Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken curry -Whole 30

Happy Tuesday! 

It's actually about 40 degrees today in good ole Washington, DC which feels warm compared to the past few weeks... but it's still the season for comforting and substansive meals. This is so possible on the Whole 30! 

This was easy peasy and delicious! I don't know what makes a true curry, so maybe this is an imposter- but either way... here we go...

Coconut Chicken curry - Whole 30

First, I cut up some chicken and threw it in the slow cooker. 

Then I chopped anything I had in the fridge and threw it in... sweet potato, red pepper, red onion, celery, carrots, ginger and garlic.

Then I threw in whatever I had as well... I happened to have red curry spice, but also some cumin, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chili powder... and danced around.

Then I added coconut milk, chicken broth and set the cooker to 10 hours... 

 I don't know if it looks yummy, but... it is delicious. Spicy, but creamy and packed full of veggies.

Ingredients:

-2 chicken breasts
-1 sweet potato, cubed
-1 red bell pepper, sliced
-3 celery stalks, diced
-2 carrot sticks, peeled and diced
-1/2 red onion, diced
2 table spoons red pepper curry spice
-salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes - to taste

Easy recipes are crucial... I work full time and go to school full time... and I am planning a wedding.... so sometimes I NEED MORE TIME. And this helps, a LOT. And now, I have extra meals for my manz and I.

Hope you enjoy! Who knew healthy could be so hearty?

Mango + Avocado salsa with Salmon - Mmm mmm

Hey all!

So I found this recipe on a blog called nomnompaleo... it's delicious!

First up, Mango + Avcado Salsa - seriously, how can you not want to make this. Mango- yum. Avocado.. do I need to say anymore.. nope.

• 2 cups diced ripe mango (about 2 mangos)
• ½ cup finely diced red onion
• 1 cup diced Hass avocado (1 medium avocado)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• big pinch of kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Juice from 1 lime

Here are my delicious igredients ready to make friends and party in my stomach.

Basically, chope them all up and mix it all together. Amazing. I think I might keep some of this on hand to top anything... really, anything.

Then for the salmon.

Ingredients: 

- Salmon

-ghee

-salt, pepper and left over lime juice

I portioned the fish and then heated up some ghee on the frying pan. Searing skin down I let it cook for about 8 mins and then flipped the fish for color. I like my fish cooked through, so I flipped it back on the skin side and covered the pan with a lid to cook a bit more. 

We had it with some brussel sprouts nice and crips from the oven. 

Mmmm mmmm... what to try next...

Whole 30 - Coconut Chicken and Guacamole

Hey all!

So at the end of the week, I had leftovers and even tried to eat out! Wow it was hard. It's also awkward to be "that person". It went something like this... "Hi! Can I start you off with a starter?" Me: "Hi, I am ready to order.. (since I had to read the menu before and make sure there was SOMETHING).. can I get the [insert fun name] salad with no cheese and [blah blah] burger without cheese and without the bun." "Oh, is there any chance you guys use ghee or coconut oil? ..." [blank stare] "Oh, nevermind, that's all. Thank you!" The rules allow canola oil - mostly because they understand one needs to eat out SOMETIMES. Let me tell you though, it motivated me to avoid eating out during this!

So I was feeling fancy today and decided to make something to share! I didn't steal it from any blogger this time, just opened the fridge and went for it.. it turned out pretty well!

Whole 30 - Coconut Chicken and Guacamole 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 chicken breasts
1/2 medium onion, diced  (1/4 in sautee pan, 1/4 in guacamole)
1/2 cup coconut milk (1/4 added at a time)
1 avocado

other seasonings:
salt, pepper, chili powder

First, let me say - I can't stand dry chicken.. really dry meat in general.. and I think it's easy to keep your meat juicy and delicious if you just make sure there is something with moisture in the pan. That's where the coconut comes into play. Well.. here is the recipe.

Directions:

First, you always need to get a nice sear on your chicken. I put salt, pepper and some chili powder on the meat (you will notice I always throw in chili powder) and then you should heat up some coconut oil (I never measure this - maybe a teaspoon or tablespoon if you are feeling decadent) in a saute pan. (Side note: I always put the oven to 300 degrees in case I need to finish off the meat in the oven - aka If the meat is not quite cooked through)

Then you let it sear for about 4 mins and flip it so the other side can do the same. At the same time, I cut up an avocado and a yellow onion. I threw in 1/4 (diced) onion into the pan with the chicken and then poured some coconut milk (about 1/4 cup) into the pan with it. Smelled delicious.

(MOISTURE!) Let that cook and flip the chicken every 5 mins or so... Add a bit more coconut milk (about 1/4 cup) and cover the pan to let it simmer in the juices - and let those onions absorb the coconut milk. That will probably be done in about 5 mins - so cut the breast in half to make sure it's cooked all the way through. If you have some pinkness, throw it in the oven with the lid on the pan to give it a final cook through.

I used another 1/4 of the onion in with the cut up avocado and added some lime juice to make some nice guacamole for a garnish - to add in some freshness.

So presto - here is the final product:

Delicious... What do you think?  Until next time... :)

Whole 30 - Carrot and Broccoli Soup

Hello again!

The whole 30 is actually very fun for those who enjoy cooking and cooking challenges. I feel a bit like I am on chopped and the rules are the whole30. Last night for dinner, I made amazing turkey and pineapple bun-less burgers with a salad on the side.

Delicious. It was very easy- I usually add everything and the kitchen sink to turkey meat to make sure it's juicy and flavorful, but I have been counting out that poor turkey. It was yummy! Just coconut oil, salt, pepper and a little chili powder. I suppose grilled pineapple never hurt no one.

The salad was spinach, kale, broccoli slaw (chopped up, store bought), pomegranate with minimal dressing (olive oil+vinegar).

