Radishes, Jicama, I am trying new things!

I think I am open-minded when it comes to trying new foods.   However, when it comes to vegetables, I was almost certain I have tried all there is to try….. And then the other day I was on Pinterest and low and behold, a recipe for roasted radishes.  Radishes?  Hmmm, I have only seen those on salads and I never buy them.  I do not really enjoy the bitter taste.  From the reviews of the recipe though, I thought I would give it a try.  The recipe was simple enough and a 16-oz bag of radishes was $1.29, so I thought why not give it a try?  I am glad I did!  The roasted radishes were very good (however, some of the reviews stated they tasted like potatoes…. I did not agree with that, haha).

Also, a few months ago when I was in San Diego, I went to a restaurant and enjoyed a spicy shrimp burrito in a jicama shell.  It was tasty, but when I returned back home, I never looked for it, because I really had no idea what it was.  Then, our friend invited us over for dinner and she had raw jicama cut up.  Again, another amazing vegetable I have been missing out on.  Often referred to as a “Mexican turnip,” it looks like a white potato. You can cook jicama too, but I have been eating it raw.  It has mild sweet taste, but is good for dipping into homemade guacamole.

I decided I need a week off from work to make all the recipes I have saved, printed out, emailed myself, etc.  Honestly, I must have about 50 that I really want to try making, and just not enough time to make it all.  Do you think my boss will be okay with that?  Probably not, haha.  Oh, and I also just received a new cookbook from Juli Bauer of www.paleomg.com which has a bunch more recipes I need to make.  I am glad the radish recipe is easy to make and takes no time at all…. Leaves me time to make lots of other things (I miss my double oven!). 

Roasted Radishes

Ingredients

1 – 16 oz. bag of radishes

Olive Oil

Salt, pepper to taste

** Experiment with this, try different herbs and see how they turn out.  I used some fresh thyme from the garden and it was very good.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 455 degrees.  Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet (helps with easy clean up).
2. Toss radishes with olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl to coat.
3. Spread the radishes on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet in an even single layer.
4. Roast for 20-30 minutes.  Check on them frequently and give them a little stir to prevent burning.
5. When the radishes are a little brown, wrinkled, and soft, they are done.
6. Enjoy!

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Beach Time Bliss and a Raw Dessert

Cilantro for Cinco de Mayo!

I have to say goodbye to April and hello to May, which when you live in Georgia means it is about summertime.  Soon, the weekends will be spent at the beach and my skin will turn a nice shade of brown.  Don’t worry, I will be wearing my sunscreen, but when you live at the beach, you are bound to get a little sun.  I am quite happy about this, as my white legs are starting to annoy me.  Haha.

My husband and I took a mini vacation to Chattanooga this past weekend.  We had planned to do a little trail running and simply unplug.  We stayed at a place called “Cabin in the Clouds.”  I booked it through VRBO.  It was a really cute cabin and had a great view.  However, it rained all weekend.  Kinda torrential downpour type of rain.  On Saturday, we did a little trail running and we were quite wet and muddy when we finished.  Sunday though, we had planned to go to the aquarium, but instead, stayed in our pajamas and watched movies all day.  It was a much needed getaway.

I was worried about my garden since I was away for the weekend, and it did not seem as though Savannah had the same downpour that Chattanooga had.  But luckily, everything still looks good.  I still need to buy stakes since the plants are growing taller and taller every day.

Recipe this week is a raw dessert.  While I was in Chattanooga, I was leafing through one of the magazines that were left behind and I found this amazing recipe.  I have no idea what the magazine was, so sorry for stealing the recipe, but it is too good not to share.  Enjoy!

Bliss Cup

Ingredients

¾ cup pitted dates (about 16)

3.5 cups of water

1 cup raw cashews

2 TBSP vanilla extract

½ tsp sea salt

3 avocados – peeled, pitted, and mashed

¾ cup raw carob powder

1 pint raspberries

1 TBSP agave nectar (optional) - I did not use it, raspberries were sweet enough.

Instructions

1.  Soak dates in 1.5 cups of water for 20 min.  Drain and reserve the date water.
2. Soak raw cashews in 2 cups of water for 20 min.  Drain and set cashews aside (you do not need to keep this water).
3. In food processor, blend ½ cup dates, half of vanilla, and half of salt until smooth.  Add mashed avocados and process until smooth.  Add carob powder and 1-2 TBSP of reserved date water.  Blend into smooth mousse.  Set aside.
4. In blender, combine cashews, remaining dates, vanilla extract, and salt and ½ cup date soaking water.  Blend until you get smooth cream.
5. Mix raspberries with agave in separate bowl.  The agave is optional though.
6. To assemble, spoon ½ cup of mousse into bottom of parfait glass.  Follow with ¼ cup of berry mixture, and then ¼ cup of cream.

