Category: Whole30

Magic Chicken Soup

I. Love. Soup. I really love it and I try to make it at least every other week, sometimes once a week! My friend once said I’m the soup queen and my heart smiled. A good soup is packed with amazing nutrients, a great protein and tons of flavor and that is exactly what this is!

Picture it – it’s December 2021. The week between Christmas and New Years. Noses are running. Kids are coughing. Parents are panicking about covid, of course, but also about all the other illnesses kids can get. So what does this mama do? She looks up all the veggies and herbs that have amazing healing properties and she whips up a soup that is ultra curing and tastes incredible.

So here is my Magic Chicken Soup. It was made twice during this week between the holidays and it was gobbled up both times. AND it is the perfect recipe to share with you all during this new year and state of runny noses and tired bodies.

One of the most important things to do with a soup is to let the flavors build. You don’t want to just add everything to a pot, cover with liquid and call it a day. Taking time to cook each thing and letting the herbs and spices mix and blend is key! After you add each ingredient, stir and let it sit for 2-3 minutes before moving on to the next step. Don’t rush the beginning steps before simmer time, trust me!

I LOVE to make my own bone broth but I don’t always have it on hand. There are so many amazing quality bone broths out there that I turn to when making soup. You can also make a quick version of your own broth by just adding water as your liquid. Since this is a healing soup though, and bone broth has WONDERFUL healing properties, if you add water instead of an already made broth, let it simmer on low for at least an hour and a half to extract the most out of those chicken bones!

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5 from 1 vote

Magic Chicken Soup

A little spin on traditional chicken soup filled with all the healing foods to cure any type of sickness.
Course Soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6 Servings
Author Nikki

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven a large stock pot can also be used

Ingredients

  • 3 ribs celery chopped
  • 3 large carrots peeled, chopped
  • 2 medium yellow onions chopped
  • 1 1/2 inches ginger root grated, split in half
  • 1/2 large lemon zest
  • 2 tblsp fresh sage finely chopped
  • 2 tblsp fresh basil finely chopped
  • 7 ounces shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large lemon, juiced or two small/medium size
  • 2 pieces chicken on the bone 2 hind quarters or breast quarters. Or one of each
  • 1 cup spinach and/or kale gently packed
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 48 ounces bone broth (1 1/2 cartons) chicken or beef or homemade or water
  • salt
  • olive oil

Instructions

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in dutch oven.
  • Chop celery, carrots and onion and add to pot.
  • Sprinkle with salt and add pepper.
  • Once veggies start to get soft, add half the amount of grated ginger and all the lemon zest. Stir.
  • Add chopped sage and basil. Stir.
  • Rinse mushrooms and thinly slice them.
    In your pot, move veggies to the sides so you can see the bottom of the pot. Add a drizzle of olive oil and put the mushrooms in a little at a time and let them brown and cook slightly. Repeat this till all the mushrooms have been added and are almost fully cooked.
  • Add half the amount of the lemon juice to deglaze the pot – either one small lemon or half of a large lemon – scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of it.
  • Add the minced garlic and the rest of the grated ginger. Stir.
  • Place chicken skin side down on top of the veggies.
  • Add broth till chicken and veggies are completely covered. Usually takes one and a half 32 ounce cartons of broth. You can just cover with water also.
  • Let simmer on low to medium heat till chicken is full cooked, at least 45 minutes.
  • Remove chicken and shred off the bone and add back to the soup.
  • Add in the spinach/kale and let it wilt into the soup.
  • Add the rest of the lemon juice, stir and serve!

Tuscan Soup

I am such a huge soup fan. I love when September hits and its time to make all the soups, stews and chilis! This Tuscan Soup is great for the cold weather but can be perfect even when its still warm out!

I spent a little while looking for a soup recipe one day and came across a few Tuscan ones. They all looked great but weren’t fully doing it for me. So I took some tips from this one and that one and added my own flare and this puppy was born!

