Apr112013

Pretty Darn Healthy Enchiladas

So I got this McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook from one of my clients who so generously and sweetly gave it to me. We both have a passion for cooking (hers having a more professional side of actually owning a restaurant) and so one day she gave this book to me as a gift “just because.”

And she specifically pointed out a recipe, “Spanish Rice Enchiladas.” As usual, I diverted somewhat from the recipe because I think you should make each recipe your own. I ended up making another batch right after because Chris was still hungry for more. Check it out–it made for two meals for two!

I ADDED CHEESE

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: About 4-6 normal people (makes 10-12 enchiladas)

Ingredients

1 cup rice (cooked, I use a rice cooker)
1/2 yellow onion
5 oz. spinach
beans of your choice (we had white)
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 clove garlic
1/4 block cheddar cheese (can be any kind but I lurve cheddar)
10 to 12 corn or flour medium tortillas (we used both kinds)
1 can enchilada sauce (16 oz)
salt & pepper
avocado (optional)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Chop up that onion. Doesn’t have to be fine pieces, but small enough to eat comfortably in the enchilada

Put the water and the onion in a saucepan and stir. I put some garlic in there too. Heat the onions up until they’re soft
Once onions are soft, put the spinach in the saucepan. I added some salt and pepper here to season it up because I love flavor.
Grate a good amount of cheese, depending on how cheesey you want your enchiladas

Once the spinach is softened, take the saucepan off the heat.
Stir in the rice, cumin, and soy sauce. Make sure it is all mixed around so it’s well-balanced

Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish
Put the rice-onion mix and cheese down the center of your tortilla

Roll the tortilla and have the folded side placed down. Keep doing so until casserole is full like sardines in a can.

Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce atop the enchiladas
Put in the oven for 30 minutes. This number worked perfectly for me. Just make sure the tortillas are cooked and the cheese is melted, which it most certainly should be
If you’d like, which I always do, chop up some avocado and put it on top

They are messy and delicious. The above picture is the second batch I made after Chris still wanted more. It’s that easy to do. We got to enjoy them while watching a great episode of Chopped All-Stars, where our girl Sunny Anderson won. Anyways, this is a quick, DELICIOUS (seriously) recipe full of fiber and protein to enjoy with others. And there will probably be leftovers too, just don’t eat them 30 minutes before a workout like I did the next day.

Drool attack

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah and I both cried while I cut up the onions. For some reason, Nymeria didn’t. I felt so bad, but didn’t think I should give him human eye drops.

Cheers!

Apr102013

Van Dyk’s: Best Ice Cream in the East

This is another stop during our New Jersey Easter vacation. Make sure you check out the last one, which will make your mouth water for baked goods. Unfortunately for you, you’re due for another drool-session. This time, make it ice cream. And yes “Team Gluttony” (see picture below) went to Van Dyk’s right after Abma’s.

“Team Gluttony”

What is Van Dyk’s? Probably the homemade ice cream store with the best black & white (aka chocolate and vanilla) milkshake I’ve ever had. We always go here on our stops in New Jersey, and during this trip we went too many times. Their ice cream is made right there in the little store and you can tell. Every bite is delicious and never tastes like artificial crap not worth paying for. For the first time, I got something other than the black and white shake (well…ONE of the times we went during a 2-day period). And I can personally say that their ice cream is just as tasty and satisfying as their shakes.

Me gulping down a milk shake

And let me tell you, I was never really even into milkshakes before this place. I am now. This ice cream trip was even better because we got to enjoy it with some newcomers and old timers, both of whom we hadn’t seen in a while. Friends and ice cream–hard combo to beat. [Note to family: my Powell ice cream genes are flourishing right now] Writing about this place makes me miss it…can’t wait until our next trip to Van Dyk’s for some delicious homemade ice cream.

Van Dyk’s little homey shop

Cheers! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

Apr092013

MMA Circuit Training: New Workout!

Hey everyone, so this might be a first on the blog site. I am going to provide you with one of my personal workouts for you perform. This one can be adjusted to fit your current level of conditioning. It also has a great progress tracking system. It’s essentially a full body workout that is meant to get your heart rate way up into the cardio-building and even fat burning range. If you haven’t subscribed to our YouTube channel make sure you do. As I am getting in better shape, I will be posting free workout videos! It’s like I’m personally training you, but it’s not quite personal… and it’s FREE!

