Thursday, October 18, 2012

Not Another Pumpkin Recipe

Hey Everyone....hope you still remember us. It's been non-stop craziness for the Feast team since our last post. I've been treading water at my new full-time job trying to get it all down-pat as fast as I can, while heading up the teacher training program over at Barre Bee Fit, and planning 3 massively awesome boot camps - oh and a November Sugar Detox! Scott has been pretty darn busy as well working away, studying for the CPA, and cheering on (the still undefeated!) Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Basically, between workouts, study sessions, daytime jobs, and extracurricular commitments, we've been spread preeetty thin lately.

Somewhere in there, we got to watch my ROCK STAR BRO run a 3:41 marathon!


It was seriously so awesome to watch him complete such a challenging athletic feat...and to watch all the other runners as well!

Anyway, somewhere in the midst of all this craziness, a new pumpkin recipe was born. Let's face it, fall is CRAWLING with pumpkin recipes, and paleo pumpkin recipes as well....but guys....this one is REAL yummy and we highly recommend you make it immediately...because you will gobble.it.up.

Ladies and Gentleman, Amazing Readers of 3,2,1 Feast! May we introduce:

Pay no attention to the Tostitos in the background. They're not ours ;)
When you host a football viewing party, people bring stuff too 

The Choco Coco Pumpkin Bar
Ingredients
1 cup almond meal
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup pumpkin puree (you can add more to taste)
4 eggs
2-4 TBSP Honey (add more to desired sweetness)
4 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips - We like Enjoy Life brand because they're dairy and soy free woo!
Organic Butter or Coconut Oil to grease 8x8 baking dish

Directions
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a bowl, combine almond meal, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and baking powder
3) Add in pumpkin puree, eggs, honey and vanilla extract. Combine until you have uniform mixture
4) Add in chocolate chips and mix.
5) Pour batter into a greased 8x8 baking dish (We greased ours with organic butter, coconut oil is a fine choice as well) 
6) Bake for approx 30-40 minutes. Tooth pick test the center. When the toothpick comes out clean it's done :)



We just baked up our THIRD batch of these! Tomorrow, I'm going down to Indianapolis for the weekend to get my USA Weightlifting certification (Level 1 Sports Performance Coach here I come!)! I'm staying with some of Scott's friends so I'm bringing down this fresh batch as a major thank you!

Well, that's all for now. We hope you try out this delicious fall-inspired dessert and let us know what you think!

~Scott & Lina


Thursday, September 27, 2012

One Week Without Sugar is Sweet

Happy almost Friday!! I just wanted to check-in with you all about how my 21 Day Sugar Detox is going.

Well, I've got to say....I thought I would miss this:

Lina as Elmo circa 2009 Halloween

...but in reality, it's actually been REALLY simple! How? Well because the answer is always "no." There is no questioning of, "well i've had a really good/bad day so...." or  "but these are the best doughnuts in chicago," or "I have a fever and the only answer is more cowbell err sweets." It's easy. A craving comes along, I acknowledge it, and move on. Honestly, it's really liberating not to debate each craving with myself in my head. It's empowering to just acknowledge it, and continue on with my day.

In this past week I learned that everyday at 3pm I crave sugar. So, to combat said craving this has been UBER helpful:


Coconut Butter is the most AMAZING sugar craving battler!! It's naturally sweet with fairly little carbohydrate and it's chock full of healthy fats that satiate you quickly (seriously if you try to eat too much, you will feel nauseous. Gotta love nature's portion control)!!

Woah! I'm writing you at 3:35pm today and I just realized I missed my sugar craving all together today - my detox is working woo woo!!

If you are interested in participating in a Sugar Detox, I'm in the process of putting together my own protocol! Holler at us if you want in and we'll keep you posted with materials!

Scott and I are off to a yummy dinner tonight at one of our favorite Brazilian Steak Houses - Texas de Brazil! Stay tuned for a recap post tomorrow.

Have a great day!

~Scott & Lina

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Greek Islands


Greek Islands is a very authentic Greek restaurant in Greektown.  Both the ambiance and the food are second to none, at least according to us.  We went on a Friday night with a couple of friends, and had a great time tasting all of the amazing Greek fare the restaurant had to offer!

OUR Greek Islands Order:



1) Grilled Octopus Appetizer (with balsamic and tomato slices)

2) Arni Fournou (baked lamb shank with sliced potatoes)

3) Keftedes (beef and lamb meatballs)

All three dishes were incredible, but we agreed that our favorite was the arni fournou.  It was literally falling off the bone.  We also had a side greek salad that is not pictured, but was the perfect compliment to all of this meat!

