Paleo Beef Tamale Pie

Instead of getting stuck in a rut of "boring" on the Whole30, I've been trying my best to use it as inspiration to get creative.

This is my 5th round, and let me tell you~ mixing up your food choices is key to making it through the whole month.  Don't let food boredom get the best of you, and leave you longing for pizza or sushi or chocolates or takeout... make something fun!

This is my play on a "Tamale Pie".  It has all of the flavors I love from the good ol' Costco tamales we used to buy in bulk & inhale, but the ingredients are awesome.

The crust has a sweet, "masa" or cornbread-like flavor made from simple, grain-free ingredients:  cauliflower & sweet potato.  The sweet potatoes give the whole dish a natural sweetness, and contrast perfectly with diced green chiles for a mild kick of heat, with riced cauliflower for a little texture.

Topped with savory ground beef, and a rich red sauce, this dish will seriously melt in your mouth... it's so flavorful!  It's also Whole30 approved... and I can't wait for you to try it!

Broccoli & Chorizo Breakfast Skillet

I whipped up this frittata-style breakfast skillet one Saturday morning after our workouts.  It was quick, simple, and made enough leftovers to get us through the next couple of mornings.  An absolute win-win in my book!

Paleo Berry Custard Pie

If you get your hands on some extra berries any time soon, you've got to try this recipe!  Its cool creamy layers have been on my mind since I first made it, and I am SO excited to share it with you.

I created this pie on a whim in honor of the 4th of July.  The creamy custard from my Paleo German Chocolate Cake Bars was my inspiration~ and it complimented my red & blue berries perfectly.  I then came up with this buttery crust (which took a couple of tries...not going to lie), and LOVED how it turned out, especially with such simple ingredients.

For the berries, I decided to smash them up a bit.  I think it looks pretty & it gives a fun textured layer over top of the custard.  You could also leave them whole, and place them around the pie in a pattern to make it extra fancy.  It would taste just as delicious!

Green Protein Smoothie Cubes

I've always been a fan of cool, creamy smoothies and shakes.  They're such an easy way to get in lots of nutrients at once~  fruit, veggies, protein, and hydration.

My personal favorite time of day for a smoothie has got to be breakfast.  It just feels like such a clean, refreshing start to the day.  And as long as I've added a couple scoops of quality protein, it's filling enough to keep me going through a busy morning.

The trouble is, I don't always have or make the time to pull out a bunch of ingredients and measure things out first thing in the morning.  

Of course you could make a giant smoothie in the blender & save it in the fridge, right?  Unfortunately, if you've tried it like myself, you know the answer is "wrong".  It turns into a separated, slushy mess that doesn't taste quite right, even if you try to revive it with some ice and another whirl in the blender.

Paleo Blueberry Pancake Bake

This morning I enjoyed one of those slow Saturday mornings that I look forward to all week, & just love.  We woke up early, took our time making bulletproof coffee in the blender, and sipped it slow while we caught up on a new show we're into (well, new to us, actually--  "Once Upon A Time"!)

When breakfast time rolled around, I was feeling inspired to get in the kitchen and create.  No recipe, no plan, just my favorite kind of stress-free cooking:  pulling ingredients out & adding things as I went.  Changing up my plan as it came together.

The result was something I've had on my mind for a while now~  pancake batter baked into a dish and sliced up like a pie.  Served hot, and drizzled with maple syrup... heavenly!