August 17, 2017
Comfort food is the greatest, am I right?
I grew up in a very small town in Central Iowa, just 45 minutes NE of Des Moines. I moved out of Iowa right out of college (over 10 years ago) but I still get a little nostalgic on my trips back home.
Like most people, I have a special place in my heart for my home state. However, whenever I find myself visiting home, I have a hard time sticking to my clean eating habits and I’m still trying to figure out why this happens. I did my first Whole 30 more than 3 years ago and have focused on clean eating ever since, yet when I’m at home, that thought process goes out the window. I still have my days where I feel guilty about certain food choices, but I’m in the process of looking at the “big picture” and taking a more balanced approach. And while I never struggled with bulimia or anorexia there’s little doubt I could’ve been classified as a problem eater. During the years prior to my clean eating I had to work through a lot of negativity I had towards my body image, and the same mental drain resurfaces during those “guilty” days when I’ve overindulged at home. Getting over my negative self-image issues took a lot of self care and mental practice to overcome, so falling back into old habits can be mentally discouraging. But when I’m making choices with my mental AND physical health in mind, I am a much more positive person and have the wherewithal to push the negativity aside – and that’s what this whole thing is about! Living the best life; being the best version of yourself.
But back to my hometown foods, what’s a healthy person to do when they’re trying to make good choices but can’t kick the cravings for midwestern staples? You put a spin on a classic dish that you grew up on. Shake N Bake! Anyone else? I loved doing the “Shaking” before the baking with my mom in the kitchen. This dish is giving me all the feels of home without the guilt of all the crap that comes in the real Shake N Bake. Best of both worlds. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork chops (bone in preferred)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 C ghee, melted
- 1/2 C almond flour
- 2 tsp seasoning salt (Trader Joe's is Whole30 Compliant)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Set up a dredging station: Whisk your eggs into a shallow dish.
- In an additional shallow dish mix all the seasonings ingredients.
- Next pour the melted ghee into a 9x13 baking sheet.
- Begin dredging the pork chops by dipping them into the egg mixture, followed by the seasoning mixture. Place the coated pork chop onto the baking sheet.
- Cook in oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Enjoy!
