure!  Love it.  But rack of pork?  Well ... pigs have ribs, and we eat pork chops, so duuh!!

In any case, I bought one of these beauties the other day and was searching the web for what to do with it.  I came across Chef Dennis Littley's recipe for Oven Roasted Rack of Pork and had to try it.

Let me tell you - it was fantastic!  What made it particularly perfect was the pan gravy.  I made the slight addition of some potato flour (starch) to thicken it up and changed the cooking temp/time - but for the most part otherwise, it was perfect.  I forgot to take a picture the first time around - guess it means I have to cook it again!!

Ingredients

• 1 -8 bone center cut rack of pork
• Olive oil
• Montreal Steak Seasoning or the Crispy Wing Rub or just sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 carrots - peeled and rough cut 
• add 4-8 extras, peeled and rough cut too if you want to serve roasted carrots as a side dish
• 1 med onion-rough cut and include skins
• 2 stalks of celery- rough cut
• 6 cloves garlic peeled and cut into 2-4 pieces each
• Russet potatoes (however many you're serving)
• Potato flour / potato starch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  I like to cook on the convection roast setting. 
2. Make a little island of rough cut vegetables in the middle of a roasting pan.  If you're making extra carrots, spread them around the perimeter of your island.
3. Rinse the rack of pork well and pat dry place rack fat side up, on top of cut veggies
4. Apply a lot of olive oil to the entire rack, rubbing it into the meat
5. Sprinkle entire rack with the seasoning of your choice:  Crispy Wing Rub, Montreal Steak Seasoning, or simply salt/pepper (and anything else you like - garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme...).
6. Wash and dry the russet potatoes.  Coat with Olive Oil and the same seasonings you used for the pork.
7. Place pan in the center of the preheated oven, (placing the potatoes directly on the rack on either side) for 15 minutes.
8. After 15 minutes reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to roast for 1-1.5 hours or until internal temperature (use a thermometer) in the middle has reached 150 degrees.
9. Remove the Rack from the oven.  Transfer the pork to a tray (with sides to catch the juice) and cover tightly with foil.  Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing the meat. This will allow all the juices to remain in the rack, rather than have them run all over the plate, making the meat dry.
10. While the rack is resting, place 1-1.5 cups of water in the roasting pan and place on the stovetop over low heat.  Using a wooden spoon loosen, all the baked in meat scraps from the pan until everything is loose.  This is the point where I pick out all the extra carrots and set them into a serving bowl. 
11. To make the easiest pan gravy on earth, strain out all of the vegetable pieces and any other solids.  Add a little potato flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, whisking over low heat.  Add enough until it is to the thickness you like.  Taste for seasoning;  you may not need any after the seasonings and meat drippings have done their magic.
12. Cut the rack along the bones, making even portions of the pork, serve with your pan gravy, carrots, potatoes, and a green vegetable to your liking!

Chef Dennis' notes:  when you remove a larger cut of meat from the oven it will continue to cook and the temperature of the meat will rise 10 more degrees.
Pork can be eaten at lower temperatures than 165 degrees, but if your entire party would like the meat very well done, you can continue to roast the rack until the center cuts are 155 degrees.

Crispy Baked Wings Oh My

I found this recipe on a Facebook group I follow, in the format of a photograph of a typed up sheet of paper, complete with oil stains and the works.  I'm not at all surprised, given how many times I've turned to this seasoning blend in the last 3 months.  Originally I posted that I wish I knew who to attribute this little dose of yummmmmm to ... and then found out that this photo is Shelli Buractaon's ... who found it herself somewhere on the internet but wasn't sure where.  There was general agreement though that this can't really be beat.

I've started making up large quantities so I can use this on an as needed basis without having to blend spices every time.  In addition, I'm planning to mix and gift it to some friends this holiday season.   So far I've found I can use it for:
* Wings
* Grilled chicken drumsticks & thighs
* Roasted whole chicken
* Bone Broth (after you've roasted that chicken) - the flavors are A-Ma-Zing

Chicken Rub
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder (I really like Penzeys!!)
2 tsp. black pepper

Crispy Baked Wings1.5 lb. chicken wings
1 tbsp. ghee (or butter), melted

Buffalo Sauce
2 tbsp. ghee (or butter), melted
1/4 C. Frank's Original Hot Sauce
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Toss wings in 1 tbsp melted ghee.

