We're going to try and start this up again...
Menu for the week of November 6, 2011
Sunday, 11/6: Bacon wrapped, chipotle-lime stuffed chicken
Monday, 11/7: Orange Chicken with Cauliflower rice and Green Beans
Tuesday, 11/8: Balsalmic Steak with sauteed mushrooms and yams
Wednesday, 11/9: Chili and Butternut Squash Fries
Thursday, 11/10: Garlic Mustard Chicken and Brussel Sprouts
Friday, 11/11: Chicken Fajita Salad
Saturday, 11/12: Ceviche
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Chicken Chili Verde and Spanish Cauliflower Rice
Chicken Chili Verde
Ingredients:
* 4 large chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes
* 2 lbs tomatillos
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons coconut oil
* 1 yellow onion, pureed
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 bunch cilantro
* juice from 2 limes
* 1 tablespoon cumin
* ½ teaspoon paprika
* ½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. Cut chicken breast into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add chicken and brown for 5 minutes.
3. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place in soup pot.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the oil and chicken drippings and sauté for 7-10 min or until the onions start to become transparent.
5. Turn the heat down a bit and add the cumin, paprika and black pepper to the onions and garlic and mix well.
6. Add the chicken broth to the onion mixture and mix well, making sure to scrape all the goodness off the bottom of the pan. Add to the chicken in the soup pot and bring to a boil.
7. Turn down to low.
8. While the meat simmers, peel and wash the tomatillos. Dry them well and in a large skillet over medium heat char them turning often, until the skins start to blacken (about 10 minutes).
9. Place the charred tomatillos, cilantro, and lime juice into a food processer or blender and blend until smooth.
10. Add to the chicken in the soup pot and simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours.
11. The sauce will reduce down and become thicker over the course of the cooking process.
Directions:
1. Rice the cauliflower in a food processor, set aside in a microwavable bowl.
2. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and saute onions, garlic and bell pepper.
3. When onions are translucent, add tomato paste and green chilies and water.
4. Turn heat down low and add cilantro (and maybe a little salt and pepper to taste (optional).) 5. Add to cauliflower, mix well
6. Heat in microwave for about 5 minutes (covered) and about 80% power.
Original Chili Verde recipe found here.
Original Spanish Cauliflower rice recipe found here.
Ingredients:
* 4 large chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes
* 2 lbs tomatillos
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons coconut oil
* 1 yellow onion, pureed
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 bunch cilantro
* juice from 2 limes
* 1 tablespoon cumin
* ½ teaspoon paprika
* ½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. Cut chicken breast into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add chicken and brown for 5 minutes.
3. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and place in soup pot.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the oil and chicken drippings and sauté for 7-10 min or until the onions start to become transparent.
5. Turn the heat down a bit and add the cumin, paprika and black pepper to the onions and garlic and mix well.
6. Add the chicken broth to the onion mixture and mix well, making sure to scrape all the goodness off the bottom of the pan. Add to the chicken in the soup pot and bring to a boil.
7. Turn down to low.
8. While the meat simmers, peel and wash the tomatillos. Dry them well and in a large skillet over medium heat char them turning often, until the skins start to blacken (about 10 minutes).
9. Place the charred tomatillos, cilantro, and lime juice into a food processer or blender and blend until smooth.
10. Add to the chicken in the soup pot and simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours.
11. The sauce will reduce down and become thicker over the course of the cooking process.
Cauliflower Spanish Rice:
Ingredients:
* 1 head cauliflower
* 1 head cauliflower
* 1 tsp. olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 yellow onion, pureed
* 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
* 3 T cilantro, chopped
* 1 small can of tomato paste
* 1 T water
* 1 7oz. can diced green chilies
Directions:
1. Rice the cauliflower in a food processor, set aside in a microwavable bowl.
2. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and saute onions, garlic and bell pepper.
