Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tortilla Stew

As some of you may know, our household revolves around when the Longhorns and Patriots play on the weekends.  This past Sunday, the Pats happened to be playing the early game so I wanted to throw some items in the crock pot for an easy dinner (i.e.: something that was ready to chow down on after an afternoon of mimosas/beer and screaming at the television)

I had a ripe avocado, mass quantities of roma tomatoes, a few measly pickled jalapeños and leftover butternut squash.... I guess we were destined for a southern dish... or maybe I was just missing Texas again.  Toss it all into the crock pot and 8 hours later, out came spicy chicken tortilla soup with a little sweetness of butternut squash.

Ingredients
2 large organic chicken breasts
1 small can tomato paste
1 can low sodium black beans, drained
1 8-oz container of low sodium, free range chicken broth
5 roma tomatoes, diced (you can use any tomato or even a can of diced tomatoes if you want to be that way, I just always seem to have these nuggets of joy on hand)
1 shallot
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped butternut squash (optional but this is what gives the dish a thicker consistency and sweeter taste )
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, diced
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Garnish
Avocado
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (if you're gluten sensitive, check to ensure they're gluten free!)
Low fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Combine all ingredients into the crock pot, mix and turn on low for 8 hours or high for 4.  Garnish as desired and serve!

(Obviously mine was cheese-free)

Pumpkin Gnocchi and Mini Cheesecakes (gluten free)

I have been researching gluten free flour options because I have found that most of my baked goods have tasted too potato-ey.  I finally found the answer... Better Batter.  The basic gist is that this woman found a great flour combination that can be used as a straight substitute in cooking, rather than having to add special ingredients with the options I had found previously.  At $7.50 a box, it is SO much cheaper than other flours and it makes a huge difference in baking.  Another great thing about this company is that they have all sorts of grants and funding that help make it possible for people in need to obtain the nutrition options they require.  I love that this company gives back and is not just another food conglomerate looking to make money off of people who have gluten tolerance issues.

Anyways, over to the great Pumpkin.

I have had a large can of pumpkin puree glaring at me from the cabinet so I decided to have a little fun in the kitchen.  Armed with vino, my Kitchenaid mixer and my new favorite flour, Better Batter, I got to work on a pumpkin feast.

Pumpkin Gnocchi (Gluten Free) with Browned Ghee (butter) Sage Sauce and Spinach

Ingredients (serves 4)
gnocchi
1 and 1/2 cups Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 egg whites, frothed
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp sea salt
ground pepper

Sauce
3 TBSP ghee (or butter)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried sage
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup fresh ground parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Start your large pot of water and salt when it comes to a boil (if you place the salt in first, it will take longer for the pot to boil... seems elementary but I thought I would toss that tip in here).  
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, nutmeg, salt and a pinch of ground pepper.  
3. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula.  Slowly fold in the flour until the pumpkin mix becomes doughy.  The dough will be sticky, so do not add more flour as the gnocchi will be chewy if you do.  
4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and carefully roll the dough out into a few long snakes, about one (1) inch in diameter. Cut the dough into one (1) inch intervals.  
5. Add the ghee (butter), garlic and sage into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.  Once warm, add the balsamic vinegar
6. Add spinach to the sage sauce, and stir constantly to ensure the mixture does not burn.
7. Gently add the gnocchi to the boiling water and allow to cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the gnocchi rises to the top.  
8. Drain the water from the gnocchi and plate it up
9. If desired, add the parmesan cheese to the sauce and stir. 
10. Remove from heat and pour over the gnocchi
11. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Gnocchi!

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes (gluten free)

Ingredients - makes about 24 mini cheesecakes

Crust

1 cup almond meal

2 TBSP ghee (or butter)

Cheesecake

8 oz low or non-fat cream cheese

1 TBSP non-fat plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or 1/3 cup agave nectar)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt the ghee/butter in the microwave
3. Combine the ghee/butter with the almond meal
4. (I recommend either lining the mini muffin tin with paper or placing a small circle of wax paper on the bottom to prevent sticking) Spoon the mixture into the mini tins and press down so that it is compacted down. 
5. Bake in the oven for about 7-9 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust.  It should just brown on the edges
6. In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese, yogurt and brown sugar, but be careful not to over mix as cheesecake should be creamy, not fluffy!
7. Slowly add the pumpkin puree, sea salt, egg, vanilla and spices
8. Spoon the pumpkin mix evenly into the muffin tins
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the outer edges are brown and the center is no longer jiggly.
10. Let cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, remove from the pan and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours prior to serving.

