Super Simple Steak

It doesn’t get much simpler… Since I don’t own a grill, I have to get creative with my meat preparation sometimes. I used this recipe as a guide for cooking steak without a real grill. Follow these steps for 30 minutes to delicious!

Ingredients and supplies:

approximately 1-pound of steak, 1 to 1.5 inches thick

melted coconut oil, about 2 tablespoons (you will definitely want to use a high heat oil like coconut oil rather than olive oil due to the high temps you’ll be working with)

sea salt (enough to coat on both sides of the steak)

ground black pepper (same as the sea salt)

cast iron skillet, or grill pan if you have one

tongs

a very thick, well-padded oven mitt

Directions:

Allow the steak to come to room temperature and pat it dry with paper towels. Heat your oven to broil and place the skillet in the oven to heat up with the oven (try to allow for at least 15 minutes of pre-heating). Brush both sides of the steak with the melted coconut oil and coat generously with the sea salt and pepper – pat it into the steak so it sticks. Turn on a stove burner to high heat, pull the skillet out of the oven (this is where the thick oven mitt comes in handy) and place it on the stove burner. Use your tongs to put the steak on the hot pan and cook for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer the skillet back into the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes on one side(depending on your desired doneness) and then flip and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Don’t forget to turn the stove burner off. When the cook time is up, remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the steak to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 5 mintues. Slice and serve immediately… with a side of vegetables, of course!

 

A Meatless Recipe…!

Don’t you worry, it’s still full of protein and very paleo. But if you’re needing some extra fish recipes during this particular 40 days… or if you miss the processed fish sticks of your past… or just love some delish fish – try this! The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, Paleo Comfort Foods! I’ve made it twice – the first time I followed the recipe exactly and the second time I made some adjustments.

Ingredients:

18 ounces cod or catfish (or any flaky fish you like; I used the wild-caught cod from Costco)

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika (I added this the second time)

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (I used almond meal from Trader Joe’s the second time and highly recommend it! The consistancy of the almond meal works perfectly for the “breading”)

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (I crushed them in a plastic bag… works the same and saves on chopping time)

2 large eggs (if you use all the fish from a Costco package, you’ll need at least one more egg)

1 tablespoon olive oil (I used melted coconut oil the second time and would definitely recommend the swap)

Preheat your oven to 450. Rinse the fish and pat it dry with paper towel. Cut it into 3-4 inch thick pieces, keeping each piece similar thickness. In a medium size bowl, combine the coconut flour, garlic powder, pepper and paprika. Mix the chopped pecans and almond meal in a bowl of its own and whisk the eggs in their own bowl until they begin to froth. Cover a large (may need two) baking sheet with foil. Piece by piece, coat the fish in coconut flour, then egg, then roll in the nut mixture making sure to coat the fish on all sides. Place each piece on the baking sheet and use the olive oil (or coconut oil) to drizzle on each stick. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with a side of vegetables (obviously) and enjoy a protein and fat-packed meal!

Fish Sticks and boiled brussel sprouts!

Blog Update: I will be making a dedicated Recipe page. If you have a recipe to share, send me the good ones to mszukala@gmail.com and I will feature it for all CFLSers to enjoy (pictures are welcome too)!

 

 

 

One of my favorite recipes!

Primal Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-size  pieces

1 lb andouille sausage, cut into ¼ inch thick slices (Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have clean versions of this sausage; this will definitely add some spice to the flavor!)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1 large bell pepper (any color works), chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced crushed

1  14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1.5 cups chicken stock (check your labels for clean ingredients)

1/2 tsp dried leaf thyme

1 tbsp parsley (fresh is preferred but dried works too)

1 tsp chili powder

1  large head of cauliflower

2 cups shelled, deveined and cleaned (wild caught) shrimp

Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and  lightly cook the sausage and chicken over medium heat. Once golden – add onion,  bell pepper and garlic and sauté until onion becomes translucent. Transfer food from the pan into a large pot and add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme,  parsley and chili powder and bring to a simmer. While the mixture is simmering  (let it go for about 20 minutes, uncovered and stirring  occasionally), make your “cauliflower rice.” Chop up the cauliflower in to large pieces and put it in a food processor until it  becomes the consistency of rice. If you don’t have a food processor, you can manually grate the cauliflower using a cheese/vegetable grater and it will give you the same kind of “riced” consistency. Add the cauliflower to the mixture in your pot and  simmer for another 15 minutes until the “rice” is tender. Add your shrimp last and simmer for another 5  minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust any other spices as you need to. Serve this hot!

