Day 20 of the Whole30 - DONE!

I know I'm way behind on blogging, but it's not because I cheated on the Whole30, it's just because I'm way behind:-(

I'm actually really proud of myself of the discipline I've had on the Whole30. To tell you the truth, by the end of the first week I wasn't even thinking about what I couldn't have on this so-called 'diet'...I was thinking about all the kinds of food I could have...It's a mental thing for me and stems from my eating disorder...I also hate 'diets' because they usually set people up to fail from the start due to the amount restrictions in what they eat. I was always around people dieting growing up and it just seemed absurd. Somehow being on a 'diet' always made you hungry, probably because it was low-fat, high-carb. All my mom's friends would loose 5 lbs and gain 10 lbs...then they'd lose 10 lbs and gain 15 lbs...How is that anyway to live...???

Anyhow, I don't consider the Whole30 a 'diet'. I consider it a sustainable lifestyle. Once I got past the first week I didn't really think about food throughout the day because I ate satiating meals that filled me up for hours and I became fat-adapted instead of sugar-burner. The only time I really think about food is when I'm planning and prepping my food for the week. Other than that, all the food is ready to go. I eat when I'm hungry and I don't worry about how much I'm eating. All I focus when I eat now is slowing down (actually chewing my food), being mindful (making sure I'm not distracted), and appreciating my life (family, friends, work, play, sleep and food). It's really amazing to see how my relationship towards food has changed and all it took was the willpower to eat real food for a few weeks...I'M SO PYCHED!!!

Today's Stats

Water Consumption

120 ounces

Sleep

8 1/2 hours

Daily Meals

7:30am - Morning Beverage : Coconut Milk Latte

10am - Morning Beverage : Bone Broth

12pm - Brunch : Leftover Frittata

3pm - Snack : Nuts, olives, veggies and my famous veggie dips

7pm - Mocktail : Seltzer water, blueberries and mint

8pm - Dinner : Spaghetti Squash, Homemade Marinara Sauce and Elk Meatballs

When was the last time you were on a diet...???

What kind of diet was it...???

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks - Another One Pot Wonder

Lamb shanks may look challenging to make, but they are actually easier than apple pie (especially for me since I don't bake often). The 3 points of performance when cooking lamb shanks are the following:

1. Season well, the seasoning is foundation for the dish.

2. Sear all over. 

3. Cook low & slow (it's a muscular part and takes awhile for the connective tissue to breakdown).  

Ingredients

- 1 shank person (I usually make extra for leftovers)

- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

- 10 garlic cloves

- 1 sweet potato, roughly chopped

- 1 jalapeño, chopped

- 1 leek, roughly chopped

- 5 carrots

- 5 celery stalks

- 3 cups red wine

- Seasoning: salt, peper, cumin, curry powder, paprika, turmeric

- Coconut, ghee, or lard (fat) for searing the shanks and sautéing the veggies

Red Wine Reduction Veggie Puree

- 2 to 3 cups braised veggies & drippings

- 8 oz coconut milk, canned

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees

2. Completely season the shanks.

3. In a dutch oven (or cast iron skillet if you are using crock pot instead of the oven) heat fat over high and place shanks in pot.

4. Sear all sides and reserve the seasoned oil. 

5. Turn off heat and let cool. 

6. In the meantime, roughly cut up veggies.

7. Over medium heat sweat onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, until translucent.

8. Add the rest of the veggies in batches starting with the jalapeño, sweet potatoes, leeks, carrots, and celery. Add more fat if needed.

9. Add red wine and whisk in all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.

10. Place lamb shanks back into the pot and add water until about halfway covered. 

11. Bring to a boil.

12. Place the lid on and put in the oven.

13. Cook in the oven at 275 for 3 hours. Since I wasn't home, I just left it in the oven until I got home which was about 6 hours. If you don't have that much time to cook and let simmer for dinner you can cook it at a higher temperature for shorter time (325 degrees for 3-4 hours or 375 for 2-3 hours).

14. Cooking the lamb shanks low and slow will result in liquid evaporation and meat shrinkage, another thing to keep in mind when determining how much to cook per person. 

15. To make the Red Wine Reduction Veggie Puree, add the braised veggies and drippings to the food processor and puree.

16. Slowly pour in the coconut milk and puree until silky smooth.

17. Serve on top of a bed of mixed greens and top with braised veggies and the Red Wine Reduction Veggie Puree.

Try this recipe out the next time you have a dinner party or just cooking for two...don't be afraid to cook enough to have leftovers... 

I used my leftover the next day in a cast iron skillet hash with a few fried eggs on top...