3. When onions are translucent, add tomato paste and green chilies and water.
4. Turn heat down low and add cilantro (and maybe a little salt and pepper to taste (optional).) 5. Add to cauliflower, mix well
6. Heat in microwave for about 5 minutes (covered) and about 80% power.
Original Chili Verde recipe found here.
Original Spanish Cauliflower rice recipe found here.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Hamburgers and Grilled Corn on the Cob
For the 4th of July we decided to have a bit of a cheat day--if you would like to call it that. We indulged with cheese (yum) and wheat...and gluten...oh and corn on the cob! Shame, shame. Poor Jonathan will probably be feeling the consequences of this meal tonight and days to come.
Hamburgers
Ingredients:
* Ground Beef
* Blue Cheese Crumbles
* Garlic Salt
* Pepper
* Tomatoes, sliced
* Lettuce
* Sharp Cheddar Cheese
* Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup
* Clausen Sliced Pickles
* Hamburger Buns
Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine ground beef, blue cheese crumbles, and your desired amount of garlic salt and pepper.
2. Mix well and make patties. (We like to make them kind of large because they tend to shrink on the grill and we like the patty to at least cover the bun in the end).
3. Place made patties on wax paper on a cookie sheet and layer as necessary.
4. Grill to desired done-ness.
5. Prepare other toppings.
6. Build your burger and enjoy!
We ate our burgers with some fresh fruit and grilled corn on the cob. For the corn we just husked it, wrapped it in foil, and then placed them on the heated grill, rotating occasionally for even cooking. When it is finished it is so tasty it doesn't even need butter and salt! (Of course, some added butter and salt anyway...) ;)
Hamburgers
Ingredients:
* Ground Beef
* Blue Cheese Crumbles
* Garlic Salt
* Pepper
* Tomatoes, sliced
* Lettuce
* Sharp Cheddar Cheese
* Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup
* Clausen Sliced Pickles
* Hamburger Buns
Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine ground beef, blue cheese crumbles, and your desired amount of garlic salt and pepper.
2. Mix well and make patties. (We like to make them kind of large because they tend to shrink on the grill and we like the patty to at least cover the bun in the end).
3. Place made patties on wax paper on a cookie sheet and layer as necessary.
4. Grill to desired done-ness.
5. Prepare other toppings.
6. Build your burger and enjoy!
We ate our burgers with some fresh fruit and grilled corn on the cob. For the corn we just husked it, wrapped it in foil, and then placed them on the heated grill, rotating occasionally for even cooking. When it is finished it is so tasty it doesn't even need butter and salt! (Of course, some added butter and salt anyway...) ;)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Prime Rib and Vegetables
Prime Rib
Ingredients:
4. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
6. Place roast on center rack; cook 20 minutes.
7. Reduce temperature to 325° and continue to cook for another 60-70 minutes depending on preferred done-ness. (total cooking time, including initial 20 minutes, should be approx 15-17 min per pound. Ours was 5.25 pounds)
8. Cut sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms.
9. Place in bag or bowl and toss with olive oil.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. About 45 minutes into the prime rib being in the oven, add vegetables around the outer edges and let bake with prime rib.
12. Remove roast from oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest 15-30 minutes before serving. This allows juices to penetrate the roast.
EAT and ENJOY!
This recipe was super scrumptious. I wasn't quite on top of things and didn't get all the vegetables cut as soon as I should have and therefore they were not cooked as long as I would have liked. Other than that...DIVINE!
Recipe concocted from the following original recipes:
* Oprah.com
* Simply Recipes
* My Family Seasonings, Inc
Ingredients:
* 4-5 lb. Rib Roast
* Prime Rib Seasoning (I used he leftovers from a packet my mom had called "My Family's Seasonings, Inc. Prime Rib Seasoning")
* mushrooms
* carrots, chopped
* 4 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
* 1 large onion, cut in wedges
* 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size wedges
* garlic, grated
* olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Remove roast from the refrigerator, loosely wrapped, 3 hours before cooking. Roasts should always be brought close to room temperature first, before they go in the oven.
