Taco Thursday

This morning I woke up before the sun feeling a little more like myself. This morning, unlike yesterday, I actually had the motivation to get out of bed. I started the day with another green smoothie (this one had 3/4 of a banana, a handful of kale, sunflower butter, and almond milk). I also had a cup of cold brewed coffee made using the method in this post from A Beautiful Mess. This was my first time making cold-brewed coffee and it turned out a bit weak. Either I didn't give it enough time (though I left it overnight) or my ratio was off. At least it's so simple I can try again. 

For lunch at work I had mini meatloaf and balsamic vegetables with a hard-boiled egg on the side. Nothing too exciting here, but it did keep me full until I got home.

When I made it through the door at around five, I found my boyfriend had taken it upon himself to make salsa from scratch. I don't know what recipe he used, but it tastes amazing. I was very proud. We had some leftover taco chicken mixed with romaine, and attempted the coconut flour tortillas from Paleo Comfort Foods. The recipe itself is quite simple:

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

coconut oil for the pan

Whisk all the ingredients together and preheat a nonstick pan with some coconut oil.  Pour about 3 tbsp of mixture* into the pan at an angle and swirl around. Once golden brown, flip.
*I found 3tbsp worth to be much too little batter. I ended up using about 1/4 cup per tortilla which filled my 10" pan. These are very delicate and prone to ripping. Make sure they are completely unstuck from the pan before trying to flip them. 

The tricky part is in the method. We ended up making two batches of this recipe and ended up with only about five serviceable tortillas. Of those, four of them were a bit on the small side and the one perfectly sized one was a tad too thin and tore when attempting to wrap. That said, they had a decent flavour and held up okay with the toppings. With a bit of practice and customization, I bet we can get these working pretty well.

Yesterday and Today (This Little Piggy...)

Yesterday I left off with breakfast. It was my first day of fall classes yesterday so I had a bit of running around to do. I have class from 12:50 until 2:50 and again 6:30 to 9:30. This large gap gives me time to get a head start on my readings for next week, as well as time to eat a quick dinner before my evening class. Since I didn't have lunch (still no appetite), and I ate this at about 4:30, I'll call it lupper. I had two of the revised meat muffins (calling them mini meatloaves now). The added vegetables tasted amazing and I'll be making them this way from now on for sure. With them I had some balsamic roasted vegetables and an apple with sunflower butter. 

Today I called in sick for work. I woke up before dawn to get ready for my 7am shift, and though I was basically ready to head out the door I just couldn't make it. I felt sluggish, I could barely keep my eyes open, and once again I had no desire to eat (very odd for me in the mornings). I decided to sit this one out, sleep in, and hope for the best. I woke up at nine, still in my jeans. I decided to putter around the house since I wasn't feeling top notch. I hung some art, did a bit of (long overdue) cleaning, and cooked the ribs that were sitting in my fridge. I got these bad boys at the grocery store for only $7. I don't know how many pounds it was, but the rack was nearly as long as my arm - It had to be cut in half to fit in my oven. To season it I slathered on grainy mustard with liquid smoke, then added a dry rub. For the rub I basically raided my spice cupboard and put in a little of everything (though I was heavy-handed with the hot paprika, granulated garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper). I put it under the broiler for about five minutes until it was crisp and beginning to brown, then slow cooked it at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for three hours - covered with aluminum foil for the second hour and a half.
This method was taken from The Kitchn.

And here's dinner. I had some balsamic veggies and romaine salad with my ribs - which turned out amazing.
Now if only I could kick the vanilla ice cream craving I've been battling all day I'd be set.

Last Night, This Morning

My lack of appetite from yesterday morning persisted through the day. I skipped my dinner at work because I simply wasn't hungry. When I got home at around ten thirty, I finally felt like eating so I put together a little snack of pickles, olives, celery with ranch, and some grapes. 

This morning I still wasn't in the mood for eggs and pork so I made another green smoothie. This time I used kale, almond milk, coconut water, half a banana, and half an apple. Some ginger in this would have been perfect if I had any. Again, I topped it with some toasted almonds and coconut. Maybe I should just embrace this green smoothie kick for as long as it lasts?

