Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad

You know what makes your week more interesting? Your place of work making national news. (Sigh) It's not easy to teach with that going on!

Workout wise, every time I am outside or go into my garage I want to squat or dip or press or something... it seems a shame to pass by weights and not pick them up. Ahhhh this will be a problem. Rudy was over the other day to do a workout at the now named, "CrossFit Clawson" and Charlie made sure he was hydrated- she is really supportive to everyone who comes over to workout and demands they go faster- it's too cute and how do you not when she is cheering for you?!

Anyway! I made this a few weeks ago and made it again this week because the chicken is fantastic on it's own.

Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad

Marinade:
- 2-3lbs  Chicken (3-4 breasts)
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp Honey (optional)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Lime, zested, juiced
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper


Salad- I am not doing serving sized because it seems personal how much salad you want on what day... maybe you just want chicken and one leaf and call it a salad and that's ok.
- Red Peppers, in thin strips
- Cabbage (I used Savoy)
- Cucumber, chopped
 - Carrots, chopped
- Green Onion, 2-3 stems, finely chopped
- Avocado, eat it all


Dressing- test for seasoning at the end. I sometimes add a touch of water or vinegar depending on how juicy the lime is.
- 1 Lime Juiced
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/4 Red Pepper Flakes
-  1/4 Seed/Nut Butter
- 2-3 Tbsp Water

1. Whisk the marinade and refridigeate with the chicken at least 5 hours or overnight. Grill or bake in a 400 degree oven 30-35 minutes.
2. Combine the salad ingredients and whisk the dressing (I shake it in a jelly jar so it can be stored if you aren't eating at once)
Pour over top immediately then consume.




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Paleo "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Pudding

I was at the grocery store the other day, after a workout (therefore in my tank and shorts, covered in chalk, filthy, sweaty looking) and someone in line behind me said, "You must workout, I do too, so how do I look like you?" I responded that diet probably has a lot to do with it, but everyone is built differently. I took a picture of my cart that day, it was a mid-week shopping trip so just stocking up on a few things... just looking at the top rack of my cart I had fruit, vegetables, and meat. Nothing processed, no refined sugars or carbs. I could not sneakily take a picture of their cart but I am guessing the answer to their question is in it. 

Although the person in the grocery store I took as a compliment there's the other side. I have friends who have been asked if they are on steroids, and I don't know how many times I have been told not to get "too big" but can we seriously knock it off? I know crazy strong girls that don't have the tone of some other girls that "look strong." Maybe I want to be "too big"... maybe my friend just lifts heavy weights even if (heaven forbid) she is a girl... my point is it isn't anyone else's business. We don't tell the obese person in McDonalds to put down the fries so don't tell the strong girl to put down the weights. Strong, healthy, whatever, looks different on everyone.

Dessert Time!!! Num num num.
Chocolate pudding :) Adding the instant coffee just enhances the chocolate flavor, but if you don't have any or don't like than just omit it. If you don't have coconut milk you could try almond... I haven't tried it since I cook nut-free usually, but you might just need to add another tablespoon of arrowroot powder.

 One day I ate mine with shredded coconut on top, the next I had it with some sliced bananas and then portioned it into jelly jars for a work snack.

Paleo "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Pudding

- 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk (14 oz)

- 1 Can Light Coconut Milk (14 oz)

- 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

- 1/3 Cup Coconut Sugar

- 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder

- 1 Tbsp (heaping) Instant Coffee Granules

- 1/4 tsp Salt

- 1/3 Cup Seed or Nut Butter

- 1/4 Cup Enjoy Life Mega Chunks (non dairy chocolate)

1. Over medium-high heat, whisk all but the last two ingredients in a sauce pan. Whisk occasionally while the mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, keep a constant whisk until it has thickened, not to the point of "pudding texture" yet... this process is about 10 minutes total. 

2. Off the heat, add the seed/nut butter and chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth. Pour into air tight containers and let cool (uncovered.) Once cooled, put them into the fridge to thicken... top with your favorite toppings and enjoy. 

Balsamic Marinated Steak

Today was the first day of school for a lot of public school kids across the country. All the first day of school pictures are so cute. Education is definitely changing and there are so many options for parents and kids: private, home-schooling, virtual, hybrid, traditional... wow! Not many other countries have such options and a lot of the options are free. Whatever school-choice people make I would just like to say welcome back... and have a great year to my fellow teachers! Charlie and I spent our last day together before I headed back to work at the dairy farm. 

I am getting my grilling in before the weather decides it is done cooperating in Michigan. I am not one of those people who is going to be standing in the snow grilling, but if you are I commend you. I used skirt steak in this recipe because I couldn't find flank steak on the day I went to the store but either would work great. I ate mine with roasted broccoli I made the same time I was roasting broccoli for the wild rice and broccoli recipe. 

