Monthly Challenge: Week 3
_______________________
Legitness of the Week
Chris G. 275×3 Back Squat (PR)
Rob K. 165×3 Back Squat (PR)
Charlie 8:38 “Helen” Rx’d (PR)
Rob P. 8:52 “Helen” Rx’d (PR)
John M. 8:55 “Helen” C2B (Sweat Shop Record)
Josh – MUSCLE UP!!!!!!!!!!
_______________________
Thursday’s WOD:
“Helen”
3 Rounds
403m Run
21 KB Swings
12 Pullups
________________________
Several more great looking dishes. And thanks to Terin for also including directions!
Tammy – Rosemary lemon organic chicken breast, broiled brussel sprouts ( salt,
pepper, olive oil) and sautéd kale( garlic, red pepper, olive oil)
My version of chicken tacos (minus the tortilla). Organic chicken
breast ( olive oil, chilli pepper)and organic black beans on bed of
sauté bell peppers and zucchini. Topped with a little cheese, black
olives, cilantro, green onions, and avocado
Grilled Grassfed ribeye, steamed green beans with balsamic vinegar reduction, and kale sauté(olive oil, crushed red pepper, and garlic)
Ellie Halibut- Sauce & Glaze (Tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, honey, chile powder, dijon, cumin) with pineapple and cabbage Carrot & Garbanzo Salad- Carrots, garbanzo beans, cilantro, cumin, almonds, lime juice, and paprika
Terin - *Saturday: Chicken Pizza – even Nabil will approve of this Pizza!* When I found out I had celiac, I didn’t stress too much about it. I had already been eating relatively gluten free for a while, and growing up in an Italian family, I had pretty much been OD’d on pasta from birth (Connection to the celiac? Maybe!). The only thing I really got bummed out about was thinking how much I would miss pizza. Who doesn’t love pizza? Yes - there are gluten free pizzas out there. Mostly rice crusts – and what seems like wallpaper paste. They have a tacky texture, and while they work to create a pizza-like “form”, they’re just not crave-worthy in my opinion. I’ve also seen recipes for nut-flour crust pizzas… I’ve thought about experimenting with these but think I’d run into a few problems with using nut flours: 1. Nut flours are VERY calorically dense and are consequently very filling. I can’t eat MORE than a handful of nuts without a belly ache. 2. I can’t eat LESS than 4 slices of Pizza (this theory has been scientifically tested with multivariate control analysis methods J) 3. Some Recipes for nut flour pizza call for up to 3 CUPS of nut flour. You need to grind almost ONE FULL POUND of nuts to get that much flour! A pizza made with a nut flour is guaranteed to yield a SEVERE belly ache (See number 1). So, what’s a girl and her pizza-loving husband to do? Chicken to the rescue! We all know we should be building our meals around protein first… so why not use the protein as the crust? Bryan and I have a heavy-duty food dehydrator and we regularly make chicken jerky. If we pound out the chicken before we dry it, the chicken dries to a beautiful little crispy treat. If you don’t have a food dehydrator, no problem – you can use your oven and get the same results! *Crust (makes 2 individual-size pizzas):* · 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded out with a meat tenderizer to a thin “roundish” shape. (Tip: put a piece of Plastic Wrap on top of the chicken before you pound it… otherwise the tenderizer will stick to the chicken and tear it apart). · A pinch of Salt and pepper sprinkled on top · A SMALL drizzle of olive oil… just to help it brown. Too much olive oil here will make it a little oily and won’t get the pizza crust very crisp. If you don’t mind eating with a fork and knife, or like a softer crust, don’t stress about the amount of olive oil · Place on the broiler rack in the oven and let it brown on both sides for a few minutes. The chicken should cook quickly since it’s so thin, so make sure you don’t burn it. If you want it to get crispier, put it directly on the rack so air can circulate around the chicken as it’s broiling.
