Recipes

Jalapeno Salmon Burgers

Okay, so when I say I was a vegetarian, I guess I really should be saying I was pescetarian because I still ate fish! Mahi Mahi burgers were actually what I would normally have during BBQ’s. Last summer I was having those fish burger feels a lot and wanted to try making some Salmon Burgers! I had looked at a few different ways to do this and a lot of recipes I had seen required you to cook the salmon first, shred it and then incorporate it into everything else. For some reason this just didn’t seem right to me. So for these, the trick is to use a food processor to blend up the raw salmon, incorporate the rest of the ingredients, and then cook!
These call for one jalapeno but they are not over spicy at all. The basil gives these a pop of freshness mixed with the sweetness from the shallots. Normally, I like to saute any onion or pepper that I incorporate into my meat (burgers, meatloaf etc.) but in these, the raw jalapeno and shallot give a crunch that is so refreshing! These are easy, whole30, delicious, and so versitile in how you can serve. Once cooked they are juicy, the perfect texture and a light, tasty twist on a tradition burger!

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 8 mins
Servings: Makes 3 burgers
Cooking Method: Grill/BBQ

Ingredients:

  • 10 oz salmon
  • 1 1/2 tblsp shallot (about half large shallot)
  • 1 jalapeno
  • 2 tblsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tblsp fresh basil
  • 2 tblsp casava flour
  • 1 1/2 tblsp almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 pepper
  • lime to squeeze over top

Instructions:

Cut salmon into 2 inch chunks and using a food processor, blend gently. *Careful not to over blend*
Dice jalapeno and shallot. Chop basil.
In a small bowl mix salmon, shallot, jalapeno, coconut aminos, basil, casava flour, almond flour, salt and pepper.
Form into 3 patties and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
When ready to cook, grill on each side for about 4 mins.
Squeeze some lime over top when removed from grill.
Serve on a traditional bun, in lettuce wraps or with your flavorite aioli!

Sweet Summer Salad

I love salad. I truly do. My son thinks it’s my flavorite meal and he’s not really wrong. I eat tons of salads and it’s not because they’re ‘healthy’ but because I really do enjoy them. And to be honest, most salads are actually terrible for you because of one component to them – the dressing. Dressings hold TONS of excess sugars and are usually made with a less good for you oil. They have ingredients you can’t even pronounce and can be triple the calories of the actual salad. So while yes, you can be doing your body good with an occasion protein and veggie packed salad, you have to be careful! I like to keep it simple usually with EVOO and red wine vinegar, a little salt and pepper and tada – deliciousness. But sometimes i spice things up!

A few years ago I was in Whole Foods and someone there was giving out samples. I think they were selling their dressing, but I can’t remember the brand of it or what was in it. They were having you sample it with a strawberry wrapped in swiss chard. What the… This seemed soo strange to me yet I needed to try it, and so glad i did.

I don’t normally like fruit in any salad of mine but in this it’s magical. The dressing comes together with 4 easy ingredients. It’s sweet and tangy and bright and the perfect salad combo for the summer!

Method: Tossing
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2-4 people (depending on if this is a side or main dish)

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of swiss chard, washed and rinsed
  • 4-5 large strawberries, washed and sliced
  • 1-2 chicken breasts, or protein of choice (would pair great with salmon)
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • few cashews crushed to sprinkle over top, or nut of choice (this would be great with feta or Gorgonzola crumbled on top as well)

Dressing:

  • 3 tblsp EVOO
  • 4 tblsp balsamic
  • 3 tblsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

Wisk together all ingredients for dressing at the bottom of a large bowl.
Fill with salad components and toss together with dressing. This allows you to save the use of multiple bowls mixing dressing/salad.
You’re welcome.

Pulled Pork

This is my famous Pulled Pork!

It is a super easy slow cooker crowd pleasing meal packed with flavor. When I was younger, my mom made a pulled pork all the time that everyone loved. She put the pork in the slow cooker and mixed a bottle of BBQ sauce with a bottle of Italian dressing. Easy, but not so healthy. Who knows what added sugars and oils are in those bottled sauces! When my mom and I did a round of WHOLE 30 together in January 2019, we really wanted to make an easy pulled pork. I came up with this bad boy and I will never make pulled pork any other way!

