Whole 30

February 6, 2013

Courgette or Zucchini Boats with Bolognese Sauce {Paleo Friendly}

One of the things that I enjoyed the most about my Paleo/Whole 30 challenge in January was the simplicity of it. No processed foods, no heavy or starchy carbohyrdates, no gluten or wheat. Just plenty of lean and organic protein, fresh seasonal vegetables and lots of fruit. It’s not rocket science and it’s pretty obvious that you are going to feel a million times better and start to shrink. I got to day 26, having also had no alcohol, cakes or chocolate and had lost eight pounds. I also felt clearer headed, had lots more energy and had more ‘even’ moods. Unfortunately, a (stressful) overnight stay in hospital with my little one and then an over-indulgent family party weekend knocked me off my healthy eating pedestal. However, I was able to get back on track and I’d say that I’ve kept to my new rules about 80% of the time, which I think, and hope, is sensible in the long run. This recipe for Courgette or Zucchini Boats with Bolognese sauce has since become of my favourite go-to Paleo recipes and I try to make it once every couple of weeks to stay on track.

Hope you enjoy this recipe.

January 30, 2013

Guest Post: Cucina Ceri – Subbing Processed Carbs for Colourful Veg

By Ceri Jones, of Cucina Ceri

Readers of this blog will know that this January, Ren committed to the Whole30 regime, which draws on the Paleo approach to a diet based on whole foods (meat, fish, veg, fruit, nuts and seeds) to enable the body to re-set itself and become less dependent on sugars and processed foods as fuel. Since my blog, Cucina Ceri, is full of Paleo inspired recipes I was delighted when Ren asked me to put together a guest post for Fabulicious Food.

I get my recipe inspiration from just about everywhere – meals out, reading magazines, other blogs, cookbooks and cooking shows on the box – I take my inspiration first and worry about adapting it to my nutritional aspirations later!

I love experimenting in the kitchen, and as a reformed pasta-&-dense-carb-a-holic, I love to find new ways of using my existing pasta recipe repertoire to create tasty new and good for you dishes. My favourite way of doing this is to replace grain and gluten-heavy foods such as pasta, noodles and rice with vegetable alternatives. This also increases my daily intake of vegetables at the same time – perfect!

Here are 5 of my favourite ideas –

1. Using courgettes as ‘spaghetti’ or noodles. I’ve got a piece of equipment called a ‘spiraliser’ but very cheap julienne peeler works just as well. In a matter of minutes a humble courgette can be turned into fabulous ribbon lengths and served alongside favourite pasta sauces such as bolognese, meatballs, carbonara or pesto. My current favourite recipe is Pancetta with Courgette Linguini. For a cuisine way further east than Italy I recently cooked up a tasty Prawn Pad Thai. I’ll be posting this up on Cucina Ceri very soon.

Pancetta with Courgette Linguini

2. Stuffing veg to carry sauces. I am loving using squash, hollowed out, roasted and filled with a pasta sauce of choice. My easy on the eye Squash All’Amatriciana is one of my favourite ever recipes.

Squash All’Amatriciana

3. Using cauliflower as rice. Stick a head of cauliflower through the grating attachment on a food processor, steam or stir fry with some garlic & coconut oil and hey presto you’ve got a pile of highly nutritious cruciferous veg to serve as an accompaniment to a meal. I recently served this alongside my Burmese Pork Curry . Cauliflower rice can also be used instead of bulgar in Tabbouleh.

4. Using thinly sliced aubergines or courgettes instead of lasagna sheets. Certainly no less tasty, than a conventional lasagne I had great fun creating this Faux Lasagna – by layering up beef bolognese, vegetables and creamy pesto sauce.

5. Subbing grain-free flour in gnocchi. This is a recipe I haven’t yet published on the blog as I need to perfect it a little further – a gnocchi made from sweet potato and chestnut flour. I choose sweet potatoes over plain as whilst white pots are a vegetable they are basically a nutritional non-event. Chestnut flour is one of my favourite substitute flours and like the sweet potato has a slightly sweet edge. This gnocchi dish is starchy carb heavy so saved for a special treat. The gnocchi carried both sauces I trialled superbly – Creamy Coconut with Salmon and Spinach, Rocket & Parma Ham.

So there you have it – just a few of my favourite ideas I wanted to share. I would be really interested to know if anyone has any similar recipes or ideas? Thanks so much Ren for inviting me to guest post – and best of luck with the rest of your Whole 30 journey. I am reading with interest!

With many thanks to Ceri Jones for this lovely and informative guest post – brimming with healthy ideas!

January 18, 2013

Review: ‘Well Fed’ and a Whole 30 Update

I can hardly believe it myself, but I am on Day 16 of my Paleo/Whole 30 Challenge, designed to re-set your system so that you become less dependent on sugar and processed foods to fuel your body. I’ve been eating plenty of lean protein, such as grass-fed (more omega 3, less hormones) pork and beef, organic chicken and fish as well as fresh vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts. It has changed the way I approach food. I no longer automatically reach for the biscuit tin or make meals entirely based around carbohydrates. It has been difficult (I am really missing milk and cheese) but this is the longest time I’ve ever stuck to any type of programme that ‘eliminates’ any one thing (in this case, wheat, dairy, sugar, soy, legumes) and the health benefits, so far, are encouraging.

I am enjoying the simplicity of eating the Paleo way, surprisingly, meals are not any harder to cook or plan. The children are still eating as before, but I have noticed that we are all eating more fruit and veg as a family. Most importantly, I’m managing not to eat their leftovers, or snack on chocolate, or sip countless lattes throughout the day. I am looking forward to getting to Day 30 and to re-introducing some things back in, such as organic milk, but there is no doubt that some of the new habits I have gained will stay. I will be allowing myself chocolate and cake again, life is too short to completely deprive yourself of everything, but I hope not to be led by cravings for sweet foods and instead, to consider them a treat.

