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Satisified

Yesterday was an eat-all-the-things kind of day and today I’m completely satisfied with my meals. I love that everything balances out. It can be hard learning to trust your body and what it’s telling you but it definitely knows best!

I made it to the 7am class again today! After class I came home and heated up some egg patties.

No picture because it didn’t come out looking appetizing at all.  But, I promise these guys are tasty and easy to pop in the toaster oven to reheat. They also freeze like a charm making it easy to have a fast breakfast on hand.  I’m still fiddling with the recipe and I’ll share that as soon as I have it set.  These contain:

  • Eggs
  • Sausage
  • Spinach
  • Peppers
  • Onions

Frothy coffee to go with it.  I changed things up a bit this morning and used vanilla ghee + collagen in the coffee.  The ghee I got from Thrive Market.  It’s OK, I thought it would have a more pronounced vanilla flavor but it’s very subtle.

Salad and chicken thighs

Lunch was a salad with some chicken thighs that I dipped in Sir Kensington Special Sauce.  This salad is what I like to call a “base salad”, I make a huge batch of it and then it’s ready to go all week.  All I have to do is add some toppings and part of lunch is done and ready to go!

This base had:

  • Kale
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots

And I dressed it in a balsamic dressing made from balsamic + olive oil + dijon + honey.  The longer this salad sits, the better it gets! Easy to put together, I just get some bags of kale and shredded cabbage from TJ’s.  The kale I pulse in the food processor for a bit so that the pieces are on the smaller side.

The toppings today were grape tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.

Dinner was leftovers from Sunday.

Crispy pork with potatoes and carrots.

Pork roast with carrots, potatoes, and gravy.  I shredded the pork and made crispy pork for dinner today!  I heated the shredded pork in a skillet with some ghee and olive oil to get some crispy edges.  The potatoes and carrots just got heated up in the toaster oven.  Dinner was quick to put on the table today!

Now it’s time to chill with my guy and watch to see if we get any snow or nasty weather. Forecast is different on every site, the most extreme is calling for 4-8 inches of snow from tonight till Friday morning.  Good bye spring like weather, winter is on its way back!

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Eat Everything

Hey gang! It’s been a while!  I needed to take some time to enjoy life for a bit.  Last week was Scotty’s birthday and it was a BIG ONE so we had to celebrate. We took time off, enjoyed some libations, and some delicious goodies.  It was awesome!

Since we’ve last chatted I have reintroduced a new item into the diet and am doing a pass.  I tried rice and it was a’right.  YOU GUYS, it was just a’right.  It left me feeling not fully satisfied and made my heart race a bit.  Then later I crashed hard, like whoa.  So did Scott.  I was at work but Scott totally fell asleep and took a nap.

A few days later I tried it again and had some sushi.  The sushi left me feeling bloated and like a fake “full”.  I was full but still hungry.  It was so strange.  So rice is on the outs for me.  Scott said he could do without rice as well which is major because dude loves his rice.

So yeah, corn and rice are no goes.  So is gluten (except for beer on occasion).  Scott can handle gluten a little better than I can but it just causes me to bloat, feel tired, and crave sugar.  Not cool.

Dairy I can do in small amounts. Butter and yogurt being what I gravitate towards with cheese on occasion.

That’s where I’m at for reintroduction.  Beans I’ve been kind of avoiding but at some point I’ll test them out and see.

Back on track this week and I kicked off the day with an awesome big breakfast after working out (early, I got to the gym at 7am! BOOM!).

Eggs, potatoes, and sausage

Scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, and some chicken sausage from TJ’s.  I’m not a huge fan of this chicken sausage. :/ It was OK at first but then it turned weird. Like each bite started tasting like it was made from pellets.

Lunch could not come soon enough today. About an hour and a half after breakfast I was hungry and ready to eat!  Unfortunately, Scott said that since it was not even 11am that lunched had to wait.

GAH! What?!

So I had two clementines to hold me over.  Except they didn’t so I got busy making lunch.  I’ve been craving a big plate of greens lately so today I finally got to face plant into some.

