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recipes

Smoked Chicken and Green Beans & Tri-Color Potatoes

March 16, 2021 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

My new favorite way to make chicken is to smoke a whole chicken. Smoking gives an extra layer to the flavor, but you can always do this in an oven too. Whether in the smoker or an oven, a whole chicken and some vegetable sides provide protein and nutrients for days, and is not as work intensive as you’d think. In fact, the most time consuming part is preparing the vegetables, which is something you can easily substitute with quicker options.

This meal will feed at least 4 immediately. If you have leftovers, you can pair with salad for an easy healthy meal.


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Prepping and Smoking the Chicken

To prep the chicken, I covered the it in olive oil and spices. That’s it. I have been using Traeger’s Fin & Feather rub, which is flavored largely with garlic and paprika. The whole chicken then goes in the oven or grill on 375 until the meat reaches an internal temperature between 160 and 165. This will take the better part of an hour.

Prepping the Sides

After the chicken has gone in, wash the green beans and snap the ends. Wash the new potatoes and add to the green beans. Chop one clove of garlic into small pieces and set aside. Cut 2-4 slices of bacon into 1 inch square pieces. Dry the beans and potatoes, and cover in olive oil and chopped garlic. Spread the vegetables onto a pan lined with parchment or butcher paper. Place the bacon pieces on top of the vegetables.

Cooking the Vegetables

When the chicken is done, verify that the meat is at an internal temperature of at least 160. When the chicken is removed, bump the heat to 400 degrees. When it is ready, put the vegetables in the oven or smoker for 20 minutes. Check at 20; add 3-4 minutes if the vegetables are not yet golden brown.

Ingredients


smoked_chicken_prep.jpg

  • 1 whole chicken

  • 2 ounces olive oil

  • chicken spice rub

  • 1 pound green beans

  • 1 pound tri-color or new potatoes

  • 2-4 slices bacon

  • 2 ounces olive oil

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: chicken, recipes, smoker, Traeger, vegetables

One Pan Chicken & Veggies

January 2, 2021 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

This 1 pan chicken and vegetable dish is simplicity in a delicious meal. It requires a few minutes of prep, but cooks in one easy step. I love starting with a first course, which in this case is salad. You can serve the salad immediately if you have guests who are ready to eat, or save it for mealtime. 

Salad


1_pan_chicken_ingredients.jpg


1_pan_chicken_salad.jpg

  • spring mix salad

  • 4 oz feta cheese

  • 2 bell peppers

  • olive oil 

Main Course

  • 6-8 pieces of chicken legs and thighs

  • new potatoes

  • brussels sprouts

  • olive oil

  • Italian seasoning

  • salt

  • pepper


Prep Time

As always, wash your salads and vegetables. Throw the salad, sliced bell peppers, and feta cheese in a large salad bowl. 

Chop the Brussels and small potatoes in half. Place them in an oven safe pan and coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 


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The final product! Might have gone long on the broil, but it was still delicious.

The final product! Might have gone long on the broil, but it was still delicious.

In a shallow dish, pour some olive oil and Italian seasoning. Dip the chicken in to cover each side, and then place on the vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Slice a lemon, and squeeze over the whole dish. Put them lemon in the dish to cook as well. 

Cook on 400 for approximately 40 minutes and ensure the chicken has reached 165 degrees internally. Finish with a broil for 3-4 minutes. 

Let cool until desired temperature and serve. Enjoy!


Kathryn_1_pan_chicken_.jpg

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: chicken, recipes, vegetables

Texas Trout

June 10, 2020 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment


Texas_trout_healthy_recipe.jpb


The final product. Delicious!

The final product. Delicious!

Quarantine has really brought out my inner cook. Unfortunately, she mostly cooks steak, salmon, eggs and tuna. So, I decided to mix it up with grilled trout. I prepared this like I would salmon, with garlic, seasonings, and a bit of butter. Trout looks very similar to salmon and cooks just as deliciously, but has a slightly different flavor which is fun to experiment with.

