A Few Non-Bread Recipes

By popular demand, here's the delicious Chicken Tortilla (minus the tortillas haha) soup recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  I just snagged an online version of the recipe so I wouldn't have to type it out from my cookbook... but I will clarify that the recipes are a tad different.  If anything, Krausnickitchen's version is more complicated.  It looks deliciously complicated, though, so don't be intimidated!  

I also used a modified version of this stuffed portobello recipe which I plan to keep around.  To make it Whole30-approved, I substituted an extra egg and some shredded zucchini and carrots for the croutons, milk, and cheese.  And I obviously didn't make the creamy-cheesy sauce for it.  Make sure to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini and definitely add lots of salt and pepper to make up for the sad absence of cheese ;o)

The Hartwig's wouldn't approve of the mashed potatoes here, but I just needed some comfort food and Shepherds Pie was (in my opinion) a perfectly fine compromise.  I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream to make the taters.  And I also left out the Worcestershire sauce cause that's probably (definitely) not Whole30-approved.

I've already gushed about this avocado chicken salad and I'll gush about it again:  ITS SO GOOD!  In fact, I'm kind of missing it cause we ate it pretty much every week during our Whole30 month.  I think I'm gonna go put it on next week's menu to share with Bethany.  And just cause I want some!

Bacon-wrapped scallops.  You heard me.  So worth every penny.  The night I made these babies I actually also used some leftover steak from the freezer and I grilled them.  And Jesse and I were the happiest people in the whole world. Way happier than Lily and Sam, who ate some sort of boring leftovers that night cause there was no way we were sharing!

And that's pretty much it for easy, share-able recipes.  Or at least, all I can remember off the top of my head.  My afternoon coffee hasn't kicked in yet!  

One quick random blurb about post-Whole30... I am definitely seeing a trend and I don't like it: more bread and cheese = less room on my plate for veggies!  I know I'm bound to eat less veggies than I did during the diet, but it still surprises me how full I get on bread-type-stuff and how easily I can tell myself I "don't have room" for the most nutritious stuff!  Interesting... I shall have to ponder this more.

What I Am Taking Away from Whole30

Whole30 is done today!  *angel choir sings*  and it's going to take every ounce of self control in me not to stop at the bakery this morning and not to FILL my grocery cart with all the goodies I've been missing this past month.  I want to ease back into our normal diet.  I'm excited to be done but I also feel like I've learned a lot about myself and my relationship to food so I don't want to just throw that all away and eat bread at every meal today!

Wish me luck because I really do have to go grocery shopping and I really do have to drive by at least three bakeries to get there!

I will be including most of the "forbidden" foods back into my diet... but in moderation.  Bread, dairy, alcohol... all these things can be easily over-indulged.  I'm still going to limit refined carbs, but boy am I going to enjoy the crap out of that melt-in-your-mouth brotchen when I eat it.  Or bakery treat.  Or pretzel.  Or beer.  I am living in Germany after all!  Bring on the brie with toast!  But yes, Whole30 did teach me that I might be more sensitive to processed foods than I thought. And I don't have to eat them! If something makes my tummy hurt after eating it I will take note and limit it in the future.

I don't need milk and honey in my coffee.  I will probably keep drinking it black.  Though lately I've been adding 1-2 drops of peppermint essential oil when I want to kick things up a notch!  It gives it a delightful zip and reminds me of a peppermint mocha from a ritzy coffee shop!

I will keep getting creative with breakfast.  I get easily bored of eggs every day.  And some days I'm in a hurry.  But my default is to grab some toast and fruit.  Whole30 taught me to open my mind a little and consider leftovers for breakfast.  Soup was a very satisfying morning meal.  And super fast to reheat and enjoy!

I will continue to eat mindfully, keeping mealtimes slow and distraction-free.  And though Jesse is often unable to eat meals with us, I am trying to instill in the girls a sense of family time whenever we sit down to eat together.  It's not just about the food... it's about the experience.  Savor.  Enjoy each other.  Enjoy your food.

I will snack less.  I don't consider myself a snacker, but apparently I crave an evening munchy more often than I thought. Perhaps it was just the fact that snacking was discouraged on the diet so of course I wanted to snack more.  But I did realize I like to have something at night before bed.  And I learned that a nice cup of tea is a perfectly good substitute for a snack that I'm probably only wanting because I'm bored and tired.  (I could also just go to bed.  That helps, too, when one is tired.)

