Fresh Tomato Basil Vinaigrette (Paleo, Whole30)

Summer, summer, summer time.

Time to sit back and unwind.

Just a bit of a break from the norm (were you singing along?) with this tomato basil vinaigrette. Fresh summer tomatoes are one of my favorite things. Juicy. Sweet. With just a sprinkle of salt. And lately, as a vinaigrette. With basil, of course. Because tomatoes and basil just belong together.

If you like tomatoes, I think you will love this vinaigrette.

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri (Paleo, Autoimmune, Whole30)

So...I love a good steak. Cauliflower steak, of course.

I'm kidding. I actually really, really love a good steak. But a steak is rare around here. (Actually, I take mine medium.) Steak is really not in my budget unless I catch a good deal. So today, we are replacing beef steaks with cauliflower steaks. They are really good and I love the way they look on a plate. Serve them along side some crispy chicken thighs (if you choose to eat meat, of course).

The best part about cauliflower steaks -- much less mess. Am I the only one that cuts a cauliflower into florets and finds tiny pieces all over the kitchen for a week?  How do they get across the room like that?

Making Mayo by Hand with Recipe for Coconut-Ghee Mayonnaise (plus tips for broken mayo)

The first time I made mayonnaise, it was a disaster. I tried to use the immersion blender method that so many others love. It didn't work for me. I'll never use an immersion blender again (for mayo). [Update: I finally purchased a Cuisinart immersion blender and it works beautifully for mayo!] So...after many, many months, I decided to try again. This time I wasn't going to take my chances with any blender method (my regular bender and food processor don't have the option to pour in the top so they won't work anyway), so I decided to pull out the big guns. My big guns, of course.

Hand-beaten mayonnaise.

Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)

A simple dipping sauce made with roasted red peppers, garlic, onion, and spices. Try it with my Crispy Grain-free Zucchini Coins.


Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce

makes about 1/2 cup

What you need:

1 red bell pepper, roasted (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 medium onion, diced (or 1/4 tsp onion powder)
1-2 cloves garlic (I use 2)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
small handful fresh parsley
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
pinch black pepper
2-4 tbsp chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
1/4 cup coconut milk (more to taste)

How to make:

To roast red peppers (make extra and freeze them), check out this tutorial with four different methods for roasting. (I roasted mine on the grill.) If you don't want to roast peppers, you can use jarred roasted red peppers. Process all ingredients, except for coconut milk, in a food processor until smooth. Heat over low heat and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes. After simmering, mix in coconut milk. Serve warm or cold (I serve it warm).

Alternatively, you can cook diced onions in a saucepan until soft and translucent. Then process all ingredients except for the broth until smooth. (If you use onion powder instead, just process all ingredients.) Serve warm or cold.

*For best taste, I recommend simmering the sauce.


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Homemade Tangy Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

My freezer is full of barbecue sauce and your Google search for BBQ sauce gets that much harder...

I hesitated to post a BBQ sauce recipe...well, because there are plenty of them. And people can be very particular about their barbecue sauce. But here you go. I figured after posting these Double Bacon BBQ Burgers that I had to post a BBQ sauce (I actually made the burgers because I was testing this sauce and needed something to use it for). I couldn't just leave you in the grocery aisle alone, searching through the hundreds of bottles of barbecue sauce. High fructose corn syrup. Corn starch. Corn syrup. Caramel color. Modified food starch (what, the what?). You get the point. One bottle I read was a special family, contest-winning, recipe. And the first ingredient -- high fructose corn syrup. 

Pan-fried Salmon with a Creamy Meyer Lemon Avocado Dressing (egg/dairy-free)

Since I did the Whole30® with autoimmune protocol which eliminates things like nuts, nightshades, and eggs, I've gained greater compassion for those that can't eat eggs. I've been enjoying finding new ways to eat certain foods without eggs, even though I am eating them again. And since I'm obsessed with avocado, it seems like the best option for replacing a creamy element, especially mayo (like in these salmon cakes and remoulade). So for a creamy dressing...well, why not?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Finally. I know I teased you for far too long. I really didn't think that many people cared about Brussels sprouts (Did you catch my rant about that "s" in Brussels sprout? Still can't say it.) But that molten brownie was worth it, right? Did you try it?

It took me a long time to come around and try Brussels sprouts as an adult. I don't know if I ate them as a kid, but if I did, I can guarantee they were boiled or some other way to make sprouts not-at-all appetizing. (No offense, Mom.) Oven or pan roasted is definitely the way to go when learning to love Brussels sprouts. I'm a big fan of roasting them in the oven. It's quick and easy and really hard to mess up. If you don't like Brussels sprouts -- though you can't say that until you've had them roasted and you've tried them at least 10 times -- then stick around and make the vinaigrette. It's great on a salad as well. (And yes, you can use a regular lemon.)

Cilantro-Lime Avocado Dip (Paleo, Autoimmune Protocol, Whole30)

This avocado dip is from my Salmon Cake post. See Salmon/Crab cake post here.

 I like to serve my crab cakes with some kind of sauce. I don't really like tartar sauce, so I wanted to make something like a remoulade or aioli. No mayo? No problem. Avocado saves the day again. Can you tell how much I looooove avocado? As for the cilantro, I love that too. And since I threw some seeds in the ground, not expecting much, my tiny garden is overflowing with cilantro.