Until next time,

~Scott & Lina

Friday, September 21, 2012

Goodbye Sugah!

Hey y'all! Happy FRIDAY!!! Lina here and I have a fun post for you all today...

First...More Tough Mudder Pics!!
 Happily Frolicking Through the Mud
 The couple that completely submerges themselves in ice water together, 
stays together right?
 After resurrecting myself from beneath the hay bales, 
I got a smart shock on the tush that propelled me to the finish line...
Scott making his way through some serious mud

We'll be on the look-out for some more in the "lost and found" bin on the site too!

Next item on the agenda...An Announcement! I, Lina, am on day 1 of a 21 day sugar detox. Scott's out on this one, he doesn't have a sweet tooth issue like I do.

What's a sugar detox all about? Well, it's an opportunity to look my sugar cravings smack in the face and say NO! NO I don't need the extra insulin right now helping me to store energy,  NO I don't need the high and the crash, and NO my liver cannot come out and play right now, it needs a break from your hot mess self! - Oh and there's also a YES...YES I'd like to tap into my already existing energy stores (read: fat cells) for energy and become a lean, mean, fat burning machine with consistently high levels of energy.

Easier said than done? We'll just have to see. In the meantime, I will be following a strict Paleo protocol while keeping my carbohydrate intake to around 50g-100g per day. No fruit, no sugar, no gum/mints/fake sugar, and very limited starchy vegetables (like squash and sweet potatoes). Starchy carbs will only be consumed post mind-blowing workout :)

So what's left to eat, you ask? LOTS!! Quality meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and healthy fats like avocado (technically a fruit but doesn't count :p), coconut milk, coconut butter, and butter!! These are all my favorite foods anyway, that nourish and satisfy my body and provide me with ample amounts of energy...umm oh yeah...they area all SO DELICIOUS !!!

Trader Joe's Kobe Beef Burger (frozen section. buy it. trust us on this one.)
with sauteed asparagus and baby portabello mushrooms

So over the next 21 days, assume that you'll be hearing a lot from me...and we will be sharing a lot more savory recipes. In the works for couple of week -- a chicken curry soup, chili, and possibly some meat balls!!!

Anywho, what better way to kick-off a NO SUGAR challenge than by posting one last dessert recipe!

Enjoy!

Choco Bites - adapted from Clothes Make the Girl
Ingredients
* 1 box pitted dates (approximately 30 dates)
* 2 cups raw pecans
* 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 tbsp raw honey (optional for added sweetness)
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* Dash of salt

Directions
* Food process pecans. We want them in small pieces, not turned into sawdust or paste
* Place food processed pecans into a mixing bowl
* Food process pitted dates, cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, and salt
* Pour mixture in with the pecans and combine
* Add shredded coconut and combine
* Roll into balls and place onto wax paper
* Refrigerate until serving.

Note: you can eat them right away, but I think they taste better after they've spent at least a few hours chillin' in the fridge.

And that my friends, is the last dessert recipe for 20 more days...ENJOY!

~Lina

Monday, September 10, 2012

Post-Mudder Monday

Hey Everyone! So we survived!! We participated in a Tough Mudder this past Saturday and came out on top! It's so surreal that the first conversation we EVER had was about Tough Mudder and now, almost a year later, we've completed one together.


Since nutrition is such an integral part of our lives, we'll talk about what we ate while talking about the actual event. Without further ado, Mudder weekend play-by-play

Friday September 7th, 6:45pm:

 Trader Joe's Kobe Beef Burgers, Baked Sweet Potato Chips in Olive Oil, 
and Sauteed Mushrooms

Fueling up the night before is just as crucial as morning of. The night before a heavy workout session, it's good to top of glycogen stores with some natural, healthy, glucose based carbohydrate. In our case, the sweet potato. Plus you can never go wrong with some heart healthy grassfed beef for protein!!

Saturday September 8th 4:15am:


Organic Free Range Eggs cooked in Coconut Oil, Avocado, 
and Black Coffee!

This our go-to breakfast for Paleo champions! Protein and fat provide the body with long burning energy so that we wouldn't bottom-out mid race! Also, coffee is just a must...especially at 4:15am...woof! We kept this meal nice and plain and simple, so there would be no risk of it coming back up ;)

After breakfast, we drove 2.5 hrs north close to Sheboygan, Wisconsin for the race. Scott is quite the awesome driver, so we managed to get there in about 2 hours while listening to 2Chainz, Kanye, and some other awesome sauce rap to get pumped up for the race! 

