Bacon Brussels Sprouts

What Brussels sprouts really look like...

Looks kind of funny, doesn't it? If you have the time, go ahead and buy the stalk. However, if you're not on vacation like me and generally short on time, just buy a bag of the buds, because it definitely takes some extra time to pull the buds off of the stalk and then pull off the outer leaves. Also, rinse thoroughly, because when my mom and I were working our way through the stalk, there were some tiny black bugs crawling around (shhhh, I didn't point them out to my mom at the time because I didn't want her to freak out).

I've mentioned cooking Brussels sprouts with bacon before, and I really need to emphasize this fact. It's delicious! And in case you need step-by-step instructions to realize this for yourself...

Bacon Brussels Sprouts
1 stalk Brussels sprouts (or 1-2 lbs of buds)
5 slices bacon
2 Tbls EVOO
2 tsp garlic salt (or use a combination of garlic powder and salt)
1 1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Rip the buds off of the stalk and pull off the top two outer leaves (I always do this, but it's not necessary). Cut the stem off and then cut the bud in half. Place all of the halved buds into a gallon-sized Ziploc bag and add the EVOO, garlic salt, and pepper (other seasonings can be used as well). Seal the bag and shake well.

Using a sharp knife, chop up the slices of bacon. Cook in a pan over medium heat until crispy. Scoop out the bacon and transfer to the bag with Brussels sprouts. Remove the pan from the stove and let cool for a couple minutes. Then pour the bacon fat over the Brussels sprouts, seal the bag, and toss to coat. If you don't let the bacon fat cool, you could end up melting the plastic bag, which is bad. I said the Brussels sprouts were good with bacon, not plastic. Even bacon can't make plastic taste good.

Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. It works best if you use a baking sheet with edges. Spread out the Brussels sprouts and place in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes before flipping the sprouts over. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, then remove and serve.

Whole 30 - Paleo Thanksgiving

I returned to the grand state of Texas on Friday night. On Saturday, I couldn't stop from weighing myself. And I'm happy to report that I'm one of the few people who lost weight over Thanksgiving break. I know most people would say that it's because I cut out carbs, but that's not really true. The main thing that changed last week was cutting out alcohol and chocolate.

On Saturday night, my friends, LMR, LD, DD, and I held a Paleo Thanksgiving. LD was in town from Oklahoma and he also does Paleo. Yay for another friend who follows Paleo. Our dinner menu consisted of chicken with homemade Paleo cranberry sauce (courtesy of DD), roasted Brussels sprouts (LMR), and mashed cauliflower (DD). So it was almost identical to my Thanksgiving dinner.

But LMR sets a much fancier table than my paper plate Thanksgiving...

I made the non-Paleo chocolate chip bars because Laura requested that I make the extremely non-Paleo pumpkin trifle from a few weeks back, but then I ran out of time and forgot to get more pudding mix. So I regret to report that I did not stick to Paleo/Whole 30 for the evening. I did eat some of the pumpkin bars. Judge away. I'm judging myself. And wishing I could take it back. But it made me feel better that my Paleo friend went a bit crazy on those bars. They're just THAT good.

I'm also realizing that my version of Paleo is much stricter than others. The mashed cauliflower was made with a LOT of heavy whipping cream, which I normally wouldn't have. Also, I think LMR put some Parmesan cheese on the Brussels sprouts. And I ate some of the pumpkin chocolate chip bars - I felt bad contributing something that I wouldn't eat. So basically, the only thing that I would have eaten if I was following strict Paleo would be the chicken. I didn't want to be rude, so I relaxed my rules a little bit. I'm back on though. Definitely.

Whole 30 - Thanksgiving

So my family really likes Crock-pots. We're from the Midwest... it's a thing. We love us some Crock-pots.

And here's my Thanksgiving plate: Turkey, ham, mashed cauliflower, and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon. And I drank chamomile tea almost constantly for the last few days.

Shortly after eating, my cold took over and I fell asleep on the couch, with my head on my father's shoulder while watching a football game. He fell asleep, too. And his snoring woke me up. Thanksgiving Day was not a good one for my cold. But tea made my throat feel better.

On Friday, my family celebrates Christmas (a.k.a. Thankmas). My uncle's family (kids, grandchildren, and great grandchildren) all gather for Thanksgiving, and it makes more sense for them to celebrate Christmas at the same time so that they don't have to travel to the same place twice within a month. Starting Thursday night, Thanksgiving decorations start getting switched out for Christmas ones. And on Friday, we go for Scandinavian foods, like pickled herring and Swedish meatballs. Though I didn't eat the meatballs, because they come in a cream-based sauce. It was killing me, trust me. I love Swedish meatballs. They're delicious!