2. Surround ENTIRE ROAST with seasoning and PAT or rub it on. If some seasoning falls off, scoop it up and pat it back on the roast until entire roast is covered. Make sure to top the roast with a little extra seasoning.
3. Place the roast, fat side up, rib side down in a roasting pan in. * Prime Rib Seasoning (I used he leftovers from a packet my mom had called "My Family's Seasonings, Inc. Prime Rib Seasoning")
* mushrooms
* carrots, chopped
* 4 stalks celery, cut into 2" pieces
* 1 large onion, cut in wedges
* 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size wedges
* garlic, grated
* olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Remove roast from the refrigerator, loosely wrapped, 3 hours before cooking. Roasts should always be brought close to room temperature first, before they go in the oven.
2. Surround ENTIRE ROAST with seasoning and PAT or rub it on. If some seasoning falls off, scoop it up and pat it back on the roast until entire roast is covered. Make sure to top the roast with a little extra seasoning.
4. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
6. Place roast on center rack; cook 20 minutes.
7. Reduce temperature to 325° and continue to cook for another 60-70 minutes depending on preferred done-ness. (total cooking time, including initial 20 minutes, should be approx 15-17 min per pound. Ours was 5.25 pounds)
8. Cut sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms.
9. Place in bag or bowl and toss with olive oil.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
11. About 45 minutes into the prime rib being in the oven, add vegetables around the outer edges and let bake with prime rib.
12. Remove roast from oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest 15-30 minutes before serving. This allows juices to penetrate the roast.
EAT and ENJOY!
This recipe was super scrumptious. I wasn't quite on top of things and didn't get all the vegetables cut as soon as I should have and therefore they were not cooked as long as I would have liked. Other than that...DIVINE!
Recipe concocted from the following original recipes:
* Oprah.com
* Simply Recipes
* My Family Seasonings, Inc
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Menu July 3- July 9, 2011
Sunday, 7/3: Prime Rib Roast and Veges
Monday, 7/4: Turkey and Beef Hamburgers
Tuesday, 7/5: Pork Chicken Chili Verde and Spanish cauliflower rice
Wednesday, 7/6: Leftovers
Thursday, 7/7: Cilantro-Lime Chicken
Friday, 7/8: Attending a Wedding Reception...not making dinner ;)
Saturday, 7/9: Barbecued Chicken and Grilled Eggplant
Monday, 7/4: Turkey and Beef Hamburgers
Tuesday, 7/5: Pork Chicken Chili Verde and Spanish cauliflower rice
Wednesday, 7/6: Leftovers
Thursday, 7/7: Cilantro-Lime Chicken
Friday, 7/8: Attending a Wedding Reception...not making dinner ;)
Saturday, 7/9: Barbecued Chicken and Grilled Eggplant
Friday, July 1, 2011
Creamy Coconut Shrimp
Creamy Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients:
* 2 lb shrimp (raw is preferred, but I buy whatever is on sale...this time it was cooked)
* 2 cans thick coconut milk (I buy the Thai Kitchen cans for this recipe)
* garlic cloves, grated (3-4)
* ginger root, grated ( 1 1/2" cube cut from root)
* salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Wash shrimp (your choice whether or not to shell and tail them...I prefer not having to shell it while I'm eating)
2. Place into saucepan with coconut, garlic, ginger, and salt & pepper.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
4. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered
5. Stir Frequently. I like it best after it's cooked long enough for the coconut to get really creamy and thick.
6. Serve with veges :)
Original Recipe found here.
Cauliflower Rice and Sauteed Veges
Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
* 1 head of cauliflower
* olive oil
* parsley or cilantro (I usually use about half a bunch)
* garlic (2-4 cloves), chopped or grated
* salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Chop/Grate/Blend cauliflower to the consistency of rice.
