May 23, 2018
Last weekend marked the first weekend I spent on the Whole30, which was something I was dreading all week. I mean I love weekends, don’t get me wrong, and I am not one to ever dread going into a weekend. Perhaps that language is too strong actually, because I was excited to be at work, but also concerned about how good my weekend was going to be given that I was on a diet for it. I figured that the first weekend would be the hardest, because you know you 3 more after the first one, so if it went badly it was going to be a slow 30 days! I think the reason I was dreading it so much was because of what weekends usually mean to me. Normally I will eat really healthy during the week, but the weekends are my time to enjoy myself and really let go. I don’t worry too much about what I’m eating, which often leads to delicious but not Whole30 approved food decisions like bread, pasta, pizza, cheese, sweet desserts, cakes….and most importantly of all…wine! So you can imagine my concern going into my first Whole30 weekend thinking about how awful it was going to be not eating that sort of food and how tempting it would be being out and about around this sort of eating.
My partner and I seem to find out weekends often revolve around food. Whether it is getting takeout and watching a movie, enjoying some cheese and wine before dinner, or going out with friends for each meal, we don’t really tend to eat in on the weekends. This was what I was worried about because I didn’t want the diet to get in the way of catching up with friends, but I also knew if I went out I would be that difficult one asking for different things on my order, which creates a lot of questions around why you aren’t eating certain things and really what is so bad about quinoa? (My partner asked me this on the weekend and I tend to agree…when you’re making changes to the superfood salad on the menu you’ve reached a new low). This was why I was so worried, because we have so many rituals around food, and I knew I was going to feel a bit lost without them. Especially missing my usual wine before dinner on Friday night to chill out. I think this was the hardest thing, because I got home and could only have a water, and it really didn’t get me relaxed after a week of work!
So I had a plan of attack, and it sort of worked! I decided it was just easier to eat in as much as possible, keep myself busy with fun outings and projects around the house. I thought I would end up with a lot of time at home to plan our trip in June, but I think I was so good at planning out activities that I kept myself too busy! It ended up working out well because the weekend went very fast, and I didn’t feel anywhere near as depressed as I thought I would. Being out and seeing delicious food was probably the hardest thing, but I was surprised by how little cravings I actually had, apart from Friday night. So I am hoping next weekend will be even easier given that it is my second weekend doing it!
So on Saturday night I was feeling a bit sorry for myself because I decided against seeing my partner’s friends so that I could actually eat something compliant with Whole30 (they ended up ordering pizza so I think this was a good call). But I decided rather than moping about the lack of wine in my life, I should focus on how much fun it’s been getting into the kitchen to cook more often. I have really been enjoying trying all the new recipes, even my partner is impressed by how good they are, and so I decided instead to make myself a delicious meal and watch the Royal Wedding. The meal I made was so good that I had to share it! Even if you aren’t on Whole30, I think this meal was absolutely delicious and didn’t take too long to prepare at all, so it would make for a perfect, and tasty weeknight meal.
I’ve always wanted to try stuffed capsicums but I’ve never gotten around to doing it for some reason. Maybe I thought it was more complicated than it actually is, because when you get down to it these capsicums are so easy to make! Not to mention they are super delicious, especially because I ended up adding a whole heap of herbs and spices to the mix that weren’t in the original recipe (what can I say, I tend to take a recipe and I just can’t stick to it…drives my partner insane when he’s cooking with me). So the concoction of deliciousness that I ended up with I figured was definitely worth sharing with you all so that you could replicate this simple, satisfying and healthy meal!
- 4 large capsicums preferably round in shape
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 brown onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 fresh chilli, diced
- 1 cup diced brown mushrooms
- 2 grated carrots
- 500 grams beef mince
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 handfuls baby spinach
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Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Line a deep baking dish with baking paper and set aside.
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Chop the tops off the four capsicums and then gently pull the stem out and discard the tops, core and seeds, removing any that remain in the capsicums. Place in the baking dish with the inside facing up and bake for 10 minutes, or until the capsicums have softened slightly. Remove from the oven and set aside.
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Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a frypan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook for 1 more minute, stirring to avoid burning.
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Add the brown mushrooms, carrots and parsley to the pan along with a little bit of water (about a tablespoon) and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the carrots and mushrooms soften slightly. Add in the ground beef and break up with a spoon whilst stirring to combine with the vegetables, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
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Add the tomato paste, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, dried oregano and baby spinach and stir to combine with the meat mixture. Cook for 7-9 minutes or until the meat is mostly cooked through, stirring frequently.
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Scoop the meat mixture into the capsicums, ensuring each is filled by pressing down on the meat as you fill it (if you have any meat left over place it in a container for leftovers). Ensure each capsicum is able to stand up on its own in the dish, and place in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes or until the meat is browned on the top.
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Serve with a simple salad, some avocado and baked or mashed sweet potato.
It may seem like it is a little complicated but I promise you this recipe is super simple. All you have to do is cook up the mince, stuff it in the capsicums and bake, and you have a delicious meal! I love the flavour of roasted capsicums, and they go so well with the flavours of the mexican beef. They sort of give the dish a bit of a grilled taste which I loved. I paired this with a simple salad and some roasted sweet potato, but to be honest I was so full after the capsicum and salad I didn’t really need the sweet potato. This dish is definitely filling enough without it, and given the original Whole30 recipe recommended adding this into the mince itself, I would tell you don’t worry about it!
What I love about this recipe is also how versatile it is. You can easily substitute any of the veggies I put in the meat for anything you have on hand, or even leave them out if you see fit. I really liked the mushroom in the dish, but you could quite easily add in zucchini, spinach, chard, beans, anything you feel like! That’s what I love about recipes like this, you can really do no wrong! All the flavours come together so perfectly that it would be really hard to screw up. You could also sub out the beef mince for something like turkey mince quite easily if you wanted something a bit lighter, but I used grass-fed beef and I found it to be absolutely delicious with this meal.
I’ve been loving trying all these Whole30 recipes. I’ve been so surprised by how delicious all the food is on the diet, if it weren’t for the omission of wine I really don’t think I’d feel like I was missing out! The diet has me eating better during the week than I normally would be bothered to cook, and trying new recipes all the time that have constantly surprised me with how delicious they are. This diet really doesn’t make you feel like you’re on a diet, especially with good food like this!
I would definitely make this again as a weeknight meal as it involved very little prep or cooking time at the stove, and it was quite quick to pull together. It also makes for great leftovers for your lunch the next day, or I even put some of the mince into some scrambled eggs for a bit of added protein. You could also easily freeze the meat for another meal like nachos or tacos (once I can eat those again). There really are no rules with this one, and it is so versatile!
Until next time, happy eating!
Ella xx