I will strive for a more balanced view of how I look at sugary treats.  Jesse and I had a lot of really great conversations about food this month.  And I realized I might be too extreme in my view of sugar... NO SUGAR. EVER. might be a little intense.  (Who me?  Intense?  Noooo.)  So anyways yeah maybe I need to lighten up a little.  Just because sugar is unhealthy doesn't mean I have to banish it to the far ends of the earth holidays only.  It's the sweet things in life that brighten our days.  Perhaps a weekly homemade dessert to look forward to sharing as a family isn't going to kill us (Jesse's idea!)  It might seem weird that I'm considering adding MORE sugar to our lives after doing a zero-sugar-30days.  But I never bake for my family.  And maybe Jesse's right... having some homemade cookies to look forward to on Thursday night might be just the incentive he needs to say no to the candy bar at the store on Tuesday afternoon?  We'll see ;o)

Increased protein and veggies increases my energy level.  It might be a coincidence because right about the time we started Whole30 the sun also reappeared in Germany, but I felt much better on this diet.  I was a little surprised, actually!  I noticed that I still felt awesome and ready-to-conquer-the-world, even on the rainy days.  I found myself able to stay up later working on things in the evenings without dragging too much the next day.  And I felt very clear in my mind... focused, excited, creative, etc.  It was an interesting observation.  Again, not sure if it's coincidence or not.  I am solar-powered, after all, so any time the sun comes up I immediately zing back to life!

So in conclusion, I still love the book .  Jesse and I each lost some weight.  I noticed that I feel a bit more toned (just from my normal yoga workouts in combination with the diet.)  And we're going to keep loading up on veggies.  All in all, a great experience.  I highly recommend!

Now where's my BREAD?  I'm dying of miss! ;o)

Whole30 Wednesday: Homemade Mayo and Avocado Dressing

Just about a week till our Whole30 experience comes to an end!  Not that I'm counting down or anything ;o)

So one way that I've been surviving this insane amount of veggies is by making this yummy avocado dressing about once a week.  I got it from the book, but they got it from somewhere else.  And I've also tweaked it to my liking.  

You need mayo for it.  Yes, mayo is Whole30-approved.  But it has to be olive oil mayo.  And without strange additives/preservatives.  Read: not from the store.  

Luckily for you I have an easy-peasy recipe that's lacto-fermented!  (And it won't explode, it'll just give you an extra dose of enzymes.)

Now, as it uses raw eggs, you should try to buy the freshest eggs possible.  From a farm or organic or whatever you can. But I've used regular old conventional eggs before with no problem.  There's just less nutrients in those suckers.  

You will also need whey.  You don't need it, but it takes the shelf life from 2 weeks to several months.  Plus it increases the enzyme content, making your egg salad, tuna salad, avocado chicken salad, and avocado dressing more nutritious.  

Olive Oil Mayo

From Nourishing Traditions

1 whole egg, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon dijon-type mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon whey, optional
3/4-1 cup extra virgin olive oil (or sunflower oil)
generous pinch of sea salt

In your food processor (or in a bowl if using an immersion blender , like I do!) combine the egg, egg yolk, mustard, salt, lemon juice, and whey.  Process until blended, then in a slow steady stream add the oil with the blender still running.  Taste and check for seasoning.  I usually start with just 3/4 C oil... and I often need more lemon and salt for my taste.

If you have added whey, let the mayonnaise sit at room temperature, well covered, for 7 hours before refrigerating. Then store in the fridge for several months (or 2 weeks without whey)  If you use whey it will also be a little thicker, and continue to thicken over time.

It definitely doesn't taste like Hellmann's, but that's not really what we're going for here... we're going for delicious AND nutritious.  So if you just relax and broaden your mind a little you'll be able to handle it.  The mayo isn't as thick as conventional stuff, and it has a bit of an olive oil flavor.  So we don't prefer it to stand alone (on a sandwich) but it's great mixed into things.  Deviled eggs here we come!  Oh, and avocado dressing!

This dressing is so fast and easy.  Which is good, because it doesn't taste as good leftover so you kinda have to make it in small batches and gobble it up within 24 hours.  But the flavor is definitely best right away.

Creamy Avocado Dressing

1 avocado
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil mayo
small garlic clove, crushed
fresh cilantro, to taste
2 tablespoons water
salt, to taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth!  See?  Easy.  Now, if you're like me, then "fresh cilantro, to taste" means a huge hand full.  You can be like me if you want.  Or if you're like Jesse, who doesn't particularly LOVE cilantro, you can use less.

Also don't be like me and think more is better in the lime juice department.  It's not.

The original recipe calls for a few pickled jalapeno rings in there before you blend.  Sounds interesting, but I haven't tried it, yet.

It's delicious on any salad, but specifically taco salad with the Pioneer Woman's pico de gallo. And of course it's yummy as a dip for just about any raw veggie you can think of!

Enjoy!

Whole30 Wednesday: I Want Some Bread

Guys I totally want some bread.  I mean, I will be MORE than happy with Ezekiel bread or homemade sourdough... I'm not even craving the white stuff.  I just. want. bread.

But I digress... the point of this post is to show and tell some of what I've been making for us on this little diet/cleanse/thingy.  So Wordless Wednesday can wait, these next couple weeks will be all about Whole30!!  We are just under halfway through our 30 days.  And don't tell the Hartwigs that we cheated during our vacay.  Besides that, we're both sticking pretty strongly to it.

The biggest challenge I'm finding eating mostly meat/veg is that it's kind of boring to me.  Not necessarily taste-wise, but more textures.  I miss the variety that comes with the two food groups I'm currently ignoring (grains and dairy) Also, this way of eating is SUPER labor-intensive.  I mean, you guys know me, I'm all about how good food takes time to prepare.  But this kind of food (or making it interesting and yummy) takes not only prep-time (can you say chop those veggies? times a million?) but also planning time... menu planning and planning-way-ahead planning.

