Summer heat is weighing heavily on all of us, and visions of cool treats are definitely swimming around in my head as we knock out crazy wods in our unairconditioned crossfit gym. A couple of tasty treats you may want to pack in the freezer and throw in your gym bag for a quick post workout treat are frozen grapes or a frozen banana. I am experimenting with a frozen chocolate yogurt banana treat that I will get back to you on. Dig out some of the smoothie recipes on this site as well. Experiment with different fruits (peaches are great right now) - and let me know what your favorite concoctions are!

Ok, moving on - had a great conversation with Ariel at the gym today and she is slowly sliding into paleo but is looking for some seasoning options to spice things up. I was telling her about my new favorite spice - McCormicks Gill Mates Smokehouse Maple. I am using it on all of the pork I grill, as well as butternut squash. Just the right amount of tang and sweet to really bring out the flavor. This would also be excellent on chicken or salmon.

SmokeHouse Maple Butternut Squash

1 butternut squash peeled and cubed (or a bag already peeled and cubed - you can get at Trader Joe's or Walmart)
Pam Olive Oil Spray
McCormick's Smokehouse Maple Seasoning

Spray a baking stone or pan with Pam and spread out a single layer of cubed butternut squash. Spray again on top with olive oil spray. Season with Smokehouse maple seasoning to taste and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-30 min. Easy and a great side dish with any grilled meat.

Chicken Cherry Salad

Before I start today's dinner I wanted to report back that the Swordfish turned out great! The pistachio crust was very easy and tasty, and I think it would go well with chicken, pork, or steak. Ok, on to Chicken and Cherry Salad. Hallelujah, bing cherries are in season and happen to be one of my favorite fruits. Besides being tasty, they are super healthy with plenty of antioxidents and are supposed to help reduce inflammation - a common affliction with us active crossfitters.

If you follow this blog, you will quickly figure out that this is a variation of one of my favorite standbys - coleslaw salad. Never the less, here is a fresh twist that is super delicious. Hope you enjoy.

Chicken Cherry Salad
Ingredients:
1-2 cups shredded cabbage (bagged coleslaw in the bagged lettuce section)
chicken breast cooked and chopped (I use a breast from a rotisserie chicken)
10-15 bing cherries pits removed and chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
Boathouse Blue Cheese Vinagrette Dressing

Toss all ingredients together and devour.

Pistachio Encrusted Swordfish Steaks

I am almost embarrassed to update my blog since I have been on such a long haitus! Well, after a week in Mexico I am anxious to put the chips and margaritas behind me and hunker down for some healthy eating. Spending a week by the sea has awakened my seafood yearnings so today is Pistachio Encrusted Swordfish Steaks.

Pistachio Encrusted Swordfish Steaks

Ingredients:

6 swordfish steaks

1 cup veg. broth

Crust:

8oz dry roasted pistachios

1/3 cup cilantro - hand chopped

2 tbpn olive oil

salt and pepper

Pulse pistachios 20 sec to make a breadcrumb consistency. Mix in bowl with chopped cilantro, oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside

Preheat oven to 400. Salt and pepper both sides of steaks and place on foil lined tray. Spread crust on top of steaks and pour veg. broth at bottom of pan (steam from broth keeps the fish moist). Bake in oven for 8 min and then broil under high heat for another minute or two to brown the top.

I plan on squeezing a little lemon juice on top and serving with sauteed spinach and papaya chunks. I will report back tomorrow with a new recipe and let you know how the swordfish turned out.

Engagement Chicken

Ideas for yummy paleo meals have not been flowing lately, so I have really been keeping my eyes and ears open for recipes that can be adapted to paleo. While watching the Today show this morning they aired a segment on "Engagement Chicken" which sounds super easy and really tasty. While the premise of this recipe is that it is so good it will get your man to propose, I am willing to settle for a man and children that don't roll their eyes and pretend to gag when I put the meal on the table. This one looks beautiful, and with the right sides you can please anyone with this dish! http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2006/07/engagement-chicken

Sausage "Pizza"

Long time no blog! Vacation has curtailed my paleo cooking, but I am back in the kitchen and ready to cook. I defrosted Italian Turkey Sausage links tonight and decided sausage pizza would be the only way I could get the rest of the family to eat the sausage. I used eggs as the crust and did add cheese to the kids half (ok, to my half too, I like cheese!) But you can do this recipe strict paleo if you please. Here is the recipe - everyone went back for seconds!

Sausage Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pkg turkey italian sausage

10 eggs mushrooms sliced

spinach

any other vegis you like to add to pizza

mozzerella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Spray pan with pam and cook sausage links for 5 min each side. Then cut in slices and cook until no longer pink. Crack eggs in bowl and whisk. Pour in a cookie sheet with sides ( I have a pampered chef stone cookie sheet that is perfect for this). Top with sausage, vegis and cheese and season. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove when eggs are set. Slice and serve. I served with fruit salad. yummmmmmm

Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Saucy Spaghetti Squash

Found some time to cook last night and thanks to Mike's recommendation of a great recipe site http://www.primal-palate.com/ I made a great dish that even the kids gobbled up. This recipe for Buffalo Chicken Tenders had a dipping sauce to go with it. I combined the sauce and spaghetti squash to squeeze in a vegi, and it turned out to be the perfect side for the spicy chicken. I rounded out the meal with a salad and cooked enough chicken for leftovers tonight. Hope you all enjoy as much as we did.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Saucy Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1-2lbs chicken breasts cut in one inch strips

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup Durkees or Franks Hot Sauce

1/4 tspn cayenne pepper

1 tspn garlic powder

Heat coconut oil until it is liquid and mix in rest of ingredients. Place chicken in gallon size ziplock bag and pour sauce over chicken & shake thoroughly. (make sure you do this quickly, when the coconut oil cools it will resolidify)

Lay out chicken tenders in a single layer in a shallow pan or a broiler pan(not a cookie sheet without sides) and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

Saucy Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash

1 cup greek yogurt

1 tbspn dill

1 tbspn garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook spaghetti squash how you like. I have found that piercing it with a knife and microwaving whole for 6 min, let it sit for 10 min and then cut in half, scoop out seeds, and fork out into a bowl works well. You can also cut it in half, scoop seeds, then place open sides down in a shallow dish of water and microwave for 6-8 min. Mix rest of ingredients and stir in squash. I then reheat the saucy squash right before serving so it is nice and hot. Serve the buffalo chicken tenders on top and the combined flavor is wonderful!

Apple Pie Shake

So, life still kind of busy for me lately and I again apologize for not adding more recipes. One thing I have been doing lately since I have been short of time is making protein shakes for breakfast. My current fave is an Apple Pie shake - easy as pie!

Apple Pie Protein Shake

1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup coconut milk
ice
apple peeled and cored
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup of my paleo granola (or add some pecans, flaxseed, coconut
dried cherries, raisins)

dump in the blender and blend, pour in a cup and drink!