Mozzarella Stuffed Elk Meatballs

Joe and I both love gamy meats.  Duck, rabbit, anything that has some more flavor to it.  Since it is a bit harder to come by at stores, we normally just enjoy it when we go out to eat.  This time, we got our hands on some fresh elk.  On of our neighbors, and a good friend, went elk hunting a couple months ago somewhere up north in the mid-west, and came back with an elk.  After purchasing a freezer and getting the meets in, he started digging in.  He was ever so kind enough to offer us some, and we couldn't have been more excited.  We had never had elk so we started off with some meatballs.  We randomly had some fresh mozzarella at our house so with that, we googled elk stuffed meatballs and found the perfect recipe to copy (and change a bit!).  We were warned not to overcook so we were careful of that, but the meatballs turned out amazing.  The original recipe (found here) makes it with a marinara sauce that looks yummy but we didn't want to have to go to the store.  We will most likely do that next time. For now, here is what we did...

Ingredients

• 1lb ground elk burger 
• ½ teaspoon fennel
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon sage
• ½ teaspoon marjoram
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 red onion diced
• Olive oil
• Bocconcini fresh Mozzarella ball cut in cubes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine all 8 spices above and mix into the ground elk burger. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add diced red onion and continue to cook until onion softens and begins to caramelize about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Add onions to ground elk and mix together.
4. Take a handful of ground elk meat and begin to form a large meatball that fits in the palm of your hand. Add 1 bocconcini to the center and continue to pack meat around the cheese until you have a nice sized meatball. Repeat until done.
5. Bake for 20 minutes

We simply ate these with some veggies on the side and they were so flavorful!  Enjoy!

Whole30 Balsamic Beef Bolognese Pasta Sauce with Zucchini Noodles

Although we aren't eating strict Whole30 right now, we tend to still do meals that are Whole30 complaint.  We will enjoy a glass of wine or desert, but we really loved how healthy our lifestyle was when we were eating Whole30.  I had a friend ask me if I would do it again so I will actually be doing another stint of Whole30!  It will be nice having the motivation of a friend doing it with me.  Joe will most likely join in for the most part so it will be fun to see how long we keep up with it this time around.  I made the below recipe a while back and never got around to blogging about it.  Since I was cooking for just 2 of us, we had a lot of pasta sauce left over so we put it in a container and froze it for a later date!  It will make for a super easy and quick meal when we are in a bind while doing Whole30!  This was one of my favorite recipes we have done so I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Balsamic Beef Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 10 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 c chopped yellow onion
• Sea salt + cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
• 2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup sulfite-free balsamic vinegar (easy to find at any grocery store)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1-15 ounce can of plain 100% tomato sauce
• 1 pound (about 3 medium) vine tomatoes, diced
• Fresh basil
• 4 zucchinis

Method:
In a large sauce pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. When it warms up, add the garlic, onions, and a bit of salt and pepper, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the oregano, red pepper flake, and chopped mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft and browning, another 5 or 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for a couple of minutes, until the mixture is well combined. Pour in the first 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, and use it to help you scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Let is simmer for another few minutes to cook out the vinegar tang.

Add the ground beef and use a spatula to crumble it well and to combine it with the other ingredients. Add a bit more salt and pepper and continue to cook until the beef is no longer pink. Then add the sauce, the tomatoes, and the second 1/4 cup of balsamic. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower it to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes longer. Salt and pepper again as needed, and top with fresh basil.

For zucchini noodles use a spiralizer to create zucchini noodles.  Saute the noodles with a dash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste for 4 minutes or until desired softness.  Enjoy!

Original recipe and image found here

Whole 30 First Half...

So we have reached the halfway mark of Whole30.  I don't think I see too many changes in how I feel, but hey I guess that's not a terrible thing!  Like I said before, we ate pretty healthy leading up to this so it wasn't a huge lifestyle change.  I have become a lot more aware of exactly what goes into packaged foods, weather it is mustard or bacon.  It is shocking how many products add sugar to them.  The other thing that came up a lot was 100% all natural not really being all natural!  It has been fun educating myself on what really is "non processed". For more information on Whole30, follow the link here.  In the previous blog (here)  I documented why we decided to do the challenge.

