The recipe I have made the most times since our last Whole 30 is by far and away Simple Roasted Chicken Thighs from the Whole 30 Cookbook. We use boneless skinless thighs and BBQ them instead of roasting, but that balsamic, lemon and garlic marinade quickly became a go to in our house. The recipe was created by Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo, so I was pretty excited to try a few more of her recipes this time around.
And the flavors do not disappoint! We chose to BBQ boneless skinless thighs again, though this recipe is designed for whole thighs cooked in the oven. We just prefer to BBQ, it’s one less pan (and in this case wire rack) to clean. I made the marinade in the morning and it took just a few minutes to whip up in my Cuisinart. Michelle uses a Vitamix, which seems to puree the green onions a little better than my food processor.
The Asian Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe took a little more effort, but after the fried rice I made with our leftover chicken last week I was up for it. Overall the flavor was great and I would definitely make it again, but I am not sure it needed 5 minutes cooking with a lid on, it was a little mushy. Next time I will shorten that, or possibly omit the lid. Cauliflower rice tends to get mushy the longer you cook it, and it cooks quickly, so it can be a little tricky with timing. Best to have everything prepped and be throwing the “rice” in the pan when the chicken is coming out of the oven or off the BBQ to rest.
Fry the bacon until crisp 
This plain omelet will be cut into ribbons 
Sauteed onions, mushrooms, and ginger 
Add the cauliflower rice 
The finished dish!
One of the reasons I was eager to whip up another batch of fried rice so quickly is that I knew fresh ginger would make a big difference, and it does. Michelle also uses coconut aminos, and she is a big fan of Red Boat Fish Sauce which is in both of these dishes and I am convinced adds a lot to the flavor. I have yet to taste the fish sauce straight, but I think it’s pretty heavy on the salt! I have seen this specific brand called for in other Asian recipes and have looked around local markets before to no avail, so this time I broke down and ordered it off Amazon. The Whole 30 approved gluten free version is sold in a two pack, but maybe you have a fabulous Asian market in your area where you can buy a solo bottle. Either way I think it is worth hunting down. My son, Clay, loves ramen which I have now tried my hand at a few times so I know my bottle(s) will not go to waste.
I did a spinach salad on the side with a quick vinaigrette using a tablespoon each apple cider vinegar and apple juice and 3 tablespoons olive oil with salt and pepper. Jason loves spinach salad and I knew this one would make him happy! I made it in his Grandma Doris’ old salad bowl. I love the colors of this bowl and it always reminds me of her when I use it.
I’ll be back tomorrow with more ideas for your healthy start to the New Year!