This recipe proves sticking to the Whole30 can be as decadent as it is healthy

Going a month without sugar, legumes, dairy, and grains can definitely be challenging, but ultimately it can give you some major intel about your body—like pinpointing exactly what foods make your gut freak out.

Whole30 co-creator Melissa Hartwig stresses that sticking with the plan doesn’t mean you’ll be hungry—far from it. And you don’t have to spend your entire Sunday meticulously mapping out every single meal either. Her new book, The Whole30 Fast & Easy Cookbook, is brimming with 150 simple, speedy, and Whole30-approved recipes that feel like a hearty indulgence.

“We’re all about making meals out of ingredients you always have on hand, but using them in creative ways.”

“I don’t mind if something needs a half-hour to cook if I can put it together quickly,” says Hartwig of her fast and easy philosophy. “That leaves me with time to clean up, play with my son, or read a book before we eat.”

One star dish from the new healthy food tome: a recipe for coffee au poivre steaks with spiral potatoes, which utilizes a flavor-packed rub of coffee beans, hot chili powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and mustard powder to make an out-of-this-world steak.

“We’re all about making meals out of ingredients you always have on hand, but using them in creative ways,” says Hartwig. “Some variation of this recipe has been a crowd-pleaser for many years.”

Her best tip for making this meal quickly? “Take the steak out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature about a half-hour before you start cooking, which will help the meat cook more evenly and faster,” says Hartwig. “Combine that with spiralized potatoes—which also cook faster than diced or sliced—and you can have this fancy-looking meal on the table in no time flat!”

Keep reading for this Whole30-approved steak and potatoes recipe.

Coffee au poivre steaks with spiral potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 Tbsp finely ground coffee beans or ground instant coffee1 1/2 Tbsp hot chili powder2 tsp smoked paprika2 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp mustard powder4 (1-inch-thick) rib eye steaks, trimmed of fat (about 8 ounces each)3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and spiralized into noodles1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp avocado oil or melted coconut oil1 tsp garlic powder1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Adjust the oven racks so one is about four inches from the broiler heat and the other is lower in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil.

2. Prepare the steaks: In a small bowl, combine the ground coffee, chili powder, paprika, one teaspoon salt, and mustard powder. Place the steaks on the unheated rack of a broiler pan or baking pan. Rub the steaks all over with the coffee mixture.

3. Make the potatoes: Place the potato noodles on the lined baking pan and pat dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine the oil, garlic powder, one teaspoon salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the potatoes and gently toss to coat. Roast the potato noodles on the lower oven rack, tossing once halfway through, for 20 minutes.

4. Turn the oven to broil, leaving the potatoes on the lower rack. Place the steaks on the upper rack. Broil the steaks, turning once halfway through, for 12 to 14 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature is 145°F) or to desired doneness. Remove the pan with the steaks from the oven, and let steaks rest for five minutes while finishing potatoes.

5. Move the pan with the potatoes to the upper rack position and broil, watching carefully and tossing occasionally, until golden and crisp, about five minutes.

Coffee au Poivre Steaks with Spiral Potatoes from The Whole30 Fast & Easy. Copyright © 2017 by Melissa Hartwig. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

If you’re trying out the Whole30, here are tips on overcoming the five biggest obstacles to sticking with it. Plus, be sure to read this game plan after you finish Whole30.