Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Stay Calm + WIAW

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Try to stay calm.

There may  be a bacon shortage.  The LA Times reports that drought conditions caused a reduction in corn and soybean crops, which means less feed for swine… which means less bacon.  Stock your freezers now.

Despite my frequent posting about bacon, I really am not a fanatic.  Yes, I do enjoy the occasional Maple-Bacon Pancake Cookie.  And I think Bacon Toothpaste is funny.

HOWEVER… I bought a mere 2 slices at the farmer’s market to add just a little extra flava-flav to my food this week.  And, I worked bacon into a meal today.

It’s a really stressful week.  Today I craved comfort food, and having developed the habit of reaching for healthy comforts helped me keep it clean… and sticking with September’s What I Ate Wednesday theme: “Fall Into Good Habits.”

Check out my healthy comfort foods below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get to see how everyone else maintained healthy habits this Wednesday.

Meal 1:

Like every morning, I arose and had my morning cocktail: a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine and Fitmixer Aminos.  Then I almost panicked when I realized I’m almost out of my Aminos.

After a quick 2 mile walk, I enjoyed a Stuft Mama-inspired sandwich:

P28 Bread panini-pressed in the George Foreman with cinnamon and flax-scrambled egg whites, sugar-free strawberry jam, a little Daiya pepper jack.  With a side of golden kiwi.

Meal 2:

This is truly random.  Certainly a Strange But Good candidate.  Pre-baked lemon-dill salmon… mixed with ricotta cheese, a little cinnamon, and blackberries.

Strangely delicious leg-day fuel. 

Meal 3:

I spent my lunch break in the gym blowing off some steam busting out some leg work.  When I got back home all I could think about was a giant green smoothie bowl.

In my bowl:

  • Vanilla protein powder
  • Chocolate unsweetened almond milk
  • TONS of spinach
  • Cinnamon
  • Liquid stevia
  • Crumbled Zucchini Protein Muffin to top (recipe for that coming soon!)

Meal 4:

Did I mention work is really, really, really stressful this week.  It called for my protein-comfort snack: PB Cottage Cheese and celery (a riff on my childhood “ants on a log”).

I mix 1/2 C no-salt added cottage cheese with 2T of peanut flour, cinnamon, stevia, and butterscotch extract.  Then I dip my celery.  There may have also been a side of dark chocolate… shhhhh… 

Meal 5:

Clearly I can never get enough pizza.  This week’s pizza meal’s base was my beloved cauliflower crust.

Toppings:

  • Swordfish
  • Bacon (just a little bit…)
  • Avocado
  • Truffle oil
  • Radishes
  • Asparagus
  • Brussels

My crust “dough” felt a little too wet, so I added a little nutritional yeast.  It worked well to soak up a little moisture, and it was really good!

Meal 6:

Still working (it was a late night).  So stressed I had no appetite.  Late nights in college always meant Waffle House… so I made a healthier version of my old order – egg whites with red onion, jalapeno, and spinach.

Meal 7:

Comfort food is the name of the game for this post.  More smoothie bowls!  Meal 7 was a Pumpkin-Chocolate Vitamix ice-cream-like concoction.

In my Fall Smoothie Bowl:

  • Pumpkin puree
  • Chocolate protein powder
  • Cocoa powder
  • Unsweetened chocolate almond milk
  • Cinnamon
  • Ginger
  • Stevia
  • Ice
  • Apple slices on top

***

Does my posting most of this on Instagram ruin the suspense?  Oh!  And the protein count for the day: 195.8g from fall clean eats!

What are you favorite healthy comfort foods?

Do you have a fall chill yet?  It’s still pretty warm here (yay!).

I’m not Crabby Smoked Gazpacho

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I’m a crab sign.

 

 

Admittedly, I can be crabby.  Like when some dude at the gym is reading TIME magazine on the captain’s chair.  Really?  You can’t do that at home?!

