OhYaGood

Whole Food Lover + Recipe Hacker

Tuscan Tuna Salad

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Did I mention I’m doing Whole30? Probably not since it’s more like the Whole26. Don’t judge. I haven’t had the will power to stick with it because of a family Christmas celebration, Leo’s birthday and a little happy hour. I know. I’m weak but I’m glad to have still do it partially. My joints feel better, I’m not as tired and huge bonus, my clothes fit better. Who knows, maybe I’ll just stick with this way of eating giving myself a break here and there.

I’ve noticed these COLD winter months can be really hard to get excited about salads or just fresh produce in general. I have a natural desire for carbs and heavy, warm foods. Maybe that’s why I gravitate towards a salad that’s mostly protein and room temperature, like this tuna salad. This one is packed with lots of flavor and keeps me full all afternoon with 27 grams of protein. AND it’s Whole30 approved.

Tuscan Tuna Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 1-2
Ingredients
  • 1 4oz can of tuna in water
  • a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tablespoons olive tapenade, I like Trader Joes
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • ¼ cup diced cucumber
  • ¼ cup diced sweet pepper
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • a dash of red wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients together and serve
  2. Garnish with fresh basil

 

Autumn Quinoa Salad

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My husband and I were just in NYC where the food was of course outstanding. I only “cheated” with one dinner indulging in some fantastic gluten and soy filled ramen at Ivan Ramen. It was heavenly but I certainly paid for it with an instant headache and all swollen the next day. Nothing a little hike on the Brooklyn bridge couldn’t fix.

One of my favorite meals was at a place called Tiny’s near our hotel in Tribeca. It was an egg dish with crispy quinoa served with greens and poached eggs. Similar to a hash. Definitely something I’ll have to try in the kitchen. For now though, I need to detox which means salads every damn day, including this little gem.

Autumn Quinoa Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash, 1-1½ inch cubes
  • 1 Tablespoon oil, I used avocado
  • 2 cups arugula
  • ½ cup quinoa
  • 4 slices of bacon, chopped
  • 10 dried figs, halved
  • 1/ 4 cup pumpkin seeds
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400° F
  2. Toss potatoes with oil and spread onto a baking sheet to roast for 40 minutes or slightly browned
  3. Meanwhile prepare quinoa and render bacon on the stove for 10 minutes
  4. Let potatoes and bacon cool for five minutes before tossing with arugula, figs and pumpkin seeds
  5. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette or make one with 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of your favorite vinegar, cracked pepper and salt to taste
  6. Best at room temperature

 

BLT Pizza

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This summer hasn’t left much time for kitchen exploration but it has my the motivation to try new products. Mostly to make the cooking process a little easier. I really wanted to make my own cauliflower crust for pizza but I bought a freezer full of the trader joes version instead. I’m only half kidding.

After a successful attempt at making taco pizza with the cauliflower crust, I decided to try another favorite from the infamous Happy Joes I frequented as a kid, BLT pizza. It turned out amazing!

BLT Pizza
 
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Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 1 cauliflower crust or pre-made crust of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons mayo (whole30 approved)
  • 3 slices of bacon
  • 1 cup thinly sliced romaine or iceberg lettuce
  • ¾ cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 3 slices of red onion
Instructions
  1. Bake crust according to package directions
  2. Render bacon in the oven for 10 minutes at 375°
  3. Spread mayo onto cooked crust
  4. Top with remaining ingredients

 

Sesame Carrot Noodles

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If you shop at Costco, you are no stranger to the ginormous 10lb bag of carrots that are available in their produce section. So often I would reach for them then think “there’s NO way we could get thru all of these” and put them back. Well, on Monday, I gave into the challenge and to my surprise, we’ve actually eaten a good portion of them. However, it was time for a new variation besides raw sticks. So I came up with this delicious “noodle” dish using my spiralizer. It tastes so much like a Japanese seaweed salad with out the jelly like texture. I’ll be honest, my kids weren’t sold but my husband and I slurped them up.

