Poached Chicken

You may or may not know James and I are on a budget - saving for a house. Houses are expensive and I went $6 over the agreed budget last week and James was quick to let me know about it; as such I am going to share with you poached Chicken.

Now until 5 seconds ago I did not actually know the difference between poaching / simmering / boiling. Apparently it has to do with the temperature. As I did not know the temperature, this may in fact be just boiled chicken but I'm not a chef so I'm not really stressed.

I cook about 3kg of chicken in one go and then shred it and divide it into bags. You can do so much with it - sandwiches, add it to soups or stir-fry or whatever you would like really. This is so easy you don't really have any excuses. Chicken is about $10-$12 a kilo and the little bags are maybe $2 a box. Each sandwich I make James uses about 50gm-60gm of chicken so I make the bags in 250gm lots so I can prepare for 2 days and have it ready in the fridge. I cook about 4 chicken breasts in a pot and it takes roughly 25-30mins per lot so you can prepare a lot of meat in advance. The bigger your pot the faster your prep.

Simply pull out the frozen meat 2 nights in advance and it is ready to be used.

James and I spend about $200 a week on food - I have 6 meals a day and James 5-6, realistically that's $2.40 to $2.60 a meal. For healthy, tasty meals I think that is pretty good!

Ingredients

• 1 pot of boiling water
• As much chicken as you would like (I do 3kg batches) trimmed of all fat (leave as whole breasts / thighs)

Method

1. Once the water in boiling, simmering whatever - it will be hot and bubbly simply place your meat in the water
2. For four single breasts I would allow 25-30 mins
3. You can check the meat - simply pull it out with tongs and cut through the thickest part - if it still has pink in the middle put it back in the pot for a while - check as often as you need to be sure, I generally only need to check once but you will get a feel for it over time. 
4. Once you know the chicken is cooked let it cool and shred it.
5. Leave overnight in the fridge, and then divide up the next day!

Shredded Chicken & Chicken Straight out of the Pan

Easy Peasy Bircher Muesli

There is nothing worse when you just have a crappy day and you have no-one/nothing to blame. Yesterday was one of those days. I just felt like a little baby elephant. Time to step it up with my cardio and work like I want my goals!

How I felt yesterday - but slightly less cheerful

So you may or may not know I cook everything for James, including breakfast & the fact I decided to gym it up early meant I would not be cooking James breakky so I decided to make bircher muesli for him - this is honestly so easy you can add what ever you like - leave it overnight & it is soooooo tasty!

Ingredients: Serves 2 (large serves)

• 1 cup of oats - can be quick oats - whatever works
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups of yoghurt - or milk - apple juice whichever you have on handy (can be a combination of the 3)
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup crushed Brazil nuts
• 1/2 cup crushed almond
• 1/4 cup crushed walnuts
• honey/fruit to serve

Note: You can also add fruits here / grated apple(highly recommend but I used our apples in cupcakes) / sultanas - whatever you have on handy - I just had to use what was left in the cupboard - we are moving on Friday and don't have a great deal!

Method

1. Combine everything in a container - add extra milk / yoghurt is you think it is necessary
2. Seal container and put in the fridge
3. Open up the next morning and and yoghurt / honey / nuts to serve

   

   I forgot to photograph mine - so this is what it should sorta look like!

Choc Coconut Oat Slice

My weekend was reasonably good - I saw the CrossFit Regionals on Saturday and that was insane. The athleticism on display was just crazy.

Here is a sample of ONE of the workouts over the 3 days

100 wall balls is hard - let alone the rest of the workout! On Friday I did 45 one legged squats after training and thought that was tough... The amount of six packs on display was also insane - the tag line for CrossFit is the sport of fitness & it really is - these athletes are strong, flexible and fit - and really nice! The atmosphere at a meet is buzzing - everyone is so supportive.

I left the meet questioning whether I even lifted. The women took strength to a new level!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wholemeal self raising flour
• 90g (1 cup) rolled oats 
• 70g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut 
• 140g (2/3 cup, natvia)
• 95g (1/2 cup) cocoa
• 125g butter, melted, cooled 
• 1 egg, lightly whisked

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base of your slice pan and 2 opposite long sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang. 
2. Combined flours, oats, coconut, natvia, cocoa in a bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the melted butter and egg. Use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and use the back of a spoon (or hands) to smooth the surface. Really push it in the pan!
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

Hardly a Recipe - Kanga for the Time Poor & Progress!

So I got caught up with the scales on the weekend, after 4 weeks of dieting they had hardly shifted, maybe 1/2 a kilo to a kilo. I know I tell everyone else not to do this so I was being a complete hypocrite.

My coach was at a comp all weekend so without having my skins done I just started to stress a little bit about not losing body fat in due time... for September!

Anyway I took a little snapshot post training and sent it off after jumping on the scales disappointed the weight  hadn't dropped.

My coach sent back a text not to stress saying it looks like I've gained some serious muscle. (Or I am getting better at  posing lol). I then thought how about I compare comp prep 2012 to comp prep 2013. I'm about 3kg heavier on the right and I think I look great - I'm so happy with that progress in a year!!

So all in all it proves you probably shouldn't go by the scales at all - just like I said in the first place!

Also I have heard a little bit about my 'dedication' or what have you. I actually don't spend hours in the kitchen - for this past two weeks this has been my Kanga meat routine - EASY, CHEAP and EFFICIENT. Can't ask for more!

