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Almost-As-Good-As-Having-Salsa Sweet Potato Bowl

January 26, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

I realize this is not the best photo, nor is the most exciting dish out there – but it did do make a little dent in the craving I was having one night.

I love salsa, guacamole, lime juice and tacos – I could live off of them happily. Sadly, tacos (at least tacos with corn tortillas + the tortilla chips they come with) are a no-go on Whole30.

One night it was just me for dinner and I was having a wicked craving for salsa. Like full-blown nothing else would do in my life craving – but I had no W30 tomato products in the house but tomato paste, and that’s not happening. I briefly considered picking around the corn and beans in the jar of salsa I had – but a: that’s cheating, b: that salsa wasn’t what I wanted, and c: the bean and corn to tomato ratio was too high.

And since I’m lazy and it was arctic cold out, I decided to rough it out with what I had in the house. I’m happy to report, that while this dish isn’t beautiful – it did fit the bill.

Almost-As-Good-As-Having-Salsa Sweet Potato Bowl

1 medium sweet potato, baked (pierce with fork, bake @400 for 45 minutes – bake a few at once so you don’t have to go through that drama again when you want a quick dinner)

1/2 an avocado

1 tsp. aleppo pepper

2 tsp. lime juice

pinch cumin

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1 burger patty

Reheat your sweet potato under the broiler if it’s a leftover; bake if not. While that is working, cook your burger to your liking – I do 3 minutes per side in a medium-hot pan.

When the potato is done and cool enough to handle, slip the skin of however you can. Add to a bowl and mash. Add the avocado and spices and mash some more.

Top with the burger patty and go to town.

Serves 1 for dinner

January 26, 2014

January 26, 2014Picture of the DayLeave a Comment

Ever have one of those days?

Whole30 2 – Day 14

January 26, 2014December 30, 2014Life, Whole30Leave a Comment

Day 14 on Whole30 wasn’t bad. Had a busy day running all over town and forgot to eat before hangries were knocking at the door, but I managed. Too light on vegetables, though.

Breakfast

Steak & eggs from the diner again with coconut milk in my coffee.

Lunch

Skipped lunch.

Dinner

Cuban mojo and garlic marinated pork – without the rice & beans or table bread.

After Dinner Snack

Gluten-free, no sugar added veggie & fruit leather. Ingredients: organic apples, carrots and ginger.

Hey, lookee there: 1/2 a serving of vegetables.

More Whole30 posts

January 25, 2014

January 25, 2014Picture of the DayLeave a Comment

She looks beautiful tonight.

Whole30 2 – Day 13

January 25, 2014December 30, 2014Life, Whole30Leave a Comment

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.

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Whole30 2 – Day 12

January 25, 2014December 30, 2014Life, Whole30Leave a Comment

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.

More Whole30 posts

January 24, 2014

January 24, 2014January 25, 2014Picture of the DayLeave a Comment

But …. But …. You *have* to cuddle me – I’m chilly!

Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with A Fried Egg

January 24, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

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

January 23, 2014Picture of the DayLeave a Comment

Probably not poison.

Whole30 2 – Day 11

January 23, 2014December 30, 2014Life, Whole30Leave a Comment

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.

More Whole30 posts

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