Food • Photography • Life
Acceptable workout on a day when my wrist was bugging me and I couldn’t wear my contacts because something jumped in my eye as I slept and it took half an hour of half-sleeping trying to (hopefully) get it out. I was able to hang on tight, take my glasses off to rest my face, and close my eyes so I wouldn’t get dizzy/nauseous.
This month, I’m doing my Third Whole 30 – and this time, I’ve got reinforcements in the form of a few Nerd Fitness friends who are taking the plunge and committing to starting 2015 out on the right foot with me. Let’s take a look at a few of this week’s highlights! everyone ate this week!
Weekday work snacks! Plain almonds and fresh green beans from kweber05
Green Pepper/Radish Salad with Smoked Chicken from kweber05
Balsamic Beef Wraps with Sunshine Sauce from Fonzico
Dinner with extended family *can* be successful and *doesn’t* have to be full of anxiety as kweber05 found out – grilled chicken breast with steamed veggies and a hard boiled egg.
Flavor boosters like salsa kick up breakfast and sanctum staples (kweber05)
Delectible looking shrimp pad thai with cabbage noodles and sunshine sauce courtesy of Fonzico
Fancy after dinner drinks (club soda, lime juice, oranges and pomegranate seeds) from Fonzico
More fancy drinks! Club soda with orange and lime from (kweber05)
Smoked chicken and avocado egg salad (kweber05)
Fonzico made Nom Nom Paleo’s Bagna Cauda and she reports that it was amazing. I’m totally making this next week.
Salmon with Nom Nom Paleo’s Cherry BBQ Sauce from Fonzico – this sauce is delicious! Kwebs also made this sauce this week, and loves it. I will have to get on the ball and cave to peer pressure soon!
And my favorite meals from this week:
My weekday lifesaver: green smoothie + coffee with almond milk.
Capicola with roasted brussels over the weekend
Ratatouille with merguez and a fried egg over the weekend
Instant Pot Pulled Pork with Spicy Roasted Parsnips
Instant Pot Green Curry Chicken with Carrots
Sesame Ginger Chicken Zoodles
And hive mind Sunday Steak dinners!
kweber05 had NY Strip with cabbage steaks
Fonzico had sirloin with chimichurri, peppers & onions, and a side of salsa and sweet potato with ghee
And I hit up Outback for a wood-fired sirloin & shrimp with grilled asparagus and a plain sweet potato
Week 1 was a success all around – everyone feels lighter and on the right track nutrition-wise, and aside from some crazy food dreams, general anxieties about mindless eating, and cigarette cravings, we are all faring well and on track for Week 2.
Today’s food was much more satisfying.
Breakfast
Gas station breakfast on the go: hard boiled eggs, a fruit cup and coffee with homemade almond milk.
Lunch
Outback for wood fired sirloin & shrimp, grilled asparagus and a plain baked sweet potato. With unsweet tea to drink.
Dinner
A concoction of sauerkraut, sundried tomatoes and chicken breast. An odd combo but it worked.
Snack
No snacks.
Snuggled with the dog watching Ascension.
Lunch was frustrating. I thought the chicken was going to be a no-brainier, but it wasn’t. But I made do and didn’t starve. Dinner was also not exactly what I wanted.
Breakfast
Breakfast’s Ro-Tel, avocado & egg concoction wasn’t a quarter as appetizing looking as I’d planned, but it was tasty. Not terribly filling, but tasty. I also had a venti black Pike’s Place Roast from Starbucks with homemade almond milk. This was much less groady than last weekend’s coffee.
Lunch
Lunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Cafeteria. Baked chicken (which I ate only the insides of because I couldn’t tell whether the stuff on the surface was little bits of skin & spice or some sort of pan sauce making crud) and olive oil sautéed green beans.
Dinner
Delivery steak pizziaola (NY Strip with tomato and veggies). This was not as satisfying as I’d like (too light on veggies) and I was still hungry afterward. Plus, the smell of the garlic bread was intoxicating.
Snack
A restorative Starbucks with almond milk (I brought my little bottle out) as balm against the wind and cold.
I also had some hazelnuts while I pouted about dinner.
Modernism at the Met.
My DH bought me a new toy this Christmas: the Instant Pot. So far, I’m a fan. I’ve made bone broth, which was as delicious as it was quick; this pork, which was really good and way quicker than my slow-cooker method; and a tasty little Thai curry dish I’ll be sharing soon.
And, since this thing cooks so quickly, I have enough extra broth on hand to finally have a go-to stockpile. Whoo hoo!
Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30
Instant Pot Pulled Pork with Spiced Roasted Parsnips
Pork
3-4 lbs. pork shoulder, trimmed of skin
1/2 c. broth
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (Red Boat is W30 compliant)
1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
10 grinds black pepper
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Parsnips
1 lb. bag parsnips
2 Tbsp. Ras el Hanout spice mixture
2 tsp. hot Hungarian paprika
2 tsp. walnut oil
Big pinch salt
Press the Saute button to preheat the cooker. When “Hot” appears on the display, add the coconut oil and brown your meat.
Add the spices and liquids and seat the lid on the pressure cooker.
Press the Manual button and use the + button to program 90 minutes cooking time.
While your pork is working, make the parsnips. Preheat your oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with foil.
Cut parsnips into 3-inch sticks.
Toss on the baking sheet with the oil and spices and spread evenly, making sure all are in a single layer.
When the oven is heated, bake 10 minutes, flip, and bake an additional 10 minutes.
When the finished beep sounds, it is best to let the machine release its pressure naturally if possible (takes about 20 minutes). Always check to make sure the pressure valve has dropped before removing the lid.
Today was an unexpected dinner in day – luckily, I had just enough extra chicken to make a meal and a small sweet potato I could repurpose.
Breakfast
My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.
Lunch
Cruciferous crunch with leftover pulled pork and a hazelnut oil & lime juice dressing.
Dinner
Doesn’t look like much, but sure was tasty. A simple sweet potato hash with chicken thighs and egg.
Snack
Hazelnuts. It has come to my attention that my hazelnut snack pics may be misleading. I eat 1 ounce of nuts per snack; the previous pictures feature only four because I had eaten most of my nuts before I remembered to take the picture and didn’t bother taking another.
Snowy day.
Today’s food was light, bright, and flavorful.
Breakfast
My favorite – DH’s green smoothie + hemp protein powder and coffee with homemade almond milk.
Lunch
Last night’s dinner leftovers – yum!
Dinner
Dinner was fantastic. Leftover pulled pork with a salad of Apple/mint/cilantro/radish and lime. Unfortunately, I did not take note of the quantities of ingredients I used so I won’t be able to share the recipe.
Snack
Hazelnuts.
Gastography 