Turkey Stuffed Peppers

What you need:

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 can red beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked per package instructions

1.5 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp salt

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350.  Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Throw spinach in with onions for 1 minute. 

Place onions and spinach in large pot with red beans, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and salt.  Cook over medium heat.  While filling cooks, brown turkey in the pan you used to sauté onions.  Slice tops off of peppers, remove seeds, and rub with olive oil. Mix browned turkey with filling in pot. Add quinoa and mix.  Fill peppers and place in a small caserole dish.  Cover with a small bit of mozzarella if desired. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Black Bean, Lentil, and Chicken Tacos

What you need:

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup dried red lentils, cooked per package directions

1 cup chicken broth

1 large chicken breast

1 jalapeno diced

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

8 whole wheat tortillas

What to do:

Sauté onions in olive oil and prepare lentils.  Put all ingredients except lentils in crock pot.  Cook on low 4 hrs until chicken begins to fall apart.  Pull chicken apart with forks.  Add lentils to mixture.  Use for tacos and top with your choice of ingredients.  We used tomato, avocado, sour cream, and Ortega taco sauce.  We also added a side of fruit which went well with it.

Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash

What you need:

1.5 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes

1 chicken breast 

1 onion, diced small

1tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1 can chickpeas, drained

16 oz chicken broth

2 tbsp green curry paste

2 tbsp curry powder

1 carrot, chopped 

1 jalapeño, chopped 

1tbsp red chili paste 

What to do:

Place chicken broth, chili paste, curry paste, and curry powder in crock pot. Stir and add chicken, jalapeño, carrot, chickpeas. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic to crock pot.  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hrs, until chicken begins to fall apart.  During last hr of cooking add spinach and butternut squash.

Chickpea Spinach Burgers from LivingPlate.com

Turned out great.

Chickpea Spinach Burger

Baby Kale Egg Bake

What you need:

1 Tbsp olive oil

Cooking spray

5 oz baby kale

1/2 to 1 cup shredded mozzarella 

4 egg whites

4 whole eggs

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 cup mushrooms any kind (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Wilt kale over medium heat in olive oil for 2 minutes.

Spray caserole dish with cooking spray.

Spread kale in caserole dish.

Sauté onion and garlic in frying pan.  

Whisk eggs and egg whites together in separate bowl.  

Add mushrooms in with onion to sauté if you are using them.

When ready pour sautéed veggies over the kale. 

Pour eggs over the rest in caserole. 

Top with cheese. 

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Turkey Meat Loaf

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
3 tbsp worcestershire
3 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 large yellow onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
2 celery stalks diced
1/2 cup shredded carrots optional
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp tomato paste optional
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp ketchup

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375
While oven heats, chop and dice all veggies.
Saute veggies with the olive oil and garlic over medium heat.
While veggies are cooking, mix 2 eggs, worcestershire, seasonings, bread crumbs, and uncooked turkey in large bowl.
When veggies are soft mix into the bowl.
Pour into loaf pan.
Spread thin layer of ketchup over top.
Bake for 45 min to 1 hr.

I serve it with steamed carrots and broccoli.

Chicken Satay

Found a great recipe for chicken satay at SteamyKitchen.
Tried it today, was fast and easy.  Wife loved it.
Click here for the recipe.

Purple Kale Salad

What You Need:
1 bunch purple kale, clean and torn into bite sized pieces
1 large cucumber, peeled, and halved
1 lemon
2 avocados, peeled
Handful baby carrots, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes

For the salad:
Place kale in a large bowl with carrots. Chop half the cucumber and one of the avocados and throw them in the bowl too. I put the avocado into a ziplock bag and toss with the juice from half a lemon once it is sliced. Get it coated evenly to keep the avocado from turning brown.

For the dressing:
Put one avocado, half the cucumber, the pulp and juice from half the lemon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes into blender. Blend until thin and creamy.

I think a handful of cashews would go well in this salad.

Todays Workout

Back Squat
8 x 135
6 x 185
5 x 225
5 x 275
5 x 295
5 x 315
1 x 335
1 x 355
1 x 365

Bench Press
8 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 205
5 sets of 3 x 225

Bent Over Barbell Row
8 x 135
5 x 155
5 x 175
5 x 185
5 x 205
3 x 225
1 x 225
1 x 225

Bench Press and Rows were done as supersets

EZ Bar Curl
8 x 90
8 x 100
8 x 110

Overhead Tricep Extension with EZ Bar
8 x 70
8 x 70
8 x 70

Curl and Triceps done as supersets

Dumbbell Shrug
3 sets of 8 x 100 lb dbs

100 pushups

10 minutes on heavy bag

Green Beans

These beans came out of the garden this morning, and made a great simple side dish.  We had so many we at a big plate each for dinner, and I wanted more.  Will definitely plant them again.

We just washed them and threw them in the crock pot for a couple hours with a cup of chicken broth, a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Today's Workout

Back squat
8 x 135
6 x 185
5 x 225
5 x 275
3 x 295
2 x 315
1 x 335
1 x 355

Barbell Press
8 x 95
5 x 115
5 x 135
2 x 155
1 x 175

Power clean
3 x 8 with 95 lb

Dumbbell Shrug
3 x 8 with 100 lb db's

Deadlift
8 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 235
5 x 285
1 x 305
1 x 325
1 x 345

10 minutes on heavy bag

Today's Workout

Back Squat
5 x 5 at 275 lbs

Dumbbell Shrug
3 x 8 with 100 lb dbs

One Arm Corner Barbell Press
3 x 8 each side with 45 lb plate
2 x 20 each side with 45 lb plate