 

Despite the astrological connection, the last time I ate crab I was 7.  We were at the beach and my dad paid me $1 for every crab claw I could eat.  I ate 10 claws.  Greed > Gag

That was the last time I ate seafood until this year.  Incidentally, I also didn’t eat tomatoes until recently.  In another dad-related traumatic event, he gave me a big slice of tomato and told me it was watermelon.  I happily took a bite before choking it back up.  Talk about being crabby… not cool, Dad.

 

Thankfully I grew out of that.

 

Things I still won’t eat: caviar (he told me they were mini grapes) and sour cream (thought I was eating a spoonful of ice cream).

I also won’t east white potatoes, though I don’t remember a traumatic event associated with those.

 

 

I’m glad I did get over the crab and tomato hatred.  This tomato-based gazpacho is a tasty soup, and the meaty crab gives it the protein to fill you up.

One my favorite parts about gazpacho is its resemblance to salsa.  In order to leave those delicious chunky pieces of tomato and pepper, I reserved some of the soup when I blended the base.  After pureeing part of the mixture, I manually stirred in the rest of the remaining chopped veggies.

 

 

The other fun component here is the addition of liquid smoke.  It adds just a touch of… well, smokiness… as if you’d first roasted the tomatoes over wood chips.  It’s a fantastic way to add more flavor to dishes without adding salt.

 

 

If you don’t eat seafood, you can leave off the crab.  If you do eat seafood, you will love the rich, slightly sweet crab again the spicy soup.  Another option would be to top this with tempeh bacon, or possibly a firmly pressed tofu marinated in sweet citrus.

Either way, don’t skimp of the cilantro.  It’s wonderful with the late-season tomatoes and tangy lime. (Unless you don’t like cilantro… in which case parsley would be a fine sub!)

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Crabby Smoked Gazpacho

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 c diced red onion
  • 1/2 C fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 1/2 large red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 1 T white wine vinegar
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 5-6 drops liquid smoke (optional)
  • Crab
  • S & P, to taste

 

Place garlic, onion, and cilantro in blender.  Roughly chop remaining vegetables into 1 inch cubes.  

Add 2/3 to the blender.  Pulse briefly to coarsely puree the contents.  

Add remaining 1/3 of vegetables, vinegar, lime juice, and smoke.  Manually stir to combine.  Chill before serving, as the flavors develop the longer gazpacho sits.

To serve, top with fresh crab meat, fresh cilantro, and pepper.

Makes ~3 cups.

***

I still get crabby if I fall for something silly.  Scarred for life. 😉

Did your parents ever trick you into eating something you didn’t like?

What food(s) will you absolutely never touch?

 

Smoothie Demo + Cherry-Ginger Smoothie

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I admit it.  I enjoy being the center of attention.

I’m the oldest child.  I can’t help myself.

Surprisingly public speaking does NOT appeal to me.  It’s not the standing in front of people part that gets me.  It’s the opportunity to look like an idiot while standing in front of people.

Last weekend I did a “things you can make in a blender” demo for my gym.  Speaking AND making food in front of people.  Lots of room for error.  I was nervous.

My trainer’s daughter was nice enough to take some action shots.  I *think* this pic is the carrot cake batter smoothie.

I’m relieved to report it went well!  Nothing exploded or tasted bad.  It wasn’t a large crowd, but people liked my food!  For my demo I made 3 smoothies and a lemon-rosemary bean dip.  You guys have seen 2 of the smoothies before:

Carrot Cake Batter Shake (click for recipe)

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Shake (click for recipe)

The new smoothie was the crowd favorite.  It is also my submission to Heather’s ginger-themed  Meatless Mondays from A-Z challenge this week.

I wanted to create a recovery smoothie for gym-goers that would help muscles bounce back fast after an intense workout.  (My gym is called “House of Payne” for good reason.)

The recovery drink I concocted is a Cherry-Ginger Smoothie. Cherries have been found to have unique anti-inflammatory properties; they may aid muscle recovery, reduce oxidative stress in athletes, and are good for pain relief.

Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties, and is a powerful natural pain-killer. It has long been used to settle stomachs and relieves migraines. And ladies, it can be used for menstrual cramp relief. Wine works too… but you didn’t hear that here.

