So far so good, I think I like this Whole30 more than the 21DSD because I can enjoy fruits that are currently in season such as blueberries, cantaloupe and watermelon. I’ve also decided to shy away from nut butters and dried fruit, both of which I heavily relied on before thus contributing to unwanted weight gain. Nut butters and Paleo banana bread became my breakfast staple and now that I am doing the Whole 30, I am embracing going back to basics and eating simple whole foods. My body is thanking me already!
Here is a Cashew Beef stir-fry recipe that pairs well with cauliflower rice. It can easily be doubled to make enough leftovers for lunch the next day or repurposed into a new meal by adding some vegetables and making an egg frittata out of it.
Cashew Beef
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw whole cashews
- 2 tsp oil of your choice
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 2 tbsp ginger grated
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 1 green bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1 (8oz) can water chestnuts aliced
Instructions
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n a wok over medium heat, add the raw cashews. Toast for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Stir consistently to prevent the nuts from burning. Remove and set aside.
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Add tallow to the same wok.
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Add the ground beef and stir-fry for 5 minutes until browned.
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Add the ginger, garlic and coconut aminos. Stir-fry until fragrant.
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Add the bell peppers, onion and water chestnuts. Cook until the vegetables start to soften but are still crisp, about 5 minutes.
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Season with sea salt and black pepper.
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Turn off the heat and mix in toasted cashews before serving.
Tiffany says
That looks great!
Jenny says
Thank you Tiffany!
Darci says
Hi Jenny, I’m not familiar with tallow. I was planning on making this tonight (cashew beef) but just noticed the tallow in the instructions, rather than in the ingredients. Is there a substitute that I could use? I’m on Whole30. Thanks!
Jenny says
You can use any type of cooking fat you normally cook with 🙂
Jess @ PaleoJess says
I love that eating real food as close to its natural state makes me feel so good, it’s great to make a Paleo treat every now and then but I was getting a little carried away with Paleo cookies last month, so absolutely back on track this month, surprised at how easy it was to just not think about Paleo treats.
Jenny says
Yes I agree! I’ve realized that Paleo treats have done me more harm than good so I would be limiting that to 1-2x a week after my Whole 30.
Laura | My Little Gourmet says
I love cashews and this beef stir fry looks so simple and delicious. YUM! So I’m a little out of the loop over here in Berlin…what exactly is the Whole 30?
Jenny says
The cashews definitely made this dish. Next time i’m adding more 🙂
The Whole30 is a way to jump start good eating habits by eating whole foods such as meat, seafood, veggies, fruit and healthy fats. Here’s a link with more info in case you are interested! http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/
Kristen@Change of Pace says
Look at those cashews! Looks amazing girl 🙂
Jenny says
Thank you Kristen, i’ll be adding more cashews next time 😉
Kim @ Living, Laughing & Losing says
This looks delicious! I’m bookmarking it and added it to the menu for next week. Glad you’re doing good so far and I also like that I can have some fruits. 🙂
Jenny says
Thanks Kim! I felt a little bit hungry a few hours before dinner yesterday but it was tolerable.
Matt @ The Athlete's Plate says
This looks delicious! I’m obsessed with grass fed beef.
Jessica says
So yummy! Looking forward to my leftovers tonight!
Jenny says
Glad you liked it Jessica 🙂
Kari says
Would like emails
Anton says
I made this dish today and it is absolutely delicious! Next time I will add more cashews though as they really complete the dish. I added small amount of chilli and that complemented the ginger very well.
5 stars!
Jenny says
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! Good idea on adding chili to it, I’ll do that next time =)
AJ says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it. Any suggestions on what vegetable(s) to use to make this nightshade free?
Jenny says
To make this nightshade free and AIP friendly, you can double up on the water chestnuts or use sliced carrots to substitute for the bell pepper. I would personally go for the carrots since it has that same sweetness and crunch that bell peppers have when cooked. Omit the black pepper and you are all good. Let me know when you get to try it!
AJ says
Tried it with carrots and it was delicious. The one thing I would do differently is add the carrots a bit earlier since they took a long time to cook. Easy, fast and great tasting recipe. Thanks!
Jenny says
Glad to hear it was great with carrots! Yes the cooking time would need to be adjusted since carrots take at least twice as much cooking time as bell peppers. I’m thinking of updating this recipe to add the AIP compliant alternative 😉
Lynn Cox says
I am thinking of using Ground Chicken. Do you think it will be ok?
Jenny says
If you use ground chicken (preferably thighs over breast) you will have to increase the amount of garlic, ginger, salt and pepper since chicken has a milder flavor compared to beef. It is a good substitute but just adjust the seasonings so it doesn’t end up tasting bland.
Cheryl G. Edenfield says
Been watching you prepare this on Snapchat and am excited to try this tonight. Green peppers give me a headache, so I’m going to try it with just a few red/orange peppers plus carrots.
Sarah Morris says
Made this tonight! It was delicious.
Jenny says
Glad you enjoyed it Sarah!
Kaleena says
Just made this and it turned out great. I would double the veggies next time, the meat was a little over proportional to the vegetables. I added mushrooms, purple cabbage, scallions, and red pepper flakes. Thanks for the recipe!
Claudia says
This is such a quick, tasty dish! I made this as part of last weeks meal prep. So good!
Abbey says
I made this dish tonight and it turned out delicious! It had a nice savory flavor and I enjoyed my dinner a lot. Thanks for the recipe I’ll save this for the future.