Eating healthy doesn’t have to stop when traveling. For me, it never stops, because I’m constantly working to reverse my autoimmune stuff through food and lifestyle. Recently, I had a pretty bad flare up and switched from paleo to AIP (autoimmune protocol or autoimmune paleo) and while it was a bigger adjustment then I was expecting (no more nuts, seeds, eggs, night shades, seed based spices, cracked black pepper!!!) being a proper foodie, it made me get even more creative in the kitchen.
As I’ve mentioned before, one of my great travel hacks is bringing along a plug in car cooler whenever we’re road tripping. That way, I can pick up meats and ingredients from our local farmer’s market and bring them along to wherever we’re going! Recently we took a trip up to Idyllwild (seriously the cutest little mountain town just outside of Palm Springs – pictures to follow recipe) and rented a super charming little dog friendly Airbnb to escape the city for a few days and creatively refresh. I brought along 2 heads of cabbage (cut up and thrown in a reusable silicone bag), some squash, arugula, a pomegranate, a pack of pork lardons aka cut up pork belly (from this amazing pasture-raised farm in Temecula that I get at our Hollywood Farmer’s Market every Sunday), some coconut oil, some avocado oil, some coconut aminos, pink salt (always), honey, asian pears, and some fresh herbs. I figured that was enough to throw together tasty food for the next few days and anything else I needed, I could likely supplement from a local store.
So without further ado, here’s the breakdown of the two meals I made (that we ate twice – we’re never ones to shy away from repeating meals on the road) – pictured above.
AIP/PALEO Peffley Cabbage Bowl (first image)
- One large head of cabbage (or seen here, half green cabbage, half purple cabbage) cut up into strips.
- 1/4 to 1/2 lb bacon lardons, or pork belly, or bacon cut up. You can use more or less to your liking.
- coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil to drizzle over everything (don’t over saturate, just lightly coat and toss)
- Pink salt and fresh herbs for taste.
- Preheat oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast everything all together for about 20 – 30 minutes (when the bacon is done and the cabbage starts to crisp, it’s ready!).
- Top with coconut aminos and enjoy!
**Sometimes I like to add other things to this like carrots or mushrooms (also thrown on the cookie sheet with everything else and roasted all together), or use ground beef, pork, or lamb. Sometimes I make it vegan and just do veggies. It’s pretty versatile and always tasty! You’ll be so surprised how good this tastes. It’s a regular staple in our house!
Roasted Delicata Squash and Lardon Salad
- Arugula – I use a few handfuls per plate. Whatever greens you have on hand are fine, I just love Arugula so dearly (and so does Bubbs, our dog).
- 1 delicata squash, cut into circles, with seeds scraped out.
- Pomegranate seeds – a handful per salad will do
- 1/4 to 1/2 lb lardons (for 2 people) depending on how much you want.
- Throw squash and lardons on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with oil of choice. Roast at 425° for about 20 – 30 minutes until the lardons are done and the squash starts to brown (you may need to check it and flip it).
- Put them on the arugula. Drizzle with olive oil or avocado oil and coconut aminos, plus pink salt and herbs as desired and top with pomegranate seeds.
*This is another super versatile meal. The second day I added avocado and pear and it was so yummy too! The basic principle here is one sheet meals tossed on greens. Keep it simple. Don’t be afraid of pink salt. Also is super good with a little maple syrup drizzled, if you’re doing maple syrup.
And now for some fun pics of our cute Airbnb!
Casa De Peffley 