Buffalo Mushroom Meatballs

One thing I absolutely love about Whole30 is how it challenges me to try new things. When I made eggs for breakfast every day, around Day 5 I started to switch things up! I was making sausages with sides of leafy greens or ground pork skillets filled with veggies and fruits! Chicken is cheaper and I most familiar with ways to cook it, but when something interesting goes on sale, I challenge myself to figure out how to cook it– for the sake of variety and for new tasty, healthy food experiences!

So naturally, when I saw Maverick Ranch’s Ground Buffalo on sale, I was rather intrigued!
Buffalo meat, also known as bison meat, is a leaner, more nutritious variety of meat than traditional beef. It can be used as a replacement for beef in recipes too!

Buffalo Mushroom Meatballs (makes 9)
Ingredients:
– 1lb Maverick Ranch Ground Buffalo
– 1/4 cup tomato sauce + extra 1/4 cup set aside
– 1/4 cup chopped baby bella mushrooms
– 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
– 1 large garlic clove, minced
– 1/8 cup coconut flour
– 5-6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
– 1 tsp dried oregano
– 1/2 tsp garlic powder
– 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
– 1/4 tsp salt
– 1/4 tsp pepper
– extra virgin olive oil, for coating the pan

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425-degrees.
2. Coat bottom of a baking dish in extra virgin olive oil.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together ALL ingredients (except the tomato sauce that’s to be set aside). Be careful not to overwork the meat, just until thoroughly mixed.
4. Divide mixture into nine equal pieces then ball up and place into baking dish. Coat with remaining tomato sauce.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
6. ENJOY! 🙂

This time I enjoyed my meatballs over some freshly prepared zoodles with a homemade roasted red pepper sauce– sprinkled with extra fresh basil, of course!

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What kinds of new creations have you attempted recently? Any new delicious discoveries?

Quick & Easy Whole30 Meal Ideas

See these two lovebirds? They’re my adorable parents…
Everybody say, “Awwwww“.These two embarked on their first Whole30 today! And now it’s on the Internet Mom & Dad, so you have to stick to it. The people know! My mother asked about some quick & easy Whole30 Approved meal ideas. As I was typing I got to thinking that just maybe this would be of interest to some of you. So, in honor of Bob & Jen… Let’s do it:

Breakfast:
– Scrambled Eggs (3) + Sugar-Free Bacon (3) + Roasted Broccoli
– Breakfast Frittata with assorted veggies– Roasted Hash: sweet potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, and garlic; roasted in olive oil + Sausage – all chopped and tossed together in a bowl!
– Coconut Milk & Chia Seed Pudding (without sweetener) + fresh berries
– Spinach Banana Smoothie: 3 cups spinach + 2 tbsp almond butter + 1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk + banana (but eat something else with it!)– Breakfast Sausage Patties over a bed of Kale + Roasted Sweet Potatoes
– Omelets filled with whatever vegetables you’d like! 🙂
– Egg Cups: Bacon + Egg + Veggies; all baked together in one cupcake pan in just 20 minutes

 Lunch/Dinner:
**I put this category together because I almost always make dinner for two and save the extra for lunch. 2-in-1 meals for the WIN! :)**
– Tilapia + fresh salsa + steamed veggies (TIP: Tilapia takes 5 minutes at 500-degrees in the oven AND you can steam veggies in the microwave.. no excuses)
– Beef Burger over Spinach + slices of Tomato & Onion + Sauteed Mushrooms– Spaghetti Squash + meatballs + tomato sauce (check the label for sugar)- Taco-seasoned Ground Beef over lettuce, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper… instant Taco Salad!
– Applegate Farms Prosciutto wrapped around Apple Slices + small side salad
– “Zoodles” (zuchinni noodles) tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper topped with Grilled Chicken and Diced Tomatoes– Hard Boiled Eggs + fresh veggies + handful of almonds or cashews
– Shrimp Kebabs: bell pepper, squash, zucchini, and shrimp coated in olive oil & grilled + squeeze of lime
– Stir Fry: chicken + any veggies + coconut amines + hot sauce; cook in sauté pan and DONE
– Lazy Man Plate: protein + veggies + fruit + nut/seed (no cooking required)– Lettuce Wraps: Romaine Lettuce Leaves + Ground Chicken + Cucumber + Tomato + Balsamic Vinaigrette (check labels)
– Soup in the Crockpot (or anything in the Crockpot, really); just set it and forget it! 😉

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I hope this helps you in your Whole30 journey! This is by no means an exhausted list, but just an option for you to glance over when you’re short on time and in need of a “real food meal” that’s Whole30 Approved!

For more recipes for Whole30, check out my recipes page for more ideas & tips!

What I Ate Wednesday #3

Florida was a chilly 48-degrees when I walked out the door this morning. And in the words of one of my Kindergarten students, “Miss Baxter, this is SOOO unusual outside!!” Today was especially delicious due to my meal prep for the night before. Meal prep saves the day! Although, I may or may not have had to eat breakfast in the car due to my lack of desire to pry myself from my warm, toasty bed this morning.

