Sesame Tahini Cookies- GF, Nut Free

Ingredients:

1/3 cup each:
tahini
sesame seeds
turbanado or demarara sugar
chocolate chips

One eggs
some vanilla, who measures vanilla?
1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all ingredients together in one bowl because it's not like you're on The Great British Bake Off. Line a tray with parchment and spread out to about 1/4 inch -1/3 thick. Bake for 15 minutes, and when slightly cool, cut into shapes.

Pizza Crust- Grain free, nut free

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup garbanzo flour
1/2 tsp yeast
pinch salt

2 TBL olive oil
2 eggs
warm water as needed


Add first four ingredients, stirring well. Add remaining, only adding enough water to hold dough together. Cover and let rise one hour.

Preheat oven to 450F. Coat a cast iron skillet with olive oil and oil your hands. Press dough in. Parbake for 10 minutes, top, then bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Nut free, Paleo,Whole 30 flax crackers

Ingredients:
1 cup ground flax meal
4 TBL chia seeds
2 TBL apple cider vinegar
2 TBL +/- warm water

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

sesame seeds, kosher salt, sunflowers seeds for topping

Mix first 4 ingredients in a small bowl until a ball forms. Let sit 2 hours to overnight.

In a food processor, combine next three ingredients and pulse until seeds are ground. Add remaining ingredients and pulse, adding water slowly if needed to make cohesive.

Preheat oven to 350 and oil a baking sheet with olive oil.

Roll out dough on baking sheet, being sure to oil top as the dough is sticky. Top , then roll over toppings. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn off heat and crack oven door. Allow to cool, then cut into desired shapes.

If you're not doing a Whole 30, you can add about a TBL of honey and they will taste like granola bars!

Green Goddess dressing (dairy free)

Start with a basic blender aoli . Measure out one cup, and save the rest. Return the one cup to the blender.

Add 1 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup fresh basil,4 chopped spring onions, and blend. Add 3 TBL fruity vinegar (I used the blackberry vinegar I accidentally made when I left a water bottle with fruity water in a hot car for three days). Blend, and then slowly blend in a 1/2 cup olive oil.

Salt to taste if needed.

One pan chicken with "stuffing rice"

I call it "stuffing rice" because it has the same flavour profile of my gram's stuffing.

Ingredients:
1 whole fryer
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 an onion, finally chopped'
2 carrots, finely chopped

Seasonings: I used paprika, thyme, garlic and olive oil for the pictured dish.

Oven:350

Layer chopped veg, rice, and water in the bottom of a glass baking dish. If you like, skin your chicken, place it on top and then smear on your spices.
Bake 2 hours, stirring rice occasionally.


This dish is a 2 meal deal. The leftovers can be easily turned into soup by making the bones into 3-4 cups of stock, chopping the chicken, and tossing it all into a pan to warm through.

Miso ginger pork noodles (GF, DF, nut and corn free)

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds boneless pork ribs
1 TBL sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari
1 TBL miso paste
2 TBL freshly grated ginger
2 tsp minced garlic
1 bunch green onion, sliced
about 2 cups thinly sliced bok choy

1 package rice noodles


Slice the pork into thin disks. In a large pot, brown pork with the sesame oil. When browned, turn down to low and add tamari, garlic, miso, and ginger. Let simmer for about two hours.

When pork is meltingly tender, soak noodles in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Add bok choy to pork, followed by the soaked noodles. Garnish with the green onions, and sriracha and sesame seeds if desired.

What do I want from my Whole 30?

I'm starting my first Whole 30 tomorrow. I've had periods of more or less strict paleo or careful eating over the years, but this will be my most stringent yet. If you asked me, I'd have said I eat a pretty healthy diet...until I started cleaning out my kitchen in prep for my Whole 30. 

What do I hope to happen over the next month?

-Lose at least 10 pounds

- at least some level of relief from headaches, joint pain, abdominal pain, and candida

- reduced craving for sugar

-better mobility

What habits do I want to make sure to NOT return to after the 30 days?

-packaged gluten free products

-legumes

-oats

In addition, to meet my goals I'll need to start measuring my portions and the cooking fats I use, because it's all too easy when eating mostly whole foods to feel like you can eat all you want.

That obviously no longer works for me, as I weighed in at 162 today...only three pounds less than my highest adult, non pregnant weight. Since I can't weigh myself until the Whole 30 is over, I'' entirely rely on how my pants fir: and yes, it's hard not to quantify myself like that for 30 days.