7am We arrived at the Course!
 Scott, Arpun, and Alex (our team) walking to sign-in

Scott getting his number written on his forehead

 7:30am Mandatory "Before" Team Pic

Scott, Lina (with seksi hot pink compression sleeves), Alex, Arpun

We look surprisingly awake and excited!!

At 8am our heat (the first heat of the day) began!
We chanted the Tough Mudder Pledge, got pumped up, and ran through orange smoke at the start line. The race consisted of lots of running, obstacles, and opportunities to face our fears. We climbed over tall barricades, jumped from high heights, walked through fire and smoke, and got 2 opportunities to battle it out with electricity.

Approx 10:30am
We completed the 11+ mile course, and ran through the final gauntlet of electricity. On the other side of the finish line we were handed mudder tees, our coveted orange sweatbands and (non paleo) beer to celebrate the 2.5 hrs of hell we paid for and put ourselves through

Mandatory "After" Team Pic
Alex, Lina and her crazy electric shocked hair, Arpun, Scott

 I think we look just as happy, if not happier in our "after" photo. And we're definitely covered in more mud!!

After the race we stuck around for a little bit, watched some other people get shocked and then cleaned up and drove home. Scott and I had one thing on our minds....well for me it was food...for Scott it was Notre Dame football and food battling it out for top priority.


I settled on Lilli's Q dry rub ribs and a salad for lunch...Scott went with Piece Pizza and Beer (falling into his 20% of non paleo food choices :p)

Overall, we had a GREAT time racing with our team. We accomplished a challenge together and as a team, faced our fears, and got an awesome workout! I'd be lying if I said that nutrition wasn't part of being able to fully enjoy the experience. Because we fueled properly, no one was lagging behind because of lack of energy, no one was wanting to vom on the course, no one's stomach was upset with eating the wrong foods. We provided our bodies with the proper nutrition, so that we could get the most out of our Tough Mudder experience. Oh -- and the best part about fueling for performance...it can still be pretty darn tasty!!

We wrapped up our Saturday evening with watching College football, some DVR'd shows and an AMAZING "Milk Shake"




Scott's Chocolate Coconut Milk Shake
Ingredients
*1 Can Trader Joe's Light Coconut Milk (mixes easier than full fat, only reason we used light)
*1 Scoop Vitrol Vanilla Egg White Protein Powder
* 2 heaping tablespoons of Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
* 1 tsp honey
* Ice!

Directions
1) Combine all ingredients in the blender
2) Add Ice and blend again
3) Split into two cups and enjoy!!!

We can't wait to share photos from the course with you as soon as they become available! Have a wonderful  Monday and stay tuned for a fun bite sized chocolate dessert recipe coming at you later this week!!

~Scott & Lina









Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Back in Business!

Hey there everyone! We hope you didn't forget about us. It's been a crazy couple of weeks for us over here - SOOO MUCH going on. We'll try to keep this recap nice and quick for you :)

New News:

1) Scott was the Best Man at a beautiful wedding! We had such a great time spending the weekend with his friends and family - and we even got to take some fun pics in a photo booth!


2) Scott went to Ireland for the Notre Dame v Navy game in Dublin. He spent the week before the game touring the country with three of his friends. Though there was plenty of non-paleo beer and food to be had, Scott did a good job of eating healthfully most of the time. Eating healthy isn't about restricting yourself "just cuz," it's about providing your body with the right nourishment so you can enjoy and have the energy for site seeing and exploring.


3) I gave my 2 weeks notice at my current job.


That's right! I will be shifting gears in my career (yet again), trying out something that's a little more people focused -- recruiting and account management for a tech recruiting firm. So, if you are an IT specialist, programmer, Engineer, or Hiring Manager, feel free to leave a comment below and I'll see what I can do for yah ;)

4) Scott and I are doing it again -- We are taking on another Tough Mudder...


...this time, TOGETHER! We'll be racing mudder with 4 other awesome dudes! One of them, is doing his 3rd race with me!! Metro dash to Urbanathlon and now to Mudder :) Wish us luck we'll need it this weekend in Wisconsin!

5) Scott and I have entered into a Semi-Pro Crossfit competition in Chicago the 1st weekend of December! We'll be competing as individuals among 100 competitors in our region!! Here a link to the details and strength requirements: http://northcentralthrowdown.wodhub.com/north_central_comp_details




Alrighty I think we've caught you up on all the nonsense going on in our lives...stay tuned for a post this Friday about how we prep for races...aka eating for performance!

