Recipe Corner

This is actually Rachael Ray's "Chicken in a Pot, Not Pie," but the picture is better than the one I took.

September is here and the fall is right behind it!  It's my most favorite part of the year.  The colors, the smells, and the foods this time of the year are the best.  I decided to get an early start on some of my favorite cooking that comes along with the fall too, and I stumbled upon something while cooking up dinner for the kiddo and myself the other day.  Get ready for a super simple slow cooker meal that makes itself for you while you get other things done.

Mostly-Primal Chicken Pot Pie minus the Pie Part

Ingredients:

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 cups water

6 frozen chicken tenderloins (or two frozen boneless breasts)

2 bags of frozen spring vegetables mix

2 packets of chicken gravy mix

Directions:

Mix it all in a slow cooker pot and leave it to cook.  Try mixing in the water, bouillon cube, and gravy mix first for a good consistent base.  Put the chicken and veggies in next!  Enjoy it when it's done.  

Serves: 5-7 people

My slow cooker has different settings for cooking time, so I started mid-day and had it ready in 4 hours.  Adjust your cook time and temperature settings for when you need it!  I'll be putting my leftovers in a container for tomorrow!

Quick Morning Pick-Me-Up

Orginal Image borrowed from GrazeWithMe.com

I thought I would throw out this quick tip for getting your day started in the morning.  It was honestly something that I came across by accident, but I knew my friends would enjoy it!

If you've read the blog before, you know how much I love Blender Bottles.  The snap-close top and the wire whisk ball inside make it great for not only mixing up protein shakes, which I frequently have after going to the gym, but it can be used for mixing up any number of things from salad dressings, soups, to any other number of liquid beverages or foods.

A couple of days ago, I decided that it was too hot to be drinking hot coffee in the morning.  I took a page from my old barista days at Starbucks, and decided to make myself a batch of iced coffee.  It's really quite simple.

Brew up a pot of coffee, but do it at double the strength you normally would.  When that pot is brewed, pour it into a pitcher with the same amount of cold water and ice cubes.  If you want it to be a little stronger, you can run half as much water as you did in the first pot through the same grinds that you just used.  If you want to, add sugar for taste (I added less than half a cup for a whole gallon) and let it cool.  It's really easy to make it before you go to bed and let it cool overnight so it's ready for use in the morning.  You can add milk or cream to it when you make it if that is what you prefer.

When I went to make my normal batch this morning, I decided to try something new.  I added a scoop of protein powder to it!  It went from being normal, everyday variety, iced coffee to an iced mocha with protein!

What's great about it is that it not only has the caffeine which we groggy non-morning people so desperately cleave to, but it also has that protein which turns it into a pseudo meal replacement.

Now that is what I call killing two birds with one stone!

Meal Time! Enchilada on Flaxseed Tortilla

Following a Primal Blueprint/Paleo/Low-Carb lifestyle is great, but sometimes you miss your old friends like bread, chips, corn, and tortilla shells.  I mean, what is a sandwich without bread and what is a taco salad without the tortilla shell?

Some friends of mine pointed out the fact that if I was really hurting for my grainy friends, that I could always look to alternative sources of them like flaxseed, coconut, and almonds to name a few.  When my sister announced that enchiladas were on the docket for dinner, I started to panic a little.  You see, enchilada filling is delicious and it fits in with Primal Blueprint eating, but it's just not the same without the tortilla wrapper.  

I decided that I needed that wrapper, but I wasn't going to settle for anything less than PB standards.  This set me out for my local grocery store.  There, I picked up a couple of bags of milled flaxseed and some baking powder.  I soon returned home and looked to the Internet for the next step.  I was lucky to find this site with a recipe for flaxseed tortillas and bread.

I followed the recipe for the most part, and it turned out decently.  My few critiques are as follows: 

• The flaxseed needs to be ground down even further until it is closer to a powdery consistency.  Left as is will be fine, but if the person eating the tortilla has issues with texture, then this may not be for them.
• The seasoning for the tortilla needs a lot of work.  It was very salty tasting.
• The final product had very little in common with the flour tortillas that come to mind.  It was very thick and brittle, and very similar to a cookie in hardness.  This one definitely wasn't made to wrap around anything.

