Crockpot Stuffed Cabbage (Paleo/Whole30)

I am on the struggle bus lately. I am being pulled in a lot of different directions and being what I want to be at all of them is getting increasingly hard. My head/logic is saying that it is ok that my workouts are taking a back seat and being reduced to 3 days a week, sometimes for only 30 minutes. My time working to compete at a level I want is done- after all, I am trying to keep up with people who get to spend more time training, and have responsibilities which are different than mine. But I have been trying to listen to my head lately and my heart is saying I am not done yet! I am not ready to let it go!! I realize I am not going to be a Games athlete, but I am not done reaching my potential in the sport. I have been trying to come to grips with it being ok, trying to take a step back for a few weeks now, but I honestly just can't... it is frustrating to watch other people train like I want to train and know that I wasn't done trying to be better. So now I have a new plan... I am doing my squats, etc. at home, I am going to Olympic lift when I can on the weekends, and I am bringing Charlie to the box with me to just get the WOD in more than twice a week. I have always been stubborn and strong-willed, I obviously still am and I see it in my child. I have an incredible support system, but every school year brings a new challenge with work and adjustments with my toddler. So far so good bringing her with me... I have gone twice and set her up in her pack and play with snacks, coloring and an iPad. The first day she interrupted my workout three times in 18 minutes but yesterday I did the whole thing (12 minutes lol) without issue. I can do this- or at least say I tired.

Stuffed cabbage has been in my life for at least eight years... my ex-husband had a polish side... but I was vegetarian our entire relationship and never ate the famed "golabki."Because I am trying to make this a paleo/Whole30 recipe I have not included rice in the recipe. But the carrots are a sweet touch that make them my own. I also made my sauce with meat because more meat means more gains. 

Crockpot Stuffed Cabbage

(Printable Version)

Filling:

- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Pork (I used plain, not sausage)
- 2 Carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 Small Sweet Onion, grated
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced or grated
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Grate the vegetables and mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Sauce (this makes double what I used so I froze the rest)

You could also just use the canned tomato products and forget the meat and cooking :)

- 1 lb Sausage, loose
- 1 Small Sweet Onion, chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 28-ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 28-oz Can Tomato Sauce
- 10 oz Can Tomato Paste
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add in a drizzle of olive oil and cook the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the sausage and cook through. 
2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer 20-30 minutes.  

Boiling the Cabbage:

1.  In a large stock pot boil water. Core the cabbage and place it in the water. Within 5 minutes the outer leaves will start to soften. As they get soft peel them off, keeping them whole. I rolled as I peeled, but you could peel 12-15 leaves and then begin. If the leaves become too soft just discard them and using ones closer to the middle. This entire process took me less than 10 minutes. 

Assembly:

1. In a slow-cooker, add half the sauce.
2. Depending on the size of the leaves, add two tablespoon fulls of filling to the end closest to where the core was. Fold in the sides and roll it tight like a burrito. Place it fold side down in the slow cooker.
3. Continue until you are out of meat. You should have between 10-12 cabbage rolls. Top everything with the remaining sauce. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours. 

Homemade Granola with Pomegranate and Banana

Phew... sorry! Super delayed on posting lately because of my work schedule. Between the students/parents asking for extra credit and grade bumps I am responding to and the mass grading I am doing I have been so busy and so tired. Matt has been helping me like crazy so I can grade at night and Charlie has been involved in the kitchen and helped toss the salad for dinner. So important for me to teach her that food doesn't naturally come out of a box, freezer section, or package. 

I also did a competition for fun with my sister. We ironically have never dressed up as Thing 1 and Thing 2... it was great to compete with just her. We had some good workouts and some that could've gone better but we finished in the top 5 girl-girl teams and both hit PRs on our deadlifts- I am finally in the 300 club (310lbs to be exact!)

Pomegranates have been on sale recently and with the holidays coming up, the bright red color and tartness reminds me of the cranberries you see in everything. I am experimenting with them in brussel sprouts and some other dishes. :) Either way, this was a delicious breakfast that made me not miss cereal in the slightest.

Homemade Granola with Pomegranate and Banana

For the Granola-
keep all the nuts unsalted and raw if you can, if you can't, find them blanched or dry roasted... still no salt!
- 1 Cup Pecans, chopped
- 1 Cup Walnuts, chopped
- 1 Cup Almonds, chopped
- 1 Cup Coconut- Unsweetened, Finely Shredded
- 1 Cup Dried Cranberries, unsweetened
- 2 Tbsp Almond Butter (or Sunbutter)
- 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined
2. Spread into an even later onto a parchment lined baking sheet
3. Bake 15-20 minutes. Stir at the 10 minute mark. REALLY watch it after 15 minutes. It will go from perfect to burned quickly. Take it out of the oven before you think it is ready- it will harder and clump as it cools. Store what you don't use in an air tight container.

