Simple Salad

I'm traveling to PA for a wedding tomorrow, so I needed something quick and easy tonight! I thought this would be a good time to share my go-to meal - a simple salad. For me, a salad needs a lot of veggies (the more the merrier) and one protein. Tonight we used shrimp. I should warn you, I never measure this meal out, so I'm going to guess! I usually end up with two hefty portions. Brian finishing one and a half of them :) Rudy, I saw your last comment - he's digging the paleo!

Ingredients - Serves 2-3
3/4 of a bag of trader joe's frozen shrimp
2 handfuls of arugula
2 handfuls of spinach
1 cup of red cabbage (chopped)
4 mushrooms (chopped)
cherry tomatoes (as many as you like, I am generous)
cayenne pepper
vinegar
1 tbsp coconut oil

I start the shrimp first, placing them into a frying pan on medium-high. When they start to thaw, water collects in the pan, so I strain that out. I then add the coconut oil and cayenne pepper (each shrimp gets a sprinkle) for flavoring. Turn to low and let them simmer while you chop your veggies.

Working quickly, I chop all my vegetables and add them to the spinach and arugula. Arugula has a slightly bitter taste, so make sure you like it before adding it to the mix! I love it!! I typically tear the spinach leaves apart with my hands, because they can be pretty big. The red cabbage I chop up, it adds a nice crunch. The mushrooms are chopped as well, but cherry tomatoes I leave whole.

At this point, you should have all your veggies mixed and shrimp should be about ready. I take my vinegar and mix it in with the veggies - you want to make sure they are coated, but not drenched. I will sometimes add a little dash of oil to, in order to cut the vinegar, but often times, I will skip the oil if I cooked my protein in oil.

Put your salad on the plate first and top with your protein!
Other items I've added to this: Pine nuts or pecans, avocado, chicken (instead of shrimp), green cabbage, jalapenos, onion, cilantro. Like I said, the more the merrier! You really can't go wrong.

Today's Food Log
Breakfast
2 hard boiled eggs, 3 celery sticks (small)
1 coffee with heavy whip
Lunch
1 serving Shepards Pie
Snack
12 baby carrots (they were very small)
2 small celery sticks
Dinner
Simple Salad
1/2 Delicata Squash for dessert (I'll post this recipe tomorrow, so easy and so good)

Workout Log
Tuesday's workout
Clean and Jerk 1RM - New PR 135
The first time I did this weight tonight, it was ugly. I went to 140 and pressed it up, so I went back down to really get it solid. I need to get faster and really lock my arms.

WOD: 11:39 (I think)
4rds
400M run
15 Thrusters at #45
I liked this one!
Post WOD - 2 minute handstand - ouch.

Betty Crocker

I've really been feeling like Betty Crocker lately....this was one of my favorite costumes, believe it or not. ha.Brian was such a good sport (I refused to go solo, Pillsbury Dough boy + Betty, makes sense, right?), he couldn't go 2 ft in the bar without someone poking his stomach. Every single time, he made the "hoo hoo" noise. 

Tonight, I made the Shepard's Pie recipe again....this time with rutabaga, instead of Cauliflower. I liked it! And so did the boyfriend....after having a serving and saving one for lunch tomorrow, that pie was gone. bye bye.

I promise to have some new recipes soon! Need to go through Erin O's stash - there are some good ones in there! 

Today's Food Log

BREAKFAST

I was going to make eggs this morning, but then realized that I am so sick of eggs. I needed a day off. 

8oz. egg white protein shake (with coconut milk)

1 banana included 

1 coffee black

LUNCH

arugula salad with grape tomatoes, ground turkey, jalapeno, onion, garlic (extra filling from squash recipe)

vinegar

2 cups rutabaga

SNACK

coffee plus heavy whip (needed a pick me up today, shoot)

carrots

DINNER

1 serving of shepards pie

1/2 cup raw rutabaga while I was cooking :) 

Today's workout log

non-existent - booooo. I just didn't leave work in time, traffic was too bad and ended up not making it to the 7pm. Bummed. Hitting the gym tomorrow! See you there.

Salmon, Dill and Sauteed Kale

 

It is my personal opinion that Salmon and Dill were made for each other, like Snooki and spray tan. 

This recipe is so simple, yet so delish. 

