1½ teaspoons dried oregano ¾ teaspoon paprika ¾ teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined Shrimp may seem intimidating, but they’re actually fast and easy to cook. Our recipes all call for large shrimp—these are the kind most commonly found in your supermarket’s seafood section, and usually come about 25 to 35 to a pound. Before you cook shrimp from this book, you’ll peel and devein them—a process that’s also easier than it sounds. To peel, just use your fingers to pull off the outer shell, starting at the top and working your way down to the tail. Remove the tail itself by pulling on it gently while holding the shrimp. (Don’t be too aggressive here, or a good chunk of meat may get stuck in the tail.) Then, using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut into the back of the shrimp, starting at the top, until you see the black thread running down toward the tail. Using the knife or your fingers, remove the vein and discard. Now you’re ready to cook! PREHEAT the grill to high heat (500°F). If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour to prevent them from burning on the grill. TO make the rub, combine the garlic powder, garlic salt, oregano, paprika, and pepper in a plastic bag or a large bowl with a lid. Mix the spices together, then add the olive oil and the shrimp. Close the bag or cover the bowl and toss until the shrimp are well coated. REMOVE the shrimp and thread them onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. Place the skewers on the grill and grill until the shrimp are seared, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the skewers and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. REMOVE the skewers from the grill and serve hot. ✪PRO TIP Your shrimp is done cooking when it’s curled into the shape of the letter “C.” If it’s curled over itself into a tight “O” shape, it’s overdone, and is likely to be tougher in texture. ✪CHEF TIP If you don’t have a grill, roast your shrimp in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Make the rub and toss the shrimp as instructed, then lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp turn opaque and are curled into a “C” shape. perfect oven-baked salmon SERVES 2 PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 12 to 15 minutes TOTAL TIME: 17 to 20 minutes 1 tablespoon cooking fat, melted 2 salmon fillets (5 ounces each) ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 lemon, cut into wedges PREHEAT the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet or glass baking dish with parchment paper. Drizzle the cooking fat over the paper and spread with a brush or your fingers to coat the paper. PLACE the salmon skin-side down on the lined baking sheet. Season the salmon evenly with the salt and pepper. BAKE the salmon for 12 to 15 minutes. White “curd” (protein) will show on the sides of salmon when fully cooked, and the thickest part of the fish will no longer look raw, wet, or feel spongy when you try to flake it with a fork. Remove the salmon from the oven and transfer to a serving dish or individual plates. Serve with the lemon wedges. ✪PRO TIP You can adjust this technique to cook white fish (like cod, haddock, halibut, etc.) by reducing the oven temperature to 350°F, basting the fish with an additional tablespoon of cooking fat, and baking for 10 to 12 minutes. You want to pull the fish out of the oven when it’s opaque in color, but doesn’t easily flake with a fork —if it’s flaky, it’s likely to be too dry when served. Perfect Protein Salad There are a few things you should always have on hand in your Whole30 kitchen: Basic Mayonnaise, Bone Broth, Perfect Boiled Eggs, and some kind of Protein Salad. Why are we focused on portable protein? It’s easy to grab-and-go with vegetables, fruit, and healthy fats, but protein can be tough when you’re in a hurry. And we really don’t want you to skip protein—it’s the most satiating of all the macronutrients. Translation: It’s what keeps you full between lunch and dinner, and less likely to dip into your office-mate’s candy jar. This is where an easy, versatile protein salad comes in. Use leftover chicken, tuna, salmon, or eggs, and stock your pantry with canned chicken or fish so you’ll always have some at the ready. Hold all the ingredients (and flavors) together with a creamy base and an acid. Store the salad in the fridge and you’ll always have some quick and easy protein on hand, or something to take to the office for lunch. Depending on your ingredients, a Protein Salad will keep for up to 3 to 5 days, so make a big batch and vary what you add so you’ll never get bored. Also, use a big bowl. Bigger than you think you need. We know this from experience—sometimes we get a little out of hand with our protein salad additions. Mix and match your additional ingredients, using whatever you have on hand—any combination of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and fresh herbs and spices is fair game. Here are some of our favorite salad combinations: TRADITIONAL: Take a traditional approach with sliced grapes, celery, onion, and slivered almonds. GREEK: Go Greek with Kalamata olives, roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, and basil, using red wine vinegar as your acid. ASIAN: Get Asian-inspired with mandarin orange slices, celery, chopped kale, and cilantro, and using rice wine vinegar or lime juice. SUMMER: Focus on fruit with sliced strawberries, blueberries, green onion, pecans, and fresh parsley. FALL: Think fall with diced apples, roasted sweet potato or butternut squash, sweet onions, a handful of raisins, and toasted walnuts, with apple cider vinegar as your acid. protein salad SERVES 2 (WITH LEFTOVERS) PREP TIME: 10 to 15 minutes 1 pound cooked or canned chicken, salmon, or tuna, or 8 hardboiled eggs ¼ cup creamy base, such as Basic Mayonnaise 2 tablespoons acid, such as lemon juice ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon black pepper Additional ingredients of choice If you’re using canned chicken, tuna, or salmon, you’ll need 3 cans (5 to 6 ounces each). Start the salad off with just ¼ cup mayo and the juice of 1 lemon or lime (or 2 tablespoons vinegar). You can always add more if you want your salad creamier or tangier. Serve on its own, over a bed of lettuce, in a hollowed-out tomato or bell pepper, or inside ribs of celery. IF necessary, chop or shred the protein into large chunks. Combine the protein and mayo in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and any additional ingredients, and stir to combine. ✪ PRO TIP The creamy base can be Basic Mayonnaise, Egg-free Mayo, or mashed avocado. The acid can be lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar. perfect sausage SERVES 2 PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 11 to 13 minutes TOTAL TIME: 21 to 23 minutes 2 tablespoons cooking fat ½ cup minced white onion 1 pound ground meat (pork, chicken, turkey) ½ teaspoon dried sage ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon garlic powder PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. HEAT 1 tablespoon of the cooking fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When the fat is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Combine the sautéed onions, ground meat, sage, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large mixing bowl and blend well with your hands. Form into 8 equal patties about 1-inch thick. HEAT the remaining 1 tablespoon of fat in the same skillet over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. When the fat is hot, add the sausage patties and brown for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the sausage to the baking sheet and finish cooking them in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until no pink remains in the middle of a patty. ✪ PRO TIP These freeze beautifully—just stack them in a covered container between sheets of wax paper so they don’t stick together. Defrost them the night before making our Diner Breakfast to cut your prep time in half. perfect bacon SERVES 2 PREP TIME: 2 minutes COOK TIME: 15 to 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 17 to 22 minutes ½ pound Whole30-compliant bacon While it’s challenging to find Whole30-compliant bacon, we’ve given you a list of approved brands. You won’t find these brands at your local grocery store, though, so unless you’re willing to order in bulk or can find them in a local health food market, you may be out of bacon luck for 30 days. The good news? No one ever died from lack of bacon. (Science.) And if you’re craving that salty, fatty, crispy flavor, you do have some alternatives. You may be able to find pork belly at your local butcher shop—ask them how to bake or roast it so it’s crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. SPREAD the bacon slices evenly on the sheet in a single layer. This method will leave the bacon slightly chewy in the center and crisp around the edges. If you prefer your bacon crispy all the way through, place a wire baking rack on top of the foil-lined sheet and lay the bacon evenly on the rack. Be careful not to overlap—use two baking sheets if necessary. BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon and desired level of crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined platter and serve immediately. Leftover bacon will last about a week in the fridge. ✪PRO TIP It’s also not that hard to find Whole30-compliant prosciutto, which bakes up crunchy just like bacon. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lay the prosciutto flat and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the meat darkens. Set aside for 5 minutes—it will continue to crisp up as it cools. Crumble and sprinkle on salads, soups, or over a baked sweet potato for a salty crunch similar to bacon. If you’re able to find Whole30-compliant pastured, organic bacon (lucky ducks), after frying it up, you can pour the warm bacon fat into a glass storage jar and refrigerate for later use, either as a cooking fat or a recipe ingredient. Grilled Vegetables and Fruit Grilling is the most effective way to impart a sweet, smoky, caramelized flavor to vegetables and fruit. There are three ways to prepare produce for grilling—long slices that sit right on the grill, large cubes or chunks that you thread onto skewers, or large cubes or chunks placed in a grill basket. You can grill just about any vegetable, except leafy greens. Favorites include bell peppers, chile peppers (poblano or hatch), onions, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, radishes, eggplant, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and butternut squash. You can also add fruit to your grill grate or on your skewers—think pineapple, mango, peaches, apples, pears, cantaloupe, and grapes. (Don’t put fruit into your grill basket, however—their juices will release over the vegetables, making them soggy.) perfect grilled vegetables SERVES 2 (WITH LEFTOVERS) PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 4 to 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 14 to 30 minutes 1 pound mixed vegetables and/or fruit 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and black pepper PREHEAT the grill to high heat (500°F). TO GRILL DIRECTLY ON THE GRILL GRATE: Cut the vegetables into large, flat pieces, so they won’t fall through the grate. (Avoid small vegetables like cherry tomatoes, radishes, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts with this method.) Specifically, cut pieces into relatively flat strips, 2 inches wide, and ½ inch thick. (If grilling asparagus, simply trim the ends and leave them whole; for onions, apples, or pears, cut into six equal wedges) PLACE the cut vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss or mix the