Follow the Ruels

Naked Turkey Burger

Naked-Turkey-Burger-Title

Okay, so today is day twelve of the Whole 30 (I’m sure you’re just as sick of me talking about it as I am), and while I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I am also really missing certain foods. 

Pizza. Cookies. French fries. 

But fortunately when I get those cravings for a cheesy slice of pizza or a big juicy hamburger, I can make something that’s almost as good, like this naked turkey burger with a side of baked sweet potato chips. 

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Of course a classic beef burger patty would have been even more indulgent and satisfying, but we keep turkey on hand, so this is what we made. While turkey is healthier and leaner, since you loose the fat you also loose a bit of the flavor. To make up for that, I season the turkey pretty generously with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. 

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Now if this were the summer, I would be outside cooking these on the grill. But around here it’s been about 30 degrees so I am staying inside, thanyouverymuch. Instead I just cook these in a cast iron skillet. 

Sweet Potato Chips

While the hamburgers are cooking, I slice up a sweet potato and crisp them up in the oven. This is about as close as I am going to get to french fries or potato chips for the next couple weeks, so I savor every single bite of them. I just wish I could dip them in some ketchup. 

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To put everything together, I stack up a burger patty, tomato, and a heaping dollop of guacamole. Basically enough guacamole to make me not miss cheese. Which means I put a lot of guac on this baby. 

Then I wrap up the whole thing up in some iceberg lettuce. I mean, iceberg lettuce will never be a sweet sesame seed bun, but at least it’s some sort of vehicle to keep my burger and all the toppings together. 

Even without the yummy carb-loaded bun and salty french fries, this is a very satisfying meal. And as much as I complain about not being able to eat all these wonderful foods, I will say that I feel the benefits of this “clean” eating. I haven’t felt bloated, gross, or tired after any meal. And overall I just feel more energized and better, like my body is actually working like it should. So now I just need to remind myself of that every time I think of cake. Or cookies. Or cheese. 

Oh boy.

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Paleo Cuban Pork Chops

Paleo Cuban Pork Chops

While I would not call the Whole 30 Challenge “fun” by any stretch of the imagination, I have found some enjoyment in remaking some of our favorite meals to be “Whole 30 compliant”. 

One of our favorite dinners to make anytime of the year is an old recipe I found years ago by Guy Fierri for a Cuban style pork chop. They are a little different than our normal chicken and vegetable fare, plus are packed with lots of flavor! I have altered it a bit over the years, and then again recently to make it something I could eat while on this Paleo diet. But I think they are still just as flavorful as Guy intended with his original recipe. 

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What gives this pork chop recipe a little bit of an edge is the marinade. It is so easy, but the citrus flavor that is imparted to the meat is crucial! The night before, I marinate the pork in a mixture of citrus juices: the juice of one orange, lemon, and lime, along with a crushed garlic glove, salt, and pepper. I place the pork chops in a large dish, then I pour about three quarters of the marinade on top and set in the fridge until they are ready to go. The reserved marinade will be used later during cooking. 

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The next critical flavor factor for these pork chops is the spice rub. Without it, they wouldn’t have that Cuban flavor. Right before I put these pork chops on the pan, I rub them down in a delicious spice mixture. But just because it’s a “Cuban” recipe, doesn’t mean it’s all that exotic. I bet you already have all these spices in your pantry!

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To get the pork chops nice and crispy on the outside and seal in the juices, I sear them on both sides. It not only locks in that citrus flavor but also blackens the spices on the outside making this nice crust. 

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Now this is where that reserved marinade comes in. I pour in marinade into the pan, turn down the heat, and partially covered it with a lid to let the pork chops soak up all the flavor! This takes about 10 to 15 minutes, meanwhile the juices will reduce down and mix with the spices to make this really zesty glaze.

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To serve the pork chops, I plate them along with a side of smashed cauliflower. Normally I would serve them with rice and beans, but the cauliflower is just as nice, and Whole 30 compliant. If you have never made smashed cauliflower before, its just as easy as mashed potatoes. I steam the cauliflower and process them in a food processor with some roasted garlic, clarified butter, salt, and pepper until they are nice and fluffy. 

Even though we have had to change this recipe up a bit to fit my current diet, it is still one of our favorites. We didn’t miss the butter, rice, or beans at all!

I hope you give this a try even if you aren’t trying to stick to a Paleo diet. I promise, you will love it!

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Whole 30 Week 1 Recap and Meal Plan

Whole 30 Week 1

Boy, it feels good to get back to blogging. If you read the last blog post…way back on January 1…you may know that my husband and I spent the first few days of the new year moving to a new apartment. Between the holiday travel, packing, moving, and unpacking, it has really been hard to get around to blogging. But now I’m back and excited to tell you about how week 1 of Whole 30 went for me.

Some background…

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Whole 30, I characterize it as 30 days of eating essentially Paleo, which means only meat, vegetables, fruit, and nuts (except peanuts). The general idea is that you eliminate any food group that may have a negative impact on your body, like dairy, grains, or sugar. Ideally, your body sort of resets and once your 30 days are up, you can reintroduce those items into your diet and see if those items negatively affect your body. 