Chicken thighs and kale

Sauteed kale with chicken thighs and half a leftover brat.  I dipped the thighs in Sir Kensington Special Sauce for some extra saucy goodness.  I also had a smoothie on the side, standard smoothie:

  • 2.5C Water
  • 3 Large Handfuls of greens
  • 1.5 Frozen Bananas
  • 1C Blueberries

Makes enough for two large smoothies.

Midafternoon snack I had some dried mango slices and a few pork rinds. I am a bottomless pit today!

Taco bowls

Dinner this evening was taco bowls.

Ground grassfed beef that I got from Butcher Box (See a recipe and review here) with peppers, onions, and placed on top of some cauliflower rice.  I added some lettuce and tomatoes on top.

Easy peasy and delicious!

Now I’m off to have some tea and get comfy watching some hockey. There may be some dark chocolate in my future.

 

Disclaimer: Some links may be affiliate or referral links. These don’t affect the cost of the items for you at all but it does help support the site.

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January 2017 Whole30 Reflections

Burger and side salad

It’s been a little over a week since ending the Whole30 challenge.  There’s a part of me that can’t even believe that because it feels like it’s been a lot longer.  Reintroduction is going well (sort of? I’m learning a lot so that’s what I’m focusing on.) and I’ll do a whole post on my findings.  Most of them are total surprises to me.  Some that bum me out and some that I could care less about.

This journey was so much different than last year when I did the challenge.  I learned so much more about my body and foods.  Last year I got really frustrated over not being able to have things like sausages or bacon because of the wee amount of sugar in them. I also got stabby over missing bourbon.

This year I did not.  Sure there were times where I wanted bourbon but taking time to stop and examine the situation, I realized that I didn’t really want it, it was more of a situation thing that was triggering.  That was eye opening.  I had a lot of those.  I have food triggers and I didn’t even realize it until now.

I also was a lot more relaxed during this challenge.  I still had smoothies even though Whole30 says you should not.  Their reasoning is that they don’t want you drinking a meal and I can understand that.  I was not drinking a meal, my smoothies were part of my lunch so I felt OK with that.

I also felt OK with snacking as long as the snacks were compliant.  And by snacking, I mean fruit, nuts, RX bars, and things along those lines.  I also didn’t obsess over every single detail.  Was I eating enough? Was the protein, carb, fat ratio proper? Was my meal big enough? And so on.

Having this more relaxed attitude made the challenge run so much smoother.

At the start of the challenge I ate all. the. time.

Seriously I could not get enough to eat.  My body was going through major detox (I know people hate that word. I also do not care.) working out all the junk and alcohol it had for the past two months and taking in all the awesome food.

Probably for the first two weeks of the challenge, all I wanted to do was eat.  Because there’s no counting calories or macros, I was able to do this.  I was able to feed my body delicious food and not worry about calories or the scale.  I could just focus on meals and that was so freeing.

I also slept a ton.  I was averaging between 9-10 hours of sleep a night and that was the best thing.  I LOVE SLEEP.  And sleeping that long felt so good!  Plus my sleeps were deep and felt so restorative.

There was a noticeable change immediately during this challenge.  I felt better, my clothes fit better, and I was sleeping better.  I didn’t ever get Tiger Blood during the challenge but I wasn’t lacking for energy either.  Unless I didn’t eat enough one day and then I felt that during my workout the following morning.

Now that the challenge is done and I’m working through reintroduction, ugh, I do not feel as amazing.  That’s on me though and honestly I’m probably going to continue to eat this way because that’s when I felt the best.

Did I lose weight? Sure. Not as much as I would have liked but yes the scale went down.  Weight loss wasn’t my main goal though, finding inflammatory foods and foods that don’t agree with me was the main goal.  I’m on the right track.

I still have a few more things to reintroduce but a more Paleo way of eating is the direction that I’m leaning. I never thought I would say that and 7 years ago my previous self would have told you that you were crazy.  Never say never because we don’t know what the future holds for us.