Place a wire rack on top of a parchment-covered baking sheet.  Evenly space the wings on the wire rack.  Sprinkle the rub on top.

Bake for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for 15-20 more minutes.

While wings are in the oven, whisk the buffalo sauce ingredients in a bowl.  Remove wings from oven, toss in sauce, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Drizzle wings with remaining sauce.

Serve hot with celery and blue cheese dressing if you like.

Best BLT Salad On Earth

I discovered an amazing take on the classic BLT ... to make it compliant, use chemical-free prosciutto and this wonderful dump ranch recipe that I slightly adapted from another recipe I found online.  Super props to the Whole Sisters - this was amazing.

Salad for two:
• Head of romaine, washed, dried, & cut or torn into bite size pieces
• Tomatoes of your choice - grape, heirloom, cherry, whatever floats your boat
• ~1.4 lb. prosciutto, sliced bacon-thick, fried up, and crumbled

Dressing:

• 1 egg (room temperature is best)

• 1 cup light tasting olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

• 1 handful of cilantro - fresh is best, but dried works just fine too

• 1 handful of parsley - fresh is best, but dried works just fine too

• Dill optional (or any other herbs of choice) - fresh is best, but dried works just fine too

Instructions:

Put all of the dressing ingredients except the oil into a tall container and blend using your immersion blender (or your "whizzy thingy" as I've seen it called).  Slowly pour it in while blending to emulsify it.  Try not to eat the whole thing at one sitting ;)  It's super for dipping raw vegetables in.

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Puree

I've been making this for years, and MAN is it yummy!!  Cooked up a fresh batch just this past week, delighted to discover that it's Whole30 compliant.  YAY!!

Inspirational Source:  Either Bon Appétit or Gourmet Magazine but for sure it was the 11/03 issue!!  Somehow my notes got mucked up over the past 12 years.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, chopped … I like the sweet onions, but this is optional
4 garlic cloves, minced or coarsely chopped
2½ pound butternut or acorn squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces … or simply a 2 lb. package of pre-peeled and cut up squash - keep it simple friends!!
5½ cups vegetable or chicken broth (I use 3 cans + water to make 6 C. total or a 32 oz. carton plus 1½ C. of water)
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Instructions:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add squash and the broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is soft, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.

Puree soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add the thyme and orange peel. Thin soup with more broth if desired. Simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. 

 Now this is usually where I stop and start diving in ... I haven't bothered to make the roasted red pepper puree since the first time.  It was good, but not really worth all the extra effort for a day to day quick meal!!  However if you’re doing this for a special dinner … continue reading!

Swirl 1 tablespoon Roasted Red Pepper Puree (optional) into soup in each bowl.

This can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill. Rewarm before serving, thinning with more broth if desired.  Makes 6 first-course servings (approx. 10 C. total).

Per serving (including red pepper puree): calories, 200; total fat, 8g; saturated fat, 1g; cholesterol, 0; fiber, 8g

Roasted Red Pepper Puree

1 cup coarsely chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar (or roast your own on the grill)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic  cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Puree all ingredients in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)  Makes about 3/4 cup.

Per tablespoon: calories, 15; total fat, 1g; saturated fat, 0; cholesterol, 0; fiber, 0

Lamburgers with Feta, Arugula, Kalamatas, and Sundried Tomatoes

I discovered this one earlier this month via Saveur (my most favorite cooking source!!) and have already made it three times.  I've made only slight modifications to the quantities, more because of the package sizes that are conveniently sold than anything else.  Everyone went for seconds - the flavors are magnificent!!  

Lamburgers with Feta, Arugula, Kalamatas, and Sundried Tomatoes

Parsley, dill, cumin, and garlic give these burgers a lively flavor reminiscent of a lamb gyro. The burger is enhanced by a tangy topping of feta, arugula, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. The recipe is based on one from Michael Psilakis, the chef at Anthos, a New York City restaurant.  I think I may need to stop by next time I'm in the Big Apple.

Ingredients:

Burgers

• 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C. minced yellow onion
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 6 oz. ground pork
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard (omit for Whole30)
• 1-2 tsp. each finely chopped fresh parsley, mint, and dill
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
• 3/4 tsp. ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Garnish

• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese  (omit for Whole30)
• 10 leaves baby arugula
• 10 kalamata olives, pitted, and roughly chopped
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 4 hamburger buns, toasted (omit for Whole30)

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in an 8" skillet over high heat. Add onions; cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer onions to a plate; let cool. 
2. In a bowl, mix onions, lamb, pork, mustard, herbs, spices, garlic, scallions, and salt and pepper. Form meat into four 1"-thick patties; set aside.  
3. Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or heat a gas grill to medium-high (or heat a tablespoon of canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat). Grill burgers, flipping once, until browned and cooked to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium rare. 
4. In a small bowl, combine feta, arugula, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes; toss with the remaining oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Place each burger on the bottom half of a bun and top each with the vegetables and bun top.
6. To make this Whole30 compliant, omit the dijon, feta, and buns - serve on top of a large bed of arugula. 

You can totally make a bunch of these and freeze them for a quick weeknight meal.  Freeze them flat, then store them in an airtight container or zip-lock.

Mediterranean Salsa

Source:  Allen Nudèl’s friend Susie Dillard.  I don't know who Susie is or was, but Allen was a classmate of mine in Grad School at UC Berkeley.  This salsa is seriously incredible - and a nice deviation from your traditional Latin salsas.  

To use it with the context of a Whole 30, you could probably put it on top of a fish ... sounds pretty good now that I think about it!

Ingredients:

6 oz. Jar marinated artichoke hearts

3 fresh vine ripened tomatoes

1 lg. clove minced garlic

¼ C. chopped black olives

¼ C. fresh chopped basil

salt/pepper

Tortilla chips (Tostitos scoops are best)

Directions:

Drain and chop artichoke hearts.  Chop tomatoes.  Combine artichokes, tomatoes, garlic, olives, basil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Serve with chips. 

           

NOTE:  The longer this is allowed to sit refrigerated, the better it gets.

Goldilocks Chili Con Carne

This is hands down my *favorite* chili recipe, and we enjoyed it for dinner today.  I stumbled across it on the web a year or so ago, and I've probably been half of Ulla's page views for this recipe since then.

I've modified it to my tastes and encourage you to do the same.  Don't like beans?  Leave 'em out.  Like things spicier?  Add extra chipotle.  Make it yours!

If you leave out the beans, this is Whole30 compliant.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground grass-fed beef, or a blend of beef & turkey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons Penzey's regular chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican Oregano
• 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 red, orange or yellow pepper, diced
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and lightly rinsed  (OPTIONAL - OMIT FOR W30)
• Salt, chipotle powder, and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Brown meat in large heavy pot at a medium high heat, drain excess fat if desired.
2. Add onions and garlic; sauté until soft about ten minutes.
3. Reduce heat add tomatoes, beans, peppers, and spices. Salt and pepper to taste!
4. Simmer as long as you have time for, or dig in right away.

Sweet Potato Souffles

When I was doing my second Whole30, I really struggled with wanting something dessertish.  I'm sure this is more common than not.  I'm also sure that's part of the point of it all - to break the auto-behavior of wanting something to eat after dinner, say in front of the TV (insert all sorts of standard admonishments about mindlessly eating calories in front of the boob tube here).

I ran across Kendra's Mini Sweet Potato Souffle recipe on her blog, and tried it.  First time didn't go so well, as it just wasn't good ... I'd undercooked the sweet potatoes or something - just wasn't yum at all.  Kendra's a pretty killer cook, so I figured I'd better try again.  Secret was baking the sweet potatoes in their jacket until they were virtually mashed potatoes in skin - and voila.  Great consistency, and a nice natural sweetness from the potatoes emerged.  Make sure your banana's good and ripe... the mushier the better.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, baked for 90-120 min until it's WELL WELL DONE!!!
1 banana peeled, on the riper end of the spectrum
1/3 C. pecans (or walnuts or almonds)
1/3 C. flax seed meal
1 t. Baking Powder
1/4 t. Baking Soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1/3 C. coconut oil, softened or melted
1 t. Vanilla (omit for W30)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  Peel the sweet potato, then puree the sweet potato and banana together in a blender or food processor.  Add the nuts, flax, soda, powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and puree the heck out of it all.  Add the eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla, and once more blend well.

These will be sticky little things ... if you have silicone muffin liners, use them.  Next best option is 5" parchment paper squares pressed into the muffin liners.  Third best option is regular muffin liners.  I've used souffle dishes that have been well oiled as well ... do what works best for you and what you have on hand.