2. Saute garlic in olive oil in pan
3. Add cauliflower and and parsley or cilantro.
4. Cover to soften (I usually add a little water to help steam it a bit...but don't add too much because it'll get mushy)
5. Remove lid and stir until a little browned.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve.
Sauteed Veges
Ingredients:
* 1/2 lb carrots
* 2 heads of broccoli
* olive oil
* garlic cloves (2-3), chopped or grated
* salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Chop carrots, broccoli, and garlic cloves.
2. Rinse carrots and broccoli.
3. Saute garlic in olive oil.
4. Add broccoli and carrots to pan.
5. Stir. Add a little water and cover to steam, stirring occastionally.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve.
Ingredients:
* 1 head of cauliflower
* olive oil
* parsley or cilantro (I usually use about half a bunch)
* garlic (2-4 cloves), chopped or grated
* salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Chop/Grate/Blend cauliflower to the consistency of rice.
2. Saute garlic in olive oil in pan
3. Add cauliflower and and parsley or cilantro.
4. Cover to soften (I usually add a little water to help steam it a bit...but don't add too much because it'll get mushy)
5. Remove lid and stir until a little browned.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve.
Sauteed Veges
Ingredients:
* 1/2 lb carrots
* 2 heads of broccoli
* olive oil
* garlic cloves (2-3), chopped or grated
* salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Chop carrots, broccoli, and garlic cloves.
2. Rinse carrots and broccoli.
3. Saute garlic in olive oil.
4. Add broccoli and carrots to pan.
5. Stir. Add a little water and cover to steam, stirring occastionally.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Bacon wrapped Spinach stuffed Chicken
Bacon wrapped Spinach stuffed Chicken
Ingredients:
* 6 large chicken breasts
* 12 slices bacon
* bunch fresh spinach
* 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 2 shallots, finely chopped
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped
* 1 LARGE tomato, diced
* black pepper
* 1 LARGE tomato, diced
* black pepper
* 2 tsp. olive oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pound chicken pieces fairly thin.
3. Season the inside with some black pepper.
4. Heat skillet with olive oil and saute garlic, shallots, red bell pepper, tomato, and artichoke.
5. Add spinach… toss all ingredients until it cooks down.
6. Place spinach mix along the inside of the chicken breasts.
7. Carefully wrap chicken breasts around spinach filling (it’s ok if the filling spills out a bit) using 2 bacon slices and securing with a toothpick.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
9. Remove chicken breasts and turn on the broiler.
10. Broil the chicken breast for about 5 minutes on each side, until bacon is nice and browned.
I've made this recipe before. I'm a fan :). I forgot to take pictures as I was preparing it...
So here's a blurry picture of one of the pieces after it had cooled down and was being put away to save for tomorrow's lunch...
Original Recipe found here.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pound chicken pieces fairly thin.
3. Season the inside with some black pepper.
4. Heat skillet with olive oil and saute garlic, shallots, red bell pepper, tomato, and artichoke.
5. Add spinach… toss all ingredients until it cooks down.
6. Place spinach mix along the inside of the chicken breasts.
7. Carefully wrap chicken breasts around spinach filling (it’s ok if the filling spills out a bit) using 2 bacon slices and securing with a toothpick.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
9. Remove chicken breasts and turn on the broiler.
10. Broil the chicken breast for about 5 minutes on each side, until bacon is nice and browned.
I've made this recipe before. I'm a fan :). I forgot to take pictures as I was preparing it...
So here's a blurry picture of one of the pieces after it had cooled down and was being put away to save for tomorrow's lunch...
Original Recipe found here.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Ceviche
Ceviche
Ingredients:
* 1 lb fish or fish/shrimp mixture
* 5-6 limes (enough to cover fish)
* 1c diced tomatoes
* 1 green pepper diced
* 4T cilantro chopped
* 1/2 t salt
* 1/4 t pepper
* 1/2 t oregano
* 1 jalapeno
* 1 Serrano pepper
* 1 med onion diced
* 2T white vinegar
* dash of hot sauce
Directions:
1. dice fish/shrimp
2. marinate in lime juice overnight in the refrigerator. Stir often.
