Summer Vegetables and Meatballs

Summer is officially in full swing and I can feel the heat just sitting inside my darkened house. I swear if you didn't know any better you'd think houses in Texas were inhabited by vampires since I keep the blinds shut all day long to keep the house cooler.

In the words of Xander on one of the best shows ever created, Buffy the Vampire Slayer..."You know, our friends, that sleep all day and have no tans..." Yep. Texas looks like it's full of vampires in the summertime.

However, the one great thing about Texas is the variety of veggies that come out. Particularly, zucchini and my new favorite heirloom tomato blends. Yum.

I decided to start a Whole30 in between events this summer. That's after my nephew's graduation from High School and before #leohusband's birthday, even though that means a Whole30 July 4th - American Independence Day for my non-US readers.

I feel confident that my two servings of fruit from a cold watermelon on Independence Day is just fine with me in lieu of peach pie.

Unfortunately, my back has been totally f'ed up since April and I haven't had the chance to sit down and evaluate what I need to do to actually feel better. I've been in pure survival mode hanging on by my fingernails trying to keep up my blog, keep up with my daily 'I need to do this to feel normal' activities, promote my awesome new podcast Chronic Warrior Women with Rebekah Svensson aka #awkwardyethealthy, be social with family and friends, oh, and do my daily responsibilities like laundry and ironing, etc...forget about getting a meal on the table.

By the time I'm done with all that I'm done - stick a fork in me!

Needless to say, I haven't been eating that great, not bad, but not up to my normal standards. In fact, I had to switch my morning affirmations from I love my life, to I love to cook. This is so weird to me because back when I was teaching, I did love to cook, it was my stress reliever. Now, it's my stress inducer. Crazy!

So yesterday was my first Whole30 day. Well, I felt so bad I didn't even start eating until lunchtime when #leohusband woke up and made breakfast for lunch. LOL! Then all I had to do was dinner.


Summer Vegetables and Meatballs

Zoodles:
5-6 Zucchini
2-3 t salt

First, prep the Zucchini. Wash, dry, and spiral about 5-6 large zucchini. Place the spiraled zucchini in a colander, in the sink, and generously salt the zucchini. Set a 20-minute timer and start working on the meatballs.

Meatballs:
1 lb of grass fed ground beef
1 egg
1 T almond flour (as long as it's not the main ingredient this is OK on the Whole30)
1/2 T Italian blend herbs, divided.
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Mix all ingredients in a medium-large bowl with your hands. Wet your hands and then roll the mixture into 1.5-2" balls. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment at 375 for 20-30 minutes. Around this time the zucchini should be finished.

Sauce:
1 T olive or avocado oil
1 t of minced garlic
1/2 small onion, diced
1 lb of mixed cherry tomatoes
1/2 T Italian blend herbs, divided.
1 t salt
1 lemon zested

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic and onions and saute until fragrant and the onions are slightly translucent.

While the onions and garlic are sauteing, slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise. Add the tomatoes to the pan and salt and pepper the vegetables.

Head to the sink and grab the zucchini and a bar or tea towel. Dump the spiraled zucchini in the middle of the towel. Pick up all four corners of the towel and now you are going to twist the towel to "ring out" the excess water from the zucchini.

Add the drained zucchini to the tomato mixture. Saute for 5-7 minutes.

Around this time the meatballs should be finishing. Check to make sure that they are done in the middle. Temp should be around 165 degrees in the center and juices should run clear. If the meatballs are done add them to the skillet.

Toss everything and top with lemon zest. Serve.

14 Healthier Alternatives to Granola Bars

I was chatting with my sister this past Monday about health and options. She's got a house full of hungry kids and she's trying to make healthier choices for herself and her family. Trying to get away from the S.A.D. diet. The Standard American Diet.

She laughed when she said nothing in her pantry is healthy and didn't want to throw it out. I came up with the idea that when something runs out, buy a healthier alternative.

So she asked me to find healthier alternatives for granola bars first, so let's get into the thick of it.

When I think granola bars I'm instantly transported back to childhood and the nostalgic flavor of the gooey Quaker Oats Chocolate Chip granola bar washes over me.

If I'm going to find healthier alternatives then I'm first going to the Quaker Oats website:

Information taken from Quaker.com

I'm going to bold all the words for sugar.

Ingredients

GRANOLA (WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, BROWNSUGAR, CRISP RICE [RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT], WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED WHEAT, SOYBEAN OIL, DRIED COCONUT, WHOLE WHEATFLOUR, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SOY LECITHIN, CARAMEL COLOR, NONFAT DRYMILK), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOABUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA EXTRACT), CORN SYRUP, BROWN RICE CRISP (WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE, SUGAR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, SALT), INVERTSUGAR, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, GLYCERIN, SOYBEAN OIL. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SORBITOL, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, WATER, SOY LECITHIN, MOLASSES, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BHT (PRESERVATIVE), CITRIC ACID.
CONTAINS WHEAT, COCONUT, SOY AND MILK INGREDIENTS.
MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT AND OTHER TREE NUTS.

Holy crap that's a lot of sugar. They should call it Crack-er Oats for the chemical addiction your brain must have to them.

via GIPHY

I guess the first question I have is, is this a snack or a meal replacement or dessert? (Hint: These granola bars should be treated as a dessert)

I'm approaching this from the standpoint of this is a snack. The kind of snack you would partake in after a day of school before you sit down to do your homework or run off to your part time job.

Also, transitioning from the S.A.D. diet can be hard so you many want to start with something on the sweeter side and transition to things like veggies and protein snacks.

I'm also approaching this from the standpoint of convenience, price, and ease. My sister is a chronic pain warrior as well so she needs something that is easy to throw together.

If you shop through any of my links in this post, you help support this blog at zero cost to you. Thank you for your support.

14 Healthier Alternatives to Granola Bars
1. 100 Calorie Almond Packs

A Quaker Oat bar boasts that it is 100 calories, but it's empty calories because of sugar. It would be better to invest in the 100 calorie nut packs.

2. Rolled Up Turkey Slices

Everybody needs more protein. Take 2 - 3 slices of a lean turkey or chicken lunchmeat and put your favorite spread on them. I'm crazy for Maille Mustard. Put a small handful of spinach leaves in them and roll them up. Close with a toothpick. Boom! Super simple to make and very cost effective. You can even throw in pre-shredded carrots!

3. Two Clementines (and maybe a handful of nuts to balance the carbohydrates)

Two clementines clock in at 70 calories and they have 60% of your daily recommendation of Vitamin C. They are sweet but they are a natural sugar. Simple to peel and very portable, it's so easy to throw into a backpack or purse. You can get crazy big bags of them at any grocery store!

4. Apples

Let's get fancy ya'll. This is my current favorite snack. A sliced up apple sprinkled with half a handful of bare chocolate coconut chips and another nut, like pistachios or almonds. You get that hint of chocolate but there is no dairy or soy, and they are sweetened with coconut sugar which does not have the glycemic reaction that normal sugar creates. The coconut has a bit of protein to balance it out.




If you really want to get that bar experience in, then I suggest the next two bars:

5. Larabars

Today at Costco I saw a 20 pack for $13.49. That's a great price. Amazon has good prices of Larabars too. Some do contain sugar so read the label. I will put some of my favorites below. Note that for a snack these should be cut in half! Unless it is a meal replacement don't eat the whole thing. They're around 200-250 calories a bar so a 16 pack, is really a 32 pack.

6. RX Bars for Kids

I had to rope #breadwinnerbff into this one. So I gave her a ring and asked what she feeds her kids. Half the price of the normal RX bar and half the size which is good because this is a snack, not a meal replacement. Normal size RX Bars are a meal replacement.


I asked her about KIND Bars and she said, "they're a candy bar."