Okay, enough about that... The recipe I want to share today is a modified version from the blog- The clothes make the girl. I followed it pretty closely, but used Broccoli instead of Cauliflower. Here's how it went...

Whole 30 - Carrot and Broccoli Soup

Basically, I used coconut oil and sauteed onions, garlic and carrots. I have red carrots - organic carrots are some times all kinds of colors. After that cooks a bit, I added the brocoli. Then you add chicken broth and water and let it cook for 45 mins.

Then you use your handy dandy food processor and puree the whole thing. 

Then you mix in 1/2 cup coconut milk- and presto!

Can I tell you... it's delicious! Maybe I am a soup junkie though. My mom says she isn't a "soup person".. I am not sure she has had this soup. Maybe she would change her mind. 

Modified Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 or 2 large head broccoli
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 large carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup canned coconut milk

other seasonings:
all spice, chili powder

Directions:

1. Wash and core the broccoli, then coarsely chop. Set aside.

2. Heat a large, deep pot over medium-high heat, then add the coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add onions, carrots, and garlic. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they’re soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped  broccoli and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the broth and water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.

4. Working in batches, carefully transfer the  broccoli and some of the broth to a blender or food processor. Cover the top with a dish towel to protect yourself from splatters, and purée the contents until smooth, adding more broth as necessary.

5. Pour the purée back into the soup pot, then add the salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Stir to combine and cook over medium until heated through. 

That's all for this recipe! Until next time!

Whole30 - Bacon, onion, red pepper and kale quiche with a sweet potato crust!

Okay, so juicing was not for me... but healthy eating- still interesting! So I was introduced to the Whole 30 concept.. and I am intrigued.

Check it out: http://whole30.com/

Basically, fruits, veggies and meat. The idea being that grains are not as nutrient dense as fruits and veggies, even whole grains and it's also a detox from alcohol and added sugars. My finace is allergic to peanuts and legumes, so we always struggle with low meat diets - no hummus, black beans, etc. So this seemed ideal. We started on Monday, January 12th.

Here is the first recipe I would like to share...

Bacon, onion, red pepper and kale quiche with a sweet potato crust!

I got the recipe from the freckled foodie, but made some variations. Here's how it went...

First, nitrate free bacon is our friend. A lot of recipes have you cook a few slices of bacon and then save about a tbsp of bacon grease to saute your veggies in.. if you aren't in for bacon just use some ghee or coconut oil to saute the veggies and leave out the bacon.

Peel and grate the sweet potatos to make the crust.

 Add some ghee.

 Saute the veggies.

 This is what the sweet potato crust should look like after the precook.

 Mix veggies with eggs and coconut milk and por into 'shell'.

 Bake!

 Delicious!

Here is the full, adapted recipe... 

• 2 cups shredded Sweet potato or yam (1-2 large)
• 1 1/2 tbsp  ghee, melted
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• Kale
• 1/4 cup Coconut water/ milk
• 6 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Grate sweet potatoes with box grater
3. Add hash browns to a 9″ pie pan with cooking ghee, salt, and pepper, then mix and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until hash browns are golden brown around the edges
5. While the crust is baking, cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp
6. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain
7. Discard (or keep!) excess bacon grease but leave ~1 tbsp in the skillet
8. Add onions and saute until translucent, 3-4 minutes
9. Add red peppers and kale and saute for 4 more minutes
10. Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and coconut milk in a medium bowl.
11. Add the bacon and veggie mixture then stir to combine
12. Pour mixture over crust and bake for 20 minutes, or until top is light brown
13. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving

Cauliflower Power!

Success! Cauliflower crust pizza complete and it was pretty good! It definitely tasted like the crust was cauliflower, but it was filling and satisfying. Two thumbs up for making pizza healthy. Here is how I did it:

Step 1: 'Rice' the cauliflower. If you have a food processor- this is much easier. I did not.

Man, I wished I had a food processor. To make the crust you now combine one cup of the riced cauliflower, 1 cup of cheddar cheese and a large beaten egg. Mix it up and then spread it onto a greased plate. OH YEA, Set the oven to 450.

          

Add spices (whatever you have: oregano, parsley, etc - I added some random Montreal Chicken Spice and red chili powder also) and bake for 12-15 mins.(It looked kinda weird)

From there you can add whatever pizza toppings you like and then bake until the cheese is bubbly and as brown as you like. I made my own concoction with roasted red peppers, onions, mushrooms and a cut up veggie patty to give it a little something different.

Throw it on top.. BOOM

And PRESTO! What a cute little slice of veggie deliciousness! 

Next time, I think I will play with what I throw in with the cauliflower, I think the cheese and the egg can hold anything together. :) I may have to make this more often! I also should get a food processor.

Post game recap

So the 3 days passed and the weekend came. It did not kick off my healthy like i thought it might and I am not sure it did anything except cause me some pain by the end. That being said, I went back to my normal habits because my work sent me on a business trip to Miami... did I mention a friend was able to get a free flight (she travels a lot for work) and join me? Let's just say - I put on vacation brain. I did not phase out of the cleanse as I should have.

So what did I take from it? Breakfast: I have fruit and water with lemon. During the day, I drink more tea and water. In general, if there is a fruit and veggie option, I want to take it. It's hard to say if this will be a true and consistent pattern since it has just been a few days, but I really feel like it gave me a new outlook on snacking. I used to think crackers and popcorn was a good snack, but I can easily sub that for blueberries and blackberries. Now, if only that was in the vending machine.

So what next? Well, I am going to attempt cauliflower pizza next week (I will let you know how it goes!) and I have another half marathon this weekend. So I am going to continue my healthy habits and hope to continue to become more healthy.