Baked Potato Fries

Since I started Whole 30 potatoes have been my best friend. We don't have them everyday but probably more than we should... I truly just go by the way my body feels and as long as the scale is going down, not up, then I figure I'm fine, HAHA! In particular, potato fries have been my go to because they are easy, delicious and versatile. I have made them A LOT and in all different forms! I have discovered that this is my favorite recipe. It's simple and yummy and goes with everything. The frustrating thing is that when I make up my own recipes I rarely measure. I am sorry in advance and I am working on this so that you guys have exact measurements. I know I rely on measurements a lot when cooking a new recipe that isn't mine.

Anyway, I have tried cooking these with a silicone baking mat and parchment paper. I expected the baking mat to have better results but actually the parchment paper got the fries crispier. I will have to test this theory a few more times before it's conclusive though. Also, I prefer my fries a bit more "shoestring" style so I cut the potato length wise into about 4 strips then I cut smaller strips out of each piece, length wise. I know that sounds confusing but I will post photos. Without further ado, the yummiest baked potato fries ever!

Baked Potato Fries

2 Russet Potatoes
Olive Oil
TLC House Seasoning, if you don't have this seasoning then you can use sea salt or a combo of sea salt and garlic powder. I highly recommend the seasoning though as it's perfection!
Paprika

Preheat oven to 425* and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Cut potatoes into strips to form fries. Put fries into a bowl or large zip lock bag and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on them and shake them around (You don't want too much olive oil or the fries won't crisp up). Then sprinkle a generous amount of House Seasoning and Paprika and shake again until covered. Spread on your baking sheet and cook 35-45 minutes, depending on how thick you cut your fries. Serve on the side of any dish! I also have an easy yummy recipe for Brussels Sprouts that I served with it.
Enjoy!

**Note:You do not need to use the Tiny Little Chef Seasonings but I highly recommend them! Not only are they delicious and a staple in my cooking but are handcrafted, all natural, dairy free, sugar free and little to no sodium. They were made by Christy, a certified nutritionist and professional chef who I have become good friends with on my journey through Whole 30. She also was kind enough to give my readers 20% of + free shipping when you use the code NATALIE at checkout. Just visit tlcseasonings.com and check it out! 

Perfect Blackened Chicken Thighs

I am not normally the type of person to throw a meal together because I am a textbook procrastinator and excuse maker. I will wait until the last minute then decide there isn't enough time and I end up with fast food in front of face, only to end up sick and depressed later! I have been desperately trying to improve this imperfection in my life and last night was one of the small victories!

That victory is called Perfect Blackened Chicken!

I threw this meal together when I realized the chicken thighs I was supposed to use for Coconut Chicken Curry was going to go bad and I didn't have time to make the curry. I am kinda glad I tanked on that task because now I have found a staple meal in my home! The outside was crispy and the inside was juicy and the whole thing was so full of flavor I was literally "ooooh and awww-ing" all through dinner.

First brine the chicken in salt water for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 400*. Then rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Move the chicken to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and rub it in ghee all over chicken. Replace chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle generously with TLC House Seasoning and Blackened Seasoning. Bake for 40 min. That's it! Super easy! I served it with cauliflower and broccoli that was tossed in Olive Oil and TLC House Seasoning and cooked right alongside the chicken. Perfect healthy meal! Enjoy!

**Note:You do not need to use the Tiny Little Chef Seasonings but I highly recommend them! Not only are they delicious and a staple in my cooking but are handcrafted, all natural, dairy free, sugar free and little to no sodium. They were made by Christy, a certified nutritionist and professional chef who I have become good friends with on my journey through Whole 30. She also was kind enough to give my readers 20% of + free shipping when you use the code NATALIE at checkout. Just visit tlcseasonings.com.

Perfect Blackened Chicken

*5-6 skinless boneless chicken thighs
*1 TBS ghee (my favorite brand)
*TLC House Seasoning
*TLC Blackened Seasoning

Brine:
*4 cups water, lukewarm
*1/4 cup salt

Preheat oven to 400*. While oven preheats put lukewarm water into a big bowl and dissolve salt into it, add chicken and let sit 15 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry. Rub ghee all over chicken and replace to sheet. Lightly sprinkle house seasoning then a generous sprinkle of blackened seasoning covering the top of the chicken thighs. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Easy, perfectly crisp and juicy chicken thighs! Serve with a salad, roasted veggies (suggestion above) or potato fries (recipe soon).

