Unwrapped Cabbage Rolls

This little ditty started because of two reasons. 1. I have a HUGE head of cabbage my mom gave me from her garden. 2. My gal, Andrea, posted a pic of hers on Facebook the other day and my mouth started watering! So she sent me over a pic of the recipe (which is wonderful as it stands) but y'all know me: I can't do anything according to the original recipe. The original has a small can of tomato paste added to it and was about twice the size (which is great if you want leftovers) but the hubs isn't a fan of "tomato" in the form of paste. So that got dropped ASAP.

I have to say, this totally tasted like hamburger helper (to me) but with cabbage which is 10000 times more awesome than pasta. Also, you can easily use ground turkey or chicken. I suggest adding extra cumin and maybe paprika if you do that during the browning stage. I stayed with a super lean ground sirloin (again, playing to the hubs "wants"). 

If you need a carb: add an extra cup of water and cup of brown rice when you put the tomotoes and cabbage in the pan to cook. I found this filling enough without it!

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Unwrapped Cabbage Rolls

3/4-1 lb. of lean ground sirloin

1 small red onion - diced

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 tsp. garlic powder

OR 1 clove of garlic - minced

1 small head of white cabbage - chopped (about 2-3 cups-ish)

1 can diced tomatoes (I used organic and green chile flavor)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 c. Water

In a deep frying pan, heat the EVOO and add meat, onions and garlic. Brown those puppies. 

When brown, add the can of tomatoes, more garlic (if you're into that), salt, pepper, cumin. Stir first, THEN add the cabbage and 1/2 cup of water. Cover and reduce temp to a simmer. Stir every 5 minutes to help incorporate the cabbage as it cooks down. Cook for 25-30 minutes. 

Eat that awesomeness!

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SUPER SIMPLE. Clean and easy and filling and flavorful! And Alice didn't try it. BOOOOOOO! I think she would have liked it.

Challenge-Friendly: YES! Great for Cleanse and Max.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Fajita Steak Taco Filling

Last month - in preparation for the arrival of Baby #3 - I went into full nesting mode one week and mass produced enough food to fill my freezer. I ended up with 9 crockpot meals, 5 dinners of turkey veggie pasta sauce, 6 meal sides of mango salsa, 4 bags of sweet potato hash and 4 jars of lemon garlic sauce - all so I wouldn't have to think or prep too much with the inevitable lack of planning that comes with having a new baby in the house.

This Fajita Steak mix is the first I pulled since #1: I knew Dave would dig it for his first cleanse day; and #2: because the extra prep was easy with the "toppings" I had in the fridge.

I truthfully can't find the original recipe I pulled this from as I was in overdrive on Pinterest and writing down recipes as I found them. So, if this is based off of yours, please feel free to take the original credit!

We prepped this tonight as "burrito bowl" style. This included making rice in faux-chipotle style (which I will also list below) with lettuce, guacamole (I would have used plain avocado but I had this on hand), organic salsa and jalapeños for Dave. This also works for lettuce wraps or as taco filling.

I love bowls at Chipotle and if I've ever coached you, we've probably talked about making "healthier" Chipotle choices if you are on the go and have no other choice but to grab something on the run. My normal suggestions for Challengers include: half rice (go brown not white), no beans (unless you are coming from a workout - extra protein), veggies, meat, salsas, lettuce ... Forgo the cheese and sour cream, of course. Guac is overkill for their bowls since all the nutrition you usually need is already there ... Plus the extra sodium from their prep.

Love this! Turned out great! I went no sodium when I prepped it for the freezer and did end up adding a couple of shakes of sea salt after I pulled the steak apart for a flavor kick just FYI.

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Fajita Steak Taco Filling

2 lbs. Flank/Lean Steak

1/2 yellow onion

1/2 red onion

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 fresh jalapeño (optional) chopped

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

To freeze:

Chop and slice all veggies to your preference. Combine all veggies and meat in a gallon size freezer bag. 

Mix spices in a separate bowl. Spread as evenly as possible over contents in the baggie. Shut Baggie and mix ingredients to ensure spices get coated over as much as possible.

Mark on Baggie: "Add 1/2 c. water."

Freeze 4-6 months in a standard freezer.

To make or do fresh: defrost contents for a day in the refrigerator. Place in crockpot with 1/2 cup of water. Cook for 6-8 hours covered. Shred steak and combine with all ingredients in pot for final filling. 

If cooking for 8-10 hours on low, I would add 1/4-1/2 c. extra water to make sure your mix doesn't burn dry while you are at work!

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Cilantro Lime Rice

1 1/2 c. Brown Rice (I used instant)

2 c. Water

1 lime - squeezed

3 tbsp. cilantro

Combine line juice into the water while bringing to boil. Add rice. Cook down. Add cilantro after rice has set.