I had tried doing the Whole 30 back in the Summer, but I didn’t really plan effectively or commit fully, so I lasted a whole 6 days. After how terribly I was eating over the holidays, I couldn’t wait to eat healthier and eliminate alcohol and sugar from my diet. The holidays were baddddd….I don’t want to know how many pounds I gained. 

So how did the first week go?

Well, overall, it went pretty well. I did a much better job planning, not just the meals I was going to make, but where I could eat out. The week before, I planned everything. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee creamer. Ev.rey.thing. 

The first couple days weren’t that bad. Mostly because it was still new and I was feeling totally energized and motivated to accomplish this goal. Days 3-5 were a little bit rough. Mainly just in the face of temptation. Those days I had a serious sugar craving and was almost ready to give up for some chocolate. I also was out more and around other “non-compliant” food, which really upped the temptation. On Saturday, I experienced, for the first time, the feeling of being totally starving and not having anywhere to eat. 

My husband and I were going to Ikea and thought we would stop and get lunch along the way. Well, here is were NOT planning really bit me in the ass. The only places along the way were fast food, sushi, and sandwich spots. My husband recommended Chick-fil-a, saying, “you can just get the grilled chicken nuggets and fruit.” Wrong, the chicken nuggets are glazed in some sort of mixture that includes sugar. We ended up at a local Rotissarie Chicken spot (Viva Chicken, for those in the Charlotte area) where I had chicken and vegetables. 

But as I reflect on the first week now, it really wasn’t bad and right now I feel like I can do this for another 23 days. I learned a few lessons during the first week which will make the rest of the 30 days easier. Hopefully.

What I learned:

  • Keep snacks in my purse at all times! Huger hits at any time and sometimes the only options when you’re in a bind is something totally processed and full of sugar, dairy, grains, etc.. I will now keep nuts, an apple, dried fruit, or a Lara bar with me at all times. 
  • Bring salad dressing with me. For the few times I will eat out this month, salads are most likely the only Whole 30 compliant option, so bringing salad dressing with me will ensure that I will be satisfied. 
  • Tell people why I’m being a picky eater. I HATE talking about dieting. I hate it. I guess it makes me feel vulnerable and lets people know that I am self conscious about my weight. But telling people around me, like my Small Group, coworkers, or friends, that I am not eating this, that, and the other because I am doing the Whole 30 actually makes it so much easier to stick with it and everyone has been so understanding and willing to make accommodations for me. 

What I ate this week:

For breakfast Monday through Friday I had egg muffins similar to this recipe, but with no cheese and added no-sugar bacon (I found the bacon at Whole Foods). I made a big batch on Sunday and portioned them out for each day. For breakfast on Saturday, I made a sweet potato hash with bacon topped with a fried egg. And Sunday I made a fritata with some of the leftovers in my fridge. If you follow me on Snapchat, you saw me make breakfast Saturday and Sunday.

For lunch, I just had what was left over from dinner the night before. Except on Monday, when I didn’t have leftovers, I made a simple salad with greens, chicken, tomato, salsa, and guacamole. 

Because I didn’t as much time to prep snacks over the weekend, they simply consisted of apples with almond butter and almonds. It got pretty boring after day 2 so week 2 will have more of a variety of snacks. 

Dinner is really where I shined. It was fun to look up different recipes and tweak some old favorites to make them Whole 30 compliant. I have a couple recipes that I will share with you throughout the weeks ahead, but for now I will link to similar recipes (if possible).

If any of you are interested in doing the Whole 30 Challenge, I would definitely recommend it. It is a great way to reset your body and get back to healthy eating. If any of you have done it, I would love to know what worked for you and what didn’t. I have read the Whole 30 Guide which has been a huge help, especially on days when my motivation is lacking. A coworker of mine who also doing the Whole 30 this month is reading It Starts With Food, and she is finding it really helpful and motivating. I would also recommend watching the documentary Fed Up (on Netflix) if you really want to be motivated to cut sugar out of your diet. 

I have also saved a bunch of recipes to a Pinterest Board if you want to check those out. I am sure I will be adding more to it as the month goes along. And since I am spending a lot more time in the kitchen, I have been snapping a lot more of my cooking, so if you’re interested in seeing what I cook each night, follow me on Snapchat!

       Follow Lindsey’s board whole 30 recipes on Pinterest.

Here goes week 2!

 

Mexican Turkey Lettuce Wraps

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What I find rather ironic is that the girl who loves to bake cookies and cakes and other carb-loaded sweets, actually tries to eat a low-carb diet on most days. Sure, I may be a hypocrite, but I guess if I’m going to eat a carb, I would prefer it to be in the form of a cookie. 

Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite ways to eat low-carb (or Paleo, if that’s your thing). They don’t make me feel like I am depriving myself. Instead I just make sure I pack the filling with lots of great flavors and spices to make that the star of the show. This Mexican turkey filling is packed with bell peppers, onion, roasted corn, jimica, garlic, cilantro and pretty much all of the major Mexican spices. 

To keep the whole dish low-carb, I paired it with cilantro-lime cauliflower rice (actually not that low carb, but at least its a veggie!). To make my life easy, I used frozen riced cauliflower that I find in the freezer section of my local Trader Joes. But you can easily make your own.  

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I promise, you won’t miss the carbs!

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