Whole30 Challenge: Day 10
Friday, March 10th
DISCLAIMER:
If you haven't already read my disclaimer, please click the link HERE from Day 1 of our challenge. As with any lifestyle or dietary change, if you have any questions or concerns, be sure to discuss them with your physician. Also check out the Whole30 website for specifics and additional info.
PRE-BREAKFAST:
Morning thoughts: I'd like to mention that I've surprised myself with how much I'm learning with this program. It’s definitely flexed my creative muscle in more ways than one as I’ve expanded into new culinary endeavors, attempted to create dishes with ingredients I've never even heard of before (i.e. ghee...) and had to be creative with limited ingredients, all the while, photographing and documenting the journey. Even though it's only been 10 days, it's already opened my eyes to new possibilities, new perspectives, and renewed belief in myself that I can actually cook and can enjoy eating healthy.
Hubs had to run an errand this morning so Meemers (one of Miya's many nicknames) and I jumped in the car for the joyride. On the way home, I spotted a country store selling fresh produce and Amish items. Perfect opportunity to support the locals and renew our produce stash! I tried to convince my hubs to let me stop to pick up a new garden for the fridge, but still dressed in my leopard sweatsuit pajamas and a clashing patterned shawl, he drove on past... Not sure why he vetoed that idea...
Breakfast:
Back to basics. For breakfast, we had enjoyed the Whole30 Sweet Potato Hash so much that we had it again, but this time without the ground turkey. I'll call this version Whole30 Sweet Potato Mash-Up to keep things interesting. I basically used the same exact recipe from the Sweet Potato Hash from Day 6, just sans the ground turkey. Easy peasy and delicious! To see the full Whole30 Sweet Potato Mashup recipe, click HERE.
Whole30 Sweet Potato Mashup
Mid-Morning:
So far hubs has only had to throw 2 Lara bars at me... At least he threw good options at me...The Coconut Cream Pie Lara Bar and the Key Lime Pie Lara bar are my current favorites, but I'm really excited to try the Chocolate Coconut Chew Lara bar whenever I can get my hands on one.
Side note: Chocolate Coconut Chew not to be confused with Coconut Chocolate Chip...there is a difference and only the Chew one is Whole30 compliant.
LUNCH:
Since I thoroughly enjoyed the Whole30 Jalapeño Bacon Burger (with special sauce) from last night, and since we made plenty extra for future meal prep, I took advantage of the easy meal option and went for round 2, sans the egg this time. In case you needed a reminder...
Since I'm not feeling the funny bone today, and because I'm really craving Girl Scout cookies like never before (you'll see the connection in the video...), I found this little dilly that tickled my funny bone, and hopefully it does yours too. My friend Ginny went to high school with this comedian and enlightened me onto his humor. Since I can't reward myself with chocolates anymore, I have moved onto rewarding myself with his videos as a comparable 2nd runner up. If you get the chance to see him in person, check him out! But in the meantime, here's a little teaser:
DINNER:
Dinner...my second favorite meal of the day. Remembering the fresh mahi mahi filets that were waiting for us, we decided they would be our featured dinner tonight. We are both HUGE fans of salsa, so we decided to make use of the mangos we had previously peeled and make some fresh mango salsa with a twist to serve on top of the mahi. We also took advantage of our previously made Whole30 Garlic-Herb Smashed Cauliflower to serve as a side (click link for recipe). #foodprepdoeswonders #switchingupplatestomorrow #ontheedgeofyourseatIknow...
When I make salsa, I never actually measure. I think that's the great thing about salsa, you can add what you want and as much of it as you'd like, and tailor it to your liking. I'll do my best to guesstimate what I included in our salsa, but it's a rough estimate since measuring cups weren't actually involved in the making.
Side note, I am LOVING our Cuisinart food processor! It has really come in handy! I don't know how we managed before...but then again, we also didn't really cook much before this. I would say this along with the nurtribullet, good cast iron pan, and our pineapple corer are probably my four favorite cooking inventions. It seriously cuts prep time in half and is well worth the investment! I just threw all of our ingredients into the food processor and voila! Instant salsa!
Note: We may have gotten a little overzealous with the pulse button so the salsa became more of a semi-puree salsa, but it was just as delicious. :)
Whole30 Mango Salsa
INGREDIENTS:
3-4 mangos, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped (red or vidalia onions are my favs)
1 tomato, chopped (or 6-8 grape tomatoes, chopped)
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (more or less depending on taste)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
sea salt to taste
pepper to taste
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 bell pepper
STEPS:
Clean and chop ingredients (or throw all ingredients into a food processor).
Serve over fish or any other way you'd prefer!
TASTE TEST: We both literally ate it straight out of the bowl with a spoon it was that good!
Whole30 Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa
INGREDIENTS:
Whole30 Mango Salsa ingredients (as shown in recipe above)
Mahi Mahi filets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Seafood Spice Blend (or fav Whole30 seasoning blend)
STEPS:
Make Whole30 Mango Salsa first, (as shown in recipe above).
Clean and remove the mahi mahi skin.
Heat pan with olive oil on medium high for 3 minutes.
Season fish with seasoning blend.
Place fish filets in pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Make sure fish has a minimum internal temperature 145°F.
Serve mango salsa on top of fish. Garnish with small tree.
TASTE TEST: As mentioned, this was one of our FAVORITE meals. We made extra mahi and ended up eating it all! We also had extra leftover salsa for the weekend, but it only lasted until mid-afternoon...
WEEKEND RECYCLE:
Since we made extra meals during the week, we are going to take a little break from the kitchen and have a fridge feast this weekend. If we get the itch to cook up a new concoction, I'll document it in our Weekend Recap on Monday with updates... Happy Weekend!!!
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