Putting the bowl together-

- 1/2 Banana
- 1/4 Pomegranate, seeds removed
- 1/2 Cup Granola
- Milk of your Choice
- Splash of Vanilla* Opional

Baked Lemon-Garlic Salmon with Vegetables

This Halloween was Charlie's first time trick-or-treating with me. Last year it was way to cold and miserable out. This year we did the whole sh-bang.... apple picked, went to get cider, went to the pumpkin patch, carved pumpkins, roasted seeds... woohoo! Can't wait for thanksgiving now. 

This dish was inspired by a chicken one I saw in a magazine. It was actually an add for flavored butter! But I made my one and I am definitely a fan of one-pan meals! 

Baked Lemon-garlic Salmon with Vegetables

(Printable Version)

- 2 lbs Salmon, skin on (Four 1/2-pound filets)
- 1 Stick Grass-fed Butter, room temperature
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced finely or with a micro-plane grater
- 1 Lemon- zest and juice
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dried Parsley 
- 2 Bunches Asparagus (about 2 lbs), trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1/2 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. In a bowl, mash the softened butter with the zest of one lemon, juice of half the lemon, the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. If it is not well combine you could melt it in the microwave or a pot slightly until it is smooth. Place it in the fridge/freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden. 

2. Cut the asparagus and tomatoes.
3. Drizzle a glass (9x11) baking dish with olive oil. Arrange the salmon skin side down and surround it with the veggies. 
4. Put 1-2 tablespoons of butter on each filet and the rest on the vegetables. Slice the other half of the lemon and also put those in the dish. 

5. Bake 35-40 minutes until the salmon is slightly firm and cooked through. (This would vary with the thickness of your filets)

Pesto Chicken and Zucchini "Noodles"

Sorry I have been behind on my new posts! Work has been so busy my meal plans have consisted of older recipes and things that are easy and fast. I spent this past weekend in Florida with Matt. We were only gone Friday to Sunday, but it was great to see the mall he was leading the construction of and spend some time relaxing on the beach! As always, being that I CrossFit, I had to head out to the sandbar and take my cliche "this is me doing a handstand everywhere I go" picture. :) I also spent some time trying to walk on my hands in the sand and that proved to be difficult with my hands sinking and wind and water moving me. But I couldn't have asked for a better weekend... this week was back to reality with the sink in my kitchen clogging and cooking becoming difficult!!

 This dish is easy, but you use the oven and the stove which in my busy life, is something I don't love doing... something about too many dishes :) But either way, it is healthy and delcious and a great way to use the pesto I made and froze from the basil in (*ahem) my.... I mean Matt's.... garden! 

Pesto Chicken and Zucchini "Noodles"

(Printable Version)

- 5-6 Zucchinis
- 3 Boneless, Skinless Breasts of Chicken
- 4 Cups Loosely Packed Basil
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil+
- 1 Tbsp Water
- 1/3 Cup Pine Nuts (I have used walnuts before too)
- 3 Cloves of Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Raw Parmesan (if you aren't paleo or Whole30)

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees

1. Place the chicken in a baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (Not the amounts listed for the basil!) Bake 35-45 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. Juices will run clear when they are done. 
2. While the chicken is cooking.... Use a spiralizer, or a vegetable peeler, and "zoodle" or peel all of the zucchini into thin slices. In a large skillet, saute the zucchini in olive oil just a few minutes... I like to keep mine with a lot of bite still. (** I have used gluten free pasta for this and add the zoodles to the boiling water for the last minute of cooking... so my dish included both zucchini and noodles. :) 
3. In a food processor combine the remaining ingredients. Pulse until until you reach your desired consistency... add more olive oil or water if necessary. 
4. Combine everything in a large bowl and toss together... I put a little more pesto over my chicken!

Meal Prep- Week 4- Tuna Cakes, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Crockpot Fall Stew

This weekend I picked the last bit of vegetables from the garden before the plants were pulled... such a sad sign of summer being over...boo. 

Ok, food this week! Prep time this week was around 3 hours... mainly because things had to cook, simmer and cool in order to move on and there was a decent amount of chopping. 

 Crockpot Fall Stew

The colors look like Fall and walking into a house with this cooking is like heaven.

- 2 lbs Stew Beef, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/3 Cup Arrowroot Powder
- 1 1/2 Cups Beef Stock
- 1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 6-8 Golden Potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 Carrots, peeled and diced into large pieces
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, chopped
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce *(optional as it is usually not Paleo)

1. Place the beef at the bottom of the crockpot. Sprinkle with the flour and toss.
2. Place the veggies on top and pour/sprinkle the rest of the ingredients. No need to mix.
3. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 5-6.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Two different "noodles" were used... my boyfriend, Matt, wanted gluten-free noodles and I used roasted spaghetti squash because it is seasonal. Either way it is delicious!