Ingredients

For pre-entree snacking: 

  • 2 bellpeppers, the more colorful the better

  • hummus

  • pita chips

For the main course:


Ingredients for the prep

Ingredients for the prep

  • trout

  • 2 lemons

  • mushrooms

  • 3 oz butter

  • salt & pepper

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 cedar planks

  • olive oil

For kebab sides:

  • mushrooms

  • 3+ bellpeppers

  • kebab sticks

“Prep” Your Appetizer


hummus_trout_alexander_training.jpg

Number one pro tip of the kitchen: have an appetizer. Hangry is not a good look on anybody, and as a host, I never want to make anyone wait in hunger. New recipes tend to take me longer than I expect, so appetizers to the rescue. It might be overkill to call this an appetizer, but for snacking, I opened a pack of hummus, pita chips, and sliced some bell peppers. Vóila.


Trout pre-grilling

Trout pre-grilling

Trout & Sides Prep

On to the main course. Soak the cedar planks and kebab sticks for 30 – 60 minutes before grilling. Soaking longer will not hurt them, so put these in a pan of water first.

Wash and dry the bell peppers and mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms in half and bell peppers in 1-2 inch chunks. Mix in a bowl with an ounce or so of olive oil so they are evenly coated. Optionally sprinkle with sea salt. Set aside while the kebab sticks continue to soak. 

Slice one of the lemons and mince the garlic cloves. 

Remove the cedar planks from their soak and lay the trout across them. Top the trout with a bit of olive oil, the garlic cloves, pats of butter, and finally the lemons. 

Skewer the kebabs with the mushrooms and bell peppers. 

Grill Specifics

Once the grill is heated to approximately 400 degrees, begin the trout and kebab grill. 

Check in 7 minutes to turn the kebabs and check on the trout. It will likely take 5-7 more minutes. 

Serve with a half slice of lemon to squeeze on the trout before dining.

If you try this, please let me know how it goes! I think you’ll love it!


Minute 0

Minute 0


Minute 14

Minute 14

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: recipe, recipes, seafood, trout

How To Meal Prep For a Week

March 19, 2018 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

Meal prepping has been all the rage lately; seems like everybody has been talking about it, and for good reason: meal prepping has some huge benefits. It can cut cooking time, and ensure you have good healthy food when you need it. On the downside, it’s heavy on planning until you get in the swing of it. 

To help expedite the planning process, I have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to meal prep for a week, from grocery list to clean up. Pro tip: employ the “I cook, you clean” rule, because there will be a lot of dishes. Sadly, this does not work if you live by yourself.


meal-prep-done.png

Plan breakfast ahead

This meal prep plan will not include breakfast, so I encourage you to have a quick, easy breakfast recipe, if you are a breakfast eater. I have a quick smoothie every morning for breakfast or scramble eggs with grits. Both are simple and I can prepare them practically on autopilot.

The Menu

This is a step by step guide for preparing lunch and dinner for a week, for about 2 people. You can follow along with the text and pictures, or you can watch the video, which condenses it down to the most important steps.


meal-prep-menu.png

You can adjust the recipes to suit you and your family’s food preferences. Check out the menu and if you’d like to follow my plans exactly, and email me if you’d like the full grocery list. 

Getting started

You’ll want 3-4 baking pans lined with aluminum foil coated with a light layer of olive oil. You’ll also use a strainer, crock post and a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have a skillet, you can use another pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Marinate flat iron steak with Italian dressing in large ziploc bag. Return to fridge.

How to meal prep chicken

The secret to cooking chicken that doesn’t dry out is to coat chicken with olive oil on both sides before you season it. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, or seasoning of your choice, and put chicken in the oven. 

Wash your hands.

Write on a post it note what time you put it in, and when you need to check it. Set timer if you’d like. I suggest checking in 45 minutes. 


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meal-prep-timing.PNG

How to meal prep salmon

Line pan with aluminum foil and olive oil for salmon. 

Slice about half an orange and half a lemon. Coat salmon with olive oil, Paul Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic seasoning, and place citrus slices on salmon. Put salmon in the oven. 

Wash hands. 

Update your post it note with time you put salmon in the oven, and time to check it. I suggest checking in 20 minutes. 


meal-prep-salmon2.JPG


meal-prep-salmon.JPG

How to meal prep vegetables


meal-prep-vegetables.JPG

Line another pan with aluminum foil and olive oil. 

Wash and dry asparagus, brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Of course, you can make more of one if you have a favorite. Chop the ends of the asparagus and brussels sprouts and discard. Chop the brussels sprouts and broccoli into bite sizes, and coat with olive oil and sea salt. 

Fill boiling pot with water and set to high heat, to prepare for the shrimp boil.

While the water is heating up, the salmon should be ready to check. Be sure that it flakes when you gently pull it apart with a fork. If it does, it is done. 

Remove it from the oven. This should make a little more room for the veggies, which are ready to be put in the oven. 


meal-prep-oven.JPG

How to meal prep a shrimp boil


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Prep your shrimp boil veggies: peel corn ears and break in half, wash and quarter oranges, and wash mushrooms and red potatoes. 

As soon as water begins to boil, add spices, bay leaves, and potatoes and corn. 


meal-prep-strainer.PNG

After 5-10 minutes, add mushrooms and oranges to shrimp boil. 

Don’t take your eyes off the shrimp! They only take about 4:00 to cook. Overcook them and they’ll stick to the shell when you peel them. 

Important: when the shrimp are done, save the water to make rice. To do this, pour the shrimp through a strainer placed in a bowl. 

How to meal prep rice

But first, it should be about time to check for the chicken to be done. I always use a thermometer on chicken because it should be well done for safety. Nobody’s got time for food sickness. Chicken should be 165 degrees measured on the thickest part of the biggest piece. 

When the chicken is taken out of the oven, everything should be out. Set the oven to broil and let it heat up. Bring the water in the boiling pot back to a boil. When it is boiling, add in the rice. Follow the instructions on the rice for amount of rice to cook give your estimate of how much water is boiling. 


meal-prep-shrimp.JPG

How to meal prep a giant salad

Wash a few more mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, and lettuce. I use a combination of romaine lettuce and spinach for my salad. To skip a step, you can buy the spinach pre washed in a bag, but always wash it again. 

Combine all these ingredients in a big bowl and put back in the fridge. This is your dinner salad for all week. You can add to it as necessary. 

Confession: I don’t time rice. Check it occasionally and stir. It will be done when most of the water is boiled out. Yes, I know, very helpful. You are welcome. 

How to meal prep flat iron steak

The flat iron steak should be broiled about 5 minutes and then flipped over for 5 more minutes. I like the steak cooked in my cast iron, which isn’t big enough for both, so I did them separately. 

Food safety and freshness

When I prep food, my preference is to prep only 3 days in advance. However, sometimes people prefer to prep for a whole week, as I am showing here. You’ll want to take a few steps to ensure the food you eat is good all week. There are a few ways to do this: 

  • Freeze food that you will eat in 3-4 days or longer. Take out to thaw the night before.

  • Supplement prepped meals with healthy purchased meals through the week.

  • Have a big prep on Sunday, and then a mini prep for say, your protein, mid week.

One way to do this mini-prep is to prepare a crock pot recipe. Crock pots are so easy and make very tasty meals. 

How to meal prep a roast in the crock pot

Pour broth into the crock pot first. Add the roast, beans, french onion soup cans, bay leaves, and more broth if you have it. From here, you can either start the crock pot, or put this back in the fridge, ready to cook tomorrow during the day.

The Feast

When the flat iron steak is out of the oven, everything should be done and cooling. You have your choice of what to eat tonight, since all is available. Too add a lot more variety with a little bit of effort, you can make cooking night a taco night. 

With just sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, cheese, an avocado and tortillas, you get one more entirely different meal. You can have chicken tacos, steak tacos, and any sides you’d like.

You’ll have a little bit of clean up but the foiled lined pans cuts that down tremendously. If you’ll be bringing lunches to work, I suggest putting them in Pyrex or Tupperware in their correct portions before you refrigerate them. If you will be coming home to dinner, you can condense food into pans and cover with fresh foil or Saran wrap, instead of portioning them. 

I hope you found this guide helpful! I’d love to know how you use meal prepping and what tips you can share, too. Thanks for reading! 

Filed Under: How To, Nutrition & diet Tagged With: how to, meal plans, meal prep, recipes

The Smoothie Recipe from The Iron Guru

March 4, 2018 by Kathryn Alexander 2 Comments

Smoothies and shakes are everywhere these days: green smoothies post yoga, protein smoothies post gym smash, and yogurt smoothies available in the grocery aisle for those on the go. They really are fantastic, as they are quick, versatile, and potentially healthy and delicious. 

My Favorite Shake Recipe

You know I’m an old school iron girl at heart, so it makes sense that this recipes is based off Vince Gironda’s favorite shake recipe.

Vince Gironda, a preeminent bodybuilder and personal trainer in the 1940’s – 1990’s, developed what he called the Hormone Precursor Diet. It was heavy on protein and fat, with much of that coming from eggs. His original shake called for: 

  • 12 ounces cream (half & half)

  • 12 raw eggs

  • 1/3 cup protein powder

  • 1 banana

My Take on the Shake

I am not a registered dietician, but I will explain how I adjusted this recipe for me. First, I use pasteurized HEB brand Liquid Egg. It’s quick and easy, and eliminates the chance of salmonella. Second, I adjust the recipe down a bit and omit protein powder. My recipe is: 

  • 4-6 ounces half & half

  • 6 ounces Liquid Egg (the whole egg version)

  • 1 frozen banana (if not frozen, add ice cubes)

Update: I’ve had lots of questions about the Liquid Egg. It doesn’t make the smoothie taste like egg, but it does give a great whipped texture. Smoothies have a way of disguising flavors, which is why you have heard of people sneaking in greens in smoothies and shakes.

Check out the whole process in the video below.


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Modifications

Along the way, I have changed it a bit. Sometimes I add central Texas honey, because, you know, cedar fever. (Can someone tell me if having local honey really helps prevent allergies?)

Other times I add strawberries and blueberries for sweetness. The possibilities are limitless! You can substitute skim milk for cream to cut down fat and calories. You can add peanut butter if you’re trying to gain weight, or PB2 if you like the flavor of peanut butter but not the calories. 

Obviously, you can add protein powder to up the protein content. You can add raw spinach, which hardly adds any flavor, or beans, if you are a vegetarian to increase protein. Both of these add nutritive value but little flavor, which in this case, is a good thing. 

There is truly not a right or wrong. Consider your goals (gain weight, lose weight) and needs (increase protein, increased nutrients) and adjust ingredients accordingly. 

Why Am I Recommending a Bodybuilder Shake To You?

  • It’s easy

  • It’s fast (2 minutes, I kid you not!)

  • It can be pretty delicious, or at least, innocuous.

The Liquid Egg cuts down at least 9 minutes cooking time (based on the scrambled eggs I ate every day for breakfast for about 3 years), and really gives a great texture to the smoothie. 

Your Turn!

Experiment with a smoothie if you have trouble fitting meals or quick breakfasts in your day. Whether your goal is to gain muscle (tone up), lose fat, or increase conditioning, eating enough protein and vegetables is key! Try using a shake to add those crucial nutrients in.

As always, please email me if you have questions! I would love to hear about your favorite smoothies and how you incorporate them into your day. 

 

References: 

http://blog.joshstrength.com/2017/07/4-epic-weight-loss-and-muscle-building-techniques-from-old-school-bodybuilding-legends/

https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/splendid-specimens-the-history-of-nutrition-in-bodybuilding/

Filed Under: How To, Nutrition & diet, Recipes Tagged With: diet, how to, nutrition and diet, old school, recipes, Vince Gironda

My Favorite Recipes

December 19, 2017 by Kathryn Alexander Leave a Comment

If you have read my writing or looked at my recipes enough, you know that one of my staple food principles is to make protein the base of your meal. This is usually chicken, fish, beef, or eggs, and it is the backbone, the most delicious part, of the meal. 

I have go-to seasonings and spices to make the meal truly feast worthy, because life is too short to eat bland food. For red meat, I use McCormick’s Grill Master Montreal Steak blend. In any kind of boil or stew, I use bay leaves. On almost all else, I use Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends (either Poultry Magic or Seafood Magic). Finally, I end up topping nearly everything with either Tony Chachere’s or Zatarain’s. Seriously, almost everything. Scrambled eggs, potatoes, vegetables.

Below are some recipe ideas for building a meal from a healthy protein base. Feel free to season liberally. (Pictures are links to recipes.)


Throw Seafood Magic on this.

Throw Seafood Magic on this.


Tony Chachere's on this...

Tony Chachere’s on this…


Seafood Magic here too.

Seafood Magic here too.

My favorite chicken recipe 

A splurge worthy steak recipe here

What are your go-to recipes and spices? Mine have a decidedly Louisiana flair so I’d love to hear about yours!

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: recipes, spices

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