ginger chili turkey sliders

I had a large ginger root that I needed to finish.. so I cooked up these little "sliders" last night.  I used cucumbers as buns which gave them a really nice cool crunch with the warm patties.  I like to use turkey breast because it is very lean but you could substitute chicken or regular turkey!

ginger chili turkey breast sliders with guacamole

1/2 package of ground turkey breast

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon Sriracha garlic chili paste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a bowl combine all ingredients.  Form into small bite-size patties (the same size as your sliced cucumbers) in your palms and place onto a greased pan.  On medium-low heat cook thoroughly, flipping every couple of minutes.  Serve on top of sliced cucumbers with guacamole!

for my guacamole I like to keep it chunky so I be sure not to mix it too much with a fork.   I always make mine by mixing in cilantro, garlic, lime, onion, cayenne, and diced tomatoes.

yields: 12 small sliders or 2-3 large burgers

biceps back abs

today was dedicated to our favorite swimsuit muscles

warm-up:

10 minute jog

10 minute jumprope, double-unders

superset #1:

bicep curl 21's, EZ bar

reverse grip pull-ups

superset #2:

bent over reverse dumbbell flyes

dumbbell bicep curls

superset #3:

lying t-bar rows

double kettlebell alternating hand cleans

burn-out

deadlift, dropset

cauliflower buffalo wings

I recently went to a restaurant that served these and I thought they were so exciting.  Regular chicken wings usually pack around 100 calories, each!  And not to mention half of those calories come from fat.  The process of baking the cauliflower in whole wheat batter softens the pieces making the consistency smooth and juicy just like chicken wings!  Serve them with a side of blue cheese yogurt dressing (recipe below) and some celery of course!

whole wheat cauliflower "un-wings"

1 1/2 cups cold water (just 1 cup if you use white flour)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 head of cauliflower, cut in pieces

3/4 cups Franks Hot Sauce

1 tablespoon melted butter

Mix together water, flour, and garlic powder.  Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter and place onto a lightly greased pan (I sprayed olive oil on my pan).  Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and drizzle the hot sauce/butter combination over the top.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes, remove and enjoy!

blue cheese greek yogurt dressing

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

7 ounces fat free greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

crushed black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients well in a bowl.  Yields 1 cup of dressing.

Recipes adapted from skinnytaste.com

chest + tris

How many reps should you be doing? You really don't want your reps to exceed 10-12, and if they do up the weight!  The ideal range you want to be lifting is about 5-10 strong, perfectly formed repetitions.  I see too many women at the gym using too light of weights, you need to tear down your muscles in order to build them up and you probably won't be able to do that with 5lb dumbbells!

workout of the day

warm-up:

10 minutes cardio (jog to the gym?)

superset warm-up:

3 sets push-ups, max reps

3 sets smith machine incline pull-ups, max reps

4 sets dumbbell incline presses, max reps,

superset 1:

4x8 dumbbell flyes (lying)

4x8 dumbbell flat bench presses

superset 2:

3 sets EZ bar french press, max reps

3 sets body-ups, max reps

3 sets single arm tricep pull-downs

handstand push-ups
use a wall for stability if you need it

(I use this as a test to see if I worked out hard enough! you don't want to be able to do more than 3)

25 minute outdoor jog

treat tuesday

One thing that people frequently ask me is how I am able to stick to eating healthy each day and not have sudden urges to eat a fast food meal... my answer to that is simple: never restrict yourself.  Learn what poor diets do to your body and feel the performance difference that your body has when you eat clean foods.  Here is one treat that I like to make for myself, it definitely cures that sweet tooth.  One tip is to cut a few pieces for yourself and give the rest away to friends!



chocolate chip rice krispy treats

I've found that the milk makes the treats creamier and the additional marshmallows added at the end make them fluffier and sweeter.  Feel free to add vanilla bean, candies, or other cereals to make them even more unique!

1/4 cup butter

6 cups mini marshmallows (approx. 1 1/2 bags), divided

2 tablespoons skim milk

5 cups rice krispies cereal

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt the butter in an large pot and add 4 cups of the mini marshmallows.  Stir until melted.  Mix in the milk, remove from heat, and add the cereal.  Once cooled off, add remaining 2 cups of marshmallows and the chocolate chips.  Spread over wax paper to completely cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

chana masala (curried chickpeas)

Packed with spices, fiber, protein, and zero salt..

Great for use in wraps, on top of salads, and on its own!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, pureed

1 large jalepeno, chopped

2 teaspoons cumin, ground

2 teaspoons coriander, ground

1 teaspoon cayenne, ground

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 can diced tomatoes, unsalted

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

(although the amount of spices you will have to buy may be daunting, they are very versatile. I really like to use them in tofu dishes, hummus, and even turkey burgers)

Sautee the red onion in oil.  Add all of the spices to the onions and mix well.  Transfer this mixture to a pot and add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and water.  Let simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 45 minutes).  Before serving add lemon juice and fresh cilantro. 

Recipe adapted from: closetcooking.com

cardi-yo

I like to work in circuits with my workouts because I find that you get more bang for your buck.  It is far more effective to incorporate higher intensity cardio for a shorter amount of time in order to burn fat and retain muscle.  Many of you have asked, so here's a little post on my thoughts on cardio training:

There are two types of muscle fibers.  One involved in endurance training (such as marathons) and one involved in short-lived high intensity training (such as sprints and weight-lifting).  You can especially see the difference in these two types of fibers when watching the olympics; compare the type of muscle mass on the sprinters to that on the distance runners.  

Those of us who spend our days in the weight room isolating muscle groups, we do it for the tone that is derived from the muscles built from the short-lived high intensity training as mentioned above.  Therefore it would be counterproductive to build these muscle fibers lifting weights then run on the treadmill for an extended period of time.  This causes your body to break down the muscle in order to fuel it for endurance (yes, unfortunately you will begin to burn muscle before you burn fat when entering endurance training thresholds).  That is why I, personally, do higher intensity cardio (after I lift! ..not before, you want maximum strength out of your muscles in the weightroom) that utilizes large muscle groups and also strive to incorporate them in my weight sets to keep my heart rate up.

My post-weight training cardio exercise, is spent doing intervals on the elliptical (trainers have advised me to not use the incline but to strictly use resistance intervals alternating between easy to near-impossible), running stairs (you sprint as you ascend and rest as you descend), or circuit training (the equipment opportunities are endless: jump ropes, kettlebells, rowing machines, body weight exercises such as burpees, and more that I will outline in the weeks to come)! 

Many people get confused on how much and what type of cardio to do, and my answer is is that it's entirely up to you and the type of muscle definition that you want.  Ultimately you need to find a balance that gets you to GO the gym because chances are if you dread it, you won't do it! 

Here's a little taste of what I did today:

(I marked cardio-incorporating workouts with an *)

Warm-up*

Strength circuit (for time, 8 minutes)

Bent dumbbell rows, 10 reps

Alternating dumbbell overhead press, 10 reps

Dumbbell squat clean press*, 10 reps

Superset #1 (shoulders)

Dumbbell arnold press

Dumbbell lateral side raise

Weighted ball squat press throw*

Superset #2 (back)

Reverse dumbbell flyes

Lat pull downs (behind the neck)

T-bar rows

Cardio Circuit (for time, 25 minutes)

Jumprope*, 15 reps

Rowing machine*, 500 yds

peanut butter banana oat muffins

This is a great post-workout snack... made with protein, potassium, whole grains, and fiber.

1 1/2 cups whole grain oats

1/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup skim milk

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 large banana, mashed

1/4 cup crunchy salted natural peanut butter

Mix the oats, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Lightly chop in a food processor.

Add and mix in the vanilla, milk, and egg.

Add and mix in the banana and peanut butter.

Pour this mixture into lightly greased cupcake pan and place into 350 degree oven until golden brown.

I served them topped with 1 teaspoon additional peanut butter.

Recipe adapted from: gingerbreadbagels.com

legs and eggs

For those of you who don't understand how to properly perform the workouts below, I recommend going to www.bodybuilding.com and watching the videos.  You don't want to be that idiot at the gym, or the injured one.

To kickstart the week after a light warm-up (cardio and jump squats) here was my WOD:

    Superset #1:

          Deadlifts- 3 drop sets

          Barbell squats- 3x10 reps, moderate weight

(when performing these I didn't completely extend my legs and continued onto the next squat, this keeps your heart rate up)

    Superset #2:

          Single-leg squats- 3 sets to failure, weight them if you can!

          Bulgarian split squats- 3 sets to failure, unweighted

 

    Smith machine glute kickbacks- 4 sets to failure

tip: place a mat under to save your knees

    Cardio: 

5 flights of stair sprints for 25 minutes. 

 I like to do these outside (work on that tan and that sweat) 

and if you're in College Park I recommend running the Comcast center steps...

    Food:

Pre-workout meal (breakfast): egg within a red onion peel sprinkled with cayenne pepper and garlic powder alongside a toasted english muffin topped with natural peanut butter.

Post-workout meal (lunch): whole wheat pasta with tuna, garlic, onion, olive oil, peas and pine nuts
       

quinoa black bean burgers

What is quinoa ("keen-wah")? Contrary to popular belief, quinoa is a seed and a not a whole grain.  It has been popularized due to it's high level of protein and lack of cholesterol, as well as its brief cooking time.  When compared to rice, couscous, and pasta, most people find it to be much more tastier and more versatile when adding it to food.

How am I supposed to cook quinoa?

   1. Rinse the seeds in cold water, well.  Be sure to have a fine enough strainer that doesn't allow the seeds to sneak through.

   2. Transfer the seeds into a pot with water.  I use 1.5 cups of water with every cup of quinoa (be precise with your measurements).  These seeds require much less water than rice and pastas.

   3. Once the open pot is boiling, turn the heat to low (be sure it is simmering), then cover and let simmer for 12 minutes.

   4.  Remove the quinoa from the burner and for 5 minutes allow it to "steam" inside the covered pot.

   5.  Fluff with a spoon and allow to cool.

Now for the burgers!

Ingredients to make 6 large patties:

2 cans of black beans

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 chopped garlic cloves

2 teaspoons red pepper powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used Sriracha)

1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa

1 egg white

Rinse and drain both cans of black beans.  Mix the onion, garlic, red pepper powder, cumin, lemon juice, and hot sauce in a large bowl.  Place this mixture into a food processor and allow it to process until the burgers have a texture resembling cooked oatmeal.  Transfer this blend back into the mixing bowl adding the quinoa and egg white.  Shape into patties, place onto a hot pan to cook, and enjoy!  I served them bun-less with lettuce, red bell pepper slices, and avocado.  They were fantastic!

Adapted from Bon Appetite Magazine

fresh spring rolls

So.. I finally caved and started a blog for all things healthy.  Due to the overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and a tiny bit of pressure from my friends and family, I've created this page in hopes of being able to share my undying love of food and fitness for all of my fans :)

---------

I've always known that sushi would be simple to re-create at home, but cooking rice is not my forte. So I decided to tackle rice paper first.  It can be purchased at most grocery stores and comes in a dehydrated form that just needs to be briefly soaked in lukewarm water.  As you can see it has a slight mind of its own and, similar to plastic wrap, it likes to stick to itself. 

Spiced shrimp:  Sounds much more sophisticated than it actually is.  I placed three large, thawed, raw shrimp in a pan with olive oil, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.  Once fully cooked on medium heat, I sliced them in half so they would better fit in the rice paper wrap.

Veggies: The key is to have them sliced thinly enough for the wrapper.. use a Mandoline!

Make it your own: Get creative with what you put inside.. experiment with carrots, grilled asparagus, spinach, bell peppers, raw salmon, ahi tuna, baked tofu, or even rotisserie chicken!