Pan Seared Yumminess!

Sea Scallops are probably one of the tastiest and easiest things to cook. They're good, usually pretty large and "meaty" and ... they're fresh and local, if you're on the coast, of course. It's definitely one of the benefits of being on the North Shore.

Now, if you watch Hell's Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey or any of those stupid shows (which I do occasionally watch, they make it seem like it's so difficult to prepare. Really, it's SUPER easy. Here's how...

1 lb Sea Scallops (10-12 scallops)
2 TBSP Butter (Kerrygold unsalted)
1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Clove Fresh Garlic, Minced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Veggies:
1/2 lb (or small bag) sugar snap peas
1/2 lb (or small bag) baby carrots
8 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms (optional)

Start with the veggies, since your carrots will take the longest to cook.
Use a medium saute pan over medium heat. Melt 1 TBSP butter. Add baby carrots, mix/flip with butter in pan and cover for 2-3 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Add Snap peas and mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally to coat evenly and make sure they don't burn. Turn to low heat and leave covered until the carrots or soft enough to take a fork, but not mooshy. I like mine to still have a little snap to them.

At the same time, melt 1 TBSP butter and add Olive Oil to another medium to large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the minced garlic and let it brown slightly, 30-45 seconds. Pepper and Salt your Scallops on both sides before putting them in the pan. Be careful of using too much salt... they already have some salt content to them, so don't over do it (especially if you're using salted butter)  then add the scallops to the pan. Place them in the pan evenly on a flat side. 

Allow them to cook for a minute or two to get brown. Use the liquid (oil and butter) and baste the scallops as they cook. You may need to tilt your pan to get spoonfuls to pour over the scallops. This will add flavor and speed the cooking process slightly.

Be careful that the scallops don't stick to the pan. After about 2-3 minutes (depending on the size of the scallops) flip them to the other side and continue to baste and allow them to cook. They should have a slight golden brown color. The scallops should be in the pan 6-8 minutes, 10 if they are really big scallops.

Spoon your veggies onto your plate and place the scallops on top, then baste again with the garlic butter sauce from the pan. You can also add a squirt of lemon to give it some sweetness. 

10 minute meal... and pretty fancy too! :) Enjoy!

Chicken Fried "Rice"

 Recipe time...
Here is another recipe you can make a dozen different ways. Vary it however you want to make it your own. Add other veggies, spices, proteins, whatever you want or like. 

You can use curry powder or chilli powder to give it an extra kick. Add a couple of scrambled eggs and/or bacon too for some additional flavors. Really play with this one, you won't be disappointed. 

A great tip for these meals too, ALWAYS make more than you'll eat at that time. Leftovers are the key to keeping on track for quick meals. Enjoy!


 Chicken Fried "Rice" (Cauliflower)
 
1.5 lbs Chicken Breast or Tenderloins Cubed
1 Medium Onion Chopped
4 Medium Carrots, quartered and cut in quarters
lengthwise (2‐3” pieces)
2 Cups Broccoli
1 large Clove Garlic – minced or chopped
½ tsp Garlic Powder
1 Red Pepper Chopped
2 TBSP Ginger (I used powdered)
4 TBSP Soy Sauce
4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 head Cauliflower – chopped
3 Eggs ‐ beaten
Salt
Pepper

Fill a large sauce pan with water until half full and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the cauliflower to the water and cook until fork tender. (Soft enough to mash – but don’t mash smooth).

Season Chicken with salt, pepper and Garlic Powder to taste.
In medium fry pan, preferably with high sides, add 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat and add chicken once the oil has become hot. Cook the chicken completely. Sides should be a golden brown when done then remove from pan.

In same pan, add 2 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, clove garlic and red pepper. Heat until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes) mixing as necessary. Then add Carrots and Broccoli. 

Add 1 TBSP soy sauce, mix together and cover for about 2‐3 minutes for carrots and broccoli to become tender, mixing every minute or so to keep from sticking or burning.

While the onion mixture is cooking, drain the water from the cauliflower, add to a large bowl and begin mashing with a potato masher. The cauliflower should be mashed into small pieces but not smooth.

At this point, you may need to combine in two batches depending on how big your fry pan is. (I usually split the ingredients in two and do two batches).

Add the cauliflower together with the onion mixture. Add another 1‐2 TBSP of Soy Sauce.

