Spanish-inspired potato, fennel, and chorizo frittata

Spanish frittata | Me & The Moose. This Whole 30-compliant frittata is another fast and easy Whole 30 recipe that is on the table in minutes, requires only a few ingredients, and is interesting and delicious for the entire family. #meandthemoose #whole30 #whole30recipes #frittata #easydinner #quickdinner #dinnerrecipes #fritattarecipes

This easy frittata is inspired by the perfect Tortilla Espanola, but is a) easier; b) faster, and c) includes more stuff. Oh, and it happens to be dairy and gluten-free.

Take me to the recipe!

Spanish frittata | Me & The Moose. This Whole 30-compliant frittata is another fast and easy Whole 30 recipe that is on the table in minutes, requires only a few ingredients, and is interesting and delicious for the entire family. #meandthemoose #whole30 #whole30recipes #frittata #easydinner #quickdinner #dinnerrecipes #fritattarecipes

I based this recipe on Mario Batali's Tortilla Espanola from Food & Wine. After doing a lot of research on tradition recipes for this dish, I realized that they all required frying the potatoes in several cups of oil and then flipping the entire egg and vegetable structure over and over using a large plate and a cast iron pan while cooking. What?!?! Do Spanish people do this with toddlers underfoot? If so, I salute you, Spanish parents. I wasn't game to take this on, but MB's recipe uses much less oil and forgoes the flipping, proving that it can be done! I cooked this like a frittata, letting the eggs set on the side and then cooking the rest in the oven because, laziness.

Spanish frittata | Me & The Moose. This Whole 30-compliant frittata is another fast and easy Whole 30 recipe that is on the table in minutes, requires only a few ingredients, and is interesting and delicious for the entire family. #meandthemoose #whole30 #whole30recipes #frittata #easydinner #quickdinner #dinnerrecipes #fritattarecipes

Spanish-inspired potato, fennel, and chorizo frittata

Time: 30-45 minutes, half active, half hands-off
Yield: 6 adult servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb potatoes, sliced into 1/8 inch thick pieces or thinner
1 large fennel bulb (about 8 oz), sliced thinly
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 scallions, chopped
2 small links chorizo (4 oz), sliced OR 1 package of soyrizo
8-12 eggs, depending on how large your pan is or how much filling you use

Preheat oven to 350. Heat your oil in a 10-inch cast iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat.

Add the sliced potatoes and fennel and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often to prevent browning, until the potatoes are fork tender. Cooking time with vary depending on the thickness of your potatoes, but plan for anywhere from 10-20 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, crack 8 eggs and whisk to combine the whites and yolks. Don’t overwhisk! These don’t need to be frothy, just combined.

Once your potatoes and fennel are tender, add the scallions and cook for one minute more.

Add the chorizo and stir just to distribute.

Top with the eggs. If the eggs don’t come up at least 3/4 of the way to to the top of the veggies, crack a few more, whisk, and add to the pan.

Cook on the stovetop until the sides begin to set, about 7-10 minutes. Put into the oven to cook through, about 10-12 minutes. Check the middle with a skewer, chop stick, or popsicle stick to test for doneness.

Serve immediately or let sit out for up to three hours. This is also delicious cold!

15-minute chicken

Ooof. This is the part of Whole 30 in which I just want to take a LOOOOOONG nap. I think my intense holiday cookies-for-breakfast habit is making this first week tougher than any of my other rounds. I haven't wanted to cheat...actually, I totally wanted a slice of pizza yesterday. Nevermind. So, I've wanted to cheat, but haven't because I have the vision of how great I'll feel in a few days dancing in my head.

What helps during these tired, saggy days at the beginning is having a few really fast recipes ready. We also bought a pressure cooker last year, which has been incredible during Whole 30 because we don't even have to "set it and forget it." We can literally forget it and then do it when we panic that there's nothing for dinner. Not that we ever do that.

This recipe is based on a classic from Gourmet that I found via Smitten Kitchen. We've made the original and it is stupidly easy and GLORIOUS. But it requires a few hours of cooking time and I lack the mental energy for that at the moment. Also, we OD'd on red meat at the end of the year, so we decided to try this with a whole chicken in the pressure cooker. You could definitely make this with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, breasts, or a combination of both, but I wouldn't do boneless, skinless anything because the fat from the skin and bones is what gives the sauce its richness. Also, 3-4 lbs of chicken may seem like a lot, but the chicken, like the meat in the original recipe, is slightly more delicious the next day. I do recommend straining the fat after cooking because there's quite a bit of it. Also, don't skimp on the garlic. You may balk at the idea of feeding a head of garlic to a toddler, but leaving the skin means that the cloves get all mellow and buttery without disintegrating in the sauce and making the whole thing taste overwhelmingly garlicky.  

