We’re slowly recovering from our biggest series of events yet (at CF Austin and CF West Houston) this weekend. More on that (and pictures!) as we get our act together later this week. Today’s post is dedicated to a fabulous friend of ours, and the best hostess in Austin – Melissa “Melicious” Joulwan.
Melissa has been a client and a friend for almost a year now, and is both a nutritionally savvy blogger and a fabulous cook in her own right. She runs the blog The Clothes Make the Girl, ruminating on everything health, fitness and food related. If you haven’t subscribed to her feed already, her blog is a must-read. She’s a fantastically entertaining writer, and offers a unique and highly relate-able perspective to her readers. In addition, her recipes page is full of amazingly delicious, mostly Paleo-friendly offerings that are guaranteed to immediately spice up your Whole30 program. (Anything that isn’t 100% compliant is noted in the comments – for example, the Sunshine Sauce contains a bit of wheat-free tamari, which you can omit entirely as part of your Whole30 plan.)
Melissa was kind enough to host us for a Dino-Chow Feast for us on Friday night with some of her best CrossFit friends. Everyone brought something amazing and 100% Whole30 compliant – the fresh guacamole and jicama and “fried” tomatoes (breaded with coconut flour and baked in coconut oil) were our favorite. Mel made an enormous wild-caught salmon (fresh from Alaska) and grilled chicken thighs (from “happy” organic, free-range chickens), with side dishes of roasted beets, crispy kale and brussels sprouts.
The food was gorgeous, the company was charming and we left well fed, happy, and grateful to have a friend like “Melicious” taking good care of us while we were in town. Thanks to Mel and the gang for a fabulous evening – we look forward to our next trip to Austin!
In the meantime, for all you Whole30 participants, here’s a special recipe Melissa made for us during our visit. It’s a chimichurri sauce, made with fresh herbs and spices and delicious on steak, fish, chicken… or just about anything you can think of. Looking for a new way to spice up your dishes? Try this one today, and drop a note on Mel’s blog to say “thanks” for all the delicious Dino-Chow inspired recipes! (And read her totally unbiased – ha! – review of our Whole9 Nutrition Workshop at CrossFit Austin on Saturday.)
CHIMICHURRI
– 1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
– 3-4 garlic cloves
– 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves (or 2 tsp dried oregano)
– 1/2 cup EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
– 2 tbsp vinegar
– 1 tsp sea salt
– 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
– 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1. Finely chop the parsley, oregano and garlic. Place in small bowl.
2. Stir in olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Serve immediately, or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving. Can be kept for a day or two. (Serves 2-4).
Happy, well fed people
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I’m blushing. For real. Sitting at my corporate overlords’ desk with cheeks burning.
Thank you for your kind words. And y’all can thank my mom and dad for teaching me how to cook and instilling a love of delicious food in me at an early age. It has been SO much fun to eat Real Food and return to my cooking roots at the same time. I’m going to see my family this weekend, and I’m very excited about us cooking dino-chow together. As you know, my dad went Whole30 in December and my mom went grain-free about 6 weeks ago. They’re both experiencing wonderful results. The cooking that’s going to go on in their kitchen next weekend is going to be legendary.
For the record, one of my favorite things in the world is to gather my friend close and feed them. So thank YOU for giving me a kickass opportunity to do that. Y’all are the best guests of honor EVER — even if Dallas does like his steak still mooing.
I love the completely decimated platter of grilled salmon in the right-side foreground of our group photo. We really did do a good job eating, didn’t we!
Safe travels, superstars. Come back anytime. ANY. TIME. Tomorrow, even!
Love, love.
I AM SO JEALOUS!!!! Looks like you had a ton of fun. Mel, your blogs are so entertaining and helpful. Had a slight scare with the thyroid in Nov. and referred to your blog posts many of times when I was feeling down. Thanks!
Glad you’re having fun in TX.
East coast love,
J.Spice
J. Spice! The thyroid dance is so NOT fun. Hope you’re doing well now. Feel free to email me if you want to vent or swap stories or ask questions. mel at chancemccoy dot com
I would eat 100% Paleo 100% of the time if I could have just even half the head of hair Melissa has. I agree — her blog is great.
Hey..
Great post. Chimichurri is one of my favorite toppings for steak!
Just wanted to add, for “sunshine sauce,” if you like tamari but want to try something without soy, try coconut aminos–tastes very similar to soy sauce but with less sodium and no wheat or soy. You can get it online or at whole foods near the vinegars. :)
Danni, you are one sweet talker!
Nicole V., thanks for the suggestion. I want to try it! Super exciting ’cause soy is no-go with the thyroid, but I’ve been sneaking it anyway. Bad Mel!
Today is day 2 of my Whole30 commitment, and I’m feeling Good. How ’bout the rest of y’all? How’s everybody doing out there?
That looks good. I can’t wait to try it. I have a question for everybody. My dinners are dialed in and lunch is usually leftovers so what’s for breakfast? Any new ideas would be great. We have done a lot of eggs or chicken and usually fruit (cantaloupe or grapefruit mainly). Thanks.