7. Deviled Eggs (or Angel Eggs depending on where you are from)

Protein is good and so are eggs! According to WebMD, they have 7 grams of high-quality protein, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids. The egg is a powerhouse of disease-fighting nutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin.

Everytime I bring a platter of Deviled Eggs to a summer BBQ they disappear with in seconds. Why wait for summer BBQ's? Eggs are cheap and some stores even have already boiled eggs in a bag.

You can keep the eggs for up to four days in the fridge. In order to do this, keep the whites and egg yolk filling separate. Wrap the egg white halves well with plastic wrap and keep the egg yolk filling sealed in a Ziploc bag with all the air squeezed out (which is how you mix them anyway). Just fill when your kids (or you) are ready for a snack.

8. Watermelon

Watermelon season is just around the corner. This is a great hydrating snack for the summertime. Watermelon also contains thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, choline, lycopene, and betaine.

According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant with many health benefits, including sun protection, improved heart health and a lower risk of certain types of cancer.

9. Frozen Grapes

These are a delicious snack, just make sure you fill up a small bowl instead of eating straight from the bag. These are great for a good transition from S.A.D. diet because they are a sweet treat but still has health benefits.

10. Unsweetened Go-Go Applesauce

This is an easy to go, mass produced item that actually isn't that bad for you. Amazon has a 48 pack for around twenty bucks!
11. Ants on a Log

Cut up celery or get the precuts in the store. Top with almond butter or peanut butter (read the label and make sure there is no sugar added, check out my post on the different names for sugar) and raisins. You can also get fancy and top them with apple juice sweetened dried cranberries. Just make sure the cranberries don't have added sweetner.

12. Baby Carrots

Carrots are a great end stage transision snack. It's a veggie that does have sweetness due to a higher sugar content then most veggies. However, still a great snack. Especially when paired with my favorite Paleo Ranch Dressing.

13. Bananas

Natural beta blocker and easies anxiety are great qualities as a fruit. Start out by eating ripe bananas when you are making the transation from the S.A.D. diet to your healthier lifestyle.

14. Greek Yogurt with Berries and a Squirt of Raw Honey

Accoriding to all of the new research fat is good for you. I'll tell you to watch Fed Up, a great documentary about the sugar industry and the sugar lobbies in the government, but you may not have 2 hours. Instead watch this short clip from Adam Ruins Everything, which is a great summary of the Fed Up documentary.


So get out there and buy some full fat greek yogurt. Top a 1/2c of yogurt with a handful of berries, strawberries, blueberries, etc. and a tablespoon or less of raw honey.

During this transition phase if you or your kids find themselves still hungry, make sure the snack is eaten in conjuction with 16 oz of water, 2 glasses. Too many people mistake hungriness for thirst.

Let's not forget that boredom can also lead to unnecessary snacking. It is national craft month. Pick up something and learn or get outside and enjoy the weather.

Hell, one of the main reasons I knit and crochet is so I don't snack in front of the TV.

Instant Pot Tandoori Curry Chicken

#leohusband has been traveling to Asia a lot. Unfortunately, with my unpredictable pain flare-ups, not to mention the 24-hour flights, I have yet to join him. However, that doesn't mean I've tried to cook for him some of his favorites when he gets back. Paleo style of course!

This gem came up out of desperation and mostly not wanting to chop or do anything fancy. I basically used precuts from the grocery store, because of energy levels and pain. If you don't know what precuts are, and you suffer from chronic pain and illness, meet your new best friend.

There is a section in the grocery store in produce where you will see precut fruit...I'm sure you are familiar with that. However, they also have precut onions, green onions, bell pepper, carrots, and at least in Texas, cilantro.

Yep. Everything washed, chopped, and ready for your dinner. As I mentioned, your new bff.

Pair this with already riced cauliflower, fresh or frozen, and you've got an incredibly easy meal.