First you have to get your BBQ sauce portion together. I like to use Primal Kitchen’s ketchup as a base for this. You can though, use a mixture of tomato paste, water and coconut sugar (date syrup if you are keeping this whole30). Then, I use Primal Kitchen’s Italian dressing since their dressings and sauces are already whole30 approved! I know exactly whats in them and there is nothing sneaky going on there. Mix them together, pour over your meat and VOILA!

To keep this whole30, we served it over a sweet potato. Now, trust me when I say you’re going to want to serve it this way. You do not need to be doing a round of whole30 to use a sweet potato for this. I continue to make this meal exactly as is no matter what because it is that good. The soft texture and sweetness of the sweet potato goes so well with the tangy pulled pork. And there are plenty of different types of sweet potatoes to chose from. My flavorite is a tradition yam. My husband prefers Japanese sweet potato – purple skin with whiter flesh. And my son picks and chooses when he wants the sweet potato involved, but he LOVES the meat!

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Pulled Pork

The most delicious Pulled Pork you'll ever eat.
Course Main Course
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lbs pork shoulder or loin you can do one or the other or half and half
  • 1 bottle Primal Kitchen ketchup
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1/2 bottle Primal Kitchen italian dressing
  • 1 sweet potato per person

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix all ingredients for the BBQ Sauce together – ketchup, italian dressing and spices.
  • Put pork in your slow cooker and pour sauce on top.
  • Let cook on low for 8 hours.
  • 1 hour before you are ready to eat, bake sweet potatoes in oven. Score potatoes with a fork and wrap in tin foil and bake on 400 degrees for about 45 min to an hour.
  • When pork is done, shred and leave in sauce in slow cooker on warm.
  • Serve pork over the sweet potato!

Roasted Garlic Leek Mashed Potatoes

Two words – Game. Changer. I never really was a huge mashed potato girl. I usually prefer my potato in the shape of a fry dipped in an aioli of some sort. Well, I can officially say that is no longer the case. Not since these bad boys. Their existence began on total accident. I was at work talking to my friend about what we were each making for dinner because, well, food is life and it’s a constant conversation we have. We both happened to recently make a soup with leeks and had tons left over- which I was totally fine with because I was having a slight leek obsession. So, I told her, “I have left over leeks and potatoes”. She said, “wait what??”. She thought I said – leek mashed potatoes. We then paused and thought – mmm leek mashed potatoes??? Sounded fantastic! I wasn’t ready to take them on just yet because like I said, I’m not a mashed potato girl and my protein that evening didn’t really go with a mashed veggie. My friend though, made them and said they were incredible. Now I felt left out and needed to try them ASAP. I waited for the perfect opportunity and then finally whipped them up last night and HOLY MOLY. They are EVERYTHING. After they were all blended up I had my husband try them. I usually have him try things before I do to see what he thinks it needs. He ALWAYS tells me ‘needs some salt’ (eye roll). But this time he said “WOW. That’s reeaallyy tasty. Doesn’t need anything”. Music to my ears. I tried them and thought – OMG this is heavenly. Gives regular mashed potatoes a deeper flavor. They’re super creamy and rich and everything I would want in a mashed potato!

Ingredients:

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 6 pieces per potato
2 cups leeks, about 2 white bulbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup original Nut Pods
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Kerry Gold butter, ghee for WHOLE30
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or cooking oil of choice)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and cut potatoes. Add them to a pot with water and some salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer.

While potatoes are cooking, cut the green stalk of the leeks off as well as the rooted end. You will want to use only the white bulb. Cut the bulb in half and separate each piece. Wash thoroughly.

Add minced garlic and leeks to pan and toss in 2 tblsps olive oil.
Roast in oven at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until some of the leeks start to brown.

Strain the potatoes once they are a little bit more than fork tender and return to the pot.
Add roasted leeks & garlic, butter, both liquids and tsp salt and sprinkle of pepper (I’m not a huge pepper fan so I always go easy then add more if necessary in the end)
Stir to mix with a spoon then use an immersion blender to fully blend.

Once blended till smooth, test to see if more salt or pepper is needed.
Then – DEVOUR and thank me 🙂