Monthly Archives: February 2012

Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Posted by The FitBonVivant in Fitness Tips and Plans, Food, Recipes, Nutrition Tips & More!

Instead of ordering Chinese food takeout to satisfy your cravings…

Try this sweet & salty stir-fry dish!  In the past I have made this delicious variation which has been derived from various stir-fry recipes I have tried over the years.

Ingredients

  • 2 c brown rice, cooked
  • 1 red bell pepper, thin/medium strips
  • 1/2 c yellow onions, thin strips
  • 1/4 c green onions (scallions), minced
  • 1/2 c raw cashews, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, minced
  • 1 pound chicken breast, chopped
  • OPTIONAL: 1/4 c pineapple, diced (I did not use it)
  • 1 tsp black pepper, ground
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Olive oil spray (enough to coat skillet)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil, dark
  • OPTIONAL: Sea salt and/or extra minced green onions for a garnish

 Methodology

  1. Prepare and portion out ingredients (cook rice in usual fashion).
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the skillet is heated, coat with olive oil spray then add the chopped chicken breast.  Sear each side of the breast for about 1-2 minutes, then allow chicken to sit and cook on each side for about 3-5 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  3. Using the same skillet, toss in all the vegetables, pineapple, and cashews, stir-fry the mixture over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes until crisp.
  4. Add the olive oil and sesame oil to the ingredients in the skillet.  Toss in the chicken and allow the flavors to mix (make sure the chicken is fully cooked – use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature to obtain 165 degrees Fahrenheit or above).
  5. Using 4 plates, distribute the cooked brown rice evenly, then pour the cashew chicken mixture on top.
  6. If a garnish is desired, sprinkle some minced green onions on top of the stir-fry mixture.
  7. Now you’ve saved yourself from greasy Chinese food takeout!

Nutrient Content per Serving: 614 calories; 56 g carbohydrate; 45 g protein; 23 g fat; 77 mg vitamin-C; 408 mg vitamin-A; 122 mg sodium; 96 mg cholesterol; 57 mg calcium; & 4 g fiber

Just Keep on Running

Posted by The FitBonVivant in Fitness Tips and Plans, Food, Recipes, Nutrition Tips & More!

So… I am back to my training regimen to get ready for my St. Patty’s Day 5K and Tough Mudder.  Therefore I am running and running!

Today I did the following:

  • 5 miles on the treadmill: 0.5 miles walking at medium speed (3.5-3.7 mph) then .05 miles running FAST and repeat (with a 3.0 incline)…
  • Stairmaster: 30 minutes – steadily increasing the level throughout
  • 1 mile run on the treadmill (kept increasing the speed until finished)

And that’s it for now! Bon voyage.

Mandarin Orange Shrimp & Scallop Salad

Posted by The FitBonVivant in Food, Recipes, Nutrition Tips & More!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Feed your heart with the right stuff!  Start today with this salad recipe.

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I adore salads.  Creating new mixes with bold flavors is fun but can go wrong sometimes.  Just made this salad the other day and it was fantastic.  I was craving mandarin oranges so I made that craving a reality…   It was a perfect boost of vitamin-C to my day (I prefer to get my vitamins and minerals from tasty food sources rather than taking supplements)!  However some supplements are necessary if you cannot consume a wholesome diet or are hoping to achieve certain health goals! 

Please note that in the recipe below the ingredients are portioned for two individuals.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 c spring mix
  • 1 c mandarin oranges, pieces
  • 1/2 c strawberries, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 c walnuts, finely chopped
  • Olive oil spray (to coat the frying pan)
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, finely minced
  • 1 whole vine tomato, diced
  • 10 scallops (raw; cooks very quickly)
  • 10 shrimp (pre-cooked)
  • Spices: garlic powder, cajun, black pepper
  • 2 tbsp virgin balsamic vinegar

Supplies

  • Cutting board
  • French knife
  • 2 salad bowls for serving
  • Frying pan
  • Spatula

Methodology

  1. Portion out the ingredients for the salad.
  2. Divide the greens amongst the two salad bowls.
  3. Evenly distribute the fixings (oranges, strawberries, walnuts, red onion, and tomato) amongst the two bowls.
  4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar atop both the salad and its respective fixings.
  5. Heat the frying pan over medium heat – coat with olive oil spray then toss in the scallops.
  6. Brown the scallops on both sides for about two minutes then add in the shrimp.
  7. Sprinkle the spices over the shrimp and scallops then allow for browning before flipping over the items.  Brown both sides for about 2-3 minutes.
  8. Place the finished scallops and shrimp on top of the salad.
  9. Pour the portioned olive oil over the finished salad.
  10. TIME TO EAT! YUM.