Bad Eating Habits

This past week has been very busy and stressful for me. I haven't had a lot of free time in the evenings to cook food for lunch during work, so I've been snacking at work and eating unhealthily. A couple Mondays ago, I posted about dark chocolate, how eating it made me feel sick, and how I was going to restrict myself... Yeah, that didn't happen. My breakfast for the past couple days has been nonexistent and my lunches have consisted of a dark chocolate covered nuts and single serving packets of nut butter (I tried walnut and cashew this week). If I had a health-o-meter, it would be pointing at the red zone of "Worst idea ever."

Couple my diet this week with the stress levels I have from work and preparing for moving next week (I just arranged for movers today - which is about 2 months behind schedule for me. One week is my version of waiting till the last minute), and it's no surprise that I haven't been feeling great lately. Today I had a headache that was bad enough to have me curled up in bed at 2 p.m., where I stayed until roughly 30 minutes ago. I also had accompanying nausea that would kick in every time I attempted to stand up. Even sitting on my couch right now is leaving the left side of my head throbbing. However after napping sporadically this afternoon, I decided food was probably a good idea. So I made myself some Roasted Brussels Sprouts, though this time I took a slice of bacon and sliced it into small pieces to cook with the Brussels sprouts. Delicious! If my stomach had emotions, eating the Brussels sprouts would make it smile and shout with joy! Even eating some of the raw leaves while I was prepping the Brussels sprouts made my body feel better.

This is why I think that my food habits this week have had a big influence on my health today. I basically set up my own personal perfect storm for migraines:

1. Lack of sleep/changes in sleep patterns
2. High stress levels
3. Unhealthy eating
4. Chocolate (this kind of falls under number 3, but it deserves its own section because chocolate is a common migraine trigger independent of other eating habits)
5. Weather changes

I think I've had a lot of small failures the past couple weeks. I'm hoping to get myself back into line over the next couple weeks.

P.S. I've heard of some people wanting to cut out the core of the Brussels sprout before cooking to promote fast and even cooking. Personally the core is my favorite part, so I suggest trying this cabbage-like veggie with the core.

P.P.S. I saw the trailer for Thundercats today. I find Vin Diesel with face paint very amusing, but give me Brad Pitt, Vin Diesel, and Hugh Jackman any day!

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

So Sunday morning started with my parents and I making a frittata for breakfast. We used one chicken breast and a bunch of veggies. While the frittata was baking in the oven, I started the preparation for my Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken Breast by marinading the chicken (see below) and making the mushroom-bacon stuffing.

Chicken Marinade
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

After a late brunch, we went for a 5-mile walk around Stone Mountain and rented a movie on the way home. We started on dinner (below) after the movie ended.

Paleo Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef, grass-fed (substitute with any type of ground meat)
3 carrots, diced
5 mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tbls fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbls fresh sage, chopped
1 tbls fresh thyme, chopped
paprika

Mashed Cauliflower
2 cloves garlic, roughly sliced
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp garlic salt
2 cups water or chicken broth
3/4 head cauliflower, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Saute the ground beef in a large pan on medium heat until browned. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms, cooking until soft. Mix in 3/4 of your fresh herbs. Cover and remove from heat.

Heat the water, garlic, rosemary, and garlic salt in a medium pot on high heat. After it boils, reduce to medium-high heat and add the cauliflower in a steamer basket (I used a stainless steel collapsible steamer basket). Cook until cauliflower is soft and starts to fall apart when stuck with a fork. Remove from heat and let cook for a few minutes. Place into a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in your remaining herbs.

After blender

Before the oven

Transfer your meat/veggie mixture into an oven safe baking pan or corning-ware. Spread the mashed cauliflower across the top and sprinkle with paprika. Bake on the middle shelf for 15 minutes, or until mashed cauliflower is slightly toasty.

We served the shepherd's pie with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and steamed carrots. Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

3 cups Brussels Sprouts

3 tbls olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Rinse and dry the Brussels sprouts. Pull off the first couple outer leaves and slice each in half.

 Place the Brussels sprouts in a bowl and add the olive oil, garlic, and garlic salt. Toss to coat evenly (you could also use a plastic bag and shake to coat).  

Place the sliced side down onto a baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the centers of the Brussels sprouts are soft. See the picture above for what they will look like.