This recipe was given to me by my friend Kathy. It is really good and on a hot day it hits the spot. (the following is for one serving)
1 1/2 cups of spinach or a mixture of spinach and baby greens
1/2 of a mango diced (frozen mango works well too and can be especially good when it's hot)
1/3 of an avacado
1/2 - 1 lime
7-8 raw almonds chopped
Optional 4 ounces of grilled chicken
Cut up the mango, avacodo, place in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the mango and avacodo mix together. Add the spinach, mix add your chicken and sprinkle with almonds. This is really easy, very healthy, and by adding the chicken you can get your protien as well. (My kids really like this one too)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Chicken apple feta
This is one of my husband's favorite clean recipes - and I've tried a ton of them on him. The feta cheese doesn't necessarily fall into the clean eating category, but it's a great source of dairy and the amount here is minimal, but it makes all the difference in the taste and texture of this dish. Approximately 250 calories and 37 grams of protein. Prep time is 20-30 minutes. Easy, healthy, a great source of protien and low in calories.
4 chicken breasts (no skin, no bones)
1 large apple julienned (any kind will work - I usually use fuji or or granny smith)
1/4 thinly sliced onion
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tsp julienned fresh jalapeno pepper (you can reduce or increase this amount again depending on how much heat you like) I like a lot of heat in my food so be cautious.
2 oz lowfat soft goat cheese
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Heat the grill. While the grill is heating you want to mix the apple, onion, vinegar, oil, mint, and jalapeno pepper in a small bowl. Gently stir in the feta/goat cheese cover and chill.
Next sprinkle the chicken with the black pepper, sea salt, and ground cumin.
Grill your chicken breasts 12-14 minutes flipping until cooked all the way through. Do not overcook your chicken as it will become tough.
Serve chicken with 2-3 tablespoons of the apple cheese mixture on top.
4 chicken breasts (no skin, no bones)
1 large apple julienned (any kind will work - I usually use fuji or or granny smith)
1/4 thinly sliced onion
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tsp julienned fresh jalapeno pepper (you can reduce or increase this amount again depending on how much heat you like) I like a lot of heat in my food so be cautious.
2 oz lowfat soft goat cheese
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Heat the grill. While the grill is heating you want to mix the apple, onion, vinegar, oil, mint, and jalapeno pepper in a small bowl. Gently stir in the feta/goat cheese cover and chill.
Next sprinkle the chicken with the black pepper, sea salt, and ground cumin.
Grill your chicken breasts 12-14 minutes flipping until cooked all the way through. Do not overcook your chicken as it will become tough.
Serve chicken with 2-3 tablespoons of the apple cheese mixture on top.
Who knew Yoga could really kick your behind
So my exercise regiment is basically cardio 30-45 minutes 5 days a week, even though my best friend's husband who is an awesome trainer (Jessica Beil was one of his clients when they lived in So Cal) said I can reduce the cardio to 20 minute intervals at higher intensity - I just haven't gotten there yet. If you read my earlier blog "I hate cardio" you'll understand the intensity is the part I loathe, so for now I will sacrifice a few more minutes on the stairmaster, treadmill, elliptical to avoid the loathing.
Back to my regiment, 30-45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. 2 pump group classes a week, this is a light all over weight lifting class that is a great workout, but focused more on lean muscle building than bulk muscle building. (I should probably interject here that it is very difficult for women to bulk up so do not let heavy weight lifting deter you because you think you'll end up like Arnold - not really possible). I add one heavy weight lifting day in there and yoga or Pilate's/yoga twice a week. I also run or walk most of days of the week for about 30 minutes.
As we age we lose flexibility yoga can help keep you slim and flexible so I'm trying to include this into my routine. Usually this is the most relaxing, albeit challenging classes that I take during the week, however today we had one of the instructors at the gym who normally teaches combat, kickboxing, assault, bicycling mania - you get the picture. She is totally awesome and this cute amazing fit little thing that can whip the you know what out of you. I literally thought I was going to pass out in YOGA today...? - how is that possible. Fortunately, I was not feeling like such a wimp since one of the other participants said to me one the way that it was the hardest yoga class she had ever taken and she has been going for four years....phew thought I was able to hang with even the girls!
Back to my regiment, 30-45 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. 2 pump group classes a week, this is a light all over weight lifting class that is a great workout, but focused more on lean muscle building than bulk muscle building. (I should probably interject here that it is very difficult for women to bulk up so do not let heavy weight lifting deter you because you think you'll end up like Arnold - not really possible). I add one heavy weight lifting day in there and yoga or Pilate's/yoga twice a week. I also run or walk most of days of the week for about 30 minutes.
As we age we lose flexibility yoga can help keep you slim and flexible so I'm trying to include this into my routine. Usually this is the most relaxing, albeit challenging classes that I take during the week, however today we had one of the instructors at the gym who normally teaches combat, kickboxing, assault, bicycling mania - you get the picture. She is totally awesome and this cute amazing fit little thing that can whip the you know what out of you. I literally thought I was going to pass out in YOGA today...? - how is that possible. Fortunately, I was not feeling like such a wimp since one of the other participants said to me one the way that it was the hardest yoga class she had ever taken and she has been going for four years....phew thought I was able to hang with even the girls!
Fighting myself to get to the gym
Last night was rough, I knew I needed to get to the gym for my cardio workout in (I hate cardio). I had missed my morning run because the route I usually take which is probably only about 3 miles round trip was sectioned off and filled with about 300 sheep - yes I said sheep, no I do not live in the country. I swear at first I thought I was seeing things brought on by the sudden heat wave we are having here, but as others in suburbia pulled over to view this weird phenomenon I realized there really were sheep grazing in my route.
