Creamy tomato sauce

This is a quick and easy recipe that freezes well, courtesy of my mom!  We made this over the weekend while I was home and I just knew you all would love it!

The ingredients:
  

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 12 oz jar roasted red peppers
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Now the fun part, put it all in your food processor and blend until creamy.  I strongly suggest using a high powered processor to break down those cashews!

  
What you are left with is a creamy (almost dip like) consistency that is perfect for topping squash noodles!  Let me know if you try it!

  

Following the rules of Whole 30.

Remember when I said I was going to do a Whole 60?  What I didn’t count on was summer…. The hot, humid season in the South where my appetite lessens and so does my exercise.

It started with the frozen banana treats I made, and then I discovered Yawp bars (and started using them as meal replacements).   And now I am looking at heirloom tomatoes that are begging to be part of a sandwich.

Don’t get me wrong, I am reading labels and following the rules, well, all but one. I am eating paleo treats. There, I said it.  I am more paleo now than whole 30 and I feel great about it!

Tonight I made paleo sandwich bread to go with my heirloom tomatoes and bacon.  Tomorrow I am trying a chia pudding and I am ecstatic about it.  If I find myself drifting past the paleo guidelines or over indulging in these special foods I will reign it in and do another round of Whole 30.  Easy peasy.

I am still documenting my meals on the Two Grand app, follow me there under forkandfinial.  For now I will share some of my favorites, starting with this tasty bread from guiltykitchen.com.  

It really was a delicious BLT.

  

In the past week I have worked on 2 recipes that were total fails!  Rest assured, I am still perfecting them and plan to share more recipes soon.

Day Thirty

Day 30! It has flown by!

Breakfast 6.2.15. On the way to work I had a banana and some iced coffee with cashew milk. 

  
I didn’t bring lunch with me since I was only expecting to be there a couple hours… Of course I was there longer than expected so thankfully I had some snacks on hand. Smashed avocado with plantain chips and a yawp bar (amazing), thanks Vanessa!

   
 

Dinner 6.2.15.  I was too preoccupied with work to cook so we ordered take out from our local pizza place that only serves organic meats (hooray). House salad with grilled chicken.  I also had a small bowl of berries.

  

Crab Cakes

The ingredients:

  

• 8 oz. lump crab meat
• 1/2 zucchini, grated and drained
• 2 small sweet peppers, diced
• 1 spring onion top, greens diced
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp spicy mustard
• 2 tbsp cooking fat, I used coconut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 sprigs dill, chopped

Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well, making sure the egg is thoroughly distributed.

 

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add your cooking fat.  Once melted turn heat to medium.  Carefully place your patties into oil and cook for 4 minutes, then turn.  Cook an additional 4 minutes and then serve.  This recipe makes four crab cakes, I suggest eating them the same day they are prepared!

 

Day Twenty Nine

Breakfast 6.1.15. My standard. Gotta love that spinach!

Lunch 6.1.15.  Crab cake with mango salsa, broccoli slaw, LaCroix.

Dinner 6.1.15. Homemade spring soup with avocado and fruit. Iced tea.

Spring {Slow Cooker} Soup

I love soup.  During Whole 30 it is my go to meal if I need something quick and easy.  Right now I have an over abundance of squash (thanks to my CSA and gardening dad) and I thought an easy soup would help put a dent in my supply!

The ingredients:

  

• 2 chicken breasts 
• 32 oz. chicken broth
• 2 cups filtered water
• 3 small yellow squash
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 spring onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 5 fingering potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks bok choy 
• 3 stalks celery
• TJ’s Everday Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper

Chop those veggies into bite size pieces. (Yes, my carrots are purple, your eyes aren’t deceiving you!)

  
Add your two breasts to your slow cooker and season well. I use frozen chicken and leave it whole, after the soup has cooked it shreds easily.

  
Add your veggies on top, sprinkle well with seasoning, add chicken broth and water.

  
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove breasts, shred then return to pot.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste.  After the soup cools I like to use my food saver system to make bowl size batches for the freezer.

Enjoy!

  
 

Day Twenty Eight

Breakfast 5.31.15.  Leftovers from last night, sweet potato, steak and sautéed veggies.  Two iced cashew lattes… Needed an extra jump start today! 

  
Lunch 5.31.15. Going to work unprepared is not recommended! No photo, but I had a few bites of grilled chicken, apple slices with almond butter and some pistachios later for a snack.

Dinner 5.31.15. Breakfast! Eggs, bacon, a ton of spinach and sweet potato cubes.

  

Day Twenty Seven

Breakfast 5.30.15.  Leftover grilled chicken, spinach, squash and mushrooms sautéed in a wee bit of bacon grease.  Side of papaya, strawberries and blueberries. Iced cashew latte.

  

Lunch 5.30.15. Large salad with grilled chicken, water.

 
 Snack was a small bowl of fruit

Dinner 5.30.15. Sautéed veggies, 1/2 steak and tiny sweet potato. Water to drink.

  

Day Twenty Six

Almost there….

Breakfast 5.29.15. Iced cashew latte at home. At the work meeting I had an egg bake, sweet potatoes and fruit.

 
Lunch 5.29.15. Homemade soup with avocado and plantain chips, water.

  
Snack was more fruit from breakfast.

Dinner 5.29.15. I finally broke out the spiralizer and made “spaghetti” with fresh squash from my dad’s garden. Sautéed veggies with oil and vinegar and a burger on the side. So good! Iced tea to drink.

  

Day Twenty Four

first day out in the boat this season and it was fantastic! Dad and I caught some fun fish and enjoyed some Whole 30 eats.

Breakfast and Lunch 5.27.15.

Snacked on between 830 and 230, veggies cut up, Apple slice sandwiches with cashew butter, turkey, bacon and lettuce wraps, plantain chips and grapes.

   
   

It was a late night at work resetting the store, we grabbed chipotle, I had my usual with extra veggies from home.