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Marinated Top Sirloin Steaks

Top Sirloin

Butcher Box recently contacted me asking if I’d like to check out one of their boxes and I jumped at the chance! I’ve seen a lot of other folks get boxes and cook amazing things that I could not wait to give them a try.

Butcher Box is a company that provides quality meats to your doorstep each month.  They offer grassfed beef, organic/pastured chicken, and heritage pork.  They also offer multiple boxes to pick from, each box contains 8-10lbs of meat and is $129 a month with the option of adding on additional cuts if you’d like.  You are in charge of the boxes. You can pick the frequency of when they are delivered (Each month, every 2 months, every 3 months) and you can switch between boxes if you’d like. You’re not committed to a certain box once you pick it.

Seriously, this is a freaking amazing deal.  You get quality meats delivered to your door.  This is especially great if you live in an area where finding top quality meat is challenging. By signing up to get delivery, it also eliminates one less thing you have to focus on because it’s taken care of. You can check meat right off your list and move on.

Included in the box is an invoice that lists all the meats and how much of each, along with cards that feature a recipe on one side and information about that particular cut on the other side.  Very handy if you are just getting your feet wet with cooking protein.  But even for seasoned chefs, checking out recipes for inspiration is always beneficial.

For this shipment, I picked a beef and chicken box and I received:

  • 2pkg Chicken Drumsticks
  • 1pkg Chicken Tenders
  • 1pkg Beef Sirloin Tips
  • 2pkg Ground Beef
  • 2pkg Top Sirloin (Each package contained two steaks)

This box reintroduced me to drumsticks and tenders!  Something that I never really purchase on my own but I loved them.  I also had never cooked with sirloin tips or top sirloin before so this was a new experience.

The drumsticks I marinaded and then baked.  The chicken tenders I breaded with almond meal.  The ground beef was used in tacos and soup.  The sirloin tips I used in a beef and broccoli Asian inspired dish and the top sirloins I marinaded and then cooked in skillet.

And I’ve got a recipe for those bad boys!.

Andrea’s Marinaded Top Sirloin Steaks

  • 2 Top Sirloin Steaks
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed or finely chopped
  • 1TBS Olive Oil
  • 1/4C Coconut Aminos (or Soy Sauce if you prefer)
  • 1TBSP Flavor God Everything Seasoning (**see note at bottom)
  • 3 TBSP Ghee or lard for cooking (Can also use olive oil or coconut oil)

Place steaks in a medium bowl or large storage bag.  Mix garlic, olive oil, coconut aminos, and seasonings in a small bowl and pour over steaks.  Massage steaks so that they are fully coated in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or over night.

Remove steaks 30 minutes before cooking and allow them to come to room temperature.

In a large skillet, heat the fat over medium high heat for about 3 minutes then place steaks in skillet.  Cook steaks till preferred doneness. I went to medium, so I cooked them about 6 minutes on each side.

Remove steaks from skillet and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Serve and enjoy!

**If you don’t have Flavor God seasoning then use:

  • 1TSP Garlic Powder
  • 1TSP Onion Powder
  • 1/2TSP Smoked Paprika
  • 1/4TSP Salt

These are great as is, sliced for sandwiches/wraps, or make a pan sauce out of the drippings and drizzle that on top.  Or place on top of a salad and top with a creamy horseradish dressing.  Ahhh, now I’m getting hungry for lunch!

Top Sirloin Steaks

We loved our experience with Butcher Box so much that we signed up for a subscription.  I already can’t wait to get our next box!

If you’re looking for quality meats, then definitely give Butcher Box a try!

 

Disclaimer: Butcher Box sent me a box to sample. I was not compensated in any other way nor was I required to do this post. All opinions and recipes are my own.

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Review: Know Brainer Coffee Creamer

Know Brainer Coffee Creamer

I was recently contacted by Know Brainer, to try out their coffee creamer products.  I take my coffee black with a little bit of coconut oil added but sometimes I like to spice things up and have a creamy rich coffee.  Usually on the weekends and as I’m still trying to determine what my perfect cup is like, I was all about testing out these creamers.