There aren't too many things that I miss.  The first couple days you obviously think about what you cannot eat.  Once you get past that step, it simply becomes a habit to grab a carrot when you want a snack, enjoy a cup of tea at night instead of desert, and simply stay away from the fridge.  Two weeks into it, I would obviously still love an ice cream Sunday, but that only comes when I see someone else eating one!  So, I haven't decided how long I will do it, since I haven't seen many changes in the way I look, feel, etc, but it sure has been fun!  For now, here is the first two weeks of meal plans that we did, along with a quick explanation of what I did to workout!  Enjoy!

Day 1, Sunday March 1:

Brunch– 1 poached eggs and a pear

Snack – hard boiled egg with balsamic vinegar

Dinner - Salmon with avocado salsa (RECIPE)  and steamed broccoli and spinach  (we used dill instead of cilantro and lemon juice instead of lime since that is what was at the house!)

Meal prep for the week:

• Egg muffins for Joe to eat for breakfast: (RECIPE)
• Chicken Salad for Joe to enjoy two days during the week for lunch (RECIPE)
• Grilled chicken strips seasoned with red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, cooked on cast iron skillet for grilled chicken salad during the week

Workout – n/a

Day 2

Breakfast – Smoothie (for 2) – 2 bananas, 6 strawberries, 1 cup 100% Orange juice, 1 cup water, ½ cup fruit from frozen tropical fruit bag (pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries, honeydew melon)

Snack – 1 cup unsalted mixed nuts (no peanuts)

Lunch – Salad with a head of romaine lettuce, 1 egg, ½ avocado, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste

Snack – Hard Boiled Egg

Dinner – Lamb loin chop seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary and asparagus drizzled with olive oil and kosher salt

Workout – spin class, abs, 2 mile walk, tennis

Day 3

Breakfast – Smoothie (for 2) – 2 bananas, 1 mango, 1 cup mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries), 1 cup 100% orange juice, 1 cup water

Lunch – Greek Salad – Salad with egg, artichoke, onion, grilled chicken, peppers, and mushrooms

Snack – ½ cup mixed nuts

Dinner – Bison Meatballs (1 lb. ground beef, ¼ red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp. ground mustard seed makes 6-8 meatballs) with 1 pack mushrooms sautéed with 2 scrambled eggs and pepper

Snack – ½ grapefruit and tea

Workout - n/a

Day 4

Breakfast – Smoothie (for 2), 2 bananas, 1 cup tropical fruit mix, ½ cup mixed berries, water and orange juice

Snack – 1 cup mixed nuts

Lunch – Salad of romaine lettuce with egg, ½ avocado, oil and balsamic

Dinner – Fajitas – 1 red onion, 3 green peppers, 1 red pepper, 2 large chicken breasts, salt, pepper, garlic powder all sautéed

Workout – 25 minute run, tennis practice

Day 5

Breakfast – Smoothie (for 2), 2 bananas, 8 strawberries, water and juice

Snack – 1 cup mixed nuts

Lunch – Pear and a salad of romaine lettuce with egg, ½ avocado, oil, balsamic

Dinner – Lamb seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary with spaghetti squash seasoned with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, olive oil

Snack – Dates

Workout – 1 hour yoga

Day 6

Breakfast – Smoothie (for 2), 2 bananas, 8 strawberries, water and juice

Lunch – 10 piece sashimi with small side salad with carrots and cucumbers and lemon

Snack – Pear

Dinner – Lettuce wraps (1 lbs ground turkey, 1/3 onion, 3 garlic cloves, olive oil) with romaine lettuce shell and baked asparagus with salt and olive oil

Workout – 6 mile walk

Day 7

Breakfast – Smoothie for 2 (2 bananas, 1 cup mixed berried, juice and water)

Lunch – Pear, 3 egg salad with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper

Snack – pistachios and tea

Dinner – Salmon (like done on Day 1) with sautéed broccoli and mushroom

Workout – 2 hours tennis, 3 mile walk

Day 8

Breakfast – Smoothie for 2 (2 bananas, 1 cup tropical fruit, juice, water)

Lunch – Can of Sardines in water, apple, pistachios, 2 hardboiled eggs with balsamic vinegar

Dinner – Pulled pork smoked on GreenEgg seasoned with mustard and whole30 approved seasoning + homemade BBQ sauce with sautéed broccoli, mushrooms, and onion, and smoked salmon

Meal Prep

•  Egg muffins prepared like Week 1  under Day 1
• Grilled Chicken seasoned with salt pepper, and cayenne pepper

Workout – 2 hours tennis, 5 mile walk

Day 9

Breakfast –Smoothie for 2  (2 bananas, 1 can pineapple in 100% pineapple juice, 3 strawberries, water)