 

Sesame Carrot Noodles
 
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Recipe type: Side
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
  • 7-8 large carrots or 4 cups of spiraled carrot noodles
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ⅛ cup + 1 T light oil like avocado, olive or vegetable, divided
  • ⅛ cup coconut aminos
  • ½ T red onion, finely diced
  • black or white sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Spiralize the large part (about 1½ in in circumference) of the carrots to make into noodles
  2. Toss the noodles into a large skillet over medium heat with the Tablespoon of oil for about 5 minutes or until carrots are slightly softened
  3. Whisk together remaining ingredients except for onions and seeds for the dressing and pour over noodles
  4. Garnish with red onion and sesame seeds

Roasted Roots

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roasted_roots_loYou say potato, I say rutabaga. I like rutabagas. I just tried cooking them for the first time this week and I'm a fan. It's reminds me of a turnip, except better flavor. I added them to my chicken vegetable soup earlier this week (YUM!), then I just roasted them with their sweeter cousin, the carrot. I think this recipe turned out great and it's very versatile. The addition of onions is key because they get this lovely charred flavor. The crudo at Burch Steakhouse here in Minneapolis is served with a charred onion reduction and it's been stuck in my brain ever since. This recipe could be a great side dish to bring to the holiday gatherings.
Roasted Roots
 
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Recipe type: Vegetable
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
  • 1 large rutabaga, diced about 1-inch square
  • 5 medium-sized carrots, diced similar size to the rutabaga
  • ¼ red onion, roughly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons oil (I used avocado)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°
  2. Toss vegetables in oil and herbs
  3. Roast for 45 minutes or until browned edges, stirring at the halfway point

Tomato Pumpkin Soup

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tomato_pumpkin_soup_lo

October. You are so good to me. Our anniversary and my birthday all in one little cozy month. Naturally, my favorite month. I’m a sucker for the weather, Halloween celebrations and of course, the food. Pumpkin, squash, stews and soups make me so happy this time of year.

Once the temps drastically dropped last week, I took to the kitchen to explore a soup that’s been so hard to recreate since going dairy-free. The all-mighty classic, tomato. I’ve tried, unsuccessfully in the past to get the richness and flavor or creamy tomato soup but adding coconut milk just didn’t cut it for me. I searched my pantry for an alternative. A-ha! Canned pumpkin. An obvious choice after picking up an entire crate at Costco to add some depth and sweetness. Plus, there’s a little booze to give it that extra umph. If you’re wanting a boost of protein, I added andouille sausage to a batch.

Tomato Pumpkin Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon avocado or olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 1 large stalk of celery, diced or ½ cup
  • 1 large carrot, diced or ½ cup
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)
  • 1 can pumpkin puree (I used organic)
  • ½ cup light coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons bourbon (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1½ Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Coat a dutch oven or large pot with oil
  2. Cook garlic, celery, carrots and onion over medium heat for about 10 minutes
  3. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, coconut milk, bourbon, spices, syrup and lemon juice and bring to a boil
  4. Bring the temperature to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes
  5. Use an immersion blender to puree to your preference or blend in batches carefully

Roasted Potatoes

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roasted_potatoes_loWelp. School has begun. We've all maintained our sanity and I'm LOVING my free time. By free I mean, it's chock full of the things I've been wanting to get done. House stuff like cleaning and organizing, appointments like the dentist (Yipeee!) and of course blogging. I have a long list of recipes I want to tackle so bare with me in the next few months. They might not feel very seasonal but whatever. I'm sure you'll still dig what I come up with. So, If you've been to my house in the last, oh, 6 months or I've made you dinner, you've probably gotten a taste of my roasted potatoes. I call them mine because I never read a recipe to make them, I just starting doing them and adding stuff and wah-la! I love how easy they are and how they go over so well with guests, even the wee young ones. The huge bonus, leftovers with eggs in the morning or whenever really. I've done this same recipe without the lemon zest on sweet potatoes and it turns out just as good. They go with just about everything too!
Roasted Potatoes
 
