Turkey Meatballs with Marinara over Spaghetti Squash

The kids have been asking for meatballs for some time now. Tonight I made Italian-style turkey meatballs and mixed them in my meaty marinara sauce (sans the meat). I served this over roasted spaghetti squash.

Grain-Free Blueberry-Lemon Almond Cookies

I used to make these cookies. They were always so awesome. The combination of blueberries with lemon and almonds is amazing! I have been trying to figure out how to recreate them without grains and dairy for months. I would always get the taste right, but not with the texture of a cookie. It finally happened!
Here's what I did-

Rosemary and Garlic Chicken Thighs

Tonight was an easy dinner night again. These chicken thighs only take 25 minutes in the oven. I steamed some frozen veggies and added on some more of the lemony romaine hearts that I made last week (recipe here). This is a great dinner and can easily be changed up with a couple options I will list below.

21-Day Sugar Detox

So, yesterday was the last day of my level 3 for athletes 21-Day Sugar Detox. I have to say that this went by really fast, and it was pretty easy! Maybe this was because I was used to eating by the Whole30 rules and only having sugar from fruit. That was the thing though-I initially began this detox because I thought I might have been curbing sugar cravings with fresh and dried fruits (as well as some honey or maple syrup sweetened baked goods). I am guessing that if I was using these sources just to push sugar into my body, it must not have been that much. This detox never gave me a sugar "craving". Sure, I made a few things for my family that I would have liked to have tried, but I did not crave it because it was sweet.
I was also expecting that the couple of weeks before I started this, when I had too many nights out, would catch up to me, but apparently that was not the case.

Wings

Chili-Lime Chicken Wings
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/41698330146/whole30-day-28-chile-lime-chicken-wings

Hot wings

(I used extra virgin olive oil and Frank's Red Hot Sauce, and it made enough sauce for 5 pounds of wings.)
http://preppypaleo.blogspot.com/2012/09/crispy-paleo-oven-chicken-wings.html?m=1

Grilled Pork Chops with Sauteed Squash and Lemony Romaine Hearts

Our last two dinners have been simple and tasty. Last night we had Almond-Flour and Herb Encrusted Chicken Breasts with steamed broccoli (recipe under Whole30 Dinners post- you'll notice I substituted chicken for the pork chops). For that, once everything is prepared, you just throw it in the oven, walk away and come back 5 minutes before it's done to steam the broccoli. Tonight's dinner was also easy. It was on the table in less than 20 minutes. Here's what we had-

Grain-Free French Toast

I love French toast. I think it's mostly the warm, cinnamon taste. I am still doing the 21 DSD with Whole30 food rules, and I found a way to make it happen. I made Civilized Caveman's Paleo Banana Bread last night so that I could create French toast this morning. I'm not sure if you've made it yet, but if not, and you like banana bread, you must make this. My favorite part about it is that it only uses bananas as a sweetener. It is fantastic on its own, but is amazing when used as French toast. Since the bread is already sweet, it doesn't need any syrup or other toppings (but my family did put strawberries on top of theirs just because). Yes, he has his own French toast recipe using this bread that you can get to from his page (and I've made that version before), but I like my French toast a little different. I like mine with a hint of vanilla and with more spices (ginger, cloves, nutmeg, extra cinnamon). To keep this bread on (my) plan, I used green-tipped bananas and coconut oil in place of the butter.

Breakfast Frittata

This morning I wanted a frittata. It has all of my favorite breakfast foods in one dish and is easily interchangeable. The best part is that it is not too time consuming, and while it's in the oven, I have time to clean up and set the table. When it's finished, only our plates, utensils, and one skillet remain (love this). I had this alone, but added fruit on the side for everyone else.

Slow-Cooker Lime Pork Roast Tacos with Grain-Free Tortillas

Dinner tonight-

Slow-Cooker Lime Pork Roast

 (Serves 6)

2 lb center cut pork loin 

1 onion, sliced

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cumin

2 cups chicken broth

Panera Bread

Yes..that happened. I was invited to Panera Bread today. I wanted to go, but I was skeptical if I would be able to find anything that I could eat that fit in with the 21DSD and Whole30 rules. Well, with only a few minor changes, I found it.

Chopped Chicken Cobb with Avocado

Menu ingredients-All-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, Applewood-smoked bacon, Gorgonzola, hard-boiled eggs, all chopped and tossed with herb vinaigrette, topped with fresh avocado

So, what did I do?

Grain-Free Buffalo Crackers

Last night, I saw a commercial for Spicy Buffalo Wheat Thins. Immediately after, I began to think of ways to make these happen at home without the grains and other items I might not want to be ingesting. After testing out my recipe today, this happened-

These have everything I want in them. They are crunchy, soft, salty, and most importantly, they have the buffalo flavor I want. It is not overpowering, but it is there.  These even have a lingering back-of-the-throat spiciness for a few moments after finishing. If you want even more of a kick, you can definitely add more cayenne, but I do not suggest upping the hot sauce because the dough will become too wet. Enjoy and tell me what you think, as well as any tweaks you may have tried or thought of.

