Honey Mustard Dishes: Chicken/Potatoes and Salmon/Veggies

Here we go... the start of CrossFit Open #4 four for me. In Central East I have gone from place #1507 in 2013 to #413 in 2014 to #367 in 2015... I know I wasn't strong enough last year, and I know I should've re-done 15.5, but this is a fresh start. This is the first year I don't have any expectations going into it, I want to have fun and I want to walk away knowing I had nothing left. I almost didn't want to do it this year- probably a pride thing- because I don't feel like I have trained enough and it is hard to go into something thinking you'll do worse for the first time since you started. My profile picture sums that up ;) and my friends are also hilarious- maybe only we think so but who cares.

But that's not the attitude to have and I don't even know the workouts... I am stronger than last year even if I don't feel like it on any given day- I 20-repped 10 lbs higher than my 1 rep from last year this week- in my socks from work, without a belt or knee sleeves, with Charlie riding her wooden rocking horse behind me yelling and counting wrong.... if that is not a gain cognitively and strength-wise I don't know what is. Like most things, this sport is mental- get it together and go hard Ashley. 

It is no secret that mustard is one of the things I dislike. However, honey mustard is a different story. I always make it with dijon, but if you like mustard, yellow would be great too. 

One-Pan Honey Mustard Chicken and Potatoes

- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into large chunks (you could leave them whole, but increase the cooking time)
- 1 lb Yellow Potatoes, or baby red skins, cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp Honey
- 3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Small Sweet Onion, chopped in bigger pieces 
- 1/2 tsp Dried Basil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees
1. On a large cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment (or a glass baking dish), spread out the chicken, potatoes, and onion. 
2. Whisk the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken and potatoes. Toss with your hands until everything is well-coated. 

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing half-way through. Until the chicken is firm and juices are clear, and the potatoes are fork tender. Taste for salt and serve. 

Something about some delicious roasted broccoli is hard to resist- I ate this dish with some! Cut into florets, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle on olive oil. Bake on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees.... yum! 

This next dish was our Valentine's Day dinner. I am not big into Valentine's Day as a day for flowers and chocolate, but I don't mind the excuse to make a nice dinner with Matt. We broke out the champagne to celebrate the sale of my little blue house and made some homemade ice cream and individual chocolate cakes for dessert. 

These cakes are my Chocolate Peanut-Butter Mug Cakes but baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. 

Honey Mustard Salmon

(serves 2)

- 1 lb Skin-on Wild Caught Salmon
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 1/2 Lemon, Thinly Sliced
- Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. 
1. Whisk the honey and mustard together. Place salmon skin-side down on a baking sheet or glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the honey-mustard on the salmon and top with the lemon slices. Bake 20-25 minutes until the salmon is slightly firm, or to your done-ness liking. 

Vegetables- serves 6-ish if you are hungry like us
I made Cooking Light's Asparagus and Peas with warm tarragon vinaigrette- ADAPTATIONS- I used white vinegar instead of tarragon vinegar, and used no fresh tarragon. Looks just like the picture :) Recipe found here. 

  

My Top Paleo Recipes

A lot of my friends are currently doing either a Paleo challenge or a Whole30 challenge (ones with an asterisk are Whole30)... since my blog had almost 200 recipes I thought I would share my top ones to maybe make their (and your) meal planning easier. Most of what makes the recipes not Whole30 is the use of raw honey... if very little is used you could easily omit it. I also went through and made sure the recipes here have the nutritional information on the pages for those of you tracking those! If my ingredients stump you feel free to send me a message and ask what it is for, or see this page for some common paleo ingredients. 
I am also testing some new recipes this weekend so stay tuned!

