Melissa’s Mean Green

No, Melissa is not Mean or Green!

Melissa from the early morning Epsom crew has created this delicious shake recipe to help her recovery from training. She is truly creative when it comes to recipes in her kitchen.

She’s kept in mind that her body needs healthy fats (avocado and flax seed). Her choice of  berries are the best to add high nutritional value by way of vitamins and minerals but also a very high in fiber content.  Melissa amped up the protein by adding UMP vanilla to it. You just have got to try this one!

Melissa’s Mean Green

• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 c strawberries
• 1/2 c blueberries
• 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop of vanilla UMP
• 1 c water
• 1 Tablespoon of ground flax seed

Blend and enjoy!  Melissa has also tried this recipe using Mangos and peaches instead of strawberries and blueberries. I love how versatile this type of recipe can be.

Chicken Enchilada Crockpot Soup

I love how easy this recipe is to make (Thanks Deb!). Most of the prep work was opening a few cans. The rest was easy to quickly chop and assemble. The variations of the toppings make this soup something for everyone in your family.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• 1 – 2 teaspoons of Chipotle chili in adobo sauce (you can add more if you like the heat)
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 3 skinless chicken breast

Pick your favorite for garnish:

scallions, chopped cilantro, cheddar cheese, jalepenos, avocado slices, black bean dip, or salsa

To make the soup:

Sauté onion in a pan over medium heat until translucent and browned. Add the ingredients, except the garnish, to a crock pot in the order listed after with the onion. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Using two forks, shred the chicken. Adjust the seasonings. Serve in bowls and top with your favorite garnish. Serves 6.

Merry Christmas – The No-Excuse Kitchen

Christmas is a busy time of year for everyone. It’s not any different in my house. Family, friends, and extra fun work activities like the Jingle Bell Run have put me on the run, literally.

I’m not one to take excuses from my marvelous boot campers regarding their training time, so I don’t want to make excuses about my nutrition with the holidays either.

My faithful friend the crock pot has saved me many times from spending too much time in the kitchen but delivering a mouth watering meal for my family. I love the rich smells of food cooking slowly all day. I’ve listed just a few of my favorites for you to try.

Peppered Beef

2 pounds lean beef round steaks, sliced thin

• 1 large green pepper, sliced thin
• 1 large red pepper, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon ginger or a teaspoon freshly grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Place onion and peppers inside crock pot. Place meat in criss cross patterns in pot, avoiding stacking meat directly on top of each other. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 on high.

Three ingredient pork chops

• 4 pork chops, ½ inch thick
• 1 15 – ounce can vegetarian chili
• 1 14 – ounce can stewed tomatoes, do not drain

Combine all ingredients in crock pot in order listed. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.

Cajun Ranch Chicken

• 4 Tablespoon milk
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breast
• 3 Tablespoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Spray inside of slow cooker with peanut oil. Combine the spices and place in a tray. Dip chicken first in the milk and then rub with the spice mixture. Place spiced chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle remaining spices over chicken. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low or on high for 4-5.

As a bonus, Super Star Client Hester sent in this recipe. It is incredible!

Hester’s Grillin Spice Rub

I discovered this recipe this weekend. I think you can use it on anything that goes on the grill or under the broiler. We used it on salmon. Delicious. – Hester

• 1/8 cup salt, I used Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1/4 cup spanish paprika
• 2 T onion powder
• 2 T garlic powder
• 1 T cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 2 T thyme
• 2 T basil
• 2 T oregano
• 2 T coriander
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 1 T. ground black pepper

(I mixed up this recipe for my family for a rub on steak at lunch. It was a hit. I have enough of the rub left over for several more meals to grill. I’m thinking I might make up a batch of this for a brother who loves his grilling time.)

Serving these recipes with a salad will keep you on track nutritionally, take just a few minutes to prepare, and are delicious.

No Excuses!

Coach Nancy

Thanksgiving Recipes – Cassandra Approved!

Our friend and fellow Fitness Revolution owner Cassandra Forsythe, Phd, RD (yeah – she knows her stuff!) just sent us over a compilation of fantastic Thanksgiving recipes that are healthy and EASY.