Let the chicken cool and make your sauce: *Simple Pizza Sauce:* Do yourselves a favor and just make your own pizza and pasta sauce. It’s so simple and you wouldn’t believe how much sodium, sugar and junk is in that canned/jarred stuff! · 1 lb peeled, seeded, stewed tomatoes. San Marzano Tomatoes are the best, most authentic tomatoes you can buy in a can. Since I would imagine you don’t spend the later part of your summers stewing and jarring tomatoes from your garden like Nonna did, you can buy the San Marzano di Pietro tomatoes at any grocery store. (Ingredients should be: Tomatoes, Basil) · 1 – 2 small onions, finely diced · Garlic to taste · Salt and Pepper to taste · Herbs: Basil, Oregano, Thyme – to taste · Cheese – I think this is what seals the deal in a sauce. Add some grated Parmegiano Reggiano or sharp Italian cheese as it’s simmering. It will thicken the sauce and add some dimension. Simmer on the stove for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together. *Toppings:* Whatever you like! Bryan and I added fresh spinach, sautéed onions, red peppers, olives and a little cheese to ours. Top your pizzas and put them back in the broiler to let the cheese melt and serve immediately! You can see the crust is crispy enough to hold in your hand! Pizza and Chianti are a natural pair... they're paesanos! Buon Appetito! *Sunday – Fillet of Beef with Shallots and Shitakes | Shaved Fennel and Asparagus Salad | Mango Strawberries and Mint* *Fillet of Beef with Shallots and Shitakes * How can you improve on a great grass-fed fillet steak? It’s great by itself, but it becomes an Umami-delight with the shallots, shitakes, a little bit of soy sauce, and just a little bit of the bluest bleu cheese you can find (I love bleu d’auvergne or the Roaring 40’s from New Zealand – but any blue cheese is good blue cheese!). Serve this with a nice rich Cabernet Sauvignon – steak house perfection at home! Ingredients: · 2 amazing grass-fed beef fillet steaks · 1 – 2 tbsp Butter for searing the steak and sautéing the vegetables · 2 large Shallots · As many Shitakes as you like! · 1 – 2 tsp Soy Sauce – I am allergic to soy, so we use Coconut Aminos (available at Whole Foods) – it’s gluten free, soy free and tastes rich and amazing! I like it even better than traditional soy sauce, and I think Coconut products are all-around fantastic! · Blue Cheese – as much as you like… put a little (1 – 2 tbsp) in the sautéed shallots and mushrooms, and let melt, and then for the real cheese lovers, use the rest to top your finished steak! *Shaved Fennel and Asparagus Salad* Springtime means asparagus, and there’s no better way to celebrate fresh asparagus by just eating it raw… shave it with a vegetable peeler for thin, even strips – mandolins are too dangerous for these small little veggies, but if you’re daring you can use one for the fennel! Ingredients: · 1 medium fennel bulb · 1 bunch asparagus · Dressing: · 2 – 4 tbsp Olive Oil · 1 tbsp Dijon or other spicy mustard, or mustard powder · 1 tsp Capers · ½ - 1 Shallot, minced · 4 – 5 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice – about ½ lemon *Dessert – Mangoes, Strawberries and Mint* MMM. Fresh fruit and mint. Mangoes and Strawberries are like peanut butter and chocolate, but better for you! · 1 Champagne Mango, diced · 1 pint of Organic Strawberries, sliced · A few sprigs of Mint – voila`! ************ *Monday – Indian-Spiced Chicken and Tomato Chutney * I love Indian Food so I make some simple Indian dishes at home to keep myself from overdoing it at the Indian buffets too often. Spicy, sweet chutneys are pretty easy to make, and they add a lot of zip to boring chicken breast. If you find this is too spicy, reduce the peppers. If tomatoes aren’t your thing… you can substitute mangoes. It will make the chutney sweeter, but you can adjust the rest of the spices for balance. I served this with a little brown rice and some sautéed broccolini with garlic. A perfectly balanced meal! Indian Food is best matched with beer... MMM Beer. But for wine, I'd go with a Gewurtztraminer or a Riesling to deal with the spicy chutney. *Chutney* (2 – 4 servings, depending on how much chutney you like on your chicken): · 1 cup coarsely chopped, seeded tomato. I like to use the sugar plum tomatoes, cut them in half and squeeze the juice and seeds out. (or 1 cup coarsely chopped mango – about 1 fruit) · 1 tsp Olive Oil (or coconut oil) · 1 medium shallot, chopped · 1 tsp chile pepper – Serrano, jalapeño, or other spicy pepper. (Tip: the white ribs of the pepper are what’s spicy, not the seeds… for a spicier pepper, leave the ribs in. If you want to reduce the heat, remove some or all of the ribs of the pepper). · ¼ tsp minced fresh ginger · 1 clove of garlic, minced · 2 – 3 tsp red wine vinegar · 1 tsp sugar or honey… or add a sweet fruit like a tangerine instead to add sweetness without processed sugar. If you are making this with mangoes, don’t add the extra sugar. · 1 tsp mustard seeds – this is what gives the chutney an Indian flavor, don’t forget these! · ½ tsp salt *Chicken:* · 1 lb Chicken Breast · Olive Oil or Coconut Oil for sautéing Coat the Chicken with the following mixed spices as a dry rub before sautéing in your pan: · 1 tsp Curry Powder · 1 tsp Ground Coriander Seeds · ~½ tsp Ground Cumin · ~½ tsp Black Pepper · ~½ tsp Salt · Add Fresh Cilantro for Garnish