Top 3 Beef Recipes:

3. *Hawaiian Chili*... if you haven't tried pineapple and steak in chili you really should... this one has won chili cook-offs!
2. *Kofta-inspired Meatballs*... I love the spices in this- if you don't have an adventurous palate these might not be for you, but I want them on my menu every week
1. Crockpot Beef and Broccoli... this is by far the most popular recipe on my blog from Pinterest, other blogs, and google searches (reduce the honey if you want)

Top 5 Chicken Recipes:

5. Chicken Salad... a copy-cat paleo version of one I loved at Whole Foods... yum!
4. *Oven Fajitas*... so easy... chop, bake, done!
3. Take-out Chicken... a little more labor-intensive but one of the tastiest things I have made!
2. Crockpot- Sticky Chicken
1. Paleo Chicken Pad-Thai... made with sweet potato noodles this is a favorite of all my friends!

Top 3 Veggie Recipes:

3. *Vegetable Bake*
2. *Egg and Spinach Pizza*
1. *Sweet Potato Salad*

Top 3 Breakfast Recipes:

3. *Carmelized Onion and Spinach Frittata*
2. Flaxseed Paleo Pancakes
1. Cranberry Almond Coconut Granola (or any of the granolas- I have 4+ posted!)

Top 5 Desserts:

(I'm not going to lie...this was the hardest to pick because a lot of my desserts are tasty!)
5.  Lemon Chia Seed Muffins (or the blueberry ones!)
4. Coconut Protein Bars... like a mounds bar or an almond joy
3. Protein and Coffee Muffins
2. Mug Cakes... try the non-chocolate one or any of the others on the blog! If you don't use a microwave put the batter in a oven-safe dish at 350 degrees for 20ish minutes
1. "Peanut Butter" Protein Brownie Bites

Recipes you need in your life:

Homemade Mayo

2/3 cup avocado oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1 egg

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until thick. (Side note: I put all the ingredients in a mason jar and use an immersion blender... same result in literally less than a minute and then if you have extra you already have a container to store it :) this recipe will not use it all unless you want it super creamy- it will use most... But mayo will keep about a week in the fridge! 

Simple Paleo Pizza Crust

- I have several pizza topping ideas on my blog... use the search feature on the page if you get stumped with your own! ....along with several other paleo dough recipes... but this comes together in minutes and is a staple in our house!

(about the size of a small thin-crust... feeds 2-3 people)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

- 1 Cup Potato Starch (** Not the same as Potato flour)
- 1/2 Cup Tapicoa Starch (flour)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Powdered Gelatin**

- 1/3 Cup warm Water

1. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, or your measuring cup, mix the water and gelatin.** I have made this without the gelatin and it turns out fine.... but still use the water! :)
3. Combine the dry ingredients, olive oil, egg and the gelatin/water solution. Mix until combined... it will be a very soft- to runny dough. Pour it, or roll it, onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, make it as thin as you want.

4. Pre-bake 15-20 minutes. Top and bake until the topping are melted- about another 5-10 minutes.

Cauliflower Mash

- 1 head of Cauliflower, cut into florets

- 1 Cup Chicken Stock 

- 2 Garlic Cloves, mashed 

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1. Place all of the ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and cover 15-20 minutes until cauliflower is tender.

2. Pour everything into a food processor and blend into the mixture is as smooth as you want it, scraping down the sides occasionally. If you want it thicker, reserve some of the broth from the pot and add more as needed. 

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Muffins

I was stricken with what I will call the black plague of death about a week ago. Charlie had to be picked up from daycare vomiting- she woke up fine the next morning. Twenty-four hours later I got hit hard... from Friday to Tuesday I hardly ate and couldn't even keep water down. As bad as this was I also had another competition coming up and being sick through Tuesday was not good for my body or training. Not fun part of parenting!

Matt and I competed anyway that Saturday in a partner competition... my last one for a long time. We took 4th which is great and disappointing at the same time. Being 4th out of 30 teams is fantastic, but the fact that one bad workout, and most likely me being sick the week of the competition, knocked us off the podium after being so close is defeating. Oh well... onto the OPEN!