Of course you need a protein powder in this smoothie. Taking in 20g of protein within 30 mins of a workout is the key for muscle repair and building. To learn more on this topic, click here.

Aside from making a great recovery smoothie, the cherry-ginger combo tastes delicious too.  Sweet, dark cherries compliment the spice of the ginger.  I love how the flavors balance each other.  In this recipe I used my favorite Growing Naturals Vanilla Rice Protein Powder. However, you can shake things up by using chocolate for a Cherry Bomb twist.

Recipe at bottom.

Workout Recap

I realized I’m always complaining about leg day in these recaps.  This week I’m praising leg day.  I have always complained about my “chicken legs.”  Even when I was 30 lbs heavier than I am now, I had chicken legs.

This weekend I saw some pics of myself in posing practice.  There was a lot I wasn’t happy with size-wise, but for the first time I realized my legs didn’t look terrible.  Also this week I PR’d on my dreaded hack squats.  And I lived to tell the story. 🙂  Hard work pays off. 

Workout Recap (9/17 – 9/23):

  • Monday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
  • Tuesday – Shoulders/Butt, 1.5 mile walk
  • Wednesday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
  • Thursday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
  • Friday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
  • Saturday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk, 50 push-ups
  • Sunday – Rest-ish… 3 mile sprints

Cherry Ginger Protein Smoothie

Cherry-Ginger Smoothie

  • 1/2 C cherries (fresh or frozen) 
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Growing Naturals Rice Protein)
  • 1 in piece of fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Guar Gum (optional)
  • 1/4-1/2 C unsweetened almond milk
  • Ice, to taste
  • 1 C spinach (optional)

Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Serves 1.

Notes:

  • You can adjust the milk and ice to suit your preference.  I like my smoothies super thick, so I use more ice and less milk.
  • Guar Gum is optional, but I recommend investing in some.  It’s often used as a binder and volume-enhancer in ice creams and shakes, making them more creamy and thick.
  • I include a giant handful of spinach in nearly all of my protein smoothies.  I swear you can’t taste it.  This is a great way to sneak in another serving of greens and add a little more iron to your diet to promote muscle health and energy metabolism.  Warning: Spinach will turn your pretty red smoothie a funky green color!

***

My second posing practice taught me I need more practice… more with the actual posing and general confidence than with the heels (surprise, surprise).

How do you recover after an especially hard workout?

Do you like public speaking?

Sorry I’m Not Sorry

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I’m exhausted.

 

After a killer leg day (more on that Monday), I’m too pooped to poop.  Good thing since I’m so sore I can’t lower myself to the toilet.

So today is a random post.  I hope you don’t mind. #sorryimnotsorry <— new favorite has tag.

 

1. Inspiration

I find this especially appropriate after the afore-mentioned leg day.  It’s contains some language (as my mother would say), but I think it’s appropriately used. #sorryimnotsorry

 

 

2. Things I Should Care About More At The Gym

I really loved this post from Sarah.  Flashing people accidentally?  I’m probably guilty.  #sorryimnotsorry

The Someecard pic she included was especially awesome… because I’m a klutz and have the shin bruises and oven scars to prove it.

 

 

3. Smoothie Demo

I’m doing my first “food” demo this weekend!  My trainer and his wife asked me to do a smoothie demo at their gym to show people how quick and easy it is to get a good protein punch.

There will be 4 blender recipes, including my Carrot Cake Protein Shake… and a new smoothies that I’ll post on Monday.  Confession: I’m nervous. #sorryimnotsorry

 

 

4. Jamaican Tofu Chowder with Collards

This vegan chowder recipe from Janet has been on my Soup Pinterest board for ever and I really want to try it now that it’s getting cooler.

Or Allie could just make it since she has too many collards and bring me some when she visits in a couple of weeks. *Yes, I’m that lazy right now. #sorryimnotsorry

 

 

5. Pumpkin S’Mores Cake

Does this really need an introduction?  I’m making this Pumpkin S’Mores Cake from Stephanie after my competition.  It could trump last winter’s Sweet Potato and Toasted Marshmallow Cake.

