Cobb Salad Skewers

I love vegetables in all shapes, sizes, and forms, but apart from a raw veggie platter, they’re usually pretty sparse at events. Not to mention, who has an extra hand to use a utensil for something like a salad at a party?

Enter: Cobb Salad Skewers

Flavorful, dynamic, loaded with veggies, and easy to manage with one hand, they’re a perfect item to bring to your next gathering. Feel free to get creative, but here’s what I used:

• romaine lettuce, cut across and then into chunks

• cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• cooked bacon, folded (I used Naked Bacon)

• deli meat, rolled and sliced, or chunks of chicken (I used True Story)

• boiled eggs, cut in half or quarters

• cucumber, cut into cubes

• dressing of choice, to drizzle or dip (I used Tessemae’s)

• everything but the bagel seasoning blend
  
  

Just chop up all of your ingredients and start assembling! As pictured, these are 21DSD and Whole30 compliant, though I wouldn’t say no to a hunk of cheese or a GF crouton on there either :)

Enjoy!!

-Tracey

Four Easy Instant Pot Recipes

It’s no secret that I love my Instant Pot, or that it has been a huge asset when it comes to meal prep and batch cooking. The same can be said for the ZUPA NOMA soups that I always keep on hand, so I teamed up with the ZUPA team to combine the two for some easy, Whole30 compliant weeknight meals that you can knock out in a flash. (Seriously though, I made (and photographed) all 4 in under 3 hours one morning, and that included the dishes!) Don’t forget that you can save 15% on your ZUPA order with code wholedailylife!

Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash With Meat Sauce (W30)

(My #1 way to cook a spaghetti squash these days!)

Ingredients:

Medium/large spaghetti squash

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1# sugar-free ground pork sausage

4 oz tomato paste (preferably organic)

1/2-1 bottle ZUPA Tomato Gazpacho

1 28 oz jar compliant marinara sauce (preferably organic)

To serve: fresh baby spinach

Instructions:

1. Wash the spaghetti squash and cut in half “hamburger style.” You can scoop out the seeds or leave them in for now, it doesn’t matter! Place the squash in the bowl of your IP with the steamer insert underneath and add about 1 cup of water. Close and lock the lid, then set the Steam function for 8 minutes. (7 if it’s a smaller squash.)

2. While the squash is cooking, sauté the onions and mushrooms with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When starting to soften, add in the ground pork and cook until no longer pink. Add in the tomato paste and the 1/2 bottle of ZUPA Tomato Gazpacho; stir to combine, then add the marinara sauce and let simmer.

3. When the squash is done cooking, use the quick release function to release the pressure (so that it doesn’t overcook). Carefully remove the squash with tongs and scoop out the seeds, if needed.

4. To serve, plate some of the spaghetti squash alongside some spinach and top with a generous portion of sauce!

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken with Sweet Potato and Arugula (W30)

Ingredients:

1-1.5# boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders

1 ZUPA NOMA Tomato Vinegar Habanero shot

1 bottle compliant BBQ sauce (I used Tessemae’s)

To serve: cooked sweet potato, arugula

Instructions:

1. Place the chicken in the bowl of your IP. Pour the veggie shot and half of the bottle of BBQ sauce over the top, then close and lock the lid.

2. Cook on the Poultry setting for 15 minutes, then allow pressure to release naturally (this is important to prevent the meat from getting tough).

3. Shred the chicken with two forks, then transfer to a bowl with tongs, leaving the excess liquid behind. (We want some of it, just not all of it!)

4. Add the rest of the bottle of BBQ sauce to the chicken and mix to combine.

5. Serve chicken with cooked sweet potato and arugula.

Instant Pot Pizza Soup (W30)

(Making all of your pizza dreams come true. Try it topped with cheese, sliced pepperoni, and sourdough croutons as part of your Food Freedom, if that suits you!)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

8 oz sliced mushrooms

8 cloves garlic, minced

1# sugar-free ground pork sausage

1 bottle ZUPA Tomato Gazpacho

1 12 oz jar compliant pizza sauce (preferably organic)

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (preferably organic)

1 jar roasted bell peppers, drained and diced (preferably organic)

Toppings: sliced olives, fresh oregano, fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Add the olive oil, onion, and mushrooms into the bowl of your IP and hit the Sauté button. Sauté until starting to soften and brown, then add the garlic and sauté one minute more.

