She looks beautiful tonight.
January 25, 2014
She looks beautiful tonight.
Author: cochrancj
I am an American expat who loves to explore the world through the plate and is always curious to learn more.
Whole30 2 – Day 13
Day 13 on Whole30 was wall-to-wall beef. Oh, darn. Can’t you tell how distraught I am?
Breakfast
We went to the diner again – I had my steak & eggs + salsa this time and I remembered to bring my little container of coconut milk for the coffee. Yum.
Lunch
No real lunch – I snacked on an ounce of almonds.
Dinner
Today we celebrated my husband’s birthday – at a steakhouse. I had the NY Strip with chimichurri, a side of grilled asparagus, and raw oyster starter. Leaving the espresso martini, big glass of Pinot, truffled mashed potatoes and grilled bacon app behind was painful. But only until my 12 ounce steak came. 🙂
I also had lemon verbena tea in lieu of espresso brownie bites. This particular restaurant had a fresh fruit plate available, but I was actually really very full and totally didn’t need it.
A note about steak restaurants: I am all for steak restaurants, especially when doing Whole30. Having said that, most (pretty much all) of the places I know to get a steak do not serve grass fed beef. The restaurant we visited tonight (and a lot of higher end steakhouses I’ve found across the country) proudly serve corn fed beef – and wear that as a badge of quality. I eat about 95% grass fed at home. I also use grass fed butter. Steakhouses do neither of those things. I understand the want to eat as healthy and well-sourced as possible, and I agree with that ethos – to a point. I refuse to let my food nazi outrage over meat sourcing dampen my enjoyment of a steak out – especially not when celebrating a special occasion with loved ones.
Were I at Outback (which is one of my favorite go-tos when I’m on the road or in desperate need of some beef for dinner), I would certainly order my steak grilled and plain with a plain steamed veggie side. But at a nicer steakhouse? I think I’ll keep my butter. Whole30 police arrest me – but you’ll have a fight.
Whole30 2 – Day 12
Day 12 on Whole30 was full of tomatoes. And they were delicious.
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
Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with a Fried Egg – from the recipe posted earlier today.
Dinner
A mostly-bastardized/partially made up chicken coconut curry.
January 24, 2014
But …. But …. You *have* to cuddle me – I’m chilly!
Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with A Fried Egg
This is another example of a recipe that came about due to leftovers in the fridge + it’s cold and I need comfort + I want some freakin tomatoes in my life. One of my Nerd Fitness buddies said the description looked like exactly what he was wanting, so I figured you guys might like it too.
Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with A Fried Egg
Tomato sauce – I actually used a sugar and crap-free jarred prepared variety of marinara (a standard sized glass jar full) and doctored it up with spices because I wanted to see if it could be done without tasting horrible. It wasn’t bad, but I would have much preferred the fresh marinara from this recipe – sans wine, or from this recipe as-is
1 – 1.5 lbs. hot Italian sausage (check your ingredients!)
10 ounces to a pound of crimini (or button) mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 eggs
Salt & pepper
Coconut oil or grassfed butter
Red pepper flakes
Set a large tall-sided pan over medium heat. Slip the sausages out of their skins into the pan and break up with a spoon into small bits. Brown. Drain most of the fat and add the onions and mushrooms. Sautee until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are beginning to break down.
Add the tomato sauce and stir. Taste for seasoning – add salt, pepper and red pepper as needed. Cover. Drop the heat to a simmer and let go 20 minutes to half an hour.
In a separate pan, heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, hit with salt and pepper and sautee – stirring frequently – 5 minutes or until al-dente. Add to a bowl.
Heat a Tablespoon or so of coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Add the eggs and fry to your liking, seasoning with salt & pepper as you go.
To assemble: zucchini chunks on the bottom, top with a generous half cup or so of sauce, and top with the eggs.
January 23, 2014
Probably not poison.
Whole30 2 – Day 11
Day 11 on Whole30 was ok, I suppose. I missed my smoothie terribly, and stress has me *still* craving a cigarette & a Reese’s Nutrageous. And I still want the salsa that doesn’t exist in this state.
Breakfast
Sad face. No smoothie today, or tomorrow.
Lunch
Leftover Italian sausage & mushroom ragu.
Dinner
Balsamic beef with broiled broccolini.
After Dinner Snack
1 ounce plain almonds.
Whole30 2 – Day 10
Day 10 on Whole30 was another day a hairsbreadth away from disaster. Bad planning on my part and lack of communication between my DH and I almost led to my hangries reaching out and eating people on the train.
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
The last of the Double Beef Chili I made last week.
Post Lunch Snack
This was supposed to be my post-workout pre-meeting snack to stem the tide of hangries I knew I’d face if I was forced to go the whole hour train ride between home and my meeting with no food. But noooooo, Blue Diamond had to go and put corn maltodextrin in their sea salt nuts.
Asshats.
And, if I would have known my DH wasn’t all that hungry, I’d have grabbed some balsamic beef to chow down on while traveling.
So, I was hangry. Hangry and fighting car sickness with every stop. Fun times.
Dinner
I had roughly half an hour to grab dinner & wolf it down. Luckily, there was a BBQ joint within walking distance (even in 17 degree weather). I had most of our 3/4 lb. order of pulled pork + a cup of collards. I barely tasted it all, but I’m fairly certain it was delicious.
January 22, 2014
Who does this?! Maltodextrin in nuts can suck it. This was *supposed* to be the snack to stave off my hangries in the hour between working out and a meeting I had this evening – an hour which I spent trapped in a metal box, underground, with someone who had food.
Someone almost got eaten.
Whole30 2 – Day 9
Day 9 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. I finally got to try the balsamic beef I’ve been thinking about for weeks, and lunch was some great leftovers.
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 Double Beef Chili from last week.
Dinner
Balsamic beef with Brussels sprouts & bacon.
