Whole30 | baconwrappedbarbells

June 5, 2015
by strengthgains101 Leave a comment

Roasted Chicken in a Bundt Pan

Have you ever decided to spend just a couple of minutes on instagram before bed, and then somehow you are led down a rabbit hole of pictures and then realized it’s been 45 minutes and you’re staring at some weird pictures from a friend of a friend, and wonder what in the heck your friends are into? And it’s way past your bedtime? And you can’t unseen what you’ve just seen? Darn you instagram, darn you! Okay, I digress. Anyways, if you’ve never experienced that, you’ve got much more self-control than I, and I applaud you for your efforts. By the way, I’m working on weaning myself off of social media, especially before I start winding down in the evening and getting ready to go to sleep. However, as a blogger, amateur photographer and social media coordinator for my gym, it’s proving to be somewhat difficult.

In addition to following my friends, fellow food bloggers, CrossFit related pages, manbunmonday (just look it up, trust me ladies you’ll thank me), and fashion, I also follow some more mainstream instagram pages like Food and Wine. I love their pictures and short cooking video tips. One of their more recent videos was a tutorial on how to roast chicken in a bundt pan. After watching the video, I wondered how I had never heard of this cooking technique before. I immediately set out to try it, and discovered that it’s a total game changer. Now I’m excited to share this method for roasting chicken with you.

I’m sure some of you are wondering what could possibly be a benefit to roasting chicken in a tool meant for baking angel food cake? Well, I’m here to rock your world. Okay, may not exactly rock your world, but at least offset your center of balance with a slight breeze.

Roasting chicken in a bundt pan allows the skin to get crispy on all sides, leaving you with a crispy flaky skin on the outside and moist and tender meat on the inside. Adding vegetables to the bundt pan makes this a one pot meal that’s easy to prep and cook.

This chicken has gotten rave reviews, and people are pleasantly surprised by the text and flavor. I’d love for you guys to try it out. It may be become your new favorite way of roasting chicken. I’d love to hear your experience in using this technique. Please leave your results in the comments below!

Roasted Chicken in a Bundt Pan

Ingredients:

3 1/2 – 4 pound whole chicken, neck and giblets removed
1 – 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped
1 lemon
3 tablespoons cooking fat (i.e., olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil)
2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 5 cloves)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the chicken on a paper lined plate and allow the chicken to come to room temperature, approximately 1 hour (this helps the chicken to cook evenly, and also helps the skin get even more crispy).
15 minutes before the chicken is ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together the thyme, oregano, basil, black pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper (if using), 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt (reserving 1/2 teaspoon salt), 3/4 teaspoon black pepper (reserving 1/4 teaspoon black pepper) minced garlic and cooking fat to form a smooth paste.
In a medium size bowl add the quartered new potatoes and the roughly chopped onion. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking fat, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to the bowl and toss the vegetables to coat.
Rub the spice paste all over the front and back of the chicken and underneath the skin as well, making sure that the entire chicken is fully coated.
Cut the lemon in half and place the halves into the bird cavity.
Place a bundt pan next to the chicken. Take a sheet of foil, fold it in half, and cover the hole in the center of the bundt pan with the foil so that the juices from the bird don’t drip through the hole while the chicken is roasting in the oven.
Here is where you have two options. If you have a larger bundt pan, evenly distribute the vegetables in the bottom of the bundt pan. Then place the chicken on top in the center of the bundt pan, making sure that the foil covering the center stays in place. If you have a smaller bundt pan, place the chicken over the center of the bundt pan, with the chicken cavity over the middle piece so that the chicken is anchored. Then evenly distribute the potatoes and onions around the bird. Since a smaller bundt pan means a shorter center, you’ll need to place the chicken in the bundt pan before the vegetables or you may have difficulty keeping the bird upright.
Place the bundt pan with the chicken in the oven, and roast for 75-90 minutes until the chicken is done (the chicken is done when the breast reaches and internal temperature of about 165 degrees and the thighs reach an internal temperature of about 180 degrees).
Remove chicken from oven and let rest for several minutes before cutting into it. Serve the roasted chicken with the potatoes and onions.

January 9, 2015
by strengthgains101 Leave a comment

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce

It. Is. COLD. The weather has taken a turn for the worst with the recent cold front affecting many parts of the United States.

Because of the cold, I’ve started the habit of running from my car to any building that I’m about to enter when I am out and about, so that I can get out of biting Oklahoma wind as quickly as possible. And since it’s a poorly hidden secret that I really don’t enjoy running, you know it has to be pretty cold.

Weather like this begs for food that is warm and comforting. But the start of a new year also means a fresh resolve to make healthy lifestyle choices that typically include a renewed focus on eating healthy, wholesome and nutritious foods.

