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This may be one of my new favorites! I skipped the rice but the kiddos and my husband enjoyed it!

Xo jen

General Tso’s Cauliflower & Rice

INGREDIENTS

1 c. short grain white rice or jasmine rice
1/2 c. sweet chili sauce
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tsp. grated ginger
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. all-purpose organic wheat flour
kosher salt
1 head cauliflower, cut into floret
Sesame oil for frying
2 scallions, chopped
Toasted sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS

Prepare rice according to package instructions. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat combine sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and cover with lid to keep warm.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together cornstarch, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water. (It will make a thin batter.) Add cauliflower and mix until all pieces are coated in batter.
Preheat a large pot filled with about 4″ oil over medium-high heat, until oil reaches 350 degrees F. Working in batches, slowly add cauliflower pieces, shaking off excess batter before adding. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer to paper-towel lined plate.
Meanwhile, reheat sauce until bubbling. Serve cauliflower over steamed white rice, drizzle with General Tso’s sauce and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Importance of Rest Day!!

What’s up guys!! Nothing feels better than absolutely CRUSHING a workout.  But, after a kickass workout, your body is sure to let you know the next day or two!  So, on top of your everyday workouts, I just wanted to write a quick tip this week on the importance of REST DAYS!!

Sleep is such an important part of the recovery process. During your deepest parts of sleep, this gives your muscles, nerves, bones, and connective tissue time to rebuild.  Not to mention, sleep is important for maintaining good health on many other levels as well.

If your goal is building muscle, but you’re not getting quality amounts of sleep on a regular basis, you will absolutely see negative  effects. Your body won’t have its chance to heal. You are increasing your chances in loss of muscle mass, muscle tissue damage, decreased daily energy, and increased chances of injury.

Work hard, but work smart!  Rest days are just as important for your muscles as they are for your mental health!

Plan your recovery days, and always come to the gym ready to bring it!!

Cheers guys!!

Coach Mike

Just in time for the Football season!!!

These are amazing!

Enjoy! xo Jen

3/4 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup Franks red hot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 large egg white
1 pound lean ground turkey
Plain greek yogurt + ranch dressing dry packet (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/3 cup hot sauce, celery and egg white. Add turkey; mix lightly but thoroughly.
Shape into twenty-four 1-in. balls. …
Toss meatballs with remaining hot sauce. If desired, drizzle with salad dressing just before serving.

Use “dressing” for dipping!

This may be my new favorite!!!

Enjoy ! xo Jen

Ingredients

1 scallion, minced
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon organic local honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions

1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a zip lock bag
2. Add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.
3. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
4. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

Lamar’s stuffed chicken

I use all white meat skinless chicken breasts, fat free feta cheese, sun dries tomatoes, and panko bread crumbs. I set the oven to 350 degrees. While heating, I cut a slit in the chicken and stuff with both feta and sundried tomatoes. I then close it up, sometimes using a toothpick to hold it together is helpful, then coat with panko crumbs. To finish, I spray the chicken with pam and put it into the oven for approximately 25 minutes. It is a super easy and quick recipe that fulfills your taste buds and makes you feel as if it is a cheat meal. Add brown rice and broccoli to complete a full meal and enjoy!

Lamar

One of my favorite gadgets these days is super inexpensive,  it’s a spiralizer (aka a spiral cutter), and it has been a star in the raw food world for some time because it has the ability to make basically any vegetable look like pasta.

This is so delicious!

Enjoy xo Jen

What You’ll Need:

1 large zucchini
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup tomato purée
Herbs for garnish
What to Do:

Slice zucchini into ribbons or spiral noodles. You can do this a few ways: a mandoline, a spiral peeler (aka spiralizer), or simply julienne cut the zucchini into noodle-like strips. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and leek. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the tomato purée to the saucepan and mix.
Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens to your liking.
Pour the leek marinara sauce over the zucchini and dig in! The warmth of the sauce will soften the zucchini.

Coconut Water Fruit Popsicles

Enjoy! xo Coach Liz S

Get popsicle molds from store (target, bed & bath etc)

Ingredients
Chopped strawberries/kiwis
Blueberries
Coconut Water

Directions:
Scatter fruit throughout popsicle containers, then fill to the top with coconut water
Freeze over night for a delicious & healthy summer treat to cool of with the next day !

We made these with some fresh salmon last night and they are the BOMB!!!!

Enjoy xo Jen

GRILLED ZUCCHINI BOATS

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Grill: 10 min.
Ingredients
4 medium zucchini
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells. Brush with 2 teaspoons oil; set aside. Chop pulp.
2. In a large skillet, saute pulp and onion in remaining oil. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
3. Remove from the heat. Stir in the mozzarella cheese, mint and salt. Spoon into zucchini shells. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Cardio: Steady State vs HIIT

If your anything like me you have spent countless hours wondering what the optimal training style is. In an increasingly busy world efficiency is key and everyone should want to make sure their time is being well spent.

A recent steady done by Carl Foster, Ph.D., and his team of researchers in the Department of Exercise Sport Science at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse has aimed to clear this issue up. The study took 65 untrained (minimal exercise over the past 3 months) individuals and separated them into three groups; Steady State, Tabata, and Meyers (30 seconds work 60 seconds rest).

What the study found was that all three groups posted a positive response in several measured outputs, including VO2max, exercise capacity and power output. In terms of VO2max all three groups saw an increase of 18-19% increase. In terms of exercise capacity the Tabata group recorded a 10% increase, the other two groups a 7% increase. And finally power output; Tabata group again led the way with a 7% increase, Meyers group a 6% increase, and steady state a 4% increase.

So what does this all mean? Well, regardless of which form of exercise you choose to begin your journey with, you will yield positive results. Tabata group does have a slight advantage over the other groups but not enough to warrant a necessity to train that way. The moral of the story is to pick the exercise type you enjoy most because that is the type you will be most likely to stick to and enjoy throughout your exercise program. And remember and your results will be a direct reflection of the effort you put in.

Cardio up! Coach Derrick

This is one of my go to’s, so simple and tasty!

Enjoy! xo Jen

INGREDIENTS
DRESSING
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
Freshly cracked pepper
SALAD
4 Roma tomatoes
1 medium cucumber
½ small red onion
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl, or combine them in a jar and shake until mixed. Set the dressing aside to allow the flavors to blend.
Thinly slice the tomato, cucumber, and red onion. Place them in a large bowl.
Pour the dressing over the sliced vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to eat. The onions will become more mild as they marinate in the dressing.