These creamers work off the concept of Bulletproof Coffee method by incorporating MCT Oils and fats into the creamer.  For flavored creamers they use natural and Non-GMO products.  The idea being that these fats help with mental clarity, boost metabolism, and help keep you feeling full and satisfied.

Know Brainer Creamers are the first Primal/Keto friendly creamers I have been introduced to and I was curious to give them a shot.

I was sent four flavors to try out:

  • Original
  • French Vanilla
  • Vanilla Bean (Casein & Lactose Free)
  • Mocha (Casein & Lactose Free)

These come in individual packets which get added to one 6-8oz cup of coffee.  You shake up the packet and massage it a little bit to mix the ingredients, pour into your coffee mug, and add coffee.  Stir and you are good to go!

These creamers are delicious!  I was able to use one packet for two cups of 8oz coffee as the packets are on the larger size.  It provides a nice richness to the coffee and they are easy to use.  You don’t have to blend the coffee at all. Since I was using it at home, I did blend after my first cup because I like the froth.

The French Vanilla flavor was my favorite as it packed more of a punch. The Vanilla Bean flavor had just a kiss of vanilla to it.  I personally did not care for the Mocha flavor, it was alright but seemed to make the coffee taste bitter. Even the original flavor provided a nice creamy richness to the coffee.

While I think these would be great for daily use, I feel where this product really shines is for travel and entertaining. For those of us who like a little fat added to our coffee, having that on the go is a pain in the butt.  Know Brainer makes it super easy to toss these in your bag ready to mix with coffee.  Or you can have these on hand at your house for guests making it easy for them to create their desired coffee.

Would I use these again? Heck yes!  You can purchase Know Brainer online via their shop and I would recommend going with a variety pack so you can test out the different flavors.

Thanks to Know Brainer for allowing me to try out their product!

Disclaimer: I was sent this product in exchange for a review. I was not sent additional products or compensated in any other way.

 

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My Whole 30 Experience

Mini Squash

Going into the Whole 30, I wasn’t really expecting to learn much of anything.  In fact, I wasn’t expecting anything about myself to change at all regarding food.  We eat really well and already eat a mostly primal diet with a few treats here and there.  I thought I knew everything about myself and the Whole 30 showed me that I was wrong.

I went into this challenge to start the year off by eating super clean and to work on losing the bloat and the few pounds I gained over the last few months. (A beer job means you have to drink beer which means that needs to be balanced out somehow. Lesson learned.)

Spoiler Alert: It worked.  Really well.

But during these 30 days I learned a lot about myself and how food affects so many different things aside from my waistline.  I’m already pretty intuitive when it comes to food and how it makes me feel.  The Whole 30 multiplied that by 100.  I’m in awe and completely inspired.  Here are just a few things that I’m coming away with from doing this challenge:

Take It Black

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I’m now drinking my coffee black, this is still the case. I have no desire for any sweetened almond milk added to my coffee.  The craziest I get is adding a little ground spice to the ground beans and brewing for a little extra flavor.

Added Sugar Is Everywhere

It was hard to find things like deli meats and sausages that did not have some form of added sugar to them.  While the amount is small, it is not allowed during the challenge.  This was my biggest frustration because we love sausages and eat them often.  I did find some compliant ones and they were alright.  I don’t want to see another chicken and apple sausage for a very long time though.

Cheese? What Is Cheese?

I was talking with another challenger about missing bacon and she mentioned that she missed cheese. This stopped me dead in my tracks because up until that point I hadn’t even given cheese a second thought. I did not miss it or even thought about it once during this challenge.  WHOA  I had considered myself a lover of cheese yet I completely forgot about it. I’ve had a nibble since the end of the challenge and it was – OK.  Just OK.  I’m currently questioning who I am and the meaning of life at this point.