Dessert and Breakfast

In addition to all the savoury cooking I did yesterday I decided to make some dessert for after dinner. This recipe is from Well Fed and is quite simple (yet more dynamic and indulgent than just eating berries on their own). It came together pretty quickly but if you make it be sure to read the recipe through once or twice before starting - it takes a little bit of pre-planning (chilling the coconut milk). I wasn't sure how coconutty the cream would taste and it turned out with much more vanilla flavour than coconut which was nice. Even though the cream is unsweetened, the coconut provides enough natural sweetness of it's own that it's no big deal. The salted toasted coconut on top is the perfect compliment and I could eat that stuff by the handful. 

This morning I woke up with absolutely no appetite. The idea of eating eggs and bacon made me feel queasy so I decided to just make some coffee and wait for my stomach to catch up. By 10:30 I still wasn't really feeling it but I decided to have a green smoothie just for the sake of getting something in. I made this one with a handful (about a cup) of kale, about half a cup of almond milk, two ice cubes, and a frozen banana. I also put in a spoonful of leftover vanilla coconut whipped cream from last night, and topped it with some of the toasted coconut and almonds, also from last night. This tasted great and was just what I needed - not quite a full meal, but something to tide me over until my appetite kicks in. 

Personal Record and Cook Day

This morning I participated in a 10k run/race. My only goal was to run it faster than my previous personal record of 59:08. There wasn't a clock posted at the finish (but it was chip-timed, so I'll get my official time soon) but I know I ran it a few minutes faster than the last time, so I was thrilled!

After getting home I was pretty hungry so I made three scrambled eggs and some uncured black forest bacon. I've never had it before, but the pieces were thick, the pork was chemical-free, and the pigs were well treated and hormone-free so I gave it a try. It hit the spot and was very filling as brunch. 

With the work week (and first day of school!) looming on the horizon I decided to pick some recipes and do some bulk cooking.

I made some "confetti" cauliflower rice. I pre-cooked some finely diced carrot with yellow pepper, garlic, and salt and pepper. I then added the cauliflower and let it warm up together.

I also did a big batch of roasted vegetables, inspired by a recipe for balsamic roasted veggies from Gather. I used an assortment of vegetables, including peppers, turnips, and mushrooms and I tossed the lot in a half cup each of oil and balsamic vinegar. They turned out delicious, though next time I'd probably reduce the amounts of oil and balsamic by around half.

This fried chicken recipe is from Paleo Comfort Foods. It's actually on the cover and I can tell why - it's quite enticing. I used two chicken breasts cut into strips rather than using legs, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly (though I did cut it in half). The coating is quite tasty, yet not as crispy as I would have hoped. The chicken tasted great dipped in a bit of my homemade ranch and I'll certainly be making it again. Since my boyfriend is very new to paleo and eating meat, and is a bit of a picky eater, we've developed a "scale of 1 to 10" method of figuring out which meals I should make again and which ones should be skipped. The fried chicken would have been a ten if he could have had ketchup. As it was, it was about an eight. Not bad. 

Because they're so easy, cheap, and portable, I wanted to re-visit the unfortunately named "Spinach Meat Muffins" from Well Fed. To add to the flavour and make them a bit more palatable for my boyfriend (who's still a little iffy about eating meat) I added a bunch of vegetables not called for in the recipe: red and yellow pepper, kale, and celery. Hopefully these will go over a bit better, though he's still hesitant to eat them.

And after all that cooking, here's dinner. The roasted vegetables were great with the chicken and I had a simple salad of romaine and kale tossed with red onions and ranch. 

Now I'm just waiting for Breaking Bad to start. 

Days Six & Seven - Food Pics Recap

I didn't post yesterday because when I got home from work at around five-thirty I could barely keep my eyes open. I made some dinner (below) and fell asleep. I didn't wake up until five this morning to get ready for work again. It was one of those days - still waiting for the feeling Tiger Blood feeling to kick in, I guess. 

Pictured above is a quick breakfast of eggs and rashers, coffee, and coconut water. Below was dinner from last night - his and hers versions. I had my steak and broccoli with apple, and he has his with leftover cooked carrots and...broccoli. Good thing broccoli is his favourite. The broccoli was simply sautéed with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and roasting spices. 