vegetables with your hands until they are well coated. Place on the grill at a 45-degree angle to the grate to prevent them from falling through. GRILL the vegetables according to the chart. (Cooking times are highly variable based on your grill, too—so experiment, and check your vegetables often as they cook as you become familiar with this technique.) When you’re ready to flip, turn them with grill tongs, peeling them off along the axis of the grill grate to prevent them from sticking or tearing. Cook the veggies or fruit until lightly charred on the outside and fork-tender on the inside. TOSS with your favorite dressing or sauce (starting here), or sprinkle with salt and pepper and our seasoning suggestions and serve warm. TO GRILL ON SKEWERS: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour to prevent them from burning on the grill. CUT the vegetables or fruit into 1-inch chunks or cubes. Leave whole smaller vegetables and fruits like cherry tomatoes, smaller mushrooms, radishes, and grapes. PLACE the cut vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss or mix the vegetables with your hands until they are well coated, then alternate them on the skewers. Place the skewers on the grill at a 45-degree angle to the grate to prevent some of the smaller items from sticking. GRILL the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the skewers every few minutes so all sides make contact with the heat. Cook until the most hearty vegetables (like peppers, onions, and mushrooms) are charred on the edges and tender enough to eat, but not so long that more delicate vegetables (like zucchini and summer squash) are burned or dried out. TOSS with your favorite dressing or sauce (starting here), or sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with a tablespoon of extravirgin olive oil, and serve warm. TO GRILL IN A GRILL BASKET: Cut the vegetables or fruit into 1-inch chunks or cubes. Leave whole smaller vegetables and fruits like cherry tomatoes, smaller mushrooms, radishes, and grapes. PLACE the cut vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss or mix the vegetables with your hands until they are well coated, then place in a grill basket. PLACE the basket on the grill and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the grill basket occasionally. Grill until the most hearty vegetables (like peppers, onions, and mushrooms) are charred on the edges and tender enough to eat, but not so long that more delicate vegetables (like zucchini and summer squash) are dried out. TOSS with your favorite dressing or sauce (starting here), or sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with a tablespoon of extravirgin olive oil, and serve warm. Grilling Fruits and Vegetables VEGETABLE OR FRUIT GRILL TIME SEASONING SUGGESTIONS Asparagus 4 to 6 minutes (no need to flip or turn) squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest Bell peppers 5 to 6 minutes per side splash of balsamic vinegar Butternut squash 7 to 8 minutes per side dried thyme Eggplant 6 to 7 minutes per side fresh chopped tomatoes, dried oregano Hatch or poblano peppers 5 to 6 minutes per side keep it simple with salt and pepper Onion 8 to 10 minutes per side squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle of zest Summer squash 4 to 5 minutes per side lemon zest, dried chives Zucchini 4 to 5 minutes per side lemon zest, dried chives Apple 6 to 8 minutes per side squeeze of lemon juice, dash of cinnamon Cantaloupe 2 to 3 minutes per side perfect as-is, no seasoning needed Mango 2 to 3 minutes per side perfect as-is, no seasoning needed Peaches (halved) 3 to 4 minutes (no need to flip or turn) perfect as-is, no seasoning needed Pear 3 to 4 minutes per side drizzle of melted ghee, dash of cinnamon or vanilla bean Pineapple 5 to 8 minutes per side perfect as-is, no seasoning needed Roasted Vegetables Roasting is one of the easiest ways to cook vegetables, and also one of the most flavorful. For those of you who say, “I don’t like broccoli/Brussels sprouts/asparagus,” we’d encourage you to give them another shot with roasting—we’re pretty sure you’ll change your tune. Roasting allows the vegetables’ natural flavors to thoroughly develop, delivering a nicely browned crispiness on the outside and sweet tenderness on the inside. Plus, roasting requires very little hands-on cooking time, allowing you to batch-prep a bunch of veggies for the we perfect roasted vegetables SERVES 2 (WITH LEFTOVERS) PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 15 to 50 minutes TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes to 1 hour 1 pound vegetables 2 tablespoons cooking fat, melted Salt and black pepper You can roast just about any vegetable, even some hearty greens. Vegetables well suited to this technique include starchy roots like carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and beets; hearty vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, fennel, bell peppers, and eggplant; and squashes like butternut, acorn, or spaghetti. You can even roast more delicate vegetables like green beans, tomatoes, and kale! PREHEAT the oven to 425°F. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. IF necessary, peel and trim the vegetables. Cut each vegetable into even-sized pieces if necessary (refer to the chart for our recommendations). Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the melted fat. Toss or mix thoroughly so the vegetables are evenly coated.
