Atomic Curry

This will make you grow hair on your chest...or something. We like it hot hot hot so please adjust the spice level to your preference.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 yellow onion, diced
4 chicken breasts, diced
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1.5 to 2 cans coconut milk
3 tbsp medium curry powder
2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
small bunch of cilantro, chopped
lemon, cut into wedges
2 Serrano chili peppers, minced
4 habanero peppers, minced
1 tbsp coconut oil
salt and pepper
1 cup plain yogurt

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot (preferably cast iron) on medium high heat and melt the coconut oil.
2. Season the diced chicken breast with salt and pepper and add to the hot coconut oil. Brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Add all of the spices (curry powder, Cayenne, mustard seeds, cumin seeds) to the oil and stir around for a minute or so. Add the onion, garlic and minced peppers and cook until the onion is translucent.
4. Now add back the chicken to the pot. Add the chickpeas and the coconut milk (we used about 1.5 cans but you can determine what ratio you want) and stir well. Give it a smell and re-season if necessary.
5. Bring the curry to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low to keep it on a gentle simmer for 45 minutes to an hour to allow it to thicken and develop the flavours. Before you serve it, add the chopped cilantro and stir well. If some people do not like cilantro you can just save it for an optional garnish.
6. Serve with rice, paleo rice or pasta. Garnish with lemon juice, cilantro and yogurt.

Note on paleo rice: I had mine with paleo rice and when I got to the stage where you satay the cauliflower, I added 1 tsp of garlic chili paste, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tsp turmeric and it was delicious.

02/27/2013 Training

I'm done my 6 week program from Mike so I'm picking up on part of a Catalyst Athetics cycle and combining it with some of Mike's past arobic testers.

Power Clean 70% x 3 x 5
complete at 75#

Push Press 70% x 5 x 5
complete at 65#

AMRAP in 15 min:
5 toes to bar
10 push ups
15 air squats

10 rounds complete + T2B and 4 push ups

More Headbands!

The Horizontal Herringbone Stitch Headbands were such a hit that I ended up making several of the chunky version for my friends. Here are a couple:

I used HiKoo by Skacel Simpliworsted  for this one above in Royal. I doubled up the yarn to make it bulky and needed 2 skeins.

I used Cascade Superwash Paints 100% Superwash Wool in Tropical Punch for this one and doubled up the yarn again but I only needed 1 skein for this. I love the colour, it reminds me of pink grapefruit lemonade or something. I look like I have jowls in this picture...ew.

02/22/2013 Training

Friday - Upper CP + MAP Singles

A1. HSPU @ 20X0, 3-5 reps x 5 sets, 1 min - adjust depth as needed

to skinny side of ab mat all 5 reps. The last 2 sets I moved the mat about an inch away from to wall to make it harder.

A2. C2B Chin-ups, AMRAP x 5 sets, 1 min

5/6/6/6/6

B. 5 sets @ 90%:

60 sec Burpees

21/24/23/22/21

60 sec rest

60 sec Rowing

229m/229/230/230/226

60 sec rest

Greek Orzo with Shrimp, Artichokes and Spinach

This meal is great hot or cold. When it's hot from the oven the feta is all oozy delicious but when it's cold it makes for a great pasta salad. I was thinking it would be a great dish to take as a pasta salad to a pot luck since it's a meal in one dish. It has everything you need: veggies, carbs, lean protein and dairy!

Ingredients

serves 2-4

1.5 cups orzo, dried
3/4 cup very small pre-cooked shrimp
small bunch fresh dill, chopped
small bunch fresh mint, chopped
100 g feta cheese, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups baby spinach
4 green onions, chopped
4 artichoke hearts, in oil, rough chopped
1 tsp chili red flakes
1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
Club House Greek Seasoning

Instructions

1. Cook the orzo until al dente and drain, set aside.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 350 C.
3. Heat up a medium sized frying pan to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add minced garlic and the spinach and continually stir around until the spinach is wilted. Set aside.
4. Chop up the herbs, green onion and artichoke hearts. Take out a medium size casserole dish and add the cooked orzo, fresh herbs, green onion, artichoke hearts, spinach, shrimp, chili flakes and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and half the juice of a lemon and mix well.
5. Top with crumbled feta and sprinkle with the Greek seasoning.
6. Bake for 15 minutes and when you take it out of the oven, squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon over it.
7. Serve either hot or cold!

Adorable Mary-Jane Baby Booties

I love these so much. I want a pair for myself!!!

Here is the pattern. You can make these in an evening so it makes a perfect baby shower gift (which mine were). I used Cascade 220 Superwash Sport  in Cotton Candy which was super soft and it's aways good to use a superwash for baby items.

Just showing off my yarn bowl a bit!
 

Sweet Potato Egg-in-a-Hole

 

This is one of your basic no fuss breakfasts. I got the idea from my cousin who used to make "egg in a hole" when we were kids with toast instead of sweet potato. If you're avoiding wheat this is a good alternative.

 

Ingredients

serves 1

 

1 sweet potato, grate

1 egg

1 tsp fat of choice (I used coconut oil)

salt and pepper

 

 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat a small frying pan to medium heat.

2. Grate your sweet potato and add fat to pan.

3. Add grated potato to the pan. Cook about two minutes. Mix up, then re-arrage to have a whole in the middle.

4. Crack egg into the whole. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook egg until done to your preference.



Ester Shrug

I'm back!
Work has been crazy busy and taking up all my time and energy. But I still have been training and I still have been knitting up a storm. Just not bogging about it.

This is my first "full garment" project and I really enjoyed it. I made it as a part of a course offered at The Loop and it was good to do my first larger project as part of a course because it forced me to adhere to deadlines. But that also meant getting up at 5am on a Saturday trying to finish it before class. I took this as a course because I wanted to learn how to do cables. Turns out they are as easy as everyone claims! Now the possibilities are endless with what I can make! This was also one of the very few things I've knit that was perfect - no mistakes or fudging it. The success of this project inspired me to take on a full length sweater - The Stranger Cardigan. Isn't it gorgeous!?

I had a few knitting projects that I had cast on several months ago so I promised myself that I have to finish all of those before I start the Stranger Cardigan. I plan on making myself deadlines for it too because otherwise I'll never finish and get bored of it if it takes too long.

Anyway, back to Ester Shrug. Here is the pattern. Really listen to the pattern when it tells you not to make the bottom part longer, it will really mess up the construction. If you like a longer shrug, you can wear this two ways. If you wear it one way, the collar is higher and the seam of the shrug hits your mid-back. Then if you flip it upside down, the collar is lower and the seam of the shrug will be lower on your back.

I used Cascade Eco + in Turtle. I made an extra small (which is true to size) and only needed 1 skein since a skein has 478 yards. I was really impressed with this yarn. On the Ravelry page it says it's "bulky" weight, but it is decidedly aran weight. It knits up rather soft. This is the first 100% wool yarn that I've used and I am surprised that it does not bother my skin, even if the collar rubs on my neck. In fact, working with the yarn made me fall in love with wool. I love the stitch definition in the cables, I love the sturdiness and I love the warmth. I can't wait to work with wool next!