Peak Performance Fitness

Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

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Recipe of the Week: Springtime Asparagus Medley

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1-1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, covered, until crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain; place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes; cover and keep warm.
  2. Place vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, salt and paprika in a blender; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Toss with asparagus mixture. Top with almonds and, if desired, cheese.
  3. Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

NUTRITION FACTS:

Serving Size: 3/4 cup

Per Serving: 154 calories

11g fat, 159mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein

 

 

Original recipe from Taste of Home can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Pineapple Quinoa

A quick dinner that is not only sweet but savory! Perfect for a night where you are short on time.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Quinoa
  • 8 ounces 100% Pineapple Juice (not from concentrate!)
  • 8 ounces water
  • 1 tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
  • 1 cup Fresh Pineapple, cubed (may use tidbits)
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
  • 1 Green Onion, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Chile Pepper

Directions:

  1. Prepare quinoa according to package instructions, replacing half of water with pineapple juice.
  2. Coat skillet with grape seed oil. Add pineapple and pepper. Sauté until the pineapple and pepper soften. Add green onion, salt and red chile pepper. Sauté for an additional two minutes.
  3. Combine pineapple mixture with quinoa and serve.
  4. Enjoy!

 

Nutrition:

Calories 264, Carbohydrates 45g, Fat 6g, Protein 7g

What’s my RMR? More importantly, what is an RMR?

Okay, what is an RMR? Why is it important? Is it the ‘secret ingredient” to help put on muscle or lose weight? Let’s start from the top and work our way in.

RMR is an acronym for Resting Metabolic Rate. Your RMR is a sum of all the calories your body burns in order to keep itself alive; i.e. heart beating, breathing, and digesting food. On a surface level, that’s it. Your RMR will not be all the calories you burn in a day because you also have to factor in your daily activities. These are going to be everything else you need to do, such as walking, the gym, laundry, brushing teeth… you get the point.

What factors influence your RMR? Can it be changed?

The RMR is completely unique to you. It is influenced by things like body composition, height, weight, gender, muscle mass, and age. A bigger person, with more muscle mass will tend to have a higher RMR than someone who may be shorter, lighter and have less muscle mass. There are also ways to change your RMR, for example, losing weight (both fat and muscle) will yield a lower RMR while putting on muscle will increase your RMR (how much energy you burn).

Is my RMR the golden ticket to changing my body composition?

Not entirely. There are many calculators online you can use to find an RMR, but the numbers vary and may not always be accurate. At Peak, we have a calibrated metabolic cart that will calculate your RMR more accurately. Once you’ve completed an RMR, how can this information be used? Now is when you contact a health professional to move forward with a caloric range based on your future goals. Utilze this information in conjunction with your nutrition and exercise plans. Put in the effort and stay consistent toward your goals to feel better and healthier!

 

 

By Matthew Rhodes, MS

 

 

Recipe of the Week: Spicy Chicken Sweet Potato Bowls

Breaking down some easy meal prep with healthy protein and vegetables to set you up for a successful week of meals. All you need are 3 big sheet pans + 45 minutes = healthy meals for a week!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Yields: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
  • 3 tablespoons spicy seasoning mix, such as chili lime
  • a few tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 5-6 cups broccoli florets (or broccolini)
  • coarse sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
  • avocado / hummus / lemon juice / chives / olive oil for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the chicken pieces with the spices and a quick stream of olive oil. Stir to combine; store in the fridge for about 30 minutes while you prep other ingredients.
  2. Arrange the vegetables on their own sheet pans (preferably ones with edges to catch drips, etc.). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange the chicken on a separate sheet pan.
  3. Bake all ingredients for 12-15 minutes. Remove the broccoli and chicken. Stir sweet potatoes and roast another 15 minutes or so.
  4. Done! Divide your servings out into containers and be happy you have meal starters ready for the week!

 

This recipe is from Pinch of Yum and can be found here!

Recipe of the Week: Curried Chicken & Rice Soup

Total: 1 hr 15 min
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 bone-in chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved
  • 2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
  • 1/3 cup jasmine rice
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

  1. Combine the chicken, carrots, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups broth and bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is just firm, about 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in another saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the onion is soft, 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and the remaining 3 cups broth. Increase the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the rice falls apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken from its broth; discard the skin and shred the meat into pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the same broth.
  4. Puree the rice mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender, then return to the pan). Pour in the shredded chicken and broth, stirring gently to combine; bring to a simmer. Toss in the chopped herbs and serve the soup with lemon wedges

 

Original recipe from the Food Network can be found here!