Triple Berry Red Quinoa Salad Recipe & Beach Bod Workout

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, oh my! With the season turning warmer, berries are finally starting to have a delicious ripe flavor. Nothing worse than a middle-of-winter, unripe, white-bellied strawberry, am I right?! I’ve been known to put a berrry or two atop my salads so I came up with this beautiful Triple Berry Red Quinoa Salad to take advantage of a bounty of berries.I think you’ll love it as a light lunch or side dish; in fact, you could even make a heartier meal of this salad by adding some shrimp, fish or other lean protein. Actually, the recipe starts off with a pretty decent amount of protein thanks to the red quinoa. Quinoa is an ancient grain that is not only high in protein (14g per serving) but also a good source of dietary fiber (7g per serving), plus it is gluten-free and popular with vegetarians and vegans. Oh, and it’s easy to store, easy to cook and has a satisfying crunch.

Triple Berry Red Quinoa Salad Recipe

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
1 pint strawberries
½ pint blueberries
½ pint raspberries
¼ cup minced red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh jalapeno
½ cup Raspberry Lime Vinaigrette*
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Add quinoa, water and salt in medium pot, bring to boil. Cover and let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed.
Spread out cooked quinoa on baking sheet and set in refrigerator for 15 minutes for quick cooling.
Meanwhile, wash, drain and dry berries. Chop strawberries and cut blackberries in half if they are large.
In large bowl, add cooled quinoa, berries, red onion, jalapeno and dressing (*see note about dressing below); stir to combine.
Serve sprinkled with feta cheese.
Leftovers may be stored in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.

*I love the convenience and taste of Litehouse Food’s Raspberry Lime Vinaigrette – it’s also a certified organic product and I’ve noticed that it’s one of the dressings (out of their dozens) that most stores stock. If this is not available in your area – order online! Or, make fresh by blending ½ cup fresh or frozen berries with ¼ cup champagne vinegar, ¼ cup fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon honey. After this mixture is pureed, slowly blend in ¼ cup canola oil and continue blending until emulsified.

I love this “berry keeper” container / colander!

By the way, I got yet ANOTHER kitchen gadget when out shopping the other day, I just can’t help myself. This little “berry keeper” preserves the freshness of delicate raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and other small fruits (or veggies), meaning no more rotten waste. The inside stackable tray layers berries to keep them from bruising and also serves as a handy little colander.

Resealing lids attach to the top and bottom so that moisture can be drained from either end. The dial on front is an adjustable vent that regulates air coming in and out of the container and extends the edible life of produce – a guide tells whether it should be open or shut for each specific fruit. Anyway, I highly recommend this kitchen gadget and I don’t ever expect it will be stashed in my junk drawer with the regrettable impulse buys.

Okay, my parting share for the day is a workout I created for Core Power Protein Shakes. It’s an outdoor workout you can do at the beach or really anywhere. The beach is my all-time favorite place to be and I hope that when I grow up (or retire), I get to relocate to a tropical island!

So, what is your favorite exercise to do on the beach (lifting a cold drink doesn’t count)?

Girls’ Night In – Trop50 Raspberry Acai Sipper with Coconut-Mint-sicles

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

You’re invited over to work up a sweat to old-school aerobic DVDs and Girl s CrossFit WOD. After well, enjoy healthy refreshments including a delicious mocktail made with Trop50 Raspberry Acai!

Oh, it’s always good to get together with my girlfriends. However, we’re not the head-out-to-a-bar types or even really much of book club babes, but the one thing we have in common is that we all like to run, workout and reward ourselves with healthy refreshments!

My idea of a fun “Girl’s Night In” is inviting my besties over for some fun, maybe putting in a retro workout DVD like a Denise Austin or Jane Fonda – oooh, break out the leotards and leg warmers. However, though my friends don’t care, hosting at my house might mean having to clean up and move the furniture around for our lunging, lifting, buns-of-steel fun. So, instead I’m recommending we meet up for “Girl’s Night In” at the CrossFit box, no sweaty men allowed.

After the old-school aerobics, we’ll kick up the fun with a girl-powered workout – oh, I don’t know, maybe something like this Girls’ Night WOD below:

As for refreshments, there will be no heavy lifting – just some fresh veggies and dip, some deviled eggs and easy to make smoothies and drinks featuring Trop50 Raspberry Açaí juice. I was very excited to learn that Trop50 has the great taste and goodness you expect from Tropicana, but with 50% less sugar and calories and no artificial sweeteners. Each 8 ounce serving has loads of antioxidants, more than a day’s worth of vitamin C and is a good source of vitamin E — all for only 50 calories and 10 grams of sugar.