And I might eat the whole thing. #sorryimnotsorry

 ***

One more (did I take it too far?).  I’m ravenous today.  Leg day is an appetite booster.  #sorryimnotsorry

What is your #sorryimnotsorry today?

What’s your favorite recently pinned/bookmarked recipe or inspiration?

 

Crab Eggs Benedict, Lightened Up

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Would you believe I’ve NEVER had Eggs Benedict?

Sure, I’ve had a bite of someone else’s.  I’ve never ordered my own though.  At first it was because I was too picky.  Then it was because I was too health-conscious.

Monday night I was craving brinner (breakfast for dinner) but I needed to be responsible and eat some of the crab I  bought over the weekend before I goes bad.  I tweeted about my dilemma and the lovely Heather @ Girly Ever After (check out her blog – this fellow-Atlantan rocks and has PERFECT skin) saved the day by suggesting Eggs Benedict.

I actually had to make this again the next morning because I gobbled it down too fast to write down what I did or take any thing other than the following Instagram pic:

The sauce may sound a little ghetto when compared to the “real” thing.   I’m not going to tell you it’s as silky as the yolk-based variety.  However, this creamy, lightened up version put a big (guiltless) Cheshire Cat grin on my face.  (Not tomention it’s 1000x easier to make than  Hollandaise.)

A little cayenne heat and lemon tartness was especially good against the rich crab meat.  If you don’t have/like/eat crab, you could try it with ham, bacon, tempeh bacon, or even a veggie sausage patty.

This was also my first time poaching an egg.  I don’t know why I waited so long – it’s really easy!  A few people told me the trick is to add vinegar to the water to prevent breakage.

Another tip is to bring the water to a boil, but then lower it to a rolling boil before adding the egg.  It must work because I had no problems.

Not wanting to overshadow the rich flavors in this dish, I served it with a simple arugula, cilantro, and heirloom tomato salad dressed with lemon juice and black pepper.

Is there anything more fabulous than a runny egg yolk?  I think not.  #yolkporn

I’m really not sure why you’re still reading this instead of running sprinting to the kitchen make your own.

 

Lightened Up Crab Eggs Benedict

  • 1 egg
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 1 slice Ezekial bread (or carb of choice) 
  • 3 oz crab meat
  • 2 T Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp dry mustard
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Fresh cilantro and cracked black pepper (to garnish)

Fill a small pot with 2 inches of water and vinegar.  Bring water to a boil and reduce heat to a rolling boil.  Crack the egg into a small dish and gently pour into pot.  Simmer for 2-3 mins (will vary depending on how runny you like your yolk).

Meanwhile, toast bread and heat crab meat.

Combine yogurt, dry mustard, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and cayenne in a small bowl and briefly microwave (~10 secs) to warm.

Place toasted bread on plate with crab on top.  

Carefully remove egg from the water with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drain off.  Place on top of crab; spoon sauce over the top.  Garnish with cilantro and black pepper

Commence feast.

Serves 1, easily multiplied.

***

I can’t believe it now, but at one point I was so picky I wouldn’t eat eggs, yogurt, or anything green (unless it was drenched in ranch).

Have you ever poached an egg?

What is your favorite lightened up decadent recipe?  Or what would you like to see lightened up?

Microwave Protein Cookie + WIAW

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Lifting weights will not make you bulky.

It drives me NUTS when I hear women say they don’t want to lift because they are scared they’ll get bulky or look “manly.”  Women don’t have the hormone levels men do, so it’s just not possible to gain like a dude.  It takes a TON of work to significantly grow muscle.  I should know.

It is especially important for women to have a strength training program.

A few of the benefits include:

  1. Body Fat Reduction – As you increase lean muscle, so does resting metabolism.  This means that you burn more calories all day long.  Studies have shown that for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35-50 more calories each day.  That’s as much as 18,250 calories in a year!
  2. Decreased Risk of Osteoporosis and Heart Disease – Women are at an especially high risk of suffering from this disease.  Weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density, and – combined with adequate calcium – can be one of the best defenses against osteoporosis.  Cardio is important in heart health; however, lifting can help to lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, increase “good” (HDL) cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.
  3. Improved Athletic Performance – Research continually proves that strength training improves athletic ability.  It enables you to increase endurance, improve technique, and decrease the risk of injury.
  4. Improved Mood and Fights Depression – A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did!  Strength training often helps women feel more confident and capable, both important factors in fighting depression.
  5. Physical Strength – This may sound obvious, but strength training is important for daily activities – chores, chasing after kids, carrying groceries… basic, daily tasks will be much easier.  And how nice is it to be able to open ajar unassisted?