This morning I had no appetite so I skipped breakfast - definitely rare for me. I meant to bring one of my homemade larabars but I forgot, so I was at the mercy of the mall by the time I got hungry at 9:30 (my morning break). I was soooo close to going to Starbucks, getting a muffin, and starting my week over. When I got there I remembered that they sell bananas. I got one to go with black coffee and felt good, and my whole30 remained intact. 

This morning I also didn't make lunch. We're low on groceries and had no leftovers so I went to the food court. I came away with a big salad comprised of mixed greens, red onions, grilled eggplant, almond, green apple, and herbal vinaigrette (made with olive oil). I also got some sweet potato fries on the side. I tried to look up what kind of oil A&W uses and the results were inconclusive. However, a recent revisions to whole30 "Can I Have..." list allows canola oil when it's unavoidable. I went for it. 

Steak again for dinner tonight - my boyfriend (a vegetarian until recently) seems to like it and it's fast and inexpensive so I don't mind having it often. We had cooked carrots and broccoli on the side and I made another batch of ranch dressing to go on the side.

For dessert I tried putting a peach under the broiler. I've heard of grilled peaches and since I have no way to grill, I figured this would be the next best thing. Though they may have been better with a sprinkle of sugar on top, they were amazing as-is. When they're in season, the taste amazing and the heat makes them even sweeter and juicier.

Lunch and Dinner, Day Five

Today for lunch I cooked some bacon rashers for my boyfriend and I. He's never had English-style bacon before and since I prefer it, we picked up a pack. With mine, I had two slices of quiche and some grapes. Since he doesn't like eggs, he had some baby carrots and the last of the ranch dressing to dip them in. I was also happy to finish the last of my coffee. 

For dinner I made BBQ Pork Fried rice (recipe from Well Fed). This recipe from The Clothes Make the Girl is nearly identical.
I love this recipe. Before going paleo stir-fry was one of my favourite dishes to make, either with rice or noodles. It's cheap, fast, and very satisfying. I can make mine spicy by adding crushed pepper flakes and chili oil, and my boyfriend can add extra soy sauce. Though we've changed up some of the components, this recipe brings back a lot of those familiar flavours and textures and it's whole30 friendly.
The first time I made it, I slow cooked two pounds of pork shoulder for the Char Siu pork recipe, then used it for the BBQ Pork Fried Rice recipe, both from Well Fed. This time, I used some cheap pork chops and coated them in the marinade from the Char Siu recipe, but left off the glaze. It turned out just as good and tasted awesome with the "rice".

Here's the stir-fry all toasty in the wok. I had a big bowl of it with some sliced apple on the side. 

Post Run

Today I set a new personal record for distance - 18.25 kilometres! At about kilometre eight, I started thinking about what I wanted when I got home. I knew I had a few bananas in the freezer and it's been forever since I've had frozen banana ice cream, so I decided as a treat when I got home to make it. It's quite high in sugar since it's made purely of bananas, but I knew after running for two hours straight and burning over 1100 calories that I'd need it. I used a banana and a half and didn't mix anything except for a splash of almond milk to help the texture. Soon, I'd like to try any of these recipes from The Kitchn, all of which would be easily modified to be paleo (except maybe the Nutella one). I had my banana ice cream with a glass of coconut water on ice, and now for a hot shower. 

Day Four, Lunch and Dinner

The morning of day four I threw together a quick smoothie from half a banana, some almond milk, and chia seeds before setting out on a short run. I'm trying to work on improving my times since, as it turns out, I'm a rather slow runner. Afterward, I wasn't terribly hungry so my boyfriend and I set out to enjoy the nice weather. I needed some back to school supplies (so exciting!) and he needed some new records. When we got home it was lunch time. I was so hungry I didn't remember to stop and take a photo until halfway through...

We had steak and the last of the apple and fennel coleslaw. I also had some ranch dressing on the side to dip my steak in. 

For dinner we had The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat recipe from Well Fed. The brining was a bit lost on us unfortunately, since we ate the chicken re-heated and not fresh out of the oven. I will try the method again for sure. The spice rub was tasty but a bit overpowering. The flavour of the chicken was lost to the spices and it was a bit fragrant (allspice and cinnamon) and salty for my taste. I have some of the spice blend leftover and next time I'll try simply dusting the chicken with it instead. 

Alongside the chicken we had a mixed green salad tossed with ranch dressing (the paleo kind of course) and some pan-fried carrots and broccoli with garlic and onion. 

