30 Days Almost Over

I'm coming up on 30 days of following the Paleo diet (pretty strictly, I might add) and I've definitely witnessed an improvement in my body's shape. I would post a before/after picture if I wasn't so creeped out by personal info floating around on the Internet! The last weigh-in I did at the gym showed 118, whereas I usually float between 125-130, but I'm not a stickler about weight, I usually just pay attention to how my clothes are fitting and all my pants are falling off! My stomach is amazingly flat and I'm toned all over thanks to lots of heavy weight training.

I have to say these 30 days have not been without sacrifice, but the results are EXACTLY what I wanted - obtaining a bikini-ready body without starving myself. I would highly recommend it!

Obviously, I've been trying MANY Paleo recipes over the past few weeks, so I'll post the ones I like the best, the ones that will have a place in my meal rotation even after I finish the diet.

So what's next after Las Vegas? Well, I haven't quited defined what my transition plan is. I've read that some people have stomach issues after dropping Paleo suddenly, and I'm not ready to lose my slimmed-down body just yet! One goal is to continue to avoid gluten and dairy. I haven't missed bread that much (except for pizza - one of the best foods on the planet) and I really think taking gluten out allowed me to slim down my middle so quickly. There are so many gluten-free options out there now; I've had delicious pancakes, muffins, and crackers that are just as tasty as wheat ones. Since both my mother and grandmother are lactose-intolerant, it is probably a good idea that I avoid dairy as well. I'm sure I'll allow myself an occasional piece of mouth-watering cheese, but I want it to be a treat instead of the staple that it used to be.  Things I'll add back in slowly and see how it goes: rice, regular potatoes, soy.

I'll keep the recipes coming, whatever they turn out to be!

Nut and Chocolate Paleo Snack Bars

These little bites of heaven take me to my happy place. Seriously, when I bite into one I feel like I'm committing a Paleo diet crime, but I'm not! Against All Grain is a blog someone sent to me, and I was very impressed with the first recipe I tried. I have to remember that these are healthy but very rich due to the enormous nut content, so I restrain myself to 1 small bar at a time. They are really hard to resist!

To make the recipe strict Paleo, I replaced the peanut butter with almond butter, and omitted the honey. Didn't even miss it. I just happened to have Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips chilling in my pantry, which I pressed into the bars sparingly, maybe 1 per bar.  I thought the idea of flattening the bars onto parchment paper then freezing the whole pan was GENIUS. Do you know how many batches of homemade protein bars I've painstakingly scraped off the bottom of the glass dish even after I greased the heck out of it?  This technique will improve all my future bar-making attempts!

RECIPE:
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup almond butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 cups raw nuts - use whatever you have on hand: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews
5 dates, pitted
1/4 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
dash salt

Melt the almond butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat until they can be easily whisked together. Using a food processor, chop 2 cups nuts  and dates very fine with a dash of salt. Add coconut flakes and sunflower seeds and pulse a few times to mix in.  Add the melted nut butter mixture to the processed nut mixture and mix until well combined. Line a 8x8 or 9x9 pan with parchment paper and pour mixture into pan. Use another piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap to mash bars down flat. Press in chocolate chips. Stick in freezer for 30 minutes. Once frozen, lift out of pan and peel off parchment paper, then cut into small bars with a sharp knife. Store in freezer (my favorite!) or fridge and try not to eat the whole batch in one day!

Pineapple Chile Pulled Pork

I don't think I've been this excited for meat in my crockpot EVER. I sat at work trying to focus while my mind kept wandering to this delicious hunk of meat simmering in my crockpot with its sweet and spicy marinade. I pulled my car in the garage and the smells hit me in the face!  Look at what I came home to:

We invited a friend over for dinner (I really do like surprise dinner guests!) and had this spread set up:

The recipe I based this on is here:  

http://paleopot.com/2013/02/slow-cooker-tacos-al-pastor-pineapple-chile-pork/

This pork had excellent flavor. I had about 7 leftover dried New Mexico chiles from an enchilada recipe, which gave it a good kick. I think chipotle chiles would be amazing in this. The pork marinated in a Ziploc two nights before getting poured into a crockpot. I served the lettuce tacos topped with chopped pineapple, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime. Fantastic leftovers, too!