Strength training isn’t the only factor though.  I’m trying my best to gain as much as possible before my November competition.  Just as important as lifting is diet.  Healthy fats, complex carbs, and a lot of protein are key to gaining mass.  As much as I’m taking in, I’m still not She-ra…. but I am making gains!

A few people have asked for progress pics.  I wish I’d done a better job to tracking and taking pics from the same angles, but here’s the best bicep progress pic I have:

Still a really long way to go, but I think there are some changes!

Speaking of strength training (nice transition, right?), this fall’s  What I Ate Wednesday theme: “Fall Into Good Habits.”

Check out my healthy fall fuel below, and then click here to head over to Jenn @ Peas and Crayons to get ideas from others’ fall eats!

Meal 1:

I probably bore you all with my morning cocktail, but this day started out like every other day with a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar, Glutamine and Aminos (I’ve switched since this pic to ON brand and LOVE it) … with some kombucha and water.  This week I had a lavender-rosemary homebrew to mix in.  Good for the digestion, skin, and overall energy!

30 mins later I noshed on a random concoction:

A Morningstar veggie sausage scrambled with egg whites and topped with cilantro, 1/2 a grapefruit, and a slice of Ezekial bread with sugar-free strawberry jam.  Not super creative, but it was the jam on this rainy morning.

Meal 2:

If it’s going to rain, at least my food can be bright!

There’s no shame in microwave baking!  Especially when it is an iced Sunbutter cookie. 

This cookie is incredibly easy.  I was going to bake it, but that seemed too time-consuming.  35 secs in the microwave for this baby!  I blended together cottage cheese, stevia, and apple pie spice as the icing and arranged golden kiwi slices on top.

Recipe at the bottom.

Meal 3:

Monday night’s dinner was a healthy version of Crab Eggs Benedict.  I remade it for WIAW because it was so delicious.  I’d probably be eating it again right now if I wasn’t out of my local farm fresh eggs.

However, I’m a tease.  The recipe will be shared tomorrow… sorry, but I felt it deserved its own post. 🙂 

Meal 4:

Tilapia again… but I did prepare it differently!  I’m working on a project making my own (salt-free) spice blends.  This was cooked in a grill pan with my Mexican blend and fresh lime juice.  On the side was roasted broccoli slaw and brussels, topped with more of my blend, rice vinegar, and nutritional yeast. 

Meal 5:

I’m trying not to Instagram everything before I post it on WIAW… but I couldn’t help myself last night.

This pizza combo knocked my socks off.  I toasted a low-carb tortilla as the crust, then slathered it with a sweet potato mashed with lemon juice, cumin, and chili powder.  Meanwhile, I sautéed asparagus and chopped fennel in a splash of garlic-infused olive oil.  That saute, arugula, and pre-cooked salmon topped my pizza.

I put the whole thing in the oven on broil for a few mins, finish with freshly ground pepper, thick balsamic, and cilantro… and viola!

Total foodgasm.  ♫ The neighbors complain about the noises above… ♫

Meal 6:

An old favorite… with a new twist.  Remember my Carrot Cake Protein Batter?  I made it chocolate. 

This Chocolate Carrot Cake Protein Batter was basically the same recipe, but I added 1 T cocoa powder and use almond extract instead of vanilla.

Side note: Did you know that 1 T of cocoa powder has 1g of protein?

Meal 7:

In the interest of honesty… this happened:

I get an extra cheat each day in effort to gain weight… although this may not be what my trainer had in mind…

It was delicious though!  Terrapin is a Georgia brewery, and their Pumpkinfest beer is fantastic. It combines two styles – pumpkin beer and Oktoberfest – to create a spiced pumpkin beer that isn’t overly sweet.

