Bites of My Life

January is coming to an end and so is Whole 30. It has felt long, but also an extremely short 30 days. I'm ready for February. Another new beginning. I've grown up a traditionalist and liked things kept the same, but as I get older I always feel so refreshed with new weeks, new years, new months, new beginnings. Do you dread the start of a new week or month, or feel encouraged by the difference it brings?

-Made my first sweet potato toast and O.M.G. Jill Bauer said just this morning on the Today Show that it is the new avocado toast! Just thinly slice your raw sweet potato lengthwise, run it through the toaster twice, then top with desired toppings!
-I'm slightly obsessed with this recipe and want you all to make it. I posted this Crock-Pot Curry Chicken over Cauliflower Rice last week and you just haaaaave to have it. 
-I finally got some Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides after seeing it go viral on instagram. Collagen is essential in everyday health, but you can read more specifics here. VP powder dissolves into virtually anything. Put it in your morning coffee, tea, smoothie, soup etc.
-Banana and almond butter is my favorite Whole 30 breakfast. It tastes so indulgent to me for some reason. A pretty presentation helps to! Just split your banana lengthwise, spread with AB, sprinkle with cinnamon and an optional drizzle of tahini.
-Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup was lunch everyday last week. The recipe is posted so you can enjoy it too!
-I shared my step by step tips on how to make perfect fried eggs in a cast iron skillet in my insta stories on Thursday. Missed it? Leave a comment and I'll give you the run down. I then topped them with the goods: maldon salt, sumac and turmeric.
-Woke up Sunday to then enjoy the most delicious brunch at recently opened, The Pritchard. A full restaurant review will be coming later this week!
-StudioHop gives you access to a curated list of local fitness studios so you can enjoy one membership at multiple studios. They started in Dallas and are now coming to OKC! I'm so excited to help share the news! The fun starts 2/6, but sign up for their newsletter here (scroll to the bottom) so you can be the first to know more. Now #hoptoit!
-In this final weekend of Whole 30, my non W30 cravings were strong. I wanted pizza and chips and dips so hard. I attempted to fullfill the cravings with veggie chips and compliant salsa. Along with plantain chips and guacamole and copious amounts of cashew butter...

Annie

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Sunday was a meal prep party for myself. My roommate Lindsay and I were shuffling back and forth, taking turns over the oven and in the stove, accidentally bumping into each other all afternoon. "Meal Prep" is such a muscle-y meat head sounding term to me and when I hear it I envision rows of tupperware lined up with boring chicken breasts and broccoli.  You know what I'm talking about...My meal prep is much different. It's really just about putting in a little time on Sunday, so I can then shovel food in my mouth the second I'm ready for lunch and dinner during the week. Cause I'm actually just lazy. 

On Whole 30 they preach meal prep. Simply trying to eat healthy is also about meal prep. Having healthy food prepared and ready at a moments notice saves you from caving on unhealthy options. This last week I prepped my Crock-Pot Curry Chicken and Cauliflower Rice for dinners and this Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup for lunches. I love soup for lunch. It's so much more fulfilling than a blah salad. The recipe is simple and comes together in under 30 minutes.

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
yields 6 cups, about 4 servings

Ingredients:
1, 14-16 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1, 28 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 yellow onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup water

Directions:
Heat a large stock pot with a tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Drain your red peppers and roughly chop them. Add to the pot with your diced tomatoes (not drained). Add salt, pepper, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes. Stir in water. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

If you have an immersion blender, put it straight into the pot and begin to puree the soup. If you don't, add the soup mixture into a food processor or blender. I like to keep my soup slightly chunky, but just blend until you get the consistency you like. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your food processor. Once blended, add it back into the pot and continue to cook for about 5 minutes then serve!

Preferred method of serving is eating it out of a coffee mug! The perfect vessel to hold onto while you curl up and eat this soup on your couch:)

Annie

Crock-Pot Chicken Curry over Cauliflower Rice

I did a little poll to see what kind of recipes you all were wanting. What I got back were things like easy, crock-pot, one dish, dinner, healthy, Super Bowl and Valentine's recipes. Minus the Super Bowl and Valentine's treats, I think I was able to combine all the other wants and needs into one dish! I mean you could totally make this and eat it during the Super Bowl or with your lovie on Vday, but we will come up with more "themed" recipes for those later.. 

With some inspo from The Food Charlaltan, I bring you my version of Crock-Pot Chicken Curry over Cauliflower Rice. It's comforting but still healthy and even Whole 30 approved. This was also my first time to make cauliflower rice, and I'm sold. I used this method.

You can definitely buy the pre-packaged cauliflower rice they sell in the stores, but the size and shape and look of it kind of weirds me out, so I made my own. You get a ton more and it's a lot cheaper to make your own. Hint, I use a box grater to achieve the rice look! But again, here is the how-to.

Do you guys ever use those crock-pot liners? If you don't, you're welcome for informing you. My good friend Sarah Beth showed them to me when we lived together our senior year of college. They are basically a big ziploc baggy that fits your crock-pot, but has magical powers to withstand the heat and not melt during the cooking process. So once your crock-pot has done all the work, and you get to enjoy a delicious meal, you simply lift the bag out of the pot and there is legit no clean up. Because how many times have you scraped and soaked and scraped and soaked crusted on velveta queso off your crock-pot?? Buy them and you'll never not line your crock-pot again. 