Linguini all'Amatriciana

The husband took us to Italy last month... or should I say, we ate our way through Italy last month and it was amazing.  I picked up a sauce cookbook while over there and I learned some very valuable information regarding Italian food.  The two most important things I learned was to "respect" garlic and buy quality pasta.  I'll get in to how to "respect" garlic in another post but the pasta bit is quite interesting.

Why?  Well the Italian government actually regulates commercially manufactured pasta in that they require a certain quality of flour and dictate the percentage of soft wheat flours used (or sub-quality flours that are commonly found in large quantities in US pasta) used.  This is why it tastes SOOOO drastically different and SOOO much better than what we have here in the States.  It also explains why I was not as sensitive to wheat during my travels in Italy.

So back to cooking.  The book I picked up was simply called Pasta: All The Recipes and it has everything from sauce to noodle and ravioli recipes.  It's basically my new Italian Bible. I had some pancetta in the fridge so I decided to make a modified all'Amatriciana (or alla matriciana as the romans say) sauce... which basically just means I took out the parmesan cheese and used the olive oil sparingly.

Ingredients
5 Roma tomatoes or 1 can of diced tomatoes... whichever is easier
1/2 cup pancetta
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 onion
1 TBS freeze-dried or fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese I did not use this in the recipe... lactose and I are not friends
1 pound linguini (or bucatini if you want to be authentic but a long noodle is best)
Salt

Okay so I have my important ingredients

Now to cook!

Directions
1.  Start your water for the pasta.  Once boiling, add a little bit of sea salt to prevent the noodles from sticking to one another
2.  Blanch the tomatoes, then peel and chop them to your desired consistency
3.  Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and brown the pancetta until crispy (approximately 5-7 minutes).  Scoop the pancetta out of the pan, but leave the drippings in

MMMMM pancetta!

4.  Turn the heat down and add the onion and sauté until opaque (approximately 4-5 minutes)
5.  Add the tomato, basil and let your sauce thicken, stirring occasionally, while you cook your noodles
6.  Before you serve the sauce, add the cheese to it and combine.  Pour it over the noodles and mangia mangia mangia!

All'Amatriciana, sans cheese

Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes

In honor of Father's Day, I decided to pay homage to my favorite childhood meal that my Daddy used to cook... pancakes.  These pancakes are gluten free AND have protein!

Ingredients

• 1 c of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
• 1/4 c ground flax meal
• 1 scoop protein powder (optional - if you decide to omit, simply add more flour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c almond milk (if you like thinner pancakes, add more)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup blueberries

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, flax meal, baking powder.  Set aside
2. In another small bowl, mix together the egg, almond milk, salt and brown sugar. Add to the dry ingredients, then fold the berries into the mixture.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  If it's not a non-stick pan, be sure to spray with cooking spray.
4. Drop batter as desired to the pan and heat approximately 1-2 minutes per side (until bubbles appear and golden brown).  The recipe makes approximately twelve 4 inch pancakes.

Rosemary Chicken with a Blueberry Balsamic Reduction

I took two things I really love - balsamic vinegar and blueberries - and put them together for a delicious sweet and savory sauce.  The blueberries take a bit of the zing out of the balsamic vinegar and it really pairs well with the rosemary in the chicken.  You could also use this sauce over a white fish or even salmon.

Ingredients
For the sauce

• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp local honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• black pepper to taste

For the chicken

• 2 boneless organic chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp grape seed oil
• 2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Take out a glass baking dish and place aside
2. Heat grape seed oil in a large sauté pan
3. Rub dried rosemary on both sides of the chicken breasts. Set aside while you start the blueberry sauce
4. Pour balsamic, honey, garlic and salt into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  You should start the chicken as you wait on this.  
5. When the sauté pan is hot, add the chicken and sear both sides for approximately one minute each side
6. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in the baking dish.  Set in the oven and cook for 7 minutes
7. While the chicken is cooking, your sauce should be coming to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook the sauce for a few minutes.  Once the balsamic is cooked off a bit, add blueberries (and pepper, if desired). Stir intermittantly over low heat while you prep the chicken.
8. At 7 minutes, your balsamic should be cooked off enough so that it is a thicker sauce consistency. The blueberries should also collapsed at this point and added a gorgeous deep blue/purple color to the sauce.
9. Take the chicken out of the oven and pour the balsamic sauce over the chicken.  Place back in the oven and cook until chicken is done (approximately 4 minutes - until internal temperature reached 170 degrees)

I made this dish with a sage honey glaze butternut squash.  Super easy... take a small butternut squash, skin it, remove the seeds and cube it.  Place it in a plastic bag and add 1 tbsp honey with 1 tsp sage.  Place it on a baking sheet in your preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes (about how long it takes to cook the recipe above!).