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Things I would do for next time: MORE VEGGIES and real garlic. :) Probably add another pepper or two.

Challenge-Friendly: YES. Serve it clean with a simple carb and added greens for the best results!

Grilled Southwest Chicken and Avo-Corn Salad

Nothing beats cooking on the grill on the middle of winter. Which in turn makes you wish for summer, sunshine, warm days, lake time and BEACH weather ... sooooo it might be a bit bittersweet! BUT grilling in Indiana in the dead of winter is just a basic, seasonal rite-of-passage us Midwesterners enjoy. And mah belly enjoyed this CHICKEN!

Spicy, still moist and totally perfectly grilled. Plus we threw the veggie mix in foil and dropped it on the grill to warm, too. Heck, if the grill is on, you might as well utilize the heat!

The original recipe came from Martha Stewart but again, I had to make some changes and updates as usually. I RAN OUT OF CAYENNE! Yep ... talk about being prepared *eye roll for my lack of planning*. SO the little dash I had was used and then I broke out the Southwest Chipotle Seasoning so I could get some spice and smoke into the flavor. The avocado salad got an upgrade with corn for some added bulk (can you tell we've been digging on corn as our single carb for this round of the Cleanse?). Yummy and the leftovers were great in salad the next day.

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Grilled Southwest Chicken and Avo-Corn Salad

2 tsp. Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small lime juiced


2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 medium red onion, finely diced
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks
1 c. corn (frozen or can)
Black Pepper


In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings. Dredge chicken through to coat and place on a plate. Let sit 30 minutes before grilling.

Combine corn, onion, avocado with the leftover seasoning mix. Place in foil and sprinkle with black pepper. Fold down foil, toss lightly and ready for the grill.

Place marinated chicken on grill; 5-8 minutes each side on medium to high heat. Place veggies on top rack or lower-heat grill-side to cook along with the chicken.

Plate and SERVE.
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Yes, I added a TOUCH of BBQ sauce to my chicken ... so sue me! But dang it was good! We even convinced Alice to eat some chicken, so we are rockstars :)

Challenge-Friendly: YES.

My Food-Stock

I started "posting" my food pics on Facebook when I switched my food-style back in April (2012). I had started blogging my menu at that time since I made an effort to switch to totally clean eating for the cleanse part at the beginning and it was tough to make fresh EVERYDAY but it taught me a lot about flavor combinations. I get asked once in awhile what I staples I keep in my kitchen, so here is an overview of the yumminess I generally have on hand and some tips!

Getting Ready

(previously posted on my Challenge blog)

1: Clean out your Fridge and Pantry!! I threw out 2 black trash bags of CRAP that we hadn't ate or was expired. This included cake mixes we never made, dip packages, sauces in my fridge that were old and mostly unused, old pasta, crackers, etc. Really: it was eye opening. What did I keep? A couple of mixes I might someday need in a pinch for brownies, spaghetti, pickles, A1 (I'm sorry, but sometimes you need the tang) and the list goes on. I kept condiments that are general and used most often. Removing temptation was necessary for me to succeed!

2: Buy Local! I shopped one of my local health food stores and picked up organic nuts for snacking and salads, bean soup variety mixes, quinoa, rice, oats, chicken stock starter with no whey or MSG, etc. Next, I somehow made it to the Saturday Farmer's Market with both kids and walked out with fresh veggies and ground turkey to use in meals this week. I didn't have enough arms for the fruit ... so I'll be going back on Thursday during lunch to pick up more supplies. I actually felt bad that I had to run to Meijer to pick up strawberries for my salad today. BUT I will have to get my fish from the grocery store because I'm not pay $18 per pound at the Market ... and I'm not catching my own and fileting it ... unless you want to filet it for me!

3. Just Be Aware of what you are buying. Just because it says "hummus" at the store doesn't mean that it's JUST a basic hummus. There are preservatives, hydrogenated oils, refined sugars and more in most packaged items you buy at the store. Shop smart!

My Current Kitchen

Spices!

Considering that we have cut a lot of sodium, spices are a great way to make sure my food has flavor. When combined with other enhancers (vinegars, oil, citrus) I can create almost any delicious dressing or marinade I need. I have a TON of spices on my shelf, so bare with me. I use many of them frequently and some I never had until a recipe called for it and now I find myself using on a regular basis.

Cumin (great for ground meat and hummus!), Coriander (fish mostly and sometimes chicken), onion powder (everything), Minced Garlic (Garlic Garlic is my fav from Tastefully Simple!), ground mustard, paprika, marjoram, curry, ginger, dill, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, red pepper flake, sage, red pepper, chili powder, black peppercorns (in the pepper mill). Those are my basic dish/meat flavors.

