Recipe Links!

There are two new recipes at Kas Fitness! Click on the yummy photo to see each one.

Sausage/Egg Muffins

Breakfast Sausage Spaghetti Sauce

Linking up!

Great dinner...and some updates

From dinner the other night:

I mostly just loved out the plating turned out with this...I'll show you the picture before I really start explaining (because it's prettier than it sounds!)

It looks like some nifty restaurant meal doesn't it? Yeah...that's a hamburger and fries! 

I can't tell you what it was seasoned with because my husband made them! I wasn't privy to the ingredients (he probably wouldn't remember anyway to be honest) 

I sauteed some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. 

We did sweet potato fries (and one red potato worth of fries). 

The plating started as an accident. I was putting mushroom and tomato on it and it looked so pretty that I went with it! 

See what a little creativity can do?

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Where have I been? Why, Kas Fitness of course! I'm still trying to get it up and going so be sure and jump over and check it out (and make my analytics numbers go up and stroke my ego...)

Stefan recently bought a NICE camera. We're starting a little photography biz. It's pretty exciting. I'm hoping that in a few years we'll both just being working our businesses and will be able to dictate our own hours. *sigh* SOMEDAY!

Here's a little bit of what he can do!

Light editing

Some extreme editing (let's play "spot the difference")

So if you or someone you know in the San Antonio area wants/needs photos done (for pretty much anything) head on over to Something More Photography and use the Contact Us button! We're working on a full website so it's just the landing page for now! 

Last night's low starch dinner!

Dinner was anything but boring last night!

camera phone

I'll break it down. (Yes, I understand that I do NOT sound cool when I say that)

Porkchops: Butterflied and cut in half (so two butterflied chops makes 4 little ones) I seasoned them with salt, pepper, oregano, and curry (the last on one side). The curry was on a whim but it was really good! I just pan seared them over medium heat. Keep the lid on the pan and it cooks faster. I took them off when the inside reached 165F.

Steamed Broccoli: That's pretty much it. I did end up adding a bit of cheese to it...

Quinoa Stir Fry: This is the fun one. First I put the quinoa on to start cooking. Then, I chopped up bacon into small pieces. I don't know how many strips I used...it was leftover and a lot. I fried that in another pan until it was nice and crispy. When that was done I added chopped mushrooms to the mix and cooked for a few minutes. Add some frozen corn (again, as much or as little as you want...I just did it for color so I didn't do a lot). When that's heated add half a can of black beans. I rinsed them before throwing them in there. Season with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic to taste. When the quinoa is done add that in and stir fry until well mixed. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Done. Dinner took 20-30mins. It was low starch, high protein, and REALLY filling. Everyone loved it! Yes, that includes both of my boys!

Meal Challenge

Recently I had my Facebook friends give me a list of ingredients. They were told that the first 10 people to send me an ingredient would make the list...I would then make a meal including everything from the list.

The list includes:
Spinach
Honey
Lemon
Quinoa
Tomato
Asparagus
Sun-Dried Tomato
Cream Cheese
Coconut Milk
Squash

The cool thing is that this inspired an ingredient challenge! A couple of friends saw my list, got inspired, and have decided to make meals of their own.

So it's official! We'll do a link-up next week where you can do one of two things...
1) Take the list and run with it.
2) Remake one of the dishes I'll highlight on the blog!

You'll write a post and link-up here!

So what are you waiting for? GET COOKING!!

Thirsty Thursday: Junior Mints

For more recipes visit: myshakeology.com/kasmorin

A Week in Clean(ish) Eating

This week I entered a challenge to eat "clean" for 5 days. The rules were simple:
- If you're watching your calories stay within your calorie goal (I wasn't so this was no issue)
- Limit processed foods
- Drink plenty of water

What defined a "clean" diet was up to the individual. I chose to keep my carbs low and eat minimally processed foods.

By Wednesday I had the mother of all headaches...and I just felt SICK. I was totally detoxing from all of the crap in my body.

I did okay on my eating. We ate out once in the five days (but it was a sandwich place not a burger joint...and I think I made decent choices)

I've been craving pizza (thin crust, sausage, mushroom, LARGE) and chips and dip. Ugh.


I'll confess. I don't like to eat healthy. Really. I enjoy the way it makes me feel and I KNOW it's the best decision. But if you ask me, honestly, which I prefer when presented with a slice of pizza or a bunch of steamed broccoli? I'll choose pizza 90% of the time. (There are times when I WANT that broccoli) Junk food just tastes good. Carbs make me feel happy...until I look at my waistline. It's a fact of life: Junk Food Is Addicting.