Yogurt Is In

Yogurt I can handle in small amounts and I’m OK with that.  I do love yogurt and it’s also one of the things I missed during this challenge.  I’m happy to have it back in my life.

Sleep Is Amazing

My sleep, which had been spotty for a while now (and by while, I mean years), has returned to normal. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I can easily fall back asleep.  I’m not restless and I don’t have night sweats (which I get from wheat and alcohol).

Energy

I had plenty of energy and was able to handle working out just fine.  I felt a little tired towards the end of the day but in a natural, I’m-Ready-For-Bed way and not from feeling run down.

Empty Food Is Empty

I’ve had a few snack items, like some chips and they were completely unsatisfying. They didn’t even taste as good as they used to.  It’s completely true that in 1 month you can change your approach, taste, and relationship with food.  I don’t want to reach for junk because it does not satisfy and does not provide my body with anything good.  I’d much rather have real food.

Meal planning and prepping has also become a part of my regular routine.  This has helped so much during the busy work week that I don’t know why I didn’t start this sooner.

Even my husband’s tastes and attitude towards food has changed and for the better.  Aside from a few items added back in we’ll be sticking with a mostly paleo/primal diet.  There were times I got really annoyed and frustrated with this challenge but in the end I’m so glad that we did it.  I walked away learning that much more about food, nutrition, and my own body.

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Whole 30 Week 2 and 3 Recap

Tuna salad in a collard wrap with side salad.

 

I just wrapped up Week 3 of the Whole 30 Challenge.  So far things have been going really well.  The diet isn’t that hard to maintain and while it seems restrictive, the reality is that this challenge is not that hard. Fill your plate with veggies and some protein, that’s the basic concept.  That’s pretty easy when you can simplify it like that.

Things that I’ve learned so far during Week 2 and Week 3:

Prepping Protein Is Important

With my work schedule and busy off days, having protein ready to go for lunch is an important meal prepping step. There were a few times where I didn’t have any ready so carving out time to make some put me behind schedule.  Lesson learned, I need to have lots of protein prepped and in the fridge.

Re-heatable Breakfasts Is Key

Making a large fritatta to have ready for the week is also an important step for my schedule.  I did not make one this week and on the days I worked, having to make breakfast for myself and Scott put me a little behind schedule as well.

Prep Dinner The Night Before

On the days I work, I have to take dinner with me.  Leftovers are the easiest thing for me to pack up and take to work. I need to make sure that the night before I pack up my dinner so that it’s ready to go the next day. If I have to spend time packing it up before I leave for work that cuts into my schedule when I could be doing something else.

The biggest lesson these past two weeks has been to make sure that I meal plan and prep for the coming week.  Otherwise I’m scrambling to get stuff made for meals and that takes away from time I could be spending on other things that need my attention.  For this last week, I fully plan on prepping and planning a great deal this weekend so that the 4th week is successful.

I’ve learned a lot along the way and I’ll be sharing all about that when the challenge is completed.

Review: Coconut Organics CocoBacon

Coconut Organics Coconut BaconI was contacted by Coconut Organics asking if I would be interested in reviewing their newest product being marketed as coconut bacon.

Seriously, I could not pass up coconut bacon so I accepted.  This sounded so interesting and unique that I was curious what the product would be like.

Here is a little bit from their website describing the coconut bacon:

CocoBacon ® is made in our organically certified kitchen. First we start with thick, sweet organic coconut chips from mature coconuts and lightly toast them. These crunchy decadent coconut chips get a generous dose of raw, organic coconut oil to achieve the fatty satisfaction of bacon. Then, we apply a little bit of low-glycemic, high-vitamin organic coconut sugar for the slight sweetness of bacon. Next, we add some high-mineral Celtic Sea Salt ® for the salty side of bacon. The final savory and smoky flavors come from organic mesquite smoke flavor and our special organic spice blend. The result is a perfectly balanced salty, savory, smoky and sweet flavor combination on a crunchy coconut chip.