Matt and I have cleaned up out eating even more lately because of the competing and the CrossFit open coming up... lunches have been salads with high protein for 3 weeks:
Week 1- romaine with grilled chicken and asparagus
Week 2- romaine/baby greens with taco meat, avocado and salsa
Week 3- romaine with chopped lunch meat and hard boiled egg (Chef's salad)
All salads were eaten with balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Lunch is great, but I always want a little treat after. Since my carbs have been low I can afford to have a muffin for dessert and therefore this muffin was developed. Low in sugar, high in taste.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Muffins

(makes 12 muffins)
- 2 Cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (gluten free)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
*- 1/8-1/4 tsp Nutmeg (optional)
- 2 Carrots, Grated (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1 Cup Milk (any kind)
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Walnuts* (optional! Adds 29 cal, 3g Fat, 1g Carbs, 1g Protein)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  1. Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. (batter is very wet)

2. Fill a greased or non-stick muffin tin with the batter- they can be almost to the top since they won't rise much. Bake 30-35 minutes until browning on top and firm to the touch. Let them cool at least 15 minutes in the pan before removing.

Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 99
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	3 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	3 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 17 mg	6 %
Sodium 333 mg	14 %
Potassium 82 mg	2 %
Total Carbohydrate 18 g	6 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	8 %
Sugars 8 g
Protein 3 g	6 %
Vitamin A	35 %
Vitamin C	9 %
Calcium	3 %
Iron	4 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

White Beans with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

Something has changed in me over the last few months. Competing in CrossFit has lost its "fun." It was the thing that I used to love the most, I trained for it, planned for it, and reveled in doing them. I maintain when something has lost its fun it is time to make a change. I don't know if it is my frustration with not being able to be as good as I want to be because my priorities affect my time, or if I am ready to just take a step back for a short time and re-group because I am in a funk. I have told my friends that these next few competitions are in for me for the foreseeable future. I don't like that they effect the little time I get to spend in the gym and make me so sore for days after I can't train hard again for a bit. Last weekend I competed in a 6-person team competition called the Great Lakes Games. I like team competitions a lot, especially with the right people. 

This competition was crazy heavy for me and I spent time preparing to lift weights 95%+ of my PRs. I didn't have a bad day, but I wouldn't say I had a good day either. The GHDs got to me which is surprising since I am not bad at them, the muscle-ups felt good, the lifts were what I expected and the running on the TrueForm was god awful! But my team was a blast and that's all that matters. Next up is Swolemates with Matt. I took 4th in it last year with a different partner so I am excited to see where we place since I am in a new category this year being that I am actually dating my partner. 

I meant to post this recipe a while back when I posted my meal prep found here...oops! I know beans are not Paleo, but they are cheap, have protein, I like them and I had them on hand so you do what feels right sometimes. :)

White Beans with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

- 1lb Chicken Sausage (5-6 Large Links), cut in 1/2" pieces
- 2 15-oz Cans of White Beans (great northern, cannellini), rinsed and drained
- 1-2 Cups Chicken Stock
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, finely chopped
- 1 14.5-oz Can Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 6-8 Cups Baby Spinach
- Salt
- Fresh cracked Pepper to taste
- Pinch of Thyme (optional)

1. In a large skillet or sauce pan over medium-high heat, drizzle in a little olive oil and sear the sausage on both sides. 

This will only take a few minutes. Remove it from the pan. I always put it in the container I will be storing it in later. :) 

2. Add the garlic and onion and saute for a few minutes until it is turning translucent and fragrant. Add the tomatoes (with juice), beans and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 30-45 minutes until the beans are tender.

3. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Add the sausage back. If it is thicker than you would like add more stock. Taste for salt and pepper. It will thicken slightly after being stored in the fridge. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 5.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 205
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7 g	11 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	10 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 48 mg	16 %
Sodium 989 mg	41 %
Potassium 879 mg	25 %
Total Carbohydrate 21 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 11 g	42 %
Sugars 7 g
Protein 16 g	32 %
Vitamin A	157 %
Vitamin C	64 %
Calcium	19 %
Iron	31 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.