A Calculated Whisk

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You are here: Home / Archives for winter

Instant Pot Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate Chicken)

January 5, 2018 By Becky 100 Comments

Instant Pot Fesenjan (Persian Pomegranate Chicken)

This post is being rewritten. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to share their thoughts in the comments. To learn more about fesenjan, please see this post by Shahab Shabani and this recipe from Persian Mama.

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, Instant Pot, paleo, recipe Tagged With: chicken, instant pot, Persian, walnut, winter

Lemon Vanilla Slice and Bake Cookies

December 20, 2017 By Becky 13 Comments

This post is sponsored by Rodelle.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Grain-free Lemon Vanilla Slice and Bake Cookies

These lemon vanilla slice and bake cookies are the perfect grain-free treat to share with family and friends this holiday season or anytime! Their buttery crumb and bright lemon flavor will have you coming back for bite after bite.

I’m here with one more delicious cookie recipe to tide you over until after Christmas! These grain-free lemon vanilla slice and bake cookies are so fun to make and eat. They’re packed with both lemony and sugar-cookie flavor thanks to Rodelle‘s lemon extract and vanilla bean paste along with plenty of fresh lemon zest, and have a wonderfully tender shortbread-like texture. A simple glaze made with fresh lemon juice tops them off and provides an ideal counterpart to the buttery cookie.

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Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, recipe Tagged With: baking, Christmas, cookies, lemon, sponsored, vanilla, winter

32 Paleo Comfort Food Recipes for Winter

December 11, 2017 By Becky 26 Comments

32 Paleo Comfort Food Recipes for Winter

This collection of paleo comfort food recipes will keep you warm and nourished all winter long!

Looking for more delicious paleo recipes? Check out my roundups of Whole30 Instant Pot recipes and Whole30 sheet pan dinners.

Raise your hand if you could use some comfort food right about now! Between the cold weather and the seemingly incessant parade of Christmas treats, I’ve been craving healthy, hearty, hot dinners. In case you have been, too, I put together this collection of my very best and favorite paleo comfort food recipes.

Between all the cookies and the shopping and whatever else you’re up to, I hope you can find time to share some of these dishes with your family (or just make them for yourself!). Many of these recipes are great to make ahead and/or Whole30 compliant, so I’ve noted details like that below. Which one will you try first?

Here’s to a healthy and happy holiday season filled with plenty of satisfying meals!

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, paleo Tagged With: fall, gluten free, grain free, recipe roundup, winter

6 Ways to Top Roasted Sweet Potatoes

November 22, 2017 By Becky 22 Comments

This post is sponsored by the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission.

6 Ways to Top Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Gluten free, Paleo)

With these six ways to top roasted sweet potatoes, everyone will be sure to find something they love. Pick one or two to make for dinner or go all out and try all six!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I’m here today to tell you about a delicious meal idea that, while not necessarily meant for Turkey Day itself, is certainly perfect for any busy night (or day or even morning) of the year when you need some fast and healthy grub.

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Filed Under: breakfast, dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe Tagged With: almond butter, apple, avocado, chicken, chorizo, fall, pesto, shrimp, sponsored, sweet potato, walnuts, winter

Bok Choy Salad with Apple and Persimmon

November 14, 2017 By Becky 6 Comments

Bok Choy Salad with Apple and Persimmon (Paleo, Whole30)

This vegan and paleo bok choy salad with apple and persimmon is healthy enough for a detox but beautiful and tasty enough for your Thanksgiving table!

Is anyone else in need of something delicious and fresh, but still kind of festive? I’ve got you covered with this bok choy salad with apple and persimmon. Amidst all the pie and stuffing and mashed potatoes and even a few early cookies, I am fairly sure that we all could use something like this.

If you’re surprised that bok choy can be eaten raw in a salad, you are not alone. I just learned this recently myself. A couple weeks before our wedding I decided to do Alisa Vitti’s four-day detox, and this bok choy salad is based on a very simple one that she shares as part of the cleanse. I was initially quite suspicious that a combination of raw bok choy, onion, and apple could ever taste good, but since I get bok choy all the time in my CSA and it cooks down to almost nothing in a stir fry, I decided to give the salad a try.

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Filed Under: gluten free, paleo, recipe, sides, vegan, vegetarian, whole30 Tagged With: apple, avocado, dairy free, fall, grain free, lime, persimmon, salad, winter

Sheet Pan Salmon and Delicata Squash

January 2, 2017 By Becky 6 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Sheet Pan Salmon and Delicata Squash #30MinuteMondays #glutenfree #paleo #whole30

This easy sheet pan salmon and delicata squash takes just half an hour and one pan to make. It’s also paleo, dairy free, and Whole30 compliant!

Happy 2017! I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start. If you’re doing a January Whole30 or just trying to clean up your eating a bit this month, I have just the recipe for you. Sheet pan salmon and delicata squash is a super flavorful dinner that only requires four ingredients, half an hour, and one pan. I used homemade Creole seasoning on the squash and the fish, but store bought Creole seasoning or your favorite spice blend would also work.

This recipe is part of my 30 Minute Mondays series, which has been on hold for a while now. However, this month I’m back to sharing quick and easy recipes for you each Monday, and am going to keep them all Whole30-compliant for January.

Sheet Pan Salmon and Delicata Squash #30MinuteMondays #glutenfree #paleo #whole30

Since we’re roasting and then broiling for this recipe, I recommend using a high-heat cooking oil like duck fat, ghee, or avocado oil. I buy Epic duck fat and La Tourangelle avocado oil from Thrive Market and make my own ghee. Both duck fat and ghee impart extra rich flavor to the dish, while avocado oil is more neutral. The higher smoke points of all three of those fats make them ideal for roasting and searing, whereas other fats like olive oil are best used raw or in low-heat cooking.

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Filed Under: #30MinuteMondays, dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe, whole30 Tagged With: 30 minute meals, dairy free, fall, grain free, one pot, salmon, sheet pan, squash, winter

Smoky Maple Margarita

December 26, 2016 By Becky Leave a Comment

Smoky Maple Margaritas

If you’re looking for a uniquely delicious drink to ring in the new year, this smoky maple margarita is just the ticket!

If you celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful and Christmas and a fabulous first night of Hanukkah! My mom flew down to Chattanooga and arrived on Christmas Eve, and we have been having the best time hanging out with my in-laws and nieces. The girls are beyond excited because they got a trampoline yesterday. In between eating all the holiday treats, it was really nice to bounce a bit.

Smoky Maple Margarita

Today I’m just popping in quickly to let you know that I’m sharing a recipe for a smoky maple margarita over on SoFabFood. It’s pretty much a classic margarita with two important upgrades: it’s sweetened with maple syrup and laced with smoked paprika. It’s not enough to make the drink spicy, but just enough to give it an enticing smoky flavor and aroma that’s perfect for this time of year. Wishing you and yours a fabulous and delicious 2017!

Click here for the smoky maple margarita recipe!

Filed Under: drinks, gluten free, recipe Tagged With: cocktails, maple, margarita, tequila, winter

No-Bake Gingerbread Buche de Noel

December 19, 2016 By Becky 4 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

No-Bake Gingerbread Buche de Noel (Yule Log) #glutenfree

This gluten-free, no-bake gingerbread buche de noel is an icebox cake yule log that’s beyond easy to make and tastes amazing. No one will guess you didn’t even turn on your oven!

A few years ago when I spent my first Christmas with Ben’s family in Chattanooga, we started a tradition of making a yule log cake. These cakes are the modern-day version of an actual yule log, a giant piece of wood that for centuries was placed on the hearth and burned for all of the 12 days of Christmas in many European households. Since we don’t have a hearth or even a fireplace and since I really like cake, I’m glad this tradition went the way it did.

