Category:

Whole 30

Blasted Broccolini

by Reed Dunn September 2, 2020September 2, 2020

I’m taking a break from talking about my tomato obsession to let you in on another current crush of a greener variety – broccolini. For me, baby broccoli is superior to its chunky big, older brother. The florets and stalks cook more evenly. The flavor just seems to be more concentrated.

The bonus of broccolini is you can blast it on high heat in the oven to get that magical char action that brings out extra bits of flavor. Make Blasted Broccolini in big batches for meal prep or use leftovers to chop up for breakfast, roasted veggie salads and omelets.

Blasted Broccolini

Reed Dunn I’m taking a break from talking about my tomato obsession to let you in on another current crush of a greener variety – broccolini. For me, baby broccoli is superior… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

2 bunches of baby broccoli
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Flaky sea salt and lemon to serve

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse baby broccoli and remove any stray leafy pieces. Cut off an inch or so from the bottom of the stalks. Spread evenly on a baking sheet. Use two baking sheets, if needed, so the broccolini is spaced out.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Spread back out onto the baking sheets, so they have room to breathe.

Roast in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes, until black bits start to form on the florets. Use tongs to flip halfway through roasting, as desired, or just let it roast without touching it.

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and cut lemon wedges to serve.

September 2, 2020September 2, 2020 0 comment

Vegetarian Whole 30

Potato Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

by Reed Dunn July 30, 2020July 30, 2020

When most people think about potato salad, they think about that mayo-heavy version that’s been sitting around in the grocery store deli and looks like a monotone shade of, well, creamy white.

I love potato salad in all forms, but I also love the flavors and textures to take me on a journey. That’s exactly what you’ll find in my lightened-up version of the summer cookout classic. It’s Whole30-friendly, served at room temperature and has all of the classic potato salad base components plus an added veggie boost – crispy, seasonal green beans.

This recipe is an updated, slightly refined version of a potato salad I frequently make when I’m doing Whole30, and it features a take on the vinaigrette I always make to brighten up a salad platter. You can make this potato salad a complete Whole30 meal with some cooked shrimp or any piece of grilled or baked seafood (or chicken, if that’s your thing).

Potato Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

Reed Dunn When most people think about potato salad, they think about that mayo-heavy version that’s been sitting around in the grocery store deli and looks like a monotone shade of, well,… Print This

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

1½ pounds baby potatoes, red and yellow mix
½ pound fresh green beans
5 stalks celery
¼ red onion
4 eggs, hard-boiled
1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh dill
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper

Instructions

Add potatoes to a medium pot and cover with water. Season water liberally with kosher salt (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) and bring to a boil.

While potatoes are cooking, wash green beans and trim off rough ends.

Once potatoes come to a boil, cook for about 8 minutes. Pierce potatoes with a fork to check for doneness. When potatoes are easily pierced, but still slightly firm, add green beans to the pot. Cook for 5 more minutes, until green beans are still crisp and potatoes are just cooked through.

Drain pot into a colander and rinse to stop cooking. Let potatoes and green beans cool a bit, while preparing other ingredients.

Dice ¼ cup red onion, slice celery into thin half-moon pieces and dice hard-boiled eggs.

For the dressing: Zest lemon and squeeze juice into a jar. Add in 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped dill and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard. Add kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon) and cracked black pepper (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon). Drizzle in olive oil, add lid and shake vigorously until dressing is well combined.

Quarter cooked potatoes and cut green beans into 2-inch pieces. Add to a bowl with red onion, celery and hard-boiled eggs. Pour on dressing and stir to combine.

Taste, adjust seasoning and serve at room temperature with extra fresh dill sprinkled on top. Store leftover salad in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

July 30, 2020July 30, 2020 0 comment

Appetizers Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Dilly Quick Pickles

by Reed Dunn July 27, 2020July 28, 2020

Pickles tend to be a love them or hate them food. I lean way into the love them camp – in all varieties. Pickled anything makes me happy, and now is the time of year when you can really explore. Carrots, radishes, beets. I pickle a lot of things, but there’s nothing better than the classic.