Instant Pot Tandoori Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

2 T tbsp ghee
5 t of minced garlic (pre-minced in the jar)
1 inch of grated fresh ginger or 1/2 t of ground if you don't want to take the time to grate
1 large yellow or white onion diced (precuts for the win)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Two 14 oz. cans of Rotel
1/4 c full fat unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T of oil of your choice
1 bag of frozen riced cauliflower
2 large sweet potatoes
Chopped Cilantro for Topper

Curry Mix:
1 T tandoori masala
2 t smoked paprika
1.5 t cumin
2 t curry

Equipment:
Instant Pot
Small bowl and whisk
Microplane grater
Immersion Blender or Blender
Food processor or hand mixer
Oven and foil lined baking sheet
Stove and large skillet

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub sweet potatoes, pat dry, and place on a foil lined baking sheet in the oven for an hour.

Go relax for 30 minutes, if you bought your oh so fabulous precuts, or start prepping the onion and ginger.

Combine the curry seasonings in a small bowl, whisk, and set aside.

Press saute on your Instant Pot and add 2 T ghee. When the ghee is melted, add the garlic, ginger, and onion. Season with a pinch of salt. Saute until onions are translucent. Add the curry seasonings and saute about 10 seconds to warm up the spices. Turn off Saute.

Add 2 cans of Rotel and scrape the bottom of the pot to get that lovely browned vegetable and garlic taste into the curry. Add the salt and pepper. Stir. Add chicken and cover each piece with sauce. Seal the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Finish with a 10 minute release.

While the chicken cooks, warm up 2 T of oil of your choice. I prefer avocado, and saute the cauliflower in a large skillet over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When the cauliflower is soft and toasted with a nice golden brown color turn the heat to low to keep the cauli'rice warm.

The potatoes should be just about done. Pull them from the oven and check to make sure they are soft throughout. If so, cut open the skins and scoop out the insides into a food processor and blend until smooth.

If you don't have a food processor an old fashioned hand beater works great too. Just put them in a beater safe bowl and whip them. Cover to keep warm.

The Instant Pot should be finishing up right about now.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the chicken. Add the coconut milk. Puree the sauce using an immersion blender until creamy and no lumps remain. Shred the chicken with two forks or dice the chicken up and add them back to the instant pot. Stir the shredded chicken into the tandoori curry sauce. If my kitchen helper is around, I have him shred the chicken while I finish the sauce.

Plating:

I like to serve these in bowls. I put a generous scoop of the sweet potatoes in the bottom of a bowl and make a donut shape with it. In the center, I put a large scoop of the cauli'rice and then top with the curry. The cilantro on top really makes the dish so don't forget to garnish the top with cilantro!

This makes enough to feed 6 - 8 people depending on appetites. I froze half for #leohusband and me to enjoy on a day I'm in too much pain to cook.

Paleo and Whole30 Butternut Squash Meatball Soup

Need a hug in a bowl?

It's February and that usually means all things couples. Sticking with this month's theme here is a great recipe to cook together (but very easy to do solo too). This savory meatball soup is not only easy to prepare, it delicious.

As usual, I will have some chronic pain and illness warrior tips.

Paleo and Whole30 Butternut Squash Meatball Soup
Grab a buddy if you have one available.

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion coarsely chopped
4 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1/4" half moons.
1 bag of frozen butternut squash
1 T of tomato paste
1 can of Rotel
1 4oz can of Green Chilies
4 cups of Chicken Bone Broth
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of ground pork
1 egg
1 lime
1 bag of shredded coleslaw mix
1 cup of pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)




Meatball Spices
1T of cumin
1 t of granulated garlic
1/2 t of Mexican oregano
1/2 t of smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Make it!

If you have a buddy, have them prep the meatballs while you are chopping vegetables. Regardless, prep the Meatball Spices. In a small bowl whisk together the meatball spices and set aside. My Mother-in-law recently mentioned she couldn't find Mexican Oregano in Georgia so here is some if you can't find it in your store.