You perform five exercises. Each for a set number of reps. You do not rest between exercises. Rest 30 seconds after each round. Then repeat until you are exhausted and cannot complete a round. That is when you stop. This one can be done at home or in the gym or a park. It requires no equipment but some can be used to make it more challenging. It’s very simple but very effective. Here it is:

1. Roundhouse kicks – 20 total

2. Split jumps – 10 total

3. Mountain climbers – 15 total

4. Elbow strikes – 20 total

5. Burpees – 10 total

I recently did this one at the end of a very long muscle workout and stopped only in Round 4 so I’ll be taking a rematch very soon! I haven’t done cardio in a VERY long time so once I start it up again I’ll have better luck.

Feel free to add some wrist weights, ankle weights, a weight vest, or use a standing or hanging bag in order to challenge yourself further. Use ALL OF THEM if you are a beast and want to stay hungry and fit!

Apr082013

Abma’s Farm: Baked Goods Wonderland

This is one of the many posts you will be receiving about our trip to and from New Jersey–Chris’ home. Since it’s mid-morning, I decided to start with Abma’s Farm. A magical place filled with baked goods and hungry farm animals. It’s a farm, nursery, petting zoo, and marketplace all in one! It is always a necessary stop for us when we visit. And it was, too, when I would visit him from New York while I was still in college.

It was our…third food stop of the day, and I think we got there around noon or 1 o’ clock. This day (Friday) was a special treat because two of my friends from college either drove all the way from the city (Jordan) or took the train all the way up from South Jersey (Kathleen). Hadn’t seen them in six months or so, and it was amazing to see them again. Another friend, Hilary, was about to drive from Connecticut as she was planning, but then got very sick, so she’s visiting this summer here in Boulder instead! We also got to have Chris’ good friend, Po, around with us pretty much the whole day. Awesomeness. See pic below of Kathleen (left) and Jordan (right) and one of Hilary and I.

Kathleen and Jordan

Hilary and I

“Po” with a delicious donut

“Team Gluttony”

Anyways, onto the important stuff–the FOOD (just kidding, guys, love ya). This place has all sorts of delicious items like mozzarella cheese, pies, peppers, and so forth. But what you come to Abma’s for is the BAKED GOODS. And especially from the baked goods, is their cinnamon donuts. Literally right from the oven which is a building away (about 50 feet from the marketplace). You see them bring a big batch in and it’s hard not to gobble less than four down at once. It was Easter weekend, so it was packed–which means lots and lots of baked goods. Everything tastes very fresh and, baked goods-wise, everything is pretty well-priced. It’s hard to beat and it’s definitely hard NOT to pig out. Which we of course did.

So tasty

Then there’s the farm animals which are usually adorable and hungry. In the case of today, where there were 10x more people than usual, they weren’t so hungry–but they were still pretty cute. Abma’s has room for pigs, ponies, mules, goats, chicks, chickens, and more! It’s always fun to see them and give them treats.

To summarize, Abma’s has it all. It’s always a place we’re excited to go to and leave feeling happy and full. The animals are always cute and make funny noises, the baked goods are always fresh, and the marketplace is always full of anything needed to be eaten. If you haven’t already, check it out when you’re in North Jersey!

Cheers!

BONUS KITTY PIC

“Katt” — Get it?

Apr042013

Spinach Feta Pie Recipe [NO CRUST]

This is another one pointed out to me by Mary Kate and it took two tries to get it just right. The second try was delicious and I hope to make it again and again–it’s healthy, nutritious, filling, and yummy! Though the ingredient list may look long, it really does not take much time at all! The recipe comes from here . Check it out:

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

10 oz frozen spinach
1/2 cup scallions
2 tbsp dill
2 tbsp parsley
1/2 cup feta
2 tbsp grated cheese (something akin to Romano, Parmesan, etc)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and oil up your cooking pan (I used a bread tin)
Thaw out the spinach. Cut up the dill, parsley, and scallions.

