Dump Ranch

1 egg
1 cup "light" olive oil
1 Tbls lemon juice
2 Tbls red wine vinegar
1 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 c. full fat canned coconut milk
1 handful fresh herb of choice (I like dill)

Blend with an immersion blender in a wide mouth mason jar for approximately one minute! Start with the immersion blender at the bottom of your jar working your way up to the top, don’t start moving your blender upwards until you see it thickening up. Also, don’t start incorporating your fresh herbs until the last 15 seconds or it will turn your ranch green..

Store in fridge and use within 7 days. 

Cashew Chocolate Milk

28 oz water
Heaping 1/3 cup cashews
1 1/2 Tbsp cacao powder (raw cocoa)
Dash of salt
6 dates pitted
1 tsp vanilla
Small sprinkle of cinnamon (very small)

Blend until well incorporated. Then add 2 cups of ice. Blend again until ice has no more chunks.

Enjoy! Can have hot as well.

(The original recipe called for honey but I used an additional date instead).

I didn’t have time to post it on the blog tonight. I will later
You can also add nutmeg or pumpkin spice!

Creamy Chicken Soup

4 Chicken breasts
4 c. chicken broth + 1 tsp chicken base
1/2 med yellow onion - diced
5 carrots peeled and cut into thick slices
3 celery stalks cut into slices
4 med potatoes peeled and cut in bite size pieces
1/4 c butter (eliminate for Whole 30 or use Ghee)
1/4 c. non-grain based flour (coconut, cassava, tapioca)
1 can coconut milk
salt and pepper

Pressure cook the chicken with 1 1/2 c of water on Poultry setting and shred into bite sized pieces.  Set aside.  Clean InstantPot - Saute onion in a small amount of avocado oil.  Add remaining ingredients except for flour and milk.  Add chicken and simmer until potatoes, carrots and celery are tender.  30 minutes before serving add coconut milk mixed with flour to soup.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad

 By Angela Liddon

This is a delicious, creamy vegan Caesar salad that will wow any crowd! Everyone who’s tried it goes absolutely nuts over it, and it’s my most popular salad recipe on the blog. To take it over the top, I garnish the salad with a generous amount of crunchy Roasted Chickpea Croutons and a delectable Nut and Seed Parmesan Cheese for the ultimate vegan Caesar salad. The dressing recipe easily doubles for a larger group and it’ll keep in the fridge in a sealed container for a few days so you can make it in advance. Dressing adapted from My Vega.

Ingredients:

For the Roasted Chickpea Croutons:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

For the Caesar Dressing (makes 3/4-1 cup):

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small garlic clove (you can add another if you like it super potent)
1/2 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (I use Wizard's gluten-free brand)
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt and pepper, or to taste

For the Nut and Seed Parmesan Cheese: (Read instructions before making this!)

1/3 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder fine grain sea salt, to taste

For the lettuce:

1 small/medium bunch lacinato kale, de-stemmed (5 cups chopped)
2 small heads romaine lettuce (10 cups chopped)

Directions:
1. Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight, or for at least a few hours. Drain and rinse.
2. Roast chickpea croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a tea towel and rub dry (it's okay if some skins fall off). Place onto large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle on oil and roll around to coat. Sprinkle on the garlic powder, salt, and optional cayenne. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes at 400°F, then gently roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet. Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. They will firm up as they cool.
3. Prepare the dressing: Add the cashews and all other dressing ingredients (except salt) into a high-speed blender, and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. You can add a splash of water if necessary to get it blending. Add salt to taste and adjust other seasonings, if desired. Set aside.
4. Prepare the Parmesan cheese: Add cashews and garlic into a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined. Salt to taste.
5. Prepare the lettuce: De-stem the kale and then finely chop the leaves. Wash and dry in a salad spinner. Place into extra large bowl. Chop up the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and then spin dry. Place into bowl along with kale. You should have roughly 5 cups chopped kale and 10 cups chopped romaine. 6. Assemble: Add dressing onto lettuce and toss until fully coated. Season with a pinch of salt and mix again. Now sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Nutrition Information ＋ Tips: Be sure to check the label to ensure your Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free (if necessary) as not many are. I use Wizard`s Gluten-Free Organic Worcestershire Sauce. The dressing thickens when chilled, so be sure to leave it at room temperature to soften before using.

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes

4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. almond butter
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
2 tbsp honey (2 softened and pureed medjool dates for Whole 30)
1/4 cup almond milk or coconut milk (or more for thinner batter)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. coconut flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:  Preheat a griddle or medium saute pan to medium heat.  Brush generously with coconut oil.  Place all wet ingredients in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until all ingredients are combined.  Add remaining dry ingredients and beat until smooth.  Allow batter to sit for a few minutes and then beat again for 30 seconds until thickened.

Pour 1/8 ciup of batter for each pancake into the hot pan.  Cook until edges start to lift and brown, about 30 seconds.  Gently flip over.  Continue to cook for an additional 15 to 30 seconds until firm and lightly browned on each side.  Top with pure maple syrup (unless doing Whole 30) and whipped coconut cream if desired.