Snack – dates and hard boiled egg

Lunch – Salad with egg and ½ avocado with balsamic vinegar

Snack – Pistachio

Dinner – Salmon with lemon and pepper with sautéed broccoli and mushroom

Workout – n/a

Day 10

Breakfast – Smoothie for 2 (2 bananas, 8 strawberries, juice and water)

Lunch – Tomatoes and Pineapple Soup

Snack – Egg

Dinner – Chicken stir-fry with 1 lb. chicken, 1 zucchini, 1 squash, 2 cup broccoli, 2 cup cauliflower

Workout – 2x2 mile run (one on my own one with Joe)

Day 11

Breakfast – Ardens Garden fruit smoothie

Snack – unsalted raw almonds

Lunch – Salad with fajita veggies, grilled chicken, tomatoes, and guacamole

Dinner – grilled chicken with cauliflower mash, zucchini noodles with lemon

Workout – 4 mile walk/sprint workout

Day 12

Breakfast – Pomegranate and Acai berry smoothie

Snack – Raw almonds

Lunch – Panera Chicken Cobb with Avocado – no dressing, feta, or bacon

Dinner – Salad with cranberries, almonds, and grilled chicken

Workout – 4 mile run

Day 13

Breakfast – Smoothie for 2 (2 bananas, 8 strawberries, juice, water)

Lunch – Salad with 1 hard boiled egg, ½ avocado, balsamic vinegar and an apple

Snack – Pistachios

Dinner – Lamb seasoned with salt, pepper, and rosemary with green beans sautéed with sun dried tomatoes and garlic

Workout – 1 hour yoga, 3 mile walk

Day 14

Breakfast – Smoothie for 2 (2 bananas, 1 ½ cup tropical fruit, juice, water)

Lunch – 2 hard boiled eggs, pistachios, orange

Dinner – Ground turkey meatballs with sun-dried tomatoes and onion and seasoned with ground mustard, salt, and pepper, with sautéed broccoli and cauliflower

Snack – Grapefruit

Workout – n/a

 

Paleo Chicken Salad

Sometimes lunches for Whole30 are hard to come by.  It is a lot harder to go out to eat and find something that is Whole30 eligible, and salads can get boring (especially for Joe) and don't necessarily fill him up.  Because of that we had to come up with some creative lunch options.  It is always nice to be able to make a couple meals on Sunday for the week, so Joe found this Chicken Salad that called for ingredients that we already had at home.  He enjoyed it for two lunches throughout the week to make it more exciting.  It is quite flavorful so I hope you enjoy!

Avocado Chicken Salad

Ingredients
1 Pkg boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 or 3)
1 avocado
1/4 of an onion, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 Tbsp dill (that was all we had at the house and it actually tasted good, the original recipe calls for cilantro)
some salt and pepper, to taste






Directions
Cook chicken breast until done, let cool, and then shred. Add all of the other ingredients and mix.

It's quick, simple, and yummy!

Original Recipe Found here

Whole30 Challenge

Diet - a word very much over used in the English language. 
Healthy LifeStyle - something often overlooked in today's society

I want to start by saying for my husband and I, being on a diet is not the focus of us participating in the Whole30 challenge (our goal is mentioned later).  Any person would be lying if they said they never wanted to change something about their looks.  No matter how fit you are or how healthy you are, there are day's that you simply do not feel the best.  Maybe you feel fat, your abs aren't big enough, or your muscles are too big as a female for a shirt to fit properly.  In the society that we live in today, everyone is conditioned to search for perfection.  The idea of perfection comes in different forms for everyone, and every day we should strive take a step closer to make us a better person. 

For Joe and I, we tend to live a healthy lifestyle.  We are active and work out regularly, whether it is a quick trip to the gym, a yoga class, or a tennis match. We also eat fairly healthy and don't eat out very often, simply because I love cooking.  That being said, I also love baking, ice cream, and Girl Scout cookie season.  I don't have a huge sweet tooth and we may lead a healthy lifestyle, but sometimes I simply have no self control.  It's easy for me to eat something unhealthy early in the day, then continue the trend simply because I already messed up a "healthy" day.  I also travel a lot, and sometimes it is simple to grab something quick on the go, not necessarily thinking about the nutritional value. I think it is easy to get in a cycle to have a desert after dinner every day, and slowly but surely you crave more and more sweets.  Plus, I am 26 and don't want to live my life not allowing myself to eat foods I enjoy for really long amounts of time!  I don't think I will be 80 one day and think back no how lucky I was to not eat my ice cream because I was on a diet!