I don’t know about you but when I feed my family soup I feel like I’m making them starve. It’s a silly thought because there’s just as much protein, veggies and carbs as a plate of food but for some reason ‘soup’ seems light. This soup is not light though, and in a good way. It is hearty and filling and citrusy and oh so good!

The blending of this with the immersion blender is key. It makes it a little creamier and thicker while still leaving chunks of the vegetables. You can blend the whole thing till smooth and then wilt in the kale and add the sausage or choose to not blend it at all. Up to you!

The fresh squeezed lemon on top at the end is where the magic happens. It adds a pop of citrus brightening the whole dish and making each other flavor deeper. Don’t skip this! You can even slice up the lemon and let it simmer within the soup.

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Tuscan Soup

A hearty, creamy and filling take on a traditional tuscan soup.
Course Soup
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Immersion Blender

Ingredients

  • 6 italian sausage links removed from the casing
  • 1 white onion diced
  • 3 large carrots peeled and diced
  • 2 large cloves garlic minced
  • 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 box chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups nut pods
  • 1 bag mini potatoes
  • 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Remove sausage from casing. In large pot, crumble sausage and cook through. Remove from pot.
  • add 2 tbsp olive oil. Sauté onion and carrots till soft. Add minced garlic. cook for 4 minutes.
  • Add can of fire roasted tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  • Add chicken stock and nut pods and potatoes. bring to a boil and simmer till potatoes are fork tender.
  • With an immersion blender, blend soup to desired thickness. You can skip this step, blend soup completely, or blend half way still leaving bits of onion, carrots and potato.
  • Wilt in kale, add back sausage and juice one lemon over top.
  • Stir and serve!

Sweet Potato Breakfast Stacks

I throw it down for breakfast! Breakfast could potentially be my flavorite meal of the day. And I LOVE eggs.

I think it’s hard for people who aren’t a fan of eggs to find a nutritious meal first thing in the morning. I’m not a fan of oatmeal everyday, causing a spike in blood sugar right from the jump. If you like eggs like me, you’ll love these stacks. And if you can tolerate eggs, then you have to try these to switch up your boring scrambles and give you some perspective on a better yet tasty egg sandwich.

These are totally customizable too. Don’t have prosciutto? No problem. That ham or turkey will do just fine. Hey, you can even use some bacon! No arugula? That’s okay. Spinach is great too or even that left over zucchini from dinner last night will work. Use what you have and what you like and you’ll have an amazing Sweet Potato Stack of your own!

I used Kite Hill dairy free cream cheese on these for the first time and it was great! If you don’t like your eggs super runny, the addition of the cream cheese is a good touch.

I started using sweet potatoes in place of breads when I did my first round of whole30. I have not looked back! Sure, I love an occasional true piece of toast but using a sweet potato makes everything a little sweeter, fluffier and all around better for my insides. I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing anything because they really are that good!

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5 from 1 vote

Sweet Potato Breakfast Stacks

A healthy, whole30 tasty breakfast everyone will love.
Course Breakfast
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 person

Ingredients

  • 4 slices sweet potato 1/4-1/2 inch thick
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 slices tomato
  • 2 slices prosciutto
  • bunch arugula
  • smear cream cheese kite hill dairy free

Instructions

  • Slice 4 large round sweet potatoes about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.
  • Heat olive oil in medium pan over medium heat. Fry sweet potato on both sides till both sides are brown.
  • In same pan, cook eggs over easy – or to desired wellness.
  • Assemble stacks – sweet potato, tomato slice, prosciutto, arugula, egg, cream cheese on top sweet potato. TA-DA!!

Sausage Potato & Cabbage Sheet Pan Meal w/ Caesar Sauce

If you’re looking to switch things up a bit, this is the meal for you!

At first glance, you might be thinking “caesar dressing covering my whole meal??” But trust me! This Caesar sauce is FIRE! As in, it’s bomb.com. Which clearly means, it’s DELICIOUS!

