this is a recipe i posted a while back, but as usual, i’ve tried some new things to make it work for the WHOLE 30.

by the way, this is day 4 of the WHOLE 30 here at our house.  although, i think this might be my way of life from now on.

confession:  i went to a wine tasting last night, and i probably had enough tastings to equal a small glass of wine.

i’ve also pinched a nerve in my neck, so the amazing workouts have slowed to a dead halt.

also, i weighed myself this morning ~ which the book tells you NOT to do for the entire 30 days, but i’m already seeing a difference in my belly and legs since i started working out and eliminating (about two weeks now).  so i got curious.

DON’T WEIGH.  it’s not accurate.  it may never be the number you expect/want to see.  i felt like i was getting somewhere until i looked at that number, so obviously the number doesn’t matter.

now i have to un-see it.

UGH.

back to the great pulled chicken recipe!

i call this PALEO PULLED CHICKEN because i serve it over roasted cauliflower.  so there’s no rice or beans or tortillas to get in the way of your WHOLE 30 experience!

THE CHICKEN

1. wash and dry a whole chicken.  or chicken breasts, if you like.  drop into the slow cooker.
2. add one can of whole tomatoes and one can of ROTEL tomatoes.
3. add one yellow onion, chopped, 3 cloves of garlic, chopped, two jalapeños, seeded and chopped, and the stems of a bunch of cilantro, chopped.
4. drop in your spices ~ you can use a taco spice mix, or add it all separately:  cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper ~ whatever you like in your tex-mex.
5. put the lid on and cook on high for 5 hours, or on low for 8.  (this isn’t exact ~ just pull out the chicken and cut into it when you get home from work and when it looks done, it’s done.  that’s the great thing about a slow cooker!)
6. pull the chicken out, remove the skin and bones, and the pieces you don’t want, and shred the rest with two forks.  season with a little salt.
7. make sure there are no bones or pieces of fat left in your tomato sauce before you blend it.  if you have an immersion blender, that’s the best way to do this ~ otherwise, use a blender (don’t forget:  when blending hot liquids, open up the small opening in the lid and place a towel over it to let the hot air escape!)
8. this sauce makes an incredible salsa with chips, but since we’re not eating chips right now, simply pour over the chicken and vegetables for a saucy, yummy dish!

AND HERE’S WHAT GOES UNDER THAT SAUCY CHICKEN…

you can serve this chicken over lots of different things ~ cilantro-lime rice would be my favorite.  but since we’re not eating grains right now, i made roasted pineapple and cauliflower.

• toss both cauliflower and pineapple in olive oil, lime juice, and chili powder.
• roast at 400 for 30 minutes.
• blitz in the food processor to make cauliflower rice (my food processor is broken, so i just served both whole.  it made for a hearty dish!!!)
• top the whole dish with cilantro, avocado, and a squirt of fresh lime juice!