You guys are in luck, because today’s recipe provides the best of both worlds. This hearty spaghetti sauce is full of satiating protein and vitamin packed vegetables to keep you on track with your healthy eating goals, while providing the warmth and comfort you crave.

The addition of balsamic vinegar adds a touch of subtle sweetness to the sauce without the addition of natural sweeteners, and the inclusion of dried parsley and chopped fennel seeds creates an additional level of complexity to the sauce without overpowering the other ingredients.

This meaty spaghetti sauce is perfect over spaghetti squash as a weeknight meal, after a long day at school or work. I sprinkled a small amount of Manchego cheese on top (you can also use parmesan or mozzarella) to add a creamy texture to the sauce (and because cheese, if you can tolerate dairy, is amazing).

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce with Spaghetti Squash

Servings: serves 5-6

Ingredients:

1 large Spaghetti Squash
1/2 tablespoon butter *
1/2 large onion, diced
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 tablespoon fennel seed, chopped
2 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounce can diced tomato
15 ounce can tomato sauce
6 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Chop spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.*
Place the spaghetti squash cut side down, and bake in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes.
Once cooked, take the spaghetti squash out of the oven, flip the halves over and let cool.
Once the spaghetti squash has cooled enough to handle, use a fork to scrap the squash noodles into a large bowl.
Heat butter over medium high heat. Add onion, and cook over medium high heat until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the ground beef and ground pork, and continue cooking until meat has browned.
Add remaining ingredients and bring them to a boil.
Once the mixture has reached a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer the sauce on the stove for approximately one hour.
Once the spaghetti sauce has finished cooking, remove from heat, and serve with the spaghetti squash.

Notes:

Quick tip, to make the spaghetti squash easier to cut, microwave for 1-2 minutes. This makes the shell a little softer, so that you don’t have to hammer away at the shell.
to make whole30 friendly, use ghee, avacado oil, lard, tallow or some other type of whole30 approved cooking fat.

December 1, 2014
by strengthgains101 3 Comments

Mexi-Cauli Rice Bowl

Thanksgiving last week was awesome, because I was able to spend time with my family, including my adorable nephew Tayo. My family lives in Texas, while I live in Oklahoma, so I don’t see my nephew as often as I would like. He is full of energy and spunk, and his laughter and smiles make everything better (but when he is hungry, you better watch out, cause he’ll let you know how he feels 😉 ).

Every Thanksgiving, my parents invite relatives and friends from their local church to celebrate Thanksgiving. We have a large potluck at my parent’s house, and this year I whipped up some of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes, including a green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole. My sweet potato casserole is a family favorite, and is usually polished off before the end of dinner.

I’m Nigerian-American, and we also have several Nigerian dishes as well, like Jollof Rice (rice cooked with tomato stew and spices), Moi Moi (a dished made from black beans), meat pies and fried plantains.

I love having family and friends come together to celebrate and give thanks for health, well being, and being able to gather together and celebrate the holidays. However, one of the absolutely best parts about Thanksgiving in Texas, is that I don’t have to worry about finishing off leftovers! By the time I make it back home, turkey (and any other leftovers) are the last things I want to eat.

If you’re also tired of turkey, ham, and casseroles, than I have a ground beef and vegetable dish that is sure to make your tastebuds happy!

This dish was inspired by my desire for latin american flavored meal without being too carb-heavy. With low-carb veggies like cauliflower and green and red bell peppers, and ground beef flavored with spices like cumin, chili powder and oregano, you are going to enjoy this flavor combination.

Depending on your tolerance for spicy foods, you can also kick it up a notch by adding more red pepper flakes.

I’d love to know how your Thanksgiving went! Feel free to leave a comment below sharing your favorite traditional (and non-traditional) Thanksgiving dishes. If you make the Mexi-Cauli Rice Bowl, please let me know what you think!

Mexi-Cauli Rice Bowl

Servings: serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 14 oz can diced tomato
1 large red onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon cooking fat (lard, tallow, coconut oil, butter, avocado oil)

Instructions:

Process the cauliflower florets into cauliflower rice by using the shredding attachment on a food processor. If you don’t have access to a food processor, you can “rice” the cauliflower by using a handle held food grater. Pour the cauliflower rice into a large bowl and set aside.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and all of the spices (but reserving 1 teaspoon of sea salt). Cook the ground beef over medium high heat until browned, approximately 10-12 minutes.
Once the meat has browned, add the diced tomatoes and lower the heat to medium-low, simmering the browned beef and diced tomatoes for 15-20 minutes. Once the browned beef has finished simmering, remove from heat and set aside.
While the beef and diced tomatoes are simmering, preheat a large pot over medium high heat. Then add 1 tablespoon of the cooking fat to the pot.
Once the cooking fat has heated, add the minced garlic and sautee for 20-30 seconds. Add the diced onions and sautee an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the diced red and green bell peppers to the large pot, and continue sauteeing for 6-7 minutes.
Add the cauliflower rice to the large pan, and mix with the diced onions and bell peppers until combined.
Continue cooking the cauliflower mixture, stirring the mixture periodically until the rice has softened, 8-10 minutes.
Once the cauliflower rice mixture has cooked through, remove from heat.
Mix the cauliflower rice mixture with the beef and diced tomatoes, and stir to thoroughly combine.
serve immediately.

Notes:

This meal makes great leftovers.

September 9, 2014
by strengthgains101 Leave a comment

Spaghetti Squash with Sun-dried Tomato Basil Walnut Pesto

Sometimes I burn things. Okay, what you read may have sounded somewhat creepy. Let me clarify. To be more specific, sometimes I unintentionally burn the food I’m cooking. I may leave something on the stove and forget to check it, only to come back later and find said food “cooked” to an inedible crisp. Or, I may overestimate how long something is suppose to bake, and cook it until its at a point where even my best guy friends won’t touch it. It’s somewhat frustrating, but comes with the territory, at least in my world. When I cook something, I look forward to sampling the different food combinations that make up a recipe. When that meal happens to burn (sometimes a fiery flame of death), my heart hurts, and my soul gets crushed just a little.

On the other hand, I have somewhat of an unlikely love of “burnt” Brussels Sprouts and broccoli. My favorite part when roasting these vegetables is the little extra crispy bites. I don’t burn them until they are completely unrecognizable, but the vegetables are usually a lot more crispy then most people prefer. Therefore, I usually only crisp them up in the comfort of my own home, in a meal that won’t be shared with others (mainly, because I don’t want to share 😉 ).

Why this long talk about burning food? Well, it gives a little background for last week’s fiasco. I invited my friend Olivia over for grilled steaks, Brussels Sprouts roasted with chopped bacon, and mashed sweet potatoes. Olivia asked that her steak be cooked well-done (horrible, I know), which request I fully intended to comply with. What I failed to realize is that by warming up the grill as the sun was setting, I wouldn’t actually be grilling the steaks until it was night time. This wouldn’t be a problem, except that I have poor lighting in my backyard. I wasn’t able to visually check the steaks because of the bad lighting, and they cooked longer than necessary, well past the point of preference for either one of us.

Olivia asked for a well-done steak, but I ended up cooking her steak so long that she couldn’t eat most of it because it was too tough. It’s a good think she enjoyed the vegetables, because that ended up being the majority of her dinner for the night.

Thankfully, this recipe for Spaghetti Squash with Sun-dried Tomato Basil Walnut Pesto came out great, and no food was harmed in the making of this meal.

I made chicken to go along with the spaghetti squash using my chicken marinade recipe, and these meal was made to rave reviews.

Try it out, and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Spaghetti Squash With Sun-dried Tomato Basil Walnut Pesto

Servings: serves 5-6

Ingredients:

1 large Spaghetti Squash
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded Manchego cheese*
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves of garlic, peeled

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Chop spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Quick tip, to make the spaghetti squash easier to cut, microwave for 1-2 minutes. This makes the shell a little softer, so that you don’t have to hammer away at it like your hacking down a tree.
Place the spaghetti squash cut side down, and bake in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes.
Once cooked, take the spaghetti squash out of the oven, flip the halves over and let cool.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S blade, place the basil, sun-dried tomato, manchego cheese, walnuts, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.
Turn the food processor on, and pulse 5 or 6 times, for 2-3 seconds each time. Scrap down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Then turn the food processor on, and while the food processor is running, slowly pour in the extra virgin olive oil and continue running the food processor until the pesto ingredients have fully combined.
Once the spaghetti squash has cooled enough to handle, use a fork to scrap the squash noodles into a large bowl.
Pour the pesto over the spaghetti squash noodles, and stir the pesto with the squash noodles until fully incorporated.
Plate and enjoy!

Notes:

You can sub shredded Parmesan cheese for manchego cheese if this type of cheese is difficult to locate, or omit the cheese entirely to make the recipe dairy free and Whole30 friendly.

