Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

fruit

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Chicken, Lentil and Peach Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup French green lentils
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 small (6 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 large (6 ounce) stone peaches, halved and pitted
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed mint leaves, torn
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the lentils with 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain.
  2. While the lentils are cooking, preheat a grill over medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, oil, shallots, vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat, set the remaining dressing aside.
  3. Place the chicken and peach halves, cut side down, on the grill. Cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Cook the peaches until charred on the cut side and softened slightly, 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken into thin slices and the peaches into bite-size pieces.
  4. Divide the warm lentils among 4 plates. Arrange the chicken and peaches over the top. Sprinkle with the herbs and drizzle each salad with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining dressing. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1/4 of the lentils, 1 chicken breast, 1/2 peach, 1/4 cup herbs, 1 1/2 tablespoons dressing

Per serving: Calories: 258; Fat: 10g; Carbs: 26g; Dietary Fiber: 8g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 19g

 

Original recipe from My Fitness Pal can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Broccoli Pesto Omelet

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce fresh basil leaves, plus two sprigs
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 cups broccoli, chopped
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Finely mince the basil, pine nuts and garlic. Add half of the Parmesan and mince to form a paste. Place in a medium bowl and add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, stir to mix.
  2. Set up a steamer and steam the chopped broccoli for 2 minutes, then let cool slightly before adding to the bowl with the basil mixture. Toss to coat.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites, eggs, and remaining Parmesan until well-mixed.
  4. Drizzle a 6-inch nonstick pan with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil, swirl to coat, and place the pan over medium-high heat. Let heat for about 30 seconds before pouring in half the egg mixture about 1 cup. Let cook for about 1 minute before reducing the heat to medium-low. Let cook for 2 more minutes, until the eggs are cooked around the edges and there is just a bit of runny egg on top. Use your spatula to flip the omelet and cook for a few seconds more, then flip again.
  5. Place half of the broccoli mixture on one side of the omelet and use a spatula to carefully fold the omelet over the broccoli. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute to warm the broccoli, transfer to a plate, and cover to keep warm until serving.
  6. Repeat to make the second omelet in the same manner. Serve hot, garnished with basil sprigs and 1 cup mixed greens, which have been tossed with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the lemon juice, on the side.

 

Serves: 2 | Serving Size: 1 omelet

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 271

Total Fat: 17g; Sodium: 346mg; Carbohydrate: 12g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 20g

 

Original recipe from My Fitness Pal can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Broccoli Pasta Salad

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups small broccoli florets
  • 1 cup cut green beans
  • 2 cups uncooked fusilli pasta (try whole wheat or gluten free!)
  • 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced and cut into half moons (or spiralized)
  • 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon Tahini dressing: (can be made ahead)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more for squeezing at the end
  • 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons water

 

Instructions:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, mustard, maple syrup, salt and water. Set aside.
  2. Prepare a large pot of salted boiling water and a large bowl of ice water. Drop the broccoli and green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 1-2 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Remove and immediately immerse in the ice water to stop the cooking processing. Keep in the ice water long enough to cool completely, about 15 seconds. Then, drain and and place on a kitchen towel to dry.
  3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, basil and the pasta. Drizzle with the dressing and toss. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and squeezes of lemon, if desired. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and chill for 15 minutes. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

 

Original recipe from Love & Lemons can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Berry Chia Jam

Whose favorite recipes are super quick and easy to make?! Homemade jam is perfect for toast, yogurt, or in a PB & J! It’s thickened with chia and made with real ingredients you can feel good about serving to the family.

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: About 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit (see suggestions below)
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (only if needed)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat fruit in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is heated through and begins to break down and bubble.  Use a spoon or potato masher to mash the fruit to your desired consistency.
  2. Stir in the chia seeds and lemon juice until combined.  Then taste, and stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons sweetener if needed.
  3. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.  (The jam will thicken considerably as it cools.)
  4. Give the jam one final good stir.  Then serve immediately, or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

 

NOTES:

Fruits that work well in chia jam: 

  • Berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries), cherries, peaches, apricots, plums, pineapple, kiwi…basically any “juicy” fruits.

