It’s an amazing Friday over here because it’s currently 70 degrees and sunny. I’m going to zoom through this post so that I can get the girls outside and take advantage of it before rain and clouds set in for the next 5 days.
Let’s talk about food. I made a dinner last night that you must add to your menu ASAP.
Behold…spiced chicken with acorn squash, red cabbage and apples. The glory of this recipe is that you only need one baking sheet and your oven preheated to 400 degrees. It can easily be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
I’m not going to type out “official” recipe but here’s how I made it happen.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 400
- Melt some coconut oil and spread it around the bottom of the pan (or olive)…about a tablespoon
- Slice acorn squash and apples into slices and cabbage into wedges
- Season bone-in chicken quarters with my favorite spiced chicken rub
- Arrange it all on a baking sheet. Season cabbage and acorn squash with salt and pepper and drizzle a little more olive oil all over the whole mixture.
- Roast, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. Check the cabbage and squash. Flip the squash and cover the cabbage with foil if it’s getting too brown, leaving chicken exposed.
- Continue to cook until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165. Mine took about 30-35 mins.
I drizzled the cabbage with an aged balsamic for serving but that’s totally optional. We both agreed that this dinner was an amazing and a must do over and over again!
So I’m on day 5 of my second Whole30 and I have to say, it’s about 500% easier the second time around. I feel great from a physical perspective and the meal plan/prep comes so much more naturally without having to think about it. The break from sugar/alcohol is like “cue angels singing” after the holidays (give me another week and I’ll be eating those words!). I’ve got 680 people in my Whole30 Facebook group and it’s been so nice to share the experience with so many others this time around. Definitely ups the accountability game.
Here are some things I’ve been eating days 1-4 of this go round.
Salad with pears, avocado, pistachios and a can of wild pink Alaskan salmon.
Two eggs scrambled in coconut oil with a salad and pineapple.
Slow cooker roast. Into the slow cooker went a bottom round roast (browned first), baby carrots, yukon gold potatoes, celery, garlic, onion, some chicken stock and a can of tomatoes.
Eight hours later.
I did a MASSIVE photo shoot for Namastay Kitchen on Thursday. We had so much food leftover but the only Whole30-friendly dish was this amazing pork shank that our chef prepared as a special. When I quizzed him on the ingredients and discovered it was a go, I was super excited. I packaged it up and brought it home for dinner.
The meat just fell off the bone. So yummy. I served it with potatoes, carrots, parsnips and brussles sprouts.
Snacking isn’t encouraged on the Whole30 but when you typically have lunch at 12:30-1 and dinner at 8:30-9, an afternoon snack is a must. Apple and cashew butter.
Pear and Nuttzo.
Off to bask in the sunshine until I have to teach again and then we kick off our Winter 2017 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at the studio!
Favorite one pot or one pan meal?
Favorite afternoon snack of the moment?