3. Dice remaining ingredients and combine.
4. Next day, pour off some juice, but leave enough to keep moist
5. Add remaining ingredients. (do this a few hours before serving so that flavors can incorporate)
6. refrigerate and toss often
7. serve on corn tostadas or in lettuce leaves or on a bed of chopped lettuce. We also added a mixture of avocado, mango, and tomatoes tossed in lime juice, salt, and Trader Joe's 21 season salute. :) Scrumptious!
**corn tostadas are not paleo nor are the black beans we served them with.
VERY YUMMY!
I couldn't find the original recipe. I found it online a few years ago...may have been cooks.com?
Ingredients:
* 1 lb fish or fish/shrimp mixture
* 5-6 limes (enough to cover fish)
* 1c diced tomatoes
* 1 green pepper diced
* 4T cilantro chopped
* 1/2 t salt
* 1/4 t pepper
* 1/2 t oregano
* 1 jalapeno
* 1 Serrano pepper
* 1 med onion diced
* 2T white vinegar
* dash of hot sauce
Directions:
1. dice fish/shrimp
2. marinate in lime juice overnight in the refrigerator. Stir often.
3. Dice remaining ingredients and combine.
4. Next day, pour off some juice, but leave enough to keep moist
5. Add remaining ingredients. (do this a few hours before serving so that flavors can incorporate)
6. refrigerate and toss often
7. serve on corn tostadas or in lettuce leaves or on a bed of chopped lettuce. We also added a mixture of avocado, mango, and tomatoes tossed in lime juice, salt, and Trader Joe's 21 season salute. :) Scrumptious!
**corn tostadas are not paleo nor are the black beans we served them with.VERY YUMMY!
I couldn't find the original recipe. I found it online a few years ago...may have been cooks.com?
Monday, June 27, 2011
Grilled Artichokes
Grilled Artichokes
Ingredients:
* 6 large artichokes
* 1c fresh lemon juice
* handful of fresh chopped parsley
* 1T crushed garlic
* 1 1/2T lemon pepper
* 1c olive oil
Directions:
1. Bring large pot of water to boil.
2. Take each artichoke and cut off stem and top.
3. Trim sharp leaves
4. Cut in half and scoop out prickly purple leaves and hair.
5. Put halves in boiling water and boil 45 min.
6. Remove artichokes and set on rack to cool. (I couldn't find our cooling rack...)
7. Whisk lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon pepper, and oil together
8. Brush both sides of artichokes with marinade. Repeat as necessary for desired flavor. (I essentially brush one side let it sit for 5 min, flip and brush the other side and let it sit for 5 min and repeat that until the marinade is gone.)
9. Grill 5 min per side
Original Grilled Artichoke Recipe can be found here.
I love this recipe. I've made these artichokes a half dozen or so times, and while it takes quite a bit of time and effort to prepare them, they are VERY tasty. Definite repeat
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Pineapple Crockpot Ribs and Sweet Potato/Butternut Squash Fries
Pineapple Crockpot Ribs
Ingredients:
* pork ribs
* 1 fresh pineapple
* paprika
* sugar-free dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Slice ribs apart and set aside.
2. Cut the pineapple into 1″ cubes.
3. Mix the dijon mustard with the paprika and rub all over the ribs.
4. Place the ribs into the crock pot first, and then dump the pineapple cubes on top of them.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Original Rib Recipe here.
The ribs were super tender. We had bought pork spareribs when they were on sale and I imagine baby back ribs would have been much easier to handle in terms of cutting and putting into the crockpot. While they did fall off the bone, they were a little bland for my liking, but I think that I could have added a bit more dijon mustard and paprika. Next time we want to incorporate this recipe and use that particular rub in addition to these ingredients to give it more flavor. Next time...next time.