 

Leg Drama

Posted by The FitBonVivant in Fitness Tips and Plans

Today I had a private client early in the morning and had a huge gap in time before I started my typical work day…  Rather than to be idle I decided to get moving!  I started with weighted exercises followed by bodyweight and cardiovascular exercises.

  • Wide leg squats with dumbells -> 3 sets, 12 reps (increasing the weight each time)
  • In-place lunges with dumbells (switching legs each time) -> 3 sets, 12 reps (stable weight)
  • Hanging abdominal leg raises -> 3 sets, 15 reps
  • Standing single-leg curl machine; increasing weight  consecutively -> 3 sets, 15 reps each leg
  • Glute Press; increasing weight consecutively -> 3 sets, 12 reps each leg
  • Kettlebell overhead swings with stable weight -> 3 sets, 15 reps SUPERSETTED with lying down windshield wipers -> 3 sets, 20 repetitions
  • Narrow body weight squats -> 3 sets, 15 reps
  • Wide leg walking lunges -> 3 sets, 16 lunges (8 lunges with each leg)
  • Treadmill -> RUNNING & WALKING with an end goal of 5 miles (started with walking at an incline then ran at an incline; changing every 0.5 miles)

Work it!

Functional Foods: Are you consuming enough?

Posted by The FitBonVivant in Food, Recipes, Nutrition Tips & More!

Functional foods are items that are loaded with antioxidants in the form of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, probiotics and prebiotics, fiber, soy protein, and phytosterols.  These additional bioactive components enhance our health by assisting us in the fight against disease.  Functional foods are best consumed on a daily basis as part of a varied eating plan.  Start small by loading up on cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale, kohrabi and cauliflower!  These cruciferous vegetables are high in soluble fiber and vitamin-C! 

Fight the winter chill with functional foods!

Might be odd but… shoulders are my favorite body part

Posted by The FitBonVivant in Fitness Tips and Plans

Today was a late day for me but I finally got my bum to the gym.  I focused on a mix of shoulder exercises supersetted with cardiovascular and abdominal exercises.

  • Shoulder press machine (used outside handles then SUPERSETTED with inside handles)  -> 3 sets, 12&12/10&10/8&8/6&6 repetitions – weight was the same for the 1st two sets then went up the last 2 sets
  • Decline abdominal crunches with front plate raises -> 2 sets, 25 repetitions (made the motions of a front raise on the 1st set and on the 2nd used a 10# plate)
  • Side dumbbell lateral raises and front raises (ie. front/side/front) -> 4 sets, 12 repetitions SUPERSETTED with jump rope for 45 seconds (fast) -> 4 sets
  • Shoulder shrugs with dumbbells -> 3 sets, 20 repetitions (heavy weight)
  • Fit Ball Abdominal Roll Crunches -> 3 sets, 15 repetitions SUPERSETTED with jump rope for 30 seconds (fast) -> 3 sets

This workout was fast-paced and completed in 30-minutes.  I kept the rest period minimal and the weights of the exercises were challenging.  In overall, it was a great workout and I got home with time to spare to complete the rest of the items on my “To-Do” list.

Skillet Barbecued Winter Vegetable Medley

Posted by The FitBonVivant in Food, Recipes, Nutrition Tips & More!

This is a great addition to the dinner plate if you want to revamp your dinner sides.  I always try to make my plate at dinner 50-75% vegetables with the rest being a high quality biological protein source.  In other words, I eat much like a caveman (…in this case cavewoman).  I am a huge fan of the caramelized taste of vegetables when they are browned!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c zucchini, finely sliced
  • 1/2 c green pepper, finely sliced
  • 1/2 c red pepper, finely sliced
  • 1/2 c yellow onions, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp parsley, fresh
  • 1 tsp black pepper, ground
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • OPTIONAL: Salt & additional black pepper as desired

Methodology

  1. Prepare and portion out ingredients.
  2. Heat up a medium frying pan and add in the portioned olive oil.
  3. Toss in all vegetables and mix them up in the pan.
  4. Sprinkle the pepper and parsley atop the vegetables then allow for browning (3-5 minutes).  When browning is noticed flip over the vegetables to allow for the other side to caramelize (3-5 minutes).
  5. OPTIONAL:  Add salt and extra ground black pepper to the product.
  6. Set the finished vegetables aside and serve with a main entrée.
  7. Mangia!

***Do not overcook because then the beneficial nutrients (naturally occurring vitamins and minerals which are a source of antioxidants) are removed from the vegetable when dried out.

Nutrient content per serving (1 c): 82.25 calories; 5.12 grams carbohydrate; 0.99 grams protein; 3.5 grams fat; 55.25 milligrams vitamin-C; 216.50 milligrams vitamin-A; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 13.75 milligrams calcium; & 1.17 grams fiber