Never fear!  I got my protein in too: 

A maple-casein version of my 150 Calorie Microwave Protein Cake topped with fresh figs.

Micro Protein Cookie steps

Nutty Microwave Protein Cookie

  • 2 T peanut flour
  • 1 T water
  • 1 T Sunbutter
  • 2 T egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 5-6 drops liquid stevia

Mix ingredients in a small bowl.  

Coat small, microwave-safe plate with cooking spray.  Spread dough on plate and microwave 30-40 secs.  

Serves 1.

***

Protein count for the day: 191.3g from fall clean eats!

Do you do any strength training?  Why or why not?

What foods have you been loving the most this fall?

Fig and Edamame Salad with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette

By

I have a few confessions:

  • I abuse the 5 second rule… yet I’m not a religious floor-cleaner.
  • I ate a giant piece of flour-less chocolate cake this weekend.  It was sprinkled with flaky sea salt and drizzled with olive oil.  And it was worth every sugar-y calorie.
  • Sometimes rather than washing the sheets I just wash the pillowcases.
  • It’s not unusual for me to “fluff” the laundry no less than 3 times.
  • My least favorite part of blogging is taking and editing pictures.  Can’t I just Instagram everything?!
  • I spaced out and missed last week’s Meatless Mondays from A-Z challenge.  Sorry Heather.

Last week’s theme was edamame, which I LOVE.  I did link up a tasty old recipe – Edamame Jicima Salad – I still felt like I owed Heather a little something extra this week… so I went for the 1-2 punch with the ingredient themes.

You might remember when I did this with the Overachieving Cauliflower Crust Pizza.  I used all 3 of the first ingredients – artichokes, beets, and capers.

For my recipe this week, I made a gain salad of Kamut berries (see this post for more info on Kamut), edamame and figs.  Never one to eat a mild dish, I spiced this up with my favorite flavors: cilantro and sriracha.

I know there are a few of you who aren’t fans of cilantro.  Basil or parsley would also work well here!

The figs may sound a little odd to add to this combo (another Strange But Good candidate?), but their sweetness worked well to tame the sriracha heat.  The slight sweetness of the edamame also had a cooling effect.  I am a texture feign, so I especially adored the chewy Kamut berries with the crisp edamame and soft figs.

I wanted to keep it vegan for Heather, but another great add here would be some Greek yogurt.  Kamut berries are high in protein.  The yogurt would give you even more protein, and also add a luscious creaminess.

Aren’t figs gorgeous?

[Tweet “Figs and Sriracha come together for a sweet heat in this whole grain salad!”]

Workout Recap

It has been quite the workout week!  Monday’s leg day with my trainer left me damn near paralyzed.  My second-day-soreness on Wednesday left me gripping the handicap rail in the bathroom.

BUT… it’s paying off.  This exciting news this week came on Saturday (leg day #2).  I got the green light from my trainer.  I AM competing in November!!!!!!

No, I won’t be to the point we want yet.  I’ll probably be the leanest person there (read: too lean), but I’m going to work even harder to grow between now and then (and maybe have another piece of chocolate cake).  BAM.

Workout Recap (9/10 – 9/16):

  • Monday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk
  • Tuesday – Rest, 2 mile walk
  • Wednesday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises, 3 mile walk
  • Thursday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk
  • Friday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises
  • Saturday – Legs (w/ trainer), 2 mile walk, 50 push-ups
  • Sunday – Rest-ish… 2.8 mile sprints

Fig and Edamame Kamut Berries with Sriracha-Lime Vinaigrette

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 10 mins

Keywords: entree salad low-sugar nut-free soy-free vegan vegetarian fig kamut lime cilantro Asian

Ingredients (2 servings, easily doubled)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together cilantro, lime juice, oil, sriracha, and cumin to make the vinaigrette.

Place berries in medium bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

Stir in edamame and figs.

Powered by Recipage

***

Time for important decisions… like what color should my suit be.  Blue?  Green?  Aqua?

What is your confession today?

Is your next-day or second-day soreness worse?

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…

By

Strange, but good.

 

That’s going to be my new tagline.

Training for a figure competition means my diet is a little odd.  It may make you go hmmmm.

I need certain combos of food and certain times.  Rather than view these parameters and restrictions, I try to turn them into opportunities to create.

I love trying new flavors.  Adding sweetness to things that are traditionally savory and vice versa.  Using spices that are not-so-common to give the ordinary a little something extra.  Sometimes it doesn’t work… but when it does it WORKS.

 

Today I want to share a few that I’ve tried recently, and a couple of “proof” shots from others:

1. Recovery Sweet Potatoes

This was born of a craving.  It was early in the morning and post-workout.  I wanted something breakfast-sweet, but also had a craving for sweet potato.  Then there was the matter of getting my protein to feed muscles growth and aid recovery.  This vanilla-cinnamon concoction fit the bill!

 

 

Recovery Sweet Potatoes

  • 1 small sweet potato, pre-cooked and cubed
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 3 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of cardamom
  • 2 T raw rolled oats

 

Place sweet potato cubes in a bowl.  

In a small bowl, mix protein powder and spices.  

Pour sauce over sweet potatoes and top with oats.  Devour.

 

 

2. Tequila Lime Tilapia and Kiwi

 

 

For meal 2 I get a fruit, a protein, and a tablespoon of seeds.  It was close to noon before I was able to eat, so I wanted something more savory as my protein.  With this leftover Tequila-Lime Tilapia, I made a sort of fruit salad by adding golden kiwi and peptias (pumpkin seeds).

 

 

3. Salmon and Peach Salad

This pre-workout meal was eaten in the car on the way to the gym (hence the blurry-in-a-hurry pic).  Again, it was a late Meal 2, so I  needed my fruit and protein.  I had some leftover grilled salmon in the fridge that needed to be eaten.  Salmon is slightly sweet to begin with, so I paired my leftover  it with a late-season peach.  I mixed in a little Greek yogurt (maybe 2-3 T?) to add moisture.  With the slight smoky-char flavor from the grilled fish, the sweet peaches were absolutely fantastic.

 

 

For those of you who are short on time, this is an easy, fun meal that can be thrown together 5 mins before walking out the door and eaten on the go!

 

 

4. Greek Chocolate-Orange Protein Yogurt

Chocolate and orange probably isn’t a strange combination to many of you.  I haven’t been a big fan of the combo in the past.  I like my chocolate served with a side of chocolate!  Keeping an open mind (and in need of a quick meal 2), I eyed the half eaten orange in my fridge.

I wanted Greek yogurt, but I try to limit my diary as I find it makes my face break out.  Often my solution is to eat just half a serving and combine it with 1/2 a scoop of protein powder to get at least 20g of protein (my minimum at each meal)., which is exactly what I did here.

 

 

Greek Chocolate-Orange Protein Yogurt

  • 1/2 c Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 3-4 drops of chocolate flavoring (I use these Capella drops)
  • 5 drops of orange liquid Stevia.  
  • 1/2 segmented orange

 

Mix together yogurt, protein, chocolate flavor, and Stevia in a small bowl.  

Top with orange segements and (optional) sprinkle of cinnamon.

 

 

5. PB & Jeggs (and Aggs) Proof

I have a little PB & Jeggs (Aggs/Peggs/etc) addiction.  This egg white-peanut flour-fruit combo is a staple in my diet.  It’s the perfect high protein fuel, and suitable for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Sounds weird, taste good.  But I’m not the only one who thinks so!  My friends Eiren and Meg agree:

 

Meg’s PB & Jeggs (with oats):

 

Eiren’s PB & Jeggs (isn’t this the coolest graphic?!  So sweet of her to make it):

 

And Eiren’s awesome twist on the PB & Aggs… PB & Aggs in a Jar:

 

***

In other weird food news, I remain addicted to Carrot Cake Protein Batter.   I’m eating it as I draft this post.  Pretty sure this will never get old.

Have you tried PB & Jeggs?  Just trust me on this one.

What is your favorite strange food combo?

 

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