Whole30 Beef Stew

Well, this time my Whole30 journey ended after one day. I've been having some digestive issues and it's apparent now that Whole30 and my stomach just don't get along anymore. But I'm still going to try to incorporate the spirit of the program into our lifestyle. Forgive the picture quality. It's tough to capture how truly delicious this stew was with a camera.

I've made beef stew many times, but this recipe was particularly delicious. If you're doing Whole30, be sure to use balsamic vinegar instead of the Worcestershire sauce.

Whole30 Beef Stew

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 large onion, diced
1.5 lb beef stew meat
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks (6 medium)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or balsamic vinegar for Whole30)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp black pepper
4 cups chicken broth

1. Add the ingredients to a 6 qt crock pot in the order listed.
2. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. 

Whole30 Sweet Potato Quiche

Whole30 Day 1

Some of my family and I are starting a round of the The Whole30 Program today. If you haven't heard about it before, it's a program based on whole foods and is designed to refocus your relationship with food and kick the sugar and snack cravings. I did the program about two years ago, and I'm not going to lie, it was challenging. But by the end I felt great and had lost several pounds. You cannot eat certain things like dairy, grains, sugar and alcohol, but there's no calorie counting and plenty of protein, veggies and good fats. 

A while back I had a quiche at a friend's house that used sliced potatoes as a crust. It was delicious. So I decided to try making it myself this morning. This quiche tastes great and looks beautiful. We didn't have any leftovers, so next time I'll make two. 

For the crust I followed the instructions on Cooking Light Sweet Potato Crust is a Must with just a couple modifications. I don't have a deep dish pie pan, so I only used one sweet potato. And instead of nonstick spray I tossed the slices in oil, salt and pepper. I don't have a mandolin, so I sliced the sweet potato by hand. 

After making the quiche you will have leftover sausage. That'll make tomorrow's breakfast even easier. You can adjust this recipe to use anything you have on hand. For example, it'd be delicious with regular potatoes, bacon and Brussels sprouts.

Whole30 Sweet Potato Quiche

For the Crust
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced thin
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

For the Filling
1/2 small onion, diced
4 eggs
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup Whole30 Breakfast Sausage Crumbles (recipe below)
1/2 cup arugula

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potato slices, oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Overlap the sweet potato slices along the bottom of the pie crust. Take some of the slices, cut in half and arrange around the edges. 
3. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and increase temperature to 375°F. 
4. Cook the sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon to preserve the sausage grease. 
5. Saute the onion in the grease. Remove from the heat and set aside.
6. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and coconut milk. Stir in 1/2 cup arugula, 1/2 cup of the sausage, and the onions. Carefully pour into the pie pan. 
7. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until the eggs are set. 

Whole30 Breakfast Sausage Crumbles

1 lb ground pork
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fenugreek, ground
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Grind the fenugreek in a coffee grinder. 

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Cook on medium heat until browned. 

4. Remove cooked sausage from pan and reserve the sausage grease.

Note: If sugar isn't an issue for you, feel free to substitute 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup for the fenugreek.

Empty Fridge Zesty Tomato Soup (Dairy and Gluten Free)

Some days I just don't feel like grocery shopping. Staring at an almost empty fridge, I'm determined to make it one more day. This zesty tomato soup is great for days like today. It's warm, full of flavor and super easy. 

If you don't have a super powerful blender, you can puree the tomatoes and cook the soup on the stove top. It will take a little longer and probably won't get as thick since the Vitamix whips in quite a bit of air. 

Zesty Tomato Soup

Serves 2-3

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Balsamic vinegar reduction

1. Combine all ingredients except the vinegar in a Vitamix blender and secure lid. 
2. Start blender at Variable 1 and increase to Variable 10. 
3. Blend for 6 minutes. Turn down to 1 before turning off the machine. Be careful of the hot steam when you remove the lid. 
4. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction.