Everything but the Bagel Chicken Wings

So if you know me at all, you've heard me sing the praises of Trader Joe's "Everything but the Bagel" seasoning.  It's basically all the toppings of an everything bagel minus the carb-laden bagel itself.  I love it on hard boiled eggs and avocado.  It automatically gives my ho-hum sometimes boring breakfasts some oomph.

So when I was scrolling through Instagram and came across these Everything but the Bagel Chicken Wings, I got so excited.  I showed them to my hubby who was totally on board for me to try making these!

It took a while, I'll admit, for me to get my head around the whole "coat your chicken wings in mayo" -- I know people use mayo to crisp things up, like grilled cheese and oven "fried" chicken -- but my disdain for mayo made me hesitant to be the one to actually coat the wings in mayo.  Thanks to a handy spatula, I was able to overcome my fear -- and I'm glad I did!  These wings are crispy and tasty and delicious!  I served them with buffalo sauce for dipping (pictured) and Tessemae's creamy Caesar dressing (I much prefer the Caesar over their ranch, but ranch would also work nicely!).

Everything but the Bagel Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings

2 Tbsp Whole30-compliant mayonnaise

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

1 Tbsp olive oil

4-5 Tbsp Everything but the Bagel seasoning*

Tessemae's Ceasar, Ranch, and/or Buffalo sauce, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F degrees F.

Place an oven safe baking/cooking rack on top of a baking sheet lined with foil.

Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and oil in a large bowl.

Add chicken wings.

Use hands to evenly coat wings with mayonnaise mixture (frankly, a rubber spatula works perfectly well).

Toss or roll wings in Everything but the Bagel seasoning.

Place wings on the rack, evenly spaced.

Sprinkle any additional Everything but the Bagel seasoning over wings if desired.

Bake 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Note: depending on the size of the wings, baking time may vary.  Make sure that chicken is cooked through.

* No Trader Joe's near you?  You can make your own Everything but the Bagel seasoning, also courtesy of The Whole Kitchen Sink.

Combine:

2 Tbsp dried minced garlic

1 Tbsp black sesame seeds

1 Tbsp white sesame seeds

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Buffalo chicken cauliflower fried rice

I've been coveting this recipe since my last Whole30, if not the one before that.  There's just something so appealing about buffalo chicken and fried rice and the fact that it's Whole30 compliant.  Honestly, I'm not sure why I never made it before, but I can honestly say that I'll definitely be making it again soon!

My hubby and I both worked a little late tonight and I was able to throw this together in a matter of minutes with the help of a store bought (Whole30 compliant!) rotisserie chicken and frozen cauliflower rice.  Since I used the frozen rice, I had to doctor up the cooking directions a little, but it's totally worth it!  And of course I had to use my signature scallion in the cauliflower rice.  This dinner was so good that after we had finished our dinner, we were both eating directly out of the serving bowl -- until I hijacked the bowl and ran into the kitchen, so that I could save the remaining 1 cup of fried cauliflower rice for lunch tomorrow!

Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice
From Rachl Mansfield

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil (I needed just over 1 T, to coat the bottom of a large frying pan)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 head cauliflower, "riced" (I used 1 bag frozen cauliflower rice)
8-10 oz chicken (I shredded 1/2 a small organic rotisserie chicken - breast and thigh meat)
2 eggs
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Buffalo sauce (I used Tessemae's, but there are others ones, too)
Handful chopped cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
(Doctored a little by me)

Preheat a skillet on medium high and add the oil.
Add onion and cook until fragrant (about 5-7 minutes).

While the onions cook, mix together the buffalo sauce and chicken in a medium bowl.
Let it sit for a bit.

Crack the eggs in a bowl and mix.
Pour the eggs into the skillet and scramble around to cook for a few minutes.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the frozen cauliflower rice to the pan.
Cook cauliflower rice according to package directions.
Add in scallions and let cook for another minute or two.
Season with salt and pepper.

Add the eggs, onions, and buffalo chicken to the pan.
Add more buffalo sauce if needed.
Cook for a few minutes, mixing to incorporate all the flavors.

Remove from heat, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Serve.

This will last 5 days (but honestly, you'll be lucky if you have enough leftover for lunch tomorrow!)

Snack Emergency! (Part 2)

About two and a half months ago I posted about snack emergencies and some of my favorite transportable Whole30 compliant emergency snacks.  I have a few new additions that I wanted to share: 

• Mango Pineapple Rx bars*.  I mentioned in my last update that I love the Blueberry and Mixed Berry ones.  This flavor came out recently and I needed to get my hands on it.  They're definitely harder to find than the other flavors (you can order online, so fret not, you can have them in your hands in a matter of time).  Just in time for the fall, Pumpkin Spice Rx bars have made their return!  Although I'm not a pumpkin spice fan, I've added them to the list.  For those of you who love your Pumpkin Spice Lattes but can't have them on Whole30, these may be right up your alley!

• Rind snacks.  I randomly discovered these snacks and I have to say, they're delicious!  They come in three flavors.  The tangy kiwi is AWESOME!  I haven't tried the Tropical Blend yet, but I really enjoyed the other two.  Warning: these dried fruits have the skin on!  I thought the kiwi skin would be weird but it's totally not!

