Whole30/Paleo Chili

Maybe it's because we should be experiencing fall weather or maybe it's because it just sounded good, and lets be honest, easy to make, that I decided to make chili as one of my main meals for the first week of this new plan. Here's the basic recipe:

Whole30/Paleo Turkey and Veggie Chili

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. ground Turkey
- 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 can of tomato sauce, no salt or sugar added
- 2 small cans of tomato paste
- 2.5 tomato sauce cans full of warm water
- 5-6 carrots, finely chopped
- 3 bell peppers, I used one yellow, orange, and red
- 2 yellow squash, chopped
- white pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
- cumin, to taste
- chili powder, to taste
- paprika, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- onion powder, to taste

Directions:
- Add olive oil to a pan and heat, add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to soften
- Add turkey and cook until no longer pink and is thoroughly cooked
- Once turkey is cooked add it to the crockpot (I use a crockpot bag to make clean up easier)
- Add remaining ingredients and stir well
- Cook on high for a few hours (3-4)
- Serve immediately or freeze in batches for another time

30 Days- Whole30 (Paleo) for Picky Eaters!

It's been a while, a long while, actually, since I last blogged. Life got in the way in a big way and I just couldn't get to it. But now, I'm prioritizing cooking healthy, easy, meals and am going to try and blog both the meals and the progress/results I get from this change.

For the next 30 days I am going to follow the Whole30 "rules" which from what I can tell seems pretty much like a Paleo inspired plan--its more strict in order to focus on eating just whole foods and not creating substitutes. 

Approved foods on the Whole30 plan:

• Lean meats
• Veggies
• Fruits
• Healthy Fats 

That means no dairy, legumes, processed food, added sugar (natural or not), or grains for the next 30 days. The goal of Whole30 is to build a new relationship with food--one where you're not emotionally or physically dependent on any type of food. 

My main concern--I'm a pretty picky eater so I have to try and find variety in my meal plans without trying to force-feed myself something that will derail my plan. 

The best way for me to stick to any kind of plan is to meal plan for the week on the weekend, that way I can grab and go to work and when I come home I just have to grab and heat-up. 

Today I started my meal planning, on the menu this week is a paleo/whole30 friendly turkey-veggie chili, turkey meatballs, spaghetti sauce and zucchini noodles. 

For breakfast I plan to scramble some eggs, roast some potatoes, and have some avocado with it. 

Stay tuned for this 30 day journey with me, and bare with me as this blog transitions between just recipes and moves towards recipes and updates. :)  

Valentine's Day Cake Pops

   

 

Red Velvet Cake Pops

Ingredients:

Cake Pop:

-       Red Velvet Cake Mix

-       3 eggs

-       ½ cup melted butter, cooled

-       ¼ cup chocolate milk

-       ¼ cup heavy cream

-       1- 1 ½ cups of Cream Cheese Frosting

Outer Coating:

-       Red candy melts

-       Pink candy melts

-       White candy melts

Directions:

Cake pop:

1.     Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flower 13x9 pan.

2.     In the bowl of your stand mixer mix the red velvet cake mix, 3 eggs, melted butter, chocolate milk, and heavy cream. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

3.     Let the cake cook. Crumble the cake, add frosting and mix with hands until the consistency is almost like cookie dough that can be rolled into smooth balls.

4.     Freeze for 30-45 minutes.

5.     Remove from freezer and let them sit out for about 15 minutes while you melt the candy. Cover the end of the stick in melted candy and then push half way through cake ball and let harden. Repeat for all cake balls.

6.     Dip in candy melt color of your choice and decorate to your taste. Stand up straight to harden, and then enjoy!

Red Velvet Rice Krispy Treats

Red Velvet Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients

Rice Krispy Treats:

5 cups of Rice Krispies Cereal

40-45 large marshmallows

4 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup red velvet cake mix

Frosting:

½ cup butter-softened

16 oz. cream cheese

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2-3 cups of powder sugar

Directions

Rice Krispy Treats:

1.     Prepare cookie sheet or jellyroll pan by lining with parchment paper

2.    Melt butter in pan over medium heat.

3.    Once butter is melted add marshmallows stirring constantly until melted.

4.    Add in red velvet cake mix and stir well. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir well.

5.    Mix in cereal stirring until incorporated.

6.    Press into jellyroll pan until smooth and rectangular. Set aside to cool.

7.    Once cool frost with cream cheese frosting cut in half and place one half on the other. Cut to desired size.

Frosting:

1.     In the bowl of your stand mixer combine butter and cream cheese; beat on medium-high until smooth, scraping sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. 

2.    Beat in the vanilla extract. Turn mixer down to low and begin adding sifted powdered sugar until desired consistency. 

Lemon Bundt Cake

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Lemon Bundt Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

2 ¾ cups

1-tsp baking powder

1-tsp kosher salt

1¼ cups butter

3 cups sugar

⅓ cup melted butter- cooled

4 large lemons- just the zest

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

6 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

Glaze:

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup (100g) sugar

Icing:

     1 cup powder sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions

Cake:

1.    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour Bundt pan.

2.    Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well mixed.

3.    In the bowl of your stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4.    Beat in the oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

5.    Turn mixer down to low and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated.

6.    Mix in ¼ of the flour mixture at a time until just combined.

7.    In a clean cool bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.

8.    Stir in about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the batter, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pour into the prepared Bundt pan.

9.    Drop the pan above the counter to knock out any bubbles.

10.Bake on the middle oven rack for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean near the center.

11.Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then loosen the cake by knocking it against the counter. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Glaze:

1.    Stir together lemon juice and sugar over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.

2.    Brush on the hot cake until all of the glaze is absorbed.

Icing:

1.    Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. Add more sugar or heavy cream depending on the consistency.

2.    Pour over cooled cake and let harden.

* this recipe is adapted from whiteonricecouple.com