Happy Hump Day everyone!


~Scott & Lina

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Power Snack Shake

The stretch between lunch and dinner can sometimes feel a little long (well, it almost always feels that way to me), especially on days that I work out in the early AM and  my metabolism is still revved up from my workout. On these days at around 3-4PM I'm usually left looking for something to get me through until dinner.

A quick fix that we've recently come up with is just a twist on the ol' reliable protein shake. Ideally, when choosing a snack, you want something with both protein AND healthy fats -- that killer combo is what actually satiates you and doesn't take you for a ride on the blood sugar roller coaster.  The protein was easy, as protein powder is readily available, but what's really good fat source to add to the mix? The answer....coconut milk.

Aside from its amazing taste and creamy texture, coconut is a GREAT source of energy! It actually consists of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), that break down a little bit quicker and give you a similar buzz that carbs would give you except the buzz sustains itself A LOT longer so you end up with more stable energy. Win - Win -Win.

Coconut Milk Protein Shake
Ingredients
* 7 oz Trader Joe's Light Coconut Milk (they don't sell anything other than the light, or we'd use it)


* One scoop 100% Egg White Protein Powder - we really dig this brand because it's free from synthetic crap and actually tastes good. The ingredients literally are egg protein, some digestive enzymes (papain and bromlain) to help with the assimilation of said protein, energized with bee pollen, and it's stevia sweetened - that's it. Definitely doesn't give you a bloated feeling!

* About 5 oz water

Directions
Making a shake is pretty self explanatory, but I have found that it mixes together best this way:
1) Add the protein to about 5 oz of water and stir until blended
2) Next, stir in the coconut milk
3) Savor this indulgent snack

The end result is a filling afternoon snack packed with the protein and fat to get you through the rest of the day.

Let us know what you think!

~Scott


Monday, August 13, 2012

Weekly Scrambles

Happy Monday!

We wanted to share with you all a routine that's developed for us over the past month or so. On Sunday nights, we set aside about 1.5-2 hrs and get a bunch of our cooking done for our weekly breakfasts, lunches, and we prep some of our dinners as well.

Every single week, we put together either a big egg frittata (baked eggs dish) or a scramble. Getting proper nutrition each morning is so key in setting yourself up for an energized, productive, and healthy day. Each week, we also try to vary the ingredients a little bit so that we're getting different nutrients and lots of flavors -- so this breakfast never really gets old!

This week, our scramble consists of kale, scallions, sun dried tomatoes, Trader Joe's Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage, and diced grape tomatoes all scrambled up in grass fed Beef Bacon grease!


Spicy Jalapeno Sausage Veggie Scrambler
Ingredients
* Bunch of Kale
* 3 chopped up Trader Joe's Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausages
Jalape�o Chicken Sausage
* Chopped scallions
* 20-24 eggs cage free organic eggs (this lasts us most of the week between the two of us, but usually thursday and friday we make another smaller scramble)
* Beef Bacon grease -- or any fat of your choice (Kerry Gold Butter, Clarified Butter, Ghee, Lard, Olive oil, Coconut Oil)

Scramble it all together, store in tupperware and enjoy a "fancy" and nutritious breakfast each morning!



Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Sick of Lettuce?

Today's post is going to be quick and easy, just like the salad recipe we're about to share with you.

Let's face it, when you're eating a predominately paleo diet, sometimes you get bored of salad. There are only so many lettuce leaves you can cram into your face before you're ready to call it quits.

Enter the Jerusalem Salad, a light, crunchy, and refreshing salad that's full of flavor and no lettuce.

Enjoy!

Jerusalem Salad
Ingredients
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Scallions (or Onions, or both!)
1 bunch of Parsley (or Cilantro makes a delicious alternative!)
1-2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
Pinch of Sea Salt
(Combine cucumber and tomatoes evenly. We didn't list an exact amount because it will vary, but shoot for an equal combination)


Directions
1) Dice up cucumbers, tomatoes, and scallions (or onions if using)
2) Finely chop parsley (or cilantro)
3) Combine in a large mixing bowl. Add vinegar and a sprinkle of sea salt
4) Enjoy with eggs for breakfast, or with some other yummy protein for lunch or dinner!


This salad should keep all week, so it's a great one to make in bulk and incorporate into your weekly meals!

Let us know how you like it!

~Scott & Lina

Monday, August 6, 2012

Easy Peasy Very Berry Cobbler

Happy Monday everyone!

