Dressing &amp; Condiments

Harissa (spicy chili pepper paste)

Alicia Hamilton0

We love spicy food at our house. I fell in love with Harissa when I ate at Cava Grill- which is a Mediterranean restaurant in Maryland. I did a little more research on the spicy paste and found actually a North African condiment and there are tons of different ways of making it. I’m pretty sure there is no wrong way of making it. In my version, I added some parsley, mint, and lemon to make it a bit more complex.

Harissa

4 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
3 mini red bell peppers or ½ red bell pepper- seeds removed and roasted
4 ounces dried chilies- see notes below
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 ½ teaspoons coriander
1 clove of garlic peeled
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling

Kitchen equipment needed:
Food processor

Start by roasting the red pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle the pepper with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until softened and browned on the outside skin. Once cooled- peel and seed the pepper and place in the food processor.
Place the dried chilies on a bowl. Add boiling water to cover and let peppers rehydrate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes- drain and remove the stem and seeds from the chilies and place in a food processor.
Meanwhile, measure out the caraway, cumin and coriander. Dry roast the spices in a sauce pan over medium heat until slightly toasted and fragrant. Once slightly cooled- grind the spices with a mortar and pestle.
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor- tomatoes, spices, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon, olive oil- and blend until you get a thick, smooth paste. You may have to stop the food processor a couple of times to scrape down the sides.
Store in an airtight jar or container and top the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil.

Note on chilies: I’ve hear that any type of dried chili works fine for this paste. I used 2 ounces of ancho and 2 ounces of guajillo chilies to make mine. I suggest checking out this page that I found when I was making some of my own chorizo and wasn’t sure what chilies to use. It lists the chilies by heat level. I would, however, suggest staying away from super-hot peppers like habaneros or tiny hot Thai chilies. We usually buy our dried chilies in the international section of our local grocery store or at Mexican markets.

I’ve used this sauce in a variety of ways. As an extra sauce on salads, mixed with mayonnaise to make a sandwich spread, as a dipping sauce for parties, or brushed on grilled meats. I made an awesome Mediterranean chicken salad with harissa, marinated red onions, tahini dressing, grilled chicken, olives, and salad greens. Here’s what it looks like. I linked to all the other recipes related to this meal too so you can check them out.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Vegetarian, Whole 30

Quick Marinated Red Onions

Alicia Hamilton0

Marinated onions are awesome. The recipe is simple no matter the style you want- thinly sliced onions and marinated them in a mixture of vinegar and seasonings with just a touch of sweetness. I made some delicious marinated yellow onions to top my Vietnamese Shaking Beef Salad. I plan on playing around with the recipe a bit to make different styles. I usually use marinated onions on salads but they would be equally great on sandwiches or on a appetizer tray- think olives, pickles, meats, veggies and maybe some dips.

Quick Marinated Red Onions

Date paste of 1 date
½ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup water
1 red onion thinly sliced into rings
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water. Blend with a stick blender or in blender to get a smooth paste.

As a note: I usually blend a batch of dates, usually 8-10 per time and store the finished paste in an airtight container in my refrigerator. When I have a recipe that needs date paste I usually measure about a Tablespoon per date needed in the recipe. Of course you can adjust the sweetness of any recipe by either adding more or leaving a little out.

Combine the date paste, vinegar, water, salt, & pepper. Mix well to incorporate the dates into the liquid.
Add the onions and make sure to coat well with the vinegar.

Place into the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Here they are on a Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad.

As you can see if you compare the color of the onions shown on the salad versus the picture of the onions by themselves- the longer the onions marinate the more the color changes from purplish on the outside and white on the inside to a uniform pink color. The picture with just the onions had been marinating about 2-3 days before I took the picture. The onions on the salad were only marinating about 45 minutes before I took the picture. They taste great either way.

Dressing & Condiments, Recipes, Tips and tricks, Vegetarian, Whole 30

Herb Tahini Dressing

Alicia Hamilton0

Now that the weather is getting warmer I’ve been wanting to eat more salads. I never realized before doing whole 30 how much better I feel eating seasonally. I try to eat mostly organic and in season but out of season produce is something I think we all partake in. Anyways, with salad comes dressing. I feel like having a couple of varieties of dressing on hand help me to consume a larger amount of veggies. I made this tahini dressing to go with a Mediterranean chicken salad but it can really go on anything if you ask me.