Ingredients Serves 2

2 salmon filets

1 clove garlic (mine was large, worked out well)

1 tbsp dill (fresh if you can, but dried works too)

1 head of Kale 

1/2 tbsp walnut oil

1/2 tbsp lemon infused olive oil

grab two skillets, one deeper than the other. The deep one is best for the kale, because it tends to pile up and then cook down. I drizzle about a 1/2 tbsp of oil into each pan. This time, I used walnut oil for the kale and lemon infused olive oil for the salmon. If you have olive oil and a lemon, use that for the salmon. Regular olive oil works for the kale as well. 

begin cooking the salmon in one pan with the lemon olive oil on medium. While the salmon is cooking, break up the head of kale in your hands (or chop with a knife). place the torn kale leaves in your skillet with the oil on medium to low. Chop your garlic and add to the kale. Allow your kale to cook on this setting for approximately 5 minutes, or until it is tender. Reduce heat on kale, until you salmon is ready. 

While cooking the salmon, sprinkle your dill on top, flip it and sprinkle some more. Once salmon is done, lay your kale down on your plate and place salmon on top. The best bite comes when you have a little bit of the salmon and the kale and garlic all in one! YUM!! I sliced up some cherry tomatoes for garnish and a little pop of color, yeah, I'm getting kind of ridiculous with this.....

Today's Food Log

BREAKFAST

1 muscle milk light (ugh, woke up late, didn’t want to, but was desperate)

1 banana

1 hr. later – grande Americano with heavy whip

LUNCH

8 pecans

salad with arugula, tomaotes, mushrooms, red cabbage, shrimp with cayenne pepper and vinegar. 

SNACK

1 cup cooked pumpkin with cinnamon (leftover from last night, cooked seperately from the curry pumpkin)

GREAT SNACK

DINNER

Salmon and kale

3 spoonfuls of almond dream (almond non-dairy icecream - WOW - this stuff is amazing, I need to make sure I limit)

Today's Workout Log

30X0 Tempo Bench Press 3 x AMRAP @115 (2,1,1)


5 Rounds for time = 9:35
10 Burpees
10 Box jumps 10 Pull-ups

Post – 3 x 10 GHD Sit-ups

Pumpkin Curry with Chicken

Ingredients - Serves 2-4
2 chicken breasts, sliced
5 cups pumpkin, diced
2tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tbs ground ginger
1tbs ground turmeric
2tbs ground coriander
2tbs ground cumin
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
If you want this SPICY
I also added 2 thai peppers (these are really thin and green, found in the pepper section with jalapenos)

Instructions
I diced the pumpkin first, because I didn't know how long this was going to take. I picked up a small Pumpkin at whole foods (the ones that are larger than the pumpkin in the photo above, but smaller than carving pumpkins). When you dice a pumpkin, cut it in half first, then de-seed and cute into quarters. This is when I began to peel with my knife (make sure it's sharp).

Fry onion and garlic in a large pan with oil on medium heat for 2minutes. Add chicken and cook stirring constantly for 10minutes or until chicken has turned white.

Add pumpkin, ginger, turmeric, coriander and cumin and stir for 1minute.

Add stock and leave to simmer on low heat for 15minutes. Add chopped coriander, cover pan and cook for a further 2minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Suggestions: I hate following recipes, but since it was my first time with this recipe, I thought I should follow it to get a feel for it. After completion, I realized the vegetable stock does not lend itself to the creamy curry that I am used to. Next time, I will probably add 1/2 the amount of vegetable stock and sub the offer half with light cocounut milk, or just go full on coconut milk. I'd also cut down the cumin and coriander because I thought it tasted a bit salty.

Overall a good recipe though and worth trying if you love curry!!

Today's Food Log
BREAKFAST
protein smoothie with blueberries, mango, almond milk and egg white protein powder

LUNCH
salad from whole foods (spinach, kale, beets, mushroom, roasted chicken, small amount of bacon, red cabbage, sunflower seeds, vinegar, dash of olive oil)
1 oz. sausage

DINNER
pumkpin chicken curry

I don't feel like I ate a TON today, but have felt really bloated for some reason. I'm wondering if it's the protein powder. Even though it's from Egg whites, it still has a small small amount of dairy.....I'm going to try and limit the use of protein powder moving forward in the challenge.