Add 1 TBSP of ginger at a time and mix. (Be sure to taste before adding all the ginger, it packs a little kick). 

Add additional pepper and salt as needed. (Be careful about adding too much salt as your Soy Sauce is loaded with sodium).

Add the eggs and mix well (if you’re doing two batches, remember to only add ½ of each ingredient at this point). 

Add Chicken and another dash of soy sauce.

Serves 4‐6 as a meal, or could be used as a side dish for other meals, or for plenty of leftovers.

"...but you need..." No Buts!

I really needed to post this. I hear from people all the time when I talk about my nutrition (I really don't like using the word "Diet" anymore, too many bad associations) I always hear people say "but you need Milk. But you need fiber. But, but, but" for excuses about needed grains and dairy.

There are so many plants and vegetables that our ancestors ate and that are readily available for us to eat now that provide the nutrients we need to be healthy without eating grains or Dairy. 

It's just a matter of politics when it comes to the Farming and Dairy industries for the government to say "you're right, you don't need those". Those two industries would go apeshit.

So here is some good info on one simple rockstar veggie: Kale.

Spaghetti (Squash) With Meatballs!

Spaghetti Squash with Pan Fried Meatballs and Marinara

1 Medium to Large Spaghetti Squash

1 Can Kitchen Ready Tomatoes

1 Small Can Tomato Paste

2lb Ground Beef (85%-15%, preferably Grass Fed)

1-1/2  Tbsp Oregano flakes

1-1/2 Tbsp Parsley flakes

1-1/2 Tbsp Basil flakes

1 Bay Leaf

1 Medium Onion – Diced

3 Cloves Garlic

½ tsp Cayenne pepper (more if you want more of a spicy kick)

1 Egg

Salt

Pepper

3 to 4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Heat oven to 375 Degrees.

Cut Squash in half and scrape out seeds. Salt and Pepper the cut side of the squash and place cut side down on a tinfoil covered cookie sheet. Place in pre-heated oven for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how large the squash is). Squash is done when you can push on the back of the squash with a spoon and it begins to cave in.

Meatballs:

Place ground beef, egg, 1/3 of the onion finely diced, ½ Tbsp of Basil, Oregano and Parsley, 1 clove garlic Minced, salt, pepper to taste (approx. 2 tsp) and cayenne pepper to a large bowl. Combine with your hands until mixed thoroughly.

Roll large golf ball sized meatballs with your hands. Wetting your hands will bind the meatballs and allow the mixture to not stick to your hands as much.

In large Fry pan, add 2 TBSP Olive Oil over medium heat. Place meatballs in pan and brown all sides. Meatballs should be firm to the touch. If they are too squishy, the middles aren’t done and they’ll fall apart in the sauce.

Sauce:

Add 2 TBSP Olive Oil to medium to large stock pot/sauce pan.  Add diced onion and diced garlic into  pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent. Add Tomatoes and Tomato Paste, mix well. Then add the Oregano, Parsley, Basil and Bay Leaf over medium heat, bring the sauce to a light simmer, mixing frequently, then turn down the heat to low and allow the sauce to bubble slightly for 20 minutes.

Add cooked meatballs to Sauce. Cook another 10-15 minutes on low heat.

(If you do the meatballs and sauce ahead of time, you will get more flavor in the sauce and meatballs the longer you let it sit over low heat, stirring occasionally).

Once the squash is done. Remove from Oven and let sit 5 to 8 minutes so it cools slightly. Long enough for you to handle it with a dish towel. With a fork scrape the inside of the squash lengthwise into a bowl. The strings of “spaghetti” will fall easily into the bowl. Hollow out entire squash.

Add servings to plates, add salt and pepper as necessary and cover with sauce and meatballs. Enjoy!

Good Veggies, Good Meat, Good Fat, Lets EAT!

I have had several people ask me about the meals I make and the food I cook. They ask how I come up with ideas of what to make and how "difficult" it is to find time and make meals at home. 

Personally, I don't find it that difficult to find the time. To me it takes the same 15-20 minutes to make a good meal, as it does to make a shit meal or wait for the Pizza Guy to get to the house in 30 minutes. 

To lend a hand and give my friends and readers some ideas, I'm going to start posting a weekly recipe. Hopefully this will help you with ideas and keep with simplicity. They are not all 100% Paleo (some have cheese) but I try to be realistic. None of them are over the top bad for you. It's sticking with the healthy-eating principles. Good Veggies, Good Meat, Good Fat, Lets EAT! 