Nicole V. is a GENIUS! A genius, I say. I am holding a bottle of Coconut Aminos (ingredients: organic coconut sap aged and blended with sun-dried sea salt), and it tastes even BETTER than soy or wheat-free tamari sauce.
For real.
This is going to make the Sunshine Sauce — and stir-fries — really sing. This is me, over the moon.
I found it at Whole Foods in the aisle with the other amino stuff and packaged Asian/stir-fry sauces.
JB –> I wish I had something more inspiring to tell you: my breakfasts are either eggs+vegetables or some other meat protein+vegetables. For example, yesterday I had beet greens in coconut oil with a little chicken sausage and two eggs on the side. Sometimes, I had fruit and eggs — on days when I’m going TOTALLY WACKY with the food ;-)
haha Mel – that was fast! I’m glad you dig it. :)
I especially like to add coconut aminos to sauteed broccoli slaw with scallions, ginger, and garlic (maybe a spoonful of coconut butter and a sprinkle of crushed almonds, too, if i’m feeling saucy). Super quick and easy–and 100% untainted Paleo.
another decent coconut product is coconut palm sugar – i know sugar is kinda off limits, but this stuff has a low glycemic index (something like 30), and actually contains some nutrients, unlike other sweeteners. i’d consider it as Paleo as honey or maple syrup. Do you (or anyone) have any thoughts on it?
I love the photo of Dallas surrounded by his various ladies…
I’m eating this now, and thought I’d share… “Breakfast Egg Foo Yung”
Dice some cooked chicken breast. Dice some steamed cabbage. Saute both in your fat of choice ’til carmelized. Scramble a few eggs and add a splash of coconut aminos (see above!). Pour the eggs over the pile in the pan and shake the pan until the eggs coat the veggies. Turn heat down a bit and put a lid on it ’til cooked through. Eat. Feel awesome.
If you’ve got the gumption, you can add shredded carrots, sliced scallions, or onion — but I was in a hurry.
Melicious, thanks for taking such good care of the Whole9. They were really looking forward to spending time with all of you.
The Nicole V. pointer to coconut aminos may rank as a quality of life saver for me. We catch Tuna. Without soy sauce, “fresh off the cleaning table” sashimi would just not be the same.
Next challenge is to find a way to make pickled ginger (3:2 parts vinegar and sugar) without all that sugar. Any ideas ?
Captain Tom! Next time, you need to come, too. Or better yet, I’m coming to the Keys! Thanks for the t-shirt. I will wear it with pride.
I’ll ask my Captain Tom if he has any ideas about the pickled ginger. He’s very creative in the kitchen, so we might come up with something.
Captain Tom, If Mel can’t provide a great recipe I’ll head to the kitchen and figure it out. In the meantime, I know it’s not the same as making your own but Sushi Sonic does pickled ginger without the sugar. I’m not saying it is Whole9 approved but I’ve had it and, not bad. Will gladly trade part of my stash for some tuna.
@ALL: Love it! We should just have a giant Melissa-fest down at Captain Tom and Susan’s in the Keys. (Dallas can come too.) We’ll all take turns cleaning fish on the dock and making delicious Whole30 approved meals. And trust me when I say mahi straight off the back of the Urban Renewal is as “Paleo” (and delicious!) as it gets.
We’re all super happy to have a good sub for soy sauce. Thanks to all for sharing and testing that out. Go, coconut!
Best, M&D
Nicole V, thanks for the coconut aminos tip! I will definately try it out!
Melissa and Dallas: YOU are the picture of health! thanks for all the inspiration and guidance!
Coconut Aminos? You can bet I’m going to track some of those down…
That looks like it was an amazing feast, with amazing people. How juicily fun. (Reading this makes me pine for Austin even more… we’re coming, Elizabeth!)
I’m on Day 22 (wow, how time flies!); ever since the Whole9 workshop in Ocean City. Loving – LOVING it. I have a feeling that this isn’t just a Whole30, but a WholeLifetime that just started; now that I know what I know, and feel how I feel, I just can’t see a reason to go back to anything less healthy than this, y’know? I mean, what for? A sugar coma and a bloat the size of a life raft?
1. MelissaMelicious, our door will always be open to you.
2. Melissa, thanks for Shushi Sonic. The only exotic ingredient is Perilla, a member of the mint family. I didn’t see anything that would not pass Whole9 review. But don’t take my word for it, I also thought stevia might be ok ;).
3. Melissa-fest in the Keys? Fun and scary at the same time! I could do this.
4. Melicous, I made a double batch of your Fauscous last night , subbing the leftover Craisins I found in the bottom of the cabinet. It was incredible! Now I have to play with Cauliflower, changing the texture and flavor to see what else it can imitate. Who knew.
Captain Tom, I have no doubt you could hold your own with an entire army of strong-willed Melissas.
And yes, cauliflower is the magic veggie. Have fun. Happy eating!
If you’re not in the mood to make your own chimi, try ours. It’s fresh and all natural made in Austin Texas. Google us at Gypsy Grove Foods or get us delivered through Farm House Deliver in Austin AND Houston.