Burgers and Fries

September 23, 2016Leave a comment

Sometimes the only thing to fix your day is a burger and fries.

Happy Friday, y’all!

I’ve been craving David’s Burgers since July. To me, they are the best of all the burgers. Yes, I said it. Committed to a burger joint. And they serve soft serve chocolate vanilla swirl ice cream. Winner.

So I ate the burger. And the fries. And the sample cup of swirled ice cream. And I’m totally thrilled with it.

I’ll be sure to eat my veggies tomorrow.

But all things in life need balance. And burgers help keep the balance.

Am I right?

Pinto Beans and Corn Muffins

September 9, 2016Leave a comment

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Sometimes you need a little bit of Southern flare in the kitchen. And while I can’t take all the credit for this beauty. I can tell you it was absolutely amazing.

My grandma likes to can things. Veggies, jam, salsa. So when she brought me two jars of pinto beans, I knew they would be delicious. She always puts bacon grease in her beans. Like a true Southern lady. Bless her for that. Bacon grease gives a depth of flavor that can’t be matched anywhere else.

I whipped up some Jiffy cornbread muffins to sop up all the juices, and I was a happy, happy camper. Doesn’t get any quicker or easier than that.

The perfect, lazy dinner.

What have you been cooking lately?

Shrimp and Broccoli

August 7, 2016Leave a comment

So I’ve been on a downward spiral of terrible food choices this past week.

Pizza. Wine. Cookies. Cheesesteaks. Chips.

The true killer was a delicious plate of cheese ravioli with pink sauce. I’ve been in constant pain since yesterday afternoon.

Dairy and gulten are my enemies.

In a desperate attempt to heal myself, I’ve reached into my Whole30 bag of knowledge to restart my body.

My craving for Asian food has been out of control since I got the boyfriend takeout yesterday. One thing on the menu stood out.

Beef with broccoli.

As I grocery shopped in pain from the ravioli lunch, I decided to make my own Whole30 version of Shrimp with Broccoli.

My take is a little different. Instead of adding the broccoli to the sauce, I used it to make rice. Amazing.

What you need:

One head of broccoli
One pound of shrimp, peeled
One onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
One pack of mushrooms, sliced
Two cloves garlic, minced
Coconut aminos, to taste
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
Avocado oil

Chop the broccoli into florets, and put in a steamer basket on the stove. Steam until fork tender

In a large pan, heat the avocado oil. Add the onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Sauté a couple minutes. Add the mushrooms. Cool on medium high heat until vegetables soften and start to get a little color on them.

Add the coconut aminos. This is your Whole30 approved soy sauce. It’s a game changer. Cool until sauce begins to thicken. Add the shrimp, and cook until pink throughout.

In a food processor, add the steamed broccoli and pulse for a couple seconds. This will make broccoli rice.

This was super easy. And very much delicious. I was surprised by how much I loved broccoli as rice. I didn’t feel like I was giving anything up. And it’s Whole30 approved.

Tell me what you do to get out of a mindless eating rut.

Asparagus Lemon Chicken

August 1, 2016August 1, 2016Leave a comment

This recipe is a knock-off of one on the Whole30 Recipes Instagram page.

Instead of broccoli, I used asparagus because it’s what I had in the fridge.

Thinly sliced lemon, cherry tomato halves and coconut milk take this to the next level.

So much goodness. I can’t even tell you how much I love this.

I even remembered to remove the lemons from the pan. Last time, the boyfriend thought the lemon slices were squash, and he didn’t enjoy this meal. In his defense, it did look like squash.

What’s for dinner at your house?

Day 27: Almost. There.

June 27, 2016Leave a comment

I really can’t believe it’s almost over. So much work is finally coming to an end. The amount of time I spend cooking will go down considerably. I do want to make sure we continue to eat well for lunch and dinner. But I miss eating breakfast in the cafeteria of my office, and the Boyfriend doesn’t really like breakfast. He usually saves his breakfast for lunch time.

Tonight’s supper was a pan fried pork chop seasoned with a garlic, sea salt and peppercorn rub and a side of roasted broccoli and sautéed mushrooms.

I was weary the pork chop would be weird since it wasn’t dredged in flour, but the rub made it delightful. And those crispy edges were a highlight for me.

The thing I wanted to share with you is my night time snack.

Every night I enjoy a cup of decaf black coffee with a sweet Whole30 compliant treat.

Some nights it’s a Larabar. Tonight, it was a sliced banana with a smear of almond butter and sprinkle of allspice and cinnamon. Tasted like a delightful spice cake. Just what I needed to round out my savory meal.

The Whole30 encourages you to kick you sweet tooth habits. And I have for the most part. But sometimes you need a treat, and this is what I’ve been choosing.

Main thing is I’m not going to feel guilty for loving an almond butter smeared banana. Or a Larabar. Whole30 has taught me I control whatever I eat. Nobody else. Just me. I choose bananas over cake. Or grilled chicken over fried chicken. Or sautéed veggies over French fries.

My relationship with food hasn’t changed. I still love it. But I definitely respect it more than I did. I’ve always known the food I eat fuels my body, but Whole30 has given me a clear view of what life without certain things can be like.

I can say confidently there will be Whole30 approved meals in our weekly routine. I can also say I know we will incorporate things we haven’t eaten in 30 days. The occasionally sweet treat. The celebratory beverage. The vacation foods. But we will have the knowledge that we can do Whole30 choices anytime we want. And do it well.

I feel empowered to be in control of what I’m eating now that Whole30 is ending. There will probably be a few days of no-so-good choices, but then we go back to what we know.

Meat. Eggs. Vegetables. Fruits. Nuts.