This week I'm going to keep a closer eye on what I'm eating and clue you in to some of the choices that I make. Like last night we had Chicken Quesadillas. Instead of just loading mine with chicken and cheese I took an extra 10mins to chop onion, mushroom, and spinach and saute them until soft. I seasoned them up nice and spicy and added THAT to my quesadilla. I used minimal cheese, less chicken than in my husband's, and cooked it all in raw butter.


What junk food meal would you like to see done more healthy?

The 2 Minute Breakfast

Kid noises included to keep it real. (Yes, that was my two year old asking for jelly...)

Come visit my page: MyShakeology.com/KasMorin

Recipe Experiment: Meatballs and Mushrooms

This was another I just came up with on my own...

I made meatballs (ground beef, breadcrumbs, raw soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, green onion, mushroom stems) and seared them quickly in a pan.

I preheated the oven to 350F. I took the stems out of some mini portabello mushrooms and placed the caps in a muffin tin.

I put a meatball over each mushroom cap and put it all in the oven. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through.

Recipe Experiment: Mexican Chicken with Roasted Veggies

No pictures...sorry. We were HUNGRY!

I chopped several veggies. Onion, bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, avocado, tomato, and carrot.
I mixed some balsamic vinegar, raw soy sauce, Dijon, garlic powder, dash of cayenne, pepper, and a dash of chili powder. (Do it to taste)
I put the chopped veggies in a bag and poured the mixture over and covered the veggies. Pop them into a 450F oven for 35 minutes and stir once.

Earlier in the day I put a tomatillo, a handful of cherry tomatoes (seriously, a handful), onion, a splash of chicken broth, and some Mexican seasonings in a blender.
I skinned chicken thighs and put it all in a bag to marinade during the day.
I coarsely chopped some green onion and cooked it all in a pan (with the juices) until the chicken was cooked through (I added more broth at one point...that's up to you)


It was honestly easy! More experiments to come!!!

Greek Yogurt!

The challenge was to introduce Greek Yogurt 4 times this week. I know the week isn't quite over yet, but I won't be able to participate over the weekend so I'm ending now. We only did it twice this week; however, my family is not new to Greek Yogurt.

Basically, Greek Yogurt is regular yogurt with the whey strained out. It's thicker than the regular stuff. You can buy "Greek Yogurt" or you can strain regular yogurt. The second option, I think, is cheaper.

We make our own yogurt and strain it. Here's what I did with it this week:

I made a spread/dip for the salmon patties. (Ignore the ugly salmon patty. It was a rush job) The dip was also a bit rushed. I did about a tablespoon of Greek Yogurt and added a squirt of Dijon, a small amount of lemon juice, and several spices (Garlic, dill, and Old Bay) I basically did it to taste. Separate I wasn't sure about the combination but I plunged onward and was pleasantly surprised!

Tonight's dinner was Tandoori Meatballs! I didn't have enough yogurt to put in the meatballs, just the marinade. However, this is one I'm willing to play with and report back!

Tandoori Marinade
4 large cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cup Plain Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, coarsely grated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon bread crumbs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup Plain Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Add all ingredients of marinade to food processor. Blend for 1 minute. Set aside. Add all ingredients for meatballs in bowl. Form into bite size balls place on greased sheet pan. Makes about 50. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove meatballs from oven but do not turn oven off. Place in a deep serving dish. Cover with Tandoori Marinade. Cover and place in oven. Remove when warm about 20 minutes.




I'm really excited for next week!

I LOVE my juicer

We bought a juicer recently. I LOVE this thing. I've been starting most mornings off with the following juice drink:

- Juice from 4 small oranges
- Juice from 4 small apples
- Occasionally the juice from a handful of strawberries

Toss that into a blender and add:

- 1 Banana
- A few drops of Stevia (or sugar if you prefer)
- A healthy splash of milk (1/2c I think)

Blend it up, pour into a fancy glass, and drink! It's great for quick energy and lots of healthy vitamins! What better way to start your day?

Try It Challenge

http://peak313.com/featured/try-it-challenge-week-1/#comment-396

This week we're doing Greek yogurt! I'll have to start using it and listing some recipes! Be on the lookout! Share yours!

Dinner Tonight: Fish Tacos

Tonight I went for a more elaborate dinner than usual ( by elaborate I mean several elements) and did Fish Tacos!

