So normally when I start eating healthy I start feeling so deprived! I mean really, food tends to be bland. I had the concept that if it tasted good, I probably couldn't or really shouldn't eat it. However I started researching some sites for gluten free and paleo diet approved recipes. Mainly because Lazy was telling me that she has been receiving notes from people asking about recipes. I was AMAZED when I started looking through some of them. I have to say I really like the site Paleo Diet Lifestyle. The recipes on there seemed so unreal. I already linked a few from this site, the Zucchini Cakes and the Pesto Mashed Potatoes. Holy moly! I was looking at these pictures like...no way. There is NO WAY these things are paleo approved! They look way way too delicious. So I had to try them out. I invited the BF over for dinner, I had originally convinced him to go to the gym with me, but I got so hungry that I changed it to me cooking some new recipes (always a scary thought) and us eating a nice healthy dinner at home.
I started out my adventure at Whole Foods. Why go to all the trouble of eating 100% paleo with these recipes and not doing organic. At least this time. That and there were some things I wasn't sure I would be able to pick up at Safeway (although their organic food and gluten free selection is growing). One of my new favorite finds is Ghee. Its a butter that is acceptable on the Paleo Diet. What?! Butter?! NO WAY! And let me tell you its tastes just fine. I had almost all the ingredients when the BF showed up at whole foods. Perfect. Just in time for my internal debate and struggle on which type of flour to buy. The recipe called for Almond flower, but they were out. Now I had to think about and pick from about 14 other types of flower that were all approved. On a side note- I would really like to think that the reason Whole Foods was out of Almond Flour was because so many of you amazing fans read our blog and just had to run out and try this recipe as well. I settled on Hazelnut Flour, I figured it was a nut and I like hazelnut, so hopefully the texture and taste would be okay with the recipe.
 |
| Shredding Zucchini |
 |
| potatoes cooking |
I got home and started preparing everything. I really am not that great of a cook, I fake it well though. I really only know how to cook 3 or 4 things, I just rotate them and hope the people in my life do not get too bored with their food options. After this let's make that 5-6 things I can make. These recipes were so easy! I started off with the zucchini cakes as I felt they would take the most time. I shredded the zucchini and added the salt and let it sit as instructed. While that was sitting I peeled and cut up the potatoes and got them in the boiling water to soften them up. I switched over to the chicken, threw some seasoning, garlic into a bag and mixed it all up with the chicken. That was going to get to sit for a bit to marinate. Had I been more prepared I would have started the chicken marinating hours prior.
 |
| ready to de-water |
Back to the zucchini. I had to squeeze all the water out...Umm have you ever done this?! The recipe said I would be shocked by how much water came out. NO JOKE. It was an endless supply of water! That got transferred back into the bowl once it was de-watered, and the final ingredients were added into the mix. Back to the potatoes where I drained them. Adding the Ghee and garlic into the pot to melt and infuse with each other. Oil into another pan for the chicken. Lastly some ghee into a third pan for the zucchini. I made the patties out of the zucchini mixture and once the ghee was melted and coating the pan, I threw some in. Chicken on, then potatoes back into their pan and mashed. I added the pesto into the potatoes, flipped the zucchini and then flipped the chicken. (Aren't you loving my play by play, hey I'm really impressed with my skills on this one okay?) A little coconut milk to make the potatoes fluffy. Zucchini cakes out of pan, next batch in. Eventually I had everything done and the BF and I sat down to eat.
 |
| Zucchini cakes in the pan |
I was nervous. Other than the chicken this was all relatively new to me. Sure I have made mashed potatoes before but they normally include mass amounts of cheese and butter and sour cream and sometimes even cream cheese. No way these could taste good. Yet...they were amazing. I scarfed them down. I waited for the BF to try the zucchini cakes. Now zucchini is a new like to me in the last couple years. I really did not care for the taste before then. I wasn't so sure if I would like this or not. He liked it, that was a good sign. I tried them and they were so good I couldn't wait to go get another cake. All that I could think about was how good this food was, and how I was somehow getting away with something for eating it all. I had seconds of the zucchini and the potatoes. I ate a huge breast of chicken. I was so mad at myself for overeating yet again. I mean I just got back down after my last over eating attack at the Mexican restaurant. This was going to be bad for both me and my waist line. Yet the next more I had still lost a pound! NO WAY. Delicious food, and a lot of it, and I can still lose weight?! This paleo diet really isn't going to be as hard as I thought to maintain.
Some things I figured out while making these....The potatoes could have used more garlic. I will be doubling it next time I make them. Also, there is so much importance to getting the water out of the zucchini. I didn't get as much out as I probably could have and they did not cook up as much as in the picture from the recipe. They fell apart easily as well. I have made these again (last night with the help of my niece) and they came out so much better. I added a bit more flower, and had M squeeze as much water as she could out.
 |
| Finished Pesto Mashed Potatoes |
 |
| Finished Zucchini Cakes |
 |
| Paleo Diet Approved Meal |
If you're looking for a great gluten free meal or a great paleo diet meal, this is it! I def will not combine the potatoes and the zucchini into one meal again (both were pretty rich) but I now know they are good! Try them out! Let me know how you like them, or any alterations you made to the recipes!
No comments:
Post a Comment