Roll 'em Up!

Breakfast Rolls

A little fun breakfast treat this week - French Toast Rolls! It's okay to treat yourself once in awhile with a "kid-friendly" kinda dish. These are simple to make and you can make this gluten-free by stopping at Whisked Gluten-Free on Ellesmere and picking up their sandwich bread! It's perfect for these hand-held eats! You can also experiment with different spreads and fruit - like strawberries or try fresh local Ontario peaches that are in season right now!

French Toast Rolls

Ingredients:

1-2 Bananas, cut in half, then sliced lengthwise
8 Slices of Gluten-free Sandwich Bread, crusts off, and slightly flattened
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Almond Milk
Chocolate Almond Spread (or you can use any nut spread...yes Nutella works!)
Butter 
Cinnamon
Maple Syrup

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk your eggs and milk together.
2. Spread each slice of bread with the chocolate spread and place 1-2 slices of banana on top. Roll the slice up tightly and dip in the egg mixture.
3. In a non-stick pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and place the rolls in the pan and cook until golden brown on all sides.
4. Remove from pan and dust with cinnamon and serve immediately with maple syrup as dip!

Post-Wod "Freezies"

On The Go Packs

Beach WOD is this weekend, and there's still time to pack some post-competition WOD snack that will keep you cool in the hot sun of Wasaga Beach. These are easy to make and if you can find them, look for those small ziploc bags that are shaped like freezies or even use the 100 cal snack pack bags for this yummy treat. Use your favourite ProG recovery flavour with this - I suggest using the Belgium Chocolate as it works best with bananas!

Go-Freezies (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

4 Bananas, ripened, peeled and cut
1 Scoop Belgium Chocolate ProG Recovery
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Coconut or Almond Milk

1. In a blender, combine all the ingredients until they are smooth.
2. Fill the ziploc bags with even portions of the mixture.
3. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
4. Grab your cooler, and pack them in and head to the beach!

Korean Comfort Bowl

Bibimbap

Want a simple one bowl meal that tastes great and all the goodness you want? Try Korean Bibimbap! If you haven't had an authentic version, try to seek out a good Korean place to give it a try. Most bibimbap uses the same ingredients, but you can make this more paleo or less - use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice for the paleo feel, but I enjoy using a sushi rice to make mine. This dish does the job in filling you up, eating your colours, and giving you great flavour to enjoy what you are eating! 

 

Bibimbap (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1lb Lean Ground Beef (You can pick up grass-fed organic ground beef from Costco!)2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Small Piece of Ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about 1" piece will work)
1/2lb Mushrooms, sliced (Use your favourite kind)
4 Cups Spinach, washed well, stems removed (Any Asian Greens will work too)
4 Large Eggs
1 Cup Daikon Radish, cut julienne or grated
1 Cup Carrots, cut julienne or grated
Coconut Oil (Or Avocado Oil)
Tamari
Fish Sauce
Sesame Oil
Sea Salt

1. The first thing you need to do is prepare your rice, or your cauliflower rice, then go to the following steps.
2. Cook out the ground beef in a pan with coconut/avocado oil, making sure you break it up well. If the beef you are using is too fatty, drain off the excess fat. 
3. Add in the half the garlic, ginger, 1 Tbsp Tamari, and 1/2 Tsp fish sauce to the beef and cook for a further minute or two. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add in some coconut/avocado oil and start frying up the veggies separately. First, add in the mushrooms and stir, add in a pinch of salt and cook out until brown and set aside. Repeat again for the spinach, adding the oil first, toss in the remainder of the garlic then the spinach until wilted, but not too soft. This should take no time.
5. In the pan, fry the eggs so they are sunny side up and separated, each portion will get one egg.
6. Now it's time to put it together! In four bowls, place the rice in the bottom, top with ground beef, and drizzle some sesame oil on the beef. Place some mushrooms, spinach, carrots, and daikon radish on top of the beef in each bowl and finally top it off with the fried egg. Enjoy with some Sriracha sauce or Korean hot sauce if you have it!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Chicken Goodness
Another weekend is here, and it's a special one for the awesome dad's out there. Why not try this out this weekend and see if dad (and everyone else) thinks it's a winner! This recipe is a meal in itself, but if you want to make it a side dish, just eliminate the chicken and keep the veggies to serve on the side of a nice BBQ Grilled Steak and you have another meal dad will love!

