Authentic Mexican Chicken Tacos

 

Just got back from Mexico on Friday. I had the MOST amazing time! We did a whole lot of eating, drinking and relaxing. It's crazy when the days start melding together. Life at no worries or responsibilities. Awesome!! Our favorite part was just walking to town from our resort and stopping at all the bars on the beach and having beers and guacamole. Boy, those guys know how to make some mean guac! So does Scott. He's obviously not native, but I have to give him a shout out on his ability to make magically delicious guacamole.

downtown Playa Del Carmen "The Portal"

Scott on one of our walks, Great view! :)

So the weekend turned out to be highly productive and filled with tons of fun! Woke up Saturday morning and headed to the gym, did a really fun team wod. I was pleasantly surprised at my performance seeing that I had consumed more booze over the past week then I do in a year probably. It was a nice concoction of every movement you could think of. Oh heck, here it is... “Choose your own WOD-venture”

This is a team WOD and will be completed in teams of 4.

At each “Choice” the team must choose which exercise they will do and then all members must complete the RX’d distance or rep scheme for the exercise chosen. Only one choice per team is allowed. e.g. A team cannot have two members choose to do handstand pushups while the other two choose squats. In between choices each member must complete each of the exercises at their “Base Station.”

At the Base Station team members must complete 15 reps of each exercise. The base station is completed once all team members have completed 15 reps of all 4 exercises. Once the base station is complete the team moves on to the next choice.

Base Station:
15 KB swings (1.5 pood/1 pood)
15 Thrusters (45lbs/35lbs)
15 Ab Mat sit-ups
15 Box Jumps (24″/20″)

WOD…

Choice 1: Relay Run or Row (Each team member must complete 400m run or 500m row)
Relay 1600m run or 2000m row

Base Station

Choice 2: Top or Bottom
15 HSPU’s or 50 Squats

Base Station

Choice 3: Push or Pull
50 Push Ups or 25 Pull Ups

Base Station

Choice 4: Up or Down
50 Jumping Squats or 25 Burpees

Base Station

Choice 5: Climb or Hang
1 Rope Climb or 25 KTEs

It's confusing, I know. Head trainer, Chris had to explain 6,000 times. But we all eventually got it. Short story long, my team finished in 28:05 and I am still walking around like a crippled woman. It's fine... Ill be okay.

So later we went to Dinner for Oliver's 12th birthday and to see Iron Man 3, which was pretty awesome besides my RLS. Sunday was full of yard and house work, planting flowers, building stones and some Dracula coffin like cement thing to carry around, pressure washing, new BBQ purchase, laundry and ended with beers and tacos with friends! Whew!

Today is day 1 of a reset on this bod, Scott is going to do this with me cause honestly...our stomachs hate us and it doesn't feel good. TMI, sorry.

So these tacos were a recreation of some tacos we ate down in Mexico. I'd say I got a A on this one.


Authentic Mexican Chicken Tacos

1 lb chicken breasts or thighs (I used both)
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Toppings
Chopped cilantro
Diced white onion
Valentino hot sauce

White corn tortillas

Combine chicken and all ingredients in a ziplock or bowl and let marinate for 4 or more hours.

Grill the chicken on your BBQ until cooked through. Chop chicken into tiny pieces.

To make the taco, heat tortilla in a hot pan on both sides and add some chicken, cilantro, onion and squeeze a lime wedge. Dash a little of the hot sauce and your finished!

Eat as many as you want, Scott had 7, Mike had 9 and Chris had 10. Me? I had 2. So however many you have, they are still yum.

Mike, enjoying his tacos!

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Sesame Seared Salmon with Asparagus Slaw

Today has been a pretty good day, if I don't say so myself. Woke up (SORE AS SHIT) and headed down to the gym for Benchmark Fridays. So every Friday for the next while we are doing benchmark wods. Today's was "Barbara", I'm just going to say that I was nauseous and didn't want to move for like 30 minutes afterwards. And I did ring rows cause I have hamburger hands, don't judge me. Anywho... I didn't move. I sat in my car in the Fred Meyers parking lot for 20 minutes with my seat heaters on while I drank my protein shake.

I don't have pictures for todays post, I need to get in the habit of being a picture person again. Sorry. I will work on it.

Soooo.....Once I got my lazy bum into the store it was GO time. I got things for a gigantic delicious green salad and vegetable tray I am making for my baby sisters BABY shower tomorrow. Awwww! I'm going to be an aunty! I'm pretty excited about this. Minus a few things, like, poop, pee and vomit...oh and crying. I also bought my sister a few items off her registry list that she needed.

Once I got home I cooked up some ground turkey and cracked 3 eggs over it with a handful of baby kale and spinach! YUM! Seriously the best breakfast. I love it EVERY TIME I make it. Then it was nappy time. Or at least an attempt for a nap. The pups weren't having it. It's fine. Guess I didn't need one that bad.

So at our box, CrossFit GP, we are doing a nutrition challenge. Every week, Corrie and Anna give a recipe suggestion. I recommend you guys make it, cause obviously its going to be amazing. They are both FAB cooks. This weeks is salmon and slaw. I don't know about you guys but slaw is my favorite thing to eat in the entire world. it can be any kind of slaw too. NOM NOM NOM. I could eat slaw for breakfast, lunch and dinner and be as happy as a clam. :)

Here's the recipe friends, make it! It's delicious and nutritious. Hope all of y'all have a stupendous weekend!

Sesame Seared Salmon with Asparagus Slaw

Makes four servings

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 8 radishes, trimmed
• 1 carrot, peeled
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed
• 1 tbs. chopped fresh dill
• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
• 4 salmon fillets, skin on
• 2 tbs. ghee (clarified butter)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the slaw: Slice the asparagus, radishes, carrot and fennel thinly by hand, with a mandoline, or with a fine-slicer blade in a food processor. Toss with chopped dill, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Chill the slaw while you prepare the salmon.

For the salmon: Toss the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl with the cayenne pepper (if you are using it). Season the salmon with salt and pepper, and press the side without skin into the sesame seeds to coat. Heat the ghee in a heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat and add the salmon, sesame-seed-side down. Sear the salmon until the sesame seeds are browned, about one to two minutes. Turn heat down to medium, flip the salmon fillets over, and sear the skin side for one to two minutes. Transfer the salmon to the oven to finish, about five to 10 minutes depending on how you like it. Serve with the asparagus slaw.

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It's been a while....

Oh hey there, writing a blog post? THIS IS CRAZY-NESS.

I know, I know.

I feel that I have had a nice little vacay from blogger. But it's time to get back to babbling about my life and food and training. I mean for what it's worth the "Love Languages" book says I am a babbling Brooke, so may as well roll with it, right?!

Lets see...what's new with me? Well I am sure there's a ton but its just still same ol same ol me. Always something interesting going on in my life. Like the fact that in just 8 DAYS, Scott and I will be sipping margs in MEXICO! BOOM!! I'm not excited at all...its going to suck. Just joking, Shheesh!! But really, its going to be awesome and I couldnt be more excited to be spending the time with my lover.

Holy geez! My dogs are so annoying. Oliver has a new "little man syndrome" dog attitude. He gets in my planter beds (so he's tall enough) and tries to kill the neighbor Pomeranians. Those little puff balls have such a yappy little bark. ArrghhH! Obviously this is happening at this very moment and that's why I am venting to the blog-o-sphere. :)

Soooooooooooo, I am not 100% paleo at the moment. Who am I!?? I'm trying out the whole Carb Backloading thing. Which means I get to eat sweets at night time. WHICH IS AWESOME. Like last night I ate a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie and a Reese's peanut butter cookie AND a scoop of ice cream. I made these cookies on Monday. There's probably 132 cookies in my house right now. I get excited just thinking about them. I have been sharing, don't you worry your little tummy. Although I forgot to give Beau his. I'm sorry Beau.

Right now I am cooking up a storm. I'm making chicken soup for my sicky friend, Corrie. Some delicious sweet basil and oregano chicken with plum tomatoes for lunch and I need to get dinner started. Not totally sure what that will be....Maybe steak and broccoli. BORING. But I love broccoli. Its my #1 favorite vegetable.

As far as my training has been going, I have been doing a strength training program on top of my regular training for about 2 months now. Its been great! I feel like I am getting alot stronger, and not to mention muscles popping out is an added bonus! WINNING! I have made a goal to myself to try and do the programmed wods as RX. Now I don't do them ALL RX, but I get as close as possible. If I tell Scott the night before that I want to he does a pretty good job at holding me accountable for it the next day when i try to be a sissy pants. Thanks babe! Like yesterday, CFGP did this wod....


10 minute AMRAP
15 Burpees
10 Power Cleans 135/95
Rest 2 minutes
5 Minute AMRAP
20 Toes to Bar
5 Box Jumps 30/24

I did it RX and got 96 reps on the first 10 minutes! That's a pretty big landmark for me considering the open wod that had power cleans in it I had a not so easy time. So needless to say, I am excited. But NEED to say that my power cleans are ugly. I'm definitely going to have to work on those. I cried about it last night. Someone videoed my wod and well, I didn't really want to see that. But now that I have calmed down from my pitty party its time to work on them and overcome my weaknesses right? RIGHT!