Paleo Shepherd’s Pie

By Jeff Beauregard

• 1 1/2 heads Cauliflower
• 2 lbs Ground Beef (or Turkey)
• 1 Large Onion Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 4 Med/Lrg Carrots chopped
• 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
• 3/4 C Beef Broth
• 2 TBS "Flour" optional (Almond, Coconut, any you have just for sauce thickener)
• 1/2 lb Bacon (optinal)
• 1 C Cheese (optional)
• 1/2 Stick Butter (optional)
• 3-4 TBSP Milk (optional)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 TBS Olive Oil (Or bacon fat)
• Heat Oven to 425*

Boil Water for Cauliflower, cook cauliflower until "Fork Tender", Soft enough to mash. Prepare Cauliflower as you would "Mash" with butter, 1 clove Garlic minced, salt and pepper to taste, and a few TBSP of milk. Mix well. Set aside.

Add Olive Oil to Skillet, turn on med-high heat, dice onion, add to skillet, heat until translucent. Add Chooped Carrots 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Add Ground Beef/Turkey to skillet and brown (add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce)

Add Carrots, Onions and Minced Garlic back into skillet. Add Flour and Broth, heat 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Add Meat and Veggies to bottom of Casserole dish.

Spread Cauliflower Mash on top.

Sprinkle Cheese over top.

Top with Bacon.

Bake for 30 minutes until cheese and bacon brown on top.

Try this one a few times and use some variations on veggies, spices, cheese (or no cheese). Cook some bacon with the beef to give it more flavor etc. There are a million ways you can make this dish your own.

The PALEO Challenge

Since March of 2011 I have been loosely following the Paleo Diet. After reading books by Mark Sisson and Robb Wolf I started to do my best to follow the rules of eating no grains. Meaning, no bread, pasta, rice, cookies, cakes, granola. You get the idea.

This also meant limiting my dairy as well. I bucked on this initially. I didn't eat that much dairy to begin with. I only had a little milk in my coffee and some cheese. But when I actually think back, there was a lot of cheese. A couple pieces in the morning while making the kids lunches.

"Oh you want a snack? cheese? I'll have some too." And so on.

I cut out the sugar in my coffee completely and stopped eating sweets as much as possible. Here and there I would have a piece of cake at a party or a cookie. But that was about it. In my opinion, at the time, I was eating pretty healthy.

Then, starting January 1, 2012, I cut it all out and started eating strict Paleo. No grains at all, and no Dairy. If you're not familiar with the "Paleo" diet, the premise is to basically eat as our Paleolithic hunter gatherer ancestors ate. Meat, fish, berries, seeds and nuts. Now, in our modern society things are a lot different than they were 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. But our body chemistry is the same. And that is what the diet is based on. Our bodies were built to use the proteins and fats from natural foods like meat, fish, berries, nuts and seeds and not packaged, processed and manufactured foods with all of the chemicals and additives, let alone the fast foods millions of Americans eat daily.

When I first started hearing about eating this way my gut reaction was "NO WAY can I give up bread and pasta!" That is also the first thing most of my friends and family say when I tell them or they ask what I have been doing for eating. "I love my carbs too much" is what some of my friends would say.

After nine months, I can tell you this, there is NO WAY I'm going back to eating that way. EVER!

The body composition changes, the strength gains (muscle and immune system), are undeniable, let alone the 35 pound weight loss. I feel my mental state is much better. I'm more motivated and happy. It's honestly tough to put in words how I feel compared to how I did.

Since I started eating this way, and training at a CrossFit gym, I went from a 155 pound deadlift to a 310 pound deadlift in less than five months. I doubled what I could lift four months ago! That to me, is incredible, and speaks volumes to what just changing your diet can do.

Also starting on January 1 of this year I started a challenge with a group of people on Facebook to eat "clean" for 90 days.

Eating "clean" means sticking to the Paleo plan. No grain, no dairy, no legumes (peanuts, kidney and soy beans etc.). I thought this was going to be extremely difficult. But, to my surprise, it really hasn't been.

The first week or two, I was really nervous. "What am I going to eat?" "I need a snack." "Am I eating too much?" "Am I not eating enough?" And then after about 10 days everything started falling into place.

