Crystal Shines While Sharing Her Secrets
Rock Star Crystal has set her goals high for the first two months of the year. I was super excited when I received an email from Crystal laying out her goals for the new year. Crystal has a trip planned and she wanted to make sure she was ready for it. Crystal created a plan and we are working it out together. A magical thing happened as Crystal shared her goal with others. They jumped on board, too. While they weren't going on a trip, Crystal inspired them to train with perfect attendance and work hard in the gym and in the kitchen at home. She is leading the way.
Of course, her crew is helping her to stay accountable to her goal, while she in turn is helping them by bringing in recipes she has tried. There are times at 6:15am that we almost drool with the talk of great tasting, wonderfully healthy food. I asked Crystal to share a few of her recipes and the tips she has for making them.
BREAKFAST CHILI
- 1½ teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 chorizo chicken sausages, finely chopped
- 4 pieces crispy bacon, chopped
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Dash Himalayan salt
- Dash freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 handful spinach, optional (Crystal throws in A LOT - "don't be shy with the spinach")
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
For the chili:
Heat oil and garlic in a medium-sized pot. Add the sliced onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in the chopped sausage. Cook until no longer pink. In a pan or in the oven, cook bacon until crispy and set aside. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock and spices to the pot and mix well. Add the spinach and bacon, reduce heat to a simmer.
For the poached egg:
Heat 3 cups water and add in a dash of vinegar. Crack 1 egg into a ramekin. Right before boiling, use a spoon and swirl the water. Drop the egg into the water (don't freak, it'll look a little crazy for a minute- trust me Crystal is telling the truth). Carefully spoon out poached egg and serve over stew. When it comes to the poached eggs, I make and store those separately from the chili. When I pack my lunch, I put one on top of the chili in my Pyrex. At work, I take out the egg while reheating the chili in the microwave. I add it back in and submerge it in the chili to warm it up with out cooking.
But she is not done here. She has another breakfast favorite. We all asked her to share, and she is sharing with all of you as well.
CAPRESE CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 6 apple, Italian, or spinach chicken sausages (about 1 lb)
- 1 onion
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- 10 ounces frozen spinach
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup Tessamae's balsamic dressing (or Creamy Italian Dressing, recipe below)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Shred cauliflower in food processor to "rice"; put in large bowl. Cut sausages in halve lengthwise, then slice; add to bowl. Dice onion, slice tomatoes in half or quarters, and chop fresh basil; add all to the bowl (sometimes I caramelize the onion and garlic together in a frying pan). Add thawed spinach and minced garlic to bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 6 eggs, balsamic dressing, salt & pepper. Stir into large bowl with other ingredients until mixed. Dump into greased 9x13 baking dish and smooth it down so the top is even. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
CREAMY ITALIAN DRESSING
- 2 tablespoons homemade mayo
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon Italian herbs
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients in a blender. If mixture is too thick, add either balsamic vinegar or water. Remember, your dressing will get slightly more liquidy as you toss it with your salad. Tip of the day: ½ teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted for the clove of garlic.
"I have two favorite breakfast recipes that I make for my family. When my husband is home for breakfast I make both of them, otherwise one recipe will feed one person for the entire week and maybe even more.
I think both recipes would freeze well but they haven’t lasted that long at my house yet. I usually pack a small portion in a Pyrex each night before bed. If you had enough containers, you could easily portion it all out at the beginning of the week so they are all packed at once.
I have a microwave at work so that is a great option for me. However, I have eaten both recipes cold as well."
Crystal will keep inspiring us at 6:15am to be better each day. Challenge yourself to share your goals with others and watch them jump on board.
Coach Nancy