Check out the gallery of drinks at the top of the post that feature Trop50 Raspberry Açaí along with some healthy smoothies I like to make at home. Although whipped up without alcohol, these drinks still taste special and celebratory without the next-day headache and regrets. While the “idea” of an adult beverage sounds appealing, my body always rebels – I try to remember that everything I eat or drink is either fueling performance or feeding disease.

Here’s a special sipper I’ve developed with Trop50 Raspberry Açaí. It’s so light and refreshing after a workout and I love how it’s keeps the fun in motion — dip and swirl the frozen pop around and enjoy! Pre-freeze the “mint cubes” the night before and playing bartender will be a breeze.

Raspberry Açaí Sipper with Coconut-Mint-sicles Recipe

2 10 -12 oz bottles coconut water
Mint springs
10 small wooden skewers
2 tbsp. colored cocktail rim sugar
1 59-oz bottle Trop50 Raspberry Açaí

Pour coconut water evenly into 10 large ice cube molds, small ice pop molds or small Dixie cups. Top with mint leaves. Place in freezer for about 1 hour until firm enough to hold wooden skewer or ice pop stick upright. Continue to freeze until solid.

Wet the rims of 10 glasses; dip rims in cocktail sugar. Pour beverage evenly among glasses (just under 6 ounces per glass). Remove mint pops from molds and place one in each drink. Garnish with additional mint, if desired. Serves 10.

Coconut Mint-sicles for your Girls’ Night In drink!

For more inspiring ideas, visit the Trop50 collection on Foodie.com

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Trop50 via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Trop50.

Medicine Ball Mash Up & Saturday Shoutouts

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Well, I’m on my way to the “Big D” to run in the Rock & Roll Dallas Half Marathon Sunday morning. I heard that Deena Kastor is in the field, so I’m really going to have to step up my game (insert hysterical laughing here). The past bronze-medal winning Olympian and American record holder in the marathon (London 2006 in 2:19:36) and half-marathon (Berlin 2006 in 1:07:34) is proof that getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop competing. Even though these records were set eight years back, this weekend the 41-year runner will be trying to make half-marathon history again by breaking as many as three or four American Masters Records, according to Competitor Magazine. If Kastor can run between a 5:25 and 5:30 pace per mile (as opposed to my exact 1 minute per mile slower 6:25 – 6:30 pace), she just may capture records at the splits in four distances — 15K (9.3 miles), 10 Miles, 20K (12.4 miles), and the full half marathon. She estimates her finish time to be 1:11 to 1:12. Why isn’t she trying break a record in the 5k too? Just kidding; I learned that lesson the hard way – years ago I PR’d at the 10k inside of a marathon; finishing the remaining 20 miles was brutal. Run Deena, run, I’ll be chasing you from 13 minutes behind!

If you’re not running this weekend, I have a fun little workout you can do. All you need is a medicine ball and some space with a hard-surfaced floor. It’s amazing how much you can get worm out with just one piece of gym equipment – a tame-looking medicine ball. By the way, I whipped up this Medicine Ball Mash Up workout for CorePower. The company makes a great high protein shake to nourish taxed muscles after a hard WOD or run. Pick up a case for the most delicious workout recovery ever — Chocolate Light is my favorite flavor with 150 calories and 20 grams of protein.

I was also recently sent a sampler pack of Ratio Protein Bars through a campaign for Fitfluential.com (By the way, if you haven’t joined Fitfluential, you really should. It’s free and a great community of instant fitness friends, plus there are lots of perks. Tell them Jennifer Fisher at TheFitFork.com sent you in the referral line). Anyway, back to the Ratio Bars — I am a total nutrition bar addict and am very particular about which ones I eat. As you can tell from the picture, I don’t like to give a review without actually trying the product – every one of these Ratio Bars was gobbled up by yours truly. What I like about the bars is the high protein content; I always choose a bar with at least 20 grams of protein (these all have 24 grams) and under 250 calories. Plus, these bars advertise no gluten, no soy products, no hormones, no artificial ingredients and no GMOs. Hard to say which of the six yummy flavors I liked best, but I think Cookie Crunch and Cake Batter were the front runners.

As part of my ambassadorship with the Zooma Women’s Race Series and their relationship with Ultimate Direction, I was sent some useful running gear to try out. This company has been around since 1985 and is the initial mastermind behind the hydration pack; in fact, they invented the first waist pack designed to carry water bottles – today they have introduced even more options to make hydration easier, from handhelds to vests and more. I’m excited to try out a couple of products from the Jenny Collection including the “Meow” waist belt and “Handy 10” water bottle. At first I thought maybe they named this cute, comfortable gear after ME, but found out that the designed-for-women-by-women product line is actually named after the athlete-designer, Jenny Jurek (wife of renowned ultra runner, Scott Jurek). Cool, check them out and stay hydrated this spring!

Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad + Jump Rope Workout

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

I love chicken salad. Cool, creamy and packed with lean protein, chicken salad is a go-to meal on my family’s overscheduled evenings. With multiple obligations that have us crisscrossing each other’s paths, I make dinner less stressful and more healthful (avoiding fast food) by whipping up a big batch earlier in the day, plate it up on lettuce and leave waiting in the fridge for self-serve meals as people arrive home.

Unlike deli chicken salads, my recipe for Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad is much friendlier on your figure. No-fat Greek yogurt replaces most of the mayonnaise used in traditional chicken salad; just a bit of reduced-fat mayo is added in for the familiar flavor. Dried cranberries add a hint of natural sweetness and toasted pecans give a satisfying crunch! Serve on lettuce (my favorite way) or sandwich between bread, dollop atop crackers or roll up in a wrap.

Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Recipe

4 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
2/3 cup diced celery
1/4 cup green onions, sliced (including tops)
3/4 cup dried cranberries (no sugar added)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons reduced-tat mayonnaise
6 ounces 0% fat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Romaine Lettuce, chopped

Add first 9 ingredients to a large bowl, and stir with a fork to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight before serving. This gives the flavors time to mingle.
Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce.

Serves 6.

Now that you’re fueled up with a healthy salad topped with Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, you’ll have plenty of energy later in the day to knock out my “Just Jump & Plank” WOD I created for Core Power. All you need is a bit of space and a jump rope and you’ll be getting a great cardio workout along with some core-strengthening action. Have fun!

Beef & Blue Cheese Mushroom Buttons & Burpees

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

With the Big Game this Sunday, there is guaranteed to be some snacking going on ‘round these parts. The kids always insist on a big bucket of popcorn and a bag of M&Ms – oh, don’t act like you don’t know how awesome it is to mix the two together. My recipe for honey caramel almond popcorn also satisfies that craving for salty-sweet goodness in a healthier way.

The grown-ups are going to want something a little more substantial to snack on, shall we say . . . . something beefy? A beef and blue cheese stuffed mushroom recipe from my peeps at Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner is the inspiration for one of our Super Bowl snacks – these little babies are delicious and bursting with umami flavor thanks to the lean ground beef and robust blue cheese. The only swap I have made is to replace the whole-wheat bread crumbs with almond meal thus transforming them into gluten-free, Paleo-friendly (for those who do some dairy) finger foods. If you’re worried about having more than one of these delicious little buttons; don’t fret — they are surprisingly low in calories and fat. Click here for the nutrition guidelines (doesn’t take into account I swapped out the bread crumbs for almond meal).

Beef & Blue Cheese Mushroom Buttons Recipe (Gluten-Free & Paleo-Friendly)

1/2 pound Ground Beef, 93% lean or better
1/4 teaspoon salt
36 to 40 small button or cremini mushrooms (about 1-1/2 to 2-inch diameter)
1 teaspoon olive oil (for brushing)
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup almond meal
3 tablespoons minced chives
1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning blend
Minced fresh chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove and reserve stems from mushrooms. Brush mushroom caps with olive oil and season with salt; set aside. Mince stems to yield 1/2 cup; discard remaining stems.
Combine Ground Beef, minced stems, blue cheese, bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons chives and steak seasoning. Spoon beef mixture evenly into mushrooms.
Place stuffed mushrooms on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 375°F oven 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chives, if desired.

Clapping Push-up Burpees

Okay, now that I’ve lured you in with the food, it’s time to talk BURPEES. Even if you hate burpees, you have to love what they do for you – this exercise works every muscle group you’ve got and gives you a cardio workout to boot. Sometimes, if I’m stuck in a hotel or the weather is too bad to even get to the gym and treadmill, I’ll just knock out some burpees instead of a run. I think I get more wiped out doing the burpees! Just when I think I’m getting bored of burpees, I find a new variation to liven things up — push-up burpee, lateral box jump burpee, high tuck jump burpee, burpee to pull-up, and on and on!

Check out the 1000 Burpee Challenge through Fitfluential. You could be in the running to win a great prize from Under Armour if you show your progress on Instagram with the hashtag #FFBurpee. I’m committing to 50 a day for 20 days. Today, I made it through 50 clapping push-up burpees, it was fun — am I weird? Maybe, but my friend Valerie definitely is- this is what happens if you go on a trip with her — BURPEES ON THE AIRPLANE!

Burpees on a plane! This really happened!

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Category Archives: Workouts

Triple Berry Red Quinoa Salad Recipe & Beach Bod Workout

Girls’ Night In – Trop50 Raspberry Acai Sipper with Coconut-Mint-sicles

Medicine Ball Mash Up & Saturday Shoutouts

Skinny Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad + Jump Rope Workout

Beef & Blue Cheese Mushroom Buttons & Burpees