Baking-wise, I haven't used some of my spices in awhile :( But I keep the following on hand and use them in other dishes when needed: cinnamon, nutmeg, all-spice, anise, vanilla, cloves, pumpkin pie spice.

Now, I do have some salts left but only use them VERY rarely. Cajun seasoned salt, Lawry's (sorry but everyone needs it!), sea salt, non-MSG based chicken stock (health food store awesomeness!). Also, a low sodium soy sauce for asian sauces. I want to get Liquid Aminos but haven't found them in the store yet.

Sweeteners: my main sweetener is now agave but I do love honey! I have sugar and brown sugar on hand ... But the only time I have used any lately was a couple of weeks ago for my grilled chicken marinade and it was worth it!

Vinegars & Oil

Yeah, I have two oils in my house that get used: Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Tihini. Yes, I have spray oil but how often do I really need that?

OMG vinegar has seriously helped curb any sodium cravings I had in the beginning! And there is such a vast variety out there and each one enhances differently and I love it. On my shelf: white (I like the organic better than the plain mass-produced kind), red wine, balsamic (I always thought I hated it, but I love it now!), rice (again, amazed at the flavor difference), apple cider (regular), Bragg's Apple Cider (mmmmm!). There are others out there and when I run out, I do try different brands to help find favorites.

In My Pantry

I keep some very basic items around at all times when it comes to grains or canned items. Since I try to go unprocessed, my pantry is much less packed than it used to be! Also, I go organic when I can. Love my local health food stores!

Grains: quinoa, rolled oats, steel oats, rice, simple whole grain pastas, black beans, chickpeas, whole wheat flour, regular flour. As for "processed," we don't use bread anymore, so we buy the Sam's Club pack of Santa Fe Tortilla Co. Whole Grain Tortillas (100 cals, 6 carbs, 7 g fiber). And I keep fast-acting yeast on hand to make whole wheat pizza crusts.

Canned: I do get canned fruits for the kids to make sure I always have fruit on hand so peaches, mandarin oranges, pears - I buy light or in juice to keep the sugar/syrup down. I love diced tomatoes with green chiles and the Meijer brand ones are just fine. I also keep green beans and corn as back up.

Fresh: real garlic (I LOVE my garlic press), fresh ginger, uncut onions, bananas, organic peanuts/almonds/brazil nuts.

Other than that: you will find kids stuff like graham crackers, animal crackers, biscuits and mum-mums. LOL

In My Fridge

My refrigerator is always packed after I hit the store and it will last me up to two weeks! What I freeze (meat-wise) lasts us about a month.

My Veggie Must-Haves: lettuce mix (I like spring mix with spinach because you can pick out the spinach for a dish if you need to!), cucumber, zucchini, squash (when available), carrots, tomatoes, avocado (must have!), peppers (all 4 colors when I can! I slice them into strips and the just chop up what I need for a dish or snack on the strips), green onions (easy for salads). I buy the big bag mix of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots from Sam's and freeze it so I have fresh cut veggies on hand for steaming or roasting. Also I keep frozen corn and peas around.

Fruit: whatever is fresh! We usually have berries on hand of some sort. And I try to keep a mango around for mango salads. CITRUS!!! I always have lemons and limes on hand for cooking and dressings now.

Dairy: milk (for the kids), Greek yogurt, feta, eggs (love the ones from the Farmer's Market!), and sharp jack (because sometimes you need a different flavor). I was keeping almond milk around but I haven't been making oatmeal much lately so it keeps going bad.

Jarred/processed: yes we still have basic condiments like ketchup, mustard, ranch ... but we rarely, if ever, use them. Dijon mustard has been a favorite enhancer lately. Kalamata olives (Dave can't live without these anymore and we eat greek chicken at least once a week!), pickles, green olives, relish. Nothing really out of the ordinary here.

Meat: I buy bulk and freeze because it has been cheaper. If I make it to the Farmer's Market, I will buy fresh ground turkey or chicken. But lately it has been more efficient to buy at Sam's once a month, portion out, and freeze for the month. I get chicken breasts, ground turkey, fresh salmon and fresh talapia.

OMG I Think That's My Kitchen!

Wow. I think I just inventoried everything for you :( Well now you know why I can whip something up at the drop of hat! My meal planning has been seriously lacking lately so I end up just pulling a protein and veggies and whipping something up for dinner each day. I use the left over meat from dinner for salads the next day. And it helps that I work from home now so I can prep, get the kids from school and then make dinner when I get back.

As a note: yes, we have alcohol in the house! I will do a separate post on alcohol when the time is right, but please note that even with us eating better, we still indulge in certain items! Hey: we are only human!