Hoisin-Chile Shrimp w/Green Beans & Walnuts

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp orange zest
1/4 c orange juice
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp tamari
1 tsp chili-garlic paste
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 lb green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp unsalted walnut pieces, toasted and chopped

Instructions:
In a small bowl, whisk orange zest, orange juice, hoisin sauce, tamari and chile-garlic paste; set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat oil on high. Add beans and stir-fry, stirring frequently for 4 minutes. Add 3 Tbsp of water and cook 4 more minutes. Add shrimp, green onions, and hoisin-chile mixture and stir-fry until shrimp are juicy and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Top each serving with walnuts, divide evenly.

Beffy Lettuce Wraps

with Crisp-Roasted Fingerlings

This was surprisingly good.  I didn’t think I’d like it, but I did!

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, scrubbed well
• 3/4 lb extra-lean ground sirloin (I just used the full pound)
• 1 Spanish onion, chopped (I always use less)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (I usually use more)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 8 large leaves red leaf lettuce, rinsed in cold water and patted dry (I used lettuce from my garden – any will work fine)
• 12 oz jarred quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 1 tsp oil.

2.     Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; place on sheet and rub all sides lightly in oil. Place potatoes cut side down and bake for 30 minutes or until tops are browned and skin is shriveled.

3.     Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp oil on medium. Add sirloin and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, cumin, mint and salt and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until sirloin is cooked through and onion is translucent. Remove from heat and drain mixture in a fine-mesh sieve; discard drippings.

4.     Add 2 lettuce leaves to each of 4 plates. Place sirloin mixture in center of each leaf, dividing evenly (about 2 oz each). Top each with artichokes, pepper and tomatoes, dividing evenly. Fold edges of each leaf over toppings. Serve with aside of finger lings.

Honey Jalapeno Chicken Wraps

This was my absolute favorite!

Honey Jalapeno Chicken Wraps

• 2 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp of coconut oil (worth the money)
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp finely minced fresh jalapeno
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 4 6 in whole wheat tortillas
• 4 tsp grated low fat cheese

1. cut chicken breasts lengthwise into strips
2. place coconut oil in skillet over medium heat; add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder. Thoroughly cook chicken, remove from skillet* and set aside.
3. combine honey, mustard, and jalapeno in small bowl*
4. heat fresh skillet over medium heat and place a tortilla in the pan
5. heat the tortilla for 30 secs, flip, and add 1/4 of chicken and 1 tsp of cheese
6. when the cheese is melted, remove from the pan, roll up and serve with dipping sauce on the side*.
7. Repeat for the remaining tortillas

* I actually just put the dipping sauce in the skillet with the chicken & combined.

Fiesta Chicken

Ingredients:
* Non-stick cooking spray
* 2 4-oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
* 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
* 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
* 1 lime
* 1 10-oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes with green chilies
* 2 Tbsp. shredded low-fat Mexican blend cheese
* 1 cup cooked brown rice
* 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Coat a large ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. cumin.
3. Cook for 6 minutes on each side until done. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
4. Cut lime in half and squeeze evenly over chicken.
5. Add remaining 1/4 tsp. cumin and canned tomatoes to pan and cook for 1 minute.
6. Set rack 3 to 4" from heat source and preheat oven broiler.
7. Return chicken to pan. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken, sprinkle with cheese, and place under broiler for 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
8. Place 1/2 cup of rice on each play. Top each with chicken breast & garnish with fresh cilantro.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

from the P90X2 Nutrition Guide

So good!

Chicken BLT (Bean, Lettuce & Tomato)

with Smoky Tomato dressing

I didn't think I'd like this, but it was sooooo yummy!


Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 12oz Tomatoes 
• 1 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt
•  1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp natural smoked sea salt (which I didn't have -so, I used 1/4 tsp smoked paprika & 1/2 tsp sea salt.)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 C chopped chives 
• 1 large head Bibb lettuce, washed and dried well (I used the bag salad, the baby leaf stuff)
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced into 1/2" thick pieces
• 1 15 oz can unsalted white beans (cannellini, great northern or navy), drained & rinsed

Instructions:

1. In a medium covered saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil (I salt the water).  Add chicken & reduce heat to low.  Poach, covered, until cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Remove chicken & set aside until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.  Cut into 1/2" cubes.
2. Prepare dressing: Quarter 1 tomato.  Add to a blender w/yogurt, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth, about 30 sec.  Stir in chives.
3. Dice remaining tomato.  Divide lettuce, cucumber, beans, chicken and tomato among 4 plates.  Toss each salad with a quarter of the dressing.

Help for Pull Ups!

I love this piece of equipment!

Chin-Up Max

Maximize every minute you spend on the chin-up bar. This tool gives you the right amount of adjustable support to help you strengthen and train muscles as you work toward unassisted moves. You can purchase this at Beachbody.com:  http://www.beachbody.com/category/fitness_gear/insanity-the-asylum-workout-equipment.do

P90X2 Breakfast Muffin Cups

1 cup cooked instant rice

1/4 cup low-fat shredded cheese

3 eggs

Nonstick cooking spray

3 Tbsp. low-fat milk

2 Tbsp. dice green chili or jalapeno

2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 cup browned ground chicken, turkey, or extra-lean ground beef

Preheat over to 400 F. In large bowl, combine 1 cup cooked rice, half of cheese, and 1 egg (beaten).

Lightly coat 6 cup muffin tins with cooking spray.

Press 1/6 of mixture into bottom and sides of each muffin cup.

Bake at 400 for 5-8 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 2 eggs and milk.

Add chilies, onion, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and remaining half of cheese to bowl and mix thoroughly; add 1/6 of mixture to each muffin cup.

Return to oven and bake 15-20 more minutes, or until set.

Simple Sunflower Seed Granola

Mighty little sunflower seeds have been shown to reduce the risk of developing asthma, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, colon cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

INGREDIENTS:

·         3/4 cup sunflower seeds

·         1 1/2 cups oatmeal

·         1/4 cup ground flaxseed

·         1/2 cup dried cranberries

·         1/2 cup slivered almonds

·         1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

·         3 tbsp natural peanut butter

·         1/2 tsp fine sea salt

·         1/3 cup raw honey

·         1/2 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.    Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix until evenly blended.

2.    Press mixture in a baking pan and bake for 40 minutes.  I think I used about a 9x13" pan.

Trail Mix Cookies

These cookies are soooooo good - you better make a double batch!

Ingredients:

1 cup Once Again Organic Sunflower Seed Butter

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup dates, chopped

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup maple syrup

1 large egg

½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1.       Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.

2.       Place all of the ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer.

3.       Mix on medium speed until the ingredients are well incorporated.

4.       Drop generous tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

5.       Bake for 12-14 minutes until cookies are set, but still soft.

6.       Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet.

7.       Enjoy!

*Vegetarian

*Gluten Free

*Dairy Free

Black Bean Soup

I've made many different black bean soups, but this one from Forks Over Knives is my favorite!

Ingredients:
1½ C chopped onions
1 C chopped carrots
1 C chopped celery
Six 15 oz. cans black beans
1 lb frozen corn
Four 16 oz. cans crushed tomatoes spiced with green chiles
2 banana peppers, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, chopped
3 bunches of greens (such as kale, collards or chard), chopped or torn w/stems removed - I used kale
½ to 1 C fresh cilantro - I didn't use that much - I might've used ½ that amount & I may have used dried.
Healthy corn chips - I use Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips at Costco


1.  Put 1 cup of the onions and the carrots, celery, black beans, corn, tomatoes and peppers into a large soup pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2.  While the soup is cooking, saute the remaining ½ cup onions and the kale in a saucepan with a little vegetable broth or water for about 10 minutes.
3. Puree the cooked greens and fresh cilantro in a food processor.  Add blended greens to the soup and stir well.  Serve with crushed up corn chips mixed in.  (I didn't crush them - I just served them on the side).