Butternut Squash Fries
Ingredients:
* butternut squash
* salt
* olive oil
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel and de-seed your butternut squash.
3. Cut it up into french fry shapes.
4. Toss in a dash of olive oil
5. Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer
6. Sprinkle lightly with salt
7. Place tray in your pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes or so, flipping every so often through the baking process. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and get crispy.
Original Butternut Squash Fries Recipe here.
I had originally intended to make sweet potato fries with the butternut squash fries but after cutting the butternut squash I realized there was plenty to go around with just that. I figure when we eat the leftover ribs for lunch tomorrow or the next day I can make the sweet potato fries then. The fries weren't as crispy as I would have liked, but they were very tasty. I'm learning that I like squash ;). Next time I'll try a few of these tips to get them crispier.
So...all in all we'll repeat these recipes in the future with some tweeks to make them better :)
Ingredients:
* pork ribs
* 1 fresh pineapple
* paprika
* sugar-free dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Slice ribs apart and set aside.
2. Cut the pineapple into 1″ cubes.
3. Mix the dijon mustard with the paprika and rub all over the ribs.
4. Place the ribs into the crock pot first, and then dump the pineapple cubes on top of them.
5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Original Rib Recipe here.
The ribs were super tender. We had bought pork spareribs when they were on sale and I imagine baby back ribs would have been much easier to handle in terms of cutting and putting into the crockpot. While they did fall off the bone, they were a little bland for my liking, but I think that I could have added a bit more dijon mustard and paprika. Next time we want to incorporate this recipe and use that particular rub in addition to these ingredients to give it more flavor. Next time...next time.
Butternut Squash Fries
Ingredients:
* butternut squash
* salt
* olive oil
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel and de-seed your butternut squash.
3. Cut it up into french fry shapes.
4. Toss in a dash of olive oil
5. Place on a cookie sheet in a single layer
6. Sprinkle lightly with salt
7. Place tray in your pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes or so, flipping every so often through the baking process. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and get crispy.
Original Butternut Squash Fries Recipe here.
I had originally intended to make sweet potato fries with the butternut squash fries but after cutting the butternut squash I realized there was plenty to go around with just that. I figure when we eat the leftover ribs for lunch tomorrow or the next day I can make the sweet potato fries then. The fries weren't as crispy as I would have liked, but they were very tasty. I'm learning that I like squash ;). Next time I'll try a few of these tips to get them crispier.
So...all in all we'll repeat these recipes in the future with some tweeks to make them better :)
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Menu: Week of June 26-July 2, 2011
Sunday, 6/26: Pineapple Crockpot Ribs and Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Fries
Monday, 6/27: Grilled Artichokes
Tuesday, 6/28: Ceviche
Wednesday, 6/29: Leftovers!
Thursday, 6/30: Bacon wrapped Spinach stuffed Chicken
Friday, 7/1: Coconut Shrimp, Cauliflower Rice, and Sauteed Veges
Saturday, 7/2: Pineapple Chicken Fajitas
Monday, 6/27: Grilled Artichokes
Tuesday, 6/28: Ceviche
Wednesday, 6/29: Leftovers!
Thursday, 6/30: Bacon wrapped Spinach stuffed Chicken
Friday, 7/1: Coconut Shrimp, Cauliflower Rice, and Sauteed Veges
Saturday, 7/2: Pineapple Chicken Fajitas
New Blog: Food and Fitness
This blog is meant to be more of a cataloging journal for Jonathan and I as we continually attempt to be healthy and active in our lifestyle. We both have a strong desire to be healthy and active the older we get particularly as we watch friends and family who constantly struggle with their health.