I have to be on guard for when I'll be out and about... what will I have on hand to take with me?  Hard-boiled eggs and larabars are my friend.  The coconut cream pie version is my favorite.  I saw one website describe them as "paleo-candy"...  definitely nice when I'm craving something sweet.  And available at my Commissary - yay!

Oh and I am also having a hard time making the girls eat this way, so I definitely caved after the first few days and got them some yogurt and bread to help me have something easy to throw at them while I was furiously chopping veggies!

Okay so for dinners, I've been all about roasting chickens.  Then I get the leftover meat for things like avocado chicken salad.  And I can boil the carcasses for stock to use later, PLUS I get more chicken after I pick those over.  Win win win. The chicken salad gets 4 Aiduk stars.  But you should use a homemade mayo (or skip the mayo) in order to make it truly Whole30-approved.  (You could try coconut milk?  Or just make the mayo, it's super easy.)

For the first couple days of the diet, I was really hungry.  Can any other Whole30-ers relate?  I just made my portions a little bigger at each meal and I seem to have balanced out now.

I made my first ever roasted ratatouille and it was DELICIOUS!  Jesse picked on me a little that it didn't look like how Remy made it in the movie.  Thank you Pixar nerd.  Anyways I used America's Test Kitchen's recipe and it will definitely be a repeat.  Speaking of repeats, the leftovers re-purposed well.   I put two poached eggs on top for a savory breakfast and I added the last bits to some chicken stock and wa-la!  "Instant" soup for lunch!

I also made my first ever frittata for dinner one night.  [Side note: this diet is definitely getting me into a more experimental and adventurous mindset, and I LOVE that!]  It was beef, bacon, asparagus, spinach and red bell peppers. Seasoned a tad spicy, with this yummy avocado dressing on top.  Next week I'll post the recipes I am using for the mayo and avocado dressing.  Anyways the frittata was great because the leftovers were delicious and portable (for J to take to work.)

I tried some things that were not as popular... like Indian beef and broccoli (ground beef, broc, carrots, coconut milk, and curry powder) which wasn't that popular because J isn't a fan of how the coconut kinda makes it sweet.  But I like it... a little sweet and savory at the same time.  Interesting.  Plus the milk makes it kinda saucy.  

The cabbage soup was a last-minute-freak-out concoction of stuff I had either in the fridge or freezer the night after we got back from the Netherlands.  Onions, garlic, cabbage, beef and bacon... seasoned with cumin, lemon, and parsley.  Not bad if I do say so myself.  But in this house, cabbage is kinda iffy in the popularity department.

Homemade meatballs with homemade marinara to dip.  I can't give you the recipe because I totally made it up and it wasn't that great ;o)  But the concept was to shredded eggplant and carrots in place of the usual bread crumbs.  It was okay.

Baked tilapia (with butter and lemon) over a bed of some random veggie saute.  If I can remember right, it was tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, and probably onion and garlic.  Pretty good. 

Steak.  A real winner :o)  With sauteed sweet potatoes and granny smith apples (they taste GREAT together!) and this new fennel salad I've been into.  But I probably won't share the recipe with you because I'm the only one who likes it... it's got mint and lemon and almonds and fennel.  The fennel part is what I like because I'd never tried it before and was pleasantly surprised that the girl who hates licorice kinda likes the subtle hint of anise.  Interesting.

Sometimes there aren't any leftovers for lunch and I don't know what to eat... having a big tub of already chopped up veggies in my fridge has been a life saver.  If I'm not too hungry, I'll just eat a plate of veggies with a personal portion of guac as a dip.  (And in this photo on this particular day it was also tuna salad leftovers.)

A fast, simple, personal-sized guacamole recipe: mash up one avocado and mix with some lime juice, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Taste and check seasonings.  Wa-la.  Go enjoy your fast guacamole.

Oh and then there was the moment where I went a little off-diet and bought a bag of potatoes.  I can't remember exactly why potatoes aren't Whole30-approved... but I wanted some.  And they're a veggie.  And I wasn't turning them into french fries ;o)

So we had sausages from Globus with skillet potatoes and homemade sauerkraut.  Insert random kid-story:  you know you're an American when it seriously does NOT matter what variation of the many brats/sausages/etc are available at the vast meat counter in a German store... your kids will still call them HOT DOGS.  And eat them happily.  So I guess they can call em whatever they want!

And then I wanted to try my first ever Shepherd's Pie recipe and it was DELICIOUS!  (It will be more delicious next time I make it when I don't have to use coconut milk and I can add a splash of W-sauce if I so desire)

Um so that concludes our first week-ish on the Whole30 diet.  It's been... interesting.  Some days I hardly think of it at all... but then there are times where Jesse and I are literally craving everything "forbidden" we can think of.  And it's in those moments that I'm thankful I cleared out our cupboards and freezer of any and every temptation ;o)

Three cheers for diets.  Just kidding, I hate diets.  But as far as diets go, this one isn't so bad.