We apologize for being MIA all last week but it was a crazy one! Scott was prepping for and then taking a CPA exam, and I trained, taught, and worked my butt off all week. It was hard enough to keep up with our Whole30 meals let alone blog about them haha!

Anyway, to celebrate the completion of our Whole30 challenge and Scott's exam, I created a dessert incorporating some of Scott's favorite flavors -- pie filling and bananas. The funny thing is, this dessert actually turned out to be Whole30 approved as I didn't add sugar of any kind.


Easy Peasy Very Berry Cobbler
Ingredients
FILLING
* 1 package of frozen mixed berries (I used the Trader Joe's cherry blend, you can use fresh berries too)
* 2 bananas sliced
* 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
* Sprinkle of cinnamon

CRUMBLE TOPPING
* 1/2 jar of Creamy Almond Butter with Sea Salt
* 1/2 cup coconut flakes
* 1 cup Almond Meal
* 1 egg
* 1 mashed banana
* Sprinkle of Cinnamon


Directions
1) Mix berries with coconut flakes and pour into a square baking dish
2) Place banana slices over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon
3) In a mixing bowl, combine almond butter, coconut flakes, almond meal, egg, mashed banana, and cinnamon
4) Layer over the berries and place dish into the oven
5) bake for 15-20 minutes
6) Remove from oven and let the cobbler sit for about 5 minutes
7) Get a big spoon and FEAST!
** Option to drizzle some full fat canned coconut milk over the cobbler for some extra creamy goodness


We hope you enjoy the natural sweetness!

~Scott & Lina

Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Perfect Post-WoD Breakfast

Working out in the morning certainly takes its toll on your body, both physically and mentally.  Mentally, it's a struggle every day to drag myself out of bed, gather my things for the day, and head to the gym.  Most of the world is still fast asleep at 5AM, and likely will be for at least another two hours.  There are only two real answers to this problem.  1) Get plenty of sleep and 2) SUCK IT UP!

As for the physical toll, there are a few other, much more delicious, steps we can take to help our bodies recover.  In addition to a post workout shake, we all need to be sure to have a proper and nutritious breakfast.  We have come up with what we think is a pretty solid combo.  Four words....salmon, eggs, sweet potatoes.

First we'll tackle the salmon and the eggs, then the sweet potatoes:

Salmon Veggie Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients

Salmon (8oz)
Dill (or other spices, as desired)
Eggs (1dozen whole, cage free, organic)
Spinach
Scallions
Coconut Oil

Directions

Honestly, this one is really easy.  Feel free to portion as you like, but I like to plan for about 4-5 eggs for myself and 2-3 for Lina. 

The first step is to grill the salmon (or bake it).  Place salmon on a sheet of aluminum foil and sprinkle dill or whatever other spice you like.  Grill over medium heat for 10-12 minutes (until fish flakes apart).  Super easy.

Add the oil to a hot frying pan.  Once melted add all of the veggies and let them saute for a minute or two.  Once the spinach has wilted, add all of the eggs.  Continuously stir until you have a scramble.

Now you can add in the salmon.  I like to shred it up with a fork and stir it in the scramble, but you can certainly leave it in tact as a topping to the eggs.


Again...super simple, nutrition dense, and perfectly paired with...

Sweet Potato Hash
Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes (3 large for this recipe)
Grass Fed Butter (we like KerryGold) - about 2 tbsp
Cinnamon

Directions

First you will need to grate the sweet potates down to a desired size.  For the most part, thinner is better, but we'll leave that up to you.  Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.  Add the grated potatoes to the pan and continuously stir.  Once the hash reaches a consistency you like, turn off the heat and add cinnamon to taste.


And there you have it.  A perfect post-WoD breakfast to assist your body in recovery.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

I Can't Believe It's Not Potato

Happy Gloomy & Rainy Tuesday all!!

We are so sorry we didn't post yesterday, but hopefully we can make up for it today with a yummy side dish recipe. This bad boy is CHEAP, FAST, EASY and WAAAAY too good to just be mashed up cauliflower.

Saturday night we baked up some beef ribs and were looking for a side dish to compliment the meal. Immediately thoughts went to mashed potatoes. We took that impulse and put a healthier spin on it, mashing up some yummy cruciferous vegetable goodness instead. Literally you CANNOT TELL IT'S NOT POTATO -- we were really surprised and thrilled because we could enjoy waaaay more cauliflower than we would be able to potato -- on account of the large amount of carbohydrate in potatoes.

