Category Archives for "Recipes"

This is one of those super easy to make, doesn't take a lot of time, and only a few ingredients dinner meals that becomes a favorite. Sometimes things are too good to be true. This isn't one of those times. It really is that good.

Mexi- Cauli Beef

• 1 Medium to Large Head of Cauliflower (grated with a cheese grater or in a food processor)
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 14.5 oz. can of Organic Garlic & Onion Tomatoes (drained)
• 1 Heaping Tbsp. Chili Powder
• Garlic Salt to Taste
• 1 Medium Avocado

In a skillet add grated cauliflower, ground beef & tomatoes. Cook on medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink. Add chili powder and garlic salt to taste. I've used fresh cauliflower and I've also used the frozen 'riced' cauliflower. The second one being a whole lot less mess to clean up. 

Top w/avocado and serve.

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

The best things in life do not have to come in big packages, they don’t have to be expensive, they don’t have to take lots of time. This side dish is one that my entire family eats.  In the recipe I’ve included my secret tips to make this better, faster and you become stronger.  (sorry I am a fan of the 6 Million Dollar Man Series)

Broccoli Slaw

• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1½ cup broccoli spears, shredded
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ¾ cup red cabbage, shredded
• 2 Tablespoon of Creamy Italian Dressing - below

Use the shredding blade in your food processor; grate broccoli, carrots and red cabbage.

Peel and slice red onion into thin slices and quarter the slices. (Shhhh….. When I am in a rush or I don’t want to clean all those dishes, I buy a bag of broccoli slaw mix but use my dressing not the one included in the packaging.)

Add all ingredients to a large bowl, mix. (Another secret tip: I like to add a bit of chopped broccoli just to give it some texture) Serve chilled.

Creamy Italian Dressing

• 2 Tablespoon homemade mayo
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon Italian herb
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a blender. If mixture is too thick add either vinegar or water. Remember your dressing will get slightly more liquidy as you toss it with your salad.  (tip of the day: ½ teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted for the clove of garlic)

Homemade Mayo

• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ¼ cup light olive oil

Place egg, dry mustard, salt, and lemon juice in the blender. Add /14 cup of olive oil and whirl until well mixed.

SLOWLY incorporate the remaining olive oil. Drizzle it in with as small a stream as possible. You’ll hear it start to emulsify. Don’t rush this. Be Patient. Continue to blend until all the oil is incorporated and your mayo is light and fluffly. (Do not use extra virgin olive oil. I’ve tried this, it is not a good choice at any time. Trust me on this)

Enjoy all your Broccoli adventures,

Coach Nancy

"Eat Your Vegetables!"

Do you hear that tone, like it was coming from mom?

Unfortunately way too many of us have memories of soggy green beans. Or the same veggie served over and over until we were seeing them in our dreams. Many of us are still hanging on to those memories as an excuse to not eat vegetables to this day. Cut it out!

Now I am not blaming mom, because when I was young the grocery stores weren’t packed with all the choices we can get now. There wasn’t the plethora of fresh options, while most people had a garden they only produced so much. Farmers markets and CSA’s were nowhere in sight.

We have no such excuses.

In fact even when fresh isn’t available frozen vegetables are extremely high quality, inexpensive and can taste really, really good. Last night for dinner I made a favorite, and it is super easy. Roasted Vegetables from a bag of frozen mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), a little salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix it all together and roast in a 350 oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The vegetables natural sugars start to caramelize – delicious!

Vegetables and Your Health

“Eating higher levels of veggies and fruits are associated with a lower incidence of:

Cardiovascular disease

Colon, prostate, cervical, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, thyroid, and breast cancer

High blood cholesterol

High blood pressure

Type 2 diabetes

Obesity

Stroke

Osteoporosis

and a lot more that aren’t on this list…” – Dr. John Berardi

There is no magic pill, potion, or lotion that is going to do all that. Now if that list doesn’t speak to you, do vitamins, minerals and fiber? PLUS you get to try an amazing variety of incredible tastes from all over the world – right from your very own kitchen!

Did You Know? Vegetables (and fruits) provide an alkaline load to the blood. Both proteins and grains present acid loads. Too much acid can cause loss of bone strength and muscle mass – not cool. Osteoporosis is not just about calcium. Stay balanced by getting enough veggies.

The Good News? Vegetables are good to eat and good for you!

Eating vegetables will enhance our nutritional quality and they come in such a variety of ways to eat and enjoy. Its recommended to eat at least 2 servings of vegetables every time we eat. 1 counts, but at least 2 is way gooder!

What’s a serving?