My wife has been very supportive to the point where she's telling my in-laws what I can and can't eat. Or will and won't. She has been eating, and enjoying the Paleo meals I have been cooking and preparing and I've been getting some pretty good compliments from her on what I have been cooking as well. Bonus!

There are so many "substitutes", if you want to call them that, for what the average American family eats. Instead of spaghetti, cook a spaghetti squash, and use the same meatballs (bread crumbless) and sauce you normally would. Simply skip the cheese and the bread that you usually have with a pasta meal. It is JUST as good and you don't feel like you have to curl up on the couch and take a nap after you're done eating to recover.

Use Cauliflower to make versions of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or Fried Rice, or Rice Pilaf. They are light and yummy and give you the same comfort food feeling just like the "real" thing.

I have been enjoying searching for and finding new recipes or websites to create new dishes. It's been a fun and creative process.

The other bonus for me, that has definitely helped is after the first 15 days my gym, Crossfit Wicked, started their own 60-day Paleo Challenge on the 16th of January with the help of Dr. Ryan Hewitt and his wife, Kendra Cecita of Merrimack Valley Chiropractic.

The seminar and information provided was pretty jaw-dropping. The misinformation provided by the US Government about the Standard American Diet (SAD) which includes grains and dairy and confusing information that the public hears as Pizza being classified as a "vegetable" are pretty shocking and terribly misinterpreted by the general public.

The idea of Paleo is relatively simple. Eat what our ancestors ate. Move. Get some exercise. Re-evolve from our current sedentary lifestyles back to the ways of our paleolithic ancestors. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy what you eat. Enjoy your friends, family and community.

Its simply getting your mind and body back to a simpler way of doing things, in my opinion. Giving yourself the opportunity to live a happier, healthier, longer life, without having to worry about joint pain (inflammation from insulin production produced by consuming excess grains) and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Possibly helping curb or even cure people's susceptibility to MS , treatment or prevention of Alzeihmer's Disease.

I'm not saying by any means that eating Paleo is cure all for everything. But could it be possible that our bodies still aren't capable of filtering out all of the toxins that are contained in today's SAD diet? Could it be that our bodies are simply pre-programmed to eat what our paleolithic ancestors ate over 10,000 years ago and our body chemistry hasn't changed?

Is it a surprise to anyone that we're the heaviest, most out of shape and obese country in the world because our current eating habits?

This picture (see link) is pretty amazing to show you what the "Standard American Family" eats in a week.

I'm not here preaching to everyone saying "you must do this" or "you shouldn't eat that".

What I'm saying is, by simply changing the way you eat. Could you feel better? Could you perform better/get stronger? Could you lessen the chances of getting chances of getting diabetes, MS, RA and maybe a number of other auto-immune disorders?


If that's the case by simply changing what you eat, then...

Why wouldn't you?

A New Year, CrossFit and Eating Clean

In late 2010 I sort of had an epiphany... I was feeling fat, I felt like shit and didn't want to feel that way anymore. With two kids under the age of 4 (at the time), and two dogs, we have a very active lifestyle. "Active" meaning, my wife and I were running the kids all over the place and should be walking the dogs more than we did.

However, I was feeling heavy, uncomfortable, my jeans that I had just upped the size in were getting tight and I was pushing 200 pounds, I had enough. I was 195 pounds at 5'9". I was always the skinny kid through high school and now I was getting close to being the short fat guy at work. I needed to make a change.

I thought PX90 was it. I bought the DVD's on eBay I took my "before" pictures and I was all set to go. I watched, and worked out, with the videos twice. And that was the end of that.

It just didn't work for me. No motivation. I couldn't get into it in my living room.

So, in March 2011, I switched gyms from one close to my house to one closer to where I work in Boston. I started going religiously. Everyday I was at work. Along with walking my dogs two or three nights a week near home. I saw pretty good results rather quickly. I lost 15-20 pounds in approximately two months. I was feeling good. I thought the weight would keep peeling off effortlessly.

And then nothing... for two months. My weight-loss fell flat. My weight stayed where it was and didn't budge. No matter how much I worked out, I couldn't lose any weight.

My diet at the time wasn't "bad", but it wasn't great either. I was skipping breakfast (don't need the extra calories), having my coffee with milk and sugar. I was having salads for lunch a few times a week or a turkey sandwich. Dinners with my family varied from steak or chicken on the grill with potatoes or rice and veggies. Pretty decent, hearty meals. Nothing really over the top and unhealthy, just regular meat and potatoes and veggies. A few nights a week I'd also have a couple cookies after dinner or go for an ice cream with the kids. Or popcorn or some other snack right before bed at 10 or 11 o'clock at night.