August 11, 2014
by strengthgains101 3 Comments

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussels sprouts. If you missed my ode to these yummy veggies, you can read about it here. To make Brussels sprouts even better, I eat them with bacon. It’s pretty much a given that adding bacon to any type of roasted veggies (or any other meal for that matter) will kick the flavors up a notch, keeping you coming back for more. I originally created this recipe for roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts by throwing together spices and veggies, hoping for the best. It’s now become a staple in my diet, and I eat these veggies at least once a week. I use different types of vinegar and spices each time, but the basic recipe is as follows:

Preheat oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a backing sheet with parchment paper. Rinse 1 1/2 pounds of Brussels sprouts. Cut off the ends of each of them, and then chop the Brussels sprouts in half.

Place the Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl. Peel two large sweet potatoes, and then chop them into 1/2 inch pieces.

Place the chopped sweet potatoes in the bowl with the chopped Brussels sprouts. To the veggies, add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Toss the veggies in the bowl to coat.

Chop up 4-6 slices of bacon into thin strips (I typically cut the bacon in half lengthwise, and then chop it up into smaller pieces).

Spread the veggies on the tray, making sure to turn over each of the Brussels sprouts cut side down. Sprinkle the bacon on top of the veggies.

Don’t be stingy with the bacon. Sprinkle those pieces everywhere!

Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour, until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. then serve and enjoy!

Recipe

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Servings: serves 8-10 as a small side dish (serves 4-5 if this is your main/only side dish)

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 large sweet potatoes
4-6 slices of bacon (use sugar-free bacon to make the recipe Whole30 compliant)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse the Brussels sprouts. Cut off the ends of each of them, and then chop the Brussels sprouts in half.
Place the Brussels sprouts in a large mixing bowl.
Peel two large sweet potatoes, and then chop them into 1/2 inch pieces.
Place the chopped sweet potatoes in the bowl with the chopped Brussels sprouts.
To the veggies, add the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, sea salt, black pepper, and teaspoon garlic powder. Toss the veggies in the bowl to coat.
Chop up 4-6 slices of bacon.
Spread the veggies on the tray, making sure to turn over each of the Brussels sprouts cut side down.
Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top of the veggies.
Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour, until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.
Transfer to a bowl, serve and enjoy!

July 24, 2014
by strengthgains101 Leave a comment

Creamy Avocado and Cilantro Cauliflower Rice

I like to live dangerously, on the edge of my seat. I go where the wind takes me, and love to experiment and try new things all of the time. I’m a true rebel, wild and free. Okay, so those last three sentences were complete fiction. Well, not complete fiction. Sometimes, I like to live dangerously by going 4 miles over the speed limit in a 40 mile an hour zone, but only if there are several other cars going over the speed limit. And when I say I like to experiment and try new things, I really just mean going through the grocery store in a different order than my usual pattern (but I don’t do that a lot, since it means getting out of my comfort zone. I mean, what happens if they run out of avocados because I decided to go through the bulk section of the store first? True story. Okay, not really).

I know I have your rapt attention now, you’re probably just hanging on the edge of your seats waiting to see what else I’ll reveal, huh?

The one place I do like to experiment is in the kitchen. I love whipping up meals, and making friends taste test my successful (and unsuccessful) recipe developments. This particular recipe for Creamy Avocado and Cilantro cauliflower rice turned out to be very tasty, and I’m excited to share it with you. I have mentioned the versatility of cauliflower in a previous blog post here, and decided to use it to create a delicious side to take with me as a contribution to a BBQ party with some friends from my CrossFit gym a couple of weeks ago.

Does continuing to exercise for 2-3 seconds after the instructor calls time during a CrossFit WOD (workout of the day) seem dangerous to you? If so, I’m bad to the bone.

Be a rebel, and try out this recipe 😉 Let me know how it turned out in the comments!

CREAMY AVOCADO AND CILANTRO CAULIFLOWER RICE – recipe adapted from Girl Meets Paleo.

Servings: serves 8-12

Ingredients:

For the Rice

2 heads cauliflower, rinsed, chopped and broken into small florets
1 tablespoon ghee*

For the Sauce

2 avocados
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 bunch cilantro leaves, rinsed with 1-inch of the stems removed
juice from 1 lime
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Place cauliflower florets in a food processor, and pulse until the cauliflower is the size of small grains of rice. You will need to “rice” the cauliflower in several batches.
Heat the ghee over medium high heat in large skillet. Once the ghee is heated, add the riced cauliflower to the skillet, and saute the cauliflower rice on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes until cooked through.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, turn off the heat and set aside.
Place all of the ingredients for the sauce In the food processor, and puree until smooth.
Pour sauce mixture over the cauliflower rice, and stir to combine.
Pour mixture in a bowl and serve immediately.

Notes

You can substitute coconut oil for the ghee to make the recipe vegan friendly.
I made this recipe for a large crowd, so it makes a lot of servings. I would recommend cutting the ingredients in half (and using the same instructions) if you want to serve this for a smaller crowd.