Now, if you’ve been here for a little while or know me at all, dipping sauce is one of my most flavorite food groups. Yes, it has its own food group! If I can dip food into something it already scores major points with me. So pair a dynamite sauce with an easy sheet pan meal and WOAH – perfect meal combo!

You can easily use any of your own favorite sauces you already have on hand (kids might prefer ketchup) or you can eat this meal without anything BUT I highly suggest trying out this Caesar Sauce. And yes, it’s just my homemade Caesar dressing thinned out a bit so I can call it a sauce. Don’t hate!

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Sausage Potato & Cabbage Sheet Pan Dinner with Caesar Sauce

A surprisingly super tasty and comforting meal!
Course Main Course
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 24 oz chicken sausage (precooked) your favorite whole30 brand or any kind
  • 3 large russet potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 head of cabbage roughly chopped, rinsed and drained
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • sprinkle salt

Caesar Sauce

  • 1 cup mayo
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp red boat fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce omit for whole30
  • 1 – 2 tbsp water less for thicker sauce, more for thinner

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Rinse and drain.
  • Toss in olive oil to evenly coat, about 2 tbsp.
  • Line and large cooking sheet with parchment paper. Put potatoes on sheet pan and cook for about 20-25 minutes, tossing in between.
  • Roughly chop cabbage and wash. Cut sausage into 1/2 thick pieces.
  • Once potatoes are almost fully cooked (about 20-25 minutes) add cabbage and sausage to sheet pan and drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil.
  • Put back in the oven to finish, about 20 more minutes,
  • While cooking, mix all ingredients for Caesar sauce in small bowl and set aside.
  • Once sausage, potatoes and cabbage are cooked, remove from oven, spoon onto bowl and drizzle with sauce.

Sweet Tart Chicken

So I had an extra jar of sun-dried tomatoes from when I made my Mediterranean Chicken and I have been trying to figure out what to do with them. This is the PERFECT dish!

The sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes mixed with the tartness of lemons added to chicken as your protein is the best combo! I was SHOCKED at how great this came out. I had this thought jotted down on my forever long list of food ideas and I put it together quickly because I was short on time. It was really so so simple but it came out so SO good!

I love me some chicken thighs. In fact, its a RARE occasion that I use breasts over thighs. They are just so much more tender and juicier. If you fear them because they are dark meat and more calories, DON’T! They are so good for you – a perfect protein and fat your body craves, promise! However, if you prefer breasts over thighs as far as taste goes, have at it!

This dish is really such a treat you won’t even realize it’s Keto, Whole30, Paleo, Clean, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free – all the good things. Add this to your weekly rotation, you wont regret it!

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Sweet Tart Chicken

This Chicken dish is a life changing sweet and tangy masterpiece!
Course Main Course
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 3 people

Equipment

  • Stove top

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs
  • 1 8.5oz jar of sundried tomatoes
  • 2 lemons 1 for zest and juice, 1 for slices
  • 1/2 cup broth chicken or beef
  • 1 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  • Generously sprinkle both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
  • In large skillet, heat olive oil and brown both sides of chicken in about 2 batches not to over crowd the pan – about 4 minutes each side. Remove and side aside.
  • In same skillet, melt ghee scraping off any bits on the bottom of pan.
  • Add broth and bring to slight boil then simmer.
  • Zest one of the lemons and add zest and half the lemon juice to pan.
  • Drain sundried tomatoes and stir in.
  • Add sliced lemons and stir.
  • Add back the chicken and cook till lemons are tender.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Fish Sticks

As a kid, fish sticks were something we had occasionally and I LOVED them. They were small and thin and crunchy but not super fish filled. So I was basically just eating whatever fried breading was on the outside and while, it may have tasted good, it was probably terrible for me.

Last summer, my husband went fishing and came home with fresh fish to make. We decided to make Fish Sticks out of it! It was a good sturdy fish that would be able to handle being thinly sliced and fried without falling a part. They were SO GOOD!