Fill your containers 3/4 full, allowing room to rise.  Bake for 25-30 min until the tops are golden brown.  It's ok if the insides are a bit soft.  Let them cool a bit before diving in to let them set - enjoy!

Best Baked Sea Scallops Ever

Oh my goodness, ran across an amazing baked sea scallop recipe recently.  It was so simple - yet the flavors just exploded.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
16 sea scallops, rinsed and drained
5 T. butter or ghee, melted
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, chopped
3 pinches ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley (flat leaf preferable)
1 c. Bread crumbs (optional - I omitted to keep this Whole 30 compliant)
1/4 C. olive oil (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 deg.

Combine the melted butter, garlic, shallots, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Gently coat the scallops with this mixture, then arrange them in a casserole dish or baking tray.

If you are doing the crumb coating, combine the olive oil and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle on top.  This way is yummy - but the recipe totally stands on its own without :)

Bake in preheated oven until scallops are done, 11-14 min.   Sprinkle parsley on top and serve hot.

Sweet Potato Paprikash - let's have seconds ... and thirds!

Yet another huge win on the whole food journey with my dear husband.  He took a huge food step with me in February with his own Whole30 and I couldn't be prouder of him for branching out from his culinary comfort zone.  He started out disliking sweet potatoes and after several weeks has voluntarily included them in his food repertoire. 

This was a surprise win.  The first few times I made it, I made half a pan with yukon golds for him and half with sweet potatoes for me ... now I just do the sweets but you can go either way.  They both were delish.

Sweet Potato Beef Paprikash

 Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
1 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, chopped
3 tsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
3 sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes and slice to about 1/4″ thickness. Lay a single layer in a 9×13 pan. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add in the meat, browning it, then draining off extra fat.  Stir in tomato paste, 1/2 C. water, and seasonings and cook for a few minutes, stirring until everything is well combined. Pour a layer of meat over the sweet potatoes in the dish. Layer another layer of sweet potatoes, then meat, then potatoes, then meat, until everything is used up. For best results, a meat layer should be last.  Sprinkle another 1/4 C. of water over top.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 35-40 minutes, until sweet potatoes are cooked through. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

If you need to make more - you can easily bump this whole recipe up by 50% and it will still fit in the pan.  Amounts aren't precise - I've made it with as little as a pound and as much as three pounds of beef ... the seasonings flex nicely either way.

Good luck with leftovers - we seldom have any.  If you're lucky though - they reheat beautifully.

Props to Shanti Landon at LifeMadeFull for this winner!!!

Gambas Al Ajillo (Spicy Yummy Garlicky Oily Decadent Shrimp!!!)

There's a local Mediterranean cafe that has Gambas Al Ajillo to DIE for.  I tried to make it myself.  So far this is my best recipe (based on food.com) ... still looking for others with the magic though.  This can serve as an entrée, a tapas dish, or an appetizer.

I'm sure this goes without saying, but peel the darned shrimp.  For some stupid reason, the first time I made this I totally missed that step and of course the flavors didn't reach the meat.  Dooh!



Gambas Al Ajillo

Although I haven't tested other proteins yet, another commenter wrote:  The same dish can be made with squid, cut into rings, or scallops. Serve with lots of warm crusty bread to sop up the sauce…. You will not want to waste a drop! (Make sure you are "warming" the olive oil and the butter, not cooking it off..... cause you'll want every last bit of it for the sauce).  Great input, thanks :)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter or ghee (or use all olive oil - pick your fat!)
• 2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 garlic cloves, minced (more if you are a garlic lover)
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 4 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper

Directions

In a wide, shallow sauté pan over high heat, warm the Olive Oil and the Butter; add the Shrimp, Garlic and Shallots and sauté quickly for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, paprika, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish, sprinkle with the parsley and serve at once.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:  1/4 lb.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 233 Calories from Fat 109

% Daily Value*

Total Fat   12.1g    19%

Saturated Fat 4.3g    22%

Cholesterol 251mg    84%

Sodium 310mg    13%

Potassium 245mg    7%

Total Carbohydrates 4.3g     1%

Dietary Fiber 0.5g     2%

Protein  26.3g

Vitamin A 17%       Vitamin C 13% Calcium 12% Iron 4%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Very low in sugar
• High in phosphorus
• High in vitamin B12

Bad points

• Very high in cholesterol

Noo Yawk City??? (Beef Saffron Stew)

Wasn't such a hot 2 days as Whole30 compliance goes. Started off perfectly yesterday with a vegetable dairy free omelet, fruit, water, and black coffee ($24, gotta love Manhattan) but then went totally off the rails at lunch, dinner (incredible Thai dinner at ViV in East Midtown), breakfast (NY bagel anyone??!!), and lunch again. I started fresh again this evening for dinner with a hearty Beef and Butternut Squash stew.

