XO's Friday Foodie: Sarah's Zippy Corn Chowder, now Gluten Free!

Sarah R is this week's Friday Foodie who recommended we try this delicious, simple corn chowder.   Like any soup, we tweaked it to suit the contents of our kitchen and the sensitive taste buds of our kids. I added the garlic, omitted a teaspoon of salt and skipped the optional ingredients and made it gluten free (GF) on Anne M's suggestion to use 1/2 as much corn starch as the flour originally called for.   It was the perfect warm and savory dinner for a cool spring evening. 

The recipe makes 8 cups.  A 1 cup serving has 200 calories, 3g fiber, 7 grams protein, 34g carbohydrates and just 4 grams of fat.  Using unsalted butter, I've reduced the sodium to just 300mg/serving!  Adding a diced, precooked chicken breast or other protein could easily make this a one-pot meal.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 to 1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped (Sara advises the Red Bell Pepper!)

1 clove garlic, minced (I used 5 of Eben's tiny cloves)

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups or 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) vegetable or chicken broth

2 large red potatoes, cubed

3 cups frozen corn (an entire 1lb bag)

3 cups skim or 1% milk, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (any mustard will work)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

optional ingredients for those who like spice (and don't have kids):

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (Sarah recommends!)

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

4 green onions, chopped (AKA we didn't have these in the kitchen!)

In a large heavy saucepan saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic in the butter until tender.  Add the broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Next, add 2 1/2 cups milk, the corn, mustard, paprika and your choice of the optional ingredients and bring to a boil.  Mix the corn starch into the remaining 1/2 cup of milk and stir into the pot.  Simmer, stirring often, for 2 minutes until thickened.  Each person could salt to taste, but we found it plenty salty.  Being the spice guy, I added ground chipotle for a hot-smokey flavor.

I also wanted to answer the unasked question about what that mustard is doing in there.  Thanks to Ken J, I can tell you that mustard emulsifies the butter (or oil) in a recipe so it doesn't separate and float up to the top.  That explains why you see it in some salad dressing recipes.

Enjoy! 

 

Friday Foodie: Simple Spaghetti Squash

If you've never tried it, you must!!!  This week's food couldn't be simpler to make or more beneficial to add to your diet.  Spaghetti squash has just 46 calories per cup and makes a great substitute for regular spaghetti (220 calories per cup).  A great way to add vegetables to your plate, spaghetti squash can be served with many of the toppings that you might put on regular noodles although we most often just use salt and pepper and dab of butter.   

The real benefit is that neither Jack nor Jasmine complain (as much) as when we make regular squash!

Although you can bake or steam it, we almost always use the microwave oven.  Simply cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place in a microwave dish.  I like to add a 1/4 cup water to each half and to the bottom of the dish to help steam the squash.  Cover with a piece of waxpaper or parchment paper and microwave on high for 8-15 minutes until soft enough to pull apart with a fork.  That's it!!!

We serve it plain as our vegetable allowing each person to season it to their liking. 

Do you have a favorite way of making or serving Spaghetti Squash?  Please leave a comment or email us your suggestion!

Good for You, Good for the Planet

Here are some ways to make you and the planet healthier!


1. Leave your car at home.Not everyone is lucky enough to live walking distance from their place of work. If walking is out of the question, consider biking to work at least a couple days per week. If getting to work must involve a car, think about walking from your place of work to run errands (ok, you can walk) or go out to lunch. The less you drive, the better!

2. Eat less meat.
Visit http://www.meatlessmonday.com/ for more information. According to their website: Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.


3. Eat organic foods.
Foods grown without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, factory farming, hormone use, and antibiotics are not polluting the earth or your body.

Don't try to be perfect...instead, follow the 80-20 rule. This means eat organic about 80% of the time. You will feel good about your choices without driving yourself crazy.

4. Reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfill.

• Eat whole foods. They are better for you than foods which have loads of chemicals and filler plus they tend to require less packaging which means less garbage heading for the landfill.
• Compost. Not sure how? Visit www.howtocompost.org. According to their website, studies have shown that home composting can divert an average of 700 lbs. of material per household per year from the waste stream. If your flower beds are clay like mine they could use some compost!

We hope that in recognition of Earth Day you will consider making some lasting changes for a healthier planet and healthier body.

Yours in Health & Fitness,

Karin & Ryanand the XO Fitness training team

http://www.xofitness.com/

What is orienteering?

Orienteering is navigation using a map and compass.

For beginners...
It’s a fun way to exercise your body and mind as you enjoy the outdoors.

For those with experience...
It's a timed race.

Do you want to learn?
If you want to learn how to read a map and use a compass contact Ryan ryan@xofitness.com  He would LOVE to help you get started! The Badger Orienteering event at  High Cliff is a great place to start. Please join us on April 21 at 10 am.

Friday Foodie: Shrimp Boil - Easy Clean-up

This week's Foodie is Joell, Karin's sister who lives in Owasso, Oklahoma.  The whole Jennings-Kasbohm clan visited Joell for Easter and she shared her Shrimp Boil with us for Easter Dinner.  Her recipe involves a bit of prep but makes up for it with nearly zero cleanup, especially since you eat with your hands!

To feed 7-9 hungry people, here are the ingredients:

1 bag of Zatarain's Crab Boil Seasoning
4-6 large cloves of garlic
3lbs Shrimp
2lbs small gold or red potatoes
2lbs small onions (quarter sized)
3 zucchini
3 ears of corn

Joell starts by filling a very large pot (4-5 gallon) pot with water and adds a packet of Zatrain's Crab Boil seasonings and several whole cloves of garlic.  While this is heating to a boil, prep your ingredients:  Cut the Zucchini and Corn into 1 1/2 to 2" chunks and peel the small onions.  Wash the potatoes (quarter larger ones) and put the shrimp into a pot of water to thaw.

When the water reaches a boil, add the vegetables and cook for 3 minutes.  Then add the shrimp and cook for one minute and remove from heat.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Drain and pour the hot Shrimp Boil onto a table covered with either butcher block paper, a plastic tablecloth (wipe clean first!), or as we did this time, pieces of aluminum foil.

Serve with melted butter, rolls and lots and lots of napkins.  Commence eating with your hands!

Clean-up is simple:  Roll up the paper or foil and discard.

We hope you enjoyed this week's Friday Foodie, Oklahoma style!

Friday Foodie: Iridescent Green Stuff

One of my clients brought a kale smoothie (with Mango, blueberries and other goodies) for me to try and it was awesomely green and delicious. To quote Jenny T: "Who Knew?"

Anyway, the color reminded me of this recipe that Karin and I really enjoy. If you dare, here's the recipe for Punjabi Mustard Greens based loosely on the recipe from the amazing cookbook "Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking." We affectionately call it 'The iridescent green stuff."

Note: Karin suggests bringing this as your dish to pass this easter! LOL!

1lb Spinach
1lb Mustard Greens
1" piece of fresh ginger, about the diameter of a US quarter.
5-6 Tablespoons butter
Corn Meal: 1/2 cup
1 teaspoon salt (then salt to taste)

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop and steam the mustard greens and spinach until wilted.
2. Peel and slice the ginger across the grain. 
3. Put the ginger and steamed greens into the blender with all the other ingredients (except butter and corn flour) and blend until pureed (adding steaming water as needed to allow blending).
4. Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan and add ½ cup of cornmeal for texture.
5. Stir over low heat a couple minutes to make it puff up a little.
6. Add the puree to the cornmeal and butter.
7. Stir constantly to thicken, salt to taste and serve with warm whole grain tortillas. Eat until silly.

