So I made it through one full week of Whole30. Go me :) I have even made tons of treats and desserts for my family and haven't snuck a bite. Have I wanted to? Um. You try icing 3 dozen cookies and not wanting to lick icing from your fingers :) But I haven't caved. Here are the menus for week 2!
Monday - Creamy paleo tomato soup and bacon-cheddar quiche. (yes, I know it sounds weird. But it's my daughter's birthday and she gets to pick the meal! And I won't be eating the quiche).
Tuesday - Leftover pork loin and veggies from Sunday
Wednesday - Chicken curry
Thursday - Steak salad with cilantro lime dressing
Friday - Chicken meatballs over zoodles, with roasted red pepper sauce
Saturday - Chicken burrito wraps with salad (it's date night for me and the hubs but this will be dinner for the kids)
Stay tuned for pictures and recipes!
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday Dinner: Walnut Crusted pork tenderloin with pan roasted veggies
So usually on Sundays my husband is gone most of the day and after handling the kids all day the last thing I want to do is cook. So we do crock pot meals A LOT on Sundays. But today was different :) It was Stake Conference for us so the hubby was home and our meetings were shorter. Which means I was home with plenty of time to cook. And I like to cook so when I have the time and it's relaxed that is awesome! So today I made this
So good! The walnuts add a nice crunch and flavor and the seasonings. Mmmmmmm....my mouth is watering just thinking about this!
Everybody liked it. Well, the little kids were a little iffy about the brussels sprouts but that's OK. I hated them as a kid too. They're not my favorite now but I do like them; it just really depends on how they're cooked: ie. they must be
roasted or I won't touch them :)
I found both these recipes in the Whole30 cookbook, available on Amazon. Tons of awesome Whole30 recipes!
walnut-crusted pork tenderloin
Pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 C chopped walnuts, finely chopped
Remove the roast from the fridge and let it come to room temp before roasting.
Preheat oven to 375.
Mix the spices and rub evenly all over the tenderloin. Coat the pork evenly with the walnuts. Place tenderloin in baking pan and into the oven. Roast at 375 until the internal temperature reaches 145, about 20 - 25 minutes per pound. Let pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
pan roasted brussels sprouts and squash
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 lb brussels sprouts, ends removed and sliced in half
1/2 red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about one large butternut squash)
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add sprouts, onions, and seasonings. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the sprouts begin to brown, about 5 - 7 minutes. Turn the sprouts and add the squash. Cook everything until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes. It could take longer, just watch it.
I had my pork over a bed of mixed greens, topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy!
So good! The walnuts add a nice crunch and flavor and the seasonings. Mmmmmmm....my mouth is watering just thinking about this!
Everybody liked it. Well, the little kids were a little iffy about the brussels sprouts but that's OK. I hated them as a kid too. They're not my favorite now but I do like them; it just really depends on how they're cooked: ie. they must be
roasted or I won't touch them :)
I found both these recipes in the Whole30 cookbook, available on Amazon. Tons of awesome Whole30 recipes!
walnut-crusted pork tenderloin
Pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp mustard powder
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 C chopped walnuts, finely chopped
Remove the roast from the fridge and let it come to room temp before roasting.
Preheat oven to 375.
Mix the spices and rub evenly all over the tenderloin. Coat the pork evenly with the walnuts. Place tenderloin in baking pan and into the oven. Roast at 375 until the internal temperature reaches 145, about 20 - 25 minutes per pound. Let pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
pan roasted brussels sprouts and squash
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 lb brussels sprouts, ends removed and sliced in half
1/2 red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about one large butternut squash)
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add sprouts, onions, and seasonings. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the sprouts begin to brown, about 5 - 7 minutes. Turn the sprouts and add the squash. Cook everything until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes. It could take longer, just watch it.
I had my pork over a bed of mixed greens, topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Crispy Fish tacos with spicy slaw in plantain wraps
Delicious. Even as I sit here I want to go downstairs and eat another one. Only problem is my husband isn't home yet and the rest of it is for him. But then again....if he's not here....maybe he'll never know.....
But I digress. This recipe came from The Happy Housewife. Find it here. I did one change to make this Whole30 compliant: left out the honey in the slaw. Be warned, the slaw was spicy. My little kids didn't like it so I just gave them plain cabbage in their tacos.
The plantain wraps I've made before and I love them.They are from AJ at Healthfest.
Plantain Tortillas
Ingredients for 8-10 tortillas:
– 3 plantains, the greener the better
– 2 egg whites
– 4 tbsp coconut oil
– 1 tbsp cumin
– 2 tbsp lime juice
What to do:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Peel and cut plantains into chunks. Blend in a food processor or blender.
2) Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again.