In the middle of those two months, I started seeing a few friends from High School on Facebook post about Crossfit, and Paleo and all of these terms that were pretty foreign to me. I asked my friend what they were and he referred me to read Mark Sisson's "The Primal Blueprint" which is a book about how our Paleolithic ancestors lived and ate. More importantly, what they ate. And relative to that, how our bodies are designed and evolved to eat and process those types of foods and not the packaged and processed foods and grains that we are pushed to consume today.

The book was a complete eye-opener for me and completely changed how I looked at food, thought about food and consumed food.

After that book I also read "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf, which is definitely a more detailed and scienced up version of the similar diet with some varying principals. But again, completely changed how I thought about food and which foods I chose to put in my body.

Finally, those same friends opened their own CrossFit gym in June of 2011 and I attended an On-Ramp class in August. The style of workout and the intensity was amazing. The learning curve was and is huge. But the people, and the lifestyle changes that have come from it have been literally Life Changing.

The workouts are in a group format and it brings an amazing level of intensity and camaraderie with the other members at the gym. It is definitely more akin to playing team sports than going to a regular gym or "Globo Gym" as they are often referred to.

I've met some really amazing people of all ages, fitness levels and body types that go to work out and perform at their best and give it their all in each class. And then pat you on the back, give you high-five and let you know how good you are doing, even if you were lifting 150 pounds less than they were!

One of the things they "preach" at CrossFit is to leave your ego at the door. Every member is at a different fitness level. Some experienced members are great at some things and still struggle with other movements. While a new commer to CrossFit (or noob) could be great at some movements even having never done them before, but will struggle with other movements or exercises.

Any way you look at it, it's challenging, exciting, rewarding and FUN. I really look forward to going to the gym everyday. And without a doubt, it has been paying off.

I'm currently down to 161 pounds which is the lightest I have ever been post-college. I feel great. I'm stronger than I have ever been and I wish I had found CrossFit five or six years ago.

I go to CrossFit Wicked 5 days a week and most of the time I'm there "wicked" early (5:30 am) for a group class.

I look forward to seeing the people in the classes everyday and I've become friends with many of them. Mainly because there is no ego. We're all in it for the same thing, and again, it's fun.

One of the cool side effects of CrossFit and Facebook since I've been working out at 'Wicked is that I've been posting my workouts to Facebook via an iPhone App to "share" my progress. The really funny part about that is I have had friends who I have known for years email, text or call me to ask about. What is it? Do you like it? Does it work?

I had a friend on the West Coast who I haven't seen in over 10 years send me a message saying "I just wanted to let you know you have inspired me to join a CrossFit gym out here. Keep up the good work!"

That's pretty powerful stuff in my opinion.

I've invited a few friends to come in for the free open house workouts at CrossFit Wicked and one even became a member and is currently kicking ass at her workouts.

A couple others have joined a CrossFit near where they live. Being healthy is more contagious than you think! Results don't lie.

Currently, I'm in a group on Facebook that on January 1, 2012 started 90 Days "clean eating". Which means, no grains (bread, pasta, rice, legumes), no dairy (milk, cheese) and no alcohol.

When people hear me say this, their first response is "NO WAY am I giving up Bread/Pasta/Rice/Cheese/Alcohol" and I was the same way. I thought, there is no way I can do that or would want to do that. Then I started seeing the results and feeling the effects that those foods had on my body when I did eat them.

I'm at the point now where I will indulge here and there, but my initial thought is "There is NO WAY I'm going back to eating those things all the time." I just don't like the way they make me feel. Sluggish, bloated, lethargic, irritable.

And once you start eating this way, and get the hang of it, it's pretty damn easy. Cooking is fun and interesting and I make some pretty yummy dishes. I eat eggs, bacon, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds and I'm really happy about it too. There are also plenty of Paleo recipes and sites on the internet where you can get recipes, ideas, pictures and whatever else you need for information.

I'm not standing here on my soap box saying "You should do this too!" I'm just telling you my experience over the last several months and the changes that helped me get motivated and keep at it and make a difference in my own life and health.

If you want to do it, Go Get It! It's a new year, it's all right there in front of you

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