basic mayonnaise MAKES 1½ CUPS PREP TIME: 10 minutes 1¼ cups light olive oil 1 large egg ½ teaspoon mustard powder ½ teaspoon salt Juice of ½ lemon You can change up our Basic Mayonnaise any number of ways to create a variety of different flavors. For inspiration, see Mayonnaise Variations. PLACE ¼ cup of the olive oil, the egg, mustard powder, and salt in a blender, food processor, or mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. While the food processor or blender is running (or while mixing in a bowl with an immersion blender), slowly drizzle in the remaining 1 cup olive oil. After you’ve added all the oil and the mixture has emulsified, add the lemon juice, blending on low or stirring to incorporate. ✪PRO TIP The key to this emulsion is making sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Leave your egg out on the counter for an hour, or let it sit in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes before mixing. Keep one lemon on the counter at all times for the express purpose of making mayo—trust us, you’ll be making a lot of this. The slower you add your oil, the thicker and creamer your emulsion will be. You can slowly pour oil by hand out of a spouted measuring cup, or use a plastic squeeze bottle to slowly drizzle it into the bowl, food processor, or blender. If you’re using an immersion blender, pump the stick up and down a few times toward the end to whip some air into the mixture, making it even fluffier. The Perfect Egg-free Mayo One of the biggest bummers of being allergic or sensitive to eggs is that our Basic Mayo is out. We really didn’t want you to miss out on this most versatile condiment, however, so we asked our friend Mickey Trescott, author of The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, if we could adapt her recipe for egg-free mayo here. The base of this mayo is coconut butter (also called “coconut manna” or “coconut concentrate”). It’s available at most health food stores, or online. While this version of mayo won’t taste the same as the creamy concoction you’re used to, it still makes a great base for all of our dressings, sauces, and dips. This keeps in the fridge for several weeks, but it does harden. Just bring it up to room temperature before using—either leave it out on your counter for an hour or so, or place the container in a bowl of hot water until it softens. egg-free mayonnaise MAKES 1¼ CUPS PREP TIME: 10 minutes ½ cup coconut butter, slightly warmed ½ cup warm water ¼ cup light olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon salt If you plan on using this egg-free mayo as a base for dressings and sauces, skip the lemon juice. You then have a neutral-flavored base to which you can add any kind of acid (like a citrus juice or vinegar) based on the dressing or sauce you select. PLACE all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend on high until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Homemade Coconut Butter ✪PRO TIP If you can’t find coconut butter, you can use Mickey’s recipe to make your own using coconut flakes and a food processor: Place 4 cups unsweetened coconut flakes in a food processor. Blend on high speed, occasionally stopping to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Process for about a minute at a time, taking breaks so as to not overheat the motor. After 5 or 10 minutes, you should be left with a smooth, creamy liquid. Store in a glass jar at room temperature (no need to refrigerate)—it will keep for up to 6 months. Compound Butter Compound butter is a mixture of butter plus herbs, spices, toasted nuts, or other flavorful ingredients. These tasty butters can be melted on top of meats or vegetables, adding a totally new dimension to your meal. This is also one way to fancy up a simple dinner for company—a slice of compound butter on your Perfect Oven Baked Salmon is sure to impress. compound butter SERVES 4 TO 8 PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOL TIME: 2 hours TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 10 minutes ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, clarified; or ½ cup ghee ¼ cup hazelnuts 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ✪PRO TIP Some of our favorite compound butter combinations include: ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, ¼ cup black olives, pitted, and 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves; ¼ cup minced fresh parsley, ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; and 1 minced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons each fresh rosemary, oregano, and chives. Make sure all the ingredients are finely minced. PLACE the clarified butter or ghee in a small bowl and leave on the counter until it reaches room temperature. HEAT a dry pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the hazelnuts and cook, shaking the pan often to prevent burning, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the hazelnuts to a cutting board, allow to cool, then chop. GENTLY fold the chopped hazelnuts, garlic, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper into the softened butter or ghee. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and place the butter mixture in the center. Form into a rough log, about 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap the plastic wrap tightly around the butter and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. You can do this ahead of time if prepping for an event or dinner party—compound butter using fresh ingredients will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Clarified Butter Plain old butter isn’t allowed on the Whole30 because it contains traces of milk proteins, which may be problematic for sensitive individuals. Clarified butter is the technique of simmering butter slowly at a low temperature to separate the milk solids from the pure butter oil. The end result is a delicious, pure, dairy-free fat, perfect for flavoring dishes or cooking (even on high heat). You’ll also see ghee in the recipes—ghee is just a different form of clarified butter. To make ghee, simply simmer the butter longer, until the milk proteins begin to brown, clump, and drift to the bottom of the pan. Ghee has a sweeter, nuttier flavor than clarified butter. (You can also purchase pastured organic ghee online—see Resources