3) Spread parchment paper over a baking sheet. Scoop a little less
than 1/4 cup batter on to the parchment and use the bottom of a
measuring cup to spread it out into a circle. I fit four tortilla
circles on one baking sheet, but you can make them bigger or smaller
depending on what you want.
4) Bake for 12 minutes until you can peel the tortilla off the parchment.
The taco toppings are up to you – be creative! I like fresh
avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, and onion. The roasted tomatillo salsa is a
delicious topping. This Peach-Mango Salsa is a breeze and it’s a
perfect balance to the spice of the pork.
And the guacamole is my tried and true recipe. My favorite. I've tried other ones but always come back to this.
Guacamole!!
4 ripe avocados, mashed
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 limes (zest of one, juice of both)
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
1/4 medium red onion, diced
salt, to taste (I actually rarely even put in salt!)
Let me know if you make these tacos. It wasn't too hard and SUPER good!
Friday, May 29, 2015
Sometimes I make cinnamon rolls
Today was the last day of school for my kids so we decided to invite friends over and have an end of school brunch. I made frittata, a fruit platter, and - of course - cinnamon rolls. We loooooooove them around here.
Are these Paleo? Um. No.
Are these Whole30? Not even close.
Are these delicious? That would be two thumbs up!
Since I am doing a Whole30 right now, I didn't eat any. I didn't even lick my fingers while I was making them. (Go me!) But I still made them because my kids deserved one of their favorite treats :)
I got my recipe from the Deals to Meals blog. I have used this recipe for years and it's always a hit.
Go ahead and click over to their blog to see the recipe. It is definitely worth your time.
Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast
Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.
Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.
Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast
Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.
Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.
Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6
Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast
Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.
Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.
Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6cd6z1.dpuf
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast
Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.
Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.
Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6cd6z1.dpuf
Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast
Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.
Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.
Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6cd6z1.dpuf
1 c. warm milk
1/3 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
1 T. yeast
Put warm milk, sugar and yeast into your mixer and mix for a minute until combined. Let the yeast grow until foamy and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes). Then add the eggs, butter, flour, and salt and combine until smooth and mixted together. Let dough sit in the bowl until it has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours). When it has doubled, put a small amount of flour on the counter and pour the dough onto the counter. Roll dough out until it measures 16 inches x 21 inches.
Filling:
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter
Melt butter and spread on dough rectangle. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over buttered dough. Roll up and cut into 16 equal rolls.
Place rolls on greased cookie sheet 4 across and 4 down. Cover w/ greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/2 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Frost 1-2 minutes after finished baking. - See more at: http://www.dealstomealsblog.com/2009/10/my-favorite-cinnamon-roll-recipe.html#sthash.6b6cd6z1.dpuf
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Basic Chili
Basic, but not boring :)
I love chili. And when I first took legumes out of my diet it made me a little sad because beans are a big ingredient in pretty much every chili. But I got over it. And now I love this even without the beans. Just up the veggies and meat and you still get a hearty, filling meal.
This makes a lot! Fed my entire family, plus seconds for the husband, and we still have enough for a couple of people on leftovers night.
Basic Chili
3 lbs ground meat (I use a combination of beef and pork)
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 Tbsp Cumin
1 1/4 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried mustard powder
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 - 3 cups beef broth
Melt 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or whatever cooking fat you're using) in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown ground meat. Put the meat into a crock pot. Add onions, garlic, and spices into the pan and cook until onions are translucent. Put the onions into the crock pot. Add tomatoes, beef stock, and peppers into the crock, stir, and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours.
You could also make this on the stovetop if you have time. After you cook the onions, add everything back into the pan (or probably a high sided dutch oven or stock pot), add the stock, tomatoes, and peppers, then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer uncovered for about an hour, or longer if you want to :)
I hope you enjoy it!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Chicken Cacciatore over zoodles
Today is day 3 of my current Whole30. And I'm already hitting the "kill all the things" phase. If you've never done a Whole30, click here to see what I'm talking about. Good thing I planned my menus for the week because honestly all I wanted to do this evening was bury myself in the 12 gallons of ice cream (yes TWELVE GALLONS) we have in our outside freezer, then maybe cry for a little while. But alas, I did not. I stood in the kitchen, gritted my teeth to avoid yelling at my children for no good reason, prepped and made this deliciousness. I really like to cook though; if I didn't I think a Whole30 would be much harder for me.
This is the Chicken Cacciatore from the new Whole30 book. Find it on Amazon here. Chock full of great tips and recipes. Even though I've done a Whole30 before and I have tons of recipes I like I am still really enjoying this book.
