Showing posts with label Whole 30. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whole 30. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Creamy Chicken Tomato Soup- 6 month anniversary!

Friday was Mr. Bean and my 6 month anniversary.  Neither of us could believe how quickly it had gone by.  I find that marriage is the one thing that all of us are lied to the most about in the grand scheme of life.  We're sold a bill of goods that love and marriage go hand in hand, that they're glorious, and lovely, and never messy.  Then you get married!  I know he would agree that the first three months after our honeymoon were the hardest of our relationship so far.  So, when Friday came, and we realized that the battles had seemingly disappeared as we settled into each other it really DID seem like a reason to celebrate!

My heart felt like it would explode that day!

I find so much comfort knowing he's in my life.  My happy place is a quiet morning drinking coffee with him, kisses when he leaves for work, and BIG hugs when he comes home.  I'm content, and that is something that I've looked for all my life.  He's my anchor.  He gives me purpose, and I love him and the life we're fighting to build everyday!


That's why we started the Whole 30 to begin with.  I'm determined to have him healthy for a really long time, because we got started late in this thing called married life!  Sadly, we haven't stuck to the Whole 30 for 30 days.  Still, it's not a loss.  I'd frame our progress, especially his, as a success.  We needed more discipline at home, and on the weekends, and he needed a much more healthy awareness of how to feed his body for health and wellness, instead of purely for sport.  In that we've been successful.  I've given up artificial sweeteners, and wheat.  I've cut out dairy, and starches, and I'm getting better at eating healthy fats.  He's reading labels, and has begun to think before he eats.  So, where are we in it?

For us, the Paleo Diet is about 80% of what we want to do when we're at home.  The 20% that's left allows me to eat my oats, and have a little wine on the weekends, while making me slow up a bit.  I couldn't run train like I need to for marathons and lifting with only fruit and fat to fuel me. I bonked all the time.  That 20% modification will give me some room to fuel properly.  It allows him to have a baguette on a Saturday with his eggs if that's what he wants or pasta instead of spaghetti squash.  After all, he's not the one with the wheat issue.  For me, it leaves me feeling foggy and hungover- no more, thanks very much!

This recipe is one that follows the Paleo Weekday, at home diet we are adopting.  It was absolutely delicious, and like my favorite recipes, easy!  Feel free to modify the veggies you include.


Creamy Chicken and Tomato Soup:
Serves 8

Ingredients:
14.5 oz Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
14.5 oz can tomato Sauce
6 oz can, no sugar added tomato paste
14.5 oz can Coconut Milk
2 lbs boneless, chicken breast
1 Onion, sliced
1 Zucchini, sliced
1.5 cups baby carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Italian Seasoning
10 oz bag baby Spinach
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
In your slow cooker arrange chicken.  Season with salt and Pepper.  Add tomatoes, sauce, paste and coconut milk.  Mix together well.  Add sliced onion, garlic, Carrot, Zucchini and Italian Seasoning.  Cook on the low setting for 8 hours (give or take)

After cooking, remove chicken breasts from the liquid, and shred well.  Place back in the stew with the bag of baby spinach, and cover until the spinach is wilted.  Taste for seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper as needed. *If you find it's too soupy, and you want to thicken it to a more "stew like" consistency add 1 T of coconut flour and combine well.  Allow it to do it's thing, and in 5 minutes it'll be perfectly thick.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Recipes...

Sigh... I know this is just supposed to keep you updated on all things "Whole 30", and training, and my process, and everything.

I'm well aware, that I'm NOT a food photographer or recipe developer, but I still feel bad about posting recipes without pictures!

That said, I promised you (yes, YOU, Christine!) a few simple recipes that you can use to eat real, paleo-legal food without feeling like you're not allowed to have ANYTHING at all.  These little recipes won't keep you tied to your stove for 80 hours, either.  You'll have to trust me that they look pretty on the page!

Crispy Sweet Potato Oven Fries:

Equipment:

  • Cookie sheet lined with foil
  • cooling rack placed inside the cookie sheet
  • 1 gallon Ziploc bag
Ingredients:
  • 1-2 large sweet potatoes
  • 2T Coconut OIl, melted
  • 1T arrowroot powder 
  • 1T cajun seasoning
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then into 1/2" wide strips.
Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl of cold water and allow to soak 15-20minutes.  This will allow some of the starch to be pulled out into the water.  Drain sweet potatoes and dry well.  



In a separate bowl combine arrowroot powder and spices and mix well.  Place potatoes in Ziploc bag and drizzle melted coconut oil all over.  shake around until all fries are coated.  Dump in the arrowroot and spices into the Ziploc.  Shake until well coated.



Spread the fries out on the cooling rack in one layer.  Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, flipping half way through.  Check after 30 minutes.  Fries are done when the edges are brown and crispy and the interior is tender.


Serve with Sriracha Mayo

Oven Fried Chicken Wangs!!! (inspired by MANY recipes on the interwebs)


Equipment:

  • Sheet Pan lined with aluminum foil and fitted with a bakers cooling rack
  • kitchen shears
Ingredients:
  • 2lbs chicken wings, tips removed and separated into flats and drums
  • 2 T Coconut oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Zest and Juice of one lemon
  • 1T Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Method:
(After a test run of wings where we did buffalo style and lemon pepper, we've decided in our house that lemon pepper is WAY superior.  I'll include a buffalo sauce recipe at the bottom for those that may want traditional wings!)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Separate wings using kitchen shears at the joint if desired.  Place wings in a large bowl and season well with Salt and Pepper.  Spread wings in an even layer, being careful not to crowd the wings, on the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake 45 minutes flipping halfway throughout.  (Note: turn your vent on HIGH, and be prepared to smoke up the house, these puppies throw off a LOT of fat!)

While wings are roasting, prepare the lemon pepper sauce.  In a small sauce pan melt the Coconut oil.  Add the lemon zest and the juice of one lemon.  Mix in Lemon Pepper seasoning.  

Once the wings are crispy and the juices run clear, remove from the oven.  Place wings in a large bowl, and pour over the wing sauce.  Toss to coat well.  

Serve with Sweet Potato Fries!

Buffalo Sauce:
  • Frank's Red Hot Sauce (NOT THE WING SAUCE!)
  • 2T Coconut Oil
  • 1t liquid smoke
  • 1/2 t paprika
  • 1/2 t chili flake
Method:
Melt Coconut oil in small sauce pan.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer briefly, then toss with cooked wings.



These wings turned out WAY better than I ever would've thought!  I'll probably try to imitate Pok Pok's Fish Sauce wings at some point, too, but probably when the husband's Whole 30 is complete, and we add things like honey back in.


Eventually, I'll get in the groove enough to take pics as I'm cooking and prepping that I'll post them, as well.  Until then, I'll add pics of my daily life along the way so you'll kind of stay interested!

SIMON SEZ , "HELLO PEOPLE!! I❤CHICKEN!!!"