I Can't Believe It's Not Potato 
      - Garlic & Butter Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients
  • Bag of chopped cauliflower (or 1 head of cauliflower)
  • 1-2 tbsp Kerry Gold Butter
  • 1-4 cloves of garlic (we like our "potatoes" SUPER garlicky, so we opted for 3 big & 1 small clove)

Directions
1) Steam Cauliflower - We used a pot with some water and a lid to steam, you can also use a steamer.
2) Place steamed cauliflower in the food processor
3) Add 1-2 tbsp of butter and process
4) Once it starts looking mashed up, add garlic cloves to taste 
5) Puree until cauliflower looks like a uniform paste
6) Serve with protein of choice!

Saturday Night Dinner: Baked Beef Ribs, Sauteed Kale, 
and I Can't Believe It's Not Potato Garlic & Butter Cauliflower Mash

Think this whole meal looks amazing? Well it was. We will be posting the Beef Rib recipe later this week! In the meantime, try out the mash and let us know how you liked it!

~Scott & Lina

Friday, July 20, 2012

Paleo Brunchers!!

Well the week is almost over, and you know what that means....

2 glorious opportunities to eat Brunch!! Now we don't know about you, but brunch is one of our all-time favorite things! So below, we're going to share with you some of our favorite brunch spots, and what we order when we go there.

Grilled Salmon with one egg over-easy, roasted potatoes and hollandaise -- Except we add a second egg, hold the hollandaise, and opt for mixed greens instead of potatoes

Scott's Brunch: Omelet #11.5 chopped bacon, leeks, white cheddar, topped with guacamole. -- Hold the cheese, and sub greens 

Lina's Brunch: Omelet #6 asparagus, forest mushrooms, sauteed garlic and marjoram (wild oregano), aged jack, topped with toasted almonds & balsamic reduction -- No cheese, sub greens

Seasonal Benedict Chef’s Seasonal Selection (Smoked Turkey in this case) -- No English Muffin, Sub greens for potatoes. If you place the poached eggs in the salad, it sops up all the yolk and is SUPER delicious!


We love trying out new brunch spots. It's always fun to see how many different ways eggs can be prepared. This is by no means an exhaustive list of places we brunch.

What are some of your favorite brunch spots?

Wherever you brunch, remember -- you can always ask for a side of greens or tomato slices, hold the cheese, and by all means, load on the hot sauce!!

Happy Brunchings!

~Scott & Lina

Monday, July 16, 2012

Paleo Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos!

Well, it's Monday again...

We don't know about you, but we kept pretty busy this past weekend. Our weekend was a whirlwind of  trying out new restaurants, studying/working, avoiding the rain, and even hitting up a Wicker Park music festival for an afternoon. Our weekends tend to be pretty jam-packed just like our weekdays, so one of our favorite things to do on Sunday evenings now is to slow it down a little and cook a nice Sunday night meal and cook/prep most of our food for the week ahead.

Last night, we prepped a bunch of scrambled eggs with veggies and beef bacon, some curried ground turkey to eat with our lunch salads.

For dinner, we tried our hand at Paleo Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos, and honestly -- this is definitely going to become a staple dinner option! It was so quick and easy to make and so fresh and tasty -- and let's not forget about the incredible nutrition!
Fish Taco Close-Up

PALEO MAHI MAHI FISH TACOS
Ingredients
  • Fish! (We used Trader Joe's Frozen Mahi Mahi Pieces)
  • Approx. 1 tbsp of Cajun Seasoning
  • 1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce
  • Salsa or Pico de Gallo (We used the Trader Joe's fresh spicy Pico de Gallo)
  • 1 Avocado or Guac!
  • Olive Oil for the Saute Pan
Directions
1) Thaw frozen TJ's Mahi Mahi pieces, or whatever other fish you are using
2) If you aren't using the TJ's Fish, cut your fish into about 1" pieces
3) Coat a saute pan with olive oil and cook fish over a medium heat. Add in the Cajun seasoning and distribute across all of the fish. Fish is cooked when it is light and flaky and there is no pink remaining
4) Chop the butt off your head of Iceberg lettuce
5) Arrange a few leafs into a taco/wrap type shape
6) Place fish inside your lettuce taco and add Pico and Avocado/Guac to taste!


Warning: Eat over a plate, this bad boy get's a little messy. But the flavor (and nutrition) is definitely worth the mess!

If you try this recipe, let us know what you thought! Also let us know if you add any other ingredients to it!

Happy Feasting!

~Scott and Lina