The ingredients list is for dinner for 4. Size accordingly if you want to plan for leftovers. If you make it on Sunday, you could probably get through Wednesday lunch with the leftovers. But you can’t push it much further without the fries & asparagus going soggy.

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs each dried sage, dried thyme
• 3 yams/sweet potatoes
• 1 lb asparagus
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• salt, cracked black pepper

Into a ziplock bag or tupperware container, place the chicken, 3 Tbs of the olive oil, and the dried spices. Stir around to coat evenly, and let that all sit for a while to marinate. Even a half-hour is worthwhile, but a couple hours would be better.

Preheat your oven for 365. Slice the yams into oven fry shape, about 1/2″ thick. Toss in a bowl with the remaining 3 Tbs of olive oil, and a healthy dose of salt & pepper, maybe 2 Tbs each? If you’d like, about 2 Tbs of garlic powder is also great here. Once that’s all mixed well, lay onto a rimmed baking dish in a single layer. The more you can keep the fries from touching each other, the crispier they’ll get. Pop those in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. When that goes off, turn them over with some tongs, and back in for another 10 minutes or so.

At the same time you initially put the fries in the oven, throw your chicken on the grill. If you’re indoor-bound tonight, then you could also slice the meat into quarter-breast sized pieces, like chicken finger sized. You could then fry those up in a separate saute pan as you stir-fry your asparagus.

And speaking of asparagus, heat up a wok or saute pan nice and hot. By preheating the pan before adding the oil, it allows the pores in the pan to close up, giving it a more slippery quality. As it’s heating, snap any woody stems off of your asparagus, and cut the remaining stalks in half. Basically, you grab each end of each stalk (one at a time), and you bend the stalk. You’re trying to see where the naturally stiff bottom part stops, and the more supple top part begins. That’s where you snap. Depending on your batch of asparagus, sometimes it seems like you’re throwing away half of what you bought. It’s up to you of course, but if you’re not gonna enjoy eating that tough part, why torture yourself. Consider it a lesson learned, and next time, buy younger asparagus!

Okay, by now your pan’s hot. Turn the burner down to medium-high, add the coconut oil, and as soon as that melts, throw in your asparagus and sprinkle on some salt & pepper, maybe 1 Tbs each. Let that cook until you start getting a little browning on the tips, and the thick end of a stalk feels tender when you stick a knife point into it.

Enjoy!

Best. Stew. Ever.

This was my make-ahead lunch concoction for the week. Fully paleo-compliant, fully delicious! And maybe 15 minutes total prep time. I made it in a crockpot, but you could use the oven as well.

• 2-3 lbs sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes.
• 1 Tbs coconut oil (optional)
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2″ pieces ( Or just use half of a package of the precut butternut from Costco. I love that stuff. So convenient! )
• 3 large yams, cubed into 1/2″ pieces. I find the skins on Garnet yams too bitter, so if that’s what I’ve got, I peel ‘em. If you use regular yams or yellow sweet potatoes, feel free to keep the skins on.
• 8 oz coconut milk (I like Thai Kitchen brand, but any brand’s fine as long as it’s from a can, okay? Not that sugared-up, watered-down crap they sell next to the soy milk in the dairy cooler.)
• 4 oz red wine
• 8 oz beef stock (or chicken or vegetable stock if that’s all you’ve got handy)
• 2 Tbs fresh minced garlic
• 2 Tbs each: dried cilantro, basil, ground black pepper, salt

Heat a nonstick skillet nice and hot. Depending on exactly how “non-stick” your skillet actually is, feel free to drop in a spoonful of coconut oil in once the pan is hot. Or you can skip it…up to you.

Chop the steak into bite-sized cubes, sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and black pepper, and add to the skillet. Stir it around quickly for about a minute. Our goal here isn’t to cook the  steak, just to get a nice sear on the outside. When that’s done, dump into a crockpot, or into a Dutch oven or covered saute pan if you’re gonna use your oven.

