Bacon Ranch Breakfast Hash (Whole 30)

This week I did something I haven’t done in almost 13 years and something I never thought I would do again. I gave my employer my notice. Friday, March 29th will be my last day with my old employer and Monday, April 1st will be my first day with my new employer.

Although I am beyond ecstatic to be to be leaving my current place of employment, I am really having a hard time leaving the people. I mean, I knew it would be hard. These people have been with me through some of the best and worst times of my life. I just didn’t expect it to be this hard. So many tears and so many hugs and I still have 4 more shifts before I am done. You would think I was moving 6000 miles away instead of 6 blocks away.

I am also very touched by the reactions of some of my regular customers that I told that I was leaving. My goal has always been to make sure everyone who comes through my line leaves feeling a little better then when they got there. I never knew how much I succeeded at this until I decided to leave.

If you are wondering what the picture has to do with Bacon Ranch breakfast hash, the answer is nothing. My friend, Ess, bought this little Angel for me to celebrate my new job. She spent a lot of time picking just the right stone for me.

I don’t know if I believe in the power of crystals and all that but I gotta say, this one is perfect for me. I need help attracting new opportunities because I sure don’t going looking for them. New opportunity means changing things and I don’t handle change of any kind well. Even though I know that there is no future for me where I work now, those voices in my head fill me up with self doubt, that I will fail at my new job. I am too old, too dumb, just too much of everything to suceed. If this can help me move past that I’ll be grateful. Those negative inner voices can really beat you up if you let them.

Bacon Ranch Breakfast Hash

• Difficulty: Easy
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Adapted From The Defined Dish

1/2 lb baby yellow potatoes, cut into fourths

2 strips compliant bacon

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 lb ground chicken

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 cup baby spinach

2 TBS compliant ranch dressing

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and add enough water to cover. Place sauce pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling cook for 5 minutes or until slightly tender. Drain.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the bacon until crispy, about 4 minutes per side. Break the bacon into little pieces. Remove to a plate. Set aside.

Drain all the bacon grease except for 1 tablespoon. Once the potatoes are done, add the potatoes to the skillet with the bacon grease. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 6-8 minutes, until golden and tender. Add the spinach and cook until wilted about 2 minutes. Remove the potatoes and spinach to the plate with the bacon.

Add the ground chicken to the pan. Brown the chicken, breaking it up with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing. Continue cooking and breaking up the meat until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Once cooked, drain the fat, add the potatoes and spinach back to the pan with another tablespoon of ranch dressing. Mix well and heat through.

Whole Sisters Dump Ranch (Whole 30)

If you like ranch dressing you need to make this recipe as soon as possible.  I have made my own salad dressings for years.  I have tried dozens of different kinds of  dressings and many variations of each.  I can honestly say this is the best salad dressing I have ever tasted.  I could, and have, ate it with a spoon.  It’s easy to make.  It uses ingredients I already keep in the house and best of all it is Whole 30 compliant.

The original recipe called for making the dressing in a wide mouth mason jar.  I didn’t have one so  I used a deep, narrow bowl.  It worked fine.  The key is not to move the immersion blender until the emulsion starts to form and after that move it up and down and all around until everything is blended well.  The dressing may seem thin at the blending point will thicken upon standing.

Whole Sisters Dump Ranch

• Difficulty: Easy
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From The Whole Sisters

1 egg

1 cup  light olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk, stirred

1 handful fresh herb of choice or 3 tablespoons dried parsley

Place all ingredients in the jar in the order given, except for the fresh herbs.  Use your immersion blender and blend for 1 minute.  Add the fresh herb or dried parsley and blend for another 15 seconds.  Use it on everything.  It will keep for about a week.

Salad Dressings (Whole 30)

A few days ago, a lady came through my line at work with a bunch of compliant things

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix (Whole 30)

I fully intended to cook a meal when I got home from work tonight. I had all my spices lined up on the counter, my adaption and the cookbook it was adapted from were right next to the spices, ready for reference.

What I didn’t expect when I got home is being so tired  all I wanted to do is go to bed. Instead of making Rogan Josh like I planned, I made a big bowl of buttered popcorn sprinkled with the dry ranch seasoning  I made earlier in the week.

When mixed with mayonnaise the seasoning blend makes an awesome ranch dressing.   Without the mayonnaise the ranch seasoning blend doesn’t taste much like ranch dressing but still makes an awesome seasoing blend for other things, like popcorn.  I will be experimenting with ranch seasoing blend in some of my other recipes that call for it see how they turn out.  I will post them here if they do.

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

• Difficulty: Easy
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adapted from Perrys Plates Whole 30 Recipes Instagram takeover

2 TBS dried parsley

1 1/2 TBS  dried chives

1 TBS  dried dillweed

1 1/2 TBS dry mustard

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried minced onion

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Mix well.  Store in an airtight container in a cool place.   To make ranch dressing: combine 1 cup mayo and 1 to 2 TBS ranch dressing mix.  Thin with milk untill desired consistency is reached.  

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