St. Patty's Day Corned Beef

So you're looking for a great corned beef recipe that you can just throw into a crock pot so you can watch March Madness?  Great!  This is my Grandmother's Recipe (ish... funny how when you ask for pointers the generations ahead of us just tell us to put in whatever feels right.  Well, I am pretty sure she makes the best corned beef this side of the pond so I'll just go with it).

Ingredients
Corned Beef (at least two pounds with some good chunks of fat on the outside)
1 bottle Guinness (or heineken... if you wanna go Full Brawders)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 shallot, chopped

Directions

1. Take out your large crock pot 
2. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients with the exception of the beer, bay leaf and beef. Stir
3. Place the two bay leaves in the bottom of the crock pot.  Add the beef on top.  Pour both the beer and mixture over the meat and set on a low setting for 8 hours.
4. (OPTIONAL:  if you like cabbage, potatoes and carrots you may add them to the crock pot at the 5 hour mark and cook.  I usually just roast the carrots and bake the potatoes... and omit the cabbage all together)
5. Enjoy with your favorite green beer/wine/water/milk

Thai Coconut Shrimp Over "Rice"

We're back and playing with jalapeños and cauliflower... you know you're excited!

This recipe is delicious AND very low on carbs... there are less than 250 calories in a serving and the fat content is belly-friendly fat.  The coconut milk in the recipe does not drown the shrimp in that tropical taste but the subtle hint does make a nice counterpart to the spice in the jalapeño and chile.

Ingredients

• 20 medium raw shrimp, deveined and without tails
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup water
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped or julienned
• red chile powder
• salt 
• 1 Tbsp grape seed oil (or fat of choice)
• 1/2 cup low fat organic coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets

Directions

1. Place garlic cloves and water into a food processor and blend well.  Place the shrimp into a bowl and pour the garlic mixture over the shrimp.  Marinate for 15 minutes
2. While this is happening, (clean your food processor first) put the cauliflower into the food processor and blend until the pieces look a bit like rice.  You may have to do this in a few batches. Place the riced cauliflower a large bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
3. Once the cauliflower is warm, place into a large sauté pan (if you do not have a non-stick pan, be sure you spray it with cooking spray to ensure the vegetables do not stick).  Start cooking over medium heat.  You will want to cook the cauliflower for at least 10 minutes or more, depending on how crispy you want the "rice".
4. In a skillet, heat the grape seed oil over medium heat.  
5. Strain the shrimp from the garlic mixture (it is okay if much of the garlic stays with the little guys because it makes the final product taste so good).  Transfer  the shrimp back into the bowl and add lime, chile powder (to taste), jalapeño and salt (to taste).  Mix.
6. Place the shrimp into the skillet and cook for one minute.  Turn the shrimp over and add the coconut milk to the pan.  Finish the shrimp (should be another minute to two minutes).
7. Plate the cauliflower and pour the shrimp mixture over it!

Serves 2

Carnitas for the Homesick Texan

Blame it on the rain... but I was homesick for Texas this morning as I was pondering what I should do with this massive pork loin I had in the fridge.  I was feeling a bit lazy so the crock pot instantly came out of the cupboard.  Add a little spice, some beer and the proper accoutrements and we had ourself a nice little tex-mex meal this evening.

Ingredients

• 3 pound pork loin
• 1 can green chiles
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Adobo spice
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cilantro
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp grape seed oil
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 bottle of mexican beer (I say that since it's appropriate for the genre but I used Miller Lite since it's what was in our fridge)

Directions

1. Place bay leaf in the bottom of the crock pot.  
2. Cut a few slices into the pork loin and stuff them with garlic
3. Place the loin into the crock pot, add vegetable stock and the remaining spices.  Pour beer over the top of the loin and place the pot on medium
4. Cook for 6-8 hours and if possible, flip the meat halfway through.
5. Serve with tortillas, guac, salsa and sour cream (and maybe a margarita... if it's Sunday Funday)

berry coffee Cake... or Death???