Today's Workout Log
10am class today.

3 x 10 Unbroken Power Snatch @ 65, 65, 75

4 Rounds for time of:
400m Run
10 Pull-ups
20 Wall balls @14lbs.

16:19

Bibs

Since I have no idea what I'm cooking tonight, I thought I would put up a random fun picture. This one is a fave of mine. Taken at my brother, Sean's wedding, in Austin, Texas. Texans get messy when they eat, devouring their food and caring little about what could happen to their shirt with all that bbq :) The happy couple decided to do bibs as party favors at each table. You can't really see, but they say "Marriage is Messy" hahah. 

Brian and I wore ours very proudly!

BREAKFAST

6oz protein shake with coconut milk

LUNCH

4 egg whites, cup of spinach, ¼ of sliced jalapeno, cilantro

4 pieces of turkey bacon

SNACK

1 Banana

6 Almonds


DIN DIN
???

Today's Workout Log

Hit up the 9am class and did yesterday's workout since I missed it

5×5 Press 

65-75-75-75-75

10 min AMRAP of:
3 HSPU w/ two abmats and 1 #10lb weight
6 SDHP @65
9 Box jumps (20″)

completed 9 rounds plus 6 SDHPs

Post – 2 min AMRAP of:  burpee - completed 32 - brutal but went by faster than I thought it would!

Eggs and Kale

mmmm, eggs and kale for breakfast this morning, yum. This is a super easy dish with a super resiliant green. kale is so hearty, I love putting it in soups or simply sauteeing it because it stays pretty firm and doesn't get all limp and gross. I'm not giving you a recipe for this, because I think you can figure it out :)

What I will tell you is that Kale is a super food.

The high calcium and magnesium content of kale helps in building bones and is a good food for those suffering from osteoporosis. Vitamin A and C are antioxidants that protect against many degenerative diseases. The high fiber content of Kale improves the digestive health and protects against colon cancer.

The high potassium and low sodium content of Kale makes it an alkaline food and helps those who suffer from acidity and other digestive disorders. Potassium also reduces blood pressure and helps in fighting heart disease.

So eat up!! Try it as a side, mix it in soups and salads!

Today's Food Log

BREAKFAST

Coffee with dash of coconut milk

4 egg whites with 1/12 kale leaves

SNACK
10 almonds

LUNCH

Yep, you guessed it, left over Shepards pie

SNACK

Mango protein shake (Tried to keep it small 8oz.)

DINNER
Kale and shrimp
3 large leaves of kale and 1 and 1/2 cups of shrimp
Baked a delicata squash - it didn't have a ton of meat, so I ate it with cinnamon for dessert (I needed something, did not eat enough today!)

Workout Log

Bummed that work held me back from the 6pm and the 7pm tonight.

Sometimes my job is not a 9-5! Think I need a run (clocked in a 3 mile run in my hood tonight).

Hitting the box early tomorrow morning.

Turk Burgs and rutabaga

Serves 2-4
1 lb. ground turkey
1 jalapeno
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
1 avocado
2 kale leaves
1 rutabaga
1 tbsp of olive oil
dash of cayenne pepper/Mrs. Dash salt free seasoning

Peel the skin off the rutabaga and chop into bite size cubes. I put the olive oil (this time used garlic infused) in a skillet and placed the rutabaga cubes in, on medium. While these are cooking, be sure to mix frequently so they cook evenly and don't burn. I put a lid on the skillet to keep the heat in. I also added a dash of cayenne pepper and Mrs. Dash.

I usually put the ground turkey in a bowl, dice up the jalapeno, onion and garlic and add it to the turkey.
I then section the mixture into 2-4 burgers and place them in a pan.

While they are browning, I slice up the avocado and rip up the kale with my hands. These two items will be used as burger toppers.

Once the rutabaga is soft, you know it's done! Top your burgers and enjoy!

Today's Food Log

BREAKFAST

Coffee with dash of coconut milk

2 hard boiled eggs

16 pecans

SNACK

1 apple

LUNCH

1 serving of Shepards pie

SNACK

5 jicama slices

DINNER

1 serving Shepard’s pie (this stuff was good)

1 cup frozen mango

Today's Workout Log
REST DAY
I was planning on hitting up the box to make up Monday's workout, but had a last minute meeting for tomorrow that I had to get ready for. I am pretty sore from Wednesday's workout, so this is probably a good night to rest up.