Thanks Cassandra, these look incredible!

Here’s what Cass sent over:

“With Thanksgiving coming up, many of us are starting to plan our Thanksgiving fare. 

But, we’d like to make something that won’t increase our waist size so much that we won’t want to move for days. ;( 

So, to help you out, here is a compilation of excellent “Cassandra -approved” recipes you can share with friends and loved ones at your next Holiday Table. 

I’m including mostly seasonal veggie recipes so you don’t have to reach for something out of touch with reality. 

And, including healthy stuffing recipes and delicious desserts.

More importantly: Each of these recipes are EASY to make so you don’t have to spend hours and several dollars to get the job done. 

Enjoy!”

Veggies: 

Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts

Apple Cider-Braised Kabocha Squash with Golden Raisins and Onion

(Kabocha squash is also called Buttercup Squash) 

Acorn Squash Soup with Roasted Kale Chips and Pine Nuts

Parsnip Pancakes

Easy Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

Spicy Potatoes, Cabbage and Carrots 

Easy Grilled Beets

Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Jicama Coleslaw

Cranberry Slaw 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts in Balsamic Glaze 

Spinach, Orange and Red Cabbage Salad 

Stuffing: 

Cranberry, Pear Wild-Rice Stuffing

Corn Bread and Sage Stuffing

Easy Corn Bread Stuffing Mix

Desserts: 

Wheat Free Apple Crisp

Pumpkin Custard (for crustless pumpkin pie) 

Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Topping 

Post Training Pumpkin Bars

I love these bars! They are great for after training, as they are easy to pack and have a great blend of muscle building protein and recovery enhancing carbs. Add on top of that they taste fantastic and you have winner, winner chicken dinner! (Yea, I am a Guy Fieri fan 🙂

Power Packed Protein Pumpkin Bars

• 1/2 cup Oats
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 tsp Cloves
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 cups Milk
• 3 Eggs
• 5 scoops Vanilla Ultimate Muscle Protein
• 2 cups Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350. Place butter in 9×13 pan and melt in oven while it is preheating. In the meantime mix the oats, flour and brown sugar. Pour over the melted butter and press down with a spoon. Bake the crust for 12 minutes. While the crust is baking scald the milk and add the spices. Stir in the pumpkin and then the eggs, followed by the protein powder. Pour this over the crust and bake for another 20 minutes until the pumpkin filling is firm to the touch. Enjoy!

This and more fantastic recipes are in the Get Fit NH “Making A Difference Making It Happen” cookbook. Only $10 and Available at both locations.

Pumpkin In A Cup

Don’t forget that Monday is our 4th annual PUMPkin Workout, but there is more to those big orange globes than just chuckin’ them around! Pumpkin is one of our Superfoods – nutrient dense and flavorful, and if you haven’t tried these two recipes, you are in for a tasty surprise.  Leave the candy on the shelf and do your body good with these two fall favorites.

Pumpkin Pecan Shake

1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 scoop vanilla Ultimate Muscle Protein
1/8 cup pecans
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup of ice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1/3 cup pure pumpkin, canned
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Stevia
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup water
Ice

Put the ingredients in a blender and blend for one minute. If you like a thinner consistency, feel free to add water a tablespoon at a time. Sprinkle with a dash of pumpkin pie spice for an added garnish. This shake is great anytime during the day for a super quick meal on the go or a great mid day snack.

Dear Clueless:

“I’m having trouble planning my meals and know what I should be eating. I know the basics, protein, veggies, no starches… But those are just words and I find myself stuck with a bag of carrots in the fridge and nothing else because I don’t know what’s ‘good’ or not. This causes me to order out at work or grab a box of Mac and cheese because I feel like I don’t have a clue.” – Clueless

Write down all the meals your family likes to eat in a week. Most people eat the same 7-9 meals over and over.

For my family it the main dishes (protein) often are:

Hamburgers
Tacos
Steak
Grilled chicken
Salmon

From there I simply look for ways to cut out the carbs (starch/sugar) and load up the veggies.