We served this with some smashed potatoes that we just chopped, placed in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and microwaved for 8 minutes until fork tender and then smashed with a few Tbsp of clarified butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

We bought our chicken pre-cut at the grocery store, but you could get your butcher to cut a whole chicken for you or do it yourself at home.

Pressure cooked chicken with garlic and tomatoes

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, about 4 lbs
1 box/large can of San Marzano crushed tomatoes, about 28 oz
1 head of garlic
S/P

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pressure cooker, largest pieces on the bottom. Take apart the bulb of garlic and remove only the flaky outer skin that comes off easily, leaving on the layer of skin around each clove. Add the garlic to the pressure cooker and space out the cloves to avoid any clumps of garlic. Pour the tomatoes over the chicken and garlic and close the pressure cooker. Set to high pressure and poultry, or 15 minutes. Cook. Let the pressure release on its own once cooking is over.

To crisp the chicken skin slightly, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until you’ve reached your desired crispness. The skin won’t get CRISPY since the chicken is already cooked, but it will firm up a bit. If you plan to remove the skin, skip this step and eat immediately. 

Yield: 2 hearty meals for a family of 2 adults and a toddler, plus extra sauce to strain and use in other recipes, if desired.

Kale pesto

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

This easy pesto packs lots of veggies into a versatile green sauce that can jazz up any meal.

Take me to the pesto!

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

I love playing the game “Will it pesto?” It’s similar to two of my other favorite games, “Does it pizza?” and “Will it waffle?” I can safely say that kale is one of my favorite contestants in this game. I skipped the dairy in this recipe, but as always, feel free to go with your gut and add in 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan or other nutty, dry cheese.

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

This easy kale pesto is dairy free and packs some extra veggies into any dish you like. #meandthemoose #kalepesto #pestorecipe #dairyfree #dairyfreerecipes

Kale pesto

Time: 15 minutes, all active
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups

Adapted from The Kitchn
4 cups chopped kale, firmly packed
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup fresh basil, loosely packed
2 large garlic cloves
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and fill another large bowl about half way with ice water. Wash and chop kale, but don’t worry about removing the tough stems because everything will be blended anyway. When water is at a rolling boil, add the kale and swirl with a slotted spoon a few times. When kale is a bit wilted (about 1-2 minutes), remove it from the boiling water and immediately add it to the bowl of ice water.

Drain the kale. I don’t drain it very thoroughly (I just take it out of the water and shake it a few times) because I think a little extra water helps to thin the sauce without adding more oil, but you can pat the kale dry if you want a thicker pesto. Add to your blender or food processor.

Roast the walnuts in a 350 oven or toaster oven for about 5 minutes or until just lightly browned and starting to smell nutty. You can also toast them in a sauté pan on the stove top. When browned, add them to the blender or food processor as well.

Add the basil, garlic, salt, and lemon juice and start to blend, slowly adding the olive oil in a thin stream. If using a small food processor or a blender without a top that opens, just add the oil with the rest of the ingredients and process together. Blend until you've reached your desired consistency.

Chicken liver and berry puree

Yup, that's right. Chicken liver for babies. I was hesitant at first too, but we gave some to M when he was around 1 and he LOVED it. Who knew? M likes it plain, but combining it with berries and turning it a lovely purple color definitely makes it more appetizing.

M's passion for chicken liver is helpful since it’s one of our extended family’s staples for holidays and family dinners. And you know what? It’s easy to make and is a protein- and iron-rich dip for crackers or veggies. And it’s delicious. Trust me. Actually, don't trust me: Make it for yourself and see.

If you've made chicken liver before, skip these next few pictures. If you're a liver novice, here's what mine looks like at various stages of cooking:

Stage 1: Put some olive oil in a hot pan and add the livers, making sure that each one has some space in the pan. Cook in batches if you have to.

Stage 2: Ready to flip. Once you see brown creeping up the sides, flip those puppies over and continue to cook.

Stage 3: Add the onions. Once you have an even browning on both sides, add the chopped onions. It's okay if there are some pinkish areas remaining because cooking isn't over yet.

Stage 4: Cover. Once the onions are translucent and the livers are mostly browned (it's okay of there are some slightly pink nooks, but you should see any "raw" patches), cover and cook over a low flame for about 10 more minutes. 