for our favorite brands.) While it’s not part of our official Whole30 rules, we’d always encourage you to look for pastured organic butter when making your own clarified butter or ghee. Common brands available at health food stores nationwide include Strauss, Kerrygold, Kalona Super Natural, and Organic Valley. clarified butter MAKES 1½ CUPS PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK TIME: 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter CUT the butter into 1-inch cubes. Place in a small pot or saucepan over medium-low heat and let melt and come to a simmer without stirring. As the butter simmers, foamy white dairy solids will rise to the surface. With a spoon or ladle, gently skim the dairy solids off the top and discard, leaving just the pure clarified butter in the pan. ONCE you’ve removed the majority of the milk solids, strain the butter through cheesecloth into a glass storage jar, discarding the milk solids and cheesecloth when you are done. Allow the butter to cool before storing. CLARIFIED butter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or at room temperature for up to 3 months. Basic Vinaigrette Vinaigrette isn’t just a mix of oil and vinegar; it’s actually a pretty specific equation. Technically, it’s an emulsion of one part acid, three parts fat, plus your flavoring. Acids can be any kind of vinegar or citrus juice. Fats are usually some kind of oil, but you can also use a homemade mayonnaise for a creamier dressing. Common emulsifiers include garlic, mustard, and eggs, although you don’t have to use an emulsifier—just shake it up and serve! Vinaigrettes are another Whole30 cooking staple. They’re great on salads, sure, but also make for delicious marinades and dressings for meat, seafood and vegetables. For easy clean up, emulsify vinaigrette the old-fashioned way —by hand! Place all ingredients in a glass container with a lid and shake until well blended, or add to a mixing bowl and whisk until combined. If you’d rather, however, you can use a blender or food processor to do the mixing for you. basic vinaigrette MAKES 1 CUP PREP TIME: 5 minutes ¼ cup white wine or apple cider vinegar ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper Serve your vinaigrette right away, or make ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. If the mixture separates, just whisk or shake before serving. Homemade salad dressings using fresh ingredients (like garlic or herbs) will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days. The olive oil will harden and get cloudy in the cold, so if your dressing has been in the fridge overnight, take it out ahead of time, let it come to room temperature, and shake it up before serving. PLACE the vinegar in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking steadily to emulsify. Adjust seasoning with the salt and pepper. ✪ PRO TIP You can change up our Basic Vinaigrette any number of ways to create a variety of different flavors. For inspiration, see Vinaigrette Variations. W PART 4 whole30 recipes elcome to the heart of The Whole30: our recipes. This section is where you ’ll put your kitchen skills and the Kitchen Fundamentals you learned in the last section to the test. Don’t be nervous. This section includes nothing but simple, delicious, nutritious meals made from everyday ingredients. You won’t find any specialty food items, hard-to-procure cooking fats or meats, or techniques that call for fancy kitchen tools. We recruited Culinary Institute of Americatrained chef Richard Bradford to help us create meals perfect for the beginner chef living in a small town, with access to just one or two regular grocery stores. The recipes in many sections start off simple and get more involved, so you can build confidence in the kitchen as you gain experience with the Whole30. If you’re an experienced chef with a well-stocked Whole30 pantry, you’re in for a real treat. These recipes may look basic, but they pack a real flavor punch. Chef Richard has hit the trifecta in that effortless way only a professional chef can pull off—these recipes have simple ingredients and easy preparation techniques, but are incredibly tasty and satisfying. We should know—we’ve eaten our way through this book more than once. Not exactly a tough job. Before you dive in, let’s go over some helpful hints for cooking your way through our Whole30 recipes. First, You Must Read We know you want to jump right in with both burners, but there is nothing worse than getting halfway through cooking dinner and realizing you’re out of a key ingredient. Before you start chopping, dicing, and preheating, take a minute to read through the entire recipe. Like, the whole thing. You’ll get a big-picture understanding of what ingredients are involved, whether you have to prep anything in advance (like a sauce or marinade), the tools you’ll need, and what the dish should look like when it’s done. Mise-en-place Remember how we said planning and preparing are everything with the Whole30? Cooking is no exception! Mise-en-place is a French term for “putting in place,” and it basically means that before you start cooking, all of your ingredients are prepped and your tools are in order. Let’s walk through your mise-en-place for the Classic Chili. First, read through the entire recipe. We’ll wait. Now it’s time to prepare the ingredients. First, lay everything but the meat out on a clean section of kitchen counter: the onion, three cloves of garlic, all the spice containers, two peppers, three tomatoes, and your container of beef broth. We’d also pull out a large pot, a small bowl, two medium bowls, a slotted spoon, measuring cups and spoons, a chef’s knife, and a cutting board. Finely chop the onion first, then mince the garlic and put them into the same small bowl. Next, measure out all of your spices and add them to the bowl with the onion and garlic. (As the instructions