Hamburgers– we make them naked ( no bun) I usually add a salad, frozen veggies, raw veggies (Whatever I have on hand: carrot, celery, green peppers, cucumbers), or grilled zucchini.

Tacos– no chips or wraps. Lots of salad, tomatoes, olives, guacamole, salsa, refried beans (lowfat), with a sprinkling of cheese.

Steak- adding a salad with some feta cheese, and steamed green beans is a family favorite.

Grilled chicken- tomatoes with basil sprinkled on top, garden salad, and a bag of mixed frozen veggies.

Salmon- I like it grilled but we also make salmon cakes when I can’t get to the grill. Our favorite with this one is mashed cauliflower along with broccoli sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Don’t complicate things – making it easier makes it more likely you will do it!

Coach Nancy

Carrot Leek Soup- Yummy!

Anne, one of our great FLAG clients, mentioned she had made Carrot Leek Soup for her snacks this week. I had never had that before and it intrigued me, especially since I had a lonely leek in the bottom of my fridge. Wow, and I had carrots too. And on top of that a cool fall day and you’ve got perfect soup time.

I was able to quickly prepare this and I let it simmer most of the morning. It smelled fantastic. (ask the ladies only team at 9am who came into the house)

Here’s the recipe. Dean and I had one of the protein sources from Meal Movement along side the soup to complete the PPW lunch.

Carrot Leek Soup

• 1 large leek, discard the green top and slice the white portion.
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch
• 1 (32- ounce) box of chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup half and half

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the olive oil until tender in a dutch oven. Do not brown. Add the broth, carrots, leeks, and the salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the veggies are tender. Stir in thyme. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Process the carrot mixture in a food processor or Vitamix blender until smooth. Return to the dutch oven and slowly add in the half and half. Heat until warm. ENJOY, I know you will.

Meal Planning Made Eas(ier)

One of the most challenging obstacles we face when trying to eat healthy is the mindset that it has to take a long time to prepare a nutritious meal. Here’s 11 lunch or dinner ideas that can be fixed in a jiffy and don’t cost and arm and a leg.

Can’t think of anything to eat? Here are some nutritious, well-balanced ideas! Each line has a complete meal. Select one and try it tonight.

             Quality Protein                        Fibrous Carbs                      Compliments

This is an example of the many resources Get Fit NH clients have available to them at http://TheOther165.com

Haven’t registered yet? What are you waiting for?

Coach Dean

Spicy Pork Stir Fry Recipe

Spicy foods are my favorite – I love the zing! Combine spice with a stir fry and you have one of my favorite meals to make (and eat). Don’t like spicy? That’s ok, you can tone it down as much as you want.

Stir fry is great because it so flexible. More ginger or chili sauce will add more heat, and if you like the crunch of celery add 1/4 cup more to suit your taste. Have unexpected company? Just double the recipe.

Here’s one of my favorites!

Spicy Pork Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
• 1 egg white
• 3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar, divided
• 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup celery, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tablespoon ginger, minced
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon chili sauce

Instructions:

Prepare marinade by combining the egg white and 1 Tablespoon of rice wine vinegar. Stir marinade into sliced pork, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

After the pork is done marinading, mix  3/4 cup chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons chili sauce, and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch together to make the sauce.

Drain the excess marinade from the pork, then arrange the pork, vegetables and sauce close to the stove for easy access.

Heat the wok to medium. Spray with a light coating of peanut oil. Cook the pork for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to a plate.

Clean wok with a paper towel. Heat to high and spray again with peanut oil. Add celery and stir fry for 30 seconds. Then add the spinach, tomatoes, garlic, scallions,  and ginger. Stir fry until the spinach wilts and tomatoes start to break down just a bit.

Add the pork and sauce to wok. Stir all items for another 3 minutes until sauce thickens.

Garnish with sesame seeds, sliced jalapenos, or chopped cilantro if desired.

Don’t be greedy, and share this delicious meal with someone you love! 🙂

Enjoy!

Coach Nancy