Total prep and cook time of this meal is just about 1 hour, but it is so worth it! The combination of all three sausage, chicken and shrimp in addition to the cauliflower “rice” makes this a hearty meal. I’ve also made this with a substitution of 1.5 cups of coconut milk (full fat) in place of the chicken stock, basically because I didn’t have any stock at the time, and it actually turned out really delicious and creamy, so I’d recommend that if you’re looking for something a little different!

Thanks to Mark’s Daily Apple for the recipe.

What are some of your favorite recipes that you’ve tried over the past four weeks? Do you have a favorite recipe blog/website/book? Post your favorites to comments!

Aaaaand the post wouldn’t be complete without a video link … just some Crossfit humor to make you smile – pay attention around 2:15 🙂

BONUS!

Who’s been keeping a food log since Day 1?! If you have, here’s your chance to get ahead! You can show your food log* (since January 9 – present) to Chandra and she will record 5 bonus points to your total! For those of you who are “perfect” so far, this might just put you in the lead!

Paleo in a Nutshell – it’s the not the whole story, but it’s a quick video that brings up some topics worth thinking about!

*If you’re interested in talking with me about your food log and improvements/changes that may be beneficial for you, you can also email (mszukala@gmail.com) or stop me at the gym and I’ll be happy to help!

Week 3 Check-In and a Recipe

Week 3!!! Check-in with your partner…

• What’s been awesome?
• What’s been hard?
• What are you working on?
• What improvements have you seen and felt? Any of these stories feel familiar yet?
• What’s your favorite recipe you’ve made so far?

Easy Meatloaf

Heat Oven to 350

Ingredients and supplies:

Loaf pan

2 lbs ground meat of choice (I used 1 lb beef and 1 lb venison – yum!)

1 can tomato paste (ingredients: tomatoes)

2-3 cups fresh chopped spinach

3 cloves garlic, chopped small

to your taste of the following spices:

onion powder (~1 tbsp)

basil (~1 tbsp)

cayenne pepper (~tsp)

paprika (~tsp)

any other flavors you think would be delicious

Combine your meat in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped garlic and spinach and each of the spices, mixing the meat (with your hands) after each addition to make sure it’s mixed in well. Add 1/2 of the tomato paste and mix again. Form the mixture into the loaf pan and coat the top of the loaf with the remaining tomato paste.

Ready for the oven.

Cook for 60-75 minutes. Checking toward the end of the cook time. Mine was ready after 1 hour 15 minutes.

Meanwhile… prepare a side of vegetables! I made a mixture of brussel sprouts and mushrooms:

Brussell sprouts and mushrooms

Halve the brussel sprouts (or quarter, depending on how big they are originally)

Slice mushrooms

Heat your pan with coconut oil

Add sprouts and mushrooms to the heated pan and add spices of choice – I used cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, basil and a little pepper

Cook uncovered until tender, stirring occassionally

Enjoy your meal!!!

I choose a lot of my dinner recipes based on the amount of leftovers they will create 🙂 This was great for dinner and 3 additional meals!

Also, one variation I’ve made to this meatloaf is to add a layer of about 4 slices of bacon (yep, bacon) to the bottom of the loaf pan. It adds some incredible flavor (obviously) but for the purposes of the challenge, leave that out until Feb. 11 🙂

Have a great week!!!