In a large sauce pot on med-high heat, warm about 2 T of avocado or olive oil until hot. While oil is heating coarsely chop the onion. Add the onion to the pot and stir occasionally while peeling and chopping the carrots. Add the carrots and the bag of butternut squash to the onions and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until soft and then add in 1 T of tomato paste. Stir to coat the veggie in the tomato paste. Add in the Rotel and green chilies. Stir. Add in the chicken bone broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

While waiting for the soup to boil, prep the meatballs (or have your partner do it while you work on the soup).

Drain any excess liquid from the beef and pork and then pat dry. In a large bowl, using your hands mix together the beef, pork, egg, and spice mix. Form into 2-inch meatballs, just a smidge smaller than a golf ball. The meatballs make 2 servings, approx. 40 meatballs. We put 20 on a baking sheet covered in wax paper and froze them for a repeat meal later on.

Bring the soup back up to a boil and carefully drop in 20 of the meatballs. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

While the meatballs cook prepare the lime and cilantro.

Cut off the two "pointy" ends of the lime and then cut into wedges. Wash and coarsely chop the cilantro. Get out the coleslaw mix and the pepitas.

When the soup is done, serve in bowls topped with the coleslaw mix, a sprinkle of pepitas, and garnish with cilantro and a lime wedge.

Serves 4. I'm going to adapt this for the instant pot so I will have an update out when I do!




Enjoy!

Paleo and Whole30 Tex Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

For some reason last week was all about the last minute dinners. I meal planned but didn't prep because my prepping buddy was gone on a business trip...needless to say #leohusband didn't help me either.

So I was stuck scrambling as per usual to come up with a healthy, last-minute meal that was Paleo and Whole30 compliant.

Paleo and Whole30 Tex Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes
1 lb of Paleo/Whole30 Compliant Chorizo
1/2 a yellow or white onion, whatever you have on hand, coursely diced
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can of green chilies
1 avocado diced
1 bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 400.

Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400 for one hour.

20 minutes before the potatoes are done.

Put a large skillet on the stove on medium heat.

Split open the casings on the chorizo and brown the meat. While the meat is browning, dice the onion.

When the meat is cooked through drain some of the grease off by tilting the pan and using a spoon. Add the onion and saute with the chorizo until the onion is translucent. Add in the tomatoes and chilies. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook everything together on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced.

Take the potatoes out of the oven. Split open and stuff with the skillet mixture. Top with avocado and cilantro.

Quick and easy! Enjoy!

Whole30 and Paleo Pork Chops and Winter Vegetables

This Whole30 has been rough y'all. Not only did I have a wedding to go to, but I got strep. Talk about putting the pressure on.

I have to admit I did abandon my menu planning after I got strep. Some of the things I had planned were just not going to happen. Too much prep work and cutting for functioning on zero.

Sheet Pan Pork Chops and Winter Vegetables

Serves 4.

4 pork chops
1-2 bags of precut winter root vegetables
2 T avocado or olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T herbs de provence, divided
1/3 c balsamic vinegar

Preheat Oven to 425. Grab 2 baking sheets and line them with foil. Pat the pork chops down with a paper towel and drizzle on avocado or olive oil on. Salt and Pepper both sides to taste. Sprinkle with 1 T of Herbs de Provence.

Grab some pre-cut winter veggies, fresh or frozen. I get a bag of root veggies from Costco that are washed, chopped, and ready to go, but my local grocery store has the same thing in the produce department. Toss one or two bags/trays into a large bowl. Drizzle your oil of choice over the veggies and season them with salt, pepper, and the Herbs.

Place both trays in the oven with the veggies on top and the pork chops near the bottom.

Set a 12 minute timer.

While waiting, grab a small saucepan and bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 5-7 minutes and then reduce the heat to low to keep it from congealing.

At the 12 minute mark flip the pork chops over and stir the veggies.

Set another 12 minute timer.

When done serve with the balsamic glaze spooned over the pork chop and veggies. #leohusband approved and he said it was even better the next day!