Sauce

- 1 lb Sausage, casings removed, or loose
- 1 Sweet Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 28 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 28 oz Can Tomato Sauce
- 10 oz Can Tomato Paste
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

1. Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Drizzle in some olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook until translucent- about 5 minutes.
2. Add the sausage and cook through- break it up as much as possible as you go.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about an hour. Taste for seasoning.

Meatballs- makes 36 meatballs

- 1 lbs Grass-fed Ground Beef
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Gluten Free Bread Crumbs * Optional
- Salt and Pepper

1. Mix everything in a large bowl. Using your hands, roll the balls (I made mine about the size of a golf ball)
2. In a large skillet, heat to medium high heat and drizzle in some oil. Cook the meatballs in batches, turning only a few times to get nice browning on the outside.

Tuna Cakes

(Makes 32 Cakes)
This recipe was inspired by a Nom-Nom Paleo recipe. Here is the original post. I have used canned salmon and that works well too! I changed up a few things in the recipe based on what I had this week. This one is always a favorite and don't forget the spicy mayo! I also roasted broccoli and cooked rice to make this a more filling meal.  

- 6 7-oz cans of Tuna, drained
- 4 Large Sweet Potatoes, baked
- 3 Green Onions
- 3 Tbsp Lime or Lemon Juice
- 1/4 Cup Butter, melted
- 2 Jalapenos, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 8 Eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Mix everything REALLY well in a large bowl. Press into muffin greased or non-stick muffin pans. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Spicy Mayo

- 2/3 Cup Avocado Oil
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 Cup + Frank's Red Hot

1. Using an immersion blender or your really strong arm and a whisk, blend all the ingredients except the hot sauce... once you have a pale color and it has thickened a bit, add the hot sauce and blend again. For extra heat I add a dash of cayenne. Store this in the fridge, it will thicken more but be so good served over warm tuna cakes. 

Ingredient List

____ 2 lbs Stew Beef
____1 lb Sausage, casings removed, or loose
____1 lbs Grass-fed Ground Beef
____6 7-oz cans of Tuna
____1/3 Cup Arrowroot Powder
____1 1/2 Cups Beef Stock
____ 1 Butternut Squash
____ 4 Large Sweet Potatoes
____ 6-8 Golden Potatoes
____ 4 Carrots
____ 3 Green Onions
____ 11/2 Sweet Onion
____ 4 Cloves Garlic
____ 2 Jalapenos
____ Paprika
____ Black Pepper
____ Garlic Powder
____ Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
____ 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce *(optional as it is usually not Paleo)
____ 28 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
____ 28 oz Can Tomato Sauce* (watch for added sugar!)
____ 10 oz Can Tomato Paste
____ 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
____ 10 Eggs
____ Gluten Free Bread Crumbs * Optional
____ 3 Tbsp Lime or Lemon Juice
____ 1/4 Cup Butter, melted

Meal Prep- Week 3- Hawaiian Chili, Chicken Stir-fry, Crockpot Korean Short Ribs

This week I did one crockpot recipe, one on the stove, and one that could be done completely on the grill or stove. For sides I made rice for the short ribs and chicken stir-fry. I also roasted some broccoli to eat with the short ribs. 

Hawaiian Chili

If you have not had pineapple in chili and like pineapple on things like pizza you should definitely try it! Three different meats make this even better and I added a can of rinsed and drained kidney beans and an extra can of 15oz of tomato sauce also even though the beans are paleo.... stretches the dish a bit more and adds a bit of fiber. Charlie is a fan of this dish :)
See the original post here...Hawaiian Chili 

- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

- 1 pound Bacon, chopped in 1/2" pieces

- 1 pound Stew Beef, cubed in bite-sized pieces

- 1 pound Grass-Fed Ground Beef

- 1 Sweet Onion, finely chopped

- 1 Red Pepper, diced

- 2 Serrano Peppers, seeded (optional) and finely chopped

- 3 Garlic cloves, minced

- 3 Tbsp Chili Powder

- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika

- 2 tsp Ground Cumin

- 1 20-oz Can Diced Pineapple, in juice

- 1 29-oz Can Tomato Sauce

- Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large dutch-over or pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and steak. Cook the steak until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. (it does not need to be cooked through)

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon. When the bacon fat starts rendering add the peppers, onion, garlic and a little salt. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the ground beef and brown, breaking it up as much as possible. If there is a lot of fat in the pan at this point I would drain it. My beef was lean so I didn't. Add the spices. 

4. After the spices are fragrant, add the pineapple (with juice), the browned stew beef and can of tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about an hour. Taste for salt. The chili will become darker as it cooks! 