2. Add in the ground pork, and cook until no longer pink.

3. Turn off the saute function, then add the ZUPA, pizza sauce, fire roasted diced tomatoes, and diced bell peppers. Stir to combine.

4. Close and lock the lid, then set to Manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Okay to use quick release.

5. Top your bowl with olives and fresh herbs!

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili (W30)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, de-seeded and minced

1 jar compliant salsa verde

1 bottle ZUPA NOMA Tomatillo Kale Avocado

Juice of 1 lime

1 4 oz can green chilis

1 large white sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2” cubes

1-1.5# chicken tenders

For garnish: cilantro, avocado

Instructions:

1. Place the onion and olive oil in the bowl of your IP and hit the Sauté function. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, until onion is starting to soften, then add the garlic and jalapeño and sauté 1-2 more minutes. Turn off the sauté function.

2. Add the salsa verde, ZUPA, lime juice, green chilis, and sweet potato cubes. Stir to combine, then add the chicken tenders, making sure they are submerged.

3. Close and lock the lid, then cook on Manual high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.

4. When soup is cooked, remove the chicken tenders with tongs and roughly chop them before adding back in. (optional)

5. Garnish with lots of fresh cilantro and avocado!

Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!! As always, please share them if you make them and tag me so that I can see!

-Tracey

Simple Weeknight Recipes

Has it been two whole months since I last published a blog post? Yep. A LOT has happened in that period of time!! If you haven’t seen on Instagram, my husband and I moved from San Diego to Phoenix at the end of October. I went from working full time in a management position at a large healthcare organization to working from home, doing private practice and planning out how I will be creating more valuable content for you all in 2019! We've also been doing some traveling, and have a few more trips planned before the end of the calendar year.

The morning we left San Diego!

If you’ve followed me for any period of time, you know that for YEARS I have done all of my meal prep cooking on the weekend so that I could eat leftovers all week. Well, when we moved, two things changed. (1) I have a more flexible schedule and (2) we acquired the smallest “full size” fridge ever. (I thought they couldn’t get any smaller than the fridge we had at our last place…I was wrong!)

This has prompted me to change up my strategy to do more cooking as the week goes along instead of doing it all on the weekend. I’ve been experimenting with cooking a meal every night, doing some limited batch prep that I can mix and match from all week, and cooking all of the meals earlier in the week. I haven’t settled on a favorite yet, and I think my strategy will evolve with time, but I wanted to share some of the easy weeknight meals and food combos that I’ve been making in case you’re in need of some simple inspiration! They’re not all 100% Whole30 compliant, and some do make use of some convenience products from brands that I appreciate. Most are easily modified to fit your specific needs!

Easy Weeknight Meal Ideas:

-Burger Salad (burger patty, optional cheese, lettuce, tomato, sautéed onions and peppers, pickles, ketchup and mustard) + Oven Fries

-Steaks (on a stovetop grill pan, seasoned with a spice blend) + Roasted Sweet Potato + Roasted Asparagus

-Crispy Skin Salmon + Cauliflower Rice (I always keeps some in the freezer) + Roasted Sweet Potato

-Eggs + Leftover Batch Cooked Veggies

-Sausage (Bilinski’s or True Story) + Roasted Carrots/Parsnips + Arugula salad

-Ground Meat with Sautéed Mushrooms/Onion in Marinara + Spaghetti Squash + Collard Greens with Bacon

-Sausage + Steamed and Roasted Broccoli + Banza Mac&Cheese

-Simple Chicken Soup

-Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

-Taco Salad

Easy Weekday Lunches:

-ZUPA + Ayobayo + Apple (wholedailylife for a discount on either brand)

-Smoked Oysters with Simple Mills Crackers, Dijon Mustard, Cream Cheese or Mayo + Kraut + Sprouts

-Sardines + Tomato/Avocado/Basil Salad (dressed with evoo, balsamic, salt)

-Tuna Salad (Safe Catch tuna + grapes + celery + green onion + Primal Kitchens mayo)

I hope this gives you some ideas for easy meals! I definitely go through phases where meal planning is a breeze and other times where nothing sounds good, but these quick combos have been good go-to’s for the past several weeks!