James and I are saving for a house so we have a budget to stick to for groceries (and everything else) so these little roasts are approx 1/2 the price of kanga steaks ($20 a kilo)

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 Kanga Mini Roasts (approx $10 a kilo)
• 2 cups water

Method:

1. Take mini roast out of packet - leave string on and place in slow cooker - add as many as you would like / will fit
2. Add enough water that it's about an inch deep
3. Turn on low and leave for the day
4. Come home, remove meat from cooker (it will look a bit shrunken but don't fear it holds a lot of meat!), remove string and shred the meat, put shredded meat back into the slow cooker to absorb all the water & flavour (if you don't do this it will be dry and gross)
5. Done - told you it was hardly a recipe!

Kale, Pine Mushrooms & Green Beans with Pesto

I love the farmers market. I love strange food, local farmers and fresh produce. Last week I went on Saturday morning and got a heap of veges to take home.

I love kale, I'm not sure it is a superfood, or in fact that superfoods even exist, however it is delicious. I also stumbled upon these random mushrooms for $4 a bag and was sold. I later did some googling and realised they were called Safron Milk Cap Mushrooms, not pine mushrooms; genus issues aside they were really great to cook with, they have meaty taste and a different texture to plain button mushrooms.

Saturday is treat night so aside from ice-cream I was planning on cooking my dinner. The organic vege guy had a heap of fresh herbs & I love home-made pesto so I bought a bunch of basil too.

So the easy thing - pesto is dead easy I don't measure what I use I just go by taste. this whole going by taste things is frustrating when you are learning to cook - I used to be like what?? taste it?? how do I know!! One tablespoon or two!?

Ingredients - serves 2

• 1 bunch Kale (Main stem removed)
• Handful Green Bean (top and tailed)
• About 3 large Mushrooms in chunks
• 1 bunch Basil
• 30gms parmesan cheese
• Slosh olive oil
• Lime Juice (was out of lemons)
• Packet of pine nuts  I think they are 80gm bags?

Method

1. Whip out food processor or rocket blender - stick mixer - whatever you have!
2. Rip off all the basil leaves and put them in there, save a few for presentation if you like
3. I grated fresh parmesan in there - I'm assuming 30gms  - add more or less to your liking
4. Splash a bit of olive oil - maybe 1-2 tablespoons, and maybe a tablespoon of lemon or lime jice - whichever is handy! Also add the pine nuts!
5. Blitz it!
6. Have a wok handy and set on high, add a little oil to pan, add mushrooms first shortly followed by beans, and after they have cooked through add the kale
7. Add about 1/2 cup water to your well blitzed pesto and add to coat the veges
8. (the water just allows it to spread through)
9. Enjoy - I had mine with beef!

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Ah I promised this ages ago - sorry. Life has been busy.

I want to take a moment to talk about my 'thick' thighs. I know right?... weird, considering I'd actually never thought about my thighs as thick or actually thought about them at all really, except for when I want to lift something heavy up or what not. I pretty much have no issues with my legs, I like them!

Twice this week I've had random comments that I think were meant to be compliments that just came off wrong. One was about how I was carrying all my extra weight well (cue comment about new thicker thighs) and the other was asking as to whether James was pumped for the slim me again.

Now it's true I have gained weight, maybe a little more than I wanted but I'm really not obese but it is all part of the competing thing. I am not going to stay below 50kg for more than a day, it's just not healthy (for me). So I ate healthily and like a normal person from October - April and yep I think I gained (not including water weight) about 7-8 kilos since comp day. And I still look fine, James hasn't left me and I am stronger & faster than ever before! (I'm also I think the heaviest I've ever been - which is why scales really don't mean that much!)

You may think why is she telling me this? It's mainly 2 reasons:

1. People will say shitty things. True, they don't always realise what they are doing, but even so you just have to laugh & move on.

2. I went to a workshop last year with Rinnah Schmid & Asher Prior and Asher's piece of advice was 'you just have to own your off season weight'. So I've tried that. If I posted comparison picture of comp prep me to ' now'  me it's not because I don't like 'now' me, I just think the change is cool & I enjoy competing! James honestly doesn't have a favourite - there's plus' and cons, I have abs and no boobs or great boobs and no abs so you win some you lose some haha

Either way, if someone has said something crappy to you this week it says way more about them than you. :-)

Enjoy this soup - it is so easy. I still have some in the freezer!

Ingredients:

• 1 whole kent pumpkin (I didn't weight it - sorry) cut into chunks, seeds & skin removed
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 4 onions, peeled & cut in half
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 3 heaped tsp ground cumin (I love cumin - you can go easier on this if you like)
• pinch nutmeg
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• optional - chilli - if you would like an extra 'kick' 

Method:

1. Throw everything in that slow cooker of yours!
2. Turn on low and leave it for the day
3. Come home and take out your stick mixer - Plug it in and whiz the pumpkin onion and stock together
4. This should leave you with an awesome soup!
5. I served it with a sprig of basil just because it looked nice 

Note: As the weather is getting cooler you can change this recipe however you like it will work with ANY leftover veges, carrots, sweet potato, peas - you can throw whatever you want in there. If you want to make it more "hearty" you can add chickpeas for the last half hour to warm them through or even lentils!