** Makes 4 servings

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Chocolate Coconut Almond Milk Shake

Happy Earth Day!  What earth day festivities are you participating in this year?  I am planning on doing a little Crossfit in the morning, then Yoga, Lululemon trunk show followed by a Clothing Swap.  After all that, I am going to visit the farmer’s market and all the associated Earth day activities at the park.  I entered a raffle to win a rain barrel.  I hope I win!

My garden is growing things, whoop whoop!  I am seriously excited!  This is the first time I have not killed a plant within a week of planting it.  I have watered those babies every night when I get home from work, even though the bugs have started taking a liking to my delicious blood.  I swear I was out there for one minute and already had three bug bites.  I am prepared now when I go out there… I dress myself head to toe, so the only available spot to bite is my face…. This has not happened yet.  Oh yeah, I have to purchase tomato cages because the plants are actually reaching a height where they need them.

In other news, I will be teaching Pilates/Yoga again starting in May.  I am excited to get back to teaching and I know once I teach, it forces me to do Pilates and Yoga on my own a lot more.  I love both of them, but there is only enough time in the day for so many things.

I have seriously been craving ice cream lately, and when I say seriously, I mean every day for the past week.  Maybe because the weather has been in the 80’s all week and I have been wearing shorts every night.  One treat that I have found is a good substitute for ice cream cravings is my chocolate coconut almond milk shake.  It is cold, creamy, and delicious and hits the spot every time.  Oh and feel free to omit the coconut, it is still delicious without it.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Coconut Almond Milk Shake

Ingredients

1.5 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 TBSP Raw cocoa powder

2 TBSP Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (optional)

1 frozen banana

Instructions

Place all ingredients in blender.

Blend (my blender has a “Frozen Drinks” setting and I just press that.  Otherwise, I would say blend for about 15-20 seconds or until everything has been pulverized.)

Enjoy!

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Chicken Nuggets

Spring is here!!  Wahoo!  I was very busy this weekend enjoying the spring weather.  I planted my very first garden.  Cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, cilantro, basil, and some other herbs, I cannot remember them all.  I hope I can actually grow a few vegetables.  I would hate to have nothing to show for at the end of the season, haha.  I also decided to buy a compost bin, well make my own for outside and purchased a small one for the countertop.  I am excited to see how it works out.

I am currently reading “Kick your Fat in the Nuts.”  The title was pretty amusing, so I decided to give it a read.  It is interesting thus far and I will be sure to summarize when I am done reading.  So far, there has been a bit of good advice, but there is also a lot of talk of testing your pH and finding any imbalances you may have.  I will have to read more and then decide if I want to check my pH and other body indicators, that just sounds weird.

Recipe for this week is healthy chicken nuggets.  The coating is made with almonds and coconut.  I dipped them in mustard, but the link also includes a healthy BBQ sauce.  Enjoy! 

 

Paleo Chicken Nuggets from MultiplyDelicious (slightly altered from the website recipe)

http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2011/09/coconut-chicken-nuggets-with-paleo-bbq-sauce/

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken

1 egg yolk

½ cup almonds or ½ cup almond flour

½  tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

Salt, pepper to taste

Coconut oil

In separate bowl for dipping mixture:

½  cup almonds or ½ cup almond flour

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine ground chicken, ½ cup almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, egg yolk and salt & pepper. 
2. In a sauté pan, melt coconut oil on medium heat. 
3. Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the chicken mixture and roll into a ball and then coat with the coconut and almond mixture.  Repeat with the remaining chicken.  You should make about 15 to 18 chicken nugget/balls.
4. In small batches, place nuggets into heated coconut oil and cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer nuggets to a parchment lined bake pan and place in oven for 4 to 5 minutes to allow the chicken to cook through.  Repeat with the remaining chicken nuggets.

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Make your own coconut milk and flour

As you all know, I read “Wheat Belly” and I have been following the Paleo diet for a bit.  However, occasionally in cooking, I need a thickener for a soup or curry or just need some flour for my pumpkin pancakes.  There are a lot of alternatives to wheat flour.  Nut flours, coconut flours, etc.  Coconut flour is expensive.  Way more expensive than wheat flour.  For a 16 oz. bag of Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour, it costs $5.24 (or $0.33/oz.).  In contrast, a 48 oz. bag of Bob’s Red Mill organic whole wheat flour costs $3.14 ($0.06/oz.).   In addition, you can buy a whole gallon of milk for $4.00 (128 ounces) or a can of coconut milk for $2.99 (13.6 oz.), which equates to $0.03/oz. vs. $0.22/oz. So, what is a girl to do?  Make your own!

I bought a lot of shredded coconut at the store the either day.  It must have been on sale.  Googled how to make coconut milk and flour and decided to give it a go. It was super easy.  I used one cup of coconut and that produced the equivalent of about 2 cans of coconut milk and about 1 cup of coconut flour, all for about $1.00.  You can use the coconut milk for smoothies too and it is delicious.  I used it in a soup and it turned out great.

