Strawberry, Watermelon, & Lime Cooler

STRAWBERRY, WATERMELON, & LIME COOLER

Printable Recipe

• 2 cup watermelon cubes, frozen 
• 3-4 strawberries, sliced 
• 1/2 lime, juiced 
• 1/4 cup water or coconut water 

1. Place watermelon, strawberry, lime, & water in a blender. 

2. Blend on high until mixture is smooth. If you want the texture thin, add more water, if you want it thicker, add some crushed ice & blend more.

 Pour Final Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

  Living alone I could never finish a whole watermelon so I would always cut & freeze pieces for smoothies. Now that I am on Whole30 I figured it would be a great time bring these back for the summer. 

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

  This recipe can be modified in so many ways. You can add a bit of honey for sweetness. If you don't like strawberries you can use pineapple, apple, mango, just watermelon, etc.

Herb & Oil Tilapia

HERB & OIL TILAPIA

Printable Recipe 

• 2 - 4 Tilapia or dover sole fillets 
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil  
• 5-10 basil leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme 
• 3-4 carrots, peeled & sliced
• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika  
• Salt & Pepper

 1. Crush herbs with 1/2 teaspoon of salt & pepper, in a mortar or using a fork in a small dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the crushed herbs & set aside for later.

 2. Coat the top side of each fillet evenly with salt, pepper, & paprika.

 3. Heat olive oil on medium-high in a large nonstick pan. When oil is hot, but not producing smoke, add the fish. Brown both sides of the filet, cooking through is not needed here.

4. Remove fish from pan & lay on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place in the oven at 350 degrees to cook through & stay warm until veggies are done.

5. Wash & clean out the oil from the pan & place back on the stove. Add olive oil to the pan to saute the veggies. When oil is warm add garlic, zucchini, & carrots, sear both sides. Season with salt & pepper. Toss veggies every minute or so until they are fully cooked.

6. Plate the veggies & lay fish on top, then drizzle the herb oil over the dish.

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I have never been a big fan of tilapia or sole because of its lack of flavor. This is a very flavorful light dish & that has many modification options. This is a recreation of a dish I found on Food52

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

  This recipe is already Whole30/Paleo compliant. You can you any veggie you like as the base. Also, you can dredge the fish in coconut or almond flour for a more crispy fried fish.

Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip

SANTA MARIA STYLE TRI-TIP

Printable Recipe

• 1 Tri-tip (2-4 lbs)

Dry Rub (for up to a 4 lb tri-tip) 

• 1 Tablespoon salt 
• 1 Tablespoon pepper 
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder 
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dry rosemary 
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dry oregano, sage, or thyme. (I used oregano) 

1. Finely chop all fresh herbs & mix all ingredients in a small bowl. 

2. Place tri-tip in a deep dish & coat meat evenly with dry rub mix. Cover dish with foil & let the tri-tip rest at room temperature for 45-60 minutes.

3.  Lightly oil BBQ grates, then turn BBQ on medium high heat for a few minutes. When grill is ready place tri-tip at a 45 degree angle & allow the roast to sit for 2-3 minutes or until nice grill marks form, turn tri-tip & do the same of the other side. When grill marks are set, set BBQ to medium-low heat, move tri-tip over so it is not directly over flames. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until tri-tip reaches your desired doneness.

 **Grill Tip** make sure to watch tri-tip very closely during this time as the fat from this roast can fall into the flame & cause major flames or a grease fire. Cook with caution! 

4. When done, place tri-tip on a plate or cutting board, cover with foil & let rest for 5-7 minutes to allow juiced to collect. Cut tri-tip in 1/4 inch slices at an angle.

Plate Finished Product 

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I love tri-tip & I love to grill so this dish is the best of both worlds. I used a modification of a Santa Maria Tri-tip recipe I received from a friends BBQ. This is a perfect summer BBQ dish & pairs well with many of the side on my blog. 

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

  This recipe does not need any modifications to be whole30/Paleo compliant. I was 100% satisfied with the final product. If you want more of a kick you can add some red pepper flakes or more cayenne pepper.

Butternut Squash & Couscous Salad

   BUTTERNUT SQUASH & COUSCOUS SALAD
Printable Recipe

•  2 Cups couscous or quinoa, cooked
• 1 Butternut squash, peeled & diced
• 3/4 Cup baby spinach 
• 1/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
• Salt & Pepper 

1. To dice butternut squash remove skin & cut into small-medium cubes.  

2. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil & a dust of salt. Spread the squash evenly on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake on the top rack at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until it's soft. If quinoa is not precooked follow the directions & cook it while squash is cooking.

3. In small bowl whisk the dressing: lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, honey, lemon rind, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon mix of salt, & pepper. 

5. In a large add spinach & when squash & couscous are ready, add them while warm into the spinach mixture & slowly toss to gently wilt the spinach. Slowly add dressing into the salad & toss till the mixture is evenly coated

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

Roasted butternut squash has become one of my new favorite side dishes. It is full of flavor & has a wonderful texture when baked. This dish was created with some leftover couscous I had from a previous meal. It turned out to be the star of dinner.

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

This recipe can be modified to your food needs. If you want to make this a Paleo approved, Whole30, or Gluten Free dish, you can replace the couscous with cauliflower rice & for whole30 remove the honey. I also love quinoa so that is another replacement option but not whole30 approved. Other great additions to this dish would be slivered almonds or some dried currants or cranberries.