Beautiful chopped herbs/veggies

Mix the feta, parsley, dill, spinach, scallions, and grated cheese into the pie/bread dish

Beat the two eggs
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, salt, and olive oil

Pour into the pie dish with the rest of the ingredients and mix it around. Feel free to put in some pepper or other spices in that you would like as well

Ready for the oven

Pop it into the pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes. Mine took closer to 30 minutes. Just keep checking on it to see if, when you put a fork in the center, it comes out clean of batter.

And that’s it! It takes no time at all to whip up and it’s a very rewarding meal to cook. Try it out–and you can even use fresh spinach too, depends on what’s best for you. Cheers and enjoy!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Ridiculously cute picture of Nymeria

Apr022013

Hungry’s Monster Shake

So this is one of my “protein shake” recipes. I have a solid amount of go-to recipes for shakes and they change depending on what fitness goal I am trying to reach. I might add some more protein and calories if I am bulking. I might avoid checking carbs and fats if I am trying to gain weight. If I am cutting I will probably mix some isolated whey with water to minimize carb intake and calories. Right now, I am in a bulking phase, trying to put some quality muscle mass on and increase my strength. Thus, I have a relatively calorically rich, fatty, and protein abundant shake.

First, I place my two scoops of Cytosport Monster Milk in the bottom of the blender. You can use your protein supplement of choice. You can use a mass gainer if you’re really trying to bulk up. It’s up to you. Then I add two cups of milk; I’ve been using 1% lately because that’s what Fit likes to drink. Next comes one (or two) scoops of Breyer’s Natural Vanilla Ice Cream. Finally I throw a banana in there. Blend it until it’s the consistency of your choice and chug, or sip.

It’s not my best tasting recipe by any means but it’s refreshing enough and gets the job done. The reason why I drink protein shakes is that I need to often hit a certain protein intake that reflects my goals. If I’ve only consumed 160 grams of protein in a day and my goal is 225 grams, this shake can reach that deficit. You don’t need to have these shakes to get leaner or bigger and stronger, but they are a convenient and fast nutritional source. It takes me a lot longer to make some ground turkey or beef.

There is a lot of confusion as to when you need to consume protein after a workout. The truth is that you have a rather large window that it is still effective, and I mean a rather large window. Trust me, you’re not going to miss that window. I have my shakes typically after my workouts because I workout on a near empty stomach so I am starving by the end of my workouts and can consume a full dinner and a shake. Again, that’s all up to you.

The master product

If you have any questions relating to this post, please ask so you can stay hungry and fit!

Mar282013

Street Food Fail: Zoe Ma Ma (Boulder)

Here’s a quick review of a “restaurant” in Boulder that advertises that they serve yummy street food. It was a beautiful Friday night so we walked downtown and I was even wearing shorts and a t-shirt. We always want to try new food despite having some favorite locations. I had a craving for Chinese a few nights earlier after working out, and this arrived on Yelp, but we couldn’t make it because we didn’t have enough time. I’ll say that it was not the Chinese food that I was in the mood for, or will ever be.

They are right about one thing, it is street food. I, however, did not think that it was yummy. It also cost us $30.00 and did not fill us up at all. I ordered every piece of their three/four piece dim sum menu. They all tasted the same, very starchy and lacking keen flavors (even though one was chicken, one pork and one veggie). Alana ordered a veggie noodle bowl and I ordered the daily special, a duck noodle soup. It was the best part of the meal but still just lacked flavor and was insanely overpriced.

In the end we have no reason to return. It was average street food at restaurant prices. If you’re in Boulder County and want a good bowl of noodles, go to Kho’s Asian Bistro in Longmont. Health tip alert! (because that’s why we’re here right?) When traveling, have street food (find good stuff!) in small quantities to keep that metabolism working and to try different flavors in a new and exciting place.

Kho’s Shrimp Ramen

BONUS KITTY PIC

Sleepy Sajah

Mar272013

Fast Food Alert! Yo Quiero Taco Bell

After hearing via commercial or a billboard on the road that Taco Bell had a new Doritos Locos taco, with my favorite flavor (Cooler Ranch), I had to try it out. Even though we eat relatively healthy and stay away from most fast food, we don’t mind cheating, if you want to call it that. So, late night one night last week, we drove to the Taco Bell in town for some treats. It’s challenging for Alana because she has a sensitive stomach for low quality and greasy food… and she’s a vegetarian. But she’s a good trooper and more or less went to make me happy.