No-Bake Gingerbread Buche de Noel (Yule Log) #glutenfree

Every year for the past three years we’ve made this Chocolate Peppermint Roll from Joy the Baker, but this year I laid eyes on her Chocolate Peppermint Icebox Yule Log Cake. My ears perked up, because “icebox cake” means no baking is involved. I like to make Christmas cakes with my three nieces and while they all love baking, it’s a lot of work to bake both the cake and the meringue mushrooms while making sure everyone gets a turn to do everything at each stage of the process. I wanted to roll with the icebox idea but change up the flavor profile, so I created this no-bake gingerbread buche de noel.

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Filed Under: dessert, gluten free, recipe Tagged With: cake, Christmas, ginger, holiday, no-bake, no-cook, winter

Pomegranate Roasted Jerk Chicken

December 7, 2016 By Becky 29 Comments

Pomegranate Roasted Jerk Chicken (Gluten free, Paleo)

This paleo pomegranate roasted jerk chicken is ideal for those who want a festive holiday main with a bit of a kick. Served with baby potatoes, it’s a complete, one-pot meal. This post is sponsored by Frontier Co-op.

I especially enjoy spicy foods in the winter–I’ll take all the warmth I can get when it’s cold outside. This pomegranate roast chicken is perfect for warming up both your kitchen as it roasts and you when you eat it. If you’re spice-averse, though, don’t worry. You can customize the heat level by adding fewer habanero peppers.

The peppers aren’t the only thing bringing heat to this chicken. Spices like cinnamon, allspice, and smoked paprika also have a warming effect. Peppers and spices are combined with a hint of tart sweetness from pomegranate juice, grassy freshness from the scallions, and the savory fragrance of fresh thyme. All of those flavors come together to create a perfect Jamaican jerk paste that’s equally delicious on chicken and potatoes. Roasting the chicken at high heat for the first few minutes and then reducing the heat for the remainder of the cooking time ensures crispy skin and juicy meat.

Pomegranate Roasted Jerk Chicken (Gluten free, Paleo)

I created this recipe in partnership with Frontier Co-op, my favorite source for spices and seasonings. Frontier is encouraging everyone to #CookWithPurpose this holiday season and all year long. I care a lot about where my food comes from and how it’s grown, which is why I get most of my produce and meat from local farms that use sustainable practices. It’s important to me to think just as carefully about where our ingredients come from as we do about which delicious dishes to cook up for our families. With spices, though, it can be trickier to know what goes on to get these essential flavorings from farm to table. It’s impossible for me to source things like cinnamon and allspice locally, so I love being able to turn to Frontier Co-op to be assured that I’m getting spices that were grown sustainably and sourced with fair trade practices.

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe Tagged With: chicken, Christmas, holiday, jamaican, jerk, pomegranate, sponsored, winter

Pomegranate Vanilla Bean Margaritas

November 25, 2016 By Becky 6 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Pomegranate Vanilla Bean Margaritas

These festive pomegranate vanilla bean margaritas are sweet and just a tad sour, with extra richness thanks to the vanilla.

How was your Thanksgiving? To be honest, over here we’ve had better. One of my fiancé’s brothers was in an accident the night before Turkey Day and is still in the hospital. We spent the morning with him at the hospital yesterday and my fiancé slept there last night. He’s going to be okay, but it’s been quite a scare. We were planning to drive down to Atlanta for a big gathering with Ben’s extended family, but ended up staying here in Chattanooga and grabbing a quick restaurant Thanksgiving at Beast and Barrel’s buffet (it was delicious, but I missed getting to cook!). My future niece has also been sick, so I think we have a Thanksgiving redo in the works for Saturday or Sunday.

After all of that, I’m totally ready for a pomegranate vanilla bean margarita. And after a hard day of Black Friday shopping, I bet you will be, too! (By the way, my absolute favorite kitchen gadget, the Instant Pot, is on sale for just $68.95 today! It’s the one thing I bought last year on Black Friday and I use it all the time. Highly recommended as a gift for yourself or others who love to cook and/or save time.)

Pomegranate Vanilla Bean Margaritas

A few years ago, Ben and I hosted Thanksgiving at our apartment in Boston. I had just started grad school, and I invited all my classmates (60 total) to come if they weren’t able to travel home for the holiday. Ten of them accepted and my mother came, too, so we had a good-sized crowd. It’s the only time I’ve hosted Thanksgiving so far and it was so much fun. Ben made most of the savory dishes, although I did contribute a sweet potato and kale gratin, and I was in charge of dessert. I was also in charge of drinks, and decided to make these cranberry margaritas. I added a tiny splash of vanilla extract, and they were a huge hit. We had beer, wine, and other spirits available, but no one drank anything other than our featured cocktail!

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Filed Under: drinks, gluten free, recipe, vegetarian Tagged With: cocktails, margarita, pomegranate, tequila, vanilla bean, winter

Mini Sweet Potato Gratins

November 23, 2016 By Becky 4 Comments

This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Mini Sweet Potato Gratins (Gluten free)

These mini sweet potato gratins are a perfect gluten-free and vegetarian holiday appetizer or side. They’re full of flavor thanks to a rich sweet onion cream sauce.

Happy day before Thanksgiving! I know I may be getting you these mini sweet potato gratins a bit too late for them to be part of tomorrow’s spread, but they’re delicious and fun anytime. They’d be great with Christmas dinner or as part of an appetizer table for a New Year’s party. Who doesn’t love their own little stack of sweet potatoes baked in a creamy sauce with a little cheese?

Mini Sweet Potato Gratins (Gluten free)

This gratin gets its unique flavor from a sauce made with sweet onions simmered slowly in butter, then blended with cream, sour cream, and a little bit of spice. The sauce is tossed with thinly sliced sweet potatoes, which are then stacked in muffin tins with a little bit of parmesan cheese. Everything is baked until nice and golden and bubbly, and that’s it! These take a little while and you’ll use your food processor three times if you let it do the slicing (which I highly recommend!), but they’re worth it. I may or may not have had almost half a dozen of these for lunch the other day…

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Filed Under: appetizer, gluten free, recipe, sides, vegetarian Tagged With: fall, grain free, gratin, onion, sweet potato, Thanksgiving, winter

Deep Dish Paleo Tamale Pie

October 31, 2016 By Becky 4 Comments

Deep Dish Paleo Tamale Pie

This paleo tamale pie combines a beef chili base made with peppers, tomatoes, and squash with a fluffy, grain-free “cornbread” topping.

Have you heard of tamale pie? It’s a casserole that’s loosely based on the ingredients for tamales, except they’re layered in a dish or skillet instead of wrapped in corn husks. Think a really delicious beef chili with a layer of cornbread baked right on top.

I didn’t grow up eating tamale pie, but apparently a lot of people did–a Bon Appétit article caught my eye recently with the headline: “Cornbread Tamale Pie Is the Greatest Recipe of All Time.” The author made a great case for why this dish is one of the best foods ever, and I was left with a distinct hankering to create a paleo tamale pie of my own.

Deep Dish Paleo Tamale Pie

For the filling, I packed in as much delicious produce as humanly possible: diced scallions, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, butternut squash, and cilantro. No, butternut squash is not a traditional ingredient in tamale pie, but I had half of one in the fridge just begging to be thrown in. I ended up loving the subtle sweetness the squash added. Conventional tamale pies often have corn kernels in the filling, so the butternut makes up for that by lending sweet pops of flavor without the addition of grains.

When you make this, you may find yourself tempted, like I was, to just eat the chili base on its own and to forget about the faux cornbread topping. I actually spooned myself out a little bowl of filling to eat while the tamale pie baked, and I suggest you do the same: I don’t want you to miss out on the fluffy topping, but the chili is great in its own right, so why not sneak in a little mid-cookup snack?

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe Tagged With: beef, butternut squash, chili, dairy free, fall, ground beef, peppers, Southwestern, tomato, winter

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Hi, I’m Becky!

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