winter Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Sheet Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs with Cabbage & Apples

March 27, 2020 By Becky Leave a Comment

Sheet Pan Crispy Chicken Thighs with Cabbage & Apples

This sheet pan crispy chicken with cabbage and apples tastes amazing and is easy to throw together. It’s paleo, dairy free, gluten free, and Whole30-compliant–and all you’ll need to wash is one baking sheet!

Is anyone else holding on to wintry foods for longer than usual this year? Even though it’s almost April and the high will be 85 degrees in Chattanooga today, I’m still craving everything roasted or braised, plus soups, stews, and all other things comfort food.

I know almost everything is a struggle these days, and I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and home as much as possible. Access to food is now spottier than ever and constantly shifting, so I hope you are staying well fed. I photographed this over a month ago when it was still business as usual here, but lately have had to try several times before succeeding in obtaining bone-in chicken.

Instant Pot Balsamic Short Ribs

January 16, 2020 By Becky Leave a Comment

These Instant Pot balsamic short ribs are easy to make and the epitome of winter comfort food, plus they’re dairy free, paleo, and Whole30 compliant!

Shooooort ribs! I remember the first time I ordered them, at a restaurant in Jamaica Plain on New Year’s Eve in 2011. I said to the waiter, “So short ribs are pork, right?” 😂

I’ve learned a lot about short ribs since first falling in love with them almost a decade ago. To begin with, they’re beef! Also, they’re one of the richest, most tender cuts you’ll find, and are best slow cooked or braised. After much testing and experimenting, I’m happy to report that using your Instant Pot* is one of the best ways to cook them (*this link and others with an asterisk are affiliate links, which means I earn from qualifying purchases).

Sesame-Crusted Alaska Salmon Salad with Winter Citrus and Maple Sriracha Cashews

January 9, 2020 By Becky Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. I’m thrilled to be partnering with ASMI to share a series of delicious recipes highlighting sustainable, wild-caught seafood from Alaska.

This sesame-crusted Alaska salmon salad features wild-caught sockeye salmon encased in black and white sesame seeds, along with orange and grapefruit, pickled onion, and maple sriracha cashews, all on a bed of tender kale.

Happy New Year! I’m back with another seasonal fish recipe as part of my series with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. This time, I have a fresh salad that you’re going to love featuring winter citrus, pickled onions, the most amazing candied cashews, and sesame-crusted Alaska sockeye salmon.

Cashew Hot Chocolate

December 12, 2019 By Becky 4 Comments

This creamy cashew hot chocolate is packed with superfoods and easy to make with pantry staples. It’s also infinitely adaptable, with dairy free and vegan versions plus flavor variations. Thank you to Rodelle for providing products for use in this post!

I recently gave up coffee again, which has been rough. (If you read my blog frequently, you might remember that I gave up coffee while trying to conceive–I’m doing it again to prepare for possibly trying for a second baby at some point!) Golden milk was my caffeine-free hot beverage of choice then, and I still love it, but this cashew hot chocolate is my current favorite. It’s quick, simple, tasty, and filling–everything I need to start my day off well.

Gluten-free Fritto Misto with Alaska Seafood

December 5, 2019 By Becky Leave a Comment

When my husband and I spent time in Italy on our honeymoon, we had an amazing fritto misto in Venice. I’d never heard of the dish before, but it’s basically a variety of crispy fried seafood and vegetables served with lemon wedges and a delicious sauce for dipping—kind of like an Italian tempura. Fritto misto means “mixed fry” in Italian.

For the second recipe in my ongoing partnership with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, I’m thrilled to share this amazing gluten-free fritto misto made with Alaska seafood. It’s a wild caught, homemade spin on what we ate in Italy, and it’s even better than the restaurant version!

Shepherd’s Pie with Rutabaga

September 24, 2019 By Becky 17 Comments

Rutabaga is even more delicious than potato atop this paleo version of shepherd’s pie. This shepherd’s pie with rutabaga is one of my go-to dinners during the colder months! Recipe and photos updated September 2019.

I’ve been making this shepherd’s pie with rutabaga for over five years now! It’s my husband’s very favorite and most-requested dinner, and I love it, too. With fall making its official arrival this week, I decided it was high time to pull this recipe out of the archives, shoot some new photos, streamline the cooking process, and share it with you again. (I’ve left in one of the old photos in for posterity–I’m sure you can figure out which one it is!)

Peppermint Blondies (Grain free, Dairy free)

December 20, 2018 By Becky 2 Comments

Peppermint Blondies (Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free)

These gluten-free peppermint blondies taste like peppermint bark on top of the richest, chewiest blondies. They’re grain free, dairy free, and easy to make with just one bowl.

