Thursday Thoughts Ed. 93 - Spring Wellness Challenge

6:42 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Hello, spring! This is going to be GOOD!

Recipe: Italian Style Turkey Burgers

10:24 AM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

These burgers can easily be meatballs. They are easy to make and you can play with the flavors with spices and different veggies or cheese to mix up the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 package of lean ground turkey
2 small shredded zucchini. Diced works ok too.
(Try mushrooms, peppers or onions for a change)
1 tsp garlic powder, or fresh chopped cloves
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Sometimes I add a 1/4 cup of feta -- keeps it moist and super tasty

Directions:

You can broil on high for about 5 mins each side or cook in a skillet on the stove top on med high heat for about the same amount of time. Grilling works great too!

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mix well and scoop out 4-6 oz portions.

Serve with all the fixings for burgers or on a bed of greens. If you made meatballs, stuff them in a pita, or toss with warm spaghetti squash. Delish!

Recipe: Shredded Beef Tacos

10:10 AM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Get out the crock pot! Sometimes nothing with do but red meat. I love, love just about any kind of shredded meat, beef, pork, chicken, yum. Here's a simple, prep and leave it recipe for Spicy Shredded Beef Tacos that works great for a busy week night meal. Set the beef to cook before heading out the door and come home to a tangy, savory make your own meal. And it's healthy too.

Ingredients:

2 lbs flank steak
1 chopped yellow onion
1 chopped red pepper
1 seeded and chopped jalapeno

For spicy rub--

2 tsp chili powder, I like the chipotle kind
1 tsp cumin, or more
1/2 twp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika (I like smoked)
salt and pepper

Serve with--

Corn tortillas
Avocado slices
Cilantro
Salsa
Lime

Directions --

Rub the steak with lots of the spicy mixture. You can let this sit for a while, over night in a sealed container, or just pop it in the bottom of your crock pot.  Add the rest of the ingredients and set to cook on low for 6-8 hours. You can add a little beef broth to keep meat moist if you like but you shouldn't need to. When meat is cooked use a fork to shred. Serve as is or keep in crock pot a little longer.

I think it's fun to put all the taco fillings in pretty bowls on the table and let every one make there own.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Shrimp Scampi

9:03 AM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Here's one for your Spring Cleaning menu. A super easy and crazy tasty Shrimp Scampi. Serve over your favorite whole grain or gluten free pasta.

-Olive oil
-Shrimp
-garlic
-lemon juice
-parsley
-pasta


-Heat about 1 TBSP of your favorite oil in a large skillet. I have been loving the kick the jalapeño olive oil gives dishes like this one.

Cook shrimp (for two people I use about 3/4 pound) until nearly done. The shrimp should be browning slightly on at least one side and turning a nice warm color.

Toss the rest of the ingredients in the pan. Leave all juices as your sauce.

Lots of garlic, 2-4 minced cloves
The juice of 2 lemons
A drizzle more olive oil
2 TBSP fresh parsley

That's it! Spoon the shrimp and sauce over a serving of pasta. Delightful!

We had a half of a red onion that needed eating so we diced that up and tossed it in too.

Thursday Thoughts Ed. 92 - Spring Clean Your Diet

6:23 AM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Yes, it’s time. Even thought in the NW our spring starts with 65 degree days followed by 45 degree days, the time has come to open the house and sweep out the crud. Winter weather ceases the weekend trips to the farmers market and increases the trips to your local Thai-take out joint. Our daily exercise activity often slows when it’s colder too. Hey, it’s ok, it’s the natural flow of things. But, as the sun stays up later in the sky it’s time to toss off the winter blankets and shake things up!

Here are 6 ways to freshen up with out freaking out. There’s no need to juice fast or mega-diet. Just get back to basics.

1. Add veggies. To everything. Decorate your plate with the colors of spring. Eating a rainbow of colors makes sure you are filling up on fiber, vitamins, minerals and other heath-giving nutrients. I like to add spinach and bright peppers to eggs in the morning, berries on salads and greens to dinner meals.

2. Drink up. In the winter drinking chilly water can be less appealing. Make a real effort to up your hydration as the weather warms. Sometimes when we think we are hungry we really just need to satisfy our thirst. Try to have one big glass in the morning before breakfast and another glass before and after every meal during the day.

3. Get back in the kitchen. I know I was way less enthusiastic about cooking on cold, yucky nights. Dining out can leave your wallet and diet lacking. Grab a copy of Cooking Light or Eating Well and pick our one or two new and easy, healthy meals to make this week. I’ve recently tried Shredded Beef Tacos, Lemon Chicken and Italian Turkey Burgers. Check out my blog for recipes!

4. Get organized. Think ahead. Make a meal plan. Take a look at your week and decide when you can whip up new meals and when you need to rely on left-overs. Browse the produce aisle for the freshest local veggies and fruits and try to add them to your meals.

5. Ditch the sugary stuff. It’s easy to get in the habit of drinking hot cups of cocoa, toasting muffins in the morning and creating comfort in the evening with baked cakes and cookies when the weather whips outside. Make your spring time comfort food healthy and fresh. Choose whole foods as often as possible and get in the habit of reading labels. Sugar is sneaky.

6. Get out there! With an hour extra light in the evening why not take a short stroll before or after dinner. Get back to your habit or walking or riding to work, meeting friends for jogs in the park. Take every opportunity to enjoy the Vitamin D and get that body out of hibernation.

Here’s to your health and happiness!

Family Dinner - Lemony Chicken and Kale Salad

5:17 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Most Sundays you'll find us sitting around the dinner table with whatever friends and family are able to gather. This weeks meal followed a delightfully brutal 10 mile run in Forest Park. Quick and easy is the name of the game when preparing for a hungry crowd. Thanks, ML for being the hostess with the mostess yet again, you are amazing!


Lemony Grilled Chicken

This marinade covers about 3-4 lbs of chicken. Feel free to modify as you need. You can actually freeze the chicken in the marinade and defrost 24 hours in the fridge before cooking for a super fast weekend dinner.

1/3 cup lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
4 cloves garlic, grated
2 tsp salt
lots of fresh ground pepper
1/3 c olive oil, more or less depending on cut of chicken, dark meat needs less, breasts need more.
1-2 Tbsp fresh minced rosemary
1 Tbsp fresh thyme

Combine everything and mix well, pour with chicken into a ziplock bag (or two). Squeeze the air out and seal bags to marinade overnight or atleast four hours.

Grill or bake at 375 degrees until juice run clear. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper just before serving.

You can use this delicious marinade for pork chops too!

The Best Kale Salad

Like I said last week, once you massage your kale salad, you'll never stop. I had always heard that kale should be rubbed and squeezed to cut the bitterness and tenderize the leaves, I just never bothered. Until my friend and bike teammate brought this revelation to a dinner party.

Wash and chop a bunch of fresh curly kale
Drizzle with about 1/2 Tbsp of seasame oil
Add about 1/2 - 1 Tbsp of your favorite flavored vinegar, I use the expresso vin I got as a Christmas gift
1-2 slices or Tbsp of ripe avocado
1 tsp tamari (optional)
 Put it all in a big bowl and go to it!  Get your hands in there! Squeeze, rub, moosh it all up for about 2 mins. Kale will turn bright and shiny.

Then add 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds for healthy fat and a little protein.
Cherry tomatoes, dried cranberries, all add a pop of color and flavor.

We enjoyed these two dishes with roasted sweet potato and cauliflower.

Perfection!

There may have been dessert(s) but that's another blog.

Photos coming!

Enjoy.

Fuel up with fruit!

6:48 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

Happy National Nutrition Month! For the month of March I'll be part of a blog roll focused on delicious healthy eating.

Tuesday morning the alarm rang early. I had to be out of bed, awake, dressed, with bike gear all loaded in the car for a 7:30am meet up at O2Endurance for a "power test". That's basically a 20min time trial with your road bike locked in a trainer, power meter plugged in to a computer and a room of sweaty, hard working riders doing their best to go as far and as fast as they can. Ouch.

With little time to do much in the morning, I needed a fast and effective snack to "power" up my workout. When I'm in a hurry I reach for fresh fruit and a giant cup of coffee.

Fruit is a natural energy boosting food. It's so easy to grab a piece on your way out the door. Here are a few on my favorites and why.

1. APPLES - That thick skin makes them a great snack to go. Toss in your gym bag or purse for an easy snack anytime. Apples have a good amount of fruit sugar that give you a burst of energy when you need it, but not so much that your blood sugar bolts too high. Antioxidant rich and high in fiber, apples can also help keep you full between meals and make weigh loss efforts easier.

2. MELON - Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, melons are a super healthy food. Melons can help strengthen our immune systems and ease digestion. I love having a few juicy slices in the morning or as an afternoon snack.

3. BANANA - Another easy to take with you snack since they come in their own wrapper. Potassium and Folate are just two super minerals found in this yummy fruit. I like to slice them up on toast with a little nut butter, mix in smoothies or mash in greek yogurt.  Bananas are high in fruit sugar and make for a good start to the day or to power through an afternoon workout.

4. GRAPEFRUIT - Tart, tangy and just enough sweet makes the grapefruit lovely all on its own or squeezed into juice. Low cal and loaded with vitamin C links eating grapefruits with better health. Toss some slices in salads or peel and tote to work in a baggie for a refreshing treat.

5. CHERRIES - So good! An antioxidant power house cherries are cancer fighters and can help reduce inflammation in body. Grab a handful on your way out the door just remember to toss the pits!

Check out the eatright website to read more!

Thursday Thoughts Ed. 91 - Five Favorite Foods

8:47 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

My favorite foods, are pizza, ice cream, and fettucine alfredo. Yes, I'm Italian, and Irish too, so I'll eat just about anything. But, I'm also a trainer, a nutrition coach and an athlete. I know when and where these foods fit in. (It's rare)