Day 1 - Monday January 5th.

It’s coincidental that this is my 1-year Crossfit anniversary, although fitting.  I’m documenting this as part motivation to keep me going, but part to share some recipes that I’ve found (will find) along the way.  I mean, that is what we do here.

So for today, the recipes I used were….

Green Smoothie

In August I did a 10-day Green Smoothie Cleanse and it was actually really great.  I’ve kept up my morning green smoothies since then.  My boyfriend has been having these for breakfast for years, and calls them “yucky shakes” so that his kids won’t drink them on him.  They are, actually, quite delicious.  My recipe is simple, flexible and dependent on what I have in the fridge.  Now that I have a Ninja blender, they are also a lot easier.  Basically it starts with greens, one or two handfuls, my favorites are kale spinach and spring mix. Then some water, like a cup, maybe more. Then a banana.  Or an apple.  Or both.  Then some protein powder - my last protein powder was hemp protein in an attempt to be animal friendly and cut down on soy overload.  I think my current protein powder might be whey (gasp!).  And then whatever frozen fruits I have.  Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Peaches, Pineapples, Mangos, any and everything.  Blend it up!  Couldn’t be easier!

Zoodles with Lentil Marinara Sauce

Don’t know what Zoodles are?!  They are delicious and you need to make them immediately.  Essentially, they are noodles made out of zucchini.  As an avid noodle lover, and I mean LOVE-ER, I cringe a little when these are called “noodles”.  They don’t taste like pasta at all.  I mean, it’s zucchini.  But, like pasta, on it’s own there is very little flavor, and so the trick is in the sauces and toppings you can put on.  I use the Veggetti spiral slicer and slice up the zucchini (I don’t peel it first, although you could).  Then you simply sauté the zoodles in a pan with oil under your desired tenderness.  Easy peasy.

My friend Katie sent me this recipe for lentil marinara sauce, and it was great and easy on top of the zoodles.  I chopped and sautéed an onion and garlic.  Then I added some canned tomatoes and tomato sauce.  I made sure that there was nothing extra added in my cans of tomatoes, deeming them “clean”, and added oregano and salt and pepper.  Towards the end I added in some Trader Joe's precooked lentils, and when it was all warm, I dumped it on top of the zoodles.  It’s definitely a keeper!

Here’s what my day looked like…..

Breakfast - “Yucky shake” before and after workout (Todays was kale, banana, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and pineapple)

Snack - apple, apricot, mini cucumber

Lunch - left over Zoodles with Lentil Marinara Sauce

Snack - mini cucumbers, kiwi

Dinner - grilled cauliflower, tofu and asparagus with the last of the lentil sauce

Water - 80 oz.  (By far the most water I’ve ever consumed on a non-pre race day in years!)

Missteps - I did have soda.  It was necessary. MUCH less than normal. Oh, and did you see how much water I had!  I’ll try again tomorrow.

Other Notes: OH. MY. GOD. I was starving after my workout. So hungry.  Normally I eat a PB&J sandwich.  Today I had an apple.  Not the same.  It made the morning excruciating and I sat plotting all the ways I could quit.  I talked myself down from the ledge, allowed myself a soda, and re-committed to the cause. Tomorrow, you'll see something better in there.

Week 2 (Jenni): Spiced Lentil Tacos

Week Two of this challenge was much better than Week One! This recipe is great, and I have been excited about it since it arrived in my inbox two weeks ago. Yes, I got this recipe in my inbox, from SELF magazine.

After a full day of playing housewife - no seriously, I sat and waited for the plumber to fix our hot water, I re-potted some plants, did the dishes, made 2 dozen cupcakes - I cooked dinner and had it ready mostly in time for my hungry family to return from a hard day at work. I also re-wrote a section of my grant application. Spread the word - I'm quite a catch!

But, back to the Recipe Challenge. This was relatively easy, and also my first time cooking with lentils. I think I should have simmered them longer, but I forgot to set a timer (the cupcakes needed attention and the plumber needed to be paid at the same time the lentils began simmering, and I became momentarily overwhelmed!) I was unable to mash them as described in the recipe, so we just left them whole. Rave reviews from the whole lot of us as we had our "family dinner" on the couch in front of Grey's Anatomy. Somehow I think Ryan and Chelsea might be enjoying this challenge more than anyone!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 package (2.25 oz) taco seasoning
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped (use half for less heat)**
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce**
• 8 taco shells
• 1 1/4 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat (2 percent) cheddar

Preparation

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic and salt until onion begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lentils and taco seasoning. Cook until spices are fragrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Mix sour cream, chile and adobo sauce in a bowl. Uncover lentils and cook until mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Mash with a rubber spatula. Spoon 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with 2 heaping tsp sour cream mixture, lettuce, tomato and cheese.

**I did not use a chipotle chile and adobo sauce, instead I used regular salsa and mixed that with the sour cream. It was an ingredient we had, and pretty darn tasty if you ask me!