 

 

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

4 Medium-sized Sweet Potatoes (Orange or Yellow Flesh will work)
1lb Grilled Chicken Breast, shredded (Even easier - buy a cooked rotisserie chicken and use the meat from that! One less thing to cook!)
1 Cup Kale, stems removed and chopped
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
Avocado Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat oven to 450F, and bake off the sweet potatoes for about 45 minutes. Check at about the 30 minute mark to see if you nee the full 45 minutes. They will be done once you can easily pierce the skin with a fork. 
2. Remove potatoes from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, combine the kale with about a tablespoon of avocado oil and a couple teaspoons of lemon juice, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. The kale should start to soften so it is easy to handle; mix in the shredded chicken.
4. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, length-wise, and press the ends in to loosen the sweet potato. Top with the kale and chicken mixture.
5. For more flavour, you can top with your favourite BBQ sauce, or some caramelized onions - whatever your taste buds are telling you!

Ah(i) Tuna!

Sushi Grade Tuna Summer Salad

With summer here, people tend to eat lighter, but you still want to get some good protein and nutrition into you during these hot days. Try this more adventurous raw salad sometime. When you are purchasing fish, especially when you are going to eat it raw, make sure you go to a reputable fishmonger and ensure it is sushi grade. This way, you know the correct steps were taken to eat this fish raw.

 

Tuna & Mango Salad (makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 Avocado, seeded and cut into chunks
2 Mangoes, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1lb Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna, cut into chunks
1 Tsp Black Sesame Seeds, or Toasted White Sesame Seeds
1 Green Onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Tamari
4 Tsp Sesame Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Sriracha Sauce (optional)

1. When cutting your avocado, mango, and tuna, make sure they are all cut into similar bite size chunks.
2. In a bowl, combine the avocado, mango, tuna, Tamari, sesame oil, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
3. Divide the salad into 4 bowls, and garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions. Top with Sriracha sauce if you want to spice things up!

Cheat Day Coconut Ice Cream!

Paleo-friendly Ice Cream

Even though this is a "healthier" version of that creamy, cool summer treat ice cream, save this one for a cheat day, or after a long, grueling summer time wod!

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Can of Coconut Milk, Full Fat (check the ingredients that it is just coconut milk and there's not "other" ingredients in it!)
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1. In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until it becomes creamy and smooth in texture.
2. Taste the mixture, and add more maple syrup or cocoa powder, whatever your preference is.
3. Place in a freezer-friendly container with a lid and freeze for at least 4 hours or until it is firm. If it ends up getting to hard, just remove it from the freezer for about 10 minutes before you dig in and enjoy!

Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia!

The Magic of Chia

Chia seeds are pretty cool how they start off so small and then expand like crazy! They are also a great addition to any food or drink that you want to nutritionally enhance! Try out these simple and easy to make chia seed recipes whether it is a WOD day or a rest day - they are good for you! 

Coconut-Chia Seed Beverage

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
250 mL (1 Cup) Coconut Water,chilled
50 mL (or about 2 Tbsp) Fresh Pineapple Juice, chilled

1. Take all of the ingredients and put it into a blender, blend to combine. Then allow to sit for about 12-15 minutes until the seeds have expanded. If you want to have a little sweetness, you can drizzle a bit of maple syrup to this awesome drink!
2. If you are at the Box, bring in the ingredients in your shaker bottle (chia seeds left separate); when you are done your wod, add the seeds, give it a shake, let it rest while you cash out and you have a refreshing post-wod beverage waiting for you full of electrolytes and omega 3's!
   

Chia Breakfast Pudding
Ingredients: 
1/2 Cup Chia Seeds
2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Raw Honey (Your preference!)
A splash of Pure Vanilla Extract

1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients together; it should start to get thick as you continue to mix everything.
2. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and place in the fridge for at minimum an hour to chill.
3. When you are ready to dig in, remove from the fridge and give it a stir. If it is too thick, you can add a bit more almond milk to help thin it out. 
4. Place a serving into a bowl, top it with fresh berries, or your favourite fruit and some chopped nuts and you are good to go.
5. Best thing about this recipe is, you can make a large batch, portion it and you are ready start your whole week off right!

Nutty Treat!

Nuts for Easter

It's Easter time and yes, everyone needs to indulge a little bit, but it doesn't have to be all bad. Try these little no-bake required macaroons that are yummy for everyone and if you want to have a little fun, shape them into some egg shapes and serve them up for Easter dinner dessert! Or better yet...pair them with your morning coffee...mmmm....macaroons.