 

The coconut bacon is in a 2.2 oz bag and the bag is completely resealable.  It is labeled as vegan and gluten free.  The ingredients are also very clean (to my standards) so I felt good about reviewing this product.  Going by the ingredients, the product is also technically Paleo.

I’m not really quite sure what I was expecting when thinking coconut bacon but this definitely surprised me!  I was assuming this was going to be big pieces of coconut product put together to form a “slice”.  Because when I think about bacon, I think about a slice of something.

That isn’t what this product looks like at all.

Coconut Organics Coconut Bacon

It’s big pieces of flaked coconut that have been toasted and then a savory smokey seasoning is added.

I had the coconut bacon straight up to see what it was like right out of the bag.  There is a big crunch factor to the pieces of coconut.  The taste is definitely interesting and unique.  It’s very sweet because it is a large piece of actual coconut but then the savory smokey part comes in at the end.  The two flavors are separate and distinct.  First it’s sweet, then it’s savory.

It’s a little weird but strangely addicting and kind of fun.

Coconut Bacon on a salad

I then had it on a salad to see what mixing it with something else would be like.  The coconut bacon’s sweetness went way down and it added a savory little crunch and texture to the salad.  As a salad topping or a topping to say a baked potato would be the way I would eat this product. Straight up is fine but I prefer it mixed with something.

Because of it’s convenient packaging, I can see how this would be great for traveling since the packaging makes it very portable.  Perfect for keeping some at the office, in your purse/laptop bag for when you need a little something during the day.  Since it does have that sweet/savory mix going on combined with all the healthy fat from the coconut meat, it is very satisfying as a snack.

Currently this product is available online in two packs or six packs.  And the company has free shipping going on right now!

Coconut Bacon is unique, interesting and definitely worth checking out.  Try a little snack and see what you think!

 

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for review.  All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

Asian Inspired Minced Pork Bowls

Asian Inspired Pork BowlsScott’s mom makes the best egg rolls hands down.  The wrapper is thin so it becomes super crispy when fried.  The filling is full of fresh ingredients in equal balance.  And there’s ground pork!  Gloriously seasoned ground pork mixed with some vegetables. It’s a welcome change from what usually passes for egg rolls here in the States.

Getting her to talk about and share the recipe is like pulling teeth.  She doesn’t know specifics, she just does it.  We do not live close by so sadly we do not have a fresh supply of egg rolls.

I have tried my best to work through the flavors and to come up with something that is similar.  Because let’s face it, I’ll never figure out the exact recipe and I will never be able to make it nearly as well.

Instead of official egg rolls, we have deconstructed egg rolls.  All of the yummy insides plus some extras thrown in because we like them.  Sometimes I serve this over some rice and sometimes I add in even more veggies so that we have a huge bowl of egg roll goodness.

It’s a favorite dish of ours and it’s super easy to make!

Andrea’s Asian Inspired Minced Pork Bowls

  • 1 Pound Ground Pork
  • 1/2 A Medium Cabbage, shredded
  • 2 Large Carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Medium Crown Of Broccoli, florets removed and chopped
  • 1 Red or Green Pepper, thinly sliced
  • 5 Green Onions, thinly sliced

For The Pork:

  • 1/2tsp Ground Onion
  • 1tsp Ground Garlic
  • 1tsp Curry Powder
  • 1tsp Soy Sauce
  • 3 Dashes of Fish Oil
  • 1/2TBSP Lard or Ghee

In a cast iron skillet or large sautee pan, heat the lard over medium heat.  Add in the ground pork and season with the remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine and continue to cook until the pork is cooked through.  Line a glass bowl with some paper towels, remove the pork from the skillet and place in the glass bowl.

For the Veggies:

  • 1/2tsp Curry Powder
  • 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/4tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2TBSP Lard or Ghee

In the same skillet the pork was cooked in, heat lard or ghee over medium heat.  Add in all of the veggies except the green onion, stir to coat with the fat, and sautee for about 5 minutes until the veggies start to soften.  Add in the seasonings and stir.  Continue to cook until the veggies are cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Add the pork back to the skillet and combine with the veggies.  Cook for another 3 minutes.  Turn off heat and serve.

