Fillet O' Fish

Omegas have been popularized in a big way over the last few years. You have seen them in the news, news papers and magazines. And you have heard from doctors and coaches at CFNE, fish oil, fish oil, fish oil!
Fish oil is so popular because of it's anti inflammatory powers. Fish oil and "Omegas" as it is listed on the nutrition label of many fish oils, is a combination of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) which is a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is heralded as being helpful in reduce inflammation and beneficial in mental health with depression among other great benefits. Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is the other active ingredient in fish oil. DHA is a major fatty acid that is found in the brain and in the phospholipids (basically, fat that is in and essential to cell and their individual functions) of the retina. DHA is known to help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering the amount of triglycerides in the blood (fat that is in your blood...ew!) It has a great effect on cognitive function as well, being that it is the most prevalent polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in the brain. Combining EPA and DHA will get you fish oil, and in high doses it will also help reduce inflammation as well as give you many of the health benefits listed above. The reason this is important is because you can get fish oil from food and that's what we are here to do, give you a recipe so enough of the scienncey stuff, time for a recipe.

Herb Grilled Salmon

Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 salmon fillets
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- 4 green olives, chopped
- 4 thin slices lemon

(These are exact measurements from a recipe, but you do not have to be that precise if you don't have the need to be, chop some basil, parsley, mince some garlic, squeeze a lemon and you have all you need...simple, easy)

Directions
- Heat you Grill - Medium High/High
- In a small bowl, combine the basil, parsley, minced garlic and lemon juice.
- Pour about 2 tablespoons of Olive oil over the fish and make sure all sides are oiled.
- Sprinkle with black pepper. Top each fillet with equal amounts of the basil-garlic
mixture.
- Place the fish HERB side down and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the edges start to turn white
- Flip the fish and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the fish starts to flake and is cooked all the way through.
(For a piece of fish that is about 1 inch thick, it should take about 5 minutes per side.)


Salmon is very versatile. You can do almost anything with it and flavor it with anything. If you do not like those herbs, thats cool don't worry just use something else. Oil, pepper and garlic work really well. Dill works well.
Just make sure that you Oil your fish then put the seasonings on and cook from there.
If you come up with some other interesting flavors for salmon, let us know so we can tell the world! (Hint: Citrus is great!)

Who needs IHOP?

Guys, so far everyone is doing really well with the Paleo Challenge. People are starting to feel and see the power that their diets play in their health, body composition and daily performance here at CFNE. The results thus far are great and its going to be amazing to see what everyone is like when this challenge finishes. So, with that, we figured it was time to reward you guys with something that we think really switches up your breakfast meal and gives you the satisfaction of having something that you remember to be bad but now can be oh so good. Remember those fluffy fruit filled pancakes on Saturday mornings? You know the ones I am talking about and I bet you are now remembering the taste. Here's your new recipe:

Perfect Paleo Pancakes

Ingredients:
^ 1 cup almond flour
^ 3 large eggs
^ 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
^ 1/8 tsp cinnamon ... or more if you like it
^ 2 tbsp coconut milk (real coconut milk not light)
^ Any kind of fresh fruit you like (Apples, mixed berries, banana)

Directions
^ Combine all ingredients in a bowl (The batter will be appear a little thicker than the normal old pancake mix you remember)
^ In a lightly-oiled, non-stick frying pan over medium heat, drop a bit of the batter on the pan...try to keep the pancakes on the smaller/medium size.
^ About when the bubbles start showing up on the top, flip like you would any "normal healthy" pancake
^ Put on a plate...add more fruit if you want...how about some coconut flakes?...cacao nibs anyone? ...ENJOY!


P.S. To those of you who follow this blog who competed in this past weekends New England Sectional, congratulations on taking a step into the competition circle and putting everything you had on the line. What a great weekend!

A Two-fer!

We all know that it's important to get more veggies into our diets. The foods that we should eat are meats, veggies, fruits, nuts & seeds; but our diet should be mainly comprised of meats and veggies. So hopefully little by little with some help from some good recipes, we will all be eating more veggies.
Here is a good recipe that you can use for your broccoli instead of the regular steaming or broiling.

