Level Unlocked: Didn’t Even Lick My Fingers

So, by now you’ve seen lots of Paleo and Whole 30 goodness coming out of my kitchen, and I’m really excited about the way I’ve been able to find “real food” recipes that mimic or even sometimes are better than their standard counterparts.  This weekend, however, I had a need to make regular old chocolate chip cookies – full flour, sugar, and the whole bit.  I was making them for some of the guys in my team at work who were slaving in the data center all day Saturday to make some major changes to our networks & servers and I wanted to give them goodies that weren’t limited by my new lifestyle changes.  Mind you, I LOVE cookies.  They are my absolute favorite treat, but since I am in the middle of a Whole 30 right now, these (and any other cookies) are definitely off limits.

Oddly enough, though, I wasn’t really tempted.  That’s a first for me.  I happily made the cookies, washed my hands along with everything else, packaged all of them up, and delivered them without regret, or yearning, or resentment.  A year ago, I would have been feeling all of those things.  Heck, 2 months ago I would have felt those things too.  I guess I must be doing something right.

In the middle of the work projects this weekend, I still managed to do my cooking for the week.  This week, I started with our favorite Chorizo Meatloaf, though I forgot to pick up spinach at the store so I used celery instead.  I daresay it tastes even more amazing with that substitution.  I paired it with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon for a hearty lunch package.

Here are the new recipes for this week:

• Gyoza Meatballs – Have you ever ordered Potstickers from your favorite Chinese or Japanese restaurant?  These meatballs are like the inside of those without the noodle.  Rather than mess with the sauce for make-ahead lunches, I just put them on a bed of cauli-rice and oven roasted broccoli and topped them with Coconut Amino Teriyaki Sauce
• Lamb-stuffed Zucchini – I have found that I’m a big fan of lamb, especially in Shepherd’s pie, but I wanted to try another Whole30 friendly dish that would take advantage of the monster zucchini I picked up at the farmers market this weekend.  I paired this with Instant Pot baked sweet potatoes
• Baked Kale Chips – We also picked up some pretty kale at the farmers market and I’ve been meaning to try homemade kale chips.  I was pleasantly surprised at the result.  I don’t know what I expected, but the light and crispy taste was really enjoyable.  I could see eating the entire batch like popcorn for a movie night.

Looking forward to lunches this week!!