Knowing all of this, I had seen/hear/read about a lot of diets/cleanses/etc. Although I had entertained many in the past, none of them seemed to speak to me, since my focus really isn't to lose weight.  A lot of them I questioned, and for that reason I never decided to do them.   I do want to say that I am not judging others that have done any of the mentioned challenges or diets below, they simply are not for me (just like Whole30 may not be for you). A lot of my friends have done one or many of the below, and experienced great results!  Everyone's body's are different and everyone's lifestyles are different, so I really don't believe diets or healthy lifestyles can be "one size fits all".

Juice Cleanse - This is something that I don't this is a "healthy" approach to life.  Overindulging for a couple days/weeks/months, and think you can reverse it in a couple days by only drinking a "cleansing juice".  It may work for some people, but it simply doesn't seem appealing to me.  I cannot force myself to drink something that doesn't taste good to me for days without any solid foods.  I had also heard some horror stories (including one from my mom when she did it years and years ago) that gave the cleanses a bad taste in my mind.

Gluten Free - This is simply a fad diet that somehow caught on like wild fire.There are people out there in the world that are forced to have a gluten free diet for medical reasons.  Without getting into too many details, I have family members that are Celiac, and they will be the first to tell you that it is something that you simply could not life through without knowing you had the intolerance at a young age.  Joe and I have always prepared whole wheat pastas, made whole wheat breads, and enjoyed whole grain granola, and there so many great nutritional aspects of whole grains that people seem to forget.  Looking at ingredient lists of gluten free pastas and breads show that there were even more processed chemicals thrown into these foods in order to make them taste good. For this reason, gluten free never even crossed my mind.

Paleo -  I have a lot of friends that do CrossFit and have gone through the Paleo journey.  Although the concept makes sense, some of it never made sense in my mind. The main obstacle I had in my head was all of the Paleo recipes that simply mimic regular food.  I don't think our ancestors were trying to make bread out of almond flour and dates, and brownies that taste like brownies with the use of some crazy ingredients.

There were several others that have come up, but none seemed to work.  After having a friend do Whole30 (a variation of it) I started reading about it.  A lot of what I struggled with in the Paleo diet was mentioned in the introduction to the challenge.  It was kept simple and straight forward. No grains, sugar (natural or man made), legumes, dairy, processed foods, or preservatives.  Although they emphasize to not edit what they write is approved and unapproved, it didn't match what I wanted to do perfectly, so we made some changes.  We decided that we wouldn't eat potatoes during the duration of the challenge, although they have recently been approved in Whole30.  I am not a huge potato eater anyways so this was a simple decision on my end!  Something I couldn't buy into was smoothies.  Although they aren't labeled off limits in Whole30, they advise against them.  Their reasoning simply did not make sense to me, so we will continue with our smoothies in the morning.  I think they keep me full longer than eating the fruit whole, which is what their argument was for not having smoothies, and in the end, they are just something I was not willing to give up.

So, with these minor changes, and Joe's buy it, we were set to go!  Here are my thoughts so far...

• First, I will say, it makes it much easier to do it with a friend, roommate, or significant other.  We are only in day 2, but seeing Joe's enthusiasm about the journey makes it that much easier for me!
• Prepare Meals - Joe's biggest concern is what will replace his daily yogurt and granola for breakfast.  At times he also goes out to eat for lunch, and he wanted to know what he could eat for lunch!  We took about an hour on Sunday to prepare some breakfast and lunch for the week, as well as really plan out dinners!  Quite frankely this was so fun for me but makes the work week much easier!
• Don't think about what you can't eat, focus on what you can eat!
• READ all labels!  I tend to read a lot of labels but I have never notices just how many things have sugar in them!

As we go, I will post what we eat, new recipes, and my thoughts!  The last thing to do is set a goal!  So here we go.

GOAL:  Become more aware of what goes into my body, even when I think it is "healthy".  Take 25 days (we are only doing 25 days since Joe's birthday is the 26th of the month)  to truly enjoy simple foods and let my body take a rest a bit and not have to process any preservatives or processed food!  Enjoy 25 days of clean eating to help refocus on the healthy lifestyle we try to lead.

So with that, here we go!  Link below for the program!

Whole30 Instructions