Everything-in-the-Pantry Dinner

Sometimes we just have days where we need something tasty, something healthy...and we just have a bunch of weird ingredients laying around. This was the birth of this recipe.

This recipe is gluten free, paleo, dairy free.... and FULL of protein. It takes about 15 minutes from pan to plate, and it's delicious, the perfect post-workout dinner.  It's nice to spend a little time making and cooking a recipe that has pizzazz, but sometimes, we just need to eat, and eat quick. So instead of  calling for pizza or digging into some microwave burritos, throw this together (literally) and you'll have a dinner that satisfies and doesn't waste your time (and that uses up that can of diced tomatoes that has been sitting in your cupboard for a year).

Everything in the Pantry Dinner
Gather:
1lb. lean ground turkey or lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 15oz can of diced tomatoes
3 tbsps Tabasco, Frank's Red Hot, or Hot sauce of choice (you can add more or less, up to you!)
Salt and pepper to taste
1tbsp oil
Avocado, mashed

Method:
1. Heat ground meat, onion salt and pepper and oil in a pan until meat is cooked through and onion is soft.
2. Add hot sauce and tomatoes and allow mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt/pepper/hot sauce if desired
3. Mix in mashed avocado when serving, mix well.

The avocados give this a creamy, dreamy texture that will make you forget all about cheese and sour cream! This can be made ahead for the week, (although avocados should be cut just before eating) or just made when needed for a quick dinner. If you're not keen on a paleo diet, and you want to add more protein, try adding half a can of black beans, or serve mixture in warm corn tortillas.

Eating healthy isn't hard, just make sure to be prepared!

See you back here next week for another delicious, healthy recipe to help you reach your fitness goals.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth-Chicken

This recipe is called "Melt in Your Mouth Chicken". Do we even need entice you any further? Our version is healthy, incredibly easy, and so delicious that it literally...melts in your mouth. And you thought eating healthy was going to be difficult.

Chicken is a protein staple of any omnivorous lifter, runner, cyclist,  basically athlete of any kind. But chicken can also get boring. It's a good choice for being high-protein, lean, and inexpensive, but sometimes it feels like there is only so much you can do with it. There are many a time when a husband or wife has come home to chicken on the grill, or chicken in the oven to utter the words, "Chicken for dinner,  again?"
So, Norton is here to save your chicken blues with today's recipe that packs a lot of flavor along with all of the benefits listed above. (This may be where the phrase, "winner, winner, Chicken Dinner" comes from. Maybe not.)

So, before ramming your head into the wall when you realize you are having chicken again for dinner, try this instead and save your noggin some pain.

Melt in Your Mouth Chicken
Gather:
4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup of plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (we recommend Mrs. Dash )
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Method:
1. Mix yogurt, cheese, and seasonings.
2. Spread mixture over chicken breast and place in baking dish.
3. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

The original recipe calls for mayo, but substituting with plain greek yogurt adds protein, tangy flavor and cuts a lot of fat and calories. You're welcome. 

Give it a try, and don't let your diet get boring! Set yourself up for success!

Recipe courtesy of Amber Cox Fitness

St. Patrick's Day inspired Roasted Salmon

If you've been keeping up with the blog, then you know that we love to celebrate over here at Norton Fitness, but in moderation. Finding ways to celebrate holidays in a fitness-forward fashion can not only make for some great new traditions, but also won't leave you feeling regret over all the work you just undid with your diet and exercise routine.

Today's recipe features a not uncommon Irish dinner, with some spectacular Irish colors to boot.(orange salmon, green dill, white potatoes). Too often we get hung up on celebrating holidays by drinking to excess, eating unhealthy foods and going along with society's definition of the holiday. While it's just fine to indulge a little, making your own meal and your own fun can be a just as good, if not not better, way to spend a holiday.

Whenever you dig into this recipe, whether it's on St. Patrick's Day next Monday, or to line your stomach before some lighthearted drinking this weekend, feel good about eating a meal stacked with healthy carbs, protein, and essential omega-3 fatty acids. 

