Roasted Root Vegetables

This dish is the ultimate food cure for the winter blues. It's hot, colorful and is just right next to almost anything (salad, check! slab of meat, check!). The starches in these vegetables turn so sugary sweet - we are sure you'll love it. Oh, and it is easy too. While this recipe is for root vegetables, feel free to add in any other roasted veggies you enjoy, like: broccoli, asparagus or cauliflower; just make sure to cut them into similarly sized pieces, keeping in mind they will cook faster - so if they are a little bit bigger, that's okay.

Enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables

6 red new potatoes 

2 medium sweet potatoes 

4 carrots 

3 large parsnips 

3 medium raw beets 

1 large head of garlic, separated and peeled into cloves 

4 T extra virgin olive oil 

2 t rosemary 

2 t thyme 

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut all vegetables into roughly 1 inch cubes.

Place all vegetables with the garlic cloves into a large baking dish and drizzle the olive oil over top and toss to coat evenly. Be sure not to over crowd the pan.

Sprinkle on the rosemary, thyme, sea salt and pepper.

Place, uncovered, in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Vegetables will be tender and evenly browned.

Serves 6

Work Out of the (Wednes) Day

If we're really being honest, today's shoveling snow could almost count as our work out of the day. But, that isn't very inspiring, is it? So, here is an actual gym workout for those of us who don't count chores as exercise. 

WOD

Super-set Barbell squat with Dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts
Pyramid up the weight through 6 sets of 8-10 reps each
Rest as needed but as little as possible. Then...


Straight-set Barbell front-squats
Pyramid up the weight through 4 sets of 8-10 reps each
Rest as needed but as little as possible.


Finish with extensive stretching.

Work Out of the Day (WOD)

It is finally happening - we will now be posting our workouts of the day! Below, please take a peek at the workout your trainers put themself through. Some days we (Josh & Tim) work out together, and other days we work out seperately. It all depends on when our breaks line up in our schedule.

WOD

Super-set Barbell flat bench press with Barbell bent-over row
Pyramid up the weight through 7 sets of 8-10 reps each
Rest as needed but as little as possible. Then...


Super-set Dumbell incline bench press with Kiping pull-ups
Use the same weight through 3 sets of 8-10 reps each
Rest as needed but as little as possible. Then...


Super-set Decline reaching sit-ups with Decline leg raises
3 sets of 10 reps each
Rest as needed but as little as possible. Then...


Jumprope double-unders
100 count completed as fast as possible


Finish with extensive stretching

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Recently, a client brought in a favorite recipe looking to have it adapted to be made more healthfully. By switching out a few ingredients for lower calorie ones, and changing the portion size a bit, the recipe was transformed. The original recipe had an estimated 805 calories with 28 grams of fat and 118 grams of carbohydrates. The adapted recipe is still carb heavy with 84 grams, but that can be expected from a meal of squash. The calorie count now rests at approximately 425 with 5 grams of fat. The protein count took a hit, and is now only 17 grams, but most don't look to squash for their protein now, do they? 


Enjoy!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Adapted from a client’s recipe

2 large acorn squash 

1⁄2 sweet onion, chopped 

4 oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped 

3⁄4 C low-fat ricotta cheese 

4 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese 

Egg whites from 2 eggs 

3 packed cups fresh spinach, chopped 

Sea salt and pepper to taste 

Pinch of nutmeg 

2 slices whole grain bread, toasted dark

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut both squash in half and scoop out the seeds and discard.

Mix together all remaining ingredients, except for the toast.

Turn toast into breadcrumbs by mixing in a food processor.

Spoon 1⁄4 of the cheese and vegetable mixture into each half of squash. Top with 1⁄4 of the breadcrumbs.

Bake the filled squash in a shallow cooking dish for about 1 hour, or until a fork easily pierces the skin.

Serve immediately. 

Serves 4.

(Vegetarian) Quick Chili

We heard the collective groans from the carnivores, but we want you to give this a try. This is carnivore approved! For those of you prepping for a Super Bowl party, this is a guilt-free recipe and we’re sure you won’t miss the beef. Plus, it is just more than 300 calories per serving, so you can fill up on something healthy (lots of fiber plus 22 grams of protein) and not indulge in as many fatty Super Bowl snacks. This is also a great pick for those who observe Meatless Monday (yes, that’s a real thing) or abstain from meat on Fridays – really, it’s for anyone trying to eat healthier.

Enjoy!

(Vegetarian) Quick Chili

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 packet hot chili seasoning (like McCormick’s)   
   or combination of favorite spicy spices to cut

   down on sodium

12 oz ground meat substitute (like MorningStar  
   Farms crumbles) or browned lean ground  
   meat

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans of your favorite beans (kidney, black, 
   pinto, etc).

1 can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

Sautee vegetables in oil, in a large pot. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. To make it extra spicy try a can of chipotle in adobo.  

Serves 4-6.

Now, we know that adding extras to top off chili is a common practice. So, go bonkers with the fresh diced tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. But, when it comes to sour cream, shredded cheese and oyster crackers, we have a few suggestions…

First, try Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It is healthier and contains more protein. Next, if you must have shredded cheese, for the love of exercise, measure it out and don’t blindly throw in a handful. Just a pinch will make it stringy. And, commit to omit the crackers. This recipe is already chock full of healthy carbohydrates and fiber, no need to add extra calories with white flour.

Kale Chips

Kale Chips are a funny thing. Somehow baking the kale removes the bitter taste and brings out a nutty flavor. True, these don't taste like potato chips. But they can satisfy your craving for something salty and crunchy. Over the summer it seems that many a blogger was making these, and there is no shortage of variations of this recipe on the internet. This is how we have come to make them. 

Enjoy!

Kale Chips 

1 bunch kale 

1 T olive oil 

Sea salt 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Remove the kale leaf from the stems, and tear into bite sized pieces. Wash a dry the kale (use a salad spinner or roll the kale in a clean kitchen towel to remove all water droplets). Add kale to a large bowl and top with olive oil; toss to coat. 

Place kale in one layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and sprinkle with sea salt, to taste. 

Bake about 10 minutes, until the edges are browned (don’t let them burn, keep a close eye on them).

Feel free to experiment with some spices too. Garlic powder, cumin or pepper might be nice. Also, some people swear by adding an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to the chips after coating them in oil. 

Serves 4. 

Sushi Bowls

These are a favorite because of how simple they are. Truly, they are equivalent to soup, in that they are a great way to use up odds and ends around the kitchen. If you aren't one for experimenting in the kitchen, and not following a hard and fast recipe makes you nervous - fear not! These are really hard to mess up. They are good hot or cold (but you might find that your choice of protein determines your preference) and they are pretty filling. 

Enjoy!

Sushi Bowls

1⁄2 C brown rice 

1⁄4 C TVP or 1⁄2 C other protein, see below* 

1⁄2 sheet nori, cut into confetti sized pieces (use kitchen shears) 

Assorted vegetables, diced 

Wasabi (squeezable, found with the mustards works best), to taste 

Low-sodium soy sauce, to taste

* Assorted sushi grade fresh raw fish, or cooked meats of your choosing, diced

Prepare brown rice according to package directions, set aside. Prepare TVP or dice selected protein and mix with rice. Add assorted diced vegetables (avocado, bell pepper and green onion are good ones to try – use whatever you like best in sushi rolls or whatever you have on hand) and sprinkle in the nori. Top with soy sauce and wasabi, to taste.

This is good either warm or cold, but your choice of protein may determine how you like it best.

Makes 1 serving.