Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

November 7, 2017Leave a comment

This is one Paleo dinner that doesn’t taste “granola” at all. It was so good we ate until our stomachs hurt.

The glorious part is I browned the hamburger meat several hours before I was ready to eat, and I threw all the ingredients for the sauce into the crockpot to cook for awhile so the flavors could get right. Plus, slow cooking the meat makes it extra tender.

I’ll admit it’s not the prettiest dish I’ve ever made, but it makes up for it in warm, hearty flavors. Perfect for fall.

What you need:

1 spaghetti squash, cut in half
1 jar of Whole30 compliant spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, roughly chopped
Salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning to taste

Sauté the ground beef with the onion in a hot skillet until meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Move to slow cooker. Add in the sauce. (I used Thrive Market’s Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce.) Add a little Italian Seasoning, and more salt and pepper if you like. I cooked ours on low for about 4 hours, but you could also make this on the stovetop.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scrap out the pulp and seeds. Season the inside of the squash halves with salt, pepper and a little avocado oil. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet cut side down, and roast for 40-45 minutes. When it is done, remove from the oven, and let cool for a few minutes. Flip the halves over and scrap the squash with a fork to make “noodles.”

Put the squash noodles in a bowl. Top with the spaghetti sauce. And enjoy.

It was warm and comforting. And like I said, we ate all of it. The good thing is the “noodles” didn’t make us sick. It’s the little things in life.

What are your favorite comfort dishes that just happen to be Paleo?

Show Me Your Friday Face

November 3, 2017Leave a comment

We made it to Freedom Day…also known as Friday. Woo whoo!

This week has been hard on me. Like crazy hard. My day job has been crazy. I’m working hard on my side hustle with Beautycounter after I get home. I feel like I need a mental break. But this too shall pass .

I’ve been switching my my eyeshadow every few days since I got the gorgeous Winter Jewels Palette from Beautycounter. But I’m gravitating to certain ones over and over again.

In the Winter Jewels Palette, I’m completely in love with the Rose Gold eyeshadow. I’m wearing only that and the Volumizing Mascara in the photo above.

But I recently got the Nude Eye Trio from the Holiday Collection. The nude cream eye shadow is to die for. It’s the color of my dreams. Neutral with a hint of gray. I hope they keep those two shades after the holidays are over.

If you haven’t checked out the Holiday Collection, I highly recommend that you do. Everything is so gorgeous. Perfect for stockings. I can make recommendations for the special people in your life. So let’s give the gift of clean beauty.

Anyway, I didn’t intend for this to be a Beautycounter post, but I’m just really loving everything they’ve got going right now.

Happiest of Fridays, friends!

Secret Ingredient Salmon Cakes

November 2, 2017Leave a comment

Someone I admire paid me the biggest compliment today.

On the Adventures to Wellness Facebook page, there was a lovely little comment on my Creamy Chicken and Zoodles post about finding a yummy gluten free, egg free, nut free, soy free recipe.

I love it when you guys comment and leave messages about making my recipes. So humbling.

These Salmon Cakes are extra tasty. And in keeping with the gluten free, egg free, nut free, soy free theme, I can’t wait to share it with you.

What’s the secret ingredient?

Pumpkin purée.

Pum

What you need:

Two cans pink salmon
1/2 can organic pumpkin purée
2 tablespoons coconut flour
Dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the juice off the salmon, and put meat into a bowl. Flake with a fork. Stir in the pumpkin and coconut flour. Season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dill.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy.

It’s just that simple. The pumpkin purée acts as a binder like eggs, and it doesn’t alter the flavor of the cake. And if you have an allergy to eggs, you don’t have to worry over it with this dish.

I paired our Salmon Cakes with a combination of wilted turnip greens and Swiss chard. So tasty and full of Vitamin K.

What is one ingredient you use in everything?

Creamy Chicken and Zoodles

November 1, 2017Leave a comment

I’m currently playing a game with myself. A game where I stand in the kitchen and stare at the contents (or lack there of) in my fridge and try to imagine what I’ll make for dinner.

It’s basically throwing something together and hoping it tastes good. Sometimes it’s mediocre. But sometimes it turns out so good we both stand over the stove and eat directly out of the pan.

In all honesty, I have no idea what to call this. It was created purely on instinct and a hungry tummy. And the fact that I wanted it to be ready quickly.

What you need:

2 zucchini, spiralized
2 yellow squash, spiralized
2 chicken breasts, diced
A couple handfuls of frozen peas
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can coconut milk
Salt, pepper, dill and garlic powder to taste

Season the diced chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sauté in a hot skillet. Let it get kind of brown.Add the onions and let them caramelize.

In a separate pan, cook the zoodles. Let them get a little crispy.

Add the peas and tomatoes to the chicken and onions. Let the peas heat through. Add the coconut milk. Season with a little more salt and pepper and a lot of dill.

Put the zoodles in the bottom of the bowl and top with creamy chicken mixture. Enjoy.

Don’t let the coconut milk mixture cook too long before serving. It can separate and you lose the creamy goodness.

This was so good we debated over who could drink the sauce. And it’s amazing such a dish exists because I had no idea what I was doing.

Apple Cider Vinegar Cocktail

October 31, 2017Leave a comment

Don’t let the title mislead you. This is not a cocktail in the way cocktails are normally referenced. But take note. It can change your life in a good way.

The closer I get to 30, the more and more I noticed issues with acid reflux and indigestion. When I went mostly Paleo, I realized my indigestion would magically disappear.

But after eating the most amazing Chicken Pot Pie from Honey Pies the other night, my indigestion reared its ugly head pretty bad. I was completely miserable. And since I haven’t had a real bout with it since the September Whole30, I had forgotten how bad it can be

So I reverted back to my famous Apple Cider Vinegar Cocktail to help keep it together.

What you need:

A cup of warm water
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
2 Tablespoons local raw Honey
A sprinkle of cinnamon

Heat up water in the microwave for one minute and thirty seconds.

Stir in the honey and Apple Cider Vinegar. Stir vigorously. You’ll see a nice foam on top.

Sprinkle with cinnamon. And enjoy.

This is the only thing that has ever kept my acid reflux and indigestion away. I usually have a cup of the warm goodness at night before bed. That was the time of day I’d have the most issues. Apple Cider Vinegar really can cure anything.