Homemade coconut flour and coconut milk

Ingredients

1 cup shredded coconut

4 cups water

Instructions

Put your shredded coconut and water in a blender and let it sit several hours.  I left mine overnight.

Blend your coconut and water.

Strain the mixture through a strainer or cheesecloth, whatever you have and collect the liquid into a cup or bowl.  That’s your coconut milk.  Refrigerate the milk if you are not going to use right now.

The leftover coconut will be used to make the flour.

Set the oven to 200°.  Make sure your leftover coconut has minimal water left it in.

Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil and spread the coconut over the sheet.  Bake until the coconut is completely dried out.

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Spicy Turkey Burgers with Bacon

Only 4 more days of the Paleo Challenge!  That went really fast.  Not sure what my end results will be, but it has been fun.  I did eat and drank non-Paleo items on St. Patrick’s Day, but other than that, I stuck with it.  I have tried quite a few new recipes and really loved reading about everything all the other members of the challenge were cooking up in their kitchens.  I retested on a workout I completed at the beginning and I shaved two and a half minutes from my time.  Not too bad!  I also have noticed my sleep quality has been improving.   I need to come up with a new challenge now…. Any ideas?  Maybe a running challenge?

Now, let’s talk about the weather.  I am ready for warm weather.  I know it is not even April yet, but I moved south for a reason, haha.  60 degree days are just not where I need it to be.  70’s is where I like it.  I want to be able to run in the mornings in shorts and a tank top.  I am ready to retire my long sleeves for a little while (you know, for the next 6 months).  My husband and I are going to start planning our garden this weekend (you read that right, it said “plan” not “plant” – 1 step at a time).  The “plan” is to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, and a variety of herbs.  I will provide photo updates. 

One thing I love about living in Georgia is we use our grill all year long.  But, there are some nights I need to cook inside and turkey burgers are one of those items that turn out well in the frying pan.  This is a very easy recipe and very tasty.  Enjoy!

Spicy Turkey Burgers with Bacon

Ingredients

4 slices bacon

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

1 can diced green chilies

1 egg

2 TBSP HOT salsa

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

Salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients.  If you have time, put the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes.  This makes it easier to form and the burgers stay together a little better.
2. Cook your bacon (any way you would like – stove top, oven, or microwave). 
3. Get out your frying pan and turn it to medium heat.  Allow the pan to heat up.  Spray it with olive oil. 
4. Form burger out of your mixture and cook until the center is no longer pink.
5. Serve burger and crumbled bacon over greens with avocado and salsa.

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal

Goals Update

Figure it is about time to check on the status of my 2013 goals – basically because I made some major headway and feel the need to share.

1. Read more books – at least 2 per month (whether it is on the Kindle, paperback, hardback, whatever, on whatever topic I choose) – Definitely on this one.  I am reading “Eat to Live” right now.  It is a pretty good book, focuses a lot on eating a vegetarian diet, which I do not do.  It does emphasize the need for nutrients though in everything you eat.
2. 2 Unassisted Pull-ups (No band assistance) – 1 done!!  Woooohhhhh!! I have it, well, one.  I am not sure it looks pretty, but whateve.  That means I still have 9 months to get another one.  J
3. Prescribed weights on 90% of CF workouts – About 75% of my workouts have been at prescribed weights lately.  Not too bad.
4. Cook 90% of meals at home (that equates to a maximum of 2 meals out per week) – Consistently sticking to this.  Participating in the Paleo Challenge helps because I rather stay home and eat so I ensure I know what is in the food I am eating – No hidden sugars, wheat, or other non-Paleo items
5. Maintain my blog – at least one post per week – Check!  Hopefully, you are enjoying the recipes and updates.

Also, I had my Sunday cooking day.  Here is a picture of the fridge in case you wanted to see it (don't mind the beer - that is my husband's portion of the fridge, haha).  I made creamy chicken casserole, ratatouille, grilled vegetables, chili, sweet potatoes, egg frittatta, and roasted cabbage.  It should be enough to last through the week.

Sun-dried Tomato, Kale, and Mushroom Egg Frittatta

6 Eggs

1 cup Egg Whites

1 package mushrooms

1-2 cups kale

½ pkg sun-dried tomatoes

1 onion

1-2 cloves minced garlic (or just throw a heaping spoonful into the pan)

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Sauté onions and garlic with olive oil in pan for a few minutes.  Throw in the mushrooms.  Then throw in the kale and cook until kale is wilting slightly.

3. Put eggs and egg whites into a bowl and beat eggs until mixed.

4. Grease casserole pan with olive oil.

5. Pour egg mixture into casserole pan followed by veggie mixture.  Line the top with the sun dried tomatoes.

6. Bake until firm- about 35 min.

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal