Friday, July 31, 2009

Sweet and Refreshing!

When the sweet tooth comes knocking... this is nice!
Makes two 1.5 block servings:
1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 C fresh strawberries
3 T ProZone 30-30-40 Vanilla Bean
Blend with about 10-12 pieces ice until nice and frothy!
Can you drink it slow? I can't... It goes down easy!
Have a nice weekend! :)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Bloody Mary Marinade


Skirt steak is a favorite in our house! I recommend marinating steak overnight.
Marinade:
3/4 C V-8 juice
1/2 C Vodka
1 T Horseradish
1 T Lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper, dash onion powder, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce.
BBQ skirt steak. I served with a side salad, and steamed zucchini. I sauteed onions with 1 tsp olive oil and tossed with steamed zucchini for added flavor! Enjoy.
3oz skirt steak, 2 C salad, and 1 C zucchini, is roughly a 3 Block, Paleo meal.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Coconut Shrimp

YUM! This was a new recipe for me, and I'll be making it again!
1 lb. jumbo shrimp
1 C unsweetened fine shredded coconut
3 T lowfat coconut milk
2 eggs
Beat eggs and coconut milk, set aside
In a bag, mix finely shredded coconut with a little salt and pepper
One by one dredge shrimp in coconut milk/egg mixture and drop into bag of coconut to coat.
Put shrimp on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 20 minutes at 350 until browned. Serve with broccoli slaw.
I sauteed broccoli slaw with 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. Lemon grass, 1 tsp. chili pepper, 1 Tbsp coconut milk, and 1 clove minced garlic.
This was really yummy. Next time I would add some sweet red peppers to the broccoli slaw, and maybe serve with a side of fruit, as well.... like pineapple or mango! :) Enjoy!
With six large shrimp, and 1 1/2 cup broccoli slaw, this is about a 4 block zone/Paleo meal.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The Always Reliable...Chicken Salad!

We just got back from camping and our cupboards are bare! We had a lot of chicken breasts in the freezer, so we decided on a chicken salad for dinner. This was also a great opportunity to grill extra chicken for lunches!

Combine all rub ingredients with a mortar and pestle.
Rub recipe for grilled chicken:
Celery seed, mustard seed, fennel seed, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper.
I also added some organic no-salt seasoning and just a dash of cayenne pepper.
Rub on chicken breasts and grill. Slice chicken into 3oz servings and place on salad! Salad was only lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and chicken! I guess I better go shopping....
I simply use a little rice vinegar as dressing, but you could use your dressing of choice. This is VERY simple and quick, but as I said, having extra grilled chicken in the house is a lifesaver for lunches!!!

Monday, July 27, 2009

What's for breakfast?

This is an easy, quick and tasty breakfast! Remember with the zone, we need to eat within one hour after waking up! This is a 2 block Paleo breakfast:
1/2 Cup egg beaters
1 tsp. salsa
1 Cup blueberries
6 almonds

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Lemon Pepper Pork Loin

Marinate Pork loin for approx. 8 hrs. in:
2 T olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 C lemon juice
about 2 T fresh chopped rosemary and thyme
ground pepper
splash white wine

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes!
I served with steamed summer squash and sauteed spinach (with 1 tsp olive oil and more garlic). Serving size is 4oz pork, about 1 cup spinach and 1 cup summer squash, and I sprinkled a few slivered almonds over the spinach! I also enjoyed this with a 4 oz glass of Chardonnay (as I had some room for more carbs). This is a 3 block paleo dinner! Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Salmon Burgers


These are absolutely yummy! They are easy to prepare, really healthy, and affordable! I got these at Costco.
No need to thaw first, just heat 4 oz burger on the grill
I put it on top of broccoli slaw (sauteed with 1 tsp olive oil, and 1 Tbsp Lemon grass)
I also served with 1/2 Cup cantaloupe
This is a 3 block meal and is paleo. Enjoy!


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Stuff It!

If you like portobello mushrooms, this is great!!

Recipe:
5 portobello mushrooms
1 lb. ground italian sausage (this would also be tasty with ground lean beef or turkey burger... to cut the fat!)
1 zucchini, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
Seasoning: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pepper
Combine sausage with other ingredients and stuff in portobello mushroom cap.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

I served this with sauteed red chard in tsp. olive oil and garlic, steamed zucchini, and salad. It's a 3-4 block dinner! BUT... the fat is 5 blocks! So, If you are zoning it is not balanced. I am okay with, and actually perform well, with a little extra fat blocks with my main meals. This is also a total paleo recipe, which is something I've been trying... and liking! Hope you enjoy... It's one of my new favorites!


Monday, July 20, 2009

Cube Steak... who knew?


Hello! I am very excited to be posting on this site. I have been dedicated to the zone philosophy for about a year now. This site has been an incredible resource for information and recipes. Michele has been instrumental in encouraging my success in the gym, as my trainer, and as a motivating source for establishing healthy and performance enhancing practices with my diet! Thank you, so much!!!!
I hope to continue posting valuable information that may help with nutrition and exercise success, as well as interesting and new recipes. Recently, I have been dabbling with paleo/zone recipes, and have been really pleased with the outcome.
I bought a cube steak, because it's... well, cheap! I wondered what do do with it?? This is what happened, and it was really good!

Recipe: Cube Steak
3 - 4oz pieces cube steak
1/4 cub almonds (blend in food processor until fairly fine)
pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and other spices of your choice!
1 T olive oil

Coat steaks with almond and spice mixture
Heat oil and brown steaks for about 3-5 minutes on each side.
Serve with choice of vegetable and salad!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Changes Coming on the Blog...Bear with Us!

The Eat This blog will be making some changes! We will be introducing Kelly Greco as the primary "blogger" on the site as of Monday July 20th. I will still be around to answer any questions etc...but look for some exciting changes to come!

Stay Tuned...

Monday, July 6, 2009

Rest

Summer is an ideal time for something I think most of us do not get enough of...REST!!! I posted not too long ago about the importance of sleep, but are you getting enough rest? As Crossfitters, most of us push our bodies very hard, and give our nutrition more attention than the average American. However, all that can come undone if your body gets worn down with no recovery. So...spend a day or two relaxing and getting the recovery your body needs. It will only enhance the nutrition and exercise portions of your life that are already in place.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Simple Guidelines


I have posted this image before, but to me, it is such a great visual as to what the Zone is all about! Pretty simple huh???

CrossFit Santa Cruz Central