I sort of cobbled this together from a bunch of online recipes - didn't exactly measure but this is a good guess at amounts.  MAN was it good!!!

Start with:
1 lb. stew beef - browned

1 sweet or yellow onion - roughly chopped and thrown in to sauté with the beef

3 cloves garlic, chopped and also thrown in with the beef

Once this is all somewhat cooked, add and BTBRTS (bring to a boil and reduce to simmer):

4c sugar free beef stock (Swanson has a good one)

28oz can diced tomatoes

1 lg butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed

3 bay leaves

Black pepper (1/2 t.)

Sea salt (1/2 t.)

Paprika (1 t.)

Ground cumin (1/2 t.)

Ground coriander (1/2 t.)

Mexican oregano (1 t.)

Dried basil (1 t.)

Turmeric (1/4 t.)

Several (4-8) threads of saffron

Cook until the squash is soft and the herbs are rehydrated. Sorry I didn't track quantities of spices - I'll put guesses next to each but adjust to taste!!

Enjoy!

Spicy Crockpot Minestrone ... without a crockpot, without pasta, without beans, and without rice

I stumbled upon this one during my first Whole30 and I think I've probably made it at least half a dozen times since then.  It was framed up as a crockpot Minestrone, but I've never actually made it that way.  It was an incredible inspiration though, for which I'll be eternally and deliciously grateful for.

What's shocking - and I mean SHOCKING - is that my husband really enjoys it.
A. He doesn't care for soups or stews.
B. He doesn't like zucchini, spinach, sweet potatoes. celery or most vegetables in general.

Stovetop "Crockpot Minestrone"

The funny thing to me about this (other than the fact that my husband devours it) is that it's both *totally* minestrone ... and so far from it.  Per my friend Wikipedia, "Minestrone is a thick soup of Italian origin made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes."  Well - we've got vegetables for sure ... but no pasta, no rice, and no beans.  Let's keep going ... "There is no set recipe for minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season <love this!!>. It can be vegetarian, contain meat, or contain a meat-based broth. Angelo Pellegrini, however, argued that the base of minestrone is bean broth, and that borlotti beans (also called Roman beans) "are the beans to use for genuine minestrone.""  Well - again, we're forgoing the magical fruit - but I'm so happy Kendra posted her version.  I've made it my own.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Sweet Potato, diced
• 1 cup Carrots, diced
• 2 Celery Stalks, diced
• 2 Shallots, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 28 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 28 oz can Diced Tomatoes w/ Juice
• 4 oz can organic tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Frozen Spinach -or- 1 cup packed Fresh Spinach, chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 tbsp Turkish or Greek Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Parsley
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 2 Zucchini Squash, diced
• 1-1/2 lb Sugar-free Ground Pork Chorizo Sausage
• Dash chipotle pepper - optional (the chorizo may add enough heat for you - taste it first)

Instructions

1. Put the prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic in a large soup pot.
2. Pour in the chicken (or vegetable) broth.
3. Add the entire cans (including juice) of diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
4. Add the frozen spinach (no need to thaw and drain, just add it frozen).
5. Add in the oregano, basil, parsley, bay leaves, pepper, and salt.
6. Bring the whole pot to a boil, then reduce to simmer stirring occasionally.
7. While the pot is simmering, brown the chorizo, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon.
8. Once the pork is cooked through (no pink), drain the grease.  Add the meat to the pot and mix it all together.
9. Add the zucchini.  This is done last to prevent it from being totally mushy.
10. Cook until everything is done (the sweet potatoes are your tell tale).  
11. Check for seasoning and decide whether you want to add a dash of chipotle or cayenne.
12. Remove bay leaves before serving.  Makes great leftovers!

Super shout-out to Kendra Benson at OurPaleoLife who adapted it from the "Paleo Slow Cooking" book by Chrissy Gower!!  This is delicious.