Week 2, Whole30 Round 2

Hey guys! I'm back and ready to rock with some new recipes and photos from my week two of Whole30 Round 2. I lost an additional 2.2 pounds last week, which goes to show that you can participate in multiple rounds of Whole30 and still lose weight:) Enjoy the recipes! 

Fish is always a great healthy option. We buy lots of different kinds in bulk when we go to Whole Foods and we freeze them. Our freezer almost always has wild-caught cod and salmon as well as shrimp, scallops and mussels (all GREAT protein!). For this meal, we breaded some wild-caught cod with almond flour. Be sure to season up your almond flour or the breading might taste bland. We used salt, pepper and some other Penzey's spices. Coat the fish in egg and then dip in your breading. Spread a little extra on top for extra crunch. Pan fry for a few minutes on each side in some coconut oil and then finish off in the oven for about 30-35 minutes or until done at about 400. For the "fries" all you need to do is cut up some potatoes and toss in olive oil and whatever spices you choose and then bake for about 40 minutes at 400 or until done. Yum! I also made my version of tartar sauce with some paleo mayo mixed with a little dill relish. Give it a try! 

Almond flour pancakes are becoming a regular Sunday guest in our house. They are just SO easy and SO delicious. I included the recipe in last week's blog, but it really is simple. 2 mashed bananas, 1/2 cup almond flour and 4 eggs. Whisk together and plop in the skillet. Top with a little ghee or almond butter and serve up with some paleo bacon and some coffee. Delicious! 

Yep. These ARE as amazing as they look and really, really easy. Toss your chicken tenders in some olive oil, garlic powder and salt and let sit for about ten minutes then bake for 30 minutes or so at 400. While baking, make your sauce which is just 1/2 cup Franks and 1/4 cup ghee. Toss the tenders in the sauce and then drizzle the extra sauce over top and bake a few additional minutes to soak it in. I like to serve with some Whole30 ranch on the side;) Potatoes are the same as above. 

If you are in a pinch for lunch and really need to pick something up, Subway has great chopped salads. I get the turkey breast as it has the least amount of calories/fat/etc. I brought it home and added my own pepperoni and Whole30 ranch and it was delicious! I couldn't even finish it! 

I am on a major kombucha kick lately. It's definitely an acquired taste. In fact, I didn't like it when I first tried it, but now I love it! So amazing for digestion and Whole30 approved. Plus eggs with salsa and bacon never get old for breakfast;)

I just had to include a picture of this week's farm eggs. Color coded and everything! Just beautiful. Always opt for fresh pastured eggs when you have the chance. If not, opt for organic and cage-free. 

Hash brown scrambles are also becoming a favorite. We like the Trader Joe's hash browns as they don't have a bunch of added crap in them. Cook up in the skillet with some chorizo and eggs and top with some verde salsa and you're golden! 

My fall-back dinner when we are really tired and don't feel like cooking is applegate farms organic uncured hot dogs. For this meal I also threw together some green beans cooked in some leftover bacon fat and wow....sinful! 

I was traveling for work one day last week and went to a steak-house for lunch. I first opted for this lovely side salad with chopped veggies and balsamic on the side. Always add a side salad! It will fill you up more! 

And then the main course was a plain sweet potato that I added a little salt and pepper to with a 6oz filet. Whole30 approved and all! Going out to eat on the Whole30 can be challenging...but steak houses are always a great idea because you can have all the steak and potatoes that you want! Win! 

I've said it before and I will say it again...spaghetti squash with meat sauce is to die for! It's comfort food minus the calories and guilt. This sauce I used 1/2 can tomato paste, 1 large can of tomato sauce, sauteed onions and mushrooms, browned ground beef, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder and a few other seasonings. Get creative. The sky is the limit with homemade meat sauces! 

On a recent Whole Foods trip, I discovered "paleo wraps" yes, the actual name brand is "paleo wraps." They are actually really delicious and it gives you something different to eat for lunch. At $10.99 per 7-count pack, I wouldn't use them everyday, but they really are yummy. Here I filled the wrap with my homemade chicken salad, which is pretty much the easiest thing ever to make. All I do is add a couple tablespoons of dill relish and 1/2 of an apple, diced small. Stir together and add a little paleo mayo and voila! That's it! You can do the same with tuna, crab, etc. I topped with some romaine lettuce and red onion. YUM! 

Peach "ice cream" is always a nice treat. This isn't exactly ice cream...but it's pretty darn close. The recipe only called for 1/4 cup coconut milk which was completely false. I couldn't even get the peaches to blend with that amount of liquid. I ended up adding about 2 cups of frozen peaches and almost 3/4 can full fat coconut milk. Topped with some unsweetened coconut shreds=amazing!!!

These are the ingredients that I recommend using if you decide to make your own zucchini pizza bites. I have really been craving pizza lately, so on Saturday I decided to whip up a batch of these little babies and let me tell you, they are DELICIOUS and totally satisfied my pizza craving. 4 zucchini, a package of uncured pepperoni (I found these at Whole Foods), Trader Joe's bruschetta (you can also use tomato sauce, pizza sauce, etc) and onion. These were my preferred toppings, but you could use whatever you want. See next photo for instructions. 

The finished product! YUMMMM! All you have to do is fry up the zucchini in a pan with a little olive oil, about 2 minutes per side. Then, top with your favorite toppings and bake in the oven for about 3-4 minutes to finish them off. I even drizzled with a little Whole30 ranch. Enjoy! 

See last blog post for recipe on these pumpkin pie bites. I just wanted to post to say that each time you make them, they get easier. Also, I soaked my dates for much longer, 2 hours this time, and the ingredients blended much easier. These are seriously amazing and the perfect healthy snack or dessert! If you are a pumpkin lover like me, then you will LOVE these little guys! 

My newest discovery are Rx Bars. They are amazing and wayyyy better than lara bars. Less ingredients, less calories, less fat..but more protein. A little expensive, but totally worth it. I ordered mine right off their website. Shipping was reasonable. So far, this flavor is my favorite. I highly recommend these bars! 

This dish is a lot simpler to make than it looks. Squash noodle scallop scampi (you could substitute shrimp if you want). Just saute up your squash noodles with a couple tablespoons of ghee, 5 cloves of minced garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. We marinated our scallops in some Tessemae's seafood dressing (whole30 approved) and then just cook up your scallops (they take about 10 minutes) and add to your noodles. SO GOOD. 

Steak and potatoes never get old. We usually do steak once a week, usually on Saturday nights and it's always a treat. Throw it on the grill with some Whole30 approved seasonings and serve with a sweet potato and some peas and you will be fulfilled! 

Simple, easy Friday night dinner is taco salad. I cooked up a pound of ground turkey breast with Penzey's taco seasonings, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Served over top a bed of lettuce with several different types of salsa and onions. Really delicious! 

A favorite lunch of mine is becoming a simple chicken or tuna salad wrap (see recipe above). Here, I served with a side of sweet peppers dipped in guacamole with a kombucha to drink. So good!

This photo is just to give you an idea of what a typical Whole Foods trip looks like. We like to stock up on their meats: chorizos, chicken, seafood, pepperoni, etc. Pre-made squash noodles are heaven. Organic brown eggs (we didn't have any pastured eggs that week), Whole30 approved ketchup (I tried making my own several times and I just don't like the taste. I stick with store-bought on ketchup) and then some bubbly club sodas for the week are always a plus. Yum! 

Hopefully these week two recipes serve you well. Please let me know if you have any questions and remember, this plan isn't all about weight loss. It isn't a "diet." It's a way of life and it should make you so much happier as well as healthier! I know it does me! Until next time Whole30ers!