Chopped chicken liver

.75 lb chicken livers
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 hard-boiled eggs
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil over a medium flame. Add chicken livers and brown on both sides. Once livers are browned, add the chopped onions. (It’s okay if there are small bits of pink still showing on the livers in the nooks and crannies- see photos.) Cook on medium heat until onions are opaque, about 5-8 minutes. Cover and turn heat to low. Let simmer for another 10-12 minutes or until livers are cooked through.

Immediately add cooked livers and onions and all liquid to a food processor or blender with hard-boiled eggs and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste, but I’m usually very generous with the salt at this phase. Pulse the food processor until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Taste again for seasoning.

Yield: about 2 cups

Berry compote

1 pint blueberries
1 pint blackberries
2 Tbsp water

Combine berries and water in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the berries are cooked down, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Puree. If your little is opposed to seeds (like mine), pass through a mesh strainer. 

Combo

2 Tbsp Chopped chicken liver
2 Tbsp Berry compote
1 Tbsp Applesauce

Classic Caesar Dressing

This Classic Caesar dressing ticks all of the boxes: fast, easy, dairy-free, Whole30, and most importantly, delicious.

Take me to the dressing!

Quick content warning: I’m about to talk about body image and weight and dieting. I promise not to talk about it ad nauseam on this blog, but as a human with a body who eats and looks in the mirror, it’s hard not to fall prey to the diet culture and wellness madness that swirls around us.

So, I just finished doing a Whole 30 and nary a crumb or drop of wheat, grain, dairy, soy, legume, alcohol, or added sugar crossed these lips the entire time. It was, by far, my most successful run of disciplined eating. And I lost 10 lbs.

But then I went back to "real" eating. For the first few days, I felt scared of anything that wasn't Whole 30-approved. Like, eating a grain of quinoa was going to wreak havoc. So I kept up the regimen. Then I had some wine and remembered how much I loooooove wine. So, I decided to rejoin Weight Watchers (guys, Oprah eats bread on Weight Watchers EVERY DAY). But, then I quit Weight Watchers. Then I tried eating Whole 30-approved foods while also recording everything on My Fitness Pal, which then turned into: Eating Whole 30-approved foods but adding back just grains and beans. Then I convinced myself that I should just work out daily to keep the weight off while eating everything in moderation. And then I had a meltdown and ate an entire chocolate babka. Bear in mind that my Whole 30 ended just two short weeks ago. That's a lot of dieting in 14 days. And a lot of babka.

During the Whole 30 I abstained from some of my FAVORITE things without much difficulty and really did feel great. I mentioned in an earlier post that one upside to the plan's rigidity was that I stopped obsessing about my food choices. Welp, that came back full force once I didn't have to follow the Whole 30 rules. I also feel much more obsessed with weight loss than I did before and more discouraged about my ability to stick to a regimen even though I JUST DID IT.

Also, this article came out.

There is hella conflicting information about health and nutrition out there, which I already knew, but is maddening nonetheless. Do I worry more about the content of my food or the volume? Is exercise or eating more central to wellness and weight loss? If I do manage to lose weight, am I one of the teeny percentage of people who can actually keep it off? So, I've been toying with the radical notion of just stopping. Just shutting down the voice in my head that says my worth is inversely proportional to my size. Or that my worth is bound to how I look at all. Or that there's something wrong with how I look. Or that "healthy" has a rigid and universal definition. And just when I think I'm good with that, I feel a clenching in my chest imagining the weigh-in at my next doctor's appointment...

No matter how frustrated with food I might feel, this Caesar dressing is insanely good and will remain in the repertoire. 

*Update: It’s been four years and I could have written this four days ago, so…yeah, still struggling with weight and body image! But I still make this dressing all the time, so something good came out of doing Whole30.

Kale Caesar salad

2 Tbsp Primal Kitchen avocado mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2-3 anchovy filets (look for ones packed in olive oil)*
2 cloves garlic (medium)
3-4 dashes Cholula hot sauce
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups raw kale

*I've recently realized that some anchovies, particularly the ones that come in a can with a peel-back lid, are what I would call a half filet. If your anchovies aren't double sided or look like they've been butterflied, then double the amount to 4-6 of these half filets.

Combine first six ingredients in a food processor and pulse to chop. Set the food processor to puree and slowly add olive oil in a stream. Add salt and pepper to taste and puree until all ingredients are combined. Remove tough stems from kale, clean, and chop. Toss dressing and greens together and serve.