Week 4 - The Half Way Mark

Good Weekend Ya'll,

It's been super busy so the recipes will be on the limited side. I will say that converting some of my old standbys to real foods was pretty easy. I am also working on some new stuff that I'm sure will be amazing once I work out the kinks. I did a lot with leftovers as well since my fridge was looking a little cluttered. With all that said, here goes.

Meal 1 - Crockpot Refried Beans and Steamed Veggies (adapted from 100daysofrealfood.com)

I changed just a few things from the original version and serve it with the frozen mixed veggies that you can steam right in the bag. The kids and parents agreed it's really great.

1 onion, diced
2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
½ fresh jalapeño, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cumin
6 cups water
1 cup shredded white cheese
2 bags mixed frozen veggies

Combine first 8 ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 8 hours. Using a mug or ladle, dip out excess liquid.
Mash remaining beans with a potato masher and add extra liquids if needed. Steam veggies according to directions. Season them with salt and pepper. Spoon out beans and sprinkle with cheese. Plate veggies on the side.

Meal 2 - Pesto Chicken and Tomato Pasta with Cabbage

This was a last minute meal. I found chicken tenders on super sale and thought I had to use them. Everything else I had on hand and it actually took longer to cook the cabbage than the entire pasta dish. It was on the table in less than 25 minutes.

1 head cabbage, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1-2 lbs. chicken tenders, cut into small pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 box whole grain pasta
3/4 cup pesto
parmesan cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place cabbage on cookie sheet. Drizzle with oil and salt and pepper. Cook for 20-25 minutes, turning at 10 minutes. Boil a large pot of water. Add a large pinch of salt. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. In a hot skillet, add a couple tablespoons of oil and cook chicken until light golden brown and cooked through. Add pesto, tomatoes, and couple ladles of starchy cooking water from the pasta. Drain pasta and add to the chicken and pesto. Serve with cabbage and top with parmesan. It's totally worth washing 3 pans.

Meal 3 - Whole Wheat Pizza with Bacon, Spinach, and Mushrooms

I know you are thinking you will never make your own pizza dough but it's super easy and so cheap. It does take a while but it's not a lot of effort. The best part is that you can freeze the dough after the first rise and just leave it out on the counter for a couple ours to rise before cooking. I used my new stand mixer and it really made things easy.

For dough:
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees, it should feel like warm bath water)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for bowls
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

In a small bowl or cup, dissolve honey in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour in a mixer until dough starts to come together. Mix with bread hooks until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust. Form into a tight balls and place in two separate bowls. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with cookie sheets or pizza stone in it. Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a hot pans. Top pizza with toppings below. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

For topping:
1 jar real food marinara sauce
1 8 oz. block of mozzarella shredded
1 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
red pepper flakes, if desired

Place all ingredients on dough. This will make 2 pizzas. You may not need all the sauce. I save the leftover for the kids to dip their crusts into. I also like to sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and a little drizzle of olive oil right before baking. Top with parmesan and red pepper flakes after cooking.

Meal 4 - Grilled Pork Tenderloin

This is not a full meal but you can easily throw some veggies on the grill with a sweet potato and call it a night. The best thing about this is that you usually get 2 tenderloins in a pack and can easily cook both one night and have the others for tomorrow night's meal. I'm working on a BBQ sauce that I hope to post next week that would be great to make sandwiches with.

2 pork tenderloins
8 small cloves of garlic
1-2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, (I use Weber grill seasoning)
extra virgin olive oil, in a sprayer

Heat grill to hot. With a small knife, stab 8 holes into the pork. Fill with a clove of garlic in each. Spray with oil and season both sides with salt and grill seasoning. Here's the easy part. On the hot grill, place the pork over hot coals for 7 minutes with the lid closed. Turn pork and cook the other side of 6 minutes with the grill closed. Move the pork off the hot coals on the grill. Close lid for 5 minutes. Check that it reaches 145 degrees internal temp. Grill or roast veggies on the side. Let the pork rest on a plate for several minutes. Slice and enjoy.