I’ll be back again soon with more recipes!

-Tracey

Whole30/Paleo White Chicken Chili | Guest Post by My Life Well Loved

Hi there! I am Heather Brown, a healthy life + style mom blogger at MyLifeWellLoved.com. I am mom to my sweet, almost 3 year old Leyton and I am currently expecting my second baby boy in Birmingham, AL with my hubs, Eric! When I’m not blogging, you can find me teaching Pure Barre at our local studio. I am passionate about keeping a healthy, balanced lifestyle and a big part of that is creating easy, doable, and affordable recipes that satisfy the whole family and fuel us with real, good foods!

I have always been a believer in healthy moderation. In our home, we loosely follow a Paleo meal plan and then there are always times when we splurge for date nights, holidays, or just busy days. A few years ago, I tried Whole30 for the first time and truly loved the detox and the way my body was able to “reset”. Ever since, I have completed a round of Whole30 every January, always welcoming my blog readers and followers to join me! It truly is better and easier with the accountability and encouragement from others!

Today I am excited to share one of my favorite and one of the most popular Whole30 recipes I have ever shared. While we are still in the heat of the summer, fall is quickly approaching and this chili recipe is a staple! Whether you are Whole30-ing or not, this recipe is healthy, delicious, and guilt-free! I know it might sound funny to make chili without beans but substituting with sweet potatoes totally works and keeps this recipe Whole30 compliant. Once the sweet potatoes cook down to just the right amount of mushy, it adds the same legume-like goodness to the soup.

This recipe is truly SO easy. It is the perfect option to make at the beginning of the week to last for several meals, it freezes nicely, or you can easily cut the recipe in half to make a smaller portion. As I mentioned, I am a big believer in keeping recipes simple so even with this 11-step chili, I am providing a few shortcuts for busy days! The recipe starts with making homemade chicken stock by boiling down a rotisserie chicken - however, 2 cartons of organic chicken broth will work too! You can also buy your fresh veggies pre-chopped at the supermarket if you are really on a time crunch!

Whole30/Paleo White Chicken Chili Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Total Time: 50 Minutes

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 Rotisserie Chicken

• Dash of Onion Powder

• ¼ tsp of Garlic Powder

• ½ tsp of Crushed Cayenne Pepper

• Salt and Pepper to Taste

• 3 Sweet Potatoes

• 2 Bell Peppers

• 2 Large Onions

• 1 tsp of Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil

• ½ Bunch of Cilantro

• 1-2 32oz Chicken Broth

• Avocados and Fresh Salsa (Optional)

Instructions

1. Strip rotisserie chicken of meat, shred, and set aside.

2. Boil chicken bones in enough water to cover to create a stock.

3. Season the chicken stock with onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper for at least 30 minutes

4. Peel sweet potatoes

5. Dice sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and cilantro

6. Saute onions and bell peppers in avocado oil and set aside

7. Put sweet potatoes and 32 oz of chicken broth in large pot and allow to boil until the potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes)

8. Once the potatoes are tender, add the chicken and remaining vegetables

9. When homemade chicken stock has simmered for at least 20-30 minutes, add it to the pot

10. Simmer on low for about 20 more minutes

11. If desired, top with fresh salsa or avocado

MY LIFE WELL LOVED WHOLE30 RESOURCES:

• Whole30 White Chicken Chili – Recipe video!

• Whole30 Egg Casserole

• Trader Joe’s Whole30 Shopping List

• How to Start Whole30

• Week 1 of Whole30 Meal Plan Example

• Week 2 of Whole30 Meal Plan + FAQ

• Busy Mom Whole30 Tips

• Join our Whole30 Facebook Support Group!

Don’t forget to come find me on Instagram at @MyLifeWellLoved and make sure to say HI!