21-Day Sugar Detox cookbook!

I was so excited to receive an advance copy of the 21DSD cookbook. Than the holidays came and everything got so busy that I haven't had a chance to write anything about it. 

The first thing I made from the cookbook was actually the first recipe!

I used coconut milk that I bought on amazon...

This "oatmeal" is such a treat to have for breakfast. I've made it twice already and have t had a chance to make anything else. I plan to sample more recipes when another round of the detox starts on Jan. 6th!

Indian spiced pork tenderloin

I cooked a variety of dishes before but I've never really tried to cook Indian. I had to buy different spices like garam masala and turmeric. I used the recipe from "Against All Grain" cookbook. This is my second time making it and is probably the best pork tenderloin recipe I've made. The cookbook called for 3 lbs but I had 4.5 lbs so I just added extra spices. 

This recipe is so simple! Rub the pork w/salt and garam masala, sear for 5 minutes and than roast in oven until internal temperature is 150 degrees F.   The 4.5 lbs ended up taking 50 minutes. 

The pork is so juicy and tender. 

I paired it w/cumin- curry asparagus (instead of carrots) and parsnip purée. 

This dish was a hit w/everyone in my household!

Parsnip purée

The parsnip purée is so easy to make. You peel the parsnip, boil until soft, throw it in the vitamix w/some salt and pepper, roasted garlic olive oil, ghee and a little bit of almond milk. Then you just blend in a vitamix and the parsnip purée comes out smooth and creamy.

Buffalo Chicken Egg Muffins

I've been wanting to try a different egg muffin recipe since I always eat my bacon, egg muffin for breakfast when I'm at work. I decided to try the Buffalo chicken egg muffin recipe from the 21-Day Sugar Detox Book. Here's a link to the recipe. 

http://balancedbites.com/2013/02/easy-recipe-buffalo-chicken-egg-muffins.html

I didn't quite follow the recipe. I roasted a whole chicken a few days ago so I shredded it and used that. I also didn't have parchment lined muffin cups so I decided to use my silicone muffin pan. I think these cups are smaller than a regular muffin pan so my eggs were over flowing. Next time I would use 10 eggs instead of 12. I didn't add the green onions because I don't like onions. 

The muffins came out of the silicone pan so easy. I'm glad I used it instead of muffin liners. Here's what they look like...

These muffins were pretty good and I might try to freeze some so I'll always have some on hand. 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup and Shrimp Pad Thai

I finally had a chance to try out some recipes from The 21 Day Sugar Detox book that will be released at the end of the month. After crossfit, Lowes, Ikea and a trip to Whole Foods, I was starving and wanted to make something easy and quick and with ingredients that I had in my fridge. I was in a soup mode so I decided to make the Roasted Cauliflower Soup. I made a few modifications since I didn't have any carrots. Luckily I had some bone broth stored in the freezer. 

I marinated the cauliflower in a rosted garlic olive oil. I also didn't want to wait 30-40 minutes at 375 so I did 20-25 mins at 425. 

Overall, the soup was delicious and it was fast and easy to make. 

Shrimp Pad Thai satisfied my Thai craving. Instead of steaming the zucchini noodles, I "sweated" them out in the oven for 25 mins at 200 degrees (I did this earlier in the day so I didn't have to worry about it come dinner time. 

I ran out of almond butter so I whipped up a batch in the vitamix to use in the sauce. The sauce was good but it probably didn't need the whole 1/2 cup of coconut aminos. I ended up using less than 1/2 c and it tastes great. 

My non-paleo dinner guests enjoyed the meal greatly!

I'm excited for this new book and can't wait to do another round of the sugar detox using the recipes from the book. 

Hello Again!

It's been awhile since I've been on here.   A lot has happened...let's see I almost

sliced my finger off using a mandolin slicer while trying to cut a sweet potato. I ended up getting 9 stitches and had to be off work for 2 weeks. I'm not gonna post any pictures because it was pretty gruesome. I completed a 4 mile race the next day after my finger injury.  That's pretty much what happened in August. 

In September, I completed an Olympic distance triathlon. 

I have a half marathon coming up in a week and training hasn't been that great. I just plan to finish. It'll be my first half marathon since May 2012. 

I had a chance to meet the author of "Against All Grain" Danielle Walker. She came to San Diego for a talk and book signing. She was awesome! Very inspiring.  Can't wait for the next book!

Day 22! Reflections

I finally completed one full round of the 21 Day Sugar Detox, level 3. I lost 8 lbs total with moderate exercise. My clothes fits me better and I feel great. I can't believe how much energy I had. I've learned a lot about food and how diet can affect you. 

I look at these past 3 weeks as a steeping stone to the way I eat everyday. I know I'm not perfect and there will be days where I'll have "bad" foods but overall I'm more aware of what I'm putting into my body. 

I plan to introduce fruit back into my diet and also raw honey. 

Today's lunch was good and still part of the detox criteria...

Kale, tomatoes, bell peppers and chicken salad

I went to a heated yoga session and it was awesome! Good to be back at yoga. 

My first recipe from my new cookbook "Against All Grain" by Danielle Walker was the slow cooker orange chicken. I had it w/cauliflower rice (also from the cookbook) and green beans

It was really good. My non-paleo boyfriend ate te chicken too (but w/real rice). 

What a nice day to start my vacation!