With grilled meats and a side of veg,

Brooke

Daniel Plan - Week 3

So it's week 3 and I thought I should share some of the things that have happened to me on this journey so far. First, I have not had significant weight loss. I'm not complaining here, I have dropped a couple of pounds but others I know have had huge success in this area. Second, I have felt a lot less tired. Before starting, I was falling asleep on the couch at 8:30 and now I have to make myself go to bed at 10:00. I have also wanted to move more. I mean any kind of movement, cleaning, cooking, walking, yoga, etc. I really was a skeptic about this aspect. I have not added caffeine or restarted alcohol so I don't know how soon I'll add those back in. I like feeling this awake. I also have noticed some of my brain fog lessening. It's not completely gone but a lot better. That being said, all positive changes so far.

I also had another revelation. We had a get together with a few families this weekend. All us ladies are on the Daniel Plan. The men were in charge of the meat on the grill and we made the sides. All sides were Daniel Plan accessible. It was so awesome to eat at a gathering without having to think about what was "good" and "bad." I also didn't gain any weight the following day. Try this if you regularly get together with a group. Maybe you can convert others, or at least, not damage all the good you're doing.

Meal 1 - Crockpot Black Bean Soup

The best thing about this meal is that you can make it the night before and just turn on the crockpot as you walk out the door. It's so easy, so cheap, and so good.

16 oz. dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
1 bell pepper, diced
1 lg. onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 qt. chicken broth
2-4 cups water
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
lime juice
cilantro, chopped
avocado, sliced or cubed

Place everything but the lime, cilantro, and avocado in the crockpot. Make sure the beans are completely covered, adding more water if necessary. Cook on low for 8 hours. Mash half of the beans with a potato masher or immersion blender. Squeeze in juice of the lime and stir well. Top with cilantro and avocado.

Meal 2 - Orange and Pineapple Shrimp

This is as good or better than the local Chinese place. Make sure to cook the shrimp in batches so not to crowd the pan and other than that, it's very fast.

2 egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
salt & pepper
1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, deveined and peeled
1/4 cup coconut oil (more if needed)
1 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 inch ginger, grated
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1-2 cups pineapple, cubed

4 cups brown rice, cooked as directed or follow my perfect brown rice recipe.

Whisk egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl until frothy. Dump shrimp into bowl and swish around to coat. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet on medium high heat. Drop in a few shrimp at a time and cook 2-3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Mix together remaining ingredients in a bowl. When all shrimp are cooked, add sauce to empty skillet and cook until the sauce thickens. Slide shrimp back into skillet to coat with sauce. Serve with rice and a side of veggies.

Meal 3 - My Oven Baked Fried Chicken

I wasn't impressed with the recipe in the book for "fried" chicken. I looked back through my old recipes and found a recipe that I know I liked and made some changes to make it diet friendly. The kids loved it!

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
poultry seasoning or seasoning salt, what ever you normally use
1/4 buttermilk
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 cups Uncle Sam cereal, crushed (or any other whole grain cereal)
salt & pepper

vegetables to roast, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a cookie sheet. (Line the cookie sheet with foil for easier clean up.) Sprinkle the chicken with seasoning salt. Mix egg whites, lemon, buttermilk, and hot sauce in a large bowl. Place crushed cereal, salt, and pepper on a plate. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture then cereal and place on prepared cookie sheet. Coat all chicken. Bake 40-45 minutes. While chicken is baking, place veggies on another cookie sheet. Coat with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake the last 20 minutes of the chicken being in the oven. They both should be done at the same time.

Meal 4 - All Nuts Granola

This is the most addicting recipe I'll post today. It has a ton of uses, which I will list later. It sounds expensive to make but you only use a couple of tablespoons at a time. It's totally worth it! You must use parchment paper. It will keep the granola from sticking.

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds or pepitas
1/2 cup nuts of your choice, walnuts, pecans, cashews, etc.
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried fruit, raisins, cranberries, strawberries, whatever

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat coconut oil in a large bowl in the microwave until liquid. Add in all ingredients except fruit. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. This is super important if you want to actually be able to eat the granola. Pour granola onto cookie sheet and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven with all is deep golden brown. Quickly mix in fruit. Let cool. Break it into bite sized pieces and store in an air tight container.

Here is how I ate mine: parfait with yogurt and fruit, as cereal mixed with berries and bananas topped with almond milk, sprinkled on to of brie with a little honey and baked for an appetizer, as a topping for ice-cream. I'm sure you'll find a million things to put it on or just eat on it's own. It's delicious!