Jonathan started crossfitting about a year and a half ago. He took almost a 6 month hiatus when we moved to California because there wasn't a conveniently located one in our new location and it was much pricier than in Utah. After those discouraging, weight gaining, muscle losing, crappy eating months we decided it was worth the cost for him to feel better about life and to help him get back on track with his exercise and health. He saw great results when we were living in Ogden and begged me to join him. After watching a few demo videos online though I was sure that it was much too intense for me and I used the excuse that I had just given birth to a baby only 6 months prior. However, after he restarted in California and got back into the swing of things I decided I would at least give it a try. (My baby was now well over 1 year old...) I LOVE CROSSFIT. I won't lie, it is intense, I feel like my butt gets kicked every time I workout, but I will crossfit for the rest of my life. I'm sad that I put off joining for so long. The more I learn about crossfit the more I realize that the workouts are so scalable that anyone who has a desire to do it definitely can. I am getting stronger and I feel accomplished as I increase my maxes and improve my core strength and my ability to do proper push-ups and pull-ups.
Also, something that was introduced to us in the Crossfit Community is the Paleo diet. To many, the diet is a pretty extreme and drastic change from the average American diet. I continue to learn about it, but from what I understand, essentially it is no dairy (unless you are a baby), no grains, no legumes, and no artificial sugar. Our gym has initiated several challenges of going 3 months Paleo and in our attempts I would say we live our life at about 75-90% consistent Paleo and have done so since January of this year (with the occasional epic fail of a day where we just indulge in the cravings we have). As we've gone through this attempt at following this diet we have decided that for the most part we really like the food. However, we've also decided that in the future we do not want to cut out 100% of dairy, grain, legumes...etc, but eat them much more sparingly and in moderation.
One very fortunate thing that has come about as we attempt to live this paleo approach to eating is that we have learned that Jonathan has a sensitivity to some grains. When we first got married he had terrible stomach and intestinal problems. And excuse me for getting overly graphic, but it seemed that regardless of what he ate, he would spend hours on the toilet with diarrhea each and every day. When we finally went to the doctor they told us he may have a whole list of medical issues including the possibility of cancer. After going through a series of tests, scans, and a colonoscopy, they couldn't figure out what was wrong and finally said he must just have "irritable bowel syndrome" which we have come to learn is an all encompassing label for people with stomach and bowel issues. He didn't even have some of the classic symptoms they said are common for people with irritable bowel syndrome. Anyway, we accepted it for what it was and we were just grateful that he didn't have cancer.
As we've strived to cut out grains we noticed that on days we "cheated" and had something with grains in it, Jonathan would really pay the price for it. For me, someone who apparently doesn't have a sensitive stomach at all--I would feel bloated or a little yucky after I ate it, but then after I had a bowel movement an hour or two later I was completely fine. Jonathan would experience diarrhea or constipation for a day or two to follow. I guess grains are extremely hard on your digestive system and have very little nutritional value. Who knew? Not me. Lucky for him rice doesn't seem to do much besides make him feel a bit bloated afterwards, so no hindrance to his love for Sushi.
We're still learning as we experiment and are unsure as to whether it is wheat or gluten or other grains or a combination thereof...so...for Jonathan's sake, we are doing our best to cut out unnecessary grains. We also limit our dairy because while he is not classified as "lactose intolerant" he knows if he overdoes the dairy intake he's asking for more potty time and stomach aches. I've researched all sorts of recipes and such and let me tell you there are a lot of very yummy foods out there that are dairy-free, grain-free, and processed sugar-free! The hardest part for me is that two of the biggest substitutes for flour in these kinds of recipes are nut based flours and coconut. This poses a problem because I don't like nuts or coconut...minor setback, don't you think? However, ground up nuts to the consistency of flour with no nutty chunks I've learned to accept and enjoy. I also love almond milk. I'm still working on acquiring the taste for coconut anything...
Well long explanation short, this blog is meant to help me keep track of our meal plans for the week as well as recipes we like/don't like, and to keep track of our progress with our fitness. Wish us luck!