 Balsamic Marinated Steak

- 1.5-2 lbs Flank/Skirt Steak

- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

- 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

- 1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos or Gluten Free Soy Sauce

- 1 Tbsp Mustard (I used dijon)

- 1 clove Garlic, minced

- 1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

1. Whisk the ingredients, aside from the steak, together. 

2. Add the steak to the marinade and flip it a few times so it is covered. Store in the fridge, covered, for at least 8 hours or overnight. 

3. Over medium-high heat, grill the steak to your temperature preference, flipping once. Let the steak rest before cutting. 

Broccoli, Chicken and Wild Rice

I know that date-wise summer isn't over, but with the trees already changing and school starting tomorrow I feel like mine is. I finished up my final competition of the summer last weekend and I really learned a lot competing as an underdog. I entered the Pure Michigan Invitation as a Wild Card which meant I didn't fall in the top 60 in the state. Since I was decently close to the top 60 I thought it would be a good to have a training goal and signed up. Things I learned: strength is by far my biggest weakness. In all of the WODs requiring a 1 rep max I was in last place. Secondly, don't take Benadryl the night before a compeition. I was groggy all day and literally felt ill. It is odd I even thought this was a good idea considering I hardly ever take medicine- idiot Ashley. Third, the people involved in CrossFit are amazing. Even though I struggled a lot of the day there was always someone around me to tell me what I needed to hear or remind me that I was doing was supposed to be fun. My guy, Rudy, was there supporting me, my friends (Kelly, Mara, Amber, Michelle, etc.) were there, my mom and dad both came- so no matter how the day panned out I appreciated the love. 

I am usually mentally tough, but when nothing seems to be going like you thought it would it's nice to hear. Positives of the day include not finishing last and being the only wild card, and looking back at how far I have come. Six months ago I couldn't lift the weights I did or do a muscle up- always good to acknowledge how far you have come as you are preparing to move forward... new goals are posted on my board in my kitchen to look at every morning.

Maven girls doing muscle ups:

Kettle Bell Snatches... 90 of them at 35#

Henry Cavill (aka Man of Steel) was there: 

I have added rice back into my diet for a few reasons. One, I need my meat to last longer. Meat and veggies are so expensive and I can eat 1lb of flank steak in two days even with vegetables. Two, I am losing weight and that's not what I need to be doing. Paleo is great, but I am obviously burning more than I am consuming, or not eating enough. Rice is gluten free so I am still sticking to that and I don't eat it every day but I know I need to change something. This dish could easily be made without the rice but the amount of chicken and broccoli to rice ratio is skewed towards the chicken/broccoli anyway.

I used the rice in a pouch that takes 90 seconds to cook because time is limited in my life. I bought mine at Costco- it is Seeds of Change Brand. I also used a rotisserie chicken because they are my new favorite thing. Meat is cooked, delicious, and you get a lot for the $5 the chicken costs.

Sorry for the lack of a creative name

Broccoli, Chicken and Wild Rice

- 1 Pouch of Wild Rice (8.5 oz) or two cups cooked rice
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
- 2 Heads of Broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 tsp Fish Sauce (or more Coconut Aminos if you don't have this)
- 2 tsp Coconut Aminos (or gluten-free soy)
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 3 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1. Cook the broccoli. I roasted mine: Preheat the oven- while it is doing this cut the broccoli (I throw it in when I am done cutting regardless of the oven temp at the time...hehehee.) On a sheet tray spread the broccoli in an even layer and drizzle with olive oil. salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.
2. While the broccoli is cooking shred the chicken and microwave or cook the rice.
3. Toss everything together and enjoy. :)

Corned Beef Sweet Potato Hash

It is with such enthusiasm I have purchased and put together (by myself) the begins of a garage gym. I have wanted one for a while because some days I don't have time to do all the programming or get into the box at all. I realize that's reality for most people but since working out is my biggest stress reliever and confidence builder I am not giving it up the majority of my days without a fight. Can't get better if you don't train and I'm not done getting better. Charlie helped me put it together and put all the screws in every hole on the rack- it was cute... But she was more excited when the rings went up- they're her favorite and the first thing she runs to in the box.

 With the school year starting next week I have decided to mix up my typical breakfast. I usually make a big pan of hash (sweet potato, sausage, bacon) on Sundays and then microwave it in the morning before work, cook an egg and eat that with some avocado to get the fat-protein-carb combo going.
Since it is a new year why not try something new? When I was vegetarian I always salivated at ruben sandwiches and corned beef hash so now that I can eat a ruben like it's my job I decided to take on corned beef hash. The first time I made it I bought the corned beef... then after someone at the box posted a sandwich with homemade corned beef that same day I decided to not be lame and to make it myself too.