Snack 5 - Garlicky Bean Dip

This is modified from the Daniel Plan book. It wasn't flavorful enough for me so I tweaked it just a little.

1 can cannelloni beans, drained with liquid reserved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

In a food processor or blender, pulse oil, garlic, lemon, and couple tablespoons of reserved liquid until garlic is finely chopped. Add beans and spices. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid as needed. Eat with veggies, chips, or on sandwiches instead of mayo.

I'm working on some other new recipes as well. One just came out of the oven and I haven't had time to taste it yet. I'll report back next week and let you know how it turned out.

With all natural goodness,
Brooke

Daniel Plan - Week 2

Welcome back!!!

It's been a long week with the "cold" day off from school. I hope you were successful and ready to try some new things. I learned something new from watching a video on sugar consumption. Did you know that if you eat the same meals or sugary treats, over time your body doesn't feel as full? It's true. Even of the "good, well-balanced" meals. It's scientifically proven that variety is good for you. So this week, I'm mixing things up for you. I hope you'll try some of this. The good thing is that I'm trying to make a bunch of stuff the first night that can be used in meals later in the week. In fact, one of the recipes was my way to use up the odds and ends of produce I had left in the fridge. The sweet potatoes are delicious on their own but even better when used twice. This means more food variety and less time cooking. Yay! Let me know how these work out for you. I'd also like to include some of your recipes, too.

Meal One - Breakfast Oatmeal Worth Cooking Yourself

This only serves one but can easily be doubled or tripled. Play around with it. It is so good, I'd pay money for it at a restaurant.

1 cup of water
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup dried apples, chopped
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 dash of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drizzle of honey (if desired)

Boil water and salt in a pan on the stove. Add oats and apples and cook for five minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into bowl and drizzle with honey if desired.

Meal Two - Quick Eggs and Salsa
I really needed a hot breakfast this week and was pleasantly surprised at how this filled me up.

2 eggs, scrambled
1/2 cup salsa
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced
salt and pepper

Spray a glass bowl with olive oil. Put in eggs, pinch of salt, and pepper and cook in microwave for 1 minute. Take the eggs out and see if it needs more time. This works perfect for me but you make need more time depending on your eggs and your microwave. Stir in other ingredients. Enjoy.

Meal Three - Taco Meat and Fixins'

I LOVE Mexican food. Love it! So this is how I made taco Tuesday for the kids. I normally just let everyone make their own which worked out well on the detox because I can leave out the dairy and flour items for me. Just a side note here...there is a brand of chips sold at my local Publix called Xochitl that are allowed during detox. The best part is that they are better than every other brand of chip that I've tried. Seriously.

1-2 lbs. ground meat, lean
1 onion, diced
2 bell peppers, diced
2 tablespoons cummin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salsa
avocados, sliced (squeeze a lime to keep it from browning)
tomatoes, chopped
sour cream
shredded cabbage
shredded cheese
chips, taco shells, large cabbage/lettuce leaves

Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain if necessary. Add onion, peppers, and spices to pan and cook until onion and peppers are tender. Use chips, shells, or cabbage leaves and top with sides. I made a large salad in bowl and had a handful of chips on the side. You can double this recipe for the following meal.

Meal Four - Mexican Baked Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Veggies

4-8 sweet potatoes, pierced with a fork
4-6 cups cauliflower and broccoli
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups leftover Mexican meat

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 cookies sheets with foil. Place sweet potatoes on one sheet and place in oven for 30 minutes. Take out potatoes and turn over carefully and place back in the oven for 20-30 minutes. On the other sheet, place veggies and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the veggies in the oven with the sweet potatoes. It will take from 10-20 minutes to cook them. Heat Mexican meat up in the microwave. Take everything out of the oven and check for doneness. Fill your plate half full with vegetables and add half a sweet potato and 1/2 cup of meat on top. You'll use leftover sweet potatoes in the next recipe.

Meal Five - Sweet Potato Hash with Egg

This is the meal I created to clean out my fridge. This will be more instructions than recipe. You could literally use any veggie, cooked or uncooked, in this. Get creative. And in case your were wondering, yes, my kids ate this. It was really good.

