Sweet Potato Rounds

I never really knew if I liked sweet potatoes or not ... I mean, heck, who doesn't like something covered in brown sugar (or maple syrup) and then marshmallows over the top? What I didn't like was the stringy-mushy texture of that stuff ... but I would take a little orange stuff and LOTS of toasted marshmallows during the holidays.

Now. Not so much. It does kind of suck when you grow up and learn to read the labels and whats good for you and what's really not. Being an adult does stink sometimes!

So ... with the Whole30 thing coming up September 5th, it's time to get back into the mindset!

And ...

I give you SWEET without the cloying, sticky stuff ...

This was so stinkin easy to do that I'm actually surprised I never tried it before ...

Ready?

Grab yourself a couple of sweet potatoes ... I used 3 here and peel them.

Once peeled, go ahead and slice them thin. I think mine were about 1/4 inch or so thick, I wanted them somewhat thin to cook faster.

Toss them in a bowl and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and season up with some salt, pepper, garlic powder (not salt), and combine with your hands to get them all coated.

Fire up your grill to medium high, and lay them out flat on the grill. I used this nifty grill mat which is about my 5th time using it and I'm in love with it ... I need to do a product review for you as I think it's a great thing to have on hand!

Allow to cook on one side til it starts to get a little charred, then flip. Cook this side til they are tender, but not to the point of falling apart. These took about 15 minutes or so and I was racing against the weather as we had some pretty bad rain this past weekend.

My original plan was to use them as "buns" for the sliders we were having but after the first one like that, I simply ate them plain, like fries.

Yes, I will be making these again in the very near future!

So, tell me, do YOU like sweet potatoes? All mushed up? Or intact, like this?

Looking forward to sharing over at some of these GREAT Blog Parties ... go check them out!

P.S. Are you following my progress over on Instagram? You should ... I'm trying to post my meals as they go!

Shredded Salsa Chicken

We've kind of left the Instant Pot alone for a few weeks and I just felt like I needed to bring it out again ... so what the heck, let's make a super simple meal, shall we?

Just a little inside scoop: Hubby has used the thing MORE than me ... he's become the designated cook lately and well, he doesn't always follow the directions and we've had a few flops ...

Back to an EASY meal that only uses a few ingredients.  All you need is the following:

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
black pepper
generous dash of oregano
1 jar chunky salsa (about 2 cups worth)

Ready??

Mix the salt, cumin pepper and oregano in a small bowl and season the chicken on both sides. *YES that jarred salsa was compliant if I remember correctly. Just check your labels!*

Toss them bad boys in the pot and dump the salsa over the chicken.

Secure the lid, making sure your vent is CLOSED and press the poultry button, adding another 5 minutes so you have a total of 20 minutes cook time.

  

Rule #1 - always make sure the seal is tight  Rule #2 - always make sure your vent is closed!

Let the Instant Pot do it's thing and wait for the pressure to release when done cooking (seriously, this will take a total of  about 30 to 35 minutes. TOTAL time to come to pressure, cook and de-pressurize).

  

Start time                                    Dishing up

Pull chicken out of pot and either chop chop or shred with 2 forks (I like mine chunkier so I chopped) and add salsa from pot to the shredded chicken.

Serve up any which way you'd like:  over zucchini noodles, as a taco lettuce cup filling, over shredded lettuce, over riced cauliflower, or, eat it as is, like Hubby did!

Another side note: did you know that there is actually jarred salsa out there that's Whole30 compliant? This jar of Chi-Chi's is ... as is Tostitos.  Who would have thought! Read your labels, you'll be surprised just what you CAN eat!

Enjoy!

**Yes, this can be cooked in a crockpot instead ... cook on low for about 4 hours**

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post may contain affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

I really love it when I come across a recipe that I have ALL the ingredients on hand to make, except one!  I mean, it's like mandatory that you make it!

This original recipe comes from Skinny Taste (which, by the way, I got her cookbook for Christmas and I'm sad to say I've not cooked ONE recipe from it yet!) and of course, I made a 'few' modifications but the whole idea comes from there!

And yes, it's Whole30 compliant (of course, I made this at the start of Week 2 and was still in the excitable mode!)  It will stay around for a repeat, trust me!

Here's how I did it:

1 lime, juiced (Costco)
1/4 red onion, finely chopped (Aldis)
1/2 tsp avocado oil (or olive oil) (Costco)
dash of salt (Costco) dash
black pepper to taste (Costco)
1/2 pound of cooked, peeled shrimp, cut in bite size pieces (8 ounces or thereabouts) (Whole Foods a while ago)
4 sangria tomatoes, chopped (Costco, these are like little tomatoes)
1 avocado, diced (Costco)
1/2 tbs cilantro, chopped (Publix)

The shrimp was frozen but not to worry, a quick rinse under running cold water 

defrosted these bad boys quickly!

In a small, non-reactive bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, red onions, salt and pepper and let that sit for at least 10 minutes to mellow out the onions (cool tip, dontcha think?)

My lime was pretty juicy so I had a lot of juice but all is well!

In a LARGE bowl, combine the shrimp, avocado and tomatoes. Add the smaller bowl of the onion mixture and combine. Gently stir in the cilantro.

