Maple Walnut Chicken

I typically don't like cooking chicken breast on the stovetop because it can easily end up dry and flavorless. So when I found the original version of this recipe I was a little skeptical. Turns out, all I had to do was make a few changes in the preparation of the chicken, and it turned out AH-mazing!! This is one of those recipes that definitely gets you in the mood for fall, with the warm maple flavor and the toasted walnuts. It made my house smell like an expensive fall candle! It's cozy comfort food without the full, bloated feeling afterward.

Ingredients

• 4 piece(s) chicken breast(s), boneless skinless (4-6 oz)
• 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon(s) thyme, fresh
• 1 teaspoon(s) sea salt
• ¹/₄ teaspoon(s) black pepper freshly ground
• ¹/₂ cup(s) walnuts chopped
• ¹/₃ cup(s) apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoon(s) maple syrup
• ¹/₂ cup(s) water

Instructions

1. Combine olive oil, thyme, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. If your chicken breasts are thicker cut like mine, butterfly each piece
3. Pound each chicken breast with a tenderizing mallet to flatten out and allow the juices to soak in.
4. Rub chicken with seasoning and let stand.
5. In a 12" nonstick skillet, toast walnuts over medium-low heat 4-6 min or until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly. Note: walnuts may burn quickly if left unattended.
6. Transfer walnuts to dish, and turn heat up to medium under the hot skillet.
7. Add chicken to same skillet. Cook 12 min or until done, turning frequently.
8. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
9. Add apple cider vinegar to the chicken drippings in the hot skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
10. Add maple syrup and water, and simmer 6-7 min until slightly thickened. Stir in walnuts and serve on top of chicken.

Instant Pot Pinapple Chicken

This is my latest go-to recipe for when I'm short on time. Perfect for those nights when I forget to prep something in the morning, and I'm wondering what the heck I'm gonna do with whatever cut of chicken I have thawed out. The flavors are light and summery, and very versatile. You can serve over salad greens, spiralized veggie noodles, or over rice, depending on your tastes. The best part about this recipe is that all you have to do is dump it all in the instant pot and turn it on. No prep work (aside from cutting the chicken)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1” chunks
• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos 
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion (garnish)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients, except green onions, into Instant Pot
2. Close lid.
3. Press Poultry button.
4. Pot will automatically set itself for 15 minutes, high pressure.
5. Allow to cook.
6. Once cooking has stopped, turn off Instant Pot 
7. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
8. Carefully open lid and remove from pot.
9. Stir.
10. If you’d like to thicken the sauce a bit, simply stir in a teaspoon of arrowroot starch mixed with a tablespoon of water.
11. Then, press the Saute button.
12. Cook until sauce thickens to your liking.
13. Turn off Instant Pot.
14. Serve with green onion garnish.

Starting a new fitness routine: Tips for beginners

With summer looming--or for some of us, already here-- a lot of people are suddenly concerned about how they will look by the pool when the temps start rising. Living in Arizona, I am always surprised at how many people in the southwest wait until the heat reaches triple digits to begin a workout routine. In the land of endless summer, where it's a beautiful 70 degrees even in the winter, I would personally prefer to start a workout program when the chances of heat stroke are much lower. But I digress...

As I mentioned, I get a lot of questions about new fitness regimens right around this time of year. I figured I would put all of the answers to these questions into one location so that it's easy for people to go back and reference.

Set Yourself Up For Success

I think that first and foremost, motivation needs to be addressed. The best workout for you, is the one that you'll stick to. This is one of the reasons why I don't recommend that people begin a new program in the summer time in Arizona. It's just too damn hot, which only serves to dampen most people's enthusiasm after about a week or so (the exception might be some kind of water workout: swimming, water aerobics, crossfit style workouts in the pool, etc). If you live in a cooler climate, you may be an exception to this rule, but the bottom line remains the same: take external factors into consideration when choosing a program. You wouldn't sign up for a Zumba class that took place right in the middle of your child's nap schedule, so why would you begin a running program in the middle of the hottest part of the year? All of these elements influence the way you approach your workout, and can easily become a deciding factor in whether or not you stick to it.

Part of setting yourself up for success is being realistic with your goals. If your goal is to lose 20 lbs by summer, and it's already the end of May, you're going to be disappointed with your results. I can't tell you how many people come to train with us with these unrealistic expectations, and then when they don't see the number on the scale plummet overnight, or they don't have six pack abs the first week, decide that working out just doesn't work. When it comes to fitness, slow and steady really does win the race. By patient with yourself, and don't bite off more than you can chew when you're first starting out. People tend to get overly enthusiastic when they begin a new routine. They want to dive right in to the advanced Olympic lifting, or sign up for a full marathon, or simply enroll in every program all at once, which leads to burnout. Not only that, but they are much more likely to injure themselves, which can sideline someone for months, if not years.

If your goal is weight loss, about a pound a week is reasonable depending on where you're starting out. If your goal is to run a marathon, set mini goals working your way up to it. Start off with a couch to 5k, and build from there. And don't make weight loss your primary focus. Focus on building speed, stamina, and strength, and the weight will take care of itself.

Show Up

99% of life is just showing up! Everybody has days where they're just not feelin it. They have to drive carpool, there's a big deadline looming, the house is a mess, etc. There are endless tasks in our everyday lives that can distract us from our personal goals. Whenever I have one of these days, I don't consider my workout any less of a priority. Instead, I take it one step at a time. I  first tell myself that I'm just going to get dressed to workout, and see how I feel. Then I'll put my shoes on, and tell myself I'll just go outside and see what I feel like doing. Then I get outside, and I tell myself I'll just start warming up. After I warm up, I consider the workout. I tell myself, that I may not even do the whole thing, or I'll just go at my own pace without timing myself, and on and on and on... But every single time I go through this thought process (once I actually start the workout) I feel like I can push myself a little more and a little farther, until next thing I know, I've not only done the whole workout, but actually crushed it! I figure once I show up, I'm already there, so I might as well just give it what I've got.

This can apply to any kind of workout, even if it just means putting on your sweats and jumping around to P90X in the comfort of your own living room. Once you've moved that coffee table out of the way, you might as well do what you've set out to do.

Be Consistent

One of the most important pieces of advice that I can give anyone starting a new routine, is to just do something every day. So you had to work late and missed your spin class? Go home and do a five minute bodyweight workout while the kids do their homework. Workouts don't have to be long and complicated to be effective. As long as the intensity is there (i.e. you're breathing heavy for several minutes) you won't be wasting your time. The rule of thumb is that the longer the workout, the lower the intensity. So if you keep it short, just make sure you're constantly moving during that time frame to keep the heart rate up. Or you could incorporate the family, and go for a bike ride, take the soccer ball to the park, or simply go for a brisk walk. There are endless ways to fit fitness into your routine aside from a structured program. As long as you move every day, you won't have to worry about losing all of your progress just because you weren't able to make it to that class at the gym on Tuesday.

Have Fun!

Like I said in the beginning: The best workout program for you is the one that you'll stick to. And you're not going to stick with something that you don't enjoy! If you're not having fun, you're not going to keep showing up, no matter how much you try to guilt yourself into it. Also, if you're not enjoying the process, you're not going to give it your best effort. Which means that you won't see the results that you should be seeing. No trainer wants to have clients walking around telling people that they're following their program if they're not getting anything out of it. External motivation can only do so much before the inside job begins. If you find that CrossFit isn't your thing, go try out a dance class, or kickboxing! Find an activity that sets you on fire and pursue it with all of your passion. That's the program that is going to give you the best results.

Sweet and Spicy Paleo Chicken Fingers

This is a little different from the normal paleo chicken fingers I typically make. I've been making the same things a lot lately, so I wanted to find a way to spice up (in this case, literally) my family's favorites. This is a great twist on the normal chicken finger recipe, with a sticky sauce that is seriously addicting! If you like dipping your chicken, I would recommend making extra sauce and using that to dunk the chicken fingers after they're cooled. If you don't do paleo you could also do a yogurt dressing or traditional ranch dressing if you're so inclined.

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups almond flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup tapioca starch
• 1 lb chicken tenders
• ¾ cup honey
• ⅓ cup hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Place the almond flour, sea salt, and pepper into a bowl and stir it together. Whisk together eggs in a separate bowl. Pour your tapioca starch into a third bowl.

3. Dip the chicken tenders, one at a time, into the tapioca or potato starch, then into the egg then into the almond flour. Lay the chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake the chicken for 25 minutes or until it begins to brown.

5. While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce. In a small frying pan over high heat bring the honey, hot sauce and garlic powder to a boil then set it aside.

6. When the chicken has finished baking remove it from the oven and turn the oven to broil. Dip each of the chicken tenders in the sauce then lay them back on the baking sheet. Save the extra sauce.

7. Put the chicken back in the oven for 2-5 minutes for the glaze to caramelize slightly. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn.

8. Baste the chicken with any extra sauce once they come out of the oven.

Slow cooker apple cinnamon pork tenderloin

Seems like most crock pot pork recipes always turn into some kind of mushy pork slop by the time they're done cooking. But I always have good luck with tenderloin, so it's pretty much the only cut of pork that I buy now. I love this recipe in particular because tenderloin is so lean that it can often turn out dry, even in the slow cooker. But the apples infuse the meat with moisture and flavor, and also make the whole house smell absolutely amazing!! I honestly don't venture out of my comfort zone much when it comes to new tenderloin recipes. But this one is always a hit, so I make it fairly often and nobody ever gets tired of it.

