Summer Steak Salad

Organization, preparation, and time management have always been part of my skill set, but lately I have been taking these things to the next level. I am a busy woman these days between work, my personal life, building a health coaching business, and focusing on my own health and wellness. I have been dabbling in the health coaching arena in a few areas, and one of my first experiments was running a corporate cleanse. I cooked 5 meals per day for 3 days for some clients that wanted to "cleanse" but didn't want juices. The five meals included:

• Creamy broccoli soup with avocado
• Fruit salad
• Sweet potato & lentil curry stew
• Roasted vegetables with olive oil and garlic
• Carrot, string bean, and spinach soup

I have to admit that I spent about 8 hours shopping, prepping, cooking, and organizing these meals. I learned a ton, and I had a blast doing it. With a bigger kitchen and more free time, I could do some serious damage in the kitchen with future cleanses. My fridge ended up looking like a tetris game, and I was proud of my efforts. I was thrilled to show people how good it feels to eat clean and gain awareness of cravings and habits that may otherwise be hidden. Feel free to reach out if you ever have questions on how to do a cleanse and spend a few focused days (or weeks) on using food as medicine and treating yourself to health!

Summer Steak Salad: Serves 1, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients:
- 4-6oz. grass-fed flank steak at room temperature
- 1 tsp. grass-fed butter or coconut oil
- salt & pepper
- Handful of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
- 1/4-1/2 avocado, chopped
- 2-3 cups spinach

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat until hot
2. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper
3. Cook the steak for 3-4 minutes on each side (do not move it while cooking!)
4. Let the steak sit for 5 minutes to rest
5. Chop the steak, and toss your salad with all of your ingredients 

Chunky Hunky Man Soup

Does your hunky man hate soup? If so, I have created the perfect recipe that will make you both happy! To me, a fresh soup every week is the best part of winter, and it is even better if you can share it with others. I even eat soup for breakfast these days as an alternative to my old favorite oatmeal. Some of the soup haters out there think that it doesn't count as a real meal and is too watery, so I created this recipe that is chunky, full of flavor, and guaranteed to please your biggest critics. 

I made this soup on New Years Day for my own special hunk and our friends. It was the perfect mix of sweet and savory, and it was a wonderful way to start out 2013!

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 sweet onions, chopped
- 1 large leek, chopped (whites & greens)
- 2+ Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch of celery, chopped
- 5-7 large carrots, peeled & chopped
- 12 mushrooms, chopped
- 6 parsnips, peeled & chopped
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
- 2 cups of chopped steak (I used leftovers from a garlic roasted bottom round roast)
- 3 sprigs of fresh, organic rosemary
- 2 quarts of organic chicken (or beef) broth/stock (no sugar or preservatives added)
- pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. CHOP EVERYTHING! (I've warned you about this before.. it takes a while but is totally worth it!)
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions, leek, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes until soft
4. Add all other veggies and cook for another 10 minutes
5. Add steak, rosemary, and broth and bring to a boil
6. Cover pot, turn heat to low, and cook for 45-60 minutes until everything is soft
7. Eat this soup with your hunky man - mine likes his grains, so I threw some farro in there for a little extra chunk

  

Great Friends & Great Meat

Vegetarians beware! No time for a recipe tonight, but I had to share this beautiful picture with all of my paleo followers. 

Breaking news! Two of my most wonderful friends Sarah and Mark are getting married next year. We all went to college together, and I worked at my first job with Sarah and now my current job with Mark. I am visiting them for a fun-filled weekend of shopping for wedding and bridesmaids dresses with Sarah's mom and sister. After a fantastic day of shopping and manicures, we met up with Mark and went out for a great dinner at Les Halles in NYC. Mark asked if anyone would share the romantic prime rib for two, and I couldn't resist. I had half a prime rib and some perfectly grilled vegetables. I awkwardly asked the waiter if we could bring the bone home with us, and luckily he wrapped it up in a giant shopping bag. We got home, staged our paleo photo shoot, and finished off the meat for dessert.

A perfect end to a perfect day for me... now it's your turn to go find a good friend to gnaw on a bone with! Enjoy ;)

Stamford Summer Throwback: Best Meal of the Summer

Hello from Stamford! I had quite the journey down to my old stomping grounds. My train was less than five miles from Stamford, and we got stuck behind a broken down metro north train. We waited twenty minutes, went backwards for ten, and then finally headed into the not-so-big city. I was extra impatient to arrive because I was running late for a birthday dinner with my wonderful mentee and friend Kevin (hi Kev!). I decided to go straight to the restaurant with my typical homeless bag lady look because I couldn't wait any longer. We had an awesome meal at a Brazilian churrascaria, and Kevin even ate a chicken heart! I didn't try it because it looked too much like a kidney bean and was freaking me out. After a great dinner, I got back to my hotel to realize that I had never made a reservation. I am thoroughly convinced I got a minor concussion from my Crossfit fall last week, because I have been feeling weird and blanking out on things ever since. Luckily my good friend at "club zero" found me a room even though they claimed to be sold out.

Today's post highlights my favorite meal from this summer (which says a lot) from a previous Stamford trip. Ryan and I tag-teamed the cooking on this one, and it couldn't have turned out better. Check out the gorgeous view from the lake house where the meal was created. It is pretty much paradise!

Our perfect paleo feast included:

- Grilled steak (this is Ryan's job)

- Grilled peaches stuffed with prosciutto and fresh basil

- Grilled sweet peppers

- Roasted cauliflower with pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, cumin, & garlic

If you need recipes, feel free to ask, but these are all basically as simple as they sound - a great steak (get organic, grass-fed if possible!), produce from your local farmer's market, and fresh herbs from the garden. Everything got a bit of my usual mix of olive oil, salt and pepper, and that's it!

This upcoming weekend is supposed to be beautiful, so take out your grill for one last hurrah before the cold really settles in, and give it a try! The stuffed peaches were to-die-for...