Southwest Quinoa Salad

This is from Clean Eating Magazine

This gets better the second day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted, or 1 tsp ground cumin
• High-heat cooking oil (such as sunflower, safflower, peanut or grape seed oil), as needed to lightly coat grill grate
• 2 cobs fresh corn, husks and silk removed (or 1 1/4 cups frozen corn, thawed)
• 1 cup cooked black beans, drained
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 zucchini or yellow zucchini squash, diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil; add quinoa and cumin. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat an outdoor grill to medium-high and lightly oil grate with cooking oil. Add corn, close lid and grill, turning once, until tender and lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, boil cobs in a large pot of simmering water. Cover and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes.) Let corn cool, then cut kernels from cob. 
4. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, corn kernels, beans, tomato, zucchini and onion. Pour lemon-cilantro dressing over top and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld, or up to 2 days.

Sweet Potato Chips

I didn't think this would turn out, but they did and they are really good and super easy!


I used sweet potatoes, not yams.


Slice potatoes very thin.
Arrange in a single layer on a flat microwave-safe plate.
Microwave on high for approx. 7 minutes.


They suggest dressing them with balsamic vinegar, rice syrup & mustard, but I just sprinkled sea salt on them and they were delish! I tried to put a bunch layered in a glass pyrex, but they didn't get done as well as the single layer.

Sensational Herbed Bread

This recipe is from Forks Over Knives.  I would make it plain without any herbs next time.  It is delicious!

Ingredients:


3 cups whole wheat flour
½ tablespoon sage
½ tablespoon thyme
½ tablespoon basil
½ tablespoon oregano
1½ teaspoons dry yeast
2 teaspoon molasses
1¾ cups lukewarm water




Preparation:


1. Line a 9 × 5-inch bread pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Combine the flour, sage, thyme, basil, and oregano in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the molasses and water. Mix by hand to make a soft, slightly wet dough. Knead until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean and feels elastic. 

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the dough in the pan, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and leave in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake for about 35 minutes. Test to see if the bread is ready by tapping the top with your knuckles: the bread is done when it sounds hollow. 

VARIATION: Fresh herbs can also be used in this recipe, and for a slightly different taste, rosemary and chives can be substituted for the thyme and basil.

Time Flies

Wow!  I can't believe 2012 is half over and I haven't written since November!  Time flies.  I have been busy with family and friends and food and fitness.  I had a big birthday and I got to go to Hawaii with my family for Spring Break!

I'm still cooking and enjoying food and fitness.  We received our copy of P90X2 in December and began shortly after that.  I've done two rounds and I plan to start a hybrid combination of regular P90X and Plus with X2 Yoga and X2 Recovery mixed in.  The X2 program came with a really great nutrition guide with some great recipes in it.  I will try to share my favorites soon.  

I love X2 - phase one and three are my favorites.  I have; however, lost some of my ripped arms and abs.  It made me more elongated and streamlined, less chisel.  My legs have much more definition now.  My body seems more like a body that practices mostly yoga.  It will be fun to see how my body responds to switching back over to regular P90X - how it will evolve again.

I may have mentioned this before, but I watched a documentary, some time ago now, called Forks Over Knives.  It is on Netflix.  Check it out.  There is also a book of the same name.  I will share some of my favorite recipes from that as well.

I have been off the hormone replacement therapy now for a while.  They were giving me migraines.  On a kind of second thought, one of my doctors suggested I try Cymbalta for my anxiety.  I am now taking that along with my normal Mirtazapine and that combination seems to be what keeps the anxiety away.  It is amazing; however, I have gained about 5-10 lbs just since starting the combination.  I'm not too alarmed just yet, but it is definitely on my radar.  I'm feeling so good though, I hate to mess with it.

Hopefully, more soon.