• Two words: chicken sriracha.  These Epic bars have great flavor and a lot of spice!  I eat them as is, with some avocado and veggies for a quick makeshift lunch, but I've heard of people mixing them in their eggs and making a Whole30 Western-ish omelette. There's also a cranberry turkey strip that's pretty good. {oops....I realized this is a repeat from my first Snack Attack post}.

• Chomps turkey sticks. I mentioned the beef ones were great in my last post, but I think I might like the turkey ones even more!  They taste good and don't have any discernible after taste, and they clock in at 70 calories.  Trader Joe's recently started carrying them (it's the only place I've found them), and they can also be ordered online. 

• Spindrift Raspberry Lime Sparkling Water.  Sparkling water/seltzer isn't really a snack, and I have a few seltzers that I love (I'll address those in another post soon), but this one is seriously delicious.

*Warning: these are emergency snacks, I do not eat bars every day, and neither should you!

Spicy Green Chili Pulled Chicken

I made this pulled chicken last Whole30 and was a huge fan.  It was simple, and tasty, and was a super filling meal with tons of leftovers (read: lunch the next day was taken care of).  My hubby loved it, too, but felt that it wasn't spicy enough.  So when making it this time, I went with a spicier green chili salsa.  Honestly, it was a bit too spicy for me, but I served it with some avocado, and the creaminess of the avocado cut the spice nicely.

The original recipe was for a slow cooker, but seeing as we don't have one, I actually made mine in a Dutch oven in the oven.  I cooked it for 1.5 hours, flipping the chicken halfway through.  And then just let it cool a little so you can shred it with your hands (or you could use a fork, but where's the fun in that?)!  It's that easy.  Seriously, super easy.

I serve mine as the original recipe does, over cauliflower rice with some cilantro, avocado, lime, and radishes.  But I think they'd make amazing Whole30 pulled chicken "tacos" -- either wrapped with lettuce leaves or thinly sliced jicama -- or stuffed inside a baked sweet potato!

Pulled Green Chili Chicken
Modified, ever so slightly, from The Real Food Dieticians

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 12 oz jar Salsa Verde (such as Trader Joe's) -- or for a spicier kick, Trader Joe's Hatch Valley Salsa
1 4 ounce can fire roasted green chiles
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I leave this out)
1/2 tsp ground oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cauliflower rice (see my favorite prep here) or lettuce leaves for serving
Fresh cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, salsa radish slices for garnish

Directions:

Place chicken in slow cooker, or if you don't have, into a Dutch Oven.
In a small bowl, combine the salsa, green chiles, cumin, and oregano.
Pour the mixture over the chicken.

If using a slow cooker, place lid on slow cooker and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
Remove lid and allow chicken to cool slightly before shredding it with 2 forks directly in the slow cooker.
Transfer to serving dish.

If cooking in the oven, cover the Dutch Oven with foil.
Place in an oven that has been preheated to 300F.
Cook for 60-70 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.  Make sure you check to make sure the chicken is cooked through before removing from the oven.  Larger/thicker pieces will have to cook longer, and I've had to cook mine for as long as 85 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before shredding it.
Transfer to serving dish.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Top with fresh cilantro, avocado cubes, and serve with lime wedges.

Serve with cauliflower rice or in lettuce taco "shells."

Whole30 Cobb Salad

Sometimes it's not about reinventing the wheel, but rather taking a pre-Whole30 food and making it Whole30 compliant.  Case in point?  The Cobb salad we had for dinner last night.  With just a few tweaks, it becomes Whole30 quite quickly.  Skip the blue cheese and blue cheese dressing, swapping in a creamy Whole30 acceptable dressing (I used Tessemae's creamy ranch dressing, but their creamy Caesar would be a good option, too; or you could -- heaven forbid -- make your own).  Make sure your bacon or turkey bacon is Whole30 compliant.  If you don't roast your own turkey (or chicken), make sure it's compliant, too.  Then?  Eat.  That's all you have left to do!

You could just make bowls of Cobb salad and serve them prepared, or you could do what I did and make a platter of the toppings and serve it next to a big bowl of lettuce like I did.  Definitely a pretty presentation, if I do say so myself.  The only barrier you might run into is that you're non-Whole30 husband eats all the toppings and skips the lettuce entirely!

Whole30 Cobb Salad

Ingredients:

3-4 slices Whole30 compliant bacon or turkey bacon
1 avocado, sliced or cubed
3/4-1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Cooked chicken or Turkey breast, cubed or sliced
2-3 hard boiled eggs, cut into quarters
Lettuce of your choice
Whole30 complaint ranch or Caesar dressing, or homemade if you prefer

Directions:

Cook bacon to your liking.  I like mine crispy, and cooked it in the oven on a rack placed on a baking tray.

While the bacon is cooking, wash and cut the remaining ingredients.

If serving "make your own" style like I did, place ingredients in stripes to make a pretty platter.  Serve with a bowl of lettuce, and dressing on the side.

If serving as a giant tossed salad, place ingredients on top of lettuce in piles.  Dress and toss at the table for a pretty presentation.