All of the extra produce – including cucumbers galore – can be turned into pickles with a few simple ingredients and just a few hours to let them work their magic. They’re better after a few days, but the pickling goodness starts happening soon after the brine meets the veggies.

I visited a farm stand over the weekend and loaded up on locally grown cabbage, lettuce and corn. But first I stumbled onto a giant bin of pickling cucumbers, which are fantastic and so fun to pick out based on their various shapes and sizes. Next to the bin was a bucket filled with 6-foot stalks of fresh dill for the price you’d pay for a tiny clamshell of the fresh herb in the grocery store.

That was all I needed to make a few jars of fresh, seasonal pickles to enjoy during these warm summer days.

While you can add seasonings and mix up the styling of quick pickles, the key for me is starting with a 3-ingredient brine – equal parts water and white vinegar, plus kosher salt – to create the pickling liquid. The ratios are easily doubled or tripled for a larger batch. This one-cup to one-cup mix will generally create enough brine to fill at least three quart jars that have been tightly packed with veggies.

Many quick pickle recipes you find will have some sugar added to the brine, but I leave it out. I like a more vinegary pickle with no added sugar, which also keeps them Whole30 compliant.

Dilly Quick Pickles

Reed Dunn Pickles tend to be a love them or hate them food. I lean way into the love them camp – in all varieties. Pickled anything makes me happy, and now… Print This

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds per jar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns per jar
2 tablespoons fresh dill per jar
1 garlic clove, smashed or rough chopped, per jar
Veggie of your choice, cut into slices or spears

Instructions

Add water, vinegar and salt to a medium, non-reactive* saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil to create brine, then remove from heat.

Add mustard seed, black peppercorns, fresh dill and garlic clove to each quart-size jar. Wash veggies and cut into desired pieces and pack on top of seasonings. You’ll want the jar to be as packed full as possible.

Carefully fill the jar with hot brine, making sure you cover veggies and fill the jar all the way to the top. Let the jar come down to room temperature. Screw on the lid, and place in the refrigerator to work magic.

Pickles last for 3 weeks (up to 2 months) in the refrigerator. I generally eat all of mine

Notes

I like to flip the jar every hour or so for the first several hours to ensure everything is getting an even coating. Pickles are ready in as soon as 6 hours, though the longer you wait the better they get. *Using a non-reactive sauce pan will help avoid any off flavors that might change the flavor of your pickles.

July 27, 2020July 28, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

by Reed Dunn July 12, 2020

If summer were defined by a salad, this would be it.

My mom always had some variation on the theme of a Cucumber, Tomato & Onion salad marinating in the refrigerator from about May until it was time to put up the Halloween decorations. It often was homemade version with our own garden-grown ingredients – we grew a rather large family garden throughout my childhood and even had a separate piece of land for our not-so-humble garden going into my teenage years.

That massive garden produced an abundance of cucumbers and tomatoes, and there were always some variety of onions around to complete the trio of vegetables highlighted in this classic recipe. This was, no doubt, my mom’s favorite salad. This version, which mimics what she would create and keep in mammoth-sized Tupperware bowls in the refrigerator, features a vinegar-heavy dressing.

In fact, this recipe has an almost quick pickle vibe going with the 2-to-1 ratio of vinegar to oil for the dressing. You can eat this right away or make it a day ahead – I often pair it with some hard-boiled eggs or canned tuna for a quick, healthy lunch.

The best part of this memory-evoking dish is that you can eat it until you find the bottom of the bowl and remain free of guilt. It’s just that delicious and healthy.