Since then, we often love having fish sticks made with fresh halibut. This fish holds up well and is super tasty. They get crisp on the outside but are filled with great juicy fish on the inside. Paired with my homemade tarter sauce, this is a perfect comforting, yet healthy meal that the whole family enjoys!

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Fish Sticks

The perfect Fish Stick the whole family will love! Make these with some french fries for an easy "Fish and Chips" dinner!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Author Nikki

Equipment

  • Stove top
  • Deep frying pan

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds halibut or preferred sturdy white fish
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 2-4 tbsp avocado oil or preferred frying oil
  • 1 lemon

Tarter Sauce

  • 1/2 cup mayo homemade or store bought
  • 3 pickle spears finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp pickle juice
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp dill depending on your dill preference

Instructions

  • In one wide bowl, mix together the eggs and milk.
  • In another wide bowl, mix together the flours and spices.
  • Cut halibut in strips. You can make these strips as thick or as thin as you want. I like them about 1 inch thick and 1-2 inches wide. Thickness varies each time I make them.
  • Squeeze half of the lemon juice on top of the fish and rub in. Reserve the other half for over top when all cooked.
  • Heat avocado oil in pan on the stove over medium-high heat. All stoves will vary. You don't want the oil and drippings to burn but you don't want the fish to sit in oil that isn't hot enough to crisp up – this will only make them soggy and oily.
  • Dredge the fish strips in the egg mixture and then in the flour mixture and set on a plate.
  • Then fry them in the pan. About 1-2 minutes each side depending on the thickness of your fish. Thicker pieces will be about 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove from pan once both sides have been cooked and place on a wire rack.
  • Squeeze lemon over top and serve with my homemade tarter sauce!

Tarter Sauce

  • Mix all ingredients together in small bowl.
  • Serve on side of fish sticks.

Cauliflower Buffalo Bites

You. Guys. These are FIRE. In all senses of the word – great and spicy. These were kind of a challenge though. But third times a charm! We are all obsessed with these and you will be too!

There’s a breadcrumb option for these. When testing, I did half with bread crumbs half without and honestly, they were both fantastic. I also like a variety in sizes of the cauliflower florets.

Making these gets a little messy and to be honest, they don’t look so pretty when first taken out of the oven. BUT, after they are coated in the hot sauce mixture, baked for a second time and then topped with more hot sauce, they look mouth watering. And they taste even better!

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5 from 1 vote

Cauliflower Buffalo Bites

A delicious spicy side dish perfect for any day of the week!
Course Side Dish
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 people
Author Nikki

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower or 2 small bags cauliflower florets
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tblsp almond milk
  • 1/3 cup cassava flour
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 2 tblsp paprika
  • 1/2 tblsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3 tblsp ghee can use melted butter
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup franks hot sauce
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 420 degrees and line 1-2 cooking trays with parchment paper. I prefer 2 so I don’t over crowd them.
  • Cut cauliflower into a variety of bite size pieces, wash, dry and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
  • Add flours, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper to egg mixture to make a batter.
  • Dip each piece of cauliflower into batter, using your fingers to coat and smooth out so it is not too thick – place on cooking tray. (wash bowl and keep for tossing cauliflower in hot sauce)
  • *If using breadcrumbs, put breadcrumbs in small bowl and dip coated cauliflower in breadcrumbs and put on tray.*
  • Bake in oven for 20 minutes.
  • While cooking, melt ghee/butter and mix with hot sauce.
  • When finished cooking, remove tray from oven and put cauliflower in bowl, toss with almost all of the hot sauce mixture – leave a little bit to pour over the top once done.
  • Put cauliflower back on one of the cooking trays and broil for 5 minutes.
  • Remove and coat with remaining hot sauce.

Notes

Omit breadcrumbs for whole30

Mediterranean Chicken

Totally delicious and super easy! This dish has all the flavors of the Mediterranean and I swear requires little to no skill! Whip this up for a dinner party and your friends will think you’re a master chef.