say these all go into the pot at the same time, why dirty more than one bowl?) Next, chop the peppers and tomatoes, and place them into a different medium-sized bowl. Measure out your broth and add it to the peppers and tomatoes. (Again, they all go into the pot at the same time.) Place the bowls with prepared ingredients and the empty bowl by the stove, add your large pot to the stovetop, and remove the ground meat from the fridge. For bonus points, take two minutes to put all your spice containers back, and wash your knife, measuring cups, and cutting board. Now you may cook. Start at the top of the instructions and prepare your ground meat. Transfer it into the empty bowl sitting by your stove. Add the onion, garlic, and spice mixture from the small bowl to the pot and cook as instructed. Add the peppers, tomatoes, and broth from the other bowl to the pot, return the ground meat in the third bowl to the pot, and finish cooking. By the way, the only clean up left to do while the table is being set and the chili served is three bowls and a slotted spoon. This mise-en-place stuff works all right. Get Your Pan Hot You’ll see our recipe instructions often say, “when the pan is hot . . .” or “once the cooking fat is hot . . .” This is a really important step, so don’t rush the process! Adding cold protein to a cold (or warming) pan means it’ll likely stick to the bottom, creating a cooking and dishwashing mess. Plus, this techinque causes your ingredients to release moisture as they heat up, leaving you with dry meat or fish. If you’re trying to get a good sear on your steak, chicken breast, or fish fillet, that pan or cooking fat needs to be hot to seal in the moisture and lightly brown the surface. The same goes for sautéing vegetables—a pre-heated pan means faster cooking times, more evenly cooked veggies, and tasty browned bits at the bottom of your stainless steel or castiron pan. Yum. Cooking Times Vary We’ve tested all of these recipes in the real world more than once, making sure our cooking times were accurate. Sometimes, we included a range, because things like root vegetables, steaks, or roasts may take longer or shorter to cook based on their size and thickness. However, there are other factors that may impact cooking times, so don’t be surprised if you need to add a little more or a little less time to our general recommendations. First, ovens sometimes run “hot” or “cold.” For example, the Hartwigs’ oven runs a little cold, so they have to turn the temperature to 365°F for recipes calling for 350°F heat. (You’d naturally figure this out after a few weeks of baking or roasting, or you can use a thermometer to verify the actual temperature versus the temperature on the display.) If your oven runs slightly hot or cold, you may need to adjust your temperature or cooking times to accommodate. In addition, where you live may impact how long it takes you to steam broccoli. Seriously. Altitude has quite an impact on certain cooking methods. As elevation rises, foods you boil, steam, or simmer (like vegetables, roasts, and stews) require a longer cooking time. Our times were based on cooking at sea level, which means mountain men and women may need to adjust. Our Braised Beef Brisket may take
an hour longer to cook in Salt Lake City than it does in Miami, and residents of Denver may need to add an extra two to three minutes to our Perfect Boiled Egg recipe. Luckily, oven temperatures are not affected by altitude, so 350°F is always 350°F. Unless your oven runs hot or cold, of course. What we’re trying to say here is that practice in your own kitchen makes perfect. Follow the recipes to the letter if you’re unfamiliar with cooking, and adjust them if your environment calls for longer or shorter cooking times. Or, modify our instructions on the fly if you know it takes longer than seven minutes for your broccoli to steam. Make notes in the margins of your favorite recipes, taking note of adjusted cooking times or temperatures, and don’t stress if your first few steaks come out more well-done than you’d like. As with the Whole30, this whole “cooking real food” stuff gets easier with time and experience. On that note . . . Serves Two(ish) Most recipes in this book say they serve two people, sometimes with leftovers. Immediately, you should see the trouble with this. Which two people? Our recipes include “average” portion sizes for meat, seafood, eggs, and vegetables per our meal template, but the members of your household may require less food or more food per meal—in fact, you may know this already based on the cooking you did pre-Whole30. If you look at our Perfect Grilled Steak and think, “Five ounces, are you kidding me?” just buy bigger cuts of steak and adjust your cooking times if necessary. (Bigger steaks may not take longer, but thicker steaks will.) You can also adjust this on the fly if you find you’re consistently hungry between meals. Buy more protein, the most satiating of all the macronutrients, and make slightly bigger meals until you find the sweet spot. (In fact, even if you’re not super hungry, you may want to cook extra meat just so you’ll have leftovers!) You can also adjust for satiety by adding more fat to your meals. Use a little more cooking fat or add some fat, depending on the recipe. Sprinkle more nuts or seeds, add a half an avocado on the side, or toss some olives into your salad. The combination of extra protein and extra fat is especially good at tiding you over from meal to meal. Feel free to add more veggies, too, although they’re not very calorie dense and won’t help much with satiety. Unless you’re loading your sweet potato with extra ghee, which would totally work. Now, let’s talk about some quick tips for cooking your way through the book. QUICK TIP: Cooking fat ✪You’ll notice some of our recipes call for a specific kind of fat, but many just say, “cooking fat.” Here’s