A New Year brings a reset, and this year we(I?) decided to kick-off the New Year with a fresh plate. While we have followed all or most of the tenants of Whole30/Paleo for a few years, we never began the year with such a reset and let me tell you, it was precisely what we needed and we plan to continue this tradition each New Year because the experience was impactful for each of us in numerous ways.

I cooked thru two of Nom Nom Paleo cookbooks - Nom Nom Paleo and Ready or Not! (both fantastic and worth every penny), in addition to binge listening to their podcast (Nom Nom Paleo) and turning to the Whole30 Instagram for inspiration. Shopping was a bit hectic as the food standards are different here in Germany, but that worked to our advantage, as most meat is processed differently (the sheer volume of ham varietals minimally processed is a dream), in addition to lesser processed products being a bit more cost effective and most importantly easier to source. I.e., the grocery store did not take allllll my money like Whole Foods does.

Favorites:

Magic Mushroom Powder - I made a batch and put it on everything.

Macadamia Nut Ricotta + Devils on Horseback - utterly addicting.

Cracklin’ Chicken - (deep curtsy) YUM.

Fish Tacos with Spicy Pineapple Salsa - the salsa is EPIC.

Curried Cream of Broccoli Soup - a warm winters hug.

Lazy Devils - our go to lunch/snack.

Uova in Purgatorio - bursting with flavor and can be enjoyed for any meal of the day.

Prosciutto Wrapped Frittata Muffins (omitted coconut flour) - staple meal prep item.

Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes - the marriage of ghee and sweet potato is sublime.

Slow Poached Magic Tuna - reminiscent of Tuna we had while in Sicily last summer and so yummy, though Mark and I are in opposing camps of “done-ness” so next time I’ll cook them in separate pans so everyone is happy.

Magic Wings - the parentals love this one.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pig - HEAVEN.

Liar Bars - a dupe better than the OG.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken & Lemon Date Sauce - fancy, without the fuss.

Sunday Gravy + Zoodles - I ditched my mostly unused spiralizer for a much more space efficient julienne peeler and my life is changed. A hearty recipe sticks to your ribs. Which in a house of three males is CLUTCH.

Persian Cauliflower Rice - Obsessed. Better than the OG.

Nomster Burgers - all around family favorite. See also, I now put an egg on just about anything. #proteingoals

PBJ Energy Bites - a fantastic snack that I have also cobbled into my breakfast during the morning race out the door to school.

Honorable Mention(s):

Eggplant Ricotta Stacks - still don’t care for eggplant, but fun to prepare and the Macadamia Nut ricotta spread was delicious

Winter Kale & Persimmon Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette - fun salad twist. Dressing was a delight.

Bacon Egg Bites via @metemgee - A welcome eggy bite as Starbucks in Europe (from my search thus far) does not carry them. Or cake pops, to my children’s dismay, but I digress.

Do you have any staple Whole30/Paleo recipes? If so, please share, I’m always looking to try new things in the kitchen!