Here is how I did the recipe. Remember I cook for 9 and this did leave some leftovers for tomorrow, so if you're family is smaller, half this sucker :)
Whole30 Chicken Cacciatore
4 - 6 Tbsp cooking fat (I used olive oil)
8 chicken legs (bone in, skin on)
6 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
S&P for seasoning the chicken
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp capers, drained
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 - 2 C chicken broth
fresh basil, finely chopped (to top the chicken after serving)
In large skillet with high edges, heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on all sides, and put in the pan. Sear the chicken on all sides (about 3 minutes per side) until a nice golden brown. Remove chicken from pan. (I have to do mine in batches)
With the pan still over medium-high heat, put the rest of your oil in the pan. Add the onions and bell peppers and sautee until onions are translucent. Add in mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add in garlic and stir until it smells awesome :) Add in tomatoes and capers and stir.
Place the chicken back into the pan. Add chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer, then turn heat down to low (I let mine about medium since I was cooking a lot of chicken and wanted it done) and let simmer for about 30 minutes. You want the chicken at an internal temp of 160 F.
This was so yummy. Almost everybody loved it. I saw almost everybody because my 13 year old did not. But she pretty much doesn't like anything unless it's chocolate, so I don't really worry about it when she doesn't like a meal.
Oh! Also, we served it over zucchini noodles. Just added to the yum factor.
Enjoy! And go buy that book. It's awesome.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Peach Balsamic Chicken
That said, this delicious dinner came from My Natural Family. Her blog is chock full of awesome recipes for a Paleo lifestyle which can easily be modified for a Whole30 if need be. Like this one Peach Balsamic Rosemary Chicken. It was super easy to modify too; I just left out the honey! And we served it over cauliflower rice rather than regular rice.
I hope you love it if you try it. My entire family loved it.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Menu plans....again
So I know I have ignored this blog for the past couple of months. So to all two of my readers, sorry :) I got busy, then sick, then went on vacation, came back and got sick again. Still working my way back from that one. And I have kinda let my good eating habits go bye bye. But I'm beyond tired of feeling so blah because of a bad diet, so I'm getting back on the horse! It's crazy how just letting a little big of gluten and dairy back into my life can mess me up. I want the healthy feeling back. Honestly it's easier to just order the damn pizza when you're sick and exhausted...but I know it's not worth it for me. I KNOW that. Maybe you can eat that way and be fine. Not me. I get bloated, tired, cranky. And that on top of other medical issues I'm currently dealing with. Well, it's no fun.
It was my birthday last week. Now that I am "officially old" according to my 5 year old, and I am feeling old thanks to my diet, I'm starting another Whole30 tomorrow! I've got to get myself completely back on track. I don't want to live Whole30 permanently, but I like it as a kick in the pants to get back where I know I need to be. And taking things out slowly doesn't really work for me because I have a hard time with moderation. One cookie? Two? HA! How about the entire bag? Yep, that works. Except it doesn't. Then I feel sick. And mad. And seriously, it's just not worth it.
So, Whole30 round 4. Here we go!
Memorial Day! Maybe I'm crazy to start a Whole30 on a holiday, but there really is never a perfect day so why not Memorial Day?
Monday - Jalapeno burgers over greens with guacamole and potato wedges
Tuesday - Peach balsamic rosemary chicken over cauliflower rice
Wednesday - Chicken Cacciatore over zoodles
Thursday - crock pot Chili
Friday - Fish tacos in plantain wraps with spicy cabbage slaw
Saturday - Date Night
Sunday - Walnut crusted pork tenderloin with pan roasted brussels sprouts and squash
Here we go!!!
PS. I'll be eating some ice cream tonight. No reason not to go out with a bang :)
It was my birthday last week. Now that I am "officially old" according to my 5 year old, and I am feeling old thanks to my diet, I'm starting another Whole30 tomorrow! I've got to get myself completely back on track. I don't want to live Whole30 permanently, but I like it as a kick in the pants to get back where I know I need to be. And taking things out slowly doesn't really work for me because I have a hard time with moderation. One cookie? Two? HA! How about the entire bag? Yep, that works. Except it doesn't. Then I feel sick. And mad. And seriously, it's just not worth it.
So, Whole30 round 4. Here we go!
Memorial Day! Maybe I'm crazy to start a Whole30 on a holiday, but there really is never a perfect day so why not Memorial Day?
Monday - Jalapeno burgers over greens with guacamole and potato wedges
Tuesday - Peach balsamic rosemary chicken over cauliflower rice
Wednesday - Chicken Cacciatore over zoodles
Thursday - crock pot Chili
Friday - Fish tacos in plantain wraps with spicy cabbage slaw
Saturday - Date Night
Sunday - Walnut crusted pork tenderloin with pan roasted brussels sprouts and squash
Here we go!!!
PS. I'll be eating some ice cream tonight. No reason not to go out with a bang :)
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