Local’s Gym Nutrition

My first attempt at this recipe resulted in a charcoal-colored chicken that was mostly raw on the inside. Despite this disaster, I managed to find a flicker of hope in the experience. Somehow, a few pieces of meat actually cooked and tasted delicious (minus the charred skin, of course). Determined to turn my failure into a success, I decided to try again. The second time, I didn’t have a whole chicken on hand, so I used two chicken breasts with the bone-in and skin on. I decided to grill it on the BBQ, and it was far more successful. I believe this recipe would still work with a whole chicken, butterflied and cooked in the oven at 350°. Below is the recipe for the chicken breasts since they are tested and approved!

You’ll need:
2 chicken breasts, skin on and bone-in
2T butter, softened
1 1/2T honey
1T thyme
zest of 1 lemon

Pre-heat the BBQ

While the grill is heating, mix butter, honey, thyme, and lemon together in a small bowl.

Use your fingers to loosen, but not separate the skin from the chicken. Rub the honey mixture under the skin of the chicken.

Grill the chicken on each side, 5-7 minutes, until cooked through.

Enjoy!

Sara

Zone Info: 16P, 18F, 5C

I’ve been making a lot of burgers lately, I liked this one that I made recently, so I decided to share it with you. This recipe was a kitchen sink meal. For me, kitchen sink meals ususally happen when there are not a lot of options left in my fridge. Instead of trying to make the miscellaneous foods work in a recipe I already have, I gather up the items that need to be eaten soon and place them on the kitchen counter along with the protein I will be using. I then consider what would I want ingredients I want to put together. In this case, I was able to adapt an existing kale recipe to be paleo as well as complement the foods I had on hand.

All the ingredients in this recipe are staples in my cupboard and leftovers from our vegetable delivery from CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), one of the many local farms that provide fresh, organic produce to us every week. I definitely recommend checking one out. It’s a win-win situation – you support local farmers and in turn, they provide you with fresh, local, seasonal produce.

FYI: If you go with Full Circle Farms, you can pick your produce up at the gym!

You’ll Need:
1 pkg. ground turkey
2 eggs
4-6 basil leaves
1 c. chopped mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped bell pepper

Kale
1 bunch kale
Juice of 1/2 lemon
10.5 oz. coconut milk (about 3/4 of a can)
2/3 c. onion

Separate the kale leaves from the stem and roughly chop the leaves, discard the stems. In a sauce pan, saute the onion with a small amount of oil, until translucent. Add kale and cook until slightly wilted. When the kale has cooked down, add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Let kale mixture simmer for about 20 minutes until the kale has softened.

In a bowl, mix turkey and eggs, then add basil, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Shape mixture into patties. Cook in a skillet or on the BBQ.

These two elements are great together or they can be eaten separately.

Enjoy!

Sara

Zone Info: 12 2/3P, 4C, 28F

Who knew you could be paleo friendly and come so close to fried chicken. I generally use coconut in this recipe because it lends a sweeter flavor to the final product but if you prefer a more traditional flavor, omit the coconut flakes and replace the coconut flour with almond (or another nut) flour. To give this dish some added interest, I add about a teaspoon of seasoning to the flour. Any seasoning you’re partial to should work well; I tend to use cumin.

You’ll need:
2 chicken breasts (can also use chicken tenders)
¾ c. shredded coconut flakes
½ c. coconut flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 t. cumin
1-2 T. oil for cooking

Cut chicken breasts into ½ inch thick strips. In a medium sized bowl, lightly beat eggs. Put coconut flour and coconut flakes on separate plates. Add cumin to coconut flour and mix together.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. The oil should just cover the bottom of the pan.

Take a piece of chicken, dredge it in the egg, then the coconut flour, the egg again, and the coconut flakes.

Place the coated chicken in the skillet, cook for 5-7 minutes on each side.

Serve with cauliflower rice or other veggies.

Sara

Zone info: 19P, 24 F. (Coconut, shredded and flour, are both fats so there is no carb in this recipe.)