Thai Shrimp Curry with Cauliflower Rice

I can't claim credit for creating these recipes, but they both were delicious! I have started making thai shrimp curry after I watched Steamy Kitchen's blog video that made it so simple to follow. This dish was already Paleo-friendly so that made it easy, but I usually serve the curry over jasmine rice or rice noodles. Since neither of those are allowed on strict Paleo, I tried out this cauliflower rice as a substitute.

Here's the link to the curry. I used panang curry paste and baby bella mushrooms.

And for the first time, I made cauliflower rice. It's been a long time since I've done anything with cauliflower, actually, but I will definitely be making this again!

RECIPE:
1 tsp coconut oil
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste

Steam the cauliflower over the stove or microwave until tender. Heat wok or skillet to medium-high heat and add cocoonut oil. Once coconut oil is melted, saute cauliflower and garlic together for 7-10 minutes, until cauliflower is slightly browned and of rice consistency. Add salt & pepper to taste.  Remove from wok and wipe down wok if necessary prior to cooking curry.

Paleo Banana Pancakes

Two weeks of gluten- and dairy-free done! I officially started on March 18. I am proud. It's been tough but the results have been good so far. The main thing I noticed right away was that extra layer around my middle has melted away. Bye bye, love handles! I haven't noticed a big increase in energy during the day, but I'm hoping that will change by the end of the 30 day trial.

Here is another breakfast alternative to eggs, from Everyday Paleo. These really are delicious! So much so, that I crave them all the time and stock up on extra bananas so that I have an excuse to use them up! I had low expectations for pancakes made with almond flour, but I was pleasantly surprised. The texture isn't quite the same, but the flavor is excellent, and two of these are hearty enough to last all morning, unlike regular pancakes. I didn't even miss a topping like syrup.  I like to add blueberries, but I think apple, pineapple or strawberries would be tasty, too.

RECIPE:
2 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
2 cups almond flour
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup fruit, chopped if necessary

Using a whisk or electric mixer, mix bananas, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg with a spoon. Mix contents of both bowls together until blended well. Gently add fruit. Heat skillet or griddle to medium and melt some coconut oil on the surface. Make sure griddle is hot before adding a scoop of batter. Cook 5 minutes or when spatula slides easily underneath pancake. You won't see the usual pancake bubbles that tell you it's ready to flip, so watch closely to get the cooking time right. Flip and cook on the other side until batter is set and cooked through.

Paleo Banana Muffins

Another recipe from Everyday Paleo, tweaked a bit. I have to admit, these muffins don't quite have the texture or satisfaction as one made with milk, sugar, and AP flour, but their a pretty good substitute.

After a week of only egg dishes for breakfast, I was starting to crave something else, something in the baked goods category. Fresh pineapple and a handful of coconut flakes gave the muffins some texture and sweetness.

I am loving how these protein-packed breakfasts really fill me up and last for hours. This morning I had a small piece of frittata, a sausage link, and one of these muffins and I wasn't hungry until 12:30pm. Usually, I'd be starving by 10 and need a snack.

RECIPE:
1 ripe banana, mashed
4 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup pineapple, chopped
2 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
handful unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix banana pineapple, eggs, and water in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted coconut oil and whisk together. In another large bowl, mix almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut flakes and mix well. Grease muffin tin with coconut oil or use cupcake liners. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full, it should make 16 muffins. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Paleo Roasted Red Pepper Dip

This recipe is from the book, Everyday Paleo, that my friend lent me. I brought this dip to a BBQ and it disappeared quickly! It has the consistency and similar taste to hummus, and is very filling. I roasted the red peppers instead of using the jarred ones. Soaking the nuts overnight is very important to make it easier to blend.

RECIPE:
2 cups walnuts, soaked overnight
2 fresh red bell peppers or 12 oz jarred red peppers
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp salt

If roasting the red peppers, turn oven onto high broil setting. Drizzle olive oil over the peppers, set in a glass dish, and place under the broiler. Broil for 10 minutes, then turn peppers over and broil for another 10 minutes. Continue until peppers are blackened and blistered on the outside. Take out of oven and allow to cool. Scrape blackened skin off of the peppers, remove seeds, and cut into strips.

Place walnuts, cumin and salt in  a food processor or blender. Process until walnuts are finely ground. Add garlic, parsley, lemon juice and process until well blended. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the dip as the food processor is on. Chill for at least half an hour before serving. Serve with lots of fresh veggies!