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

Reed Dunn If summer were defined by a salad, this would be it. My mom always had some variation on the theme of a Cucumber, Tomato & Onion salad marinating in the… Print This

Serves: 4 to 6 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

1 English cucumber
1 pint cherry tomatoes
½ medium red onion
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper

Instructions

Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to a bowl. Slice and chop cucumber into pieces similar in size to the halved cherry tomatoes. Add to the bowl.

Slice a red onion and cut into pieces, sprinkling into the bowl. Season veggies liberally with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

Make a dressing by adding ¼ cup red wine vinegar and a teaspoon of dried oregano to a small bowl. Whisk in about 2 tablespoon olive oil.

Pour dressing onto salad. Stir to combine and serve or refrigerate overnight in an air-tight container.

July 12, 2020 0 comment

Pescatarian Whole 30

Salmon with Creamy Mushroom-Herb Sauce

by Reed Dunn July 9, 2020July 9, 2020

“We eat first with our eyes.” – Apicius, 1936

Salmon dinners are some of my favorite meals to plate, because I find them ideal for trying to reach restaurant quality presentation. That often means smearing a creamy scoop of potato mash around the plate (check) and topping it with whatever fish preparation I have concocted (double check).

This Salmon with Creamy Mushroom-Herb Sauce is a home-cooked creation I dreamed up after getting my hands on some beautiful shiitake mushrooms, which I often pick up when I visit my neighborhood farmer’s market. (Full disclosure: These mushrooms came from my latest Costco run, and they are just as divine.)

I wanted to make a creamy, dreamy mushroom sauce for salmon, and I also wanted to ensure it was Whole30-friendly and in line with my goal of trying to shave off a few pounds from my current midsection collection.

This recipe can be made flexible – serving 2 to 4, based on the number of salmon portions you roast – and any tasty mushroom can work well.

Salmon with Creamy Mushroom-Herb Sauce

Reed Dunn “We eat first with our eyes.” – Apicius, 1936 Salmon dinners are some of my favorite meals to plate, because I find them ideal for trying to reach restaurant quality… Print This

Serves: 2 to 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

2 5-ounce sockeye salmon fillets
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup water
1 cup canned coconut milk
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons ghee

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place salmon fillets on parchment paper and brush tops with olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Bake salmon in preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until fish is cooked to 145 degrees in center of thickest part.

While salmon is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a medium skillet over high heat. Once heated, add minced shallot and garlic cloves. Stir, cooking for about 1 minute.

Add sliced shiitake mushrooms, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook mushrooms for about 7 to 10 minutes.

(Don’t forget to check on your salmon!)

Carefully pour ¼ cup water into the skillet and stir mushrooms until liquid is absorbed.

Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1 cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped. Continue stirring, as sauce thickens.

Plate salmon with sides of your choice and spoon sauce onto fish.

Notes

This recipe makes enough sauce to spoon onto 4 fillets. Just double the number of salmon fillets you roast and split the sauce accordingly. You can also sub the fresh parsley for dried parsley. The general rule of thumb is to replace 1 tablespoon fresh herbs with 1 teaspoon dried. In this case, if you use dried parsley, use 2 teaspoons and add it into the mushrooms with the dried oregano, salt and pepper.

July 9, 2020July 9, 2020 0 comment

Pescatarian Whole 30

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Shrimp Skillet

by Reed Dunn June 29, 2020June 29, 2020

Single-skillet dinners are always welcome, and not just because they reduce the number of dishes in the sink. The ease of layering in flavors with a handful of simple ingredients is proof you don’t have to be a professional chef to bring a delicious and healthy meal to the table.

For me, a skillet dinner often includes shrimp. It’s one of my favorite proteins – I always keep plenty of the frozen shellfish on hand – and it’s easy to build a Whole30-friendly dinner around it. This Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Shrimp Skillet checks all of the boxes and is complete with some Italian-inspired ingredients you likely have on hand.

If you’re not looking to keep this dish Whole30 and you need to bulk it up to feed a family, just add a box of your favorite style of cooked pasta – linguine or bowtie work really well – and stir it to soak up all of that cream, coconut sauce.