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Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs of yukon gold or red pototoes, diced
  • ⅛ cup avocado oil (or olive oil)
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or parsley (I prefer lemon thyme), 2 teaspoons if you're using dried herbs
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • optional: 3 teaspoons garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Dice potatoes to 1 inch squares or smaller and make sure they dry after washing them
  3. Toss the potatoes with the remaining ingredients in a bowl
  4. Spread the potatoes onto a cookie sheet making sure they are spread out evenly
  5. Roast in the oven for about 45 mins, stirring once to brown evenly

Grilled Marinated Chicken Thighs

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grilledmarinatedchickenthighsHey! I’m back! I guess you could say I took a little summer vacation from posting. Believe it or not, I’ve still been cooking a ton, I just haven’t had the time to sit down and do any blogging. Something had to give. Grilling has continued to be my go-to while it’s been so nice out but I’m starting to get that urge to turn my oven on, roast, slow-cook and heat up the house. I’m kind of over the corn on the cob and watermelon.

However, these bad boys are delicious! Just in the last year I’ve made a switch to eating more thighs than breast meat because of their flavor and tenderness. Plus, throwing them on the grill is super quick and easy. They are super juicy and that bit of carmelization is so good with the asian flavors. Paired with a crisp broccoli salad. Yum!

Grilled Marinated Chicken Thighs
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs of chicken thighs
  • 3 Tablespoons olive or avocado oil
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons lime zest
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients except the chicken to make the marinade
  2. Place chicken and marinade in a resealable bag and coat.
  3. Refrigerate for at least a half hour.
  4. Grill chicken on medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, turning once or until the chicken registers at 165°F
  5. To cook indoors, broil in the oven for about 8 minutes a side

 

Watermelon Salad

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watermelon_salad

It’s summer in full swing which means loads of fresh produce with little effort, right?! That’s been my motto anyways. I feel way more like a prep cook just slicing and dicing. I also have a wedding I’m bridesmaiding in a matter of days so all baking and sweet dishes are going to have to wait till after. Let’s just say I’ve been scheming an ice cream dessert for quite a while I hope to attack. Oh and that breakfast cookie I teased everyone with on instagram.

Watermelon has been so incredible these last few weeks and my family has already eaten three whole ones. The girls devour it. I’m an overachiever myself. This salad has made it especially wonderful. It’s a play on an appetizer a friend of mine introduced me to years ago that included buffalo mozzarella. That would also make a great addition to the salad if you can eat cheese. That or feta or ricotta salata.

Watermelon Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cubed watermelon
  • 1 cup halved tomatoes, cherry or grape
  • ¾ cup diced seedless cucumber
  • small bunch of mint, finely diced
  • small bunch of basil, finely diced
  • (optional) balsamic vinegar
  • (optional) honey
Instructions
  1. Prep first 5 ingredients and mix into a bowl
  2. Whisk balsamic and honey together or use a already prepared glaze to drizzle over the salad

 

Egg Salad with Beets

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EggSaladwithBeets

Growing up, my Dad owned a a chain of sub shops called Pickle Barrel. One of his pride and joy recipes was his egg salad. His secret ingredient was Miracle Whip but I don’t eat the stuff anymore. I’m not even sure what it’s made of but egg salad is still a favorite of mine I just make it with mayo. This one is made with beets for some extra nutritional value and tartness. I ate it on some celery sticks but it tastes just as good on a crusty roll or cracker, according to my husband.

Egg Salad with Beets
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 5 hard boiled eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons mayo
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ cup roasted beets (I used the jarred trader joes variation)
  • 1 Tablespoon diced red onion
  • salt and pepper
  • (optional) 1 teaspoon fresh dill
  • bread, celery sticks, cucumber, field greens or whatever vehicle you prefer
Instructions
  1. Mix eggs, mayo, dijon, beets, red onion, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl.
  2. Serve with your preferred vehicle