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

Next Week's Meal Plan: GF DF W30 with AIP Modifications

Your done-for-you meal plan for next week!

I can definitely vouch for how delicious this meal plan is by the fact that there is none left, and also by the fact that my husband, who generally eats and enjoys what I cook but doesn’t always say it, gave a thumbs up and an audible “that was delicious” after dinner one night!

We’ll get right to it. Lately I’ve been prepping B and L and parts of dinners over the weekend, then adding the finishing touches to meals on Monday and Tuesday nights. We then eat leftovers for the rest of the week.

Here’s this week’s meal plan:

B: Pumpkin Porridge // I used my Spaghetti Squash Porridge recipe here, but replaced half of the squash with a full can of pumpkin, skipped the Superseed blend, and added in 1/4 cup chia seeds. For a protein boost, I also added in 2 scoops of Vital Proteins Vanilla Collagen (this is one of my favorite VP products!) and 4 scoops of Vanilla Nuzest Pea Protein (omit the latter for W30). This is a tough recipe to convert to AIP, but in the past, I have used the squash, dates, pumpkin, and the coconut milk, added in some coconut flour to thicken, and lots of collagen!

L: Chicken and Veggie Soup with Avocado // I used my simple chicken soup recipe, as described here, with the addition of 1 large white sweet potato that I chopped into 1/2” cubes and two bags of baby spinach that I roughly chopped and added in at the end to wilt. I stocked up on avocado to top off each bowl, along with some sauerkraut! This recipe is AIP and W30 as written.

D1: Meatloaf with Creamy Carrot Parsnip Mash and Crispy Kale // What is it about meatloaf that is just so delicious!? I used this recipe, modified a decent amount to fit what I had on hand, and topped it off with Naked Bacon (wholedailylife for discount!). For the Carrot Parsnip mash, I roasted 1# each of carrots and parsnips, chopped into coins, with coconut oil at 350 until tender, about 30-40 minutes. After those cooled a bit, I puréed them in my food processor with coconut milk and broth (from the soup) until creamy. Lastly, for the crispy kale, I just de-stemmed one bunch of kale and chopped it into thin ribbons, added it to my Green Pan (we have been LOVING cooking with this!) with about 3 tbsp ghee, and let it cook until crispy! This combo is all AIP and W30 as written (with the AIP mods as suggested in the meatloaf recipe, aka, omit the egg).

D2: Ginger Scallion Chicken Meatballs with Cucumber Salad, Microgreens, and Butternut Squash // I used this recipe for the meatballs but subbed chicken for pork. For the cucumber salad, I sliced up 4 Persian cucumbers on my mandolin, then tossed them with 3 tbsp sesame oil, 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 3 tbsp coconut aminos, and about 1” of finely minced ginger. This was a total wing-it recipe, but I’m happy with how it turned out! I made that fresh on the night we ate it, so it didn’t make it into the photo above. Since I also wanted some leafy green with this meal, I added the microgreens. I’ve been growing my own using kits from Hamama Greens and I’m hooked! So fresh and SO cost effective compared to what I was buying from the market!! (wholedailylife for discount) Lastly, for the butternut, I simply roasted chopped butternut with coconut oil and salt at 350 until tender and golden, about 30-45 minutes. Those roasted purple potatoes were leftover from the weekend and we used them up with this meal! All of these recipes are W30 and AIP as written!

These are some of my favorites, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! If you have any questions, ask away, and I’ll see you over on Instagram!

Have a great week!

-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

Instant Pot BBQ Beef + Weekly Whole30 Meal Plan

Hi friends,

I’ve missed being able to share my weekly meal plans and recipes with you this past month! In mid September I was in Baltimore for several days attending Expo East. That was such a fun experience and I’m looking forward to sharing more about what I found there with you all in coming weeks. The week after that was my husband’s and my 6th anniversary (you guys showed us so much love on this post!!), and since then we’ve been juggling a lot of big decisions, which I’ll fill you in on very soon! (Hint: they involve some big changes around here!)

I also had a big project deadline that wrapped up with the end of the September Whole30 challenge, and I’m happy to say that I met my goal! I definitely could not have done it without all of your help, and I wish I could personally thank each and every one of you who supported me through the finish line.

There has been lots of positive feedback when I share my Friday night meal preps on stories, along with requests to continue to provide the recipes in a written format. With that in mind, I’m going to continue to do both as often as possible for now! How many of you actually use the step by step flow (where I break down how to do all of this in an hour, like this)? Let me know in the comments of this post over on IG. If it’s helpful, I’ll keep doing it!

Here is this week’s meal plan:

Breakfast: Chicken in Ginger Lime Sauce with Cauli Rice and Spaghetti Squash // I have been making this recipe by AIP Lifestyle for years, and it never disappoints! This week the store was all out of whole chickens (at least in the only brand I’ll buy from the regular grocery store; I prefer to buy from US Wellness Meats or my local farmer), so I used chicken tenders instead. I made this in my Instant Pot by cooking it on manual high pressure for 20 minutes and then letting the pressure naturally release. I also cooked the spaghetti squash in my IP: just cut in half (you can even leave the seeds in!) and steam for 8 minutes with quick release! At the same time, I cooked the cauliflower rice on my stovetop by simmering it in some bone broth that I needed to use up. I’m always looking for opportunities to work more broth into my diet!

Lunch: No Cook: Sardines, ZUPA, Apple // You can find more about how I put together a no-cook meal here. Lately I’ve been doing Safe Catch tuna or salmon or Wild Planet sardines at lunch to try and get more seafood into my diet on a regular basis! For more on why I only eat Safe Catch brand tuna, check out this post. I usually use a bottle of ZUPA NOMA as my lunch time veggie (wholedailylife for 15%), but I also like to take sliced carrots, cucumber, radish, etc! I also grab a fruit. (Organic apples this week!)

Dinner: IP BBQ Beef with Green Beans and Potatoes // This beef is about 1/3 of what came in my Bulkbox delivery, which includes about 5# of grass fed/finished beef trip tip (along with 8# of organic veggies, all for around $55 with free delivery!! wholedailylife saves you 15% off your first three orders). I cut it up into small pieces (about 1” by 1/2”) and then marinated in half of a bottle of Tessemae’s BBQ sauce overnight. When ready to cook, I just transferred it to my IP and cooked on manual high pressure for 35 minutes with a natural release! I shredded this batch with two forks and added some extra sauce for a flavor boost. Super simple, tender and full of flavor! While the meat cooked, I steamed the green beans on my stovetop and roasted the potatoes in the oven.

Snack: RX Bar // I always bring a bar or something similar just in case I need a little extra food during the day. I eat based on my hunger, and hunger naturally varies! This week it is the pumpkin spice RX Bars that just came out for this year!

That’s it for this week! Because I used my Instant Pot three times in this prep, it took me a little longer since I had to wait for the pressure to naturally release. If you’re in a time crunch, I recommend doing the ginger lime chicken in the oven or on the stovetop, which would allow you to get everything done in an hour!

Have a great week!

-Tracey