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Shrimp Skillet

Reed Dunn Single-skillet dinners are always welcome, and not just because they reduce the number of dishes in the sink. The ease of layering in flavors with a handful of simple ingredients… Print This

Serves: 2 to 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Rating: 4.4/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium yellow onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
½ cup sundried tomatoes, rough chopped
4 cups baby spinach
1 can (5.4 ounce) coconut cream
1 lemon
2 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into ribbons
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons ghee over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Place shrimp in a single layer into the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes, or until shrimp is just cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Once heated, add in diced onion, stirring to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onion is translucent.

Add in minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute before adding in sundried tomatoes and sliced mushrooms.

Return heat to medium-high and cook until mushrooms start to get crispy on the edges. Add coconut cream to the pan. (Note: If you don’t have coconut cream, you can skim off the thicker, cream from a can of coconut milk.)

Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat back to medium. Add spinach to the pan. Stir and cook until spinach is just wilted.

Return shrimp to the pan, stirring to combine and reheat the shrimp. Zest about 1 tablespoon lemon zest into the skillet and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Stir in fresh basil (you can also substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil). Taste, adjust seasoning, as desired.

Serve.

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Peach Salsa

by Reed Dunn June 8, 2020June 8, 2020

Seasonal fruits and vegetables are always inspiring me to mix up how I add flavor to roasted or grilled seafood. This Peach Salsa is the perfect, naturally sweet bite to spoon in heaps on top of perfectly roasted or grilled salmon.

The freshness from the fruit and acidity from a hefty dose of lime juice round out the salsa, which also pairs well with shrimp, any kind of fajita mix or just scoop it up with tortilla chips. This recipe makes a good amount, so you can count on leftovers to nibble on for a few days.

Peach Salsa

Reed Dunn Seasonal fruits and vegetables are always inspiring me to mix up how I add flavor to roasted or grilled seafood. This Peach Salsa is the perfect, naturally sweet bite to… Print This

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 20 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

3 medium peaches
2 roma tomatoes
½ green bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
½ medium onion (red or yellow)
½ bunch cilantro
2 limes
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Dice peaches and roma tomatoes and transfer to a medium bowl. Finely dice bell pepper and jalapeno – removing seeds and ribs from both – and add to the bowl.

Finely dice onion and add to bowl with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Tear off leaves from ½ bunch of cilantro and chop, removing stems. Add chopped cilantro to the bowl with juice from two limes.

Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Serve.

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

June 8, 2020June 8, 2020 0 comment

Pescatarian Whole 30

Pan-Seared Haddock with Red Pepper Caper Relish

by Reed Dunn May 12, 2020

It’s been unseasonably warm the past few days in Seattle, and the last thing I’ve wanted to do is heat up my kitchen. This two-skillet stovetop dish was inspired by a recent delivery the Sizzlefish team sent me to try out.

The mail-order seafood company is Whole30 Approved, and their Whole30 sampler box includes 10 individually packed servings. Among the box were two portions of haddock, a saltwater fish that’s a fast-cooking protein with a hearty texture. It’s a fish I don’t often cook with, and having it in this sample inspired a weeknight dish that comes together in about half an hour.

The haddock serves as a vessel for a skillet caper relish that comes together in about 10 minutes and adds so much flavor to the plate. This relish would go well on cod, tilapia or any white fish.

Pan-Seared Haddock with Red Pepper Caper Relish

Reed Dunn It’s been unseasonably warm the past few days in Seattle, and the last thing I’ve wanted to do is heat up my kitchen. This two-skillet stovetop dish was inspired by… Print This

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

½ red bell pepper, diced (about ½ cup)
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons capers
1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 haddock filets (4 to 6 ounces each)
4 tablespoons avocado oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions

In a medium skillet, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil over medium heat. Add diced shallot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add in capers, along with zest of 1 lemon and juice of half a lemon. Reserve other lemon half for serving. Stir until heated through, about 3 to 5 minutes, until peppers are cooked through but not soggy.