I am sleeping more soundly and have a clearer head. I also feel like I am on more of an even keel, nothing really bothers me so much, even running late in the morning, which is a pet hate. In fact, I’m waking up earlier and getting more things done before the children wake up. I have clearer skin and sharper taste buds. Even the pear I ate this morning tasted almost too sweet. Although this plan is clearly restrictive, it is strangely liberating not to be sugar-dependent and there is lots that I can eat, including fruit and veg, which makes The Whole 30 feel like a healthy thing to be doing.

I’m just about to try making Cauliflower Fried Rice, based on a recipe in Well Fed, and I also have a slow cooker Bolognese (Paleo-friendly) recipe to share soon, too.

Here’s a re-cap on some of the useful resources I’ve come across –

Books

It Starts With Food – By Dallas & Melissa Hertwig creators of the Whole 30 plan

Well Fed, Paleo Recipes – by Melissa Joulwan (Whole 30 approved)

Websites

Whole 9, which includes the Whole 30 Plan and free PDF’s

The Clothes Make The Girl (Mellisa Joulwan’s blog

UK-based Cucina Ceri

Nom Nom Paleo – great recipes by Michelle

Butternut, Coconut and Hazelnut Soup – Paleo Friendly – find my recipe here

Review – (Cookbook) Well Fed, Recipes for people who love to eat

Well Fed, Paleo Recipes for people who love to eat, is written by Melissa Joulwan with photography by David Humphreys. The cookbook is based on a Paleo eating plan, also referred to as the Paleo Diet, Caveman Diet, Prima, Real Food and Paleo Lifestyle. There is a simple to follow ‘No’ list, including processed foods, grains, legumes, soy, sugar, dairy, alcohol, white potatoes and vegetable oils. This is based on the idea that we should eat the foods that make us healthiest. On the ‘Yes’ list are animal-based protein, vegetables, fruit and natural fat sources. Some people eat this way 100% of the time, or as much of the time as they can, others chose to follow a 30-day elimination program such as The Whole 30, before re-introducing certain things back into their diet, whilst noting the effect on their system.

The point of a Paleo eating plan is that by removing inflammatory foods from our diets, and by eating ‘real food’ we reduce our risk of “diseases of civilization,” such as heart disease, diabetes and cancers. Added to that, Melissa says, “our energy levels are better, we look years youngers and we enjoy life more.” So far, I’d agree with her!

Inside, there are sections on The Paleo Kitchen, including Weekly Cook Up ideas, Your Paleo Pantry, Recipes, Meal Ideas, Sauces and Seasoning, Protein, Veggies and Salads, Fruits, and a Resources section. The recipes are very simple to follow, and include Moroccan Meatballs, Cinnamon Beef Stew, Rogan Josh, and BBQ Pork (Cauliflower) Fried Rice.

It would only really be worth buying this book if you are trying a Paleo way of eating, or are taking part in The Whole 30 challenge. I’ve certainly picked up some great ideas from the book, but mainly around making sauces, seasoning and flavourings to keep things interesting rather than any new cooking techniques or groundbreaking recipes. That being said, the cauliflower fried rice idea was a new one to me and I have been introduced to some interesting alternatives, such as coconut aminos, in place of soy sauce. There are plenty of recipes that you can slow cook, or prepare in advance, to keep on top of things.

There is no specific section on breakfast because Paleo eaters oftens just eat the same food for breakfast as they would the rest of the day, such as grilled chicken and vegetables, but I would have liked to have seen a few breakfast ideas in here for better value for money.

(Own copy, bought from Amazon.com RRP $29.95, I purchased mine for $18.94 which came to £20.32) but it is available on Amazon.co.uk, too for around the same price.)

I really hope I haven’t bored you with my healthy eating update, I am pleased as punch that I’m half way through.

Just think, it’s Shrove Tuesday soon and Valentine’s Day and I am looking forward to sharing some treats, too!

January 9, 2013

Recipe: Butternut, Coconut and Hazelnut Soup

Here in the UK, the sun is shining, the skies are blue and it’s the beginning of January. It’s a little disconcerting. The children have gone back to school, the Christmas tree is down (which means my big bay window and all our light is back) and everyone is on a health kick, including me. I’ve just finished reading a compelling a new book, a gift from my sister in the States, called It Starts With Food. The basic premise is to follow a Paleo-style eating plan, filled with grass-fed meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. The Whole 30 program itself is easy to follow. It’s designed to re-set your system so that you are no longer reliant on sugar or processed foods to fuel your body. It sounds straight-forward and sensible enough. However, eating like a caveman and cutting out wheat, sugar, chocolate, dairy, legumes and most carbohydrates for thirty days means that the plan requires a pretty high level of dedication. I’m happy to say I’m on Day 7 and feeling great. More clarity, less cravings, no desire at all to reach for the biscuit tin. I am missing milk in my tea, but I can start to reintroduce certain things at the end of the thirty days. I’ll give you an update and a little more information when I’ve reached Day 30. Below, I’ve posted my first paleo-friendly recipe for butternut, coconut and hazelnut soup and some helpful links I’ve come across so far.

I’m easing myself back into blogging, too after a long break, the longest break I’ve had in two years. I started writing a ‘highlights of 2012’ post and gave up. I started writing a handy ‘how to make your blog shine in 2013’ post and ended up writing half an ebook, so I’m going to plug away at that and see what comes of it. I’ve written and submitted a cookery book proposal. I’m testing and developing recipes for two brands. Things are generally looking bright and shiny. Here’s to a happy and healthy new year.

Some useful sites that I’ve found while on my new paleo-friendly challenge

Whole 9 Life – including