Game Day Nutrition

So it’s not exactly “game day” but tomorrow is Athletes 4 Athletes and for those of us who are competing, food is going to be a major factor in our performance! If you’re doing the Challenge, you’re already at an advantage because of the past 12 days of clean eating, water guzzling, good sleep and smart workouts and rest days but read on for some tips to help you prepare your body for all the work you will be doing tomorrow and recover once it’s all over 🙂

Friday Prep:

• No WOD today – rest! This can be active rest, but don’t over-do it: foam roll, work on mobility, practice the movements for Fight Gone Nasty and WOD 3, grab a lacrosse ball and work out some kinks.
• HYDRATE all day today and start drinking water as soon as you get up tomorrow!
• Stick to your challenge nutrition guidelines today and eat a hearty meal of meat, vegetables and healthy fat tonight. Don’t skimp on any of those components! If you’re looking for a dinner idea, you might try a meatza or this easy chicken, spinach and tomato bake.
• Prep your food to bring! My suggestions for your competition day rations are any combination of: apples and/or applesauce, raisins, bananas, sweet potatoes (baked, boiled, casserole – any way will do), carrots, almond butter, chicken breast, salmon, hard-boiled eggs, jerky, avocado, nuts.
• Go to sleep early. I mean really sleep, not watch a movie/surf the internet/read in bed. If you’re like me and you get a case of uncontrollable nerves, a good movie/book/non-crossfit-related conversation (is that even possible?!) can really help you to relax and take your mind off things – but do that even earlier than your early bedtime 🙂 Funny youtube videos are good for stress relief too.

Competition Day:

• Eat a breakfast loaded with (do I even need to say it) protein, healthy fats and vegetables. You can’t go wrong with an egg, vegetable and meat scamble cooked in coconut oil!
• Drink water – start drinking as soon as you’re up! Coffee is fine, especially if it’s part of your normal routine, but don’t overdose because it won’t help you stay hydrated.
• Eat after each WOD – try to eat within 20 minutes of completing your workout – and make it a combination of protein + carb. Examples are: sweet potato and salmon, chicken and apple, egg + handul of raisins…
• Be smart about when you eat, obviously chowing down on a banana right before your heat is not a good strategy. There will probably be some down time between your workouts, so be sure you listen to your body and eat as needed. Don’t forget to eat fat throughout the day – avocado, nuts, almond butter on carrots/banana, etc.
• Drink water!
• After the day, and completing three WODs, you may find yourself feeling like you could eat a small horse, or worse, a pizza slice the size of your head. That’s pretty normal considering the amount of work output that you experienced in one day, but resist the urge! Make sure you have  a plan for dinner! Either crockpot a meal so it will be ready when you get home or have a meal ready to cook when you get home or if you go out for dinner due to exhaustion, be sure you stick to meat, vegetables and healthy fat from the menu.
• Rest, roll, re-hydrate and recover as much as needed when the day is over!

See you all tomorrow! Best of luck!

 

Week 2 Check In

If you still have questions about what to eat and why, check out this post from FITBOMB.com. It’s a great summary, with a little more detail, of some of the key points from the Nutrition Talks.

Check in with your partner today! If you haven’t already, share your goals and your inspiration with each other.

Recipe: Mini Burgers on Portabella “Buns” and Sweet Potato Rounds*

This recipe was modified slightly but the idea comes from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook.

Mini Burger Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef

1 pepper

1 small onion

6 portabella mushrooms

spices of choice (I used garlic powder, pepper and liquid smoke)

coconut oil to grease the pan

grill pan – if you have one

1 avocado

Grease pan generously with coconut oil. Chop onion, pepper and the stems of your mushrooms. Combine ground beef, onion, pepper, mushroom stems and spices and form mini burgers. I got 11 mini burgers from this amount. “Grill” your burgers to desired doneness. While your burgers are cooking…

Sweet Potato Rounds* Ingredients:

2-3 sweet potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

cumin

garlic powder

pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400. Slice the sweet potatoes in thin, round slices. In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil and spices and then add all rounds and mix to coat with oil and spices. Line a large baking sheet (or two, depending on the amount of sweet potatoes) with foil and place the rounds. Cook for 15-20 minutes, checking for desired tenderness/crispiness.

When your burgers are done, drizzle your portabella mushrooms with olive oil and grill for a couple minutes on each side.

Slice the avocado, plate your masterpiece and get ready to enjoy a delicious meal!

Omit the bacon during the Challenge... but it is definitely a delicious addition 🙂

Make this meal even more delicious the day after with the leftover burgers and sweet potatoes in an egg scramble with spinach and onions, cooked in coconut oil:

*If your goal during this challenge is serious body composition change and fat loss, save the Sweet Potato Rounds recipe for after the challenge. Instead, try sauteed vegetables as a side – any combination of veggies will do but spinach, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers, and/or kale would all make a great side to the burgers!

You asked!

Thanks to everyone who attended the Nutrition Talks last week! There were some great questions and discussion and I want to be sure I follow up on some requests.

Fish oil supplementation raised a lot of questions – why take it? how much? what kind?

Fish oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. In a perfect world, we would be able to get plenty of omega-3 through the foods that we eat (eggs, fish, beef), however due to conventional animal raising and fish farming, when these foods finally get to our plate it is not rich in omega-3 but instead in omega-6 which is the fatty acid that is found in abundance in vegetable/seed/grain oils, processed food and farm raised animals and fish.  To summarize:

• Both omega-3 and omega-6 are essential fatty acids that your body cannot make, you have to get them from your food sources. Our diets are typically rich in omega-6 (as I mentioned the foods sources above) but omega-3 is harder to come by naturally.
• The specific types of omega-3 to be aware of are EPA and DHA which are natural anti-inflammatory agents that also help to keep your brain and heart healthy, prevent some cancers and improve conditions such as Alzheimer’s, depression, acne, psoriasis, arthritis, and more.
• Supplementing with fish oil, and consciously lowering your intake of omega-6 (which you will do with your food choices during this challenge) will help to level your ratio between omega-3 and omega-6.
• You can find some foods high in omega-3 and they are an excellent addition to any daily diet. High omega-3 foods include: wild-caught salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, trout, grass-fed meat and omega-3 enriched eggs.

I mentioned this Fish Oil Calculator that was developed by Robb Wolf and Whole9 that will help you figure out the best dosage for you. You might want to check out these FAQs as well, also from Whole9, for a better understanding of the benefits of fish oil.

Another topic of discussion on Wednesday and Saturday, was what can you eat?

• Meat, fish and seafood: Chicken, ground beef, steak, salmon, halibut, shrimp, turkey, pork, lamb… to name a few 🙂
• Vegetables: kale, spinach, carrots, squash, peppers, avocado, asparagus… to name a few 🙂
• Fats: coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut milk
• Herbs and spices
• Fruit: any, but limit fruit if you have goals for weight loss or body composition change

Check out this cool tool to see how many meal options this food list actually provides!

Eggs were also a  hot topic and to summarize: the nutritional benefits of eggs, and eating both the yolk and the whites, far outweigh any negative health consequences. So eat the whole egg whenever you feel like you want to eat it. Omega-3 enriched eggs are recommended and if possible, eggs from pasture-raised chickens are also preferred.

How to find quality grass-fed and pasture-raised chicken and eggs was also a question from the Nutrition Talks and these sources will get you started searching for some local vendors:

Eat Wild

US Wellness Meats

NV Ranch – ask Chandra about ordering and delivering through Crossfit Lee’s Summit!

Day 1 of the challenge is complete! How are you doing so far? Hopefully your pantry and fridge is cleaned out and re-stocked with paleo goodness! Bring on the week!

We all make choices…

The challenge is designed to be inclusive for everyone – newbies to the paleo concept, dedicated veterans who just want some extra motivation or anyone who’s fallen off the wagon in the last couple weeks (or months…) and needs a refresher. It’s not a diet, it’s not a weight loss competition, it is the beginning of a new, or just improved, lifestyle. The next 5 weeks is really going to be all about your choices. Here’s a couple you can be sure you’ll come across – will you choose:

• to make it a priority and commit for the full 5 weeks? It going to take your full dedication to see and feel results.
• to be open to re-define what you know as “healthy”? If you’re totally new to Paleo, your world is probably about to be rocked.
• to make it personal? Set your own goal(s). No one knows what you need and want for your health better than you do.
• to plan your meals and grocery trips in advance? Without a plan, there’s a good chance temptation will get you.
• to rid your pantry and refrigerator of the food that won’t help you succeed?
• to do some extra reading and research on your own? Check the blogroll for some websites to get you started.
• to ask your questions?
• to try new foods and recipes? Keep things interesting and delicious!
• to overcome when your tempted? … by sugar cravings, or whatever is “easier” in the moment, or beer, or staying up late to watch TV, or skipping your workout, or skipping your rest day…
• to accept that it’s not going to be easy? But it’s not going to be hard either.