That looks like a LOT of avocado, but again, all is well!

Serve up and enjoy!

Looking forward to sharing at some of these Great Parties ... go check them out!

*Affiliate links are part of this post ... check out my Affiliate Disclosure here!*

September 2016 Whole30

I should have labeled this post as Why I Am Doing a September Whole30 ... because that's really what this post is all about!

Why?

There's actually several reasons, and chances are, if you are here on this little ole blog, you are probably considering doing one yourself, or maybe you are in the midst of a round and just came for some recipes ...

Everyone does the program for different reasons. Some, to lose weight. Others, to figure out what the heck triggers certain things in their body. And yet, others, they do it, just because everyone else around them is doing it.

Whatever your reason may be, let's all just come to agreement on ONE thing. Just one thing!

It's HARD!

Yes, I don't care what ANYONE tells you ... it's stinkin hard. It's particularly more difficult when you are the only one in your household who is doing the program ...

Why is it hard? Well, for starters, you skip out on all sugars (surprise, that is in like 90% of prepared foods), ditch the grains (yup, bye bye corn), legumes (no more black beans OR rice) and that dairy stuff is out the door too (pizza? not happening!). And don't even think about happy hour ... so long beer and margaritas, and wine, and bourbon, vodka, rum ... so at the end of the day, you ask yourself, just what the hell can you eat then?

Veggies. Proteins. Fruits. LaCroix Sparkling Water ...

REAL FOOD

Which sadly, a lot of us have forgotten what that really is, and how it really taste!

I've had a few attempts/false starts/fake endings trying to do this in the past. This time, however, I'm confident that I can do a Whole30 for the duration!  Because, you know what, I'm tired of feeling like crap and I know, for the most part, it's food related.  I eat fairly healthy 80% of the time. That other 20% though? Not so much (I love beer, booze, chips, dip, pizza, etc.) and I can certainly tell when I've eaten certain things!  I also believe that the inflammation I have in my hand and wrist is starting to spread to the knees, feet and shoulders/neck area and that has me concerned as there are days where it's hard to use my hands for much more than a cupped palm. Not exactly how I want to be feeling at 52 years of age!

So ... here you go, my REAL reasons I'm doing this ...

1.  Hopefully tame down the inflammation/swelling I'm dealing with lately. I do know when I've consumed a lot of alcohol, I generally have a pretty severe flare up within 24 hours ...

2.  Let's be honest, it would be nice to lose a little of the fluffiness/muffintop stuff going on ... so yeah, to lose a few pounds if possible

3.  To maybe re-evaluate my habits and deal with stress a little better. I'm the one that grabs a beer within minutes of changing clothes after work. A beer or two wouldn't be so very bad but usually, it's 3 or 4 which is not so very good which either ends with a plate of nachos or no dinner at all

4.  To ignite a little more excitement in food and cooking. Honestly, the Whole30 does take a lot of time in the kitchen with prep work BUT I'm ok with that (so I say at this very minute!) and I love that something so simple taste so good after your mind gets over the fact that it's not salty/sweet/bad for you!

5.  Sinus issues. Probably too much information and actually, may have something to do with the so-called suspect lupus diagnosis that I scoffed at years ago.  See, my nose is constantly wet. NOT MOIST, but actually wet and then I get these raw spots that burn ... and sometimes I think it smells funky. Hubby says it doesn't and I've asked several close friends to be frank with me as well. They all say no but I smell it and it drives me batty. Could be anything but I do know that it seems to flare up at times for unknown reasons. Food/Booze related? Potentially ... and I want to find out!

6.  Attitude adjustment. I'm sure if I feel better physically, look a little better as well (thanks to the fluffy stuff going bye bye) I'll have a better attitude. You think?

7.  To see if it really does do anything more for my skin and hair. I've got great skin and hair, but just really dry. Probably because I don't drink anywhere near enough water during the day, which I'm well aware of but I've found when I'm eating healthier (aka Whole30 style) I do drink more water because I'm making such conscious decisions all around!

So, there you have it!  Absolutely starting September 5th which is kind of cool in that I can at least have Saturday and Sunday for Labor Day ... but I am also slowly moving in to the mindset this week (August 29th) so that come that Monday morning, it won't be such a shock.

Are you doing a September Whole30?

Perfect Grilled Asparagus

For years, and years, like every other veggie out there, I wouldn't go near asparagus ... that's like, a tree stalk, right?  It's right up there with the green tree shrubs (broccoli) and that funky white stuff (cauliflower)!

And then, I tried these little skinny stalks with garlic and olive oil and since then, I've been addicted to asparagus ... I'm the one in the produce section tossing the fat things aside, looking for the wimpy, skinny things.

Yup. That's ME!! Hi! Sorry if I held you up!  If nothing else, Whole30 has made me branch out and try all kinds of different veggies ... that in itself is a NSV, you know?

So a few weeks ago, Aldi's had asparagus. Imagine that!? $2.99 for a one pound bag. Now, mind you've I've seen asparagus there before, but it was either, you guessed it, fat and woody OR the tips were all mush which is a no-no in the asparagus world.

