What’s for Dinner 1/23-1/27

I’m on Day 21 of the Whole30. And I’ve learned a lot about my eating habits. Some of them may seem obvious, but I think I might be a little dense and never really made the connections. I also think my observations have been a bit magnified due to my grandma’s death last week. Here’s what I’ve discovered so far:

*Sadness makes me want chocolate

*When I feel I’ve had a rough day, I feel I deserve a treat

*I crave sweets in the evening…and the afternoon…when I’m bored…or when I’ve just eaten a meal.

*I feel empowered by not giving in to my sugar tantrums

*When I’m out by myself, I’m tempted to pick myself up “a little something” just because no one’s there to witness my indulgence (don’t worry–I haven’t!)

*It is possible for me to be master of my cravings. I don’t have to give in to them, no matter how difficult it may seem

*I’ve changed from thinking, “I can’t wait to eat a piece of cheesecake when this is over” to “I can’t wait to see how this ultimately changes my way of thinking.”

*I’m feeling pretty darn good, and I’m liking it!

And with that, here is this week’s menu!

Monday: London Broil steak with roasted bell peppers and blueberries

Recipe: London broil steak with roasted bell peppers

London Broil:

1.5-2 lb London broil steak

2 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2-3 TBSP garlic salt

1 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a Ziploc bag and marinate for a few hours or overnight in fridge. Remove from fridge a 1/2 hour before ready to cook. Line a broiler pan with foil. Set steak in middle and follow steps for bell peppers:

Roasted Bell Peppers:

3 bell peppers, sliced thin

3 TBSP olive oil

1-2 tsp garlic salt

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Spread onto broiler pan around the steak.

Preheat broiler, place pan a few inches from heat. Cook 6-7 minutes, flip over and cook another 6 minutes. *Be careful not to overcook as it can get tough quick!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday: Broiled salmon with mango salsa and Crisped broccoli and bacon

Recipe: Broiled salmon with mango salsa

Salmon:

4 salmon fillets, skin on

olive oil for basting

garlic salt to taste

pepper to taste

red chili pepper flakes to taste

Preheat broiler. Place salmon onto foil-lined broiler pan and place a few inches from heat. Cook for about 12-13 minutes. While that’s cooking, make the salsa:

Mango Salsa:

2 mangoes, pitted and diced small

3 TBSP diced red onion

2-3 TBSP chopped cilantro

1 TBSP lemon juice

1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 TBSP olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and pour over salmon. Yum!

Recipe: Crisped broccoli and bacon

4 cups broccoli, cut small

2 TBSP olive oil

5 strips cooked bacon, cut into piece

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisping. Add broccoli and cook for another 7-8 minutes. Salt and pepper if desired. Serve promptly.

Wednesday: Sausage-stuffed zucchini casserole with pineapple

Recipe: Sausage-stuffed zucchini

7-8 zucchini squash

2 lbs Italian sausage

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

olive oil to baste zucchini

Cut ends off zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. With a melon baller or knife, scoop out flesh of zucchinis and set aside in a bowl. Lay in a casserole dish, baste with olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Cook under broiler for a few minutes until browned a bit. Remove from oven and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown sausage. Mix with the reserved zucchini flesh. Add salt and pepper and “stuff” zucchini with sausage mixture. Cover with foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Thursday: Leftovers from previous days and Pecan butternut crunch

Recipe: Pecan butternut crunch

2 lbs butternut squash, cubed (I buy the pre-cubed stuff from Costco)

1 TBSP garlic salt

1/4 cup chopped pecans

2-3 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP dried parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into small casserole dish, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until browning on edges.

 

Friday: Asian-spiced shrimp with green beans and carrots

Recipe: Asian-spiced shrimp

2 lbs medium shrimp, pre-cooked, de-tailed and shelled

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup sesame oil

1/2 cup coconut milk (from the can)

2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

coconut oil for pan

Combine all ingredients except coconut oil in a large Ziploc bag. Let marinate for a few hours. Remove from fridge about a 1/2 hour before cooking if possible. Preheat a large skillet or large griddle over medium-high heat. Baste with coconut oil. Add shrimp in a single layer, flip over after about one minute and remove from pan and cook for one more minute. Set aside, and repeat until finished.

Have a great week!

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