Cake?? Or death?  Ah there's something about that Eddie Izzard skit that makes me crack up every time I hear the word cake... feel free to Google it.  I'll wait.


Anyways... just because this recipe says its cake, does not mean it is going to be the death of your diet.  It's been a while since I baked and since I started a new job, I decided it was time to bring back my usual routine of testing recipes out on the masses.  Since I work at a spa (where obviously, a healthy way of life is a priority), this recipe includes antioxidants and very little fat.  It went over quite well at our 7:45a meeting this morning.  I've made another coffee cake before but I have to say that this one is a bit more delicious.

Ingredients
Cake

• 1 and 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup quick oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup stevia baking sugar (or like-substitute)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or your preferred milk)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 cup fresh or frozen berries

Topping

• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 3 tbsp dark brown sugar (I used the real stuff for the topping)
• 2 tbsp cold Earth Balance (or butter)
• 1/4 cup quick oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients from the cake listing.  
3. In a smaller bowl, blend together the egg, milk and applesauce.  
4. Pour the contents of the small bowl into the mixing bowl and stir until moist, then fold in the berries.
5. Coat an 8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray and spread the batter into the dish.  Ensure the mixture reaches the edges as it will be a bit thick
6. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping.  Use a fork so that the mixture is crumbly.  Pour the topping over the batter.
7. Bake in your preheated oven for 20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.

Bellini anyone? :) Enjoy!

Nutrition Information: (courtesy of Spark Recipes Nutrition Calculator)

12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories   142
Total Fat  2.7g
Cholesterol  0g
Sodium  217mg
Carbohydrate  33.5g
Fiber  5.1g
Sugar  6.8 g
Protein  3.6g

Eggplant "pasta" with chicken

So I'm not saying I "gave up" on the Whole30,  just decided that I am not one of those people who can live without wine.  Let's be honest, I cook with wine and bake with tequila so although I am a healthier person... it just did not fit my lifestyle.  I can get my wedding body together without sacrificing that.  Seeing as I cannot eat cheese and most gluten anyways, I'll keep the one thing I enjoy the most about eating... wine.

Anyways, so on to dinner.  Tonite I had a wicked craving for pasta.  Since I am keeping up with the whole mantra of "no carbs at night", I decided to faux it out and call it a night.  I had a nice eggplant sitting in the vegetable bowl so I figured I would slice it up and give it a go.  Amazingly, the meal came out delicious (or at least, I think so... Zack is out of town so the opinion is one sided).

Ingredients
for the eggplant
1 large eggplant
kosher salt
1 Tbs grape seed oil

for the sauce
1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
1 small jar of organic roasted red peppers, chopped
1 Tbs fresh basil
2 cloves minced garlic (I really hope you bought that large jar of it already...)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp marjoram

for the chicken
2 organic chicken breasts
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional... if you cannot stand heat)
2 tsp grape seed oil

Directions

1. Prep your eggplant - slice the top and bottom off of your eggplant, then slice the eggplant in 1/4 inch wide planes (from top to bottom). 
2. Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of the eggplant slices and place on a cookie rack.  Let the vegetable bleed for about 30-45 minutes
3. Prep your chicken - cut the breasts into strips (optional... this just makes it cook quicker) and place in a glass dish.  Add garlic and red pepper to the glass dish, stir and let sit in the fridge while your eggplant bleeds
4. For the sauce, add all ingredients (under sauce) to a smaller sauce pan.  Let the sauce simmer over medium-low heat.  Stir as needed.
5. At this time your eggplant should be ready.  Rinse the eggplant strips under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.  Slice the eggplant strips into fettuccini size slices then set aside for cooking.
6. In a non-stick medium sauté pan, add 2 tsp of grape seed oil and heat over medium heat.  Once warm, add the chicken mixture to the pan.  Cook thoroughly
7. In another sauté pan, add 1 Tbsp of grape seed oil and heat over medium heat.  Add the eggplant fettuccini and cook for about 7 minutes.  Stir constantly to ensure even cooking
8. Serve and enjoy!