the deal: When the kind of fat you use is important for the flavor or texture of the dish, we’ll give you specific options. In our Cauliflower Mash, we call for clarified butter or ghee because adding extra-virgin olive oil to your mash just wouldn’t work. If you’re using fat for cooking, however, just use whatever you have on hand, or whatever you think will taste best for the dish. The list of healthy cooking fats is extensive, so feel free to use coconut oil, clarified butter, ghee, extra-virgin olive oil, palm oil, tallow, lard, bacon fat, or duck fat if we just call for a general “cooking fat” in the recipe. QUICK TIP: Use a meat thermometer ✪In Essentials for Your Whole30 Kitchen, we recommended some kitchen tools and gadgets that will make cooking real food that much faster, easier, and more fun. One of the most valuable gadgets for the budding chef is a meat thermometer. There are all kinds of tricks for evaluating whether your meat and poultry are done cooking, like pressing on the flesh or using a kitchen timer. But tactile cues take time to learn, and your kitchen timer is probably the least accurate way to measure doneness, as cooking times will vary based on a variety of factors. A meat thermometer, on the other hand, tells you exactly when to pull your meat or seafood off the heat at just the right time—as long as you use it properly. First, insert the thermometer at the thickest part of the meat, away from any bones. If you’re cooking a whole turkey or chicken, place the thermometer in the inner thigh area (near the breast), but don’t push it against the bone. If it’s a thin cut of meat (like a burger), you can even insert the thermometer sideways! However, thermometers aren’t great for all protein sources, like ribs or flaky fish, so you’ll also want to practice your visual skills for evaluating meat and seafood doneness. Translation: cut into the meat and take a peek. We know, your food won’t look quite as pretty if there’s a big slice up the middle, but in the beginning, this is another fantastic way to evaluate whether your meat is actually ready. You’ll be able to gauge the perfect pinkness of a medium-rare burger, the glistening flake of a ready salmon fillet, and just the right shade of whiteness in the center of a chicken breast. Just remember that your meat, seafood, and eggs will continue to cook for a few minutes after you pull them off the heat, so grab that burger off the grill while it’s just this side of “too red”; by the time you let it rest, it’ll be perfect. QUICK TIP: Make sure all ingredients are Whole30-compliant ✪There are places in the book where we use ingredients like mustard, chicken broth, or hot sauce. Though we don’t specify this in the recipe itself, here is your friendly reminder to make sure all packaged foods used in your meals still fit the Whole30 guidelines. Read your labels! Make sure your hot sauce doesn’t include added sugar, your mustard doesn’t use wine or sulfites, and your chicken broth doesn’t include cornstarch or rice bran. We give you some tips for finding Whole30-compliant condiments in the “Can I Have?” section starting here, but finding compliant broth may be more challenging. Luckily, it’s super easy to make yourself—just follow our instructions. QUICK TIP: Create an “emergency backup plan” ✪There will be nights when you get home from work or school tired and cranky, and the idea of making dinner will seem overwhelming. You will want to call for pizza. You will want to eat popcorn and wine for dinner. You will be tempted to give up. You are not going out like that. After flipping through this book, come up with three emergency meals you could prep in under 15 minutes, using ingredients you always have on hand. Something like Perfect Scrambled Eggs, hot sauce, avocado, and whatever leftover veggies you have on hand. Or maybe the No-Fuss Salmon Cakes—you’ll always have canned salmon and sweet potato in your pantry, and if you’re out of green onion, it’s not a big deal. Maybe it’s the Protein Salad always waiting in your fridge, with a side of Roasted Sweet Potato. Or maybe it’s a frozen shrimp and frozen vegetable stir-fry drizzled with our Asian Vinaigrette. Now, write these meals down and stick the list on your refrigerator. Doesn’t that feel better already? The brain loves a plan. You feel stress when you’re faced with a situation that feels threatening and unfamiliar, with no plan to move through it. Writing down your emergency meals and knowing you’ll always have Good Food on hand is your plan. And now your brain can relax, and you don’t have to worry about bailing halfway through your Whole30 because you had a really bad day. You’re welcome. QUICK TIP: Feel free to have some fun ✪No, really. Cooking is fun! The kitchen is where you feel accomplished, get creative, be proud of the fact that you took these ingredients and made this meal and then got to eat it. Use our recipes as a jumping-off point, but if you notice that you like a lot more spice than we usually call for, feel like extra veggies make things more interesting, or want to road test your own creation based on what you’ve learned in our Kitchen Fundamentals section, go for it! You might mess some meals up. (We sure have. Rarely was anything inedible, though.) Your meals may turn out ugly, but taste delicious—still winning in our book. Your kitchen may look like a bomb went off after making something relatively simple. Don’t stress, because it gets easier. Remember, any new skill requires practice and dedication. You’ve got the dedication part down, because for the next 30 days, you’ve committed to eating real food three times a day. Now, just practice! Use the tips throughout this book (especially the clean-up section) to help you streamline the process, stick to the Kitchen Fundamentals section to build confidence, and recruit the help of family or friends to help make