Optional add-ins: 

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • lemon zest (to make your jam a little more tangy)
  • a pinch of spices (such as cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg, etc.)

Reminder: Different kinds of fruit will yield different textures & flavors so taste & adjust your jam as needed.

  • Some fruits may need more sweetener than others.  (i.e. Raspberries are much more tart than blueberries.)
  • Some fruits are juicier than others.  (i.e. Pineapple will make a much juicier/thinner jam than strawberries.)
  • Feel free to nix the lemon juice if your fruit is already tart.
  • You get the idea.  Taste…adjust as needed…enjoy.

 

This recipe from Gimme Some Oven can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Looking for a wholesome breakfast that will fill you up? Try these baked oats! Perfect to feed a crowd or make breakfast ahead of time.

Serves: 6
Serving Size: 1 oatmeal piece and 2/3 cup berries

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 cups sweet apple, grated and unpeeled (such as Honeycrisp)
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 2 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 cup blackberries

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, stir together oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir in almond milk, grated apple, syrup and vanilla. Pour mixture into an 11-by-7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts.
  2. Bake until set, about 35 minutes. Let stand 5–10 minutes before cutting into six pieces.
  3. Combine strawberries, raspberries and blackberries in a bowl. Serve berry mixture over oatmeal.

Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 232
Total Fat: 11g; Carbohydrate: 31g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 12g; Protein 7g

 

Original recipe from MyFitnessPal can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Green Paradise Smoothie

This recipe comes from the kitchen of our own Exercise Physiologist, Brandon!
Thanks for sharing!

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup packed spinach
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • 1 cup frozen mango chunks
  • 1 banana
  • 1/2 cup ice
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut water

Directions:

  1. Add all the ingredients to a blender in the order listed above.
  2. Pulse to mix ingredients, then blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Note: If your blender isn’t super powerful, blend the spinach and coconut water first. This helps get rid of spinach clumps. Then add in the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

 

Recipe of the Week: Spinach & Quinoa Scramble

Let’s add some protein to your breakfast! Quinoa and eggs paired with fresh veggies make this morning scramble satisfying and flavorful. Bonus points? Pair this meal with a citrus fruit such as grapefruit or an orange which helps the body better absorb the spinach’s calcium and iron.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1 stalk green onion, chopped

Directions 

  1. In a small pot, bring 3/4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add the quinoa and return to the boil, then cover and reduce to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then uncover and fluff, all the water should be absorbed. Let cool, uncovered.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg whites until mixed, then stir in Parmesan cheese and thyme. Stir in the cooled quinoa. Reserve.
  3. Coat a large saute pan with a spritz of olive oil then set over medium-high heat; add the bell pepper, spinach and green onion. Stir for 2 minutes, until the peppers soften. Add the quinoa mixture and stir, reduce the heat to medium. Scrape the pan as you scramble the mixture. Cook until the eggs are done and the mixture looks dry, about 3 minutes.

Serves: 2
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Nutrition: Calories: 258
Total Fat: 7g; Cholesterol: 96mg; Sodium: 230mg; Carbohydrate: 32g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 18g

 

Original recipe from My Fitness Pal can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Italian Sausage Bean Soup

Peak Performance has some excellent chefs!

Thank you to our gym member, Helen, for sharing her recipe this week.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1-1/2 hours
Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. bulk Italian chicken or pork sausage
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves sliced
  • 4 cans chicken broth, 14-1/2 oz reduced sodium
  • 2- 15 oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14-1/2 oz)
  • 1/2 cup medium pearl barley
  • 1 large carrot sliced
  • 2 celery ribs sliced
  • 1 tsp. minced fresh sage
  • 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or 1/8 tsp. dried rosemary crushed
  • 6 cups chopped fresh kale or spinach
  • Salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

  1. In a pot, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
  2. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, barley, carrot, celery, sage and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
  3. Stir in the kale or spinach; return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender and the kale or spinach is wilted.
  4. Small pasta may be substituted for the barley and added during the last 10 minutes of simmering or pasta can be cooked separately and then added before serving.
  5. Enjoy!