Many of my family’s summertime favorites include the tomato-basil ingredient combo; Caprese salad, tarts, and pizza are just a few of the seasonal staples. Most of those are no longer a reality for me, however this simplified version of my aunt’s stuffed meatloaf, is a perfect addition to the repertoire. Give this recipe a try when you’re cooking outdoors this summer, it’s great for a BBQ.

Makes 4  

You’ll need:
1 lb. hamburger (lean)
1 tomato, sliced into 4ths
8-16 basil leaves

Slice tomato. Rinse and dry the basil leaves.

Season ground beef with your favorite seasonings. Divide ground been into quarters, then split each quarter in half. Shape each half into a thin patty; ending up with 8 patties.

Layer 4 patties with 1-2 basil leaves, 1 slice tomato, 1-2 basil leaves. Use 4 leaves basil total if you like a strong basil flavor.

Take the remaining 4 patties and place them on top of the 4 tomato-basil topped patties. Press the edges of the 2 patties together, making 4 stuffed burgers.

These are great on the grill or can be cooked on the stove to your desired done-ness. Because each patty is thin they cook quickly, about 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy!
Sara

You know those days (for me they usually happen near the end of the week) when you’re in the kitchen staring at the ingredients which have  not managed to make it in to any previous meals, and you’re wondering how to use them? Shepherd’s pie has frequently been my solution on these occasions. It is a pretty simple meal to adapt based on the ingredients you’re trying to incorporate. At different times I have made the topping from the following: cauliflower, parsnips, and rutabagas. I personally prefer the rutabaga simply for its texture; I have found the cauliflower and parnsip to be more challenging when it comes to getting a smooth consistency. Try whichever of the three you like best. This recipe is really just a jumping off point; feel free to modify as you see fit.

Serves 4-6

You’ll need:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
2 c. veggies (carrots, celery, mushrooms, broccoli, etc), chopped
3-4 medium rutabagas, peeled and cubed
1 egg
Butter or oil for sautéing

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a small amount of water (approx. ½ c.) in a sauce pan with rutabagas. Cover and cook until fork tender. Mash cooked rutabagas and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a frying pan, heat butter or oil and cook onion with garlic, until onion is soft. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly. Add veggies and cook until they begin to soften.

Mix in the egg with the cooled, mashed rutabaga. Put meat and veggies in an 8×8 pan and top with the rutabaga. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top begins to brown.

Sara

Bell peppers can be found in my kitchen almost any day of the week. In addition to being a convenient and delicious compliment to most recipes, they are immensely useful on their own as “chips” or when cut in half they become the veggie equivalent of bread. This is a simple and delicious meal to make when you find bell peppers on sale.

Grated, steamed cauliflower is the paleo version of traditional rice. If you find yourself with some leftover cauliflower and you aren’t sure what to do with it… paleo rice.

All the elements of this recipe are relatively simple and cook fairly quickly, so I recommend doing all the prep for the recipe before getting started; this will keep things flowing as you cook.

Serves 4

You’ll need:
4 bell peppers, tops removed without about ½ inch of room and insides removed
½ c. grated cauliflower, steamed
1½ T. olive oil or butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1lb. lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1½-2 c. tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375°.

Steam cauliflower in a large bowl, other ingredients will be added to it later.

Put peppers (not including tops) in a glass baking dish with a small amount of water. Steam peppers in the microwave for approximately 5 minutes. Remove peppers from baking dish, drain water from the dish, and replace the peppers.

In a pan, sauté onion with olive oil or butter until the onion is soft. Add ground beef and cook thoroughly. Add garlic to the pan and let sit until fragrant (15-20 seconds) then stir in with ground beef. Add tomato sauce and cook until heated through.

Add ground beef mixture to cauliflower and stir to combine.

Fill peppers with cauliflower mixture.

Replace pepper tops and bake for 30 mintues until the sauce bubbles and the tops are lightly browned.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and discover some new uses for the bell pepper as well.