the chopping and washing go by faster. Okay, we’ve talked enough here. Time to eat! SHOPPING LISTS shopping list for omnivores Protein SEAFOOD BEST: wild-caught and sustainably fished BETTER: wild-caught and/or sustainable GOOD: farm-raised RUMINANTS (beef, buffalo, lamb, elk, venison, etc.) BEST: 100 percent grass-fed and organic BETTER: grass-fed and/or organic GOOD: lean, fat trimmed/drained EGGS BEST: pastured and organic BETTER: organic (omega-3 enriched optional) GOOD: store-bought POULTRY (chicken, turkey, duck, pheasant, etc.) BEST: pastured and organic BETTER: organic GOOD: store-bought, skin removed NON-RUMINANTS (pork, wild boar, rabbit, etc.) BEST: pastured and organic BETTER: organic GOOD: lean, fat trimmed/drained PROCESSED MEATS (bacon, sausage, deli meat, etc.) BEST: 100 percent grass-fed/pastured and organic BETTER: organic AVOID: those with added sugar, MSG, sulfites, or carrageenan Vegetables Acorn Squash Anise/Fennel Root Artichoke Arugula Asparagus Beets Bell Peppers Bok Choy Broccoli/Broccolini Broccoli Rabe Brussels Sprouts Buttercup Squash Butternut Squash Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Collard Cucumber Delicata Squash Eggplant Garlic Green Beans Greens (beet, mustard, turnip) Jalapeño Jicama Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce (all) Mushrooms (all) Okra Onions/Shallots Parsnips Potatoes (all) Pumpkin Radish Rutabaga Rhubarb Snow/Sugar Snap Peas Spaghetti Squash Spinach Sprouts Summer Squash Sweet Potato/Yams Swiss Chard Tomato Turnip Watercress Zucchini Fruit Apples (all varieties) Apricots Bananas Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Dates Exotic Fruit (star fruit, quince) Figs Grapefruit Grapes (green and red) Kiwi Lemon Lime Mango Melon Nectarines Oranges Papaya Peaches Pears (all varieties) Pineapple Plum Pomegranate Raspberries Strawberries Tangerines Watermelon LIMIT: Dried Fruit Fats BEST: Cooking Fats Animal Fats Clarified Butter/Ghee Coconut Oil Extra-Virgin Olive Oil BEST: Eating Fats Avocado Cashews Coconut Butter Coconut Meat/Flakes Coconut Milk (canned) Hazelnuts/Filberts Macadamia Nuts Macadamia Butter Olives (all) OCCASIONAL: Nuts & Seeds Almonds Almond Butter Brazil Nuts Pecans Pistachio LIMIT: nuts & seeds Flax Seeds Pine Nuts Pumpkin Seeds/Pepitas Sesame Seeds Sunflower Seeds Sunflower Seed Butter Walnuts Fresh herbs and spices Basil Bay Leaves Chives Cilantro Dill Ginger Root Lemongrass Oregano Parsley Rosemary Thyme Dried herbs and spices Allspice Black Pepper Black Peppercorns Cayenne Pepper Chili Powder Chipotle Powder Cinnamon Cumin Curry Powder (red and yellow) Dill Garlic Powder Ground Cloves Ground Ginger Mustard Powder Nutmeg Onion Powder Oregano Paprika Red Pepper Flakes Sage Salt Thyme Wasabi Powder Pantry items Apple Cider Vinegar Arrowroot Powder (used only in Holiday Meal) Balsamic Vinegar Beef Broth Canned Salmon Canned Tuna Capers Chicken Broth Dill Pickles Dried Cranberries (sweetened with apple juice) Hot Sauce Red Wine Vinegar Rice Vinegar Roasted Red Peppers Sesame Oil Sun-Dried Tomatoes Tomato Paste Tomatoes (crushed and diced) Vegetable Broth White Vinegar Beverages Apple Cider Club Soda Coconut Water Coffee Fruit Juice (orange, apple, pomegranate) Kombucha Mineral Water Naturally Flavored Water Seltzer Water Sparkling Water Tea (all varieties) Vegetable Juice Optional Almond Flour Canned Vegetables (sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin) Cocoa (100 percent cacao) Coconut Aminos Coconut Flour Fish Sauce Mustard Download this list at: www.whole30.com/pdf-downloads P MEAL TEMPLATE making healthy meals easy ractice good mealtime habits. Eat meals at the table in a relaxed fashion. Do not allow distractions like TV, phone, or email while you are eating. Chew slowly and thoroughly, don’t gulp. Take the time to enjoy the delicious, healthy food you have prepared! Meals Eat three meals a day, starting with a good breakfast. Base each meal around 1 to 2 palm-sized protein sources. Fill the rest of your plate with vegetables. Occasionally add a serving of fruit. Add fat in the following recommended amounts per meal: ALL OILS AND COOKING FATS (olive oil, animal fats, etc.): 1 to 2 thumb-sized portions ALL BUTTERS (ghee, coconut butter, nut butters, etc.): 1 to 2 thumb-sized portions COCONUT (shredded or flaked): 1 to 2 open (heaping) handfuls OLIVES: 1 to 2 open (heaping) handfuls NUTS AND SEEDS: Up to one closed handful AVOCADO: ½ to 1 avocado COCONUT MILK: Between ¼ and ½ of one (14-ounce) can Make each meal large enough to satisfy you until the next meal—don’t snack, if you can help it. Stop eating a few hours before bed. Pre-workout Eat 15 to 75 minutes pre-workout, as a signal to prepare your body for activity. If you train first thing in the morning, something is better than nothing. Choose foods that are easily digestible and palatable. This is the most variable factor in our template, so experiment with different foods, quantities, and timing. Include a small amount of protein (half a meal size or smaller), and (optionally) a small amount of fat (half a meal size or smaller). Do not add fruit or carb-dense vegetables to your pre-workout snack. Post-workout Eat immediately following exercise (15 to 30 minutes). Eat a meal-sized easily digestible protein, plus the appropriate amount of carb-dense vegetables based on the Carb Curve in It Starts With Food. Do not use fruit as your primary post-workout carb, and add little to no fat. Examples of carb-dense vegetables appropriate for post-workout include sweet potatoes/yams, taro/poi, butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, or beets. Note, your PWO meal is a special bonus meal—not meant to replace breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Think of it as a necessary source of additional calories and nutrients, designed to help you recover faster and more efficiently from high intensity exercise.