Shepard's Pie

The prep time on this recipe was a little longer than I expected with all the chopping, but it turned out really delicious. I've actually never made Shepard's Pie before, in fact, I've never eaten Shepard's Pie before! I must say, I am pleasantly surprised at how yummy it is in it's paleo version.

Serves 4-6

1 Medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I used grass fed gb from whole foods)

2 cups veggies (I used a mix of onion, mushrooms, celery and carrots) chopped

1 head of cauliflower

1 egg

Olive oil for sauteeing

Dash of cayenne pepper for flavoring (told you I add this to almost everything!) 
2 dashes of turmeric

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

Lots of chopping going on here. 

Remove Cauliflower florets from head. Heat a small amount of water in sauce pan with cauliflower. Cover and cook until tender. Mash and set aside to cool. 

In a frying pan, begin browning meat with garlic and onion. Once the meat is thoroughly browned, add other veggies and cook until they soften. 

Mix in the egg with the cooked, mashed cauliflower. Put meat and veggies in 8x8 pan and top with cauliflower. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top becomes brown. Remove from oven and serve. 

Today's Food Log

BREAKFAST

Coffee with dash of coconut milk

12oz protein shake

1 cup blueberries

1 banana

SNACK

Handful of cashews (12)

1 apple

LUNCH

Salad with grape tomatoes, red cabbage, arugula, mushrooms

1 can tuna

vinegar

1 Medium coffee with a dash of heavy whipping cream

SNACK

5 jicama slices

DINNER

1 serving of shepards pie

Today's Workout Log

Pullups 11, 10, 11

Ring Pushups 8, 7, 9 

WOD = KILLER

1st rd @85

2n rd @105

3rd rd @ 105 (started it at #125F)

4th rd @115

5th rd @ 85

Total: 168

5x10 back extensions

Acorn Squash makes me happy

Tried this recipe for the first time last week. It is perfect for a cold fall night. The recipe makes 2 servings, but I made double because I had 2 acorn squashes in my CSA that week. Worked out great as I was then able to take one serving to work the next day. It re-heats well!

The original recipe called for 1 apple chopped, but I subbed this for jalapeno. I'm a big fan of the sweet and spicy mix, but I think either would be delicious!

2 Servings

1 small acorn squash

6-7oz. ground lean turkey or beef

1 jalapeno

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

paprika, cinnamon, cayenne pepper (whatever other spices you'd like to add)

Cut the acorn squash in half. With a spoon, dig out the seeds and pulp like you would a pumpkin. Cut a flat spot on the bottom of the squash so it sits on the pan. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees and place both halves in face up. I sprinkled some paprika and cinnamon on both sides before baking for 25 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, brown your meat in a skillet, adding the onion, jalapeno and spices. I used a whole jalapeno and half of the seeds, for just a little kick. After 25 minutes, remove the squash and fill the cavity with the meat mixture. Return the squash to the oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool before eating.

***The asparagus in the picture was steamed lightly and drizzled gently with olive oil.

Today's Food Log

BREAKFAST

4oz chicken

4 egg whites with spinach and mushroom

Coffee with dash of coconut milk

SNACK

Handful of cashews

LUNCH

1 Apple

1 cup shrimp cooked in coconut oil - added cayenne pepper, cilantro

Grande Americano with dash of heavy whip

SNACK

1 hard boiled egg

DINNER

2 cups patty pan squash

3 oz. Halibut, flavored with 1/2 a lime, 1/2 a jalapeno and cilantro

Today's Workout Log

OHS 5(115), 5(135), 5(145)PR!!

My 1RM before this workout was 140, so I was really happy with this. Need to find my new 1RM!

WOD: 9:46

500M Row
(5 Rounds for time of:
10 Kettlebell swings (heavy)
50 Single-unders)
400M Run

I used the 35lb KB to save my back, I haven't done these since before my injury. They felt good, I'll go higher next time. But wow, my arms were maxed out after the OHS's I think!

Not your Mom's Brussel Sprouts

Tonight's dinner was actually going to be a new recipe and kind of elaborate, but after a loooooong Monday and Rudy's total body assessment, I ended up choosing a more familiar fave of mine.....chicken and brussel sprouts.  