1/2 cup raw chopped veggies

1 cup raw leafy vegetables

Here’s are some other (non-measuring cup) examples:

5 broccoli florets

10 baby carrots

1 tomato

4 slices of onion

1 cup of leafy greens (spring mix)

15 cherry tomatoes

0.5 bell pepper

1 cup of spinach

“But” you whine “I don’t like any of those!”

Lucky for you there are hundreds of vegetables in this great big wide world. Check out this list.

Help everyone out and post your favorite way to eat your veggies. 

To your best health,

Coach Nancy

Did you know that I am not normal? And maybe you aren’t either!

And I mean that in a good way.

I’m not normal in the sense that I want to be the best version of the healthiest me I can be. I am constantly looking for ways to challenge myself to become better.

Sadly, that's not normal.

Most people just coast through life not wanting to put in the time or effort to be the best.

Most people coast through life accepting their health as unchangeable. They do what is typical in our society - eat too much, sit too long, go for the easy way out.

I enjoy physical activity! I prep food every week. I care what goes into my body. And I'm guessing but I probably eat more than the average person when it comes to vegetables.

I don't have any hard data on this, but just by talking with hundreds of people, I would guess the average person consumes less than two servings of vegetables per day.

And most of those are the same ones, over and over again.

A lot of people just don't know what or how to cook certain foods.

My biggest challenge doing this over the computer is that while I can tell you all about a certain vegetable, I can show you what it looks like, I can even tell you what is great about a certain veggie... until I can get you to experience it, it’s just to ‘weird’ to even think about.

I’m going to introduce you to jicama today. Just to say it seems a bit odd, but think of the first letter as being an “H”. It looks a bit like an odd shaped potato. In fact you would peel it like a potato and the inside reminds me of a white potato. BUT the similarities stop there. It tastes different, in fact ,you can eat it raw or cooked.

Jashbrowns are a favorite way to cook jicama for rockstar Jennifer.

I peel the jicama, which is a root vegetable, and then slice it into thin French fry shapes. I add these to a taco salad so that I have crunch without a taco shell. My kids love it this way too.

Check out this recipe highlighting jicama paired with cucumbers as a side dish.

Jicama Cucumber Salad with Chili Dressing

• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 2 teaspoons minced onion
• 1-1½ teaspoons chili powder, plus more for garnish
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups diced peeled jicama
• 1 medium English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Puree vinegar, oil, onion, chili powder and salt in a blender until smooth. Toss jicama and cucumber with the dressing in a large bowl; stir in mint. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the salad with more chili powder before serving, if desired.

To your best health,
Coach Nancy

I know what you are thinking, no not we are not going to talk about Skittles.

What does it mean to "Eat the Rainbow?"

Simply aim to eat as many “colorful foods” as you can throughout the day; real food - think fruits and vegetables, not Skittles. Eat green, purple, red, yellow, blue and orange.

Kind of sounds like advice for a child right? That's good, it should be that simple!

Why Color is Important

Whenever you are about to eat a meal, look down at your plate and ask yourself “where is the color here?” You want to be able to easily spot 2-3 different colors every time you eat. This is an indication that you’re eating foods that contain many different nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants.

Nature has a very simple way of letting us know which foods are really healthy and full of nutrients - color.

Close your eyes for a second and try to visualize this: the strong blue/purple color of fresh blueberries, the deep red hue of tomatoes, the bright orange of carrots.

These colors indicate nutrient content and and also the presence of antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other free radical fighting ninjas which are important in slowing the aging process and helping our body deal with inflammation.

Think Lots of Color

The different colors in fruits and vegetables indicate the different types of antioxidants. There are many types of helpful antioxidants, so you want to make sure you are exposing yourself to a variety by including different colors on your plate. You don’t want to consume only orange and red fruits and veggies while ignoring the greens and yellows. You want a wide variety.

Branch out, eat the rainbow.

Avoiding White-and-Beige-Only Meals

A standard unhealthy diet is going to be made up of many white, brown, and beige foods. As you can tell, this means colors (antioxidants) are lacking. If you notice that a lot of the foods on your plate are white (potatoes, rice, cereal, bread, pasta), brown (beef, pork, sausages, heavy sauces) and beige (cheese, processed carbs, low quality chicken and turkey), then it’s time to add some color to your plate in the form of fruits and vegetables.

Remember, every single meal you consume should have noticeable colors in it. Aim to get 2-3 different colors into every meal and you will be on the right track. Once you get the hang of that, think about your day/week as a whole and figure out which colors you might be ignoring (greens? Reds? Orange? purples?), then start adding more of those kinds in too.

Need some help to get you started? Try this recipe for Rainbow Chicken.

Rainbow Chicken

This chicken is a fiesta of rainbow colors, and is quick and easy to prep and bake – give it a try tonight!

• 4-6 skinless boneless chicken breast (thin cut)
• 2 cups no salt added chicken broth
• 1 small purple onion
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 small orange pepper
• 1 small yellow pepper
• 1 medium tomato
• Goya Adobo seasoning

Preheat oven to 425

Pour chicken broth into 9×13 pan and lay in chicken seasoned with 2 Tbsp of Goya Adobo.

Slice onion, peppers and tomato and arrange on top of chicken, and sprinkle an additional 2 Tbsp of seasoning.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 20 minutes or until chicken cooked through.

To Your Best Health,

Coach Nancy

I’ve shared this recipe several times and everyone has always raved about it when they prepared it. It is easy but looks and taste sensational. I serve this with roasted mixed veggies and a side salad. I know when I serve this meal, I am assured that my family has food that will keep them happy, but that I am not filling them just to fill their bellies. I’m giving them food that will fuel their bodies.

Golden Crusted Almond Pork Loin

• 4-pound boneless pork loin roast
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season pork with salt and pepper and rub with mustard.
3. In a food processor, with the motor running, add garlic and process until minced. Add almonds and parsley then pulse until mixture is finely chopped.
4. Pat almond mixture over roast, pressing to coat well.
5. Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and cook for 2 hours until the crust is lightly browned and a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 155 to 160 degrees.
6. Transfer roast to cutting board and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
7. While the pork is cooking, prepare the sauce.
8. In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer chicken broth until reduced to 1 cup.
9. Reduce heat and whisk in the mustard. Whisk in butter, a few pieces at a time, until butter is incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
10. Serve the pork roast with sauce.

(If you don't have time to make the sauce, like I didn't yesterday, don't panic. No one missed it) The pork doesn't need it. Its one of those special things that makes it just shine even more. 

Enjoy your food,

Coach Nancy

Apple Pie Smoothie

• 1 cup water
• 1 scoop vanilla Ultimate Muscle Protein Powder
• 4 Tablespoons dry oatmeal
• 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
• 2 Tablespoons walnuts (use almonds if you don’t have walnuts)
• 1 cored apple
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend on high for one minute. For a delightful touch sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top. The oatmeal adds thickness to your shake. It's perfect to enjoy right after a training session. 

Enjoy your food,

Coach Nancy

Spring has sprung and with it comes some amazing new recipes with April's meal plans!

Check these out...

- Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust
- Shredded Pork over Caramelized Mashed Plantains
- Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Avocado Salad
- Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai...and over 20 more!

It'd be a good idea to subscribe!

Peanut Butter Cookies are a favorite of mine but not a favorite to my waistline. There are times though when I would like just a little something to satisfy that sweet tooth. 'Little' being the key word. You see I know myself. If I make a whole batch of cookies, I will eat the whole batch or as many as I can. This dessert is just the right amount and it is packed with protein. It's missing all the sugar, all the flour, and all the extra fat in a real cookie. Don't take my word for it. After you make this recipe, let me know what you think in the comment section below. 

Peanut Butter Cookie Delight

• 1 scoop Vanilla UMP
• 1 scoop Cookies and Cream UMP
• 2 teaspoons peanut butter
• Water

In small mixing bowl combine, Vanilla UMP, peanut butter, and about 3oz water. Mix until smooth. In separate mixing bowl, combine Cookies & Crème UMP and just enough water to make another pudding. Layer the pudding in a serving dish. This will make enough for two. Place both bowls into freezer for 15-20 minutes to set. Remove and try to breathe between bites.

Enjoy Good Food,

Coach Nancy

I love dinner meals that are easy for me to prepare earlier in the day so my family can finish them off while I am at work. It is like a fine tuned piano to walk into the kitchen to the smell of dinner almost done. I'm talking a concert of pianos. Here is a meal I made this past week that allowed me to do just that. Wow, it was fantastic. 

Hummus Chicken

• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, 2” chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 lemons
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup hummus, homemade or store bought (I bought it) 
• 2 Tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• Generous drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar

Preheat oven to 450°. Prepare one large baking dish and lightly coat with olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. In a large bowl, toss the sliced zucchini, squash and onion with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cover each chicken breast with 1 TB of hummus each. Then place on top of the vegetables. Place all vegetables on the bottom of a 9×13 dish in an even layer. Lay the chicken evenly on top. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Lightly season the entire dish with chopped rosemary and paprika. Thinly slice the remaining lemon, and place a few thin slices in the dish. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top, then bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately

I cooked my chicken separately from the veggies. My family likes that better and I aim to please. This time around I sautéed my veggies. Other times I roast them next to the chicken. 

Enjoy Your Food,

Coach Nancy