Chicken Stir Fry Soup

This week has been cold. The nights have also been busy. We have been hitting our Crossfit classes in the evenings. This means that it is late when we get back home. That being said, I decided that on these nights, I would prep dinner as far as possible so that it would be easier to get to the eating part once we arrive back. Monday night we had a beef chili with veggies and pineapples. I made it on the stove before we left and quickly reheated it upon return. Tuesday night we had a Mexican chicken chowder which I also made before leaving and reheated right before serving. We were going to take tonight off, but we have this competition on Sunday, and one of the lifts will be practiced tonight, so here we go again. My dinner was going to be a chicken stir fry over cauliflower rice. Although it is an easy to make meal, I didn't want to be chopping ingredients or just beginning it after the workout.  So, I decided to come up with a new recipe that used the same ingredients, was just as easy, and would be ready to eat soon after we walk back in the door.
I have turned the stir fry into a soup. I already made it. The stove is shut off. It is stored. My cauliflower rice has been prepped. When we get home, I will reheat it to a boil, stir in the cauliflower rice and some salt and pepper, turn it off, and consume it. Job well done. I do have to confess though....I did put some in a bowl and threw a little cauliflower rice in with it already. I had to taste it for you! It's good. It's warm. It's simple. (It's also Whole 30-approved.) Go do it.

How I Shaved $500/Month Off My Paleo(ish) Grocery Bill

When I first started out transitioning to Paleo over a year ago, I immediately threw out all grain-based flours and products, drove to Whole Foods and stocked up on grain-free items. I got into the grain-free baking as more of an experiment rather than baking on purpose. I wanted to see if these ingredients would really work. I was impressed, so I continued to try more and more recipes, which meant that I was spending more and more money on said ingredients. This was going on all while slowly buying more and more fruits and vegetables and better quality meats. So, one could say that I got excited and spent a lot because of it. Once I started noticing some health benefits, this became even more so. Well, after a while, I knew I needed to do more than just cut out the grains and eat more protein and produce. I knew I needed a more drastic change because although I was feeling and looking better eating this way, I was frustrated that it wasn't going even further. That is when I researched and found the Whole 30 program. Basically, it took away my baking and alcohol, and made me more aware of the products I was buying. I think along the way (and three W30s later), I became a little overboard. I tried to buy only the "perfect Paleo" ingredients, make elaborate "Paleo" recipes, and got caught up in the all or nothing point of view. My body and mind loved this way of eating, but my bank account ...well, not so much. My grocery (and household product) bill for a family of four had reached $300/week. Yes, a week! So, $1,200/month!  Did I mention I quit my job to stay at home with my family?? We were doing okay and making it work, but it was taking a toll, and month after month of that adds up.

Lemon-Blueberry Bars

I was feeling creative the other day, and I asked some friends to give me a conventional dessert recipe so that I could recreate it the way I wanted.  One friend mentioned a lemon and blueberry dessert. She didn't have a link, but I did a search on Pinterest and the first link I found was here. It looked beautiful and tasty, so I went with that. I didn't come up with my own graham cracker crust because Against All Grain already did that for me, and it has always been a tried and true recipe. I didn't want to mess with that. It came out fantastic! The topping could also be switched up a bit. Blackberries and raspberries would work well. My aunt also asked if Enjoy Life chocolate chips would work. I don't see why not, but I would just make sure that the lemon mixture is completely cooled before mixing those in.

Cooper's Grilled Chicken and Spinach Domes with Tomatoes and a Peach Vinaigrette Dressing

The other night, our family was at my daughter's soccer practice. As we were sitting there, my son, Cooper, asked me what was for dinner. I mentioned to him that I was a little tired, so it would be something simple such as grilled chicken with a couple of vegetables on the side. He then asked me if he could plan and make dinner instead. Of course, I took him up on his offer. He knew that he had to make something that would fit into Whole 30 rules, and he also knew that I had chicken that was ready to go. So, after talking through what we actually had on hand, he decided to have his dad grill the chicken, and then he would create domes from those by layering spinach all over it and then would top them with tomatoes and a homemade peach vinaigrette dressing (he knew we had peaches, so he asked me if I could give him some increments for a dressing). He then decided that he would make a fruit salad to go with it. His hopes were that he would only need help with the chicken and dressing, and he succeeded! His meal was really tasty, and it also provided everything we needed (protein, vegetables, fruit, and fat). Perfect! Cooper's favorite part was constructing the domes. My favorite part was eating them (especially the dressing because it is super yummy and more will be made today).  I hope you guys enjoy these as well. It's also a fun way to get your kids involved!

Blackberry Grilled Pork Chops with Mashed Yucca and Sauteed Squash with Aromatic Sea Salt

I recently learned how easy it is to make my own aromatic sea salts by observing an older Italian gentleman show off his long-run family business. Basically, you need organic sea salt, a mortar and pestle, and your choice of add-ins. I was torn between citrus (lemon or orange zest sea salt) and an herb and garlic sea salt. I knew that it needed to sit out a day, so my choice yesterday came down to what I was going to make for dinner today. After talking with a friend, I decided that I would saute some zucchini and yellow squash that I already had with an herb and garlic sea salt. I only wanted enough to use for dinner tonight and perhaps another day, so I only made about 1/4 cup. I took my quarter cup of sea salt, one clove of chopped garlic, and about a tablespoon of roughly chopped herbs (I chose basil, rosemary, lemon thyme, and oregano from the garden) and placed them in the mortar. I began grinding until the garlic was incorporated and there were tiny specks of the herbs all around. Then, I just sat it on the counter and allowed it to dry out until tonight. Sometimes I forget that things you think are hard to make and that provide the most flavor might actually be very simple. As was the case here. Along with the zucchini and squash, I needed to find complimentary foods. I wanted somewhere else to use this same aromatic sea salt within. I always like finding ways to subtly link foods that are on my plate together. Last night when I made this, I made sure that because the fig compote was made with cinnamon and lemon, I would reuse those flavors in other ways. I added cinnamon in with the arrowroot starch to coat my chicken before I sauteed it. I used lemon thyme in my dressing that coated my fig salad, lemon zest and juice in my green beans, and garnished my chicken with lemon thyme as well.  It just makes it more cohesive in my opinion. So, that being said, tonight I decided to season pork chops with the sea salt, grill them, and top them with a homemade blackberry sauce. I also made mashed yucca and seasoned those with ghee and the sea salt as well. This food still is Whole 30-compliant and is one of those comfort dishes that sometimes you just need.

Pan Sauteed Chicken Cutlets topped with Caramelized Onions and Fig Compote, paired with a fresh fig salad and sauteed lemon green beans

I know it has been a while since I have posted a new recipe, but I have been going through my Whole30 meal plan throughout the last few weeks. Today is day 20, and I wanted to come up with something new and exciting, as well as Whole30-approved. So, for the ones who do not understand what that means, basically, this recipe is grain, dairy, sugar, legume, alcohol, and preservative-free (and it tastes like you're cheating). Please make and eat away (and let me know what you think). I know this has quite a few steps before plating, but half of it can be made in advance.  Enjoy.

A Month of Whole 30 Meals

In light of my August Whole 30, I have decided to plan ahead my meals this time. There will be breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for each of the 30 days. When it comes down to it, some days might have to be swapped for others, but nonetheless, this is what I will be eating. I do a lot of repeats for breakfast and a lot of leftovers for lunch. I will note these here, but also try to change some things up from time to time. I hope this helps some of you meal plan if you're considering completing a Whole 30 as well.