Jonathan started crossfitting about a year and a half ago. He took almost a 6 month hiatus when we moved to California because there wasn't a conveniently located one in our new location and it was much pricier than in Utah. After those discouraging, weight gaining, muscle losing, crappy eating months we decided it was worth the cost for him to feel better about life and to help him get back on track with his exercise and health. He saw great results when we were living in Ogden and begged me to join him. After watching a few demo videos online though I was sure that it was much too intense for me and I used the excuse that I had just given birth to a baby only 6 months prior. However, after he restarted in California and got back into the swing of things I decided I would at least give it a try. (My baby was now well over 1 year old...) I LOVE CROSSFIT. I won't lie, it is intense, I feel like my butt gets kicked every time I workout, but I will crossfit for the rest of my life. I'm sad that I put off joining for so long. The more I learn about crossfit the more I realize that the workouts are so scalable that anyone who has a desire to do it definitely can. I am getting stronger and I feel accomplished as I increase my maxes and improve my core strength and my ability to do proper push-ups and pull-ups.
Also, something that was introduced to us in the Crossfit Community is the Paleo diet. To many, the diet is a pretty extreme and drastic change from the average American diet. I continue to learn about it, but from what I understand, essentially it is no dairy (unless you are a baby), no grains, no legumes, and no artificial sugar. Our gym has initiated several challenges of going 3 months Paleo and in our attempts I would say we live our life at about 75-90% consistent Paleo and have done so since January of this year (with the occasional epic fail of a day where we just indulge in the cravings we have). As we've gone through this attempt at following this diet we have decided that for the most part we really like the food. However, we've also decided that in the future we do not want to cut out 100% of dairy, grain, legumes...etc, but eat them much more sparingly and in moderation.
One very fortunate thing that has come about as we attempt to live this paleo approach to eating is that we have learned that Jonathan has a sensitivity to some grains. When we first got married he had terrible stomach and intestinal problems. And excuse me for getting overly graphic, but it seemed that regardless of what he ate, he would spend hours on the toilet with diarrhea each and every day. When we finally went to the doctor they told us he may have a whole list of medical issues including the possibility of cancer. After going through a series of tests, scans, and a colonoscopy, they couldn't figure out what was wrong and finally said he must just have "irritable bowel syndrome" which we have come to learn is an all encompassing label for people with stomach and bowel issues. He didn't even have some of the classic symptoms they said are common for people with irritable bowel syndrome. Anyway, we accepted it for what it was and we were just grateful that he didn't have cancer.
As we've strived to cut out grains we noticed that on days we "cheated" and had something with grains in it, Jonathan would really pay the price for it. For me, someone who apparently doesn't have a sensitive stomach at all--I would feel bloated or a little yucky after I ate it, but then after I had a bowel movement an hour or two later I was completely fine. Jonathan would experience diarrhea or constipation for a day or two to follow. I guess grains are extremely hard on your digestive system and have very little nutritional value. Who knew? Not me. Lucky for him rice doesn't seem to do much besides make him feel a bit bloated afterwards, so no hindrance to his love for Sushi.
We're still learning as we experiment and are unsure as to whether it is wheat or gluten or other grains or a combination thereof...so...for Jonathan's sake, we are doing our best to cut out unnecessary grains. We also limit our dairy because while he is not classified as "lactose intolerant" he knows if he overdoes the dairy intake he's asking for more potty time and stomach aches. I've researched all sorts of recipes and such and let me tell you there are a lot of very yummy foods out there that are dairy-free, grain-free, and processed sugar-free! The hardest part for me is that two of the biggest substitutes for flour in these kinds of recipes are nut based flours and coconut. This poses a problem because I don't like nuts or coconut...minor setback, don't you think? However, ground up nuts to the consistency of flour with no nutty chunks I've learned to accept and enjoy. I also love almond milk. I'm still working on acquiring the taste for coconut anything...
Well long explanation short, this blog is meant to help me keep track of our meal plans for the week as well as recipes we like/don't like, and to keep track of our progress with our fitness. Wish us luck!
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