Sara

Let me start by saying that I make no claims about this recipe’s authenticity. I will, however, claim that my taste testers thought it was really yummy.  The recipe comes together pretty quickly and the spices nicely balance the strong flavor of the coconut milk. I tend to serve this with steamed veggies as a side, but feel free to serve over riced cauliflower or even a potato substitute (i.e. parsnip, rutabaga, etc.).

Serves 4

You’ll need:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2T butter or oil
1″ cinnamon stick
4-6 black peppercorns
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cumin
1T curry powder
1 can coconut milk

In a large pan heat butter or oil, when hot fry the whole spices (cinnamon and peppercorns) until fragrant. Add chopped onions and garlic, cook with whole spices until the onions are soft. Push the onions and garlic to one side of the pan. Add the powdered spices to the vacant side of the pan and fry until fragrant (becareful not to burn these). Mix the powdered spices in with the onions and garlic. Add cubed chicken and cook until there is no pink showing on the pieces of chicken. Remove the whole spices from the pan. Add the can of coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

I love dessert; in fact, I could easily say that my heart resides with dessert. The only reason I ever stepped foot into the kitchen with the intent to produce, rather than consume something, was solely due to the desire to make and promptly eat pie. Since then, I have grown fond of attempting guilt-free desserts – while I have yet to hit that Holy Grail, this recipe is getting close.

This recipe will make about 16 macaroons.

You’ll need:

1 1/3 c. coconut flakes
scant 1/4 c. agave nectar
2 egg whites
2 T. coconut flour
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 325° F.

Put dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

In a separate bowl, combine agave, egg whites, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry, mix until well combined.

Drop macaroon batter onto a cookie sheet, make sure batter is packed together or the finished product will fall apart.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

Sara

I have decided to pretend its summer, although at some point May will return to being pervasively gray and all will be right in the world. But until then, I plan to embrace the warm weather and submit one of my favorite summer recipes.

Shrimp and rice is a meal that my family eats often when the weather is warm, prepared with garden fresh herbs adding seasonal flare.

You may be wondering how to make a paleo rice dish. I run a head of cauliflower over a cheese grater, which turns it in to grain-sized pieces. You want to make sure to do this in a bowl, because when done on a flat surface, the result is a cauliflower coated kitchen. I generally steam the grated cauliflower in the microwave before serving it or using it in a recipe.

You’ll need:
1 head cauliflower, grated
1 lb. shrimp
1 T. oregano, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
Oil or butter

Steam the cauliflower in the microwave for 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a pan heat the oil or butter over medium-low heat. Sauté the shrimp until just turns pink. Add the oregano and garlic, cook until fragrant. Add the cauliflower to the pan, stir to combine, serve.

Sara

I have to credit my friend Amanda for this idea. Recently, she and I were discussing our culinary endeavors, mine paleo – hers not so much. Every now and then I run across a recipe which is mercifully paleo to begin with, and when it’s handed to me on a silver platter, like this one was, I run with it. Because I had only made tomato based sauce in the past, I was extremely eager to give pesto a try over spaghetti squash. The squash alone didn’t quite feel like a complete meal so I added some pan seared chicken.

You’ll need:
1 spaghetti squash (1 squash = appx. 4 servings)

Pesto:
½ c. almonds, toasted
2 c. basil leaves
3-4 T olive oil

A note on the pesto: I generally do not enjoy food swimming in oil; so I tend to make a pesto sauce that is closer in consistency to a paste. If you want a saucier pesto, add oil by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency.

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
Oil or butter

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Microwave whole spaghetti squash for 5 minutes so it is easier to cut. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and throw away. Place squash face down on a baking sheet. Bake until fork tender through the skin, approx. 45 minutes.

Toast almonds in a pan over medium heat, about 5 minutes.

Cook chicken in now vacant almond pan with oil or butter over medium heat. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned on the outside.

While the chicken is cooking, in a food processor, combine basil, almonds, and olive oil, process until well combined.

When the spaghetti squash is done allow to cool for a few minutes. Use a fork to loosen the strands of squash from the skin and scoop into a bowl.

Let me know if this recipe sparks any new ideas for you!

Sara