February at the diner.
January 19, 2014
February at the diner.
Author: cochrancj
I am an American expat who loves to explore the world through the plate and is always curious to learn more.
Double Beef Winter Chili
There’s nothing better than coming home to a big bowl of beefy chili come winter. This slow cooker version uses root vegetables for bulk and some added umami-rich boosters for extra flavor. Whole30 compliant and delicious.
Double Beef Winter Chili
1 pound grass fed stew beef
1 pound grass fed ground beef
4 parsnips (about 1 pound)
2 carrots (about 2 cups)
4 stalks celery
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes – with or without chiles (I used Muir Glen)
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
4 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 big pinches Kosher salt
2 tsp. black pepper
Brown your beef(s) and add to a 6 quart crockpot when done. Chop the parsnips, carrots, onion and celery into roughly half-inch pieces and add to the pot when done. Chop the garlic and add. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine, adding a can of water if your mixture looks dry.
Set on low for 8 hours and go to work. Come home and enjoy!
January 18, 2014
The Water Table – East River cruise + dinner.
Whole30 2 – Day 6
Day 6 on Whole30 was challenging. An impromptu Ikea trip and dinner booked months ago sought to trip me up, but I persevered.
Breakfast
No smoothie today. Sugar-free bacon + eggs cooked in grass fed butter. Yum.
Lunch
Went to Ikea, and this was the only thing on the menu I could safely eat (ish). I ate the smoked salmon, and everything in the salad but the green peas & kidney beans.
Dinner
Months ago, we booked a dinner cruise. I completely forgot said cruise when signing up to do a Whole30. Luckily, the limited menu had options I could work with.
Kale Caesar salad with fresh dressing, which may or may not have had a trace of (non-compliant) Dijon. What I ate:
My discard pile:
Bouillabaisse – luckily, pretty compliant. Traditionally, this soup isn’t made with wine – and I didn’t taste any. Nice and spicy.
My discard pile: potatoes.
The whoopie pie I didn’t eat, which strangely made me crave a cigarette like no one’s business. I have not smoked in over 4 years and haven’t craved a cigarette in recent memory. Something about being pent up on a boat and unable to leave + my brain’s own crossed wiring gave me tight lungs and the beginning of the panics. Fun times.
All in all, a pretty successful dinner. I managed to avoid the hot bourbon toddy with local honey I wanted, said no to dessert, and found some most likely compliant food on the menu; and all it cost me was some lung distress.
Whole30 2 – Day 5
Day 5 on Whole30 was a little challenging. I had to pick around non-conforming lunch items & really compromise when it came to dinner.
Breakfast
My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.
Lunch
Broccoli Slaw & Kale Salad with Chicken with the sweetened cranberries picked out and a simple dressing made of lemon juice, balsamic & grapeseed oil.
Post Lunch Snack
Almonds
Dinner
A big compromise. I wanted salsa with every single tastebud – but had nothing even coming close to that. So, I made a mashed sweet potato & avocado bowl with salsa-y spices & a burger patty. It was delicious and satisfying.
After Dinner Snack
More almonds. I need more snacks.
January 17, 2014
I feel like I’ve been at this project for days. Oh wait, I have. Batch #1 of pictures to be sent off for digitizing: done.
Arugula & Orange Salad with Pulled Pork and Tomato
This salad came about because, here in January, I couldn’t stand not eating tomato any longer. Enter Fresh Direct. They tempted me with a beefsteak tomato – that while fairly costly, was actually fresh and actually tasted like tomato. Not sure if it was hot house (there was no mention in the description and it certainly didn’t taste like it), magic fairy house, or teleported from somewhere warm – but it was delicious. Just the breath of warm I was craving.
I ate this for lunch on my second day of Whole30 Take 2 – and didn’t feel deprived in the least.
Arugula & Orange Salad with Pulled Pork and Tomato
2 cups arugula
1 tomato – I used a big beefsteak
1 orange – I used a Cava Cava orange, which was delicious – blood orange would also be great here, or clementine — any orange with a lot of taste
2 Tbsp. gremolata
2 tsp. grapeseed oil
4 ounces leftover pulled pork
Supreme (cut off the outer rind and slice out each wedge individually – for video instructions, click here) your orange and cut the pieces into bite-sized chunks.
Cut the tomato into bite-sized chunks.
Warm your pork if needed.
Chuck the arugula, pork, tomato and orange into a big bowl and toss to combine.
Sprinkle with gremolata, the juice from the orange middle, and grapeseed oil.
Serves 1 for lunch.
Whole30 2 – Day 4
Day 4 on Whole30 was good – smooth sailing, despite some hiccups in dinner planning.
Breakfast
My typical weekday breakfast – one of my DH’s green smoothies. These days, we’re eating them sans banana and plus the juice of 1 lime. Yum.
Lunch
Leftover chili from last night. Recipe coming soon.
Dinner
Lemon and brown butter sea bass with baked sweet potato fries. Quick (ish), simple and delicious.
January 16, 2014
A little natural element to disguise the bowl of change sitting in my living room.
January 15, 2014
I know, there’s an app for that. But for shopping lists, I like to kick it old school.
Gastography 