Makes 3 servings (or two, if you're hungry) at 350 calories 

Spicy Coconut Chicken Over Fried "Rice"

Call me tricky but this recipe has no rice in it.  Ever since starting this paleo adventure, I've been exposed to new cooking techniques and tricks from the paleo world.  Take this non-rice fried rice technique - it uses cauliflower instead of rice!  I was a little skeptical when I heard about this but when you cook the vegetable just right, it really does have the same consistency (and your belly will thank you for it).

Ingredients
for cauliflower rice

• 1/2 half head of cauliflower
• 1 red pepper
• 2 large carrots
• 1 Tbsp minced onion flakes
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, scrambled together in a separate bowl

for chicken

• 2 organic chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp Sriracha (yes, I know this is not a paleo-friendly ingredient... if you're that concerned, use 1 and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes instead)

Directions

1. Separate the cauliflower into florets and place into a food processor.  Process until the vegetable is in a grain-like consistency
2. Place the cauliflower into a microwave safe glass dish and zap for 4 minutes
3. While this is happening, start your chicken.  Heat coconut oil and red pepper in a large skillet. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook.  I sliced my chicken because I have a fear of undercooking birds but you can either dice the chicken or cook it whole in the skillet.
4. In a large saute pan, heat coconut oil and garlic over medium-high heat.  Slice your red pepper and send your carrots through a food processor (or cut them into small pieces manually, whatever floats your boat).  Once the garlic is tender, add the bell pepper, carrot and onion to the pan.  Let the mixture cook for a few minutes before adding the cauliflower and ginger.  Cook until the cauliflower is slightly browned.  Add egg mixture and stir until the egg is cooked.
5. By this time, your chicken should be fully cooked.  Serve!

Makes two meals

Mardi Gras Pork Roast

So instead of Fat Tuesday, we celebrated (not so) Fat Thursday.  This recipe takes about an hour and a half from start to finish but it is well work the time (Zack approved!).

Ingredients
1 pork sirloin (approximately 2 pounds)- have you been to Costco yet?  Because they sell these babies in a four pack and they are super cheap
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic - I really hope you bought that big jar of minced garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp onion - I have the freeze dried kind but feel free to use onion powder if you do not have any fresh minced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 adobo spice
1/4 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp grape seed oil

Directions

1. Combine all spices in a small bowl.  Stir in the grape seed oil and let mixture sit while oven preheats
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Line a glass baking pan with aluminum foil (or just grease the pan, if you prefer)
4. Pound the pork so that you break up the surface layer enough to allow the spices to absorb.  Rub spices all over the meat so that it is completely covered
5. Place the meat into the glass dish and set in the oven for about an hour (until your meat thermometer reads 160).  Once cooked, allow meat to rest for 15 minutes
6. Serve over mashed sweet potatoes and a side of steamed vegetables

Spaghetti (squash) for Breakfast

I made spaghetti squash for one of our sides the other night and decided to incorporate it into my breakfast bake for the week.  It actually turned out quite yummy, so here's another exciting Whole30 blog update!

Ingredients

• 1/2 spaghetti squash (hint: make it the night before and use the other half as your side... to cook, heat oven to 375, halve the squash and scoop out the seeds.  Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the squash is tender, and scoop out the insides)
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 small shallot
• 1 sausage link, casing removed
• 3 whole eggs
• 10 egg whites
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp basil
• 1 Tbsp parsley
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp grape seed oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and place the sausage in the pan.  Separate the meat so it is in bite sized pieces and cook thoroughly
3. While the sausage is cooking, send your sweet potato and peeled shallot through a food processor (or finely chop them if you do not have a processor)
4. Place the sweet potato mixture into the skillet and cook thoroughly
5. Once cooked, add the spaghetti squash so that it heats up
6. Whisk your eggs in a separate bowl.  Add the vegetable/sausage mixture to the bowl and stir so that the ingredients are mixed
7. Pour the mixture into a 8" glass baking dish and bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes *until the eggs are fully cooked
8. Remove from the oven, let set for about 10 minutes and then serve!

Makes approximately 8 servings

Cuban Cigars...err I mean.. Pork

Week 1 into the Whole30 and I'm sad to say, I've fallen off track.  Call me crazy but my scale scared the heck out of me. I guess I should have paid attention to the "do not step on the scale" warning because this healthy way of life really is effective... seriously... if you want to lose unhealthy weight, do the Whole30.  I'm back on the wine... and I'm sorry, I'm not sorry about it.

So, tonight I must have been wishing I was by the ocean instead of in the middle of God's Country because I channeled the Cuban (that this little white chick does not have) in me.  I had a leftover pork tenderloin from my Trader Joe's pack (did you know they pack two tenderloins in there?) and went for it.  Just go with it... I'm back on the wine again.

Ingredients
For the pork:
1 pork tenderloin (approximately 1lb)
1 lime
4 garlic cloves (or if you have the giant tub of minced garlic like I do, two heaping spoonfuls of the stuff)
1 and 1/2  tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp grape seed oil (or healthy oil of choice)

For the sweet potatoes:
2 small sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp grape seed oil (or, again, healthy oil of choice)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• For the pork

1. Zest the lime, then peel the fruit and discard the peel.  Halve the fruit and place both the zest and the fruit in a food processor (or most preferred, your Ninja).  
2. Add garlic, oregano, salt and oil to the Ninja and blend well
3. Place the tenderloin in a glass dish and pour the mixture over the meat.  Marinate in the refrigerator while you prep the sweet potatoes

• For the sweet potatoes

1. Cube the sweet potatoes (ensure that the ends are cut off and discarded)
2. Grab a handy Ziploc bag and place the cubed potatoes in the bag. 
3. Add the grape seed oil and sprinkle the cumin into the bag
4. Shake the bag until the oil/spice mixture is well distributed
5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the sweet potatoes over the baking sheet
6. Place in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes
1. When the timer goes off, turn the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Adjust the temperature to 400 degrees
2. Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and cover the glass dish it is in with tin foil
3. Place the dish into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (or until the temperature of the meat is 140 degrees or higher)
4. Remove tenderloin from the oven and let sit for five minutes
5. I would recommend sauteing a vegetable blend to accompany the dish so if this is your desire, feel free to saute away... and make the chimichurri sauce
6. At the five minute mark, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven.
7. Slice and serve the tenderloin with the potatoes and dipping sauce (and vegetables, if desired)

• Optional Tenderloin Dipping Sauce (Chimichurri)

1. 1 Tbsp dried parsley
2. 2 garlic cloves (or 1 heaping tsp of the minced jarred type)
3. 1 Tbsp grape seed oil, or olive oil\
4. 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
5. 1/2 tsp sea salt
6. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or less... if you're one of those anti-spice people)

Enjoy!

Eating Clean

I recently started the Whole30, which essentially means I have cut out alcohol, sugars, processed foods, legumes and grains from my diet in an effort to reset my digestive system.  Since this requires a lot of eating at home, I have been cooking non-stop since I started.  The other night I made this delicious easy stuffed squash (Zack even approved it... yet another sneaky way to get a "Meat and Potatoes" man to eat veggies).

Ingredients
1 acorn squash, halved and deseeded
2 Tbs coconut oil (or olive oil, if you have that on hand) - split
1 pound of organic chicken breast, diced
2 egg whites
1 small shallot
1 zucchini
4 crimini mushrooms
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions
Squash

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place deseeded squash onto a baking sheet, face up
3. Spread 1 Tbsp coconut oil over both halves and sprinkle with cinnamon (cinnamon is optional but it gives it a great flavor) and sea salt
4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until soft

Stuffing

1. In a preheated saute pan, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil and chicken.  Cook thoroughly
2. While the chicken is cooking, place the shallot, garlic, zucchini, carrot and mushrooms in a food processor and combine until vegetables are fine.
3. Add vegetable mix to chicken and cook until tender (about 5 minutes)
4. Once cooked, toss with herbs and remove from heat.  Add egg whites and combine all ingredients.
5. Place stuffing inside the halved acorn squash and return to the heated oven to cook for 30 minutes
• If the acorn squash is too shallow, feel free to hollow out some of the squash and add it to the mixture.  I had some leftover stuffing so I placed it in a small glass dish and baked alongside the squash - made a great breakfast for the next day!

Serves 2

Beef... it's not for breakfast (coffee marinated steak)

So Zack just had a record of a day in sales, so I decided to make one of his favorite meals - meat, potatoes and green beans.  The meat was marinated overnight in a coffee marinade, and I added sides of garlic green beans and sweet sweet potatoes.