Miscellaneous notes: 
The larger amount of ginger that I use (as noted here)adds some significant heat, so I don't add the hot chili recommended in the original.  If you don't want it as hot, don't add as much ginger.   You can add a hot green chili (veins/seeds removed) if you like it really hot. The original also calls for less spinach and cornmeal and more butter, so this recipe is to my taste and texture preference.   
 

Enjoy, Ryan & Karin
(Blogging today from Owasso, OK!)

Changing your Usual

Spring is a time of change. Humans, in general don’t like change. We like things that are predictable and safe. We go to the same restaurants and order “the usual”. We have many routines and traditions. Sometimes that’s good. It’s efficient, it’s comforting to know what to expect. However, some routines and habits are sabotaging our health.

If you do what you’ve always done,

you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.

-Tony Robbins

Examine your USUAL

If you want to change your body, you may have to change your “USUAL!” Start by making a list of your “Usuals.” Some of them may be good; some of them may not be so good. Here is a list to get you started:

• What do you usually eat for breakfast?

• What is your usual morning routine on weekdays (before work)?

• What do you usually have for lunch?

• Do you usually have a snack or two during the day? If so, what do you usually have?

• What do you usually do after work?

• What do you usually have for dinner?

• What time do you usually eat dinner?

• What is your usual evening routine?

• What do you usually do on Friday night?

• What do you usually do on Saturday? How about Sunday?

Pick one and ONLY one

Don’t try to change everything all at once! Now that you have identified the things you would ideally like to change, pick ONE thing that you are ready to change. According to Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less, people have an 85% success rate when they focus on changing only one habit at a time. If they attempt to change two habits at once their success rate drops to 35%. Trying to change three habits is a recipe for failure…only 10% succeed.

Rules for Success

In the blog, Zen Changes, also by Leo Babauta, he outlines the rules you must follow in order to change a habit.

1) Start with an easy habit. How certain are you on a scale of 1-10 that you can make this change? If you aren’t a 9 or a 10, you should start with a different “usual” or “replacement”. Don’t worry, the ones that seem too difficult to change right now won’t be once you have gained some momentum! Start with small successes and soon you will have the confidence to tackle the tougher ones.

2) Make it measureable. At the end of the day did you do it or not? It should be easy to tell. If your goal is to exercise set a goal in minutes. If you are going to eat more vegetables, decide how many times per day you are going to eat them. If your goal is to get more organized, spend 10 minutes putting things in order.

3) Be consistent. This is your new usual, so it will most likely happen at the same time of day every day.

4) Report daily. When you are getting started you should share your goal with someone who you can report to daily. So tell your spouse, your best friend, your sister or your personal trainer. You need to be accountable to someone! You may also want to keep a daily journal.

5) Keep a positive attitude. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be perfect. You will get better at your new habits the more you practice them.

“Courage doesn’t always roar.

Sometimes courage is the little voice

at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”

-Mary Anne Radmacher

When can you change another Usual?

Wait at least one month to make sure you have given yourself enough time to develop your new usual. If you are really struggling, you may need to give yourself more time. Remember, the more you love your usual, the more difficult it will be to replace it. Of course, it doesn’t have to mean you must refrain forever, it just means it is no longer your usual…instead it is an out-of-the-ordinary treat!

If you really want to change your body it’s time to examine your “Usual” and become aware of the many things that you do on auto-pilot. Some habits lure us into a sedentary lifestyle such as turning on the TV or checking email and facebook. Others cause us to eat more calories than we intended. (Why is that candy dish on your desk, anyway?) We automatically do other things that are good for us for instance fastening our seatbelts and brushing our teeth so it is possible to other adopt good habits too! This month choose that first habit you want to change, tell someone what you are planning to change (email me if you’d like), then get started! You can do this! XO Karin karin@xofitness.com

Karin Jennings owns and operates XO Fitness, LLC in De Pere with her husband, Ryan. She has been a certified personal trainer since 1996. XO Fitness specializes in personal and small group training. They focus on helping people reach their health & fitness goals through exercise and lifestyle changes.