Take out all veggies you want to use, including leftover sweet potatoes, and chop into bite-sized pieces. Heat a nonstick pan with a little olive oil. Put all uncooked veggies in the pan and sauté. I used onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and green beans. When almost cooked through, add sweet potatoes and cook until brown on the outside and warm in the middle. Make eggs; my family like sunny side up eggs. Put hash in the bowl and top with eggs.

Snack - Pesto Hummus

If you have ever been on a retreat with me, you know I am the queen of hummus. I make at least 10 different kinds and I love it. I'm giving you one kind today that is so good you'll want to eat just this for lunch. You can dip any veggie in it or chips. You can also use it on your sandwich as a spread. I make my own hummus but most store bought hummus are real food approved, just check the label.

1 large can chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2-3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
pesto
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor or blender, pulse garlic and lemon zest and juice. Add a little oil to get it to move. Add chickpeas and 1 large spoonful of pesto. Pulse together. Stream in oil. If it's too thick, add a little of the remaining liquid from the can. Pulse until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Put into a container and top with another 2 tablespoons of pesto in the center. Savor this one. It's so good!


These foods are packed with nutrients that will really make you feel full and stay full for hours. Plus, if you want seconds, you can do so with no guilt. Real foods are good for body and soul. I'm excited to see where this will take us.

With a full belly and leftovers in the fridge,
Brooke

Happy Daniel Plan, everyone!

I'm super excited to share some of the recipes I've already tried this weekend. I hope you'll hang in there for the whole 40 days. I know God has great things planned for us.

Meal 1 - Crockpot Lentils and Greens

2 c. lentils, rinsed
1 onion, diced
1 c. carrot, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 c. ham, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground coriander
salt/pepper, to taste
6 c. water
1 bunch kale, chopped, stems removed
extra virgin olive oil
red pepper flakes

In your crockpot, mix everything but the kale, oil, and red pepper flakes. Cook on low all day, add extra water if needed. Add kale and stir. Let cook for 20 minutes. Spoon into bowls and drizzle with evoo and red pepper flakes. This step is optional but I think really makes the soup special.

Meal 2 - Brooke's 4 Bean Chili

1-2 lbs. ground beef, the leaner the better
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes or cayenne
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. bell pepper, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup corn, frozen is fine

Brown ground meat in big pot with oil. If it's really fatty, drain off fat. Add the garlic, seasonings, celery, onion, and bell pepper and cook until the onions are translucent. Add tomatoes with juices and scrap the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the other beans and cook until all warmed through. I usually use some of the liquids from the beans. It's a personal preference. The last 5 minutes, add the corn. Enjoy!

Meal 3 - Stuffed Peppers from the book, page 323

It was ok but I would definitely add a couple cloves of garlic, 1 tsp. oregano, and 1 tsp. cumin. It was really bland to me but the kids liked it.

Meal 4 - Breakfast Quinoa Bake from the book, page 326

I made this as directed but added 2 diced apples to the mix before baking. I thought it was really good. The kids said it tasted like oatmeal but needed something sweet. I poured a tablespoon of real maple syrup to theirs and they ate it up. To be honest, I would like to add some syrup to mine too. Maybe after the detox. It was a lot of work for one large breakfast. Next time I make quinoa, I'll make enough to make this the next morning.

Side Dish - "Cabbage Steaks"

Some you asked how I cooked the cabbage this week. Here's the super easy recipe for you. I love this!

1 head of cabbage, cut into thick, 3/4 inch slices or "steaks"
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the "steaks" on cookie sheets. Drizzle the cabbage with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes. Take them out and flip each steak and continue roasting for 5-10 minutes.

The last recipe is not mine but it totally changed the way I cook brown rice. It comes out perfect and fluffy every time. I'm planning to make a big batch of this tomorrow and use it to make the beef and broccoli recipe.

The Best Way to Cook Brown Rice

From PinchMySalt.com

Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds, swirling the rice around with your hand. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. When water boils, add the rice, stir it once. Turn heat to medium and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, pour the rice into a strainer over the sink. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Immediately cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes (if your pot lid isn’t extremely tight, place a piece of aluminum foil over pot then place the lid on top of foil for a tighter seal). After ten minutes, uncover rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt to taste.


Have a great week and send me your recipes!

With great eats and a leaner body,
Brooke