Herb Tahini dressing
3 Tablespoons tahini
3 Tablespoons water
Juice of ½ lemon
1 clove of garlic- crushed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Paste of 1 date
4 fresh mint leaves
A small handful of parsley- chopped
Olive oil for drizzling

Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water and place in a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor.
Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, date, garlic, salt, mint and parsley into a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor. Blend until you get a smooth dressing.
Drizzle a little olive oil in and blend once more to incorporate.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Vegetarian, Whole 30

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

Alicia Hamilton1

Mediterranean food is awesome to me because there is so much flavor and usually a fair amount of sauces that go with it. I have been making more salads recently and have already made this three times since making the sauces. I hope you like this salad as much as I do.

*If you want to make it vegetarian- make some spiced chickpeas instead. I’m not eating chickpeas right now but I have made similar recipes to this one from bon appetit. Instead of making them spicy (since the harissa is spicy enough) you can saute the chickpeas like in the Bon Appetit recipe but use the same marinate ingredients I used on the chicken as listed below. So basically saute rinsed chickpeas in 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Salt and pepper to taste over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until warmed and chickpeas start to blister.

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

Chicken breast- 1 per person
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Mixed greens- I used baby kale, spinach, baby arugula, and shredded collard greens
Grated carrots
Thin slices of raw, red cabbage
Cucumber- sliced
Grape tomatoes
Olives- I used a mixture of Kalamata and Greek green olives.
Harissa- recipe below
Herb tahini dressing- recipe below
Marinated red onions- recipe below

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt & pepper together and pour over the chicken. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.
While chicken is marinating, prepare the harissa, herb tahini dressing and the marinated red onions.
Prepare the salad greens, carrots, red cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes and olives and plate on individual dishes or in a large serving bowl.
Grill the chicken breasts on a preheated grill for 3-5 minutes each side- depending on the thickness of the breasts. Cook until the chicken is cooked thoroughly or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Cool the chicken slightly then cut into cubes and serve with the salad and a side of harissa and herb tahini dressing.

Harissa

4 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
3 mini red bell peppers or ½ red bell pepper- seeds removed and roasted
4 ounces dried chilies- see notes below
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 ½ teaspoons coriander
1 clove of garlic peeled
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling

Kitchen equipment needed:
Food processor

Start by roasting the red pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle the pepper with a little olive oil and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until softened and browned on the outside skin. Once cooled- peel and seed the pepper and place in the food processor.
Place the dried chilies on a bowl. Add boiling water to cover and let peppers rehydrate for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes- drain and remove the stem and seeds from the chilies and place in a food processor.
Meanwhile, measure out the caraway, cumin and coriander. Dry roast the spices in a sauce pan over medium heat until slightly toasted and fragrant. Once slightly cooled- grind the spices with a mortar and pestle.
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor- tomatoes, spices, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon, olive oil- and blend until you get a thick, smooth paste. You may have to stop the food processor a couple of times to scrape down the sides.
Store in an airtight jar or container and top the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil.

Herb Tahini dressing

3 Tablespoons tahini
3 Tablespoons water
Juice of ½ lemon
1 clove of garlic- crushed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Paste of 1 date
4 fresh mint leaves
A small handful of parsley- chopped
Olive oil for drizzling

Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water and place in a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor.
Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, date, garlic, salt, mint and parsley into a cup for blending with a stick blender or into a blender or food processor. Blend until you get a smooth dressing.
Drizzle a little olive oil in and blend once more to incorporate.

Quick Marinated Red Onions

Date paste of 1 date
½ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup water
1 red onion thinly sliced into rings
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the date in a little hot water to soften. Once softened, drain the excess water. Blend with a stick blender or in blender to get a smooth paste.

As a note: I usually blend a batch of dates, usually 8-10 per time and store the finished paste in an airtight container in my refrigerator. When I have a recipe that needs date paste I usually measure about a Tablespoon per date needed in the recipe. Of course you can adjust the sweetness of any recipe by either adding more or leaving a little out.

Combine the date paste, vinegar, water, salt, & pepper. Mix well to incorporate the dates into the liquid.
Add the onions and make sure to coat well with the vinegar.
Place into the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

As you can see if you compare the color of the onions shown on the salad versus the picture of the onions by themselves- the longer the onions marinate the more the color changes from purplish on the outside and white on the inside to a uniform pink color. The picture with just the onions had been marinating about 2-3 days before I took the picture. The onions on the salad were only marinating about 45 minutes before I took the picture. They taste great either way.