Curry Pork Bowl

It’s perfect to eat as is, or you can serve over rice or rice noodles.  This dish also freezes well which means you can increase the amount to have portions to freeze.  The veggies can also be prepped ahead of time so that when it’s time to make dinner, you just have to heat and serve!

It has become a weeknight go-to meal since it’s so simple to make.  And there’s only like two dirty dishes at the end that Scott has to wash, so everyone wins!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

Grain Free Chicken Enchiladas With Roasted Green Chili Sauce

Grain Free Chicken EnchiladasThe first thing that I made with my batch of grain free tortillas, was some chicken enchiladas.  I wanted to see how the tortillas handled being rolled and how well they stood up to baking.

They worked beautifully!

I will admit that I didn’t bake them covered in sauce. Since this was my first time working with grain free tortillas, I wasn’t sure how they were going to stand up to baking and I didn’t want to risk making them soggy with sauce.

Instead I heated up the sauce on the side and we were able to use as much sauce as we wanted to top our portions.

I do think that if the tortillas were covered in sauce and baked that they might fall apart so stick with keeping the sauce warm on the side.

Andrea’s Grain Free Enchiladas with Roasted Green Chili Sauce

**For the Filling:

  • 4 Chicken leg quarters, cooked, and shredded
  • 2C Shredded Carrot
  • 1 Bunch Kale, stems removed
  • 1/2TBSP Ghee
  • 1tsp Salt
  • 1tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2tsp Chili Powder
  • 6 Grain Free Tortillas

Place the kale in a food processor and pulse until the kale is finely chopped.  In a medium sized saute pan, heat the ghee over medium heat.  Add in the kale and the carrots.  Saute for about 2-3 minutes then add in the shredded chicken.  Season with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder.  Add in 1/2C of the sauce (see recipe below).  Stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

For The Sauce:

  • 1 Medium Sized Onion, chopped
  • 1 Green Pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 4 Roasted Green Chilies (your choice, I used anaheim)
  • 1 14.5oz can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
  • 1TBSP Ghee
  • 1tsp Salt
  • 2TBSP Coconut Sugar

In a medium sized sauce pot, heat the ghee over medium heat.  Add in the onion and peppers and sauté for about 5 minutes until the peppers and onions start to soften.  Add in the diced tomatoes, salt, and coconut sugar.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Remove sauce from heat and pour into a blender.  Blend until the sauce becomes smooth and free of lumps.  Pour sauce back into sauce pot and keep warm over low heat.

Assembly and Baking

Preheat an oven to 4oo degrees.  In a 9×12 casserole dish, pour in 1/2C of the sauce.  Spread it around so it coats the bottom.  Place 1/2C of filling in each tortilla.  Roll and place in the casserole dish.  Cover dish with foil and bake for about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Portion out onto plates and top with sauce.  Makes 6 portions.

Please see notes at the bottom.

Grain Free Chicken Enchiladas

**Notes: 

This dish can be prepped ahead of time.  Once the enchiladas are made, cover with foil and store in fridge until you’re ready to heat them up.  Place in a 400 degree oven and bake, covered, for about 1/2 an hour or until the enchiladas are heated through.  While they are baking, the sauce can be simmering on the stove.

The filling makes enough for two batches of enchiladas.  You can make two batches right away if you’re feeding more than two people.  Or you can freeze the remaining filling and use it another time.  Since the tortillas and the filling freezes well, that’s already another meal you have prepped and ready to go!   The filling is also great as a topping for salads, mixed with scrambled eggs, or eaten on it’s own.

I added the coconut sugar to help tone down the heat from the chilies.  If you love spicy foods feel free to omit the sugar.

 

We topped our enchiladas with chopped tomato, green onion, and cheddar.  Some sour cream and chopped cilantro would also be great as well!

This dish is really easy to make despite what might seem like a lot of steps.  Perfect way to use up some leftover roast chicken and turn a weeknight meal into something a little more exciting.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!