12 (now 15) Paleo / Whole30 recipes

I've been eating low carb for a long time, but have just recently begun to explore the semi-madness that is the Whole30 scene! Here are some of my recipes that are already Paleo/Whole30 compliant, or can be made so with minor tweaks. (Expect more in the future, most likely! [See update at end.])

Already Whole30-compliant:

Easy, make-it-your-own fish taco bar

Herb-crusted salmon - so easy, and restaurant quality!

BLT's without the bread; using foolproof, easy, 4-ingredient homemade mayonnaise 

Quick pork tenderloin with seasoned rub

12 homemade treats that aren't sweets (some of the items on the list are Paleo/Whole30 compliant; some are not)

Taco seasoning - no sugar, no MSG, no gluten, no milk, no hydrogenated nothin', no cornstarch or cornmeal here! (Check the ingredients list on the ready-made mix above; you'll be surprised!)

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Paleo-ish, with the exclusion or adjustment of one or two ingredients:

Ancho-crusted salmon with avocado crema - leave out the yogurt or replace it with a splash of full-fat coconut milk if you're avoiding dairy.

Salmon with fresh tomato avocado salsa - one of my summer favorites! Leave out the corn if you're going wholly grain-free

Asian lettuce wraps - replace the soy sauce with Tamari (still has soy) or coconut aminos, and leave out the Splenda.

Brat and cabbage soup - just leave out the beans, if you're living legume-free.

Sloppy Jo'tatoes - requires a sugar-free BBQ sauce to be wholly compliant.

Update: New Whole30 compliant meals!

Coconut shrimp on spinach mango salad

Herb-crusted salmon with cream of pumpkin soup

Meatballs with marinara and Italian roasted cauliflower

Foolproof, easy, 4-ingredient homemade mayonnaise

I've been meaning to try to make my own mayonnaise for ages, because it seems impossible to find a mayo that's both sugar-free and not made with canola. Most, if not all, canola is genetically modified. And sugar in mayonnaise?! Yeah, you'd be surprised. Read labels next time you go to the store.

But I thought homemade mayo surely had to be tricky. Perfect temperatures and/or timing, danger of the emulsion breaking, that sort of thing.

Turns out... nope! I tried this recipe and method from The Healthy Foodie, and it's so easy it's ridiculous! Worked the first time, and the second. (That's all I've made so far.) All that's necessary is a stick blender, and a jar that's the right size. It might also be just as doable in a normal blender, but I haven't tested that.

And, yes, for those who care: this is Paleo, and Whole30 compliant.

Perfect for my gluten-free, grain-free "BLT's without bread"! A super-easy, low-carb Paleo snack or meal. Quick, too, if you have already-cooked bacon on hand -- and you should!

I go crazy for these when good tomatoes are in season! But they're still pretty tasty when the only decent tomatoes available around here (<sarcasm> yay, winter in Kansas! </sarcasm>) are grape tomatoes.

Easy homemade mayo recipe

1 large egg, taken straight out of the fridge (no need to bring to room temp)

1 cup very-light-tasting olive oil (NOT virgin), or other flavorless oil of your choice
2 - 3 teaspoons lemon juice, rice vinegar, or other pale vinegar of your choice
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon salt (start small; mix; taste; adjust if necessary)

Here's the original mayo recipe, with detailed instructions. The size of the jar matters, so I recommend looking that up.

Note: when freshly made, it tastes kinda oily. If you're going to immediately blend it into a salad dressing or slaw mix, that won't be a problem. But if it's going to be a star player, a chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight will be a good thing.

P.S. My old Braun stick blender (also called an immersion blender or hand blender) went kaput this week, so I just ordered a new one from Amazon - Cuisinart this time. I consider it an absolute essential in the kitchen! The price goes up and down on Amazon, so if you want one and it's currently over $45 -- and you're not in a hurry -- put it in your cart and leave it there. They'll send you an email if the price goes down!

Easy, make-it-your-own fish taco bar

Great for buffet-style party food. Or pleasing a family of picky eaters!

(This not my photo. See below for source.*)

I was recently asked for my recipe for fish tacos. "It's not so much a recipe," I said, "as it is a collection of ingredients." Which makes it great for feeding a group with diverse tastes or dietary needs.

And much of it can be done ahead of time: everything except for the avocado can be sliced, chopped, or mixed ahead of time. The fish can be seasoned ahead of time, but will taste best if it's made just before serving.

Then everything gets laid out buffet style for everyone to make their own.

If you have some grain-free (gluten-free or low carbing) guests, they can simply assemble everything on a plate without the tortilla and eat it with a fork. Dairy-free: leave off the sour cream and cheese. Don't like spicy: leave off the adobo sauce. Whole30 compliant: skip the tortillas and leave off the sour cream and cheese. There's still plenty of flavor there!

The part that is (sort of) a recipe is the adobo-cream spread; the original recipe I started with called for 1 c. of sour cream, 2 canned chipotle peppers seeded and diced, and 1/4 t. salt or garlic salt. (That's for 4-6 servings.) Now, instead of the peppers, I just use the adobo sauce from the can (this skips the dicing step; it's also milder), and eyeball the proportions. Stir till well combined; taste and adjust for taste. It should taste a little uncomfortably spicy, because it will be just one component.

This is the sauce; I get it at Dillon's...




The fish can be either tilapia or mahi mahi. Plan on about 4 to 5 oz. per person. Just season with salt and pepper; optional but nonessential additions might include ancho chili powder and/or cumin. Then, either pan-fry the fish (easy if you're cooking for one or two), or bake them according to package directions (easier for more people).

Then I lay out all the ingredients for people to make their own; in addition to the fish and the adobo cream sauce:

• warm corn and/or flour tortillas
• thinly sliced cabbage, sprinkled and tossed with a little lime juice or rice vinegar,
• thinly sliced or small-diced avocado
• thinly sliced or small-diced mango (optional, but nice)
• coarsely chopped cilantro

Other optional additions which I don't use but you might like:

• a Mexican cheese, like shredded Monterey Jack or crumbled Cotija
• diced onions
• diced tomatoes
• plain sour cream
• Ranch dressing

I like to smear the adobo cream (or plain sour cream) down the middle of the tortilla and put the fish on top of that, so that the juices from the fish mingle with that to make a nice sauce. It also keeps the fish juices from making the tortilla soggy.

Enjoy! :)

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*Image source: another fish taco recipe (this one much more detailed) at Ambitious Kitchen.