Whole30: Week 1 wrap-up and Paleo Diner Hash recipe

Okay, I'm jumping the gun a little here at day 6, but we'll call it week 1. I'm eating well, have avoided the "kill all the things" phase of the Whole30, and actually feel pretty awesome. I guess I didn't have as much bad diet to detox from as last time.

Wednesday (day 3): Didn't end up going out after all (babysitter couldn't make it). So made breakfast for dinner: Sausage (Whole30-friendly, from Seward Co-op), 1.5 over-medium fried eggs, and a huge pan of paleo diner-style sweet potato-pumpkin-kale hash (which I immediately named "squaash", to rhyme with "hash").

Paleo Diner Hash. Oh my this was good.

Paleo Diner Hash (serves 2 hungry people):

3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, cut into 1/2" dice
1 baked or microwaved sweet potato, cut into 1" dice
1 cup (or so) roasted winter squash or pumpkin, cut into 1" dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
4 cups (or so) fresh chopped kale or spinach (or 1/2 lb frozen spinach would probably work)

In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Saute the onion till soft and translucent. Add the sweet potato, squash, and kale (if you're using kale) and saute over medium heat, stirring infrequently (to let stuff brown), until the veggies are starting to brown. Season with generous amounts of salt and pepper and a judicious amount of cayenne, if you like. Once the sweet potato, squash, and onion look cooked enough for your taste, if you're using spinach, add that in and stir till it's wilted. Serve with fried or poached eggs!

Thursday (day 4):
Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and pickled jalapenos, cooked in ghee. Roasted pumpkin. Black coffee. (Hey, it's working for me!)
Post-workout: Almonds, black coffee. (Should have eaten something with carbs, but I got distracted once I got to work)
Lunch: Big salad (lettuce, 1/2 avocado, cucumber, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green pepper, 1/2 roasted yellow pepper, roasted eggplant, olive oil and balsamic vinegar), tuna salad (tuna in olive oil, celery, apple, sliced almonds, paleo mayo) with green beans and some roasted peppers on top.
Snack: Dried pineapple, a clementine, almonds.
Dinner: Pork stew (pork shoulder braised in red wine with garlic, onions, and carrots -- oops, my husband forgot alcohol was off Whole30 but OMG THIS WAS DELICIOUS) over steamed cauliflower. Stew recipe was modified from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, which I love. Too hungry to take a picture.

Friday (day 5):
Breakfast: Seward Cafe! 3 egg omelet with kale, broccoli, mushrooms and tomato. Tahini on top, sprouts on the side. Black coffee. Also some roasted pumpkin with ghee at home.
Lunch: Big salad (lettuce, 1/2 avocado, a clementine orange, 1/2 roasted yellow pepper, roasted eggplant, clover sprouts, olive oil and balsamic vinegar), tuna salad (tuna in olive oil, celery, apple, sliced almonds, paleo mayo) with green beans and some roasted peppers on top. Almonds.
Dinner: Chorizo, pan-roasted Brussels sprouts, and a sweet potato with ghee.

Frozen Brussels sprouts (thanks, Trader Joe's!) straight into a hot pan with lard, cook till browned, salt and pepper. Pretty good, though fresh local sprouts are better in season.

Why yes, that is a whole lot of food.

Saturday (day 6):
Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, kale, and pickled jalapenos, cooked in ghee. Roasted pumpkin. Black coffee.
During 3 hour run: 2 Larabars (Pecan Pie -- ingredient list is dates, almonds, pecans), water
Post-long run: Small baked sweet potato and Seward Cafe breakfast: 3-egg omelet with kale, tomatoes, and carrots with a side of tahini and a side of broccoli, black coffee. I was stuffed after this. But 2.5 hours later, I was definitely ready for...
Lunch: Leftover pork stew (pork, carrots, garlic, onions).

On an unrelated note, my run today was awesome! It's finally warmed up here and the temperature was 28 degrees. Shorts weather! I ran 3 hours with a friend, and we saw dozens (!) of other runners out on the trails! I think everyone came out for the nice weather. Trails were in great shape and it was a joy to run out there.

Pam and I, happy after a big run