Crock-Pot Chicken Curry over Cauliflower Rice adapted from The Food Charlatan
makes 3-4 servings

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 tsp. oil
1 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk (full fat or light will work)
1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 red onion (large, or 1 small), chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (almond meal, coconut flour, tapioca starch & arrowroot powder will work to make it Whole 30 approved)
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated or minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
*4 cups homemade or store bought cauliflower rice

Toppings:
chopped cilantro, red onion, cashews

Directions:
Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil. Salt and pepper your chicken thighs.

When the oil is hot, add your chicken thighs. Don't put them too close together. Depending on the size of your pan you may have to sear them in batches.

Cook for about 3 minutes until just browned on the bottom. Then flip the chicken over to brown the other side for about 2-3 minutes. You are not cooking them completely, you just want to get a good sear on them. They will finish cooking in the crock-pot. Remove the chicken to a plate.

In your crock-pot combine coconut milk, basil, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, yellow curry, and chili powder. Stir to combine. Add the chopped red onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Place the browned chicken into the curry mixture. 

Place the lid on and set your crock-pot to high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the chicken from the crock-pot and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken, it should be falling apart and so yummy.

Add the ginger to the slow cooker. Then a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir until it's not lumpy. Add this to the crock pot and stir. This will help thicken the curry. You may need to add more for your desired thickness, but give the cornstarch a little bit of time, it won't thicken immediately but will with time. 

Add the shredded chicken back to the crock-pot. Return the lid and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the cilantro.

For each serving I steam about 3/4 cup of homemade cauliflower rice in the microwave for a 1 minute and sprinkle a little bit of salt over it. Then spoon a generous amount of curry over the rice and top with more cilantro, red onion and my fav-chopped cashews! (This would be great with plain white or jasmine rice and some naan bread).

*If you have questions about making the cauliflower rice, comment below and I'd love to help you out!

Annie

Bites of My Life

By the looks of this bites post, apparently my week was full of lots of colorful. More color than a typical mid-January week. Thinking about it I guess my week was pretty colorful!

I took a little hiatus from my personal instagram account over the past week. I cut the ties last Sunday evening after realizing I had spent a majority of my day idolizing over images, people, and lives displaced on the the app. About 6 days clean of being sucked into the social media world and getting to be more present in the real world. It was fantastic and I challenge you to do the same by taking a week off. My week was still full of pretty images and experiences, but I was really living them. 

-I made parmesan garlic roasted brussels sprouts Whole 30 approved. Ask and I'll tell you how ;)
-Then I made parmesan crusted salmon Whole 30 approved. I'm basically a magician.
-Grapefruit with fresh rosemary and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Bon Appetit told me to. 
-The new version of my go to apple and almond butter. Apple, turmeric, cinnamon, sumac and tahini. BOOM.
-The gals I've known the longest all together for a euro inspired dinner before Anna headed back to UVA Law.
-Remember my favorite salad in the city I gushed about here? It was lunch on Friday and I was the happiest.
-Killer Whole 30 approved shrimp scampi with the new issue of BonApp!
-Got to play around my kitchen last week while my talented friend Katie made it look somewhat professional. More from KGC Photography to come!
-Crispy fried eggs cooked up in my cast iron skillet using this method. 
-Eggs for breakfast, eggs for lunch, why not?
-Cooked up a freaking storm yesterday. Three new recipe posts are coming atcha soon! P.S. you are looking at crock-pot basil curry chicken!
-A What's Gaby Cooking inspired salad was my contribution to Sunday night dinner at mom and dads.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Poor Oklahoma weathermen are wiping their tears after predicting an ice apocalypse that was supposed to hit our state over the weekend, but decided to come in the form of a light drizzle instead of an ice storm. After packing the grocery stores and gas stations in preparation, us Oklahomies were actually able to step outside our houses this weekend. Thank goodness, because after the holidays and being cooped up in the snow two weekends ago, I'm going stir crazy of just sitting on my couch.

This past week was full of lots of spiralized vegetables (duh), lots of Whole 30 bites, and some not so whole 30 approved moments...oops! Just keeping it real! On that note, Whole 30 hasn't been so fantastic this go around. I haven't felt any positive changes, and I'm a little bumski. Hoping for a good feeling week this week! Are you doing W30? How has it been going for you?

-Monday morning eggs and a never ending to do list.
-A serious "clean out the fridge" salad that got so many questions and comments on my insta story about how good it looked. Funny how nothing can really be something! 
-New favorite Whole 30 snack. Celery sticks and tahini, preferably straight from the jar. 
-My first cheat on Whole 30. I'm sorry, but it was for a good reason. Keep reading to see why.
-Despite my cheating by drinking alcohol it was paired with a W30 approved snack of plantain chips and salsa.
-The booze and snacks all came while recording my second appearance on the local podcast, OKC Over Easy. I don't want to give away much, because you can get all the details by listening to our episode here.
-Made a riff on Barre3's Golden Milk Smoothie and it's seriously insane. My recipe is on instagram, but I think I need to perfect it into a recipe post. Do you agree?
-Last week's spiralized culprit, the sweet potato. 
-My Turmeric Chicken Zoodle Soup made it's way to the blog!
-Load the bowl, for a loaded bowl lunch.
-Who else's favorite part for going out for Japanese is the carrot ginger dressing on the house salads? I love it so much I recreated it in a recipe post a while back. 
-Sunday morning consisted of shooting these gorg brunch items. Coming soon here; one of the restaurants from our collective at The Social Order.

Annie