So I splurged a little and got a Doritos Locos Taco Cooler Ranch, one normal and one supreme, a half a pound chicken and potato burrito, a bean and cheese burrito, and a churro. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any churros so they gave us a marshmallow cookie sandwich and two apple empanadas. By the way, we asked for some hot sauces and they gave us about 10 of each. Let me say that I have no idea what the macros were on this meal, but the amount of fat must have been through the roof.

Our feast

Here is the review. The tacos were a guilty pleasure that I would get again, over and over. I probably prefer the non-supreme version. The chicken burrito was one of the least healthy pieces of food, if you call it that, that I have ever eaten. It was a struggle to finish. Alana ate most of her bean and cheese burrito but I finished it. She enjoyed the cookie sandwich, but I thought that the apple empanadas were absolutely disgusting.

All in all, us being hungry and fit, don’t be afraid to cheat from time to time. If you count cheat meals go for that, but feel free to indulge in a guilty pleasure from time to time. Otherwise you’ll go insane and once you have it, you’ll realize it’s not that great anyways. I don’t want Taco Bell for a while, but I was happy that we went. You can see the receipt below, it was cheap.

You can eat fast food and still stay hungry and fit!

Mar262013

Joe Weider: In Honor of The Creator

If you follow us, there is a decent chance you know who this man (Joe Weider) is. If you aren’t familiar with the name, then maybe you’ve heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Maybe you’ve even heard of a few magazines including Men’s Fitness, Shape, Flex, and Muscle&Fitness. Perhaps you’ve tried a Tiger’s Milk bar or some Schiff Glucosamine. You might have even read about the International Federation of Bodybuilders or Mr/Mrs Olympia. You can give Joe Weider credit for most of that.

Along with his brother Ben and his wife Betty Brosmer, Joe turned bodybuilding into what it is today. From building his own barbells from car parts, to writing magazines in his teenage years, Joe has done it all. Arnold claims he would have never come to the United States if it wasn’t for the man known as The Creator. Now he might have only stood 5’11” but all of his ideas and innovation could barely fit into that frame. Despite legal issues that surfaced as a result of some supplements not working (don’t buy weight loss pills) almost everything he has done has been golden for the fitness industry.

I just wanted to shortly thank Mr. Weider for providing me with so much. I’ve read his magazines, used his nutritional products, watched the Olympia and dreamed of magically getting my IFBB pro-card in the mail, and followed Arnold since I was a child. You can see in a past post that Arnold has always been one of my most influential figures in terms of my fitness quest since I was young. So once again, thanks, Joe; every time I go in the gym and load my plate with barbells, I’ll do an extra rep just for you.

Mar252013

The Easiest Healthiest Dessert Recipe Ever: Sweet Baked Pears

I really need to cut down on these title lengths. Anyways, to the recipe. I discovered this recipe through a program I work with at the YMCA, called MEND. It’s a free program to fight childhood obesity and change the lifestyle to a healthy one at home. It’s been very successful! During each session, the participants get a MEND “cookbook”–a compilation of MEND-friendly (aka HEALTHY) recipes. This is from there. This is a guilt-free recipe. It’s basically fruit, cheese, and cinnamon. ENJOY!

Finished product

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients [serves 6-8 people]

6 pears (if you’re less-hungry people, you can use less)
1 1/3 cup ricotta
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
Wash the pears and cut them into halves

Scoop out the seeds and most of the middle

Put the pears on a baking sheet (no oil required) and put in the oven for 20 minutes
Let’s now turn our focus to the mixture. Put all the other ingredients (ricotta, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and agave/honey) into a small-medium bowl and mix! Feel free to taste

Put the mixture into the fridge to chill until you serve.
Take out the pears from the oven after 20 minutes
When ready to serve, put dollops of mixture in the hollowed part of the pears!

And that’s IT! Seriously amazing, delicious, and you don’t feel bad eating it because there isn’t any crap in it. This is a recipe I will be frequenting. I whipped it up very quickly after a gym session before we went to a friend’s house for dinner–it’s amazingly simple for how delicious it is. Enjoy!

BONUS KITTY PIC