Ingredients:

1/4 Cups Room Temperature Coconut Oil

1 Cup Coconut Flakes

1/2 Cup Sliced Raw Almonds (or you can toast them a bit yourself for some extra flavour)

1/4 Cup Macadamia Nuts, crushed into chunks

1/4 Cup Raw Honey

1/2 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Sea Salt

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the coconut flakes, almonds, macadamia nuts, and a couple pinches of sea salt to taste. Stir the ingredients until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla, and raw honey.
3. Take the liquid mixture and pour it over the dry ingredient mixture and mix immediately together until well combined. The texture should be sticky and slightly stiff, just holding the ingredients together.
4. Take half of the mixture and put it into your food processor and pulse to break up the larger pieces. Then set it to puree to create a smooth paste, about 20 seconds should do it - do not go more than a paste texture or else it will be too runny.
5. Take your paste and mix it back in with the other half of the chunky mixture and stir together well.
6. Form into little 2" balls, packed tightly to hold together and place on a small sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper. Make sure they don't roll around.
7. Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours and they should be set and ready to serve!

Green Paddy's Day Chicken

It's St. Paddy's Day so why not mix things up and make some ... Green Chicken? It's not as bad as it sounds, it's just a different way of having chicken salad with some yummy greens mixed in - give it a whirl. This is great on its own or paired with some salad greens - or even in a wrap!



Ingredients:

2 x 4oz Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked, chilled and cut into chunks
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, washed and stems removed
1 Large Ripe Avocado, flesh scooped out into a bowl
Juice of a lime (just in case you need more or less)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Place the chicken chunks in a large bowl for easy mixing.
2. In your food processor, place the basil, avocado, about 2 tbsps of the Olive Oil, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper. If you wish, you can add a bit of lime juice to keep the avocado from browning, plus it gives it a little tang. Blend until smooth.
3. Coat the chicken with the avocado dressing and toss thoroughly; taste it and see if you need to add a bit more salt or pepper.
4. Eat right away with some salad greens or chill in the fridge for a bit. I would not recommend holding it for more than a day as the avocado will start browning.

Eat Your Greens ... On the Go!

Wrap It Up!

Here's a healthier way of making a wrap to take on the go! Collard greens are full of vitamins, so why not use it to wrap up a whole bunch of goodness? This is a "Clubhouse"-style version, but you can make a wrap of anything you want - try filling it with different proteins, maybe some quinoa, different veggies, the ideas are endless - get creative



Ingredients:

4oz Cooked Turkey Breast, sliced thinly or into strips
2 Strips Cooked Bacon
Roma Tomato, thinly sliced
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Avocado, thinly sliced
Homemade Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Collard Green Leaf - one large big leaf, ensure hard stems are removed.
Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste

1. Ensure your collard green leaf is thoroughly washed and patted dry.
2. Spread on the mayo and mustard directly on the leaf, and thinly.
3. Place the turkey first and build the ingredients on top. Season with sea salt and pepper if you wish.
4. Roll the leaf into a wrap form - if you put some mustard or mayo near the edges it will help seal the wrap a bit. 
5. Cut in half and eat up!

Paleo-friendly Chocolate Bark

Paleo Bark

Here is one of the most simple and easy "treat" recipes to make - Chocolate Bark! Use good quality ingredients in this one - and make them your favourite. This recipe gives you free range of what ingredients you want to mix into your bark to make it your own :)



Ingredients:

1lb Dark Chocolate (75% or higher the better), chopped into small pieces
1 Cup Favourite Nuts (I like cashews or pistchios - or mix them up)
1/2 Cup Favourite Dried Fruit
Sea Salt (Try Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving a little bit extra on the edges, this will allow for easy removal of the bark when it is done.
2. In a double boiler, or use a stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water (use gloves or a towel to hang on - it will get hot), melt the chocolate. Make sure you are constantly stirring (use a rubber spatula to help scrape the bowl) so that the chocolate melts evenly.
3. When the chocolate is melted, pour it onto the lined baking sheet and spread evenly using your spatula.
4. Sprinkle the nuts and dried fruit evenly across the chocolate, you may have to apply slight pressure to ensure that the pieces are sunken into the chocolate. Sprinkle a touch of salt over the entire pan - this will give it a sweet and salt taste, but the salt also brings out the flavour of the chocolate.
5. Place in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes until the chocolate has harden; remove and break into snack size pieces. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for snacking :)

Banana Protein Cookies

Protein Cookies

Sometimes you just need to have protein in another form than a shake, so why not combine it with some bananas, oats, coconut, and cacao bits? Try this super easy cookie recipe that can be ready in less than 20 minutes!



Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas
1 Scoop of your Favourite Protein (Try a Progenex or Beyond Yourself protein!)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut (Unsweetened)
1/2 Cup Cacao Nibs (or if you prefer, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Sea Salt

1. In your blender, add in the bananas, oats, coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt and blend until smooth. Then mix in the coconut and nibs (or chips).
2. Heat the oven to 350F.
3. On a greased baking sheet (use coconut oil), or super slick cookie sheet, dollop spoonfuls of the cookie dough, leaving about an inch or two space between. Lightly flatten the dough for better baking.
4. Place in oven and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the cookie is lightly browned on the bottom - don't over bake them!
5. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack...then gobble them up!

Breakfast Sausages

Breaky Patties

Good quality breakfast sausages are hard to find, and sometimes when you do, they are quite pricey. Instead, make these simple homemade breakfast sausage patties that stack well if you want to make a breakfast sandwich or just have them on the side with some eggs, sliced tomatoes, and avocado-yum! The best part, you can make a bunch of these at once, then freeze them for future meals. If you shop at Longo's or Sobey's, you should dry duBreton pork - it's from Quebec and is organic, antibiotic free, and naturally raised pigs. Look for this logo:

 



Ingredients:

1lb Medium or Lean Ground Pork (a little fat is good to keep these juicy and not dry when they cook out)
Fresh Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary, stems removed, all finely chopped
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
 

1. In a large bowl, combine the pork with approximately 1 teaspoon each of the fresh herbs, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne (depends on how much spice you want), a teaspoon of salt and 3/4 of a teaspoon of pepper.
2. Form the patties into 2-3" size round patties, not too thick for even and fast cooking.
3. In a pan over medium-heat, cook the patties until brown on both sides and patties are cooked through.
4. Eat right away, or allow to cool and then pack the patties away in the freezer for next time!

Eat Your Sprouts!

Brussels Sprouts?!

Many people probably have had the challenge of getting down Brussels sprouts sometime in their life. Most of the time, they are not tasty, but if you add in some bacon...maybe some caramelized onions...I think things will change :) Brussels sprouts are a great vegetable to have in your diet since they are chock full of vitamins and nutrients that we need, and during the winter season, that is when you want to get them in!

 



Ingredients:

1lb Brussels Sprouts, ends chopped and cut into 1/4's, remove any tough leaves
6 Pieces Bacon, cut into bite size pieces
1 Shallot, cut in half and thinly sliced
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

1. In a large skillet, place the pieces of bacon and cook out over medium heat. Once the bacon gets crispy, remove and drain on a paper towel, set aside.
2. In the same pan with the bacon fat, turn the heat to high, and place the pieces of Brussels sprouts evenly over the pan in a single layer preferably. Allow the sprouts to cook for 3 minutes before starting to toss them and continue to toss them in the pan until they become tender and appear caramelized. The length of time will vary depending on the size of the sprouts. If they are on the larger side, after a few minutes, you can add in a 1/2 cup of water to help steam the sprouts to become tender. Remove the sprouts from the pan and set aside.
3. Add in a touch of coconut oil or reserved bacon fat if you have it and toss in the shallots for about 2 minutes until they become soft. Add in a tablespoon of 2 tablespoons of balsamic and cook until most of the liquid is gone. Add in the sprouts and bacon and toss thoroughly together. Season with salt and pepper and you're done!

NOTE* If you want to add a little sweetness, only add in 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and then add in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup!

Frittata Friday

Frittata, Frittata!

Eggs are so versatile, but most people tend on eating them the same way all the time. Why not try making a power packed frittata to start off your morning?! All you need is a few ingredients and a non-stick, oven-proof pan and you are good to go!

 

 



Ingredients:

10 Free-range Chicken Eggs (preferably)
2 Roma Tomatoes, cored, diced
1/2 lb Pastrami, roughly chopped
1/2 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Small Red Onion, cut in half, thinly sliced
Butter
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

 

1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add in the tomatoes, pastrami, and half of the parmesan cheese.
2. In a large, non-stick pan (one that is oven-proof as well), melt the butter over medium heat and cook out the onions until they have soften. This shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
3. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir in the egg mixture to combine all the ingredients, stirring occasionally until the eggs have set.
4. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and transfer to the oven that is has the broiler setting on. Allow to cook for a further 3 minutes in the oven to brown the top and melt the cheese.
5. Remove from the oven and using a rubber spatula, loosen the edges and slide the frittata onto a cutting board. Cut into quarters and serve!