Chicken Stir-Fry

I always cook my chicken ahead of time, usually on the grill. It just makes this faster and I can multitask with doing the vegetables while it is cooking.

- 3-4 lbs of Chicken Breast

- 2 Bell Peppers, diced

- 3-4 Broccoli Crowns, cut into bite-sized pieces

- 3 Big Handfuls Green Beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

- 1 8-oz Container Button Mushrooms

- 1/2 Sweet Onion, Chopped

- 2-3 Carrots, peeled and chopped
For the sauce I either just use a bit of coconut aminos and sriracha or a mix of those two plus rice vinegar and a bit of peanut butter. :)

Saute the vegetables in a large skillet or wok over medium high or high heat until they they softened. Add the sauce ingredients and stir. Add the chicken and toss again. 

Crockpot Korean Short Ribs

These were my favorite this week! I made rice and roasted broccoli to go with them. So tender and flavorful. I bought them at Costco so they weren't bone-in or grassfed but sometimes a girl is on a budget and she needs a break. 

See the original post here... Crockpot Korean Short Ribs

- 3-4 lbs Short Ribs (bone-in is best, but without is fine too)

- 6 Dried Pitted Dates
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos (or gluten free soy sauce)
- 2 tsp Fish Sauce
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/2 Cup Beef Stock
- 3 Green Onions (scallions)
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves
- 3 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (less if you want less heat)
- 1/2 Lime, juiced (about 1+ Tbsp)

1. Place the ribs on a baking sheet and sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper. Place under the broiler for 5 minutes, turn and do this one more time until browned. You could also do this in a pan.

2. While you are browning the beef... In a high-powered blender, combine everything but the ribs. Blend until smooth. 

3. Place the beef in a slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top. Cook on low 9-10 hours. Remove the beef.

Let the sauce settle and skim off the fat. You can thicken it in a sauce pan with a little water and arrow root powder slurry, or just add a cup+ over top of the meat when you serve or store.

Ingredient List

____ 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

____ 1 pound Bacon

____ 1 pound Stew Beef

____ 1 pound Grass-Fed Ground Beef
____ 3-4 lbs Short Ribs (bone-in is best, but without is fine too)
____ 3-4 lbs of Chicken Breast

____ 2 Sweet Onions

____ 3 Bell Peppers

____  2 Serrano Peppers

____ 6 Garlic cloves, minced

____ 1 20-oz Can Diced Pineapple, in juice

____ 1 29-oz Can Tomato Sauce

____ 3-4 Broccoli Crowns

____ 3 Big Handfuls Green Beans

____ 1 8-oz Container Button Mushrooms

____ 2-3 Carrots, peeled and chopped

____  6 Dried Pitted Dates
____ 1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos (or gluten free soy sauce)

____ 2 tsp Fish Sauce

____ 2 tsp Sesame Oil

____ 1/2 Cup Beef Stock

____ 3 Green Onions (scallions)

____ 3 tsp Fresh Ginger
____ 3 Tbsp Chili Powder

____  1 tsp Smoked Paprika

____ 2 tsp Ground Cumin

____ 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (less if you want less heat)

____ 1/2 Lime, juiced (about 1+ Tbsp)
ADD ONS!
____ Rice
____ Extra Broccoli 

Strawberry Banana Overnight Oats

This past week I did something I had never done and never thought I would be able to do... 50 Burpee Ring Muscle Ups... although my time wasn't fantastic, I know have a benchmark time for the future, know I can do it, and had no misses... woohoo! My hands also took a big hit when I started using a "false-grip" at rep 30... rips. Ouch. But at least I can still squat! Even when I am having a bad day, bad workout, whatever... my "C" tattoo reminds me of my only sunshine Charlie-girl when I grab that bar to do another set or try again- everyone has their motivation :)

Well of all the things i have made this has been a huge hit with Charlie-girl. First of all she likes to help me make the oats and shake the jar... 

then adding some extra strawberries and serving it cold has been her dinner three days in a row. 

Kid is in oatmeal heaven even if she won't smile for the picture. 

Strawberry Banana Overnight Oats

(Printable Version)

- 1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats- NOT Quick Cooking (I am trying this with steel-cut, stay tuned)

- 1/2 Milk of your choice

- 1 tsp Chia Seeds

- 1/2 Ripe Banana, mashed

- 4 Strawberries, cut in small pieces

- Drizzle of Honey (optional)

1. Mash the banana in a jar or seal-able container, add the strawberries. 

2. Add the oats, chia seeds, milk, and honey (optional to add). 

3. Seal the jar and shake it (the picture below is it shaken without sitting yet)... let it sit in the fridge overnight. I eat mine cold but you could easily warm it up... and topping it with almonds would be tasty too!