You Want This Recipe

If you eat, have eaten, prepared or even researched paleo recipes then you know so many of them will say something like, "it tastes just like the real thing!" I've seen it with spaghetti squash as a sub for spaghetti, cauliflower as a sub for rice and also mashed potatoes and especially paleo "desserts".  Whatever that means with >50g of sugar.

If you've eaten these imitation dinners then you know they're usually good, but definitely not "the real thing". 

The one I made tonight was better than the real thing. It was probably one of the best "pasta" dishes I've ever eaten & it was completely paleo.

Side note:  Paleo Comfort Foods is one of my first and favorite cook books, and it does a really good job of imitating the heart clogging stuff.

Recently I've learned a lot about the way I cook. People ask me for recipes. I tell them ingredients. They ask for amounts and I show them by making a circle with my finger or a portion of the palm of my hand. I don't measure. I also don't always use the same ingredients when making a recipe the next time. What I have in the fridge, what sounds good and what are in recipes I've recently looked at are all inputs to what and how I cook. 

I look at a bunch of recipes online, pick what I like from each and start tossing stuff in a bowl or oven or somewhere. 

That's how this recipe was derived. My friend Jess stopped by my desk at work and we talked about a veggie spiralizer. I have a ton of friends that have them, but after my conversation with her I immediately bought the one below.Impulse buy.  It was cheap, works perfectly and is easy to clean.
 

The original inspiration came from Pinterest and it was also made with pasta. It may as well have been rat poison because when I read that I immediately hit x. 

Then I remembered it when my spiralizer came in and created this gem of a dinner. Note: My hubby and 3 year old both slurped their "zoodles" just like fettuccini!  This is the same hubby who has vetoed spaghetti squash from entering the house. Ever.

Here's my best attempt at a recipe. And yes, this is as good as it will ever get. Ever ever.

Buy this spiralizer (Ouddy Stainless Steel Spiral Slicer - Best Julienne Spiral Cutter for Various Veggies such as Zucchini, Paderno & Carrots)  or use one you already have. 

Ingredient List:

Bacon
Rotisserie Chicken (or slow cook, boil, shred etc your own)  My way is better easier.

1 sm/med zucchini per person

2 avacado 

1/2 c basil

1/3 c (+ some) EVOO

2 garlic cloves

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Grape tomatoes

Roasted broccoli

-bacon in oven @400 ~25 min turning 15-20 min in. I raise mine on a baking rack so it's not flat on pan and it cooks evenly. 

This gives you time to do all of your other prep and yes I got it all done in <25 min. 

Spiralize one small-med sized zucchini per person. Use the wider blade that creates thicker zoodles.

-put avacado, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil into food processor until smooth. 

-pull desired amount of chicken from bone and set aside

-cut a few grape tomatoes in half and set aside

-heat tiny bit of bacon grease (because everyone should have this on hand.  always.) in large pan and add zoodles with salt and pepper. 

-when bacon is done crumble a few pieces (I did 1.5 strips per person...I think)

-add sauce, chicken and bacon to heat and mix everything together. 

-Garnish with tomatoes (or put them in...I don't like cooked tomatoes so that sounds worse than dog food to me)

-prepare to amaze your family and friends with you super fantastic culinary skills!

-the picture reminded me that I left out the roasted broccoli that I told you about here. 

See. I told you I don't remember recipes. 

Also, you could cheat a little and throw parm cheese in the food processor with the sauce, and that would be magical. Not that I did that or anything, because it's totally paleo.  Right?  Yah, exactly. Magical.

Have you made a paleo recipe or a more healthy version of a classic that's "just as good as the original"?

Tell me about it in the comments. I love good recipes. And comments :)

Whole Life Challenge Update #2

I feel normal again. After 3.5 weeks I feel like my body is back to feeling & looking normal...whatever that is. More like, what I'm used to vs. "normal". 

Things I love:

-feeling/looking normal

-I'm over the walking zombie, feel like I slept 3 hours and haven't eaten in 3 days crash that happens during the reset phase

-bullet proof coffee - I'm addicted

I was on a bender. A lack of discipline. It's my birthday. It's your birthday. It's our anniversary, the sky is blue, the cleans are heavy-kinda bender. I ate garbage (for me) for 2.5 months and this was the perfect opportunity to Get. A. Grip. Thank you WLC & CFNC!

Things I'm (re)learning:

-how to meal prep

-you feel better when you look better & vice versa

-I like Sunday meal prep much better when it's not summer. 

I love to cook & I'm pretty damn good at it, but cook on a Sunday. During summer? No way. That's what husbands and grills are for! Thanks, babe for being an awesome griller...I've taken over the reigns!

I've done serious meal prep 2/3 of the Sundays of the challenge & survived the other because of lots of evening plans & leftovers. 

This past Sunday was my fave! 3 fully prepped meals in ~90 min. 

#1 - one of my home cooked faves! Scallops, Brussel Sprouts, shiitakes & roasted red pepper sauce. Everything cooked in a bit of bacon grease & grass fed butter. It's not the dish that my husband has named after me, but it's amazing!

#2 - easy prep salmon. Grass fed butter, crushed garlic, dill & lemon. 

#3 - roasted pumpkin seed salsa chicken stew. Yes. That's all one (delicious) thing that goes in a crock pot. It also makes your hubby say, "mmmmmm". 

He's always my paleo torture test. This week we're 3 for 3. He's not paleo, but will pretty much eat anything I cook and give a very honest review. 

I like being good at cooking. I like when my husband recognizes I'm good at cooking. He's very sweet and feeds my culinary ego often so I'll keep feeding his hungry belly yummy goodness often!

That means under no circumstance does spaghetti squash enter this house or his plate. He has spoken and pulled the veto card on spaghetti squash. I on the other hand, will never make menudo. Don't know what it is? Look it up. You'd veto making it too!

Things I loathe:

-still not really digging no steel cut oats in the am

-not hitting my 3rd snatch at 115 on a 3rm...nothing to do with the challenge; I'm still just angry

What has been you're biggest challenge so far? Mine is no wine. No Red wine. No Cabernet to be specific. It calms me. It makes me happy. It's probably better for everyone if I have a glass every night, but I've been doing my best to only have "social" cocktails vs. solo cocktails. <-- that does not mean out of a solo cup! Although, I'd be lying if I said that's never happened! It's actually more than you'd think. 

Share your fave recipe in the comments! I'm always looking for new stuff to torture my husband with!