You can do this one of two ways... one, buy a brisket and let it sit in a brine for 24hour to 4 days and then cook the beef... or two, buy corned beef already brined and cook it. I did the lather because I didn't want to wait. I found my corned beef at Whole Foods and cooked it 30 min per pound in water, in my dutch oven. I then sliced and cubed it for the hash. Charlie LOVED the corned beef... when I was cubing it she was eating it almost as fast... it is definitely going on my menu of things to have on hand.

Corned Beef Sweet Potato Hash

- 1-2 lbs Corned Beef (I go heavy on this)
- 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and small dice
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, small dice
- Salt
- Pepper

1. Saute the onion and potato in a little bit of oil or grass-fed butter over medium high heat until potatoes are almost fork tender (7-10min)

2. Add the corned beef and saute a few more minutes until some pieces are getting crispy. Taste for salt and pepper. Corned beef is salty so you might not want to add salt.
3. Serve with a poached or fried egg...yum!

Cube Steak Tacos and Guacamole

I was introduced to this dish by the first guy I have dated that didn't make me pasta with jarred sauce and chicken for a date-night meal. Seriously guys... stop making that. I came home from a long day at work and then night conferences until 8pm and I requested Rudy get me the new sports bra I really wanted because I was competing that weekend and have dinner waiting!! I thought what he made was a great idea so I added my own touch to it. Using cube steak really makes taco night a little nicer and doesn't have the expensive per pound price like flank steak does. 

Cube steak is usually used in chicken fried steak and is top round or top sirloin that has been tenderized- the pounding is what gives it the unique looking texture. 

I ate mine in sort of a salad- with guacamole one chipotle salsa on top. I would have preferred a shell of some kind but I didn't have any. :) 

Cube Steak Tacos

- 1-2 pounds Cube Steak

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder

- 1/2 tsp Cumin

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

- 1/2 tsp Paprika

- 1 Tbsp Oil

1. Sprinkle the steak on both sides with the seasonings. 

2. Heat oil in a skillet to medium high heat. Cook the steak 3-5 minutes per side depending on your preference on done-ness.

3. Slice and serve with all your favorite taco fixings. 

Guacamole 

- 2 Avocados

- 1 Lime

- 1 Roma or Vine tomato

- 1 jalapeno

- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1/2 tsp Salt

1. Mash the avocados. Juice the lime and add the remaining ingredients to the avocados. Mix and serve. 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins... nut free!

I ran 400m repeats on the local track this week with my mini-me... she ran two full laps! It is hard not to be motivated when this little thing is watching me. 

A surprising number of people in my life have tree nut allergies. Before I didn't really pay attention to it, but now that I am dating Rudy, who has an allergy, and some other people I work out with do too, I am forced to pay attention because I don't want to kill them! I don't know about you, but trying to find paleo baking recipes that don't use almond flour is tough because you can't just sub coconut flour (too dry) or tapioca (too chewy.) I was doing some research and found a blog that said that seed flour is a direct substitute for almond flour... problem is you can't buy it, you have to make it. So I set out to find raw sunflower seeds and see what this was all about. My mom found raw seeds in the bulk section of Whole Foods... way cheaper than almond flour! and then found it a dollar a pound cheaper at Trader Joes!

Making Seed Flour:

- Put the raw seeds in a high powered blender and blend... my words of caution would be to not blend too much or you will get sunbutter and to stop the blender and stir the flour once or twice to get the stuff from the bottom that is starting to stick together. For this recipe I used two heaping cups of raw seeds blended and it made enough flour for 80 mini muffins! (two batches) These little babies are coming with me to the competition tomorrow. :)

My mini muffin mountain

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins 

(Printable Version)

(makes about 35-40 mini muffins)

- 1 1/2 Cups Seed Flour

- 1 tsp Baking Soda

- 1 tsp Baking Powder

- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp Salt

- 1 tsp Vanilla

- 2 Eggs, whisked

- 3 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted

- 2 Tbsp Raw Honey

- 1 Rotten Banana, mashed (if you don't have this add another egg and a bit more honey)

- 1 Cup Shredded Zucchini, about 1 small 

- 1/4 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life Brand)

 Preheat over to 350 degrees. 

1. Whisk the first 5 ingredients together.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients besides the zucchini and chocolate chips. Stir into the dry ingredients.

3. Put the shredded zucchini in a paper towel and squeeze the water out. Fold it and the chocolate chips into the batter.

4. Grease a mini muffin pan and drop about a heaping teaspoon into each muffin hole (~2/3 full.) Bake 10-12 minutes. Store in the fridge.