Stir in fresh parsley and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat until ready to serve.

In a large skillet, heat other 2 tablespoons avocado oil over high heat. While oil is heating, use a paper towel to dry haddock filets. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Once oil is heated, add haddock, skin side down, and cook for 4 minutes. Use a fish spatula to carefully flip the filets and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Plate filets, skin side down, and top with a few tablespoons of Red Pepper Caper Relish. Serve with vegetables of your choice and a wedge or slices of reserved lemon half.

May 12, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Oven Roasted Radishes

by Reed Dunn May 1, 2020

I’ve planted a good crop of spring radishes in my raised garden bed – one of my many COVID-19 pandemic projects that’s sprouting out of control – but I recently snagged a few bunches of radishes from a bounty I was able to get delivered with my groceries.

Maybe you think you don’t like radishes, because you’ve only had them as a crispy vegetable in a salad. The naturally peppery taste that turns off so many people magically goes away when you roast these root vegetables like you would beets or carrots.

The surprising change in flavor is amplified with just 25 minutes in the oven.

Oven Roasted Radishes

Reed Dunn I’ve planted a good crop of spring radishes in my raised garden bed – one of my many COVID-19 pandemic projects that’s sprouting out of control – but I recently… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

2 bunches radishes, cleaned and halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add cleaned, halved radishes to a sheet pan.

Drizzle radishes with oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Place in a preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Add dried parsley and minced garlic to the sheet pan and stir to combine with radishes. Roast for another 5 minutes, and serve sprinkled with fresh, chopped parsley.

May 1, 2020 0 comment

Vegan Vegetarian Whole 30

Carrot Top Pesto with Roasted Carrots

by Reed Dunn April 26, 2020May 22, 2020

My infatuation for pesto comes from a deep love of dipping sauces, gravies and other delicious finishing touches to otherwise one-note dishes.

This Carrot Top Pesto also fits right into my goal of reducing food waste in my own kitchen. While I might have thrown the leafy green parts of carrots into the compost or trash in years past, these days I do my best to use up as much of the veggies I have as possible.

The pesto can freeze well in individual cubes for later use, and it mixes in well with mayonnaise for an oven fry dipping sauce. Use it to top eggs – one of my most favorite applications – or, of course, serve it on some perfectly roasted whole carrots for a rustic side dish.

For the Roasted Carrots: Wash and dry the carrots while an oven is preheating to 400 degrees F. Add carrots to a small sheet pan and drizzle with about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with a generous amount of sea salt and cracked black pepper. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots. Turn the carrots halfway through the cooking process. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and toasted pine nuts.

Carrot Top Pesto

Reed Dunn My infatuation for pesto comes from a deep love of dipping sauces, gravies and other delicious finishing touches to otherwise one-note dishes. This Carrot Top Pesto also fits right into… Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

2 to 3 cups carrot tops (from 1 bunch carrots)
½ cup fresh parsley
1 garlic clove
¼ cup pine nuts
1 lemon
¼ to ½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Add pine nuts and garlic clove to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 8 to 10 times to start breaking down and forming a paste.

Tear up the carrot tops, using mostly the leafy portion, into the bowl of the food processor. Add in fresh parsley. Put lid back on and run on low until the mixture is well combined.

Zest 1 lemon into the food processor, and squeeze the juice from ½ the lemon into the bowl. Reserve the other lemon half for another use. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

With food processor running on low, drizzle olive oil into the top until desired texture is reached. I don’t use exact measurements, so I eyeball it until the pesto reaches a thickness that’s not runny but also not a thick paste.

Substitutions: Use toasted walnuts, cashews or macadamia nuts if you don’t have pine nuts. If you don’t have parsley, use an additional ½ cup carrot tops or mint.

April 26, 2020May 22, 2020 0 comment