Start off the night before by marinating your beef

Ingredients - Coffee Marinade

• 2 lean sirloin steaks, fat trimmed (if applicable)
• 2 Tbs brewed strong coffee
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to your liking - I recommend using a pepper mill

Directions

1. In a glass dish, whisk together all ingredients.
2. Add steak and spoon ingredients over the top
3. Marinate for at least 8 hours (recommend overnight, minimum)

Next up, your taters... obviously this comes either 8 hours later or the next day

Ingredients - Sweet Sweet Potatoes

• 2 small sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place cubed sweet potatoes in a plastic bag, add all ingredient and shake until the potatoes are coated
3. Drop into a glass baking dish and place into the oven
4. Bake for 1 hour, turning potatoes every 15 minutes

When the potatoes are about 45 minutes in, start the steak

Directions - Steak

1. Preheat a drizzle of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high and turn on your hood fan... it's going to get smokey in here
2. Gently place your steaks on the skillet and sear each side for about 4 minutes each
3. Place the skillet (with the steaks) in the oven and cook to your desired doneness, about 5-15 minutes
4. While your steaks are cooking, saute green beans (see below)
5. Remove the steaks from the skillet immediately and place on your plates.

Now for the greens

Ingredients - Green Beans

• 2 cups green beans
• cooking spray
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

1. Spray a saute pan with cooking spray and roast your garlic over medium heat
2. Add green beans and cook, approximately 5 minutes
3. At this point, your potatoes and steak should be fully cooked.  Plate, serve and add your favorite cab

Chocolate... for breakfast

This post is has nothing to do with cooking or baking... oops.

I am addicted to the Lean1 protein powder that is made by Nutrition 53.  It comes in flavors like Chocolate (nom), Cookies & Cream, Strawberry and Vanilla.  They are jam packed with vitamins, minerals and the best part is, they are all lactose free.  Smoothie King sells it at their stores and I tend to go in there for my fix, but recently I brought the powder home to experiment with a few of my own concoctions.  I also found out that Smoothie King adds sugar to their smoothies (seriously!) so I wanted to make my own from home.

Here are a few of my favorites that I've made with the chocolate protein:

Heaven in a Cup
1 cup ice
2 scoops chocolate Lean1 powder
1/2 banana
1/2 single serve container of plain fat free Greek yogurt
4 oz water

Combine and blend (do yourself a favor and get a Ninja blender... they are the best)
310 calories, 29g protein, 24g sugar, 7g fat

Chocolate Covered Strawberry
1 cup ice
2 scoops chocolate Lean1 powder
6 large strawberries
1/2 single serve container of plain fat free Greek yogurt

Combine and blend
295 calories, 29g protein, 19g sugar, 7 g fat

You get the point... add fruit and yogurt to this chocolate wonder and you have one delicious meal on the go!

Puttanesca Sauce

Dinner in a pinch?  Keep these ingredients handy for a hearty and healthy meal!

Ingredients

2 tbs Olive Oil

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 (32 oz) can crushed tomatoes, with juice

15-20 large olives, chopped- if you like the taste of kalamata, use those but black is fine as well

2 tbs capers, drained

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tbs red wine

Pasta

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until tender.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 2 minutes.  Throw in the remaining ingredients (can't forget the splash of vino!), then heat until bubbles appear.  Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  While the sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to box instructions.

Serve!

Tequila Jalapeno Cornbread

Cornbread... with a kick!

Ingredients
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 ounce tequila
1/3 cup almond milk (or soy, or regular)
1 jalapeno, chopped
3 tbs agave nectar
2 tbs canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line or grease muffin pan
3. Combine all dry ingredients as well as the jalapeno
4. Mix in tequila, almond milk and sour cream
5. Slow add agave and oil and combine thoroughly.  Pour into muffin tin and place in the oven
6. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean

Makes 6 muffins

Slow Cooker Beer Chili (made with Bison meat)

This recipe is perfect for a cold gameday evening.  I recommend Bison because it is a leaner meat than cow but you can substitute any ground meat you wish.

Ingredients

2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 can black beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, with juices

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp chili powder (or more, if you like it spicier)

3/4 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp basil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1 pound ground bison meat

3/4 cup onion, chopped

3/4 cup green pepper, chopped

1 bottle of beer (I used Miller Lite but a stout may be a great alternative)

Directions

1. Brown beef with veggies and half of the bottle of beer, drain 
2. Add all remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, then add beef mixture and about 1/4 of the remaining beer (feel free to drink the rest)
3. Mix and cook on high for 4 hours OR low for 8 hours
4. Serve (with jalapeno cornbread - recipe is on this blog!)

Makes 4 servings