OK, first of all, can you believe we are nearly in December?! Craziness. Secondly, I’m sorry about the formatting in this post–I’m still getting familiar with WordPress, and am not sure why it’s being finicky. Here are some great wintery meals to share with your family! Remember, the crock pot is your friend. Don’t fight it!
Monday: Turkey (or chicken) soup, Almond flour “crackers” and Frozen bananas
Recipe: Turkey soup *Whole30 Compliant
*You can substitute chicken in this recipe if you prefer.
By now, your turkey carcass may be long gone, but if you still have it around, this is an easy way to use it up and make delicious soup! If you don’t have a carcass laying around, I love to get a rotisserie chicken, eat it up, and then throw the carcass in a pot.
4 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 large carrots, sliced
4-5 stalks celery, sliced
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP dried basil
2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 TBSP garlic salt
16 cups water
turkey or chicken carcass
Heat oil over medium-high heat and add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and garlic salt. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until onion is translucent and a nice aroma is filling your kitchen. Add carcass and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for a few hours. The longer it simmers, the better!
Recipe: Frozen bananas
3 ripe bananas
1 TBSP vanilla (the pure kind)
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of cloves
Mix vanilla, cinnamon and cloves in a small bowl and set aside. Slice each banana lengthwise and baste each flat side with the vanilla mixture. Lay on parchment paper-covered plate and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Recipe: Almond flour “crackers”
Use the pizza crust recipe from HERE, but use whatever herbs you would like to add (I used dried basil and parsley) and roll out more thinly than the pizza crust. Cook in 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into small squares with pizza cutter.
You may still be finding yourself with leftover turkey hanging around…a carcass, perhaps? Even better!
Tuesday: Crock Pot Cross Rib Roast with Veggies and Frozen Berry Salad
I love this recipe because of its simplicity. I don’t even peel the carrots or sweet potato–I think it gives it a wonderfully earthy taste, and keeps those extra nutrients in the dish! I didn’t even thaw my roast, just threw it in frozen.
Recipe: Crock Pot Cross Rib Roast with Veggies *Whole 30 Compliant
4 lb Cross Rib Roast
1 large sweet potato, cut into chunks
4 large carrots, cut into chunks
1 cup largely-chopped celery
3 TBSP. garlic salt
ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
5 cups water
Put roast in bottom of crock pot. Add all the chopped veggies. Sprinkle the garlic salt and both peppers over the veggies and meat. Pour water gently on the side, so it doesn’t wash off all those seasonings on top. Set timer for 9 hours on low. Let it simmer in it’s own goodness all day, and you’ll come home to a wonderfully-smelling house!
I strained all the leftover liquid, threw out the stuff in the strainer and froze the beef broth for future recipes. No need to waste!
Wednesday: Baked Pork Chops, Artichokes with Lemon Ghee and Fresh Mandarins
It’s mandarin season! Seize the opportunity and grab some of this delicious fruit!
Recipe: Baked Pork Chops *Whole30 Compliant
4 center-cut loin chops (bone-in) about 1-1.5 inches thick
olive oil to baste
garlic salt
pepper
chili powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil (remember–easy clean up!) Place each pork chop on sheet and baste with olive oil and spices. Place in oven for 12 minutes. Flip over, re-baste and apply spices. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chops (mine were 1.5 inches thick). Let stand for 5 minutes before eating.
Recipe: Artichokes with Lemon Ghee Dipping Sauce *Whole30 Compliant
4 artichokes
3-4 TBSP salt
Sauce:
4 TBSP ghee (the great thing about ghee is that it is just clarified butter–no lactose or casein left in it!)
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add artichokes, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Melt ghee in microwave, squeeze juice from lemon and add salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Dip artichoke leaves in for a savory treat!
Thursday: Leftovers from Previous Days, Apples and Kale Chips
- Recipe: Kale Chips *Whole30 Compliant
1 bunch Kale
olive oil for drizzling
salt and pepper to taste
Kale chips last much longer and, in my opinion, taste better after being made in a food dehydrator. However, if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can follow this recipe, but just pop in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees, and they will taste great if served immediately. They will, however, get soggy if left overnight.
Remove stems from Kale by laying the Kale flat, folding over the leaves to one side, and then slicing the stem off with a big butcher knife.
Tear Kale into smaller pieces and lay on dehydrator in a single layer.
Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil (too much will make them really oily), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set dehydrator at 135 degrees and run for 4-6 hours. Again, if you don’t have a dehydrator, no problem–just follow the above directions, but place them on parchment paper-covered cookie sheet in single layer and bake at the above temp and time.
Little hands had already snagged some of the finished product before I took a picture. They don’t disappear when you cook them–just get smaller and crispy. =)
Friday: Shrimp Veggie Stir Fry, Green Beans and Pears
Recipe: Shrimp Veggie Stir Fry
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP peanut oil
1 tsp coconut aminos (I got mine at Whole Foods–it’s a substitute for soy sauce)
2 tsp minced garlic
6-7 green onions, sliced thin
1 lb stir fry veggies (you can buy frozen or sometimes fresh in the produce section, or use whatever veggies you’d like)
2 lbs small precooked shrimp
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil and peanut oil over medium heat. Add veggies, green onions, garlic and coconut aminos and cook for 6-8 minutes, until veggies are getting tender. Add shrimp, salt and pepper, and cook until shrimp is heated through. Serve immediately and top with sliced almonds for a little extra crunch!
Have a wonderful week, and I hope you enjoy some if not all of these recipes!
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[…] Wednesday: Leftovers from previous days…don’t forget–save your chicken carcass and make some soup! […]