All of that said, the final product was very filling.

As far as the enchilada filling, it was a very simple recipe.  We used meat from a rotisserie chicken bought at the store, a small 8oz. tub of the Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Santa Fe Blend, and a can of crushed tomato. Mix that together with a half cup of shredded cheddar cheese and put it in (on) your tortilla shell.  Throw some more shredded cheese on top with some enchilada sauce (not in the picture above) and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is melted on top!

I hope you guys enjoy this simple recipe.  Leave a comment if you have any suggestions on how to make this better!

Meal Time! Simple Workout Shake

Andy's Simple Workout Shake

When you get done at the gym or from a nice workout outside, it's normal to crave something to eat.  The trick in not making everything you just did all for nothing, is eating the right things!  The biggest one to stay away from is simple carbohydrates like chips, fries, or a cheeseburger.

Personally I like to have a protein shake and if I'm feeling extra hungry, I go for some almonds!  Here is a great way to make your protein shake, especially if you're new to it or you've gotten burned out on just mixing water in with the powder.  The protein is important though, because it helps your muscles recover from the workout quicker and you will feel less fatigued - if at all - the next day.

Ingredients

1 cup Frozen Strawberries

1 whole Banana

1 scoop Whey Protein Powder (ladies can use Soy Protein Powder)

1 cup of Water

Preparation

Stick it all in a blender and go wild!  I like the banana because it gives the shake a thicker consistency.  For a thicker shake, use less water and use more water for a thinner shake.  I like to add the powder last after the strawberries and banana have blended for even consistency.

Frozen strawberries are awesome for hot days where you want something to cool off with after that workout, but feel free to experiment with all sorts of berries and fruits.  I love to change it up with blueberries and blackberries, myself!

Book Review - Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals

Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals

by Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier

For those of you that don't know, I've been turned on to a new "diet" and "exercise" plan that should really be called a lifestyle plan titled The Primal Blueprint.  The Primal Blueprint is written and maintained by a man named Mark Sisson.  Mark is also the creator Marksdailyapple.com.  The idea behind Mark's book and website, along with his cookbooks, is that today's modern man (and woman) should model their diet and exercise routine after our primal ancestors.  

For Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals, this means cutting out grains, sugars, salts, and most dairy.  If you already follow a Primal or Paleo eating style, this will not be too much of a change at all for you.  If you're not on this type of diet yet and you have conditions like gluten or lactose intolerance, let me persuade you to "come to the dark side".

This is the second cook book from Mr. Sisson; the first one was The Primal Blueprint Cookbook.  I admit, I haven't read this one yet, and I haven't finished Mark's original book, The Primal Blueprint.  But I am convinced enough with what I have read so far.

In this book, you're going to find some delicious recipes.  Sisson and Meier mash out some great things like:

• Primal Hot Cereal
• Pizza Frittata
• Broccoli Quiche
• Breakfast Burrito
• Bacon Soufflé Frittata
• Orange Olive Chicken
• Creamy Basil Pesto Coleslaw
• Grilled Taco Salad
• Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice
• Creamy Sauerkraut and Sausage Soup
• Halibut in Butter Sauce
• Bacon and Mushroom Dip
• Spiced Nuts
• and many more!

One thing to keep in mind about this cookbook, and about Primal Blueprint eating in general, is that a lot of these recipes are going to call for things that normally don't make it into your shopping cart.  Not to fret though, because for every odd item that Mark and Jennifer call for, they also call for hearty bacon, steak, chicken, broccoli, onions, peppers, and occasionally cheese!

If you're looking to get in touch with your wild side and eat just a little more healthy than you're used to, then I would definitely recommend going out and getting Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals today!

P.S. I understand if some of you clicked the link to the Primal Blueprint site and saw the price listed ($29.99 USD) and turned green for a moment.  Don't fret, you can get the hard copy cheaper at Amazon ($18.99 USD) or buy the ebook edition for Amazon Kindle or Barnes and Noble Nook for a little cheaper ($9.99 USD).  If you get it for the Nook Color (like me) then you get all the full-color photos along with the recipes!