Let's call it "Blisteringly Good Broccoli"

Ingredients
> 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
> 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
> 1 onion, diced
> 4 or 5 button mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced
> 1 or 2 tomatoes, diced
> 2 heads broccoli, cut into small flowerets, with stems peeled and thinly
sliced (the stems are great, they add a lot of crunch)

Directions
> Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
> Add broccoli and cook until bright green but not completely tender, about 3 minutes. > Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process and preserve the bright color.
> Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
> Add garlic, onion, and cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes
> Add tomatoes and stir well
> Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes
> Remove cover and stir in broccoli
> Simmer, uncovered, 2-3 minutes

This next one goes out to everyone who loves CRUNCH! Well...not really, we want everyone to try it because your going to be eating one of the healthiest leafy green veggies.
Kale Chips

Ingredients:
]- 1 bunch kale, washed and dried
]- 2 tsp olive oil
]- garlic powder or onion powder work well sprinkled on these

Directions
]- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
]- Remove leaves from thick stems, and tear into evenly bite-sized pieces
]- Spread out over a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper)
]- Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings of choice
]- Bake for about 10-15 minutes... until edges start to brown, but do not burn! You'll want to keep a close eye on the kale chips as they start getting close

Healthy...chips...try them on your kids too. I have heard rumors that even those picky little future fire breathers they like them too.

Borrowing a Recipe but it couldn't be easier.

This is a recipe that I wish I could claim as my own. It couldn't be simpler, faster and easier. Taken from a blog from another CrossFitter in Texas, she had this awesome recipe that will help you get more veggies in your life.

Spinach Muffine

Ingredients:
* 3 16-oz. bags frozen spinach, defrosted
* 4 egg whites
* optional seasonings: salt, pepper, Penzeys Italian herb seasoning, Penzeys Greek seasoning, lemon juice (If you don't have Italian or Greek herb blends, you can replicate the flavors by using oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil... don't be afraid if you think you don't know how to cook. You really can't screw up with herbs -- just add them a little at a time until it tastes the way you want it. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon dried...sprinkle and mix 'til it tastes right. )

Directions:
* Preheat oven to 350

* THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT: Squeeze excess water from the defrosted spinach. Here's a trick: Cut a corner off the bag, and squeeze the spinach inside the bag, letting the water drain out the hole. Much easier than dumping the green stuff out and squeezing.

* Put the spinach in a bowl and add seasonings, to taste. Apparently a good one is pepper and Penzeys Greek seasoning.

*Add egg whites and mix until everything is completely blended.

* Spray or wipe a muffin pan with Olive Oil and scoop the spinach mixture into the cups. You can fill them all the way to the top and packed it in pretty tight. They puff a little when they bake, then deflate when they cool.

* Cook for 15-25 Minutes


If you guys do not know what Penzys Spices is, it is a spice shop that has shops all over the country and I believe the closest one is on Mass Ave in Arlington. They have thousands of different spices. If you thought that there was only one kind of Curry...they are going to blow your mind. Cinnamon...your in for a treat. I would definitely take a ride and get some spices to try.

Be Humble and Always Remember Your ROOTS

In New England vegetables can get pricey in the winter. Your favorite summer vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and carrots are shipped to your local markets with a hefty price tag. To save some change buy what’s in season…root vegetables. .. Root vegetables include; turnips, parsnips and rutabagas. They’re nutrient rich and particularly high in vitamin C. Root vegetables are often over looked because of their odd shapes and colors. Plus most people don’t know where to start when it comes to preparing and cooking them. If you’re one of those people try the recipe below. Roasting vegetables that are bitter, like root vegetables, makes them taste sweet. Ingredients like cinnamon and ginger compliment the sweetness. Plus, it’s easy to prepare, uses one pan and the result is DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