Corner Barbell Standing Twist
2 x 8 with 25 lb plate
2 x 8 with 45 lb plate

Plank Cable Row
8 x 90 lb each side
8 x 125 lb each side
8 x 125 bleach side

Barbell Push Press
5 x 5 with 135 lbs

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich With Gruyere and Arugula

What you need:
1 loaf french bread, sliced into half inch slices and drizzled lightly with olive oil
1 handful fresh arugula
1 block hickory smoked gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
severa tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp salt
1 medium eggplant, sliced into quarter inch slices
balsamic vinegar

What to do:
First you need to brine the eggplant for half an hour.  To do this, stir one tbsp salt into a quarter cup hot water.  Then add the salt water with two quarts cool water in a large bowl.  Add the sliced eggplant to the bowl and use a heavy bowl to keep it submerged.  After half an hour, take the eggplant out and dry it off with a paper towel.  Put the dry eggplant in a dry bowl and add one tbsp balsamic vinegar and two tbsp olive oil.  Heat grill to 500.  Cook eggplant on grill for 4 or 5 minutes until good grill marks are visible.  Then flip the eggplant and toss the bread on the grill.  Cook another 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from grill, assemble sandwiches.

Remember Fruit For A Bright Side With Dinner

Fresh lemon balm on this red fruit salad adds an interesting depth of flavor.
I used watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, and grapes.

Today's Workout

Back Squat:
8 x 135
6 x 185
5 x 225
5 x 275
5 x 295
5 x 315
2 x 335
1 x 355

Bench Press
8 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 205
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225
3 x 225

Bent Over Barbell Row
8 x 135
5 x 155
5 x 175
5 x 185
5 x 205
3 x 225
3 x 225

Bench Press and Rows were done as superset.

Weighted Chin-up
8 x 25
6 x 45
6 x 45

EZ Bar Biceps Curl
8 x 90
8 x 100
4 x 110
4 x 110

Overhead Triceps Extension with E Z Bar
8 x 70
8 x 80
8 x 80

Lat pull downs on machine to burnout

Today's Workout

At Home Quickie:

50 push-ups
10 100lb bent over row
20 inverted row
8  shoulder press with 50 lb db's
4 each side db curl with 50 lb db's

30 push-ups
10 100lb bent over row
20 inverted row
8  shoulder press with 50 lb db's
4 each side db curl with 50 lb db's


20 push-ups 
10 100lb bent over row
20 inverted row
8  shoulder press with 50 lb db's
8 each side db curl with 25 lb db's

Today's Workout

Back Squat:  135 x 8
                      185 x 6
                      225 x 5
                      275 x 5
                      315 x 5
                      335 x 1
                      355 x 1

Barbell Bench Press alternated with Barbell Bent Over Row
Bench 135 x 8        
            185 x 5
            205 x 5
            225 x 3 (5 sets)

Row 135 x 8
         155 x 5
         175 x 5
         185 x 5
         205 x 5
         225 x 3 (2sets)

Weighted pull up
25 lb x 8
45 lb x 6 (3 sets)

EZ Bar Curl alternated with EZ Bar Tricep Overhead Raise
Curl 90 x 8
        100 x 8
        100 x 8

Tricep 70 x 8 (3 sets)                            

Cous Cous with Lemon Rosemary Chicken

What you need:
1 package thin sliced chicken breast
2 lemons
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary (4 inches)
1 package Near East garlic and olive oil Cous Cous
Salt and pepper
1 handful calamata olives, pitted
1 handful grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1 small package goat cheese
Parsley for garnish if desired

What to do:
Place chicken, olive oil, juice from 1/2 a lemon, and rosemary in 1 qt ziplock bag and put in fridge.
Boil 1 3/4 cups water in a medium saucepan.
Add Cous Cous and spice pack it comes with, then return to slow boil.
Slow boil for about 15 min, stirring often, until almost all water is absorbed or evaporated.
Turn off stove and let Cous Cous sit for a few minutes.
In large bowl, mix Cous Cous, cucumber, olives, and tomatoes
Squeeze in 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, cover and put in fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

While Cous Cous is chilling, heat grill to 500 degrees.
Spray grill with oil or cooking spray.
Cook chicken for three minutes, then flip, turn down heat and cook another 3 min.
When you flip chicken, slice a lemon in half and put both halves face down on grill for 3 min.
Remove chicken and lemon from grill and let rest for a couple minutes.

Take Cous Cous out of fridge, top with goat cheese, and lay chicken on top.
Squeeze one of the grilled lemon halves over chicken, and garnish with parsley.

Chicken and cabbage stew

What you need:

4 chicken breasts
1 onion
1 bag of baby carrots
1 green cabbage
1/2 Jar Eden Organics pasta sauce
Salt and pepper
1 tsp red pepper flake
1 cup organic chicken broth
2 tbsp coconut aminos
2 tbsp minced garlic

What to do:

Put carrots and chopped onion in crock pot.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken on top of onions and carrots, top with red pepper flakes.
Chop cabbage into 1/2 inch slices, place over chicken.
Pour pasta sauce onto cabbage.
Throw in garlic, broth, and coconut aminos.
Cook on high four to five hours.

Coconut Curry Chicken

What you need:
1 lb chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 fresh green chili, finely chopped
2 heirloom tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
2/3 large carton chicken broth
1 pinch cayenne powder
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

What to do:
Add olive oil to a large pot over med low heat.
Mix in the onion, garlic, and ginger.
Cook for 20 min.
Add in the tomato paste, cinnamon, chicken broth, cayenne, curry, salt and pepper, and coconut milk.
Stir well and cook another 20 min on med low.
Add in the chicken, tomatoes, lemon juice, and cilantro.
Let simmer for 1 hour.
Taste periodically and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips.