Cobb Salad

I had a version of this Cobb salad at The Interstate Kitchen and Bar, which is just a block away from our gym in Denver. Their salad contained bacon, but since Mike and I don't eat the pig, I made a different rendition that has become my favorite go-to salad. My favorite part is the soft fried egg. When you eat the egg, the yolk runs over the salad and makes a rich and creamy dressing.

1 head butter lettuce
marinated boneless skinless chicken thighs (recipe below)
1 orange, cut into segments
1 avocado
2 eggs (one for each salad)
2oz toasted chopped walnuts

Marinade:
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tbsp each salt and chili powder
1/2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp minced chives

Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add the chicken. Marinade at least 8 hours. Grill chicken thighs until slightly charred. Let sit 10 minutes, then dice.

To assemble the salad, tear butter lettuce leaves and arrange on a large plate. Add slices of the segmented orange, avocado, walnuts and as much chicken as you want. Top with a fried egg.

Salmon Deviled Eggs

In the South, Deviled Eggs are a staple on any holiday party table. Keeping on your diet during the holidays can be easy if you bring dishes that not only accommodate your nutrition guidelines but appeal to everyone. Adding smoked salmon adds an interesting texture and a rich, dense flavor.

1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
6oz smoked salmon
1/2 cup mayonnaise (homemade is preferable)
1 tbsp each dill, ground mustard and salt
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
paprika (for garnish)

Remove the shells from eggs by gently rolling on a hard surface. Half each egg down the length, then remove the hard yolk. Mix all yolks, salmon, mayonnaise, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl with a fork. Do not over mix. Using a small spoon, gently stuff each halved egg white with the mixture. Sprinkle paprika on top.

Braised Cabbage

Cabbage is the perfect vegetable: cheap, accessible, delicious and versatile. Braised cabbage is the perfect comfort food for cold winters.

1 head red or green cabbage
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water or chicken broth


Heat oven to 350. Remove any discolored outer leaves from the cabbage, then cut into large wedges. Place cabbage and onion in large baking dish, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the apple cider vinegar and the water or broth into the dish. Cover tightly with tin foil and cook for an hour and a half.



Increase temperature to 450 and take the foil off the baking dish. Cook for another 15 minutes or so or until the cabbage turns brown.

Dairy-free Tuna Salad

I used to eat tuna salad mixed with mayonnaise on top of mayo slathered bread. This new tuna salad is simple to make, packs well and makes a great snack.

4oz tuna fish packed in water
1/4 head green or purple cabbage shredded
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dill
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients and let sit at least 10 minutes.

Calories: 252
Protein: 31g
Fat: 8g
Carbs: 18g
Fiber: 5g

Sweet Potato Hash

Thanksgiving side dish, perhaps?

1 large sweet potato, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 slices bacon (no, I didn't start eating, pork...this is an amazing smoked turkey bacon)
3 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix sweet potatoes with olive oil, spread on baking sheet and roast 20-30 minutes.

In a large skillet, fry bacon, remove pan from heat and rest bacon on paper towel. When potatoes are done, add to leftover bacon fat (include the remaining oil from the baking sheet) and saute on medium. Crumble bacon and toss with sweet potatoes, green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 or 2 very hungry sprinters

Roasted Kale

I try to eat greens...I really do. I'm a Southerner, but I despise collards cooked in pork fat. I know greens are healthy, but other than spinach, arugula and other salad greens, I have a hard time choking them down. However, over the past month I have eaten at least one giant bag of kale per week. The key was to change my cooking mechanism. Roasting kale somehow removes the bitterness and reveals a mellow, slightly nutty flavor. This recipe is for all the folks out there who, like me, thought they could never like cooked greens.

Spicy Kale
1 lb clean kale (I use the bags from the grocery store)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
juice of 1 lime (optional)

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. In a very large bowl, toss kale with olive oil, lime juice and seasonings. Spread on a large baking sheet and cook 30 minutes, tossing regularly. Some of the kale will become very crispy, while other pieces will be perfectly roasted.

Other seasoning options. The inclusion of seeds or nuts will give the kale a more 'chip-like' consistency:

Sesame Kale Chips
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp sesame seeds


Nutty Kale Chips
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup almonds, hazelnuts, macadamian nuts or pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Puree all ingredients in food processor, then toss with kale chips. Same cooking instructions.

Roasted Cauliflower

I have played quite a bit with cauliflower in the past, trying to increase the variety of vegetables that I enjoy eating and don't just tolerate. A month ago I tried roasting cauliflower in the oven, intending to then puree it for my usually 'mashed' cauliflower recipe. When I removed it from the oven, I found each piece of the vegetable tender and caramelized to perfection. Forget the food processor...this is my absolute favorite cauliflower application.

1-2 heads cauliflower
1/4 cup olive oil
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard
2 tbsp chopped chives (optional)

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. To prepare cauliflower, remove stems from the base, then carefully cut off each floret. Slice florets into 1/8 inch thick pieces or break florets into very small sections. Don't get rid of the interior stem!!! Peel this section carefully, remove the coarse bottom and slice into 1/8 inch discs. Toss cauliflower with remaining ingredients and spread out on a baking sheet covered in tin foil. Cook 35 to 45 minutes, at least twice during the cooking process.

D.I.Y. Roasted Red (and Yellow) Peppers

I never got the obsessions with roasted red peppers; to me they always tasted vinegary and bitter. However, an excess of peppers from my local farmer dictated that I experiment with recipes before my peppers went bad. The result: delicious, sweet and cheap roasted red, yellow and orange peppers perfect for salads, scrambled eggs and eggplant stacks.



Step 1: Heat broiler to highest temperature. Remove the stem and seeds from your pepper, then slice edges to make the pepper lay flat. Place on a baking sheet and place under the direct flame of the broiler.






Step 2: Check the peppers after 10 minutes and then every couple of minutes after that. Remove peppers when the skin is completely black.


Step 3: Dump peppers in a large bowl and immediately cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the peppers to steam and helps to remove the blackened skins.







Step 4: Gently remove skin from peppers. You can store
these in the refrigerator for up to a week in a plastic container.

Crockpot Fridays: Cooking a Whole Chicken

D.I.Y. Chicken Broth

This is a really simple and effective way to get the most out of your chicken. I love buying whole chickens to cook; not only do Mike and I each get to eat our favorite parts, whole chickens are very inexpensive and easy to cook. The benefit of using a crockpot is that you are able to retain all the delicious juice that accrues during cooking. And, with just a little extra work, you can make your own chicken broth without the alarming amount of sodium. Ina Garten would be proud.

Step 1: Place entire chicken in crockpot; don't add any liquid.
Season with salt and pepper. I added a couple squirts of organic, stone-ground mustard, but it really didn't do anything for the flavor. Cook on high at least four hours, then turn down to warm or turn off.




Step 2: Once chicken has cooled off some, separate the meat from the bones and skin. There will be a large amount of liquid in the pot. DO NOT GET RID OF THE JUICE! You should now have all the meat of the chicken in one container, which is perfect for making chicken salads.





Step 3: Add one large onion (quartered or roughly chopped), a couple of sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme (dried is fine if that is all you have) and whatever other seasoning you would like to find in your broth. Pour in four cups of water. Leave the heat on low and cook for another 8 hours.




Step 4: Strain the entire contents of the crockpot, making sure that the bones, skin and any other solids do not get mixed with the broth.

Step 5: Store the remaining liquid in an air-tight container for up
to a week. If you don't plan on using the broth immediately, you can also store in the freezer.

Eat Local!

Last week we visited Sunrise Ranch to take a tour of the farm and pick-up our share of their delicious, grass-fed beef. It was an incredible experience to watch these gorgeous, well-cared for and well-maintained cows graze on alfalfa next to sparkling lake.

When it comes to making diet choices, the real question we should be asking ourselves is not how many calories are in this dish or what is the ratio of protein/carbs/fat, but where is our food coming from. Since moving to Denver one year ago, we have begun to focus on the quality of our foods, purchasing a vegetable share from Farm Yard, a local C.S.A., buying dozens of eggs from a local chicken farmer and now investing in grass-fed beef from Sunrise Ranch. While the initial cost can be daunting, consider thinking of your food as an investment.


Mike and I joined in with four friends to buy a half a cow. We paid less than $5 per pound for over 191lbs of organic, hormone-free, grass-fed beef. Find a grass-fed beef source near you through Eat Wild.


Buying vegetables and fruit through a C.S.A. (community supported agriculture) can be a cost-effective way to get organically grown produce and to support a local farmer. Check out Local Harvest to find a C.S.A. in your area.

Breakfast Salad

Our contemporary conception of breakfast consists of an abundance of grains: cereal, pancakes, pastries, granola, etc. While I enjoy eating eggs (especially the new farm-fresh eggs we receive every two weeks), sometimes it is nice to not have to adhere to popular breakfast standards.

This morning, I planned to eat three eggs scrambled with mushrooms, spinach, salsa and avocado. However, when I opened the kitchen I saw the crisp butter lettuce I picked up yesterday, a salad seemed a perfectly viable option.

Simple recipe: chicken, home-made roasted red and yellow peppers, avocado and butter lettuce.

Roast Chicken

Every Sunday night, Mike and I roast a chicken and eat the entire thing. Simply seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme and fresh lemon juice, the chicken comes out crispy and tangy on a bed of sweet onions. This simple recipe is based on Ina Garten's, but made a bit easier and more healthy. You can cook the chicken whole, but we like to cut it up for a quicker cooking time and crispy-er skin.

Roast Chicken

1 roasting chicken
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper and thyme
2 lemons
2 large onions, sliced large
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Scatter onions on the bottom of a large roasting pan, then arrange the chicken on top. Drizzle the olive oil on the top, then season with salt, pepper and thyme. Cut one lemon into sliced and place between pieces of chicken and squeeze the juice of the other lemon on top. Cook 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Note: if you roast the chicken whole, make sure you toss the onions in olive oil first so they will not burn. You will also need to let the chicken cook for an extra fifteen to twenty minutes.

Pureed Eggplant

This light and airy pureed eggplant is based on the Turkish dish, Hunkar Begendi and goes fantastically with grilled lamb.

2 medium eggplants
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Place eggplants under a hot broiler completely intake. Let them char for at least 20 minutes, then remove from heat a let cool before handling. Remove the cooked flesh by peeling of the skin or scooping out the flesh and place in a colander. Let sit at least 1 hour to let the water drain.
Reheat eggplant in a skillet or in the microwave, then puree with olive oil, salt and pepper. You could also add fresh rosemary.

Curry Beef and Cabbage

This quick recipe is a perfect paleo dish: it contains plenty of lean proteins, good fats and non-starchy vegetables.

Curry Beef and Cabbage

1 lb ground beef or bison
half a head of cabbage, shredded
1 tsp each:
salt
curry powder
tumeric
cayenne pepper (if you don't like spicy foods, you might want to reduce or leave this out)
half a can of coconut milk

Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Brown ground beef until almost cooked through, then add spices. Mix thoroughly, then add cabbage and saute another 5 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and reduce heat and cook until milk is reduced by half.

Roasted Carrots

It is a frightening concept for many low-carb dieters to consider eating carrots, which is completely ludicrous. Organic carrots are delicious, cheap and a terrific way to boost your glycogen levels post-workout.

Roasted Carrots

4-5 large carrots (you could also use organic baby carrots)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper, dried thyme

Heat oven to 450 degrees, peel carrots (this is optional) and cut into uniform pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried thyme. Cook 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

This is the easiest recipe...ever. For those of you who do not like handling raw meat, this is the perfect cooking method for using raw chicken. I used a peach salsa made fresh at our local market, but if you cannot buy a fresh made kind, make sure it is gluten-free and sugar-free.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

1lb chicken breasts and/or thighs
1 jar salsa

Put chicken in crockpot and cover with salsa. Cook 6-8 hours or until chicken falls apart.

Do it Yourself: Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is one of my favorite protein snacks, but purchasing commercially produced jerky is expensive. Not only does purchasing jerky mean wasteful packaging, but it typically includes ingredients that I do not want to consume. Making your own jerky is cheap, easy to make and let's you be in control of the flavors and seasonings. If you do not have a food dehydrator, don't fear; your oven will suffice.

Beef Jerky

2 lbs london broil or flank steak
1 tsp any seasoning you like (I used salt, pepper, cayenne, curry and tumeric)

Put london broil in the freezer for 1 hour to make cutting easier. Before slicing meat, rinse and pat dry meat, trimming off any excess fat. Cut meat against the bias into 1/8 inch slices and put into large bowl with seasoning blend. Marinate up to 24 hours.

If you are cooking in the oven, place aluminum foil across the bottom of your oven. Carefully place each piece of jerky on the oven racks (see image below). Put oven on lowest setting or no more than 170 degrees. If your oven, like mine, does not go below 200 degrees, prop the door open. Cook 2-5 hours, depending on your oven and your desired degree of 'dryness'.

When your jerky if finished, let it cool to room temperature, then store in plastic bags with one paper towel to soak up any moisture. Your jerky will keep up to two weeks or longer if kept in the fridge.