Breakfast: Three scrambled eggs with a side of roasted broccoli and two slices of mouth-watering sugar-free bacon. Not to mention the fresh, tart taste of red raspberries. Mmmm. And it tastes even better in the car… NOT.

Tea Time: The chilly weather made me crave some warm Chamomile tea, which tasted lovely. I also paired my hot cup with a festive, Fall-flavored Pumpkin Pie Larabar. This thing is like a Fall party in your mouth people. Get on it!

Lunch: I decided to go Raw today for lunch. I made my own version of Raw Pad Thai filled with Dino kale, broccoli, carrot, green onion, cucumber, red cabbage, and green bell pepper. Plus a Spicy Jalapeño Coconut dressing made from coconut milk, jalapeño, ginger, lime, and green onion, which was all blended to creamy perfection.

A delicious gala apple and GT’s Enlightened Hibiscus Kombucha made this lunch extra special.

Dinner: I actually wasn’t very hungry this evening, so I went really simple. A Tessemae’s Cracked Pepper marinated chicken breast with good ‘ole fresh spinach.

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In other news: My roommate and I just signed up for The Color Run – Orlando and we are SUPER excited. We’ll be reppin’ Team DyeHard so the training will be starting ASAP! The Color Run is the self-proclaimed “Happiest 5k On The Planet” and can you see why?!

How AWESOME does THAT look?! Plus, if you’re in the Orlando area and interested in joining our team, let me know! Or if you just want to run the race as an individual, I also would like to let you know that the PROMO CODE: “ORLANDO2” will give you $5-off your race fee! Baller on a budget! 😉

Oh I cannot WAIT for January 31st to arrive! Time to get running!

Inspiralized

BIG NEWS! I officially am the owner of a spiralizer, thanks to my wonderful mother and her willingness to part with hers. SCORE!

Before I move forward I would love to answer that question you’re pondering: Yes, “spiralizer” is a word and no, it is not a special weapon made up in some action-comicbook series. Seriously, Google it. I’ll wait…

See? Good, now back to the spiralizer and all its glory. Ain’t she a beaut?Pasta used to be one of my favorite meals. Though, I’m not talking about your average spaghetti and red sauce here… #basic. I’m talking about the what seemed to be endless combinations of delicious sauces, proteins, and vegetables all intertwined with ribbons of wheat & gluten-filled goodness. Mmmm. I was always coming up with new creations when making pasta; plus, it was an easy meal for a college kid to throw together and make a “one-pot wonder meal”.

Now that the pasta days have basically come to an end, I have been hankering to get my hands on one of these spiralizers to make ribbons of veggie pastas. ZOODLES FOR ALL!My original thought was to dazzle you with a ton of Paleo-friendly spiralized pasta recipes, but then I realized one awesome lady, by the name of Ali, over at Inspiralized.com has an entire BLOG dedicated to all things spiralized. Seriously, look at how mouth-watering some of these photos are:

I mean… TURNIP NOODLES? I don’t know that I would have ever thought of that. Dang, she’s good. But wait, there’s more! We need not limit ourselves with pasta over here, friends. I have started to experiment in the chip-department with my regular Sweet Potato Chip recipe, but with using the spiralizer rather than the mandolin. Which, for me, is safer since I my fingers constantly seem to gravitate towards the blade when using a mandolin. Safety, for the win!All this being said, I am super excited to add this gadget to my kitchen and I can’t wait for more recipe-creating opportunities it will bring! Maybe it will inspire you as well to test one of these out!

Do you own a spiralizer? If so, what is your favorite thing to “spiralize”? If not, then what is your favorite go-to kitchen gadget? 🙂

Roasted Rosemary Beet + Kale Salad

…with bacon!
Because beets and kale will most certainly be better with bacon.
As are most things, actually.

Beets are in season (hurray!) and they are absolutely mouth-watering when roasted in the oven. Just be careful not to scare your family when slicing the beets with the dark pink bloody-looking mess all over your cutting board. This could be the perfect Halloween salad. 😉
Plus, did I mention bacon?

Roasted Rosemary Beet + Kale Salad (serves 1 salad or 2 side salads)
Ingredients:
3-4 kale leaves
3 medium beets
2 strips sugar-free bacon
1/4 small sweet yellow onion
1/8 chopped unsalted almonds
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp rosemary
salt + pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
2. Wash beets and slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Place in medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Thinly slice onion and place in bowl with beets.
4. Chop bacon into bite-size pieces and also place in bowl.
5. Add EVOO, rosemary, and a couple dashes of salt and pepper to bowl; toss gently until beets are well coated.
6. Spread out beet mixture onto pan without overlapping beets.
7. Place in oven for 20 minutes, flipping beets halfway through.
8. Meanwhile, wash kale, remove from stem, and shred into bite-sized pieces. Place on serving dish.
9. Once beets are done, add to kale and sprinkle the chopped almonds on top.

This feels like a bountiful Fall harvest as it touches your tongue! The warm, juicy beets blend beautifully with the salty, savory chunks of bacon and the fresh, crispness of kale! Enjoy every last bite of this salad. I’m sure it will not disappoint. And if you allow yourself dairy, a suggested addition would be some feta cheese! YUM 🙂

#lettuceturnipthebeet