1 Turnip
1 Rutabaga
6 Parsnips
3 Garlic cloves - chopped
Olive oil
Seasonings: cinnamon, ginger, pepper

Large roasting pan


Directions

~Preheat oven to 400F
~Peel turnip and rutabaga
~Chop turnip, rutabaga and parsnips into ½ inch cubes, place them into roasting pan
~Drizzle (thats a funny word) olive oil across top of cut vegetables
~Sprinkle garlic, cinnamon, ginger and pepper onto vegetables
~Toss vegetables with spoon/ hands until oil and seasonings coat vegetables
~Roast for 40-50 min or until a toothpick can slide easily in and out of a vegetable. ~Turn vegetables 20 min into roast

The M Word...Muffins

I bet a lot of people are having some trouble with breakfast. It is a common issue that people have because many people are understandably sick of having 3 scrambled eggs with an apple for their morning meal. Here is where you can take your creativity and make something different for "breakfast." Your morning meal doesn't have to be the foods that are associated with breakfast. Last nights dinner probably makes for a great reheated meal, we have even seen tuna and soup as early as 6:30 AM. But for those of you who are not quite comfortable with eating steak in the morning here is an easy and fast alternative that you can make and grab on the go.

Egg Muffins

Ingredients
Eggs
Veggies of choice (peppers (raw or cooked), onions (raw or cooked), broccoli (raw or cooked), zucchini (cooked), spinach, tomato, carrot, kale (cooked))
Meat of choice (chicken (cooked), ground beef (cooked), ground turkey (cooked))
Seasoning of choice (pepper, garlic, paprika, chipotle peppers, red pepper flakes, curry, cumin)
1 muffin tray
Olive Oil

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Take a paper towel and dip it in olive oil, wipe the inside of the muffin cups with the towel
- In the bottom of the muffin tins, put whatever veggies or meat you want (not too much, you have to add eggs into it too)
- In a bowl beat 1 less eggs then you have muffin tins
- Pour enough egg into each tin to cover the goodness in the bottom and to bring up 3/4 full

- Put the tin in the preheated oven
- Cook for 20-30 minutes
- To check if its done, use a toothpick. If it comes out clean its DONE. (The top of the muffin should not be very dark, but look set and cooked)


These are easy and totally Paleo and you can make a batch and keep them in the refrigerator. To reheat, put however many into a paper towel and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

How do you like them apples?

Purple Polka Dot Tuna Salad

I bet a lot of people said the same thing when they started eating Paleo..."There goes mayo...(we covered that base), and that means no more easy tuna salad." Well we are here to tell you that Paleo tuna salad is possible...and it is SO FREAKIN GOOD! Lets get into it right now...

Hooking the right tuna:
Not all cans of tuna are created equal. At a major supermarket chain that we went to, we saw that there were at least 4 different kinds of canned tuna. Chunk tuna, light tuna, tuna in water, tuna in oil, No salt added tuna....and there were ones that had flavors already added. Hickory tuna, lemon pepper tuna, southwest tuna. How many of those could a cave man get? Well he couldn't get any tuna in a can but he could get tuna, from water. So the tuna in a can with water and no added salt is the can to choose for your tuna salad.

What else to get at the supermarket:
Grapes
Peeled sunflower seeds
Celery
Onion

On to the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 Cans of Tuna
1 handful of grapes
1 handful of chopped celery
1 handful of diced onion
2-3 tablespoons of Paleo Mayo (look at the recipe on this blog)

Directions:
- Drain cans of tuna and add tuna to a large mixing bowl
- Wash then cut grapes in half and add to tuna
- 1 stalk of celery: wash celery, cut down the middle lengthwise into 3 strips. Chopping the strips into small squares...add to tuna (I think your getting the picture)
- 1 medium onion - dice 1/4 of the onion...everybody say it with me loud and proud: ADD TO TUNA!!
- Fold in the mayonnaise

Voila! You have Paleo Tuna Salad. To make a larger batch (which is great because you can just eat this when your hungry. It has protein, carbs and fat...balanced meal) just double the recipe. If the tuna is a little too dry add a bit more mayonnaise to smooth it out.

You can eat this as is (I recommend this because its so good), you could put it on a bed of lettuce for salad on a salad or to really get spicy make tuna salad wraps using iceberg or bib lettuce (otherwise known as Boston Lettuce).