Whole30/Paleo Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

What got me through my first whole30 was trying new recipes. Since I had never had many of the dishes before, I had no unhealthy version to compare it to in my mind and therefore I wasn't disappointed if it didn't taste as good. One dish that I saw online was Asian lettuce wraps. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that there would be a substitute for soy sauce and needless to say I was over joyed to see coconut aminos mentioned on the discussion boards on the Whole30 website. Coconut aminos and fish sauce are a great combination to use as a base for any Chinese dish you may be trying to adapt for the whole30 or paleo lifestyle. Most of the fish sauce options at the regular grocery store do have sugar in them. I was able to find several sugar free options at an Asian grocery store in a neighboring city. This combination of coconut aminos and fish sauce is also good if you love Chinese food like me, but are allergic to soy or MSG with are found in most dishes. The recipe I have come up with is so easy to make for a week night since it takes about 15 minutes. It is protein and veggie packed that side dishes are not even needed. My son loves this dish and asks for it all the time. I've learned that if a child can eat the food with their hands, they are much more willing to try something new.

The leftover meat makes a great salad when heated and served over lettuce and spinach.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

2 lb. lean ground turkey 1 small onion chopped 1 tsp. minced garlic (3-4 cloves) 3 tbs. fish sauce 4 tbs. coconut aminos 3 tbs. red wine vinegar 1 tbs. Thai basil or cilantro ½ tsp. pepper ½ sweet potato shredded (optional) 1 bag of broccoli slaw Lettuce leaves for serving

Cook ground turkey, onion, and garlic in a large skillet. A little grease if fine, but if there is too much or you aren't using lean meat, drain the grease. Add the fish sauce, coconut aminos, vinegar, cilantro, and pepper. Cook 3-4 min. over medium heat allowing the meat to absorb the flavors. Add shredded sweet potato and broccoli slaw. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender. About 5 minutes. Serve in lettuce leaves.

Whole30/Paleo Easy Shepherd's Pie

Who doesn't love an easy casserole?! It doesn't get much easier than shepherd's pie for a quick and healthy meal. What makes this meal quick for me is that I make extra mashed potatoes with dinner the night before I make this and used leftover mashed potatoes. This meal is easy customize and a great way to sneak in extra veggies. For my shepherd's pie tonight I added grated carrots and diced spinach. I have learned that if you have a meal with tomatoes, it is easy to sneak carrots into a meal because the tomato flavor masks the taste of the carrots and if you dice spinach small enough most people will over look it as a spice. 

Brown 1 lb. lean ground meat, diced onions, grated carrots, and seasoning in a large skillet.

Add a can of diced tomatoes, green beans, and spinach. Stir well to mix.

Top with garlic mashed potatoes and bake.

For maximum flavor while keeping to Whole30 guidelines, make your mashed potatoes with chicken broth, sea salt, and a 1/2 tsp. of mined garlic. If you aren't Whole30 you can add cheddar cheese into the garlic mashed potatoes or top with Parmesan cheese.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie
1 lb. ground meat (beef, turkey or lamb) 1 small onion chopped 1 large carrot grated ½ tsp. Italian seasoning 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) 1 can of green beans or 16 oz bag of frozen green beans ½ cup fresh spinach leaves chopped 3 cups garlic mashed potatoes	Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the ground meat, onion, grated carrot, and Italian seasoning together in a large skillet until meat is thoroughly cooked. Mix in tomatoes, green beans, and spinach. Add mixture to a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake for 30 min.

Paleo Ranch Dressing Recipe

A Whole30 buffalo chicken salad with homemade paleo ranch.

Ranch dressing is a one of the dipping sauces paired with the most appetizers in the South. It is served with fresh veggies at parties, served with buffalo wings, sliders, and frickles (fried pickles) at bars, and of course if a favorite for many on salads. I love ranch dressing! During my first whole30 experience I started experimenting with different ranch recipes that I found online. There is something about the creamy goodness of ranch dressing and I figured if I could figure out how to make it myself, the whole30 experience and transition to a mostly paleo life would just be so much easier.

I often make my own olive oil mayo using the recipe from "It Starts With Food" and love to make my ranch dressing just after I finish making a batch of mayo. This recipe is great because it is simple, dairy free, and preservative free. You can pronounce everything in it and probably have the spices in your spice rack already. Hope you enjoy!

AuburnGalNC's Paleo Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil mayo 1/3 cup coconut milk 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp each of the following: garlic powder onion powder dried dill dried parsley pepper fresh chives (optional)	Wisk or blend all of the ingredients together. Keeps for up to 10 days when stored in an air tight container and refrigerated.