It's now day five, bright and early (well, not too early - I slept in a bit. It's incredible having two consecutive days off from work!). Because I'm planning on going on a long run this morning - trying for a new personal record of 18.5k - I needed a special breakfast. Chia muesli* has become my go-to pre run breakfast. I find it's the only thing that keeps my energy level up and doesn't give me cramps. 

*I first made it back in June, during my first whole30. Chia seeds are okay on whole30, but are not to be over-eaten. I'll admit, I rely on them quite a bit. The link I provided goes to my first post making it, where I link to the recipe I found on a different blog. Sorry for the link to a link. 

Cheers!

Day Three

This morning for breakfast I had the last of my paleo cereal with two cups of black coffee. On my first break at work I had another coffee and a homemade larabar (this one was made with dates, raw almonds, coconut, and chia seeds) then I realized I'd really only eaten seeds and dates so far today. Not very balanced, unfortunately. I've made a mental note to buy more prosciutto when I get the chance. 

Here's lunch: cole slaw, the last stuffed pepper, an apple and some water. Not bad for being thrown together on my way out the door this morning. 

For dinner we had the taco chicken I made yesterday, spooned over some cauliflower rice. It's a very simple "recipe" (aka something I made up one night) made from ground chicken, peppers and tomatoes - seasoned with cumin, chill powder, oregano, and paprika. I think this is my boyfriend's favourite paleo meal which is good because it's cheap and very easy. 

Days One & Two: Breakfast, Lunch, and Cook Day

I didn't post yesterday - even though it was day one of whole30 number two - because halfway through the day I started getting a bit of a headache. It continued through the evening and by the time I got home from work around seven thirty, I had what I'm pretty sure was the worst headache I've ever had. I basically had enough energy to dim the lights, sit on the couch, cover myself with a blanket, and moan. I eventually had two ibuprofen (whole30 compliant? I have no idea) and a slice of quiche. I was asleep soon after the end credits of Breaking Bad. 

Before my head started to throb, I had another bowl of "cereal" for breakfast - this time with strawberries - and a stuffed pepper for lunch, along with almonds, grapes, and a peach. 

Today I had the day off and felt much better. I had another bowl of "cereal" for breakfast, and headed out for a run. I'm participating in a 10k on Sunday so I'm trying to get in some good runs this week.
Afterward we went to see The World's End. I hadn't had lunch before we left, so I picked up some cashews and a larabar for a snack. I was steadfast as I held onto my boyfriend's buttery popcorn (he's a little more relaxed in his paleo approach than I am right now). Luckily I've never been crazy about movie popcorn  - I just love the way it smells.

When we got home I ate some quiche, then set out to tackle my cook day. Here's what I made:
The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat from Well Fed
Apple and Fennel Coleslaw from Gather
Char Siu Pork (for BBQ Pork Fried Rice) from Well Fed (not pictured)
Taco Seasoned Chicken & Vegetables (not pictured)
Ranch Dressing
Steak - for dinner tonight

Here's the coleslaw. It came together really easily. I couldn't find the recipe online anywhere, but basically you just finely julienne a fennel bulb, six carrots, and an apple and toss it all with a tablespoon of poppyseeds. For the dressing, you mix 1/4 cup paleo mayo* with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of honey. I know that honey as a sweetener is a no-go on whole 30, but since this recipe yields about six servings, I didn't think this small amount would be an issue. If I make it again while I'm on a whole30 I'll try just leaving it out.
The slaw tastes great - very fresh and bright (thanks to the fennel). The dressing came out a bit watery but I think this is because my mayo was a little looser this time around.

*If you haven't made mayo from scratch before, use this method. It is so easy (seriously) and I haven't failed yet using Melissa Joulwan's method from The Clothes Make The Girl/Well Fed.

With the mayo I had leftover from making the slaw dressing, I made more ranch dressing. So Good! Here's everything in the jar ready to be mixed.

 Best Chicken Ever (hopefully) - not the best picture ever.

And finally, after all that cooking, here's what I sat down to for dinner while my boyfriend recorded another episode of his podcast. The steak had been forgotten in the fridge for a couple of days so it needed to be eaten. It was great dipped into the ranch dressing missed by my celery.

Cheers!