Cuban Papaya Salad

This is one of my favorite summer salads.
(Clean Eating Magazine; June 2011)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup Israeli couscous (pearl)
1 cup diced red onion (small)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 cup cooked black beans rinsed and drained
2 cups of fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp raw honey
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cups diced papaya
Instructions:
1. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet and cook until center is no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove chicken and shred with a fork.
2. Add couscous and the onion to same skillet, stir and cook until couscous is lighly toasted and onion softens, 3-4 minutes. Add broth to skillet and continue to cook and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add beans and cook for 1 min. Add spinach, toss and heat until spinach just begins to wilt, about 1 more min.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, pepper flakes and cumin.
4. Add chicken, papaya and lime-honey dressing to couscous-spinach mixture; toss until combined. Top with the toasted almonds and serve warm.
(Nutrition for 1 1/2 cups: Calories-271, Fat-7g, Carbs-40, Fiber-7, Sugars-9, Protein-17, Sodium-101)

Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

5 scallions, thinly sliced 1 pd ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced 1 hothouse cucumber, diced 1 can of chickpeas 1/4 cup fresh parsley 1/4 cup fresh mint 1/4 cup fresh basil 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp minced garlic Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup olive oil 4 oz feta cheese Place the vegetables along with the herbs in a large salad bowl and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently. Add the feta, and serve the salad with toasted pita bread. Serves 4-6.

Schools Out for Summer!

Having been a teacher I know how hard you have worked this past school year and that is why I want to reward you with the opportunity to get fit this summer. Come to any of our 5 locations throughout Lee and Collier County and show us your School ID and you can save big. We are offering you a summer special of unlimited classes from May 29th-Aug 20th for $125. Let all of your Teacher friends know.

Chocolate Snob

Is it true? Is this going to be my struggle? At 30+ years I came to the decision to begin living my healthiest life yet and have been practicing eating clean (with a few bumps along the way), but have not struggled to terribly with the salty or processed foods. I am enjoying eating fruits and vegetables and really enjoy finding healthy recipes to try with my family. The one thing I can't get past is the sweets; and not just any sweets. I want chocolate, I will eat any type of chocolate. It can be milk, sweet, dark, extra dark... In pies, in cookies, as a morsels, chocolate cake, holiday chocolates, you name it; I'll eat it. I don't care, just give me chocolate! So in my effort to eat cleaner while still enjoying my sugar I decided to try some of these knock off desserts. The most recent one was one that Dr Oz assured me would help limit my sweet cravings and keep me fulfilled longer; its his Pumpkin Brownie. All you do is change the oil in the Dark Chocolate Brownie mix to pumpkin and add some chopped strawberries to the mix.

It doesn't taste bad, but I look at it and I see a dry chocolate wanna-be brownie. It doesn't leave me dancing after each bite, it doesn't call my name from the pan, and it has to be doused by scoops of ice cream and chocolate syrup for it to be fully enjoyed. We digress!!

So I am left realizing that my struggle with sweets will continue and am looking for some wonderful chocolate alternatives. If you have any recipes that you truly enjoy that are healthy, please send them my way.

Moroccan-Style Lamb and Chickpeas

I thought this was an excellent dish from my Dec 2011 Cooking Light magazine. You will need

1 pd lean ground lamb
2 tsps olive oil
2 cups sliced onion
1/2 cup sliced carrots
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp salt
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb to pan; heat till cooked through. Add onion and carrot to pan; saute for 4 min. Add cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and pepper; saute 30 sec stirring constantly. Add broth, and next 5 ingredients (through chickpeas), bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lemon juice.

Paige

I began attending Bootcamp when Jack was 8 weeks old in August of 2010, in order to both stay fit and meet new moms. Fitness has always been a very important part of my life and upbringing (I guess I'm a second generation fitness instructor - making my Mom proud) and meeting the other Mom's has been a true life saver once I made the decision to be a full time stay at home mom. The friendships, support, motivation and advice exhanged and promoted through Baby Boot Camp made me feel part of a community. Jack loves the friends that he has met through Baby Boot Camp as well! Aside from the physical and emotional benifits of classes for myself, I also want to set a healthy example for Jack to have exercise a part of his daily life.

I was born and mostly raised in Bucks County, PA but led a slightly nomadic life for several years living in Monroe, LA; Fort Worth, TX; Charlotte & Ashevlle; NC before landing in Chicago for several years and finally ending up here after meeting my husband. I have a BBA in sales and marketing from TCU and pursued a career in special event management, working for the Hyatt Coconut Point most recently. My interests outside of Baby Boot Camp include reading, cooking, entertaining, running (okay, walking the dog most of the time now - one day it will be running again) skiing and sailing.

Paige's classes are hard-core; she wants to make sure people are getting the type of workout that she wants for herself. Although, if you are new, she will make sure to provide you with great modifications. I am excited to have her join our expanding Team! She will be teaching a couple times a week at Miromar and you will occassionally see her at our other locations.

Yummy dessert style snack

This is one of my favorite snacks when I'm craving something sweet.

I take a Voskos Greek Yogurt (I really like the Vanilla Honey Bean flavor) and mix some flax seed in with it. Then add some almonds, Publix nutty nuggets cereal, sliced strawberries, and a little bit of honey on top.

It is delicious!