Sausage Gravy and Potatoes

I love this recipe! It is super yummy and pretty easy. It's filling and total comfort food made healthy! The sausage gravy recipe is from Jay's Baking Me Crazy, but the potatoes are easier. The recipe calls for making your own potatoes but I am too lazy so I buy the frozen cubed potatoes and pan fry them up in a skillet. All you do is sprinkle them generously with Tiny Little Chef's House Seasoning. I feel like the gravy is yummy but doesn't have a ton of flavor so when you season the potatoes with the House Seasoning it's perfection! She is also offering my readers 20% off + free shipping when you use code NATALIE at checkout.
My suggestions on the recipe are to make sure you use a LARGE skillet for the gravy! I used a medium and by the time I made the gravy, after cooking the sausage, the pan was so hot it immediately burned all my ingredients and I had to start over with the gravy. Kinda a pain. I would even take the pan off the heat for a minute and let it come back to warm before starting on the gravy, after removing the sausage. Other than that it turned out great and delicious! The link for the recipe is above. Enjoy!

Whole Slow Cooker Freezer Meals

It has been requested that I post my source for Whole 30 freezer meals. I would actually say it's more of a main dish than a meal because you still have to prepare a side most of the time, its easy though. I will also say that I DO get bored of Crockpot meals so I switch it up and cook a couple fresh meals in between these freezer meals. I do not eat this way all the time, mostly just when I am on a strict round and I need it to be fool proof. I usually cook fresh meals with a freezer meal thrown in here and there. This is a total fail safe though!! Especially if you haven't done Whole 30 before. This is the way I started out and it got me on track and through the first 2 weeks which was the hardest. Then I made a few fresh meals and got right back on track with freezer meals, so really it got me through the first 30 days! Then after that I was in love with the lifestyle and had Tigers Blood and felt like I wanted to take on the world! Now I have a good balance in my life and I really feel like I couldn't have done it without these meals.

A few thoughts or suggestions come to mind. First is that after 6 months of eating these freezer meals I am sick of them. Haha! I do feel like most of them needed more flavor so keep that in mind when prepping them. Second, they take up a lot of space so don't get ahead of yourself and prep all 30! I usually keep 5 meals in my freezer at a time and prep more when I need them, which is usually about 2-3 weeks later. I did prep 2 weeks worth when I started and I did make it work but it was like chiseling stone trying to get them out! It does help if you put parchment paper between the bags though. Third, I would definitely cook the ground beef before putting it into the bag and in the freezer. It was fine and didn't bother me too bad to throw it into the slow cooker but the texture and flavor is definitely better when you brown the meal first and let it cool bit before adding it to the meal and freezing it. It's an extra step but not a big deal when your already prepping, it can just cook while you prep other meals. Lastly, I have gotten in the habit of finding regular recipes and making them Whole 30 or just making up my own based on all the others I have tried and kinda perfected.  I will post my own freezer meals in a few weeks when I get them put together, it's a nice break from these. 

Now without further ado, just click the link for THE ULTIMATE WHOLE 30 SLOW COOKER FREEZER MEAL PLAN! Enjoy and good luck! 

Tuscan Chicken!!!

The title has three exclamation points for a reason! It's freaking delicious and I am practically begging you to make it because IT. WILL. NOT. DISAPPOINT.

As you have already probably worked out for yourself, yes, it is Whole 30 approved and scrumptiously healthy! This was originally called Tuscan Butter Chicken but it wasn't totally appropriate as it's actually ghee that is used, not butter, since it's not W30 compliant. If you have never tried ghee I recommend this brand because it is finger licking good. I don't even miss butter one bit. If you are not doing a Whole 30/ Paleo diet than you can use butter of course. I have made this a few times and once with salmon which was just as yummy. It is good as is or served over rice, cauliflower rice, carrot noodles or even potatoes. When I serve it with rice or carrot noodles, etc... I like to double the sauce so it will drizzle down onto it.  Now for the creamy deliciousness...

Tuscan Chicken

4 chicken breasts
2 Tbs olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh cracked pepper
3 Tbs Ghee
3 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup - 1 cup coconut milk (depending on how much sauce you want)
1/4 cup fresh basil

In a large pan heat olive oil in pan on medium low until shimmery. While it heats up salt and pepper your chicken breasts on both sides. Cook for 9 minutes on first side then flip and cook for an additional 5, remove chicken and set aside.

Add butter to pan and cook until melted, stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes then stir in spinach, generously sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Stir in coconut milk and most of the basil, let simmer for a 2 minutes then add chicken back to the pan and simmer for an additional minute. Sprinkle the remaining basil on top then serve! Let me know how much you loved it!

Portabello Ranch Burgers with Mexi Fries

Tonight's dinner was amaze-balls!

I usually make Ranch burgers with lettuce wraps but I thought I would give mushrooms a shot. It was actually a lot easier than I anticipated (just throw the mushrooms in the oven for 10 minutes) and delicious! Granted, my plate was a sopping wet mess once I was finished but worth it! To be honest there is no true recipe for dinner but I will tell you how I threw it together anyway, which is kinda better actually cuz you can see how easy it is to eat a scrumptious, healthy meal!