Elements:
Corn Tortilla
Veggie "medley"
Homemade Creole Mayonnaise
Red Rice
Fried Tilapia Strips


Recipes:
Corn Tortilla - Simple enough. I did sear them in a small pan with coconut oil (they had a funky texture otherwise).
Veggie "medley" - I chopped onion and yellow bell pepper and sauteed it in a pan until it was firm, but no longer crunchy. I then added frozen corn and cooked until the corn was hot. I added a few dashes of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Homemade Creole Mayonnaise - Slightly adapted from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions

 2 egg yolks at room temp

2 tblsp lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2/3 c extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil into blender and blend thoroughly. Add olive oil slowly while constantly blending. Check for seasonings. You may want to add more lemon juice or salt. It will keep about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Red Rice - Cooked sort of per instructions (I messed up and did it covered like white rice...it turned out okay in the end)
Fried Tilapia Strips - I put them in a store bought spicy fish fry and let it sit for a few minutes (long enough for the oil to heat up) and then dredged them in egg/milk and flour with salt and garlic powder. I fried them in coconut oil until cooked through.

To Assemble:
Corn Tortilla
Spread Mayo
Spoon on some Veggies
Spoon on Rice
Lay Tilapia
You can add more Mayo if you want.

A few informative links:
Coconut Oil
Red Rice

Raw Ranch Dressing

I found the recipe for Ranch Dressing at Frugal Granola. Considering we use nothing but raw dairy I thought I'd give it a try for Stefan's 30 Days RAW experience.

And it was good!

Here's the recipe:

Ranch Dressing

1/3 Cup Buttermilk (or Whole Milk + 1/4 tsp. Vinegar; White Wine or Apple Cider Vinegars are good)
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
2 cloves crushed or minced Garlic or approx. 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Lemon Juice (more or less, to taste)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. ground Celery Seed
1/2 tsp. organic Evaporated Cane Juice Sugar or Maple Syrup (or warmed Honey, thinned enough to stir in)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground Pepper
1/2 tsp. dried Parsley
Dash of Paprika
Combine all ingredients well with a small French whisk or in a blender. Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired. Refrigerate. Best if made an hour or two before serving, so that flavors can meld, but can be served immediately if you’re running short on time! 

Okay, I don't have buttermilk (or vinegar!) so I used regular milk.
I also don't have lemon juice...or celery seed...or parsley. So I used dill in place of the celery seed and a squirt of lime instead of lemon juice (for the acid not the taste) and went without the parsley.
I also added more garlic powder than it calls for and a few shakes of onion powder.

It wasn't perfect Hidden Valley Ranch or anything...but it was good enough that Stefan ate it as a snack! (I also don't mind it so much) Next time I'll definitely try it with buttermilk and lemon juice (both of which are now on my shopping list!)

Do you have a homemade ranch recipe?

Dinner Tonight 1/15

Before I get into what *I* ate for dinner I want to tell you that my husband has bravely started 30 Days RAW again. This time we worked out finances so he can afford to do it the entire 30 days. He's really excited (and I am too...I'm just not going to attempt it this round) Please check out his blog by clicking on this link: http://stefan30days.blogspot.com/2011/01/im-back-baby-second-day-1.html
Be sure and comment as well!!!

Okay, all of the recipes I'll be doing for the next month will be simple things. It's only me and Franklin eating cooked food. Tonight I had chicken quarters (leg and thigh) that needed to be eaten. So, I experimented. I tried an easy "Southwest" Chicken.

You need:
- Chicken (Whatever cut you prefer)
- 1 Can of Tomatoes with Green Chile (RO*TEL style)
- 1 Can of Ranch Style Beans
- 1/2-1 cup Corn (frozen or canned)
- Cheese for topping
- optional: sour cream, olives, etc...

Instructions:
- Heat oven to 400F
- Lay chicken in pan
- Cover with other ingredients BUT NOT CHEESE (drain cans before adding)
- Bake, covered, until chicken is cooked through (time depends on your cut of chicken)
- Top with cheese (and optional ingredients if you choose) and serve

Easy!

Excuse the horrible photo...I had a hungry baby screaming for me! You get the idea, though.

Got a great recipe to share? Tell us about it in the comments!

And The Winner Is...

ME!

That's right. I won the chili cook-off. My chili may now be referred to as "Award Winning."

The recipe is so simple:

1lb of ground beef
1 onion finely chopped (I almost pureed mine in the food processor)
1 can of Rotel tomatoes (tomatoes with chilis)
1 can of chili beans (or Ranch Style Beans)
1 can of tomato paste
Spices: Chili Powder, garlic powder, pepper (cayenne and black), salt, onion powder to taste.

Cook the meat and onion until cooked through. Add everything else. Simmer for several hours (I use my crock pot) If you need more liquid use a chicken or beef stock. You can also cook it the night before, refrigerate overnight (it helps everything fuse together) and then heat over low for dinner the next day.

Yep, simple and a winner!