I’m sneaking in with one more recipe before Christmas! The other day I had the idea to make a peppermint version of my olive oil blondies, and I had to make it happen right away. The olive oil blondies have been my go-to party/potluck dessert for several years now. They’re always a hit and I always get lots of requests for the recipe. And no one has ever been able to taste the olive oil! (Although if you prefer, you can make them with avocado oil instead).

Building an Easy Winter Cheeseboard + Beaujolais Wine

December 10, 2018 By Becky Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Discover Beaujolais.

An Easy Winter Cheeseboard + Beaujolais Wine

This easy winter cheeseboard paired with Beaujolais wine makes holiday entertaining a snap. Plus, there’s a recipe for a five-minute pomegranate chèvre cheeseball!

Want to know the secret to super easy holiday entertaining that looks and tastes fancy and will impress all your guests? Here its is: wine and an epic cheeseboard. This is so simple to put together, but everyone loves it. Best of all, there’s no cooking required! I’ve teamed up with Discover Beaujolais to bring you this easy winter cheeseboard that pairs perfectly with their Moulin-à-Vent red wine.

Beaujolais is a region of France north of Lyon that produces red and white wines as well as rosé. The soil there has pink granite in it with streaks of manganese, which gives the grapes and thus the wine a special flavor. I would love to go see this gorgeous region for myself, but for now, I’ll be imagining it while I snack on this cheeseboard and sip on glass of Moulin-à-Vent red.

Chocolate Almond Butter Thumbprints with Maple Caramel (Gluten free, Grain free)

December 6, 2018 By Becky Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by .

Who’s ready to make some cookies to share with Santa (or keep for yourself)? These chocolate almond butter thumbprints are easy to make and filled with a salty-sweet maple caramel. They’re perfect for sharing with loved ones who are following a grain-free or paleo diet!

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu

September 28, 2018 By Becky 18 Comments

This post is sponsored by .

This easy Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu is packed with rich, hearty flavor and is perfect for cool fall nights. Enjoy it with pasta, spiralized veggies, or polenta.

It’s officially fall, which means it’s time for warming comfort food dishes like this Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu. This meaty sauce gets its flavor from organic, 100% Italian Pomì strained tomatoes, a classic soffritto of onion, celery, and carrot, and of course, the short ribs themselves. If you haven’t tried short ribs before, you are in for a treat: after being seared and then pressure cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot, they shred into the most tender morsels of beef you’ve ever tasted. The sauce is finished with a handful of fresh basil for freshness, and a splash of heavy cream or coconut milk for creaminess if you’re so inclined.

Instant Pot Bacon and Sweet Potato Chili

September 21, 2018 By Becky 8 Comments

Instant Pot Bacon & Sweet Potato Chili (Paleo, Whole30)

This paleo & Whole30-compliant Instant Pot bacon and sweet potato chili is an old favorite made twice as fast in the pressure cooker. Make a big batch and freeze some for later!

I’m kind of a chili purist. I don’t like beans in my chili and I don’t want any tomatoes in there, either. I also don’t like it to be too soupy. Over the years I’ve tried many chili recipes, but my bacon and sweet potato chili is the only one I come back to again and again. Many of my friend have made it, too, and it’s always a hit. It freezes really well, so it’s a perfect make-ahead meal. I’m definitely planning to stock my freezer with some to have on hand once our baby arrives!

Paleo Meal Plan Week One

January 6, 2018 By Becky 2 Comments

This paleo meal plan will help you grocery shop, prep, and enjoy a week’s worth of delicious, real-food meals that are perfect for this time of year.

Whether you call them resolutions, intentions, or goals, a lot of us are striving to do better at something this time of year. Anyone set a goal around meal planning? I definitely did! Planning has never been my strong suit, but over the past few years I’ve been working hard to get more organized, and this year I’m determined to meal plan as much as I can to minimize the nights when I get home hungry and succumb to take out or sad, last-minute, clean-out-the-fridge creations.

Inspired by Pinch of Yum’s Sugar-Free January, I created a simple meal-planning template and a meal plan for this week, complete with a chart of the week’s meals, a grocery list, a game plan to get everything ready, Whole30 modifications in case you’re in the midst of one, and space for your notes. In case you don’t like exactly what I like and want to make some changes, I’m including both Word and PDF versions. And in case you want to start completely from scratch and just need a convenient planning method, I’m including the blank template in both formats as well.

Since this is my first time sharing meal plans, I’d love your feedback! Do meal plans interest you? Is there anything you love about this one or anything you think I should change? I’d be thrilled to hear from you in the comments section below, or you can email me (becky(at)acalculatedwhisk(dot)com).

You don’t have to sign up for my email list to get the plans, but I’d love it if you did, and that way you’ll get notification of future meal plans sent right to your inbox!

You can get the plans right here:

Week 1 Paleo Meal Plan (PDF) | Week 1 Paleo Meal Plan (docx)