Whole-y Coconut!

Today was day one of my Whole 30 experience.  I know the biggest struggle I have will be planning but for today I managed to do well with it.  I need to remember to take the time that I deserve to plan and cook my meals and if I do that, everything else will seem easy.

I started the morning off with the Egg McNothin's which I had pre-made last night.  I used ham for the meat and a sprinkle of garlic in addition to the other seasonings mentioned in the recipe. I threw it in the microwave for twenty seconds to warm it up.   It was great!  My only "complaints" were that I might have gone a bit overboard on the spices and that next time I may cook it for just a bit less time (I like the yolk to be a little softer than it was).  I had a side of cantaloupe and a glass of water.

One of my other big "concerns" was how I would ever grow to love (or even just like) my coffee black.  This is coming from a girl who usually drinks it with extra cream and extra sugar.  Before embarking on this journey I decided to research my options.  I ended up adding 2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.  It was by no means what I am used to but it was enjoyable and something I can definitely get used to.  

At lunch time I decided to throw together a salad.  I was not looking forward to having it with out dressing and was happy to find I had all of the necessary ingredients to make my own.  This was the recipe I followed:  

1/2 c raw apple cider
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp pepper
1tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl.  Add olive oil.  Cover bowl and shake until combined.  

It was good but next time I will add a bit more spice to it (maybe something with a slight kick) and a little less olive oil.  In any event it was the perfect addition to my salad, which I accompanied with a glass of water.

Around 2 or so I was hungry.  I made a shake with coconut milk, strawberries, bananas, and blueberries.  I hated it.  I usually use yogurt and milk in a shake like this which is obviously out.  So, I opted for a banana bread larabar which definitely hit the spot. 

For dinner I tried this recipe:

Zesty Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

4 free range boneless skinless chicken breasts (1lb)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tbsp light flavored olive oil

¾ c of ghee

¼ tsp cumin

1.8 tsp cayenne

⅛ tsp chili powder

1 bag stir fry veggie blend (bell peppers and onions)

Preparation

In a large zippered plastic bag pound chicken to ½ inch thick

Heat a grill pan over medium heat on burner,  When ready add oil and chicken.  Cook four minutes per side.  Remove from pan and set aside.

In a small bowl combine ghee with cumin, cayenne and chili powder.  Brush small amount on chicken breasts.

In a large microwave safe dish place veggies with ½ c water.  Cook on high until veggies are tender.  Toss with remaining flavored butter mix and serve along-side chicken breasts.  

I added carrots and rather than serve along side the chicken, I mixed it all together.  It was good...I might even say delicious.  This was my first time ever tasting or cooking with ghee and while you can definitely tell it is not "regular" butter, I think it is a taste I will get used to over time.  

For dessert tonight I am going make Warm Cinnamon Apples.  I am 100% percent sure these will be yummy!  Dessert is not something I plan to do every night but after a successful first day, why not reward myself with an on-plan treat?

All in all, day one was great and a success. If nothing else worked I would have been happy with the coconut milk/oil working for me as a sweetener/creamer in my coffee.  Perhaps the thing I liked best about today was how quick and easy everything was that I made.  I am not someone who enjoys cooking so when it comes to food, the less involved, the better.