Add the wine, stock, onion, garlic and dried spices to the pot, give it a quick stir, and cook on low for about 3 hours. If you’re using the oven, set if for 325, and cook for about an hour.

After that time is up, stir in the squash, yams and coconut milk. Another 3 hours in the crockpot, or another hour – 90 minutes in the oven. Check to make sure a piece of yam is tender, and you’re good to go. Enjoy!

This is a quick breakfast, but because you don’t see arugula used much, it seems kind of elegant.

3 eggs
1 cup arugula

1/2 tomato, diced
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup dry quick oats
1 1/3 cup water
1 cup skim milk

First, get your oatmeal & water cooking in the microwave. Chop the arugula & tomato roughly. Scramble the eggs. Spray a nonstick frying pan with Pam and preheat to medium. Stir-fry the arugula just until wilted, maybe about a minute, then toss in your eggs. Stir over medium heat until almost cooked, and stir in your tomato for the final minute or two. Top with about a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Serve alongside the oatmeal and milk.

48 g carbs (39%)
36 g protein (29%)
20 g fat (32%)

Flikr image courtesy rianpie

Abs Diet Recipe Smoothie

This is a new smoothie, with an Abs Diet and Zone Diet compatible recipe. Enjoy…

4 oz Naked brand pomegranate/acai juice
2 oz frozen mangos
2 oz frozen blueberries
2 oz frozen strawberries
3 Tbs almond butter
2 scoops protein powder (I like EAS Advant Edge)
4 oz nonfat milk

1. Add the juice and milk to the blender first
2. Then add the fruit, protein powder and almond butter
3. Blend it up
4. Drink it up!

Some people are turned off by the almond butter, but I think that it adds a nice subtle nutty taste that goes really nice with the juice.

52 g protein (25%)
92 g carbs (44%)
31 g fat (30%)

beef stew

2 1/2 pounds top sirloin, trim off all visible fat, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
2 T oat flour
2 medium onions, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
5 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 pound carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup red wine
6 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 t cracked black pepper
1 t salt

Crock Pot Version:
Add ingredients to crock pot in this order: olive oil, beef, tomato paste, vinegar. Sprinkle flour all over the top, then add the veggies, garlic, bay leaves and wine. Cook on high for about 5 hours, or low for about 8. If you’re not cooking it overnight, then give it a big stir once or twice during cooking. If you are cooking overnoght, don’t worry about it.

Oven Version:
Heat oven to 350. Use a dutch oven or saute pan with a lid. Over high heat, add the olive oil, beef, and a pinch of the salt and pepper. Stir beef continuously until browned (about 5 minutes). Add all other ingredients, along with 3 cups of water or stock. Stir and bring to boil. Put on the lid, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Serves 10 @ 330 calories
10 g fat (28%)
30 g carbs (41%)
23 g protein (31%)

image credit: flikr user thebittenword

A fritatta like this is a great make-ahead breakfast. Put it together while your making dinner the night before, and you can just pop a slice into the microwave in the morning, and get rolling out the door!

4 eggs
3/4 cup cooked chopped spinach (1 pkg. of frozen spinach)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup chopped tomato1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tbs. margarine
4 chopped green onions
1 tbs. chopped hazelnuts, walnuts or sesame seeds

Beat eggs. Combine with spinach (make sure it’s well squeezed first!), parsley or cilantro, garlic and sea salt. Saute the green onions in a medium oven proof frying pan, using the margarine. When the onions are slightly wilted, add the egg mix. Cook over a high heat until the egg starts to set up, shaking constantly to prevent burning. Finish under a broiler for several minutes. Top with the chopped nuts. Makes 2 servings.

Cal 263
Carb 10g (15%)
Pro 18g (28%)
Fat 18g (57%)

Breakfast #1: Served with 1 cup hash browns, 2 slices turkey bacon and a 12 oz. glass of skim milk:

Blocks 5
Cal 570
Carb 50g (39%)
Pro 39g (30%)
Fat 20g (31%)

Breakfast #2: Served with a glass of tomato drink and a 12 oz. glass of skim milk:

Blocks 5
Cal 530
Carb 50g (41%)
Pro 34g (28%)
Fat 18g (30%)

2 cans black beans (drained)
12 oz. ground turkey
1 onion
1 tbs. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans beef stock
1 small can tomato paste
1 tbs. thyme
1 tbs. basil
1 tbs. parsley
1 bay leaf
1 avocado

Saute the ground beef in a nonstick skillet. Chop the onion. When the beef is done, remove it, drain the pan, and saute the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil until the onion is translucent. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir well to help blend the tomato paste. Simmer for 20 minutes, remove the bay leaf, garnish with slices of avocado, and serve. Serves 4.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 475
Carb: 44g (41%)
Protein: 31g (29%)
Fat: 16g (30%)

Yup, spaghetti omelet…trust me.

3 cups cooked spinach spaghetti
4 eggs
1 cup broccoli florets
4 tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 oz. protein powder
2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley
2 tbs. fresh chopped basil
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
pinch salt

Boil the pasta and steam the broccoli. Place the cooked, drained spaghetti in a bowl. Mix in the broccoli, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, protein powder and butter. When the butter is melted, stir in the cheese. While the mixture cools, stir occasionally. Beat the eggs, then add to the pasta. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, stir the spaghetti once more, then pour mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat. When the egg starts to firm up, flip the omelet. Serves 4

Blocks: 3
Calories: 310
Carb: 27g (38%)
Protein: 23g (33%)
Fat: 10g (29%)

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image courtesy of ccharmon

This is one of our family’s favorites. We eat it all the time in the winter. Even our normally picky kids love it.

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
2 large green peppers

2 cups onion
2 cups carrots
1 cup tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup green chiles
1 qt. water
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
5 tbs. butter
6 cups milk
2 tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. Cajun spices
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbs. seasoned salt
2 tbs. onion powder
5 tbs. chili powder

Start by broiling the chicken. When cooked, shred or dice it, and place in a large stock pot. Dice the peppers, onions, carrots and tomatoes.

Note, we normally add the chopped veggies to the pot now. But if you’ve got picky eaters at home, you could always give these a quick shot in the blender first. It’ll grind them up so they’re unrecognizable, but they still give the soup a ton of flavor, and some added thickness as well.

Add in all remaining ingredients except for the butter, flour and milk. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer on a low burner.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. In another saucepan, heat the milk until steaming, then remove from the burner. When the butter is melted, slowly whisk in the flour. Avoid lumps. As the mixture becomes too dry to work with, slowly alternate adding the flour and the milk. When you’ve combined all of the butter, flour and milk, whisk this mixture slowly into the simmering soup. Let the whole thing cook on low for another 20 minutes.

Makes 10 servings. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, and freezes well.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 390
Carb: 36g (41%)
Protein: 28g (31%)
Fat: 12g (28%)

Another winter family favorite, and one batch will also provide for several brown bag lunches.

1 14 oz. can kidney beans
1 14 oz. can black beans
1 14 oz. can red beans
6 medium tomatoes
2 large white onions
2 bell peppers, green or yellow
3 cloves garlic
2 lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
3 tbs. red chile
3 tbs. basil
1 tbs. parsley
1 tbs. cumin
2 tbs. black pepper
1 chopped serrano pepper (seeded)
red pepper to taste
4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown the meat in a nonstick skillet, and then place it in a large stock pot. Chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers, and add to the pot. Press the garlic and add it, as well as the other spices. At this point, add about 1 tbs. of red pepper.

In a bowl, mix the tomato paste and chicken stock until smooth, then add to the pot. Stir everything up, and cook on a medium stove for about 15 minutes so the flavors can start to mix. Give it a taste, and add red pepper as needed. Cook for about another 20 minutes, or until the kidney beans start to mash when you stir. Serve hot with cheddar on top. Makes 8 servings, and freezes well. 

Blocks: 5
Calories: 480
Carb: 45g (41%)
Protein: 35g (31%)
Fat: 15g (28%)