Eggplant Roll-Ups: a new take on confort food!

Here is another favorite food blog that I like to use for meal time inspiration.

There is an extensive library of recipes for all occasions and meals of the day! 

 

Eggplant Roll-Ups
serves 6-8
 
2 medium eggplants
2 T olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes
2 c whole-milk ricotta
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
small handful basil, chopped
2 1/2 c prepared red sauce
1/2 c shredded mozzarella or parmesan (or a combination)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut the stems off eggplant, and discard. Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4” strips (or a bit larger, about 8-10 total per eggplant).

Arrange slices on a non-stick baking sheet, and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt. Transfer to oven, and cook 12-15 minutes, until eggplant is just tender. Allow eggplant to cool at room temperature. Leave oven on at 350F.

In a small pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 5-7 minutes, until onion begins to turn golden brown. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, and cook 2 minutes.

Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta, salt, pepper, and basil. Stir until well combined.

In a casserole dish, spread 1/2 c red sauce along the bottom. Remove eggplant from baking sheet, and place on a flat work surface. Scoop a few tablespoons of ricotta-spread in the middle of each eggplant.

Roll up, and place, seam side down, side by side in the casserole dish (they will fit snugly, in two rows of about 8-10 roll-ups). Pour remaining 2 c red sauce over the top, and sprinkle with mozzarella or parmesan. Bake 15-18 minutes, until heated through.

Finish under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

How to do a push up properly

Every workout should included a push up. It's a a muscle builder, a back saver, and an athletic supporter!

Doing a push up properly can be very challenging and rewarding when done properly! The thing is many people, particularly women, do them incorrectly. Let's banish mediocritcy and strive to perform perfectly formed push ups. May be you will only be able to do one 'perfectly' but you will get better - don't sacrifice form!

Find your form: Before you can move on, make sure you're actually doing a push-up the right way. Be aware of these four things as you execute a push-up: your body alignment, hands, abs, and breath. Make sure your shoulders are aligned over your wrists and your fingers and palms are spread wide, with pressure focused in your fingertips. Pull your belly button in, keeping your spine straight so your body is in a straight line; make sure to connect your breath with your movements. As you lower, bend your elbows outward to the sides.

Pushups are excellent for toning your core, quads, arms and shoulders. Oh and ladies? Pushups have an awesome (and natural…) wonderbra effect on your rack.

What’s even better: there are tons of varieties on the good ol’ pushup. Ever heard of elevated pushups? One-legged pushups? T-pushups? Superman pushups?  Star pushups? Burpees? One-arm pushups (wth right?)? No? Well sign up for a PT session or join our morning boot camp and we will happily teach these to you?



Dont believe me... Listen to what MensHealth has to say on the topic:

How Pushups Build More Muscle
Logic says the pushup won't build strength unless you're kind of weak to begin with. Its benefits lie elsewhere.

"If you do pushups correctly, you develop your scapular muscles and your rotator-cuff muscles to stabilize your shoulders. If you do bench presses instead of pushups, you don't have to use those muscles as much," says Michael Clark, C.S.C.S., a physical therapist and president of the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

In other words, pushups not only build up the facade in front of your physique, but also develop the support system behind those muscles, too.

Here's why that's important: In every physical action, some muscles act as the engine and some act as the brakes. If the brakes aren't strong and durable enough to counterbalance the engine, you've got an injury waiting to happen.

When a guy comes up with a chronically sore shoulder from bench pressing, for example, the problem is usually that the chest and shoulder muscles are too strong relative to the muscles behind them.

So it makes sense that pushups help improve muscular balance, which is important for developing serious strength. And with strength comes muscle size.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

 A Spicy Perspective is one of my go-to places when I need menu inspiration. 

 

Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 14 ½ oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ¾ Tb. cumin
• ½ Tb. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 skinless chicken breasts, halved and thinly sliced
• ¾ tsp. salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese
• 1-2 avocados, diced
• Bag of tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, heat the oil over high.  Add onions, 1/3 cup cilantro and garlic, sauté 3 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes and spices, then bring to a boil.
3. Add the broth, carrots and chicken.  Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook another 10-12 minutes.
4. Stir in half the cheese and 1 cup crushed tortilla chips.
5. Ladle into bowls and top with remaining cheese, fresh cilantro, fresh avocado, and more tortilla chip pieces.

*This is a great recipe to use up leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken.  Just add it in at the very end to warm it up!

**To make this a 4 Hour Body”slow carb diet” recipe, omit the tortilla chips and cheese. It’s still awesome!

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s) per batch
Number of servings (yield): 4 +