Strawberry Vinaigrette

1/2 lb. fresh strawberries
2 tbsp. honey (or more to taste if your berries aren't very sweet) For Whole 30 - use 2 Medjool Dates softened by soaking in water
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground, black pepper

Blend until smooth.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

1 cup packed chopped cilantro
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
pinch minced garlic

Blend with immersion blender.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup avocado oil (or other light flavored oil)
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup honey (or to taste) (Try 2 or 3 medjool dates -remove pit - soaked in water to soften then drain for Whole 30)
1 teaspoon prepared dijon mustard
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or to taste)
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Store in air-tight container for up to 2 weeks (give or take).

Coconut Green Chile Chicken Soup

2 pounds organic chicken breasts or thighs
6 carrots, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 medium white onion, diced
1 cup diced mild green chiles
1 qt. chicken stock + 1 tsp. chicken base
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black paper
2 to 3 tbsp. coconut flour
1 cup coconut milk or coconut cream
cilantro, for serving
lime, for serving

Instructions:

1.  Cook chicken in InstantPot with 1 1/2 cups water - Poultry setting; slow release.  Remove from pot and cut and gently shred in bit size pieces. Set aside.  Clean InstantPot.
2.  Saute onion and carrots with a small amount of avocado or coconut oil until carrots are slightly tender.
3.  Add the chicken, diced green chiles, chicken stock, garlic, salt, cumin and black pepper to the pot.
4.  Simmer for about 30 minutes or more and about 10 minutes before serving - stir in the coconut milk or cream and the coconut flour (mix the flour with the milk first).  The coconut flour will help thicken the soup just a little.
5.  Salt to taste and adjust as needed.
6.  Garnish with fresh cilantro and a splash of lime juice.

Recipe adapted from: Jessica Espinoza @ Delicious Obsessions

Chicken with Apples & Rosemary

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs to cover roaster pan
3 Apples (or more if you like), peeled and sliced thin
2 White Onions sliced in wedges
Fresh Rosemary (de-stemmed) enough to generously sprinkle over chicken
Sea salt and pepper

Cover the bottom of the roaster pan or casserole dish with Avocado Oil and place chicken thighs close to each other on the bottom.  Distribute sliced apples, onion wedges evenly and rosemary evenly over chicken.  Salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered 350 degrees until chicken is done and apples and onions are soft.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

1 1/2 pounds (5 or 6 thin sliced chicken breasts)
1 large Vidalia onion (Sweet)
5 large carrots, chopped
3 cups shredded chard or other greens (I used chard)
1 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
1 1/2 lemon or lime, juiced
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
3/4 tbsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
1 1/2 cans coconut milk or coconut cream
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 tsp chicken base (mixed with chicken stock)
sea salt to taste

Instructions:
1.  Place chicken in InstantPot with 1 1/2 cups of water and pressure on poultry setting. Let pressure release on own.  Remove chicken and lightly cut and shred into large bite sized pieces.  Clean out InstantPot.
2.  Add to InstantPot: chopped Vidalia onion, carrots and garlic - saute for about 5 minutes.
3.  Add ginger, chicken stock, chicken base and the shredded chicken and simmer for simmer until carrots are tender - about 20 minutes.
4.  Add the chopped chard, cilantro, lemon juice, green onions and coconut milk.
5.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.
6.  Add sea salt to taste.
Serve

Note: Adjust ginger and red pepper flakes to taste - I tried 2 tbsp ginger and 1 tbsp red pepper and it was too spicy for my kids - but I liked it!

Adapted from: Jessica Espinoza @ Delicious Obsessions

Cashew Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
1 tsp. fresh ginger grated
1/2 of an onion, minced
2 tbsp. cashew butter
2 tbsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. red Thai curry paste
1 (14 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp. honey (eliminate for Whole 30)
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used 1/2 tsp)

For the curry:
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts or thighs, boneless and skinless
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp. fresh Thai basil (or 1/2 tbsp. dried)
1/2 of a red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Optional for serving: Vegetables, lime juice, Basmati rice or use cauliflower rice for Whole 30.

Directions:
1.  Combine all sauce ingredients and mix well.  Please the chicken in the slow cooker, then pour sauce over it.  Add the remaining ingredients except for the cabbage.  Cook on Low for about 5 1/2 to 6 hours and add the cabbage during the last 30 minutes.

From: Slow Cooker Meals Made Simple by Katie Bramlett

Butternut Squash Soup - WHOLE 30

6 slices Whole 30 approved bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 cups butternut squash, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 apples, diced
1 leek, rinsed well and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh sage
1 tsp. fresh thyme
2 cups chicken stock (or more if needed)
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 T chicken base

Optional for serving: Fresh chives, chopped

Directions:
1.  Put the squash, apples, carrots, leek, garlic, stock, chicken base and herbs in InstantPot and pressure cook for 6 minutes.  Release steam.
2.  Using immersion blender - blend until smooth.
3.  Add coconut milk and additional stock if a thinner consistency is desired.
4.  Add salt and pepper - or more to taste.
5.  Serve with chopped bacon and chives.

*Recipe adapted from Slow Cooker Meals Made Simple by Katie Bramlett