This braises on the stove for about 20-30 minutes and the chicken shreds so so easily. Since you will be using the whole jar of marinated artichokes, you can use the oil from the jar to saute the shallots and brown the chicken in.

Method: Stove top – dutch oven/pot
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

  • 3 large chicken breasts or 5-6 chicken thighs
  • 1 12oz jar marinated artichokes (check ingredients, no added sugars)
  • 1 large shallot, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (I like to use marinated ones for more flavor but you can use any)
  • 2 tblsp capers
  • 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • salt and pepper

Instructions:

In a large dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tblsp of the oil from the marinated artichokes. Add shallot and cook till tender, then add garlic and cook about 3 minutes.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add a little more oil to pot if necessary and brown chicken, about 3-4 minutes each side – move shallot and garlic out of the way/place on top of chicken so it doesn’t burn.
Add 1 cup of chicken broth and de-glaze bottom of pot, scraping the brown bits off the bottom.
Add the capers, olives, sundried tomatoes and the whole jar of artichokes and cover with remaining cup of chicken broth.
Put lid on and let simmer and braise for about 25-30 minutes.
Remove lid and add tomatoes and let cook and reduce a little with lid off for an addition 5-10 minutes.
Shred chicken, serve and enjoy!

Orange Buttered Brussels

Brussel Sprouts are a STAPLE in the Fricke household. They’re my FLAVORITE veggie and in both Kyle and Jordan’s top 3 faves. We are all good with a simple EVOO, salt/pep and quick roast for our sprouts but these are the perfect twist for a bright summery side.

The first time I made these, I used Kerrygold Grassfed Butter. Tonight when I made them, I used ghee. You can use either one, depending on your diet preferences!

Method: Oven and stove top
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cleaned
  • 2 tblsp olive oil
  • 2 tblsp butter or ghee (for whole30)
  • 2 oranges, juiced
  • Zest of 2 oranges
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375
Trim ends and cut Brussels in half length wise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.
In a small saucepan, melt butter/ghee.
Zest 2 oranges and add to pot, keeping some aside for garnish.
Add the juice of those 2 oranges, salt and pepper.
Keep on low until sprouts are done, then pour over top and mix.

Citrus Mahi Mahi

Summer, summer, summertime. Nothing says summertime to me like some light fresh grilled fish. Anything on the grill screams nice weather and anything citrus equals sunshine… For me at least.

I love all things citrus and my go to is usually something lemony. But for this, orange is the star. You can use this marinade on any white flaky fish but Mahi Mahi is an excellent option for when you want to put something on the grill. It can withstand being handled on the BBQ without falling apart but still have an amazing buttery consistency to it.

The Avocado Citrus Salsa is the icing on the cake here. It’s tangy with a little heat and goes perfect with every bite of citrusy fish.

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Citrus Mahi Mahi

A delicious summer fish recipe that's refreshing and tasty for the whole family.
Course Main Course
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 adults

Equipment

  • Grill

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 lbs Mahi Mahi
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 large oranges juiced
  • 1 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • sprinkle pepper

Instructions

  • Whisk together marinade.
  • Cut Mahi Mahi into 4 pieces and soak in marinade – in ziplock bag, bowl or tupperware (let marinade for 1 hour minimum, the longer, the better!)
  • Prepare salsa and let chill in the refrigerator while fish is marinating.
  • After fish has marinated, remove from bowl and place on hot grill skin side up with lid closed for 7-10 minutes.
  • Flip onto skin and let cook for 2 more minutes with lid open.
  • Serve with Avocado Citrus Salsa!
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Avocado Citrus Salsa

Prep Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado diced
  • 1 mango diced
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 small orange juiced or 1/2 large orange
  • 6 cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 3 tbsp red onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
  • 1/4 tsp course sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Dice avocado and mango and add to bowl.
  • Juice lime and orange and add along with all other ingredients.
  • Mix