No recipe today, just wanted to say ELLO! (in a British accent at a volume of 12 out of 10)

Have a happy, happy, happy day!
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Apple Upside Down Cakes

So it's okay to take a month plus 2 weeks or so off right? Well whether it is, or isn't. I did. So sorry to the ones who hate me now for not feeding you. But I am also, not sorry. Sometimes you just need a break. Enough of the guilt trip I am giving myself.

How was every ones holidays? Mine were awesome! I am now another year older and probably 5 lbs heavier. Only because of all the sweet treats...and drinking. Damn you alcohol. Why do you tempt me so....But on a good note that's not going to be sticking to my ribs for long!

This week is test week at the box. First off let me just tell you that I GOT MY FIRST KIPPING PULL UP EVER IN MY LIFE!! Which resulted in ripping my thumbs off because I did Cindy the morning prior...I know first glance it looks like something it shouldn't...

PR-ed by 40# on my dead lift, 7# on my strict press, and 20# on my back squat. BOOM! Pretty excited about that. Not to mention everyone else in the gym hitting awesome numbers and killing it! My man, Scott, has been making some huge gains this week too! I just have to tell you guys one thing, this guy named Jon, he's pretty much a large muscle. Any who, today is his birthday (besides the point) and he got a 430# back squat this morning. WHAT IN THE....are you kidding me? "That means he can probably lift cars off of people and shit" (quoted from Corrie) So I hope he doesn't mind, but I am changing him as my emergency contact, in case a car falls on me. Genius.

Something else AMAZINGLY exciting is...our head trainer, Chris Dunkin is competing in the Masters division at the OC Throwdown this weekend. Here's the link if you want to see how cool it is....OC THROWDOWN. We are all going to be cheering him on from Grants Pass, OR. GO CHRIS!!! If you guys don't know this, the OC Throwdown is like one of the biggest competitions next to the Reebok Crossfit Games. Pretty cool kids, pretty cool.

So I made these cause Scott wanted something like apple pie...NOM!

Apple Upside Down Cakes

For the Cakes
1 1/4 cup almond flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

For the Topping
1 Tbsp grassfed butter or coconut oil
2-3 apples skinned and diced
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut sugar

Preheat oven to 350F

First off, skin and dice your apples. Stir apples with cinnamon, coconut sugar and coconut oil. Set aside till your done making the batter.

For the cake batter, combine eggs, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract. Whip together. In a small bowl combine salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and the almond flour. Mix the wet with the dry and stir until well incorporated.

You could do this recipe as one large cake, or mini cakes. I did mini cakes. They are cuter! So, spoon apple mixture into oiled pan and fill about 3/4 of the way. Spoon cake batter over the top and cook for 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the cake part. I got 12 mini cakes out of this recipe.

| Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 20-30 minutes | Serves 8-12 |

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Chicken Cacciatore

Time to fill everyone in on what's been happening in my life. Thanksgiving turned out delicious. For the most part, I ate paleo. WAY TO MUCH! That's okay though cause I went to bed at 8pm that evening and was still tired Friday morning. Is that a food coma? I'm not sure what a food coma really is but I imagine its something like that.

So at Crossfit GP we have been doing this strength bias cycle, its awesome, but its also ripping me apart. Good news is, I'M GETTING STRONGER! Although walking around regularly and getting up and down my stairs is difficult at times. I wouldn't have it any other way. I am so thankful to not be injured anymore and be able to workout regularly. It makes me happy. :)

Our weekends lately have consisted of a little too much alcohol intake. Not that it isn't fun, but MAN. The recovery when you get older takes too long. We went out Saturday night with a group of friends from the box and drank way too much. Not to mention I took a shot of something I shouldn't have that caused me to have a headache for 24 hours. LAME. Thinking its time to slow my roll down a little bit and ride my bike or something.

Kitchen project is still underway. I have been slacking on these doors. But its okay, the fact that I don't have doors doesn't really bother me too much. So I'll get to it. Do you guys like the Beiber song "Beauty and a beat"? I LOVE IT. Everyone makes fun of me, but ever since I saw him perform it on the music awards, I love it. You people would too if you'd get over the fact that its Beiber. Everyone loves to hate on the Beibs.

I just made myself the MOST amazing breakfast, two fried eggs and sweet potato pancakes. Um YUM!

Chicken Cacciatore

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 roasted red peppers (from the jar), chopped

1 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes

1 14oz can tomato sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup beef broth

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper

 

Preheat your oven to 350F.

 

Lay chicken breasts in baking dish sprinkle with pepper and drizzle olive oil, bake for 25 minutes until cooked through. While your chicken is cooking on your stove top bring a large saucepan with olive oil for medium heat. Add your garlic and onion and cook down until onion is soft. Next add all remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate all the spices. Once chicken is done, immediately add to sauce mixture and cook on low for another 10-15 minutes to let the flavors marry.

 

 

Serve over white rice, cauli rice, zucchini noodles, or grilled veggies (like me). Or just eat it by itself. Do whatever tickles your fancy. Any way you eat it, its delish.

 

 

 

| Prep time 5 minutes | Cook time 45 minutes | Serves 4-6 |

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Thanksgiving Prep

So this morning like any other Tuesday morning I get up at 5am to do the 6am wod. I have to do the 6am class on Tuesday's because I help the Dunkins' with different things. Today it was food prep for the Turkey Day. Anyways, I will talk about the food after I tell you this. I was on my way home from the gym, killed the shoulders today. If I can lift my arms over my head tomorrow I will be surprised. K, back to story. Driving home from the gym my eye itched, so I itched it. But the thing is I half poked myself in the eye slash had salt/sweat and whatever else was on my hands assuming other peoples sweat (ew...I just thought about how gross this is) and this all went in my eye. It burned SOOO bad and was watering a rediculous amount. So its a soggy waffles morning, a monsoon outside to be exact and it's dark and hard to see because my driver side windshield wiper sucks(go figure). So I was driving unsafely and should have stopped to let my eye recoop. But I just wanted to be home so badly! So I patched my bad eye with my hand and continued onward.

So my day ended up being super productive and I cooked my little heart out! My body is immobile from the dead lifts yesterday and tomorrow it will be my shoulders. I wouldn't have it any other way! So I don't have any recipes BUT I have pictures of the things I made with the links to the recipes I got them from.

Needless to say I will be getting a lot of cooking in this year for the feast. I still have to do my pumpkin pie, apple crisp, stuffing, cheese/sausage platter, and french onion dip for my families meal. Fun stuff!

Wishing everyone a joyous time with their family and friends on Thanksgiving this year!

Pumpkin Pies



Garlic Cauli Mashers

 

Cinny Buns

Paleo Stuffing

 

 

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Elk Stroganoff

Jimminy CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

It's right around the corner! Booyah!! I love the holidays. Cooking delicious meals, spending time with your closet loved ones and decorating of course Plus its my sister's 21st birthday this year, and that means my birthday is 7 days later. And that's the most exciting! I already put up a little Christmas tree today. Its so cute! This week is Thanksgiving and what's everyone up to?! We are going to go spend some time out at my parents house and eat some amazing food. I'm making a few paleo dishes for Scott and I so we can try and stay good.

It's raining cats and dogs here in Grants Pass. Such a soggy waffles morning, but I got my workout in! Laying in the bed listening to the rain was definitely not a motivator this morning. Anywho, kitchen is coming along, slowly but surely. Thanks to Scott and Mike this last weekend we got it all painted. Makes the world of a difference! I love it! It had motivated me to finish the doors, but that's still a huge project. Ugh.

Rogue is 4 months old this week. CRAZY!! He got his last set of shots this afternoon and he is ready to see the world. So happy that I don't have to worry about him coming down with the plague and whatnot. He needs puppy school. I need to sign us up for that ASAP. He gets a little crazy...

Tried out this recipe and it turned out tasty!

Stroganoff

2 tbsp ghee
1 yellow onion diced
1 cup of sliced white mushrooms
1 lb ground meat ( I used elk, obviously, but you could use anything)

2 tbsp of tomato paste
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp rosemary
4 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp arrowroot
1 1/2 cup beef stock
2/3 cup canned coconut milk
salt & pepper
cauliflower mashers

 

In a large fry pan heat ghee to medium and add your onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute until soft and caramelized. Once this has cooked down for a bit remove and set aside. To the same skillet add your ground meat. Once this has cooked until hardly any pink is left add your thyme, rosemary and tomato paste. Stir well to incorporate spices. Sprinkle arrowroot powder over meat mixture and stir to combine until arrowroot is completely mixed in. Add beef stock and stir to mix in. Sauce will begin to thicken as it comes to a simmer. Stir back in your sauteed onions and mushrooms then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple minutes. Stir in the canned coconut milk and serve over your cauli mashers!

 

| Prep time 20 minutes | Cook time 30 minutes | Servings 4-6 | Pin It Now!