Whole30 Day 17: Carnitas Fries

Absolutely delicious!!!

Ingredients:

• 12oz pkg fully cooked carnitas - or make your own! - I used Trader Joe's Traditional Carnitas
• 2 lbs sweet potatos, cut into fries sticks or put them through a spiralizer for curly fries
• 8oz pico de gallo or chop your own tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro
• guacamole

Directions:

1. toss sweet potato fries with evoo and season to taste
2. bake at 450˚F for about 20 min.  
3. if using packaged carnitas, heat according to directions
4. when fries are done, top with carnitas, pico de gallo, and guacamole

Whole30 Day 5: Spaghetti Pie

This recipe is similar to one I posted last year, Pepperoni Pizza Casserole.  But PaleOMG's recipe is just different enough it made me want to try hers instead of mine.  Plus, PaleOMG's version is straight-up whole30 compliant. But I'm topping mine with non-compliant pepperoni slices as inspired by From Here To Health.

Photo: From Here To Health

Almost 5-Ingredient Pizza Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 lb italian sausage
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup pizza sauce (no sugar added)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 eggs, whisked
• (optional: add anything you like with pizza: veggies, basil, even cheese if you do primal)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the skin of the squash gives when you press on it. Then, remove squash from oven and reduce temp to 350˚F.
3. Once squash is done cooking, remove threads and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Place a large pan over medium heat. Add italian sausage and onion. Cook until pink no longer remains in the sausage and it is broken up into pieces.
5. Add pizza sauce, dried basil and salt and pepper to the pan and mix well.
6. Add sausage mixture to the spaghetti squash and mix well.
7. Add whisked eggs to the spaghetti squash and mix everything together until you can no longer see the eggs.  Pour into an 8×8 baking dish.
8. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour or until the top of the mixture forms a slight crust that doesn’t give when you press on it in the middle of the dish.
9. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Bacon Butternut Squash Soufflé

Thanks to PaleOMG for the inspiration for this one.  This would be a nice addition to your side dishes but also a great post-Thanksgiving creation using leftover mashed yams or sweet potatoes.

Photo: PaleOMG

Ingredients:

• 2 cups butternut squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, or yam, pureed
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 heaping tablespoon arrowroot starch
• 4 slices of bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• butter
  

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 400˚F.

2.    Cook bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate with a paper towel.

3.    Add puree, 1T bacon fat, and egg yolks to the food processor. Puree until smooth, pour into a large bowl.

4.    Heat 1T bacon fat in a skillet over medium heat and add garlic and shallots.

5.    Cook until shallots are tender and translucent.

6.    Add shallots, bacon, arrowroot starch, herbs, salt and pepper to the bowl of puree and mix well.

7.    In a separate large bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, fold egg whites into your squash bowl until no white streaks remain.

8.    Grease a glass baking dish with butter and pour in mixture. 

9.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.