I start with two russet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into thin strips. I like mine pretty thin actually so these fries were bigger than normal and didn't crunch up as much so... next time I will do them right! Spread them on a pan with parchment paper so they don't stick, spray some olive oil and toss them lightly. Here is the fun part! You can make them whatever flavor you want but I just got my new TLC Taco Seasoning in the mail yesterday and I reaaally wanted to try it so I opted for mexi fries! They were delish by the way! Then you cook the fries at 400 degrees for about 35-40 minutes depending on your oven and how crunchy you like them.

While that is baking I cook my burgers with TLC House Seasoning (didn't I tell you this stuff was a staple in my house!?),  slice up some avocado and make some chili lime dipping sauce for the fries. I make this with my homemade Whole 30 mayo (in a previous post), a pinch of cilantro and a dash of TLC Chaco's Chili Lime Seasoning and mix it all up! When the fries have 10-15 minutes left I add the portabello mushrooms, top side down, to soften up. Once that is finished you put the patty on the mushrooms as a bun with some avocado slices and dump ranch (a delicious homemade and compliant ranch dressing that must go on EVERYTHING! Seriously, you need to go make it. Now. Wait! Not RIGHT now...). Serve with a pile of mexi fries and chili lime sauce! Voila! A mouth watering, healthy meal that leaves you satisfied!

**Note:You do not need to use the Tiny Little Chef Seasonings but I highly recommend them! Not only are they delicious and a staple in my cooking but are handcrafted, all natural, dairy free, sugar free and little to no sodium. They were made by Christy, a certified nutritionist and professional chef who I have become good friends with on my journey through Whole 30. She also was kind enough to give my readers 20% of + free shipping when you use the code NATALIE at checkout. Just visit tlcseasonings.com and check it out! She has a ton of seasonings but some of them are only offered seasonally. Like the Taco Seasoning is only around for summer. She made a big batch and once it sells out it is gone til next year and last time I spoke to her she told me that already half were gone! So I recommend you hurry over there! 

So, what DO you eat?

First let me preface this by saying I eat about 90% Paleo and Whole 30. Why? Because that is what works for me! Everyone is different and their bodies react to foods in different ways. I have noticed when I eat too much gluten or sodium I bloat like I'm 6 months pregnant! If I eat a bite of ice cream I am in the bathroom all night, sorry for the image, but it's true!

Therefore, people are always confused by what I eat so when I try to explain that I don't eat dairy, gluten, most grains, sugar or legumes (again, most the time on legumes) they say, "so what do you eat???".  Good question. Allow me to enlighten you...

Let me start by saying when you have a sensitivity or allergy to something it makes it a whole lot easier! Let me tell you! You don't really want to indulge in that stack of pancakes if you're going to be in pain after. Sometimes you get a momentary lapse of judgement, especially when you haven't had it in so long you forget what aliens in your stomach feel like. Most of the time my family eats Paleo or Whole 30 but like I have mentioned before we do indulge when we are at family gatherings or special events as long as we know it won't make us sick. Because the whole point of the "diet" is to eliminate these foods then add them back in slowly to see if your body reacts and if it does you know your body doesn't handle it well.

Anyway, I started off Whole 30 with freezer meals, everyday. It got old super quick but it was a great way to get a kick start! It was also fool proof because your meal was ready to go in the evening and you had no excuse. They were actually decent but the texture of Crockpot meals is kinda unique and after like the 7th straight day of dinner and leftover lunches you get really gaggy. Yes, I said it. **gagg**. Once I got the hang of Whole 30 and I wasn't so overwhelmed anymore I started experimenting and making new meals from Pinterest and my Whole 30 Facebook group. I was making some awesome, easy and healthy meals that made me realize I didn't miss the way I used to eat at all and that I was in fact loving this way of life AND the meals! I love the energy and the I do NOT miss the 34lbs I dropped. Now we pretty much cook fresh meals with freezer meals between and that has been a good system for us. I truly do also notice that when I stop eating so well, like I get in a bit of a rut of crap food because of busy schedules or vacations that I lose my energy, I sleep worse, I'm lazy and super bloated. Basically I just feel like crap because you are what you eat.

Well, my rant is over. I just wanted you to know that once I started eating this way I realized you can have amazing healthy meals that taste really, really GOOD! I crave my Whole 30 recipes, for reals. Even when I make compliant recipes for parties and sneak them on my unsuspecting victims, I always get rave reviews! Plus, there are some super simple recipes too that don't make you feel like you spent an hour in the kitchen or that you're missing out on something better. THIS BLOG is where I will post my staples, must haves, and delicious recipes so you won't feel deprived when making a choice to eat better and improve your life. I LOVE food so the fact that I can do this means it's worth a shot!