Dressing & Condiments, Make it vegetarian, Paleo, Recipes, Whole 30

Warm Vegetable Slaw with Apple-Bacon Vinaigrette

Alicia Hamilton1

I created this slaw recipe in response to a mystery box challenge that I saw on the Whole 30 Instagram page. The contest was put on by Whole 30 and OMghee. Three ingredients had to be included in the recipe: parsnips, apples, & ghee. Of course I could have gone with something a little more simple, but that wouldn’t be as much fun.

I really used this mystery box challenge to put myself to the test. I made the slaw, the BBQ sauce, and chicken legs ALL in one hour. Yep, I’m a nerd, I timed myself! Of course you don’t need to make this all in one hour, but it is technically possible. I did create these recipes which probably does give me an advantage 😉 I found the most efficient way to do is to chop everything you need first. This way you don’t need to stop and chop while the cooking happens. Next, get the vegetables and chicken in the oven since once they are baking you can make the sauces. Then, in order, make the applesauce, BBQ sauce, and then the dressing for the slaw. Some of the preparation can also be done the day before, like making the applesauce, BBQ sauce, and chopping the vegetables.

Warm vegetable slaw with apple-bacon vinaigrette

For the slaw:
2 parsnips
1 pound Brussels sprouts
½ granny smith apple
2 Tablespoons ghee- melted
Kosher salt and pepper
¼ cup water

For the applesauce:
1 gala apple
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup water
A dash of cinnamon

For the dressing:
2 slices of Whole30 compliant bacon
½ yellow onion
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
2 Tablespoon applesauce
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Kitchen equipment needed:
9 “x 13” glass baking dish
Stick blender or blender

Preptime: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Start by processing the vegetables for the slaw. Rinse, peel, & cut the parsnips into small matchsticks. Rinse and cut the granny smith apple in half, remove parts with a core and cut into small match sticks. Rinse the Brussels sprouts, remove the woody stems, remove any tough outer leaves, & thinly slice each sprout into ¼ inch slices.
Toss the veggies with the 2 Tablespoons of melted ghee and season with a little kosher salt and pepper. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and slightly browned.
While the vegetables are roasting, make the applesauce, which will go in the dressing. Rinse, peel, and dice the apple into small chunks. Place the apple in a small sauce pan with the lemon juice, water, and cinnamon. Simmer on medium-high heat for approximately 20 minutes. After the apples are tender use a stick blender or blender to make a smooth sauce.
Next make the dressing. Cut the bacon into small pieces and cut the onion into a small dice. Place the mustard seeds into the vinegar and applesauce to soak while you cook the bacon and onions. Warm a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Fry the bacon pieces for 2-3 minutes until the bacon begins to soften and render fat. Add in the onion and cook the bacon and onions together for approximately 8-10 minutes- the bacon will be crisp and the onions will be browned. Now add in the mustard, vinegar, and applesauce and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and keep warm until the vegetables are finished roasting.
Toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve warm.

Smoky apple BBQ sauce
1 can tomato paste
1/3 cup apple sauce- you can use unsweetened, already prepared applesauce or make your own by following the directions below
1 large, dried ancho pepper
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Kitchen equipment needed:
Small sauce pan
Garlic press
Stick blender or blender

Start by making applesauce- see below
While the applesauce is cooking, remove the stem from the ancho pepper and soak it with some boiling water until it is soft- about 5 minutes. Drain the water.
Blend the tomato paste, ancho pepper, applesauce, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and salt into a smooth paste.
Heat the ghee in the saucepan on medium-high heat. Crush the garlic and fry it in the ghee for 15-20 seconds.
Add in the tomato mixture into the sauce pan, mix well, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes.

Cast-iron skillet chicken legs
6 chicken legs
Kosher salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons ghee

Kitchen equipment needed:
Large cast-iron skillet

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the cast iron over medium-high heat. Melt the ghee in the pan.
Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper.
Sear each chicken leg in the pan. Brown the chicken 3-4 minutes on one side, turn ¼ turn and brown turning until all sides are browned.
Once all sides are browned, place the cast-iron skillet into the oven and roast the chicken for approximately 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
Smother the chicken pieces in the smoky apple BBQ sauce or the sauce of your choice.
Serve with “Warm vegetable slaw with apple-bacon vinaigrette” (see above) or side of choice.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Sauces, Whole 30

26

Jan

Making Homemade Mayo and Ghee

Alicia Hamilton2

When I am on Whole 30 preparing just a couple of homemade items goes a long way. There are plenty of great homemade sauces out there and I have made quite a few but mayonnaise and ghee are the two most important for me. Both are simple to make. Plus, making your own helps to ensure that you know it is 100% Whole 30 compliant. There are plenty of resources out there to tell you how to make them and you can find several other recipes by doing a Google search.