Ingredients

2 lb. boneless pork loin roast;

3 medium apples, peeled and sliced;

¼ cup honey; (optional)

1 red onion, halved and sliced;

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon;

1 cup chicken stock;

Cooking fat;

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

 

Instructions

1. Season the pork to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Melt some cooking fat in a large skillet placed over a high heat and brown the roast on all sides.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut 3-inch deep slits into the pork.
4. Insert the apple slices into each pork slit.
5. Place half of the remaining apples in the bottom of a slow cooker.
6. Place the roast over the apples.
7. Drizzle the honey on top of the roast, then add the onion and remaining apples.
8. Add the chicken stock and sprinkle everything with cinnamon.
9. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Turkey stuffed peppers

I originally found this ground turkey mixture on whatiscookingnow.com. It was supposed to be a recipe for turkey zucchini boats, but after testing out the recipe the way it was originally intended I found that it turned out a lot better as a stuffed pepper recipe. I included the pictures of both versions for reference. If you still prefer to do stuffed zucchini boats all you have to do is reduce the cooking time by about ten minutes. These are also amazing with a single slice of Havarti cheese melted on top.
Being 15 weeks pregnant, I still get my cravings, and cheese is usually at the top of the list. It's not paleo, but I figure there could be a lot worse foods to crave, right? During my last pregnancy there were some days where it was literally the only thing I wanted to eat ALL DAY LONG. My cheese cravings aren't as strong this time around, but I still feel the need to add a slice here and there to some of the dishes I make. And I don't hear the rest of the family complaining, since these only lasted a day!
And just a little fun fact: any time you add dairy to a paleo recipe, it's considered "primal" rather than paleo.

Ingredients:
1½ lb lean ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup almond flour
¼ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 bell peppers sliced lengthwise

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add ground turkey, onion and garlic to skillet; cook 7 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink, stirring to crumble.
• Transfer turkey mixture to a bowl; mix in almond flour, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Scoop seeds of the peppers, and discard.  Stuff turkey mixture evenly into bell pepper shells.
• Place on a baking sheet or dish. Bake 35 minutes (25 min for stuffed zucchini) or until the peppers are tender.

Instant Pot Bone Broth

I used to always think that the term "bone broth" was so pretentious. I saw celebrities endorsing their morning bone broth in their super cutesie mugs, and all the wanna-be insta-famous girls quickly followed suit. I mean really, who pays twelve freaking dollars for a 16 oz carton of chicken soup without the chicken?? This is part of the reason why I've put off trying it for so long.
But let me tell you, there IS a difference!
First let me clarify the difference between broth, stock, and bone broth. Like many people, I thought they were all one in the same. They are all related, in that they all involve boiling some form of meat, bones, and seasonings, but they are all created for different purposes.

Traditional broth (not to be confused with bone broth) is mainly water boiled with vegetables, seasonings, and some bones. It is very light and flavorful, and stays liquid when chilled.
Stock is much thicker than broth. It is mainly water boiled with bones, sometimes with meat still attached, along with vegetables and seasonings. The point of stock is to extract the collagen and other nutrients from the bones, giving it a heavy gelatinous consistency. It must be watered down in order to be used for soups or other broth-like purposes.
Bone broth is the happy medium between stock and traditional broth. It is thicker than normal broth, due to the fact that the goal is the same when cooking a stock: to extract the nutrients and collagen from the bones. But bone broth is lighter than stock, making it easier to enjoy on its own, or in place of a traditional store-bought broth. In other words, bone broth is packed with all the nutrition of a stock, but with the convenience of a broth. The perfect hybrid.

Drinking bone broth has a multitude of health benefits. It's great for joints due to the fact that it's chock full of glucosamine, chondroitin sulphates and other joint lubricating compounds. It's also a great source of collagen; which has been known to make skin appear younger, along with strengthening hair and nails, helping them to grow more quickly. Others claim it has immune boosting and anti-inflammatory effects (although there is no scientific evidence to support this).
But honestly, the bottom line is that it tastes great, and what the hell...it can't hurt, right?

My bone broth recipe is less of a recipe, and more of a general guideline. Feel free to play with it. I had a leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, so I used that, but you can use whatever kind of bones you have lying around. All I did was pick the meat off, throw the bones in, and top with apple cider vinegar, veggies, herbs, and water before I turned on the instant pot.

Ingredients:
-2-3 lbs of Bones (as much or as little as you like, whatever kind you like, I used chicken bones)
-2-3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
-Assorted vegetables (whatever you have on hand. I used onion, carrots, and celery)
-1 teaspoon sea salt
-Two bay leaves
-Whatever fresh herbs you have on hand

Instructions:
1. Just place the bones in the instant pot and top with ACV, herbs, veggies, and salt
2. Add water until the pot is about 2/3 full
3. Select the "soup" function and set to low. Manually adjust the cooking time to 120 min.
4. Once it is done cooking, allow the pressure to release on its own.
5. Strain all of the bones and vegetables out of the broth and toss them.