Whole30 day 21 - Winter Squash Soup and Roasted Veggies

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Another double run Wednesday meant I got to see both sunrise and sunset while running at White Rock Lake! After running in 72 degree weather on Sunday, the first run while it was 27 degrees was a bit of a shock to the system.  Mornings runs are so peaceful though and a great way to get ready to tackle another day at work. That and people who exercise in the morning seem much happier based on my extremely scientific study of the percentage of strangers out running who say "hi" or "good morning," or even smile and acknowledge your presence compared to the percentage of those running later in the day :p




Pre-run #1: a piece of sweet potato energy bar (a new recipe I tried which turned out amazing! I'll post it soon)

Breakfast: piece of Hearty Breakfast Quiche, half and avocado, cup of coffee

Lunch: the usual (veggies, orange, half a grilled chicken breast, half a sweet potato with coconut oil and hot sauce)

Pre-run #2: handful of almonds

Post-run #2: Since I still had to cook dinner, I had 1 medjool date and a piece of sweet potato energy bar to get come carbohydrates into me as soon as possible after my run.

Dinner: My second run of the day was a bit warmer than the first, but it was windy, and since the sun set during the run it also cooled off quickly. It was taking me awhile to warm up, even after a hot shower, so I decided to try my hand at making a soup to go with dinner. I paired the soup with roasted vegetables and balsamic chicken with collard greens.


Winter Squash Soup


Ingredients
1/2 of a large butternut squash (I used the other half with the roasted vegetables)
1.5 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 of a yellow onion sauteed in 1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut milk
1.5 cups water (you can also use chicken broth, I didn't have any on hand that was Whole30 compliant so I substituted with water + coconut oil + salt)
2 tsp salt
1 T coconut oil
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder 
1/2 tsp onion powder
4-5 dashes chili powder

Instructions

1) Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and cook. You can peel it before or after cooking it, whichever you prefer. Also, you can either microwave it or bake it, depending on how much time you have. I used the microwave and it took about 15 minutes for it to soften and I cut the skin off after it was cooked. 

2) Chop the onion and saute it in a skillet with 1 tsp coconut oil until soft.

3) Place all ingredients in a blender, or into a bowl/pot if you plan on using an immersion blender. 

4) Blend until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve hot.
Roasted Vegetables

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and select any vegetables you'd like. Root vegetables tend to roast the best. I used 1/2 of a butternut squash (I microwaved this half just long enough for it to soften enough to chop easily), 5 large carrots, 2 small russet potatoes, and a green pepper. Chop vegetables into small cubes, coat a baking sheet and the vegetables with olive oil, add salt and pepper as desired, and bake for 60 - 90 minutes, turning every 20-30 minutes, until evenly browned.  

Balsamic Chicken and Collard Greens 

 This part of the meal was extremely simple since I had grilled chicken on hand and ready. I simply heated a skillet with a teaspoon of coconut oil, chopped the grilled chicken and added it to the skillet along with ~2 cups of collard greens. I covered the skillet with a lid for about 3 minutes to steam the collard greens and warm the chicken, then added 1 tsp salt and 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar. I left the skillet uncovered over medium-low heat and allowed it to simmer for another 5 minutes, or until most of the balsamic vinegar had been absorbed.  

Summary Day 21: I had two great runs and a good energy level throughout the day because I planned my meals and pre/post workout snack well. My sleep has also been great this week, so I'm sure that is helping too! 

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