Avocado Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

Adapted from: Ohsheglows

Ingredients:
1/2 C. dry quinoa
2 C. vegetable broth
1 can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1 c. cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 avocados diced
2 C. spinach
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 C. onion
2 small cloves garlic
For the dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. cumin
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Make your quinoa first. Soak the quinoa in a pot in the veggie broth for about 15 minutes. After that, turn on the heat to medium high and let the quinoa come to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium/low and let quinoa simmer. Stir every so often, and cook quinoa for about 20-25 minutes just until the liquid absorbs. You don’t want it completely dried out, so when there is just a TINY amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from heat and put a lid on it. Set it aside, and make the rest of the salad.

Your quinoa will look similar to this when it’s all done:

2. In a food processor, add your spinach and cilantro. Make sure to wash you greens.

3. Process the greens until they are finely diced. You can do this by hand as well if you don’t have a food processor.

4. Add the greens to a bowl, and set aside. Next take your onion and garlic and finely dice those (I do this in the food processor to), and add to the greens mixture. Next add your chickpeas and stir until everything is combined and coated. If the quinoa is cooled, you can add it to the chickpea mixture next.

5. Make your dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Pour over salad, and mix until combined. Add in tomatoes and avocado and mix. Set in fridge for about 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors set.

Bacon Topped Petite Turkey Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce

Bacon Topped Petite Turkey Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce

Servings: 5 Serving Size: 1 loaf • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 259 • Fat: 10 g • Carbs: 17 g • Fiber: 1.2 g • Protein: 25 g • Sugar: 7.6 g
Sodium: 940 mg

Ingredients:
3/4 cup grated zucchini, all moisture squeezed dry with paper towel
2 tbsp onion, minced
2 tbsp diced red pepper
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Kansas City BBQ Sauce
1 large egg
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1.3 lb raw 93% lean ground turkey
5 slices center cut bacon, cut in half
2 1/2 tbsp BBQ Sauce


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly spray a petite loaf pan with oil (if you don't have a petite loaf pan you could use a muffin tin).

In a large bowl, mix the zucchini, onion, red pepper, breadcrumbs, BBQ sauce, egg, paprika and salt. Add the turkey and combine until mixed through.

Create 5 equal loafs and place them into the loaf pan. Place the 2 bacon halves over each loaf and top each with 1/2 tbsp additional BBQ sauce.

Bake about 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Indian Chicken Coconut Curry

Indian Chicken Coconut Curry

Add some pep to your chicken with a flavorful blend of aromatic spices and coconut milk.

(SERVES 4)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
2 Tbsp. finely chopped ginger
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. chili flakes
7 tsp. turmeric
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup light sour cream
Kosher salt
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
1 lime
Small bunch cilantro leaves

1/ Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until light golden brown. Add ginger, cumin, fennel, mustard, chili and turmeric. Cook spices until they begin to pop.

2/ Add tomatoes, coconut milk and sour cream, and bring to a simmer. If sauce is too thick, add a little water. Season with salt.

3/ Add chicken and cook until it's no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.

4/ Serve over brown rice or flat bread, or alone. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 272 calories, 28 g protein, 5 g carbs, 15 g fat, 1 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 90 mg sodium

>> Research shows that ginger enhances muscle recovery and can even promote fat loss.

Sick of chicken? Here are 11 more ways to get protein!

1. Eggs - Eat the whole egg, not just the white. The yolk is actually the most nutrient dense portion of the egg, providing a ton of vitamins and minerals.

2. Shrimp - Grill, or sautee them in some organic butter or extra virgin olive oil. Mix with veggies and enjoy.

3. Salmon - An awesome fatty fish containing loads of protein and a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids.

4. Protein Powder - Super convenient and great for those between meal snacks. Look for a brand that contains both slow and fast acting proteins like whey (fast) and casein (slow) for hours of protein feeding your muscles from a single shake.

5. Ground Turkey - Super lean and great for chili or burgers.

6. Pork - The "other" white meat, just as lean as chicken when you get the right cut. Go for the boneless chops and trim the outer fatty edge.

7. Chicken Sausage - You probably won't notice the difference between chicken sausage and "regular" pork sausage, but it contains a much more moderate amount of fat...great for those protein and carb meals.

8. Beans - Like black beans, kidney beans, red beans, navy beans, black eyed peas, lentils and the list goes on and on are actually the least expensive protein source globally! They are Low glycemic and high in fiber. Add it to your turkey chili, or any other meal you want for that matter.

9. Bison - All the taste of beef while being incredibly lean. Great for protein and carb meals when you're wanting to limit the fat content of a meal while still packing a mean flavor punch.

10. Grass-fed Beef - Grass fed beef is rich in Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a special fat that has actually been shown to result in fat LOSS.

11. Greek yogurt packs twice the protein of regular yogurt. Go with the plain variety and sweeten with a packet of stevia or truvia if you'd like.

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 +