Roasted Irish Salmon

Serves 2

Gather:

2- Wild caught Salmon fillets ~.5lb to .75lb each

2tsp coconut oil, liquified

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 tsp grated lemon rind

6 lemon slices

Method:

Preheat oven to 450F

Place salmon skin-side down on foil lined baking sheet

Brush fish with oil, salt and pepper

Sprinkle with dill and lemon and arrange lemon slices over top

Bake fish at 450F for 10 minutes or until salmon flakes easily.

Side Dish: Boiled Potatoes

Potatoes get a bad rap, but red skins contain less starch and are high in potassium and vitamins C and B. 

Gather: 

1 lb red skin potatoes

1/2 cup butter or coconut butter 

1 bunch fresh sage (or dried) (to taste)

1 bunch fresh parsley (use to taste)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place clean potatoes (skin on) in a pot, covered in water rising at least 2 inches over the potatoes.

Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Testing every few minutes near the end for doneness. Potatoes should be smooth, creamy and tender. 

-Drain potatoes when done and then lightly mash, not completely, just enough to break potatoes apart. Add butter, salt, pepper, sage and parsley and stir together gently until combined. Use more or less butter according to taste. 

A balanced, Irish inspired meal, fit for a healthy lifestyle or as preparation for a night out with friends. Enjoy, and stay fit!

Crab & Avocado Salsa

The weather has been crazy lately...especially here in Norton's home base, Houston.  Pool weather one day, and then mittens and winter coats the next. It can be difficult to know if you're craving a fresh, summery salad or a cozy, winter stew. For this week's recipe, we've combined hot and cold for the perfect mix of warm and cool weather cravings...no matter what nature throws your way.

This Crab and Avocado Salsa combines the sweetness of the crab and corn with the spicy-heat of jalapeños. It's hearty enough to be served with a chips or vegetables as a meal...or just eaten with a spoon. (or your hands, or...just put your face directly into the bowl, that works too). It's delicious, easy and on the table in 15 minutes or less. The flavors in this are delicious, but mild, so that the sweet crab can shine. The goal is to mix the salsa well, with the ingredients remaining chunky.


Gather:
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 small chopped jalapeño
3/4 tsp. lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 ripe but firm avocados, diced
1 lb. jumbo lump crab, picked (it's your call whether to use real or imitation crab, we prefer the real stuff, but it can be quite pricey, and the imitation in this recipe will pick up the flavors nicely)

Method:
Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, fold in avocados and crab. Cover and chill.

Done! Enjoy for an easy recipe at home, take to work, or eat it down by the pool...or swaddled in blankets on the couch. (Darn weather!)

Planks & Pushups & Fitness...Oh My!

Plank challenges have probably been blowing up your Facebook feed, your Pinterest pages and have seemed to be on everyone's brain. Normally they begin with 30 seconds, and then every day for a month you add 5-10 seconds until you're just planking every moment of your life. No, kidding, but that is the general idea behind a plank challenge. Basically you are building up your body's ability to hold the plank position which helps tone and sculpt the muscles in your core and arms.

With that in mind, it is easy to see why people are eager to add it to their workout routine. There is no fancy equipment no crazy technique, just good form, strength and patience. To mix things up you can add in some variations, (pictured above).

What about the old "drop and give me 20"? Don't let the plank hype phase you...the push-up is still a must for fit folks. The regular old push-up that you remember from middle school gym class is a force to reckoned with. It strengthens and tones all of the muscles in your upper body, especially arms, chest and core. It can be varied to fit people of all abilities, from the wall push-up, the inclined push-up, traditional push-up, diamond push-up and a plyometric "clap" push-up wherein you fly up into the air and clap between reps. You can even do push-ups on your knuckles for a different range of motion. The reason the exercise has stuck around so long is because it works, and depending on where you are at with your fitness journey, there is a perfect push up for you. As you practice the movement more and more, you will notice that you will easily transition into more challenging forms of the exercise. 

Plank and Push-up are both an awesome part of any fitness routine. Utilize both for increased strength, toned core and arms, and stamina. 

Fitness doesn't have to be complicated, make it work for you!

If you are interested in building a daily routine, or have specific goals you are trying to reach and need advice or training on how to fit these moves into a regimen that produces results...send us an e-mail or give us a call. Norton Fitness Contact