On the one hand I like the environmentally sound way someone decided to cut back all the brush in that little stretch of a nature reserve, on the other hand I was perturbed that my run had been sabotaged. So trying to get re-motivated wasn't coming to me easily, I envisioned sitting by the pool in this 90 plus degrees sipping on a Chardonnay. Instead I opted to stop arguing with myself and to just go. I ended up having a great work out - burning approximately 500 calories and just feeling really strong and energized WOW I think I finally had some endorphins kick in which I hear other gym / running fanatics talk about as if they live and die for it.
One of the things that has helped me when I'm feeling like I just don't want to run, or work out, or whatever, is to stop talking myself out of it. To just not think about it, I just pick up go - get in the car, get on the bike or walk. I never regret going to the gym, but I have had many days where I beat myself up for not going.
On the one hand I like the environmentally sound way someone decided to cut back all the brush in that little stretch of a nature reserve, on the other hand I was perturbed that my run had been sabotaged. So trying to get re-motivated wasn't coming to me easily, I envisioned sitting by the pool in this 90 plus degrees sipping on a Chardonnay. Instead I opted to stop arguing with myself and to just go. I ended up having a great work out - burning approximately 500 calories and just feeling really strong and energized WOW I think I finally had some endorphins kick in which I hear other gym / running fanatics talk about as if they live and die for it.
One of the things that has helped me when I'm feeling like I just don't want to run, or work out, or whatever, is to stop talking myself out of it. To just not think about it, I just pick up go - get in the car, get on the bike or walk. I never regret going to the gym, but I have had many days where I beat myself up for not going.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Favorite quote of the day
"If you kind of sort of eat right, then your body will kind of sorta get results" Chady Dunmore 2010 Arnold Classic Bikini Champ, as stated in Fitness RX for women June 2010 issue.
Halibut with Mango Salsa - Clean recipe version
I'm making this one tonight and it happens to be one of my favorite "clean" recipes. (FYI - for those of you new to healthy eating - "clean" basically refers to whole foods - foods made without preservatives, additives, heavy creams sauces, etc. It's food in it's most natural form).
There is a Cuban restaurant in Walnut Creek, CA that makes an amazing Halibut dish with an avocado type of salsa on top. Yummy Yummy Yummy - however the fish is lightly breaded, fried in oil (I believe) so it doesn't fall into my clean list. I have modified this recipe - it's still amazing and cuts out a ton of calories.
Halibut with Mango Salsa
1-2 lbs of Halibut (I've had the most success finding this fish at Costco for 12.99 a pound it's not always the easiest to find and it's pricey) You can also purchase it at whole foods, Nugget, higher end grocers, but expect to pay more. You can substitute a less expensive fish (Talapia or even Salmon) but Halibut is my favorite for this recipe.
1 Mango
1-2 Limes
2 Medium size red tomatoes
4 Sm - Medium Tomatillos
2-3 Green onion stems (approx. 2 tbsp. on diced green onion)
4-6 Drops of Tabasco (depending on how much heat you like if you don't like any heat in your salsa - you can skip this ingredient)
Dice up your mango (peeled), tomatoes, tomatillos, green onions (2 tbsp - not the entire stems), mix in a glass bowl, squeeze about 2 tbsp of lime juice on top and add Tabasco to taste. Stir and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Next:
Grill the Halibut on the BBQ, I do this by squeezing a little fresh lime juice on the fish, adding a bit of sea salt and a dash of pepper. I wrap the halibut in aluminum foil (kind of making a pocket that the fish cooks in)
Then placing the Halibut on the grill typically for 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the fish - you want it to be white and flaky, but not overcooked.
Remove the Halibut from the grill, serve with the Mango Salsa on top - it's colorful, healthy, low in calories, and fat, and easy to make. Prep time takes about 30 minutes.
This dish goes well with a small green salad, and brown rice, or cous cous.
There is a Cuban restaurant in Walnut Creek, CA that makes an amazing Halibut dish with an avocado type of salsa on top. Yummy Yummy Yummy - however the fish is lightly breaded, fried in oil (I believe) so it doesn't fall into my clean list. I have modified this recipe - it's still amazing and cuts out a ton of calories.
Halibut with Mango Salsa
1-2 lbs of Halibut (I've had the most success finding this fish at Costco for 12.99 a pound it's not always the easiest to find and it's pricey) You can also purchase it at whole foods, Nugget, higher end grocers, but expect to pay more. You can substitute a less expensive fish (Talapia or even Salmon) but Halibut is my favorite for this recipe.
1 Mango
1-2 Limes
2 Medium size red tomatoes
4 Sm - Medium Tomatillos
2-3 Green onion stems (approx. 2 tbsp. on diced green onion)
4-6 Drops of Tabasco (depending on how much heat you like if you don't like any heat in your salsa - you can skip this ingredient)
Dice up your mango (peeled), tomatoes, tomatillos, green onions (2 tbsp - not the entire stems), mix in a glass bowl, squeeze about 2 tbsp of lime juice on top and add Tabasco to taste. Stir and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Next:
Grill the Halibut on the BBQ, I do this by squeezing a little fresh lime juice on the fish, adding a bit of sea salt and a dash of pepper. I wrap the halibut in aluminum foil (kind of making a pocket that the fish cooks in)
Then placing the Halibut on the grill typically for 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the fish - you want it to be white and flaky, but not overcooked.
Remove the Halibut from the grill, serve with the Mango Salsa on top - it's colorful, healthy, low in calories, and fat, and easy to make. Prep time takes about 30 minutes.
This dish goes well with a small green salad, and brown rice, or cous cous.
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