Blood Orange Salad

Time: 20 minutes

Salad:
• 5 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
• ½ cup mini bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 3 thin slices red onion
• 2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
• ¼ cup sheep or goat feta, diced

Dressing:
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. cumin seeds
• salt and pepper

Mix the salad ingredients in a bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small dish and mix well. Pour the dressing over the salad.

Nutritional info: 2 servings at 28g carb, 2g protein, 16g fat.




Yogurt n' Cherry Dessert

Time: 2 minutes

• ½ cup plain yogurt (organic Bulgarian yogurt is my favorite for this)
• 6-7 frozen cherries and a dash of the juice, thawed
• dusting of coconut sugar

Place the yogurt in a dish, and add the cherries and sprinkle with some coconut sugar.

This will work with any yogurt and Turbinado sugar, but the coconut sugar has a malty taste that really makes this dish. It's becoming easier to find now; look in the bulk section of better markets.

Nutritional info: 1 serving at 11g carb, 4g protein, 4.5g fat.



Vanilla Bananas

Another quick and tasty fruit recipe. This one is great for athletes with high carb requirements. This one could also be a dessert!

Time: 5 minutes

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 3 Tbsp. raisins (or craisins)
• 3 dates, pitted and chopped
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

Prepare the fruit. Bring the butter to medium heat in a small skillet; add the remainder of the ingredients. Stir while cooking, When the bananas have softened, it's ready to eat.

Nutritional info: 1 serving at 124g carb, 22g fat. (or, 2 servings at 62g carb, 11g fat)


This month, my old recipe update feature is Southern Eggs and "Rice," originally written for the Dec 2008 issue of the Performance Menu. It was yet another meal subbing in veggies for the traditional carbohydrates. (If you are healthy and have some metabolic flexibility, this should pose no blood sugar issues - contrary to what I wrote at the time.)

I am not really a fan of carb restriction these days, except for certain short-term cases. So, here's the recipe done in the traditional way instead - it makes a good, simple breakfast for those looking to add a little relatively clean carbs to their diet.

Here's the original:

Southern Eggs and "Rice"
Scott Hagnas – Issue 47 (Dec 2008)

Cauliflower makes a great rice substitute. Let's hear it for a much smaller blood sugar response and more nutrients! Here is a basic breakfast dish from the South using cauliflower in place of rice.

Time: 15 minutes

• ~ 3 cups of cauliflower florets
• 5 omega 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 packet Trader Joe's chicken broth concentrate
(or ½ cup chicken broth)
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Start by steaming or lightly boiling the cauliflower florets. (I prefer to use a pressure cooker, as it only takes about 2 minutes once the pot has pressurized.) Place the florets in a medium pot; add either ½ cup of water (if using the chicken broth concentrate) or 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Cover and boil over medium high until the cauliflower has softened, but not too much - around 6-7 minutes. Drain the water or broth.

Using a food chopper or similar, chop the florets into small rice sized pieces. A good chopper will make this quick and easy. Return the chopped cauliflower to the pot, along with the olive oil and chicken broth concentrate. (If you used chicken broth in the boiling process, you can omit the broth concentrate.) Heat over medium for a few minutes, stirring.

Meanwhile, crack 5 eggs into a bowl and beat well. Stir the eggs into the cauliflower. Cook for 4-5 minutes, mixing regularly, until the eggs have set. Serve; adding sea salt and pepper to taste.

There are several other variations of this recipe. One would be to cook a bit of chopped bacon in place of the olive oil; adding the cauliflower after the bacon has browned. Another would be to add some chopped green onion, cooking it for a few minutes in the olive oil or bacon before adding the cauliflower. For an Asian flavor, some Tamari soy sauce (wheat free) could be used in place of the chicken broth. A final option would be to make this into patties instead of a scramble. Experiment and enjoy!

Zone info: 2 servings at ½ carb block, 2 ½ protein blocks, 14.5 fat blocks

Southern Eggs and Rice
(updated, 2015)

Time: 15 minutes

• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 5 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. grassfed butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken broth in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, wait until it boils, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer until all of the broth has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, crack 5 eggs into a bowl and beat well. Stir ½ cup of the cooked rice into the eggs.

Bring a skillet to medium heat; add the butter. Add the eggs and rice; cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly until the eggs have set. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

There are several other variations of this recipe. One would be to cook a bit of chopped bacon in place of the butter; adding the eggs and rice after the bacon has browned. Another would be to add some chopped green onion, cooking it for a few minutes in the butter or bacon before adding the eggs and rice. For an Asian flavor, some Tamari soy sauce (wheat free) could be added. A final option would be to make this into patties instead of a scramble. Experiment and enjoy!

Nutritional info: 2 servings at 13g carb, 15g protein, 17g fat.