Quick Recipe Roundup

I think the reason I enjoy cooking on the weekends so much more than during the week is twofold:

1. On the weekends, I have the focus and assistance of my favorite sous-chef, the hubster. He makes cooking complex meals a breeze, if he can keep up.
2. I have so much more time on the weekends to focus on every aspect of the meal and I don't feel rushed to get it done.

All in all, weekend cooking is just more enjoyable and less stressful. I get to experiment and discover new recipes. I find it therapeutic to have an involved baking or cooking session after a hard week at work, or in the gym. Hopefully that will all change since I started my new job this week. More on that later...

It all starts with breakfast...

Saturday's breakfast before heading to the gym needs to be filling, full of fiber, but nothing that will sit heavy in our stomachs while we motivate our butts to get in gear. Enter my new favorite item on our breakfast menu, my super special smoothie.

Nom Nom Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
1 cup spinach (packed)
1/2 banana (sliced)
2 tbsp almond butter
handful of blueberries
2 strawberries (cut in half)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp honey

1. Put the ingredients in the blender, in order, and liquefy! 

Super simple, and super nom nom. Great for a quick breakfast before the gym, or before work in the morning. The Almond Milk and Almond Butter provide the protein, the spinach provides the fiber, and the fruits provide lots of vitamins while covering up the spinach. Seriously, you wouldn't know the spinach was there if it weren't green.

All of the nutrients are more quickly and easily absorbed by your body in the liquefied form as well, but you may not feel full for very long. I recommend following up with a mid-morning snack of raw nuts (I like a mixture of walnuts, almonds and cashews).


It continues with lunch...

One of my new favorite foods is avocado, in any form. Avocado has become its own food group in my eyes. I have been finding ways to incorporate it into almost every meal. I'm like the old lady in the Frank's Red Hot commercials, but with avocado. I put this ish on everything.

Now that we are full-speed ahead into the summer heat, a nice cold lunch is in order. Avocado, being the versatile fruit that it is (for real, y'all, it's a fruit), is the perfect ingredient for a cooling, summer lunch.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad
Ingredients:
1 avocado (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 pound of shrimp (cooked and cooled)
juice of 1 lime
cilantro to season

1. Toss shrimp and avocado in a bowl. 
2. Pour lime over mixture.
3. Sprinkle with Cilantro.
4. Toss to coat.

Tada! Super simple, and scrumptious for a summer day.


And now for your paleolithic pleasure...

One thing that people seem to be really fond of and unable to let go of is their pasta. Sure it may hold the cause for many modern day diseases that could very well put you in an early grave, but it's still delicious, and as addictive as cocaine (Don't believe me? Ask Dr. Oz).

My dad called me the other day and asked what I was making for dinner. "Spaghetti," I casually replied. **screeeeeeeech** "I thought you don't eat pasta anymore!" he shouted on the other end of the line.

Duh.

Paleo Spaghetti with Mushroom Sauce 
Ingredients:
2 zucchinis (cut julienne style)
1 lb ground (grass-fed) beef
1 can organic tomato puree (no sugar)
1 medium sweet onion (chopped)
5 sliced mushrooms (or more, whatever tickles your fancy)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil (this is an estimate, I really just pour it on)
Italian herbs and spices to season (parsley, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, black pepper)

1. Brown the meat with the onion and garlic in a large skillet.
2. Place the zucchini in a separate skillet and pour olive oil over to lightly coat. Toss the zucchini until it becomes soft, like a limp noodle.
3. Meanwhile, when the meat has cooked fully, add the tomato puree, mushrooms and spices to taste.
4. When the noodles (by noodles, I of course mean zucchini) have softened, add them to the sauce and stir all to coat.
5. Serve hot!

Hubby mentioned he was missing pasta, so I surprised him with this dish. He was not disappointed, and I'm fairly certain you won't be either!