Meaty Marinara

At least once every week or two, I want a hearty, meaty tomato sauce. I choose whether to serve this over a roasted spaghetti squash or zucchini/squash noodles. Either way, it's tasty and does the job!

Fruity Spinach Salad

When I'm craving fruit (and not on the 21DSD), I love making a salad loaded with fruit and nuts. I will sometimes use this as a side dish, but usually I top it with protein such as grilled chicken, steak, or salmon. I will also throw in boiled eggs and avocados from time to time.

Coconut-Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Cauliflower "Rice"

(Serves 4)

1 tbs sesame oil or your favorite
1 diced onion
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tbs grated fresh ginger

Grain-Free Chicken Francese and Chicken Piccata

I love Chicken Francese and Chicken Piccata. I figured out a way to make those happen. If you are not sure what they are and the differences, here's a quick reference -
Francese- thin chicken dipped in flour first, egg second, sauteed in olive oil
Then a sauce is made usually with wine, lemon, garlic, parsley etc..so...chicken on plate, topped with sauce..heavenly.

Piccata- similar, but, no egg, just flour, olive oil and butter sauteed, sauce made with lemon, butter, chicken stock, capers and parsley..so, chicken on plate topped with sauce. Also heavenly.
Both usually have spaghetti served along side with same sauce to use with that.

My turn-

Grain-Free Blueberry and Sausage French Toast Bake

I made Elana Amsterdam's Scrumptious Sandwich Bread a few weekends ago to use for a French Toast Bake for my family.
I used to make this-
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/blueberry-almond-french-toast-bake-recipe/index.html

Thanks to my friend, Megan (and her mom), I love the combination of sausage and blueberries. I would make the bake but add chopped chicken sausage links or crumbled breakfast sausage on it as well-Amazing!
This time, I used Elana's bread and substituted almond milk and coconut sugar for other non-paleo ingredients. (By the way, I've also made this with blackberries, and it was great too.)


My version-
1 loaf of Elana's Scrumptious Sandwich Bread, using coconut or olive oil for greasing your pan OR your favorite grain-free loaf, cut into cubes
8 eggs
8 egg whites
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 links of Aidell's chicken and apple sausage OR your favorite sausage (precook this if not already), chopped
2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen, thawed and drained blueberries
2 tbs coconut sugar
**Handful of slivered almonds (optional)

Grease a 9x13 baking dish with coconut or olive oil
Place cubed bread in a single layer on the bottom
Whisk eggs, egg whites, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup all together
Pour this mixture over the bread
Scatter the blueberries and sausage all over (and slivered almonds if using)
Sprinkle with coconut sugar
Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but overnight is perfect

When you are ready-
Preheat oven to 350
Bake uncovered for an hour

Easy Whole30 Sides

Frozen veggies to steam

Salad

Roasted veggies (carrots, broccoli, asparagus, etc.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper
Roast 40 mins or so

Easy Whole30 Dinners

Grill or bake meats or fish (salmon, white fish, shrimp, steak, chicken, pork chops, etc.)
Always make extra for lunches! Add two veggies (frozen, roasted, salad, etc.).
My favorite meal is a sirloin filet (garlic powder, salt and pepper) with a baked sweet potato with cinnamon and side of broccoli or asparagus.

Easy Whole30 Lunches

Lunch bots (or something similar) are great when you have to pack and take meals with you. http://www.lunchbots.com/
Pack these with approved deli meats, fruits, nuts, boiled eggs, veggies, almond butter, leftovers, salads, etc.

Wraps
Use Pure wraps with approved deli meats, dijon, and veggies or chicken, tuna, and egg salads made with approved ingredients and paleo mayonnaise (Add above sides with these) http://anyajnelson.blogspot.com/2014/02/10-second-paleo-mayo.html

Easy Whole30 Breakfasts

Egg scramble with veggies and chicken and apple sausage (or other approved breakfast meats)
Sauté onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli with olive or coconut oil
Add cut up chicken and apple sausage until heated through
Throw in handful of spinach and begin to wilt
Turn heat to low so eggs don't burn
Whisk eggs (I normally use three) with salt and pepper and add over veggie/sausage mix
Turn heat up and scramble
I will sometimes just heat up the chicken and apple sausage in the microwave and have that on the side instead of in the scramble. The veggies can be switched for whatever your favorites are. I like to eat this with Tabasco or approved salsa. You can also double this and heat the rest up for the next morning's meal.

Breakfast Casserole (to be heated up and enjoyed all week long for a quick meal)