I hope most of you that are reading this aren't thinking, "ewwww brussel sprouts", because these things ARE GOOD! If you are, I dare you to try and prepare them the way I do and then judge! I really just discovered my love for brussels in 2009 when my bf bought them on a whim. They were so cute - little mini cabbages packed full of vitamins and minerals. Did you know that each sprout has 1g of protein AND 1g of fiber? whoah.

My prep includes:

- About 1 tbsp of walnut oil (I've played around with this, sometimes I'll use EVOO, or garlic infused EVOO)

- 1/2 cup of pine nuts

- 1 bag of brussel sprouts from trader joe's (approx. 12-14 sprouts)

I put the oil in the pan first, let it heat up a little, then add my pine nuts. Toasted pine nuts add a rich flavor to any vegetable dish! Once they are roasted I take them out and place them in a bowl while I cook the brussels. BE CAREFUL, pine nuts burn very easily, so use low heat and watch them.

Wash your brussels under cool water and then cut off the ends. If there are any brown spots or wilted leaves trim them off. I then cut each sprout in half and add it to the pan and oil. Once the brussels are semi-soft, add your pine nuts back for a minute or so to heat them back up. I do not like overcooked brussels. The best is when they are soft, but still have a little crunch to them.

**The chicken was cooked in a similar pan with less than a tbsp of garlic infused olive oil and seasoned with cayenne pepper. YUM!

Today's Food Log:

BREAKFAST

1 hard boiled egg

1 banana

4 jicama slices

SNACK

Apple

LUNCH

Salad from whole foods – kale, spinach, grape tomatoes, cilantro, small amount of sunflower seeds, small amount of bacon, small amount of roasted artichokes, roasted chicken, light drizzle of sesame seed oil, red wine vinegar, cayenne pepper.

1 Handful of cashews

SNACK

3 Handfuls of cashews (too many!)

DINNER

Chicken and brussels

Today's Workout Log:
Overall body assessment with Rudy tonight

Goals 

1) Get lean
2) Improve my upper body and back strength
3) Get faster and improve body weight excersices - box jumps, handstand pushups, pullups, reg pushups, vertical leap, etc.
4) Work on back and ankle mobility/strength

 PR's 

Back Squat - 195
Front Squat - 145
Deadlift - 215
Bench Press - 125
Power Snatch - 85
Power Clean - 105

I heart food

I heart food. Not just good food, but food that is GOOD for YOU. I was always the kid that ate all of her vegetables off her plate. My mom didn't have to hold dessert over my head to get me to do it. I of course, still ate the dessert after I was done....but the veggies always came first and lots of them. Making my way through highschool and college, I would always hear from my girlfriends, "getting salad again"? Yes, I am getting salad again, why not? I like it! ALOT!

Granted the salads I ate pre-paleo challenge, are not the same salads I eat now. The former were loaded with cheese and dressing the latter have been mostly veggies, veggies and more veggies plus some sort of protein - hardboiled egg or lean meat/fish. Now I can actually taste the vegetables! Nonetheless, I think the habits my mom instilled in me at a young age have really helped me to lay the groundwork for healthy eating in my adult life. But now, it's really time to clean up my kitchen. No more refined sugars and grains, no more salt, no more high-glycemic carbohydrates, and no more processed foods

I've been eating paleo for 6 days now and I feel great! I've noticed a lot of the bloating that I feel after meals has gone down significantly and I'm looking forward to really leaning out. I'm still working on my portion sizes, but overall, things are going pretty well and I'm enjoying the new recipes that I get to try.

As we head into our second week, I wanted to take the time to set up this blog so that I can share the new recipes I work on in conjunction with this paleo challenge. I'm going to warn you, I like spice....I put cayenne pepper on almost everything, I love jalapenos, serranos and am known for my 4Pepper-5Alarm chili (mostly known by my family, but still :). Things are going to get hot!

On this morning's menu:
four egg whites
diced jalapeno
1 cup of sauteed rutabaga
coffee with a dash of coconut milk

After feeling so good during yesterday's urbanathlon run, I am thinking of taking advantage of this weather and going for a run. Need to enjoy Fall while we still can!