It’s very easy to make your own mayonnaise- especially if you have a stick blender like I do. Seriously, it only takes a couple of minutes. It is a great base for dressings, sauces, and salads (egg salad, tuna salad, and chicken salad).

I use my stick blender to make sauces, soups, gravy and mashed side dishes like cauliflower or sweet potatoes. I highly suggest getting one. It’s smaller and more versatile than using my blender to do these whipping tasks. There are tons stick blenders available on Amazon. When we got married we got a great set that included the stick blender, 4 different blades, an immersion cup, a whisk, and chopper with a lid. It’s this Miallegro. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be for sale on Amazon right now. To be honest you could go slightly less expensive by forgoing the extra attachments. I rarely use the whisk and chopper attachments. I do use the actual stick blender and immersion cup quite often though.

Easy Stick Blender Mayonnaise

Ingredient list:
1 egg yolk from large egg
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard- make sure it is compliant!
1 cup extra light olive oil
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt

Kitchen supplies needed:
Stick blender with immersion blender cup
Measuring spoons
1 cup, spouted measuring cup- I like Pyrex

Place egg yolk, water, lemon juice, mustard, and salt at the bottom of the cup.
Pour the oil on top of other ingredients in the cup.
Let all the ingredients settle for 45 seconds.
Place head of the stick blender all the way at the bottom of the cup. Switch the blender on and slowly lift the head of blender and tilt as necessary until all the oil has been emulsified.
Store finished mayonnaise in a jar in the refrigerator for about a week.

There are a lot of recipes that call for a room temperature egg. I’ve honestly never done this. I have found that the most important step to getting good mayo using this recipe is to let the ingredients settle before blending them. If you don’t have a stick blender there are recipes online that give you instructions how to whisk by hand. Of course there are many different ways of making mayo- some use the egg white too, some use different oil. I suggest experimenting a little to find one you like most. If you haven’t done so, check the Whole 30 website for mayo and dressing recipes.

One creamy dressing I enjoy making from this mayo which is a zesty ranch. Again, there are tons of ways to make ranch dressing and you can find several other recipes by searching online. I started by getting inspiration for ranch dressing on the Whole 30 website. But I experimented a bit by adding a few other things and put my own flair on it. There is no wrong way to make ranch dressing. Here is how I make mine.

Zesty Ranch Dressing

Ingredient list:
½ cup mayonnaise- recipe above
¼ cup coconut milk
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon of each fresh dill, fresh chives, fresh parsley and minced shallot – all finely minced

Mix all ingredients together. I use a few pulses with my stick blender to combine. Store in a clean, dry container and store in the refrigerator.

Ghee adds flavor and fat to foods and is a good source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Clarifying butter removes the lactose and casein from the butter. It also a great, high temperature cooking oil. You can buy already prepared ghee, but I like making my own.

Ghee
Ingredient list:
1 pound unsalted, grass-fed butter (I like Kerrygold)
Kitchen supplies needed:
Medium sauce pan
Fine mesh strainer
Paper towel or cheese cloth

Cut up butter into smaller pieces and place in a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat.
Bring butter to a boil and the reduce heat to medium- the butter will foam and bubble.
Simmer for approximately 8 minutes. The butter will look golden and there won’t be much more foaming and bubbling. Also, there will be browned milk solids at the bottom of the pan.
Pour the butter through a fine mesh strainer lined with a paper towel or cheese cloth and into a heatproof container.
Store the ghee in a clean, airtight container. It does not need to be refrigerated. The ghee will keep in the airtight container for up to a month.

Here are a few pictures of the process:

Try to control yourself and not turn the heat up higher than medium-high. Making ghee doesn’t take that long and burned ghee sucks. Also, I have accidentally put my jar of ghee in the refrigerator after I’ve made it. This is fine, but I suggest that once you’ve put in in there continue to store in in the fridge.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Vegetarian, Whole 30

18

Jan