So whenever, I see them model thin stalks, I scoop them up, run home and promptly start cooking ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE these things!

I used to make them this easy way: asparagus, chopped garlic, diced onion, olive oil, salt & pepper mixture ... but then ... I discovered this:

Trader Joe's Lemon Infused Olive Oil  ... uhm ... HELLO!!??

So now, I just skip all that happy chop chop chop stuff and get straight down to this technique:

Snap and rinse your asparagus, toss the tops in a large bowl.

Drizzle with generous pour of that there Lemon Infused Garlic Oil

Liberally season with your salt & pepper mixture (ours is salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder poured in to an OLD Badia spice bottle ... we live by this stuff)

With clean hands, fluff and mix to coat all the asparagus.

Fire up your grill and allow to heat on high. Reduce the heat to medium (make sure no flames are hitting the grates) and clean. Put a grill mat down (if you don't have one, you NEED one ... this is what they look like and I really need to do a review on these! I picked this up at Bed Bath & Beyond for like $10 or so but like the link better as there's 3 and they seem to be larger than what I have)

Toss on your asparagus (I did two batches as I made 2 pounds), spread them out a little and close the lid. After a few minutes, check on them, giving them a little toss with your tongs ... keep an eye on them as they will get charry really fast ...

I love, love, love these little things and this is such an easy recipe to make! Go ahead, give it a try!

Enjoy!

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post may contain affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Lemon Basil Riced Cauliflower

Have you had the pure joy of seeing one of these bags at Trader Joe's yet??

That there bag is pure heaven for a mere $1.99 each ... and when you see them, you better be snatching up more than just one or two as they go F A S T when they have them in stock!

Luckily, I just nabbed another 5 bags this past week ... I could have been "that person" and took all 12 that were in the box but I know how frustrated I've been when I keep missing the re-stocking so I figured I'd play nice and leave some for the next person!

Now, I'll admit, I had 1 bag left in the freezer and I was holding out ... I broke down and bought a whole head of cauliflower and "riced" it myself by running the florets in the food processor for a few minutes til the texture is right ... it just was not the same, not to mention, tiny pieces of cauliflower were found all over the kitchen and it was just plain annoying!

So ... I grabbed a bag the other morning for breakfast and made this awesome recipe!

1 bag of riced cauliflower
zest of 1 lemon
juice of a half of a lemon
fresh basil, sliced in to ribbons (tip: use scissors to cut the leaves quickly)

Toss the bag of riced cauliflower in a non-stick skillet (I use a green pan and it works great) on medium heat.

Once the rice is heated (no longer frozen) and liquid (if any) is gone, add the zest to the rice and give a quick fluff. Squeeze the juice over the rice and dish up!  Garnish with the basil strips.

This makes 4 servings for me and I just store in the fridge and reheat in the skillet with whatever protein I'm having at that meal!

Enjoy!

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post may contain affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

Chicken and Broccoli

I'm getting excited for September 5th! 

I made this a few months ago when I wasn't even thinking about Whole30 ... and it was so dang good that even Hubby was asking me to make it again, soon!

Hmmm ... maybe I can bring him along in September for the full ride?

Uhm, well, maybe not ... but hey ... it's worth a try. In the meantime, this is one dish that all of us will be eating when I make it!

2 pounds of chicken thighs, cut in to bite size pieces (ALDI)
1 large head of broccoli, cut in to bite size pieces (ALDI, I used 4 small heads)
3 tbs sesame oil (forever in the pantry)
2 tbs ginger ... I'm not a fan but I used this stuff (Publix b1g1f)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2/3 c coconut aminos (soy sauce alternative to avoid soy, grains, etc.) (Whole Foods!)
1 tbs arrowroot powder (or corn starch) to thicken (Amazon)
Riced cauliflower (Trader Joes!) or zucchini noodles, if desired

See, not a whole lot of stuff ;-)  AND ... it only took 30 minutes of cooking time so get chopping in the morning before you head out to work!

Let's hop to it!

Heat up a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil, ginger, coconut aminos, salt, garlic powder and them pepper flakes.  Add the chicken in and give a quick shake to coat a bit. Cook til chicken is about half cooked through.*

Add the broccoli, shake the pan a bit, turn up the heat and put a lid on the pan. I used a lid that sat just inside the pan as I didn't want it 100% covered.  Lift lid and give a stir every few minutes to get the broccoli coated a bit.

Once the broccoli has started to get soft, if desired, add a sprinkle of arrowroot powder over the mixture and stir with a large spoon. This will help it thicken a little.

Serve over zucchini noodles OR riced cauliflower.

I always make it a point to pack up my lunch for the next day immediately when something is this tasty! Otherwise it could all be gone which would make me very sad the next morning!

Enjoy!

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

*This post may contain affiliate links ... click here to read my disclosure :-)

*So for the record: I followed the original recipe from the start and was sorry as soon as I added the chicken in. The chicken NEEDS to cook first other wise you will have raw chicken on top of quickly dying broccoli. I ended up scooping the sad broccoli out in to a bowl while the chicken cooked, adding it back at the end with more raw broccoli so I wouldn't have sad broccoli throughout.