Nater's Snappy Red-Snapper Curry

Nater's Snappy Red-Snapper Curry

Summer is swiftly encroaching upon us despite any reluctantness to sport those tiny bikinis and euro trunks!  But... This is SPARTA!!  Wait, where are we?!  Sparta.  The Spartan / Grecian God diet can be nummy as well as good for you, and wether or not you choose to dawn a red cloak, shield, and sword with your suit is completely optional.  I'm pretty sure on Mount Olympus they serve Nater's Snappy Red-Snapper Curry...  It's a fast snappy fix, only bout 25 minutes total! 

So here's whatcha gotta get:

Red Snapper Fillets (Two)

Shiitake or Cremini Mushrooms (1 Cup) 

Bok Choy (One bundle)

Lime (One)

Red Curry Paste (1 Tablespoon, Paste kids not Sauce)

LIGHT Coconut Milk (1 Cup, yes I said LIGHT)

Brown Sugar (1/2 Tablespoon)

Canola Oil (1 Tsp)

Salt n' Peppa to taste

I found all the ingredients at Smith's, but anywhere should have them.  The red curry paste and LIGHT coconut milk are in the Asian section.  Smith's doesn't have shiitake mushroom (which I love) and this last time I made it I didn't have time to drive to Whole Foods, so I substituted cremini mushrooms.  My TexAss amigos can find these at Central Market, and the Californians can find at Trader Joe's.  I doubled this recipe the last time as 'fed friends are happy friends.'

In a lil saucy pan, throw in the coconut milk, brown sug, and red curry paste.  Wisk baby, wisk!  Cook over low heat until it slightly thickens for about 10 minutes, then add half the lime juice.  I roll the lime on the counter firmly to get it all squishy and juicy first.  Save the other half, don't go putting in yo margarita!  I let this simmer on low until I need it again, it tastes better after it thickens up.

Chop the BOK CHOY!!  Yes, I love to yell that out.  THIS IS SPARTA!!  Chop, chop, chop the bok choy into bite-size pieces with yo sword and boil them until slightly tender, but still firm, about five minutes.  Drain.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan.  Salt n peppa the fillets laying them skin side down in the pan, remember go easy on the salt and SEA salt is better for you.  SEA, as in body of water, where you find fish, namely a red snapper.  Cook about 5 minutes, until skin is golden.  Flip and cook about 3 more minutes, until the fish flakes with gentle prodding with your Spartan trident. 

Remove Nemo's cousins from the fry pan and immediately add the bok choy, remaining lime juice, and mushrooms (Missy & Steve you should substitute canned water chestnuts here, and Jennifer we can add extra mushrooms, haha).  Cook for about 4 minutes.  I recommend straining the veggies again, as to not compete with the curry sauce.  Divide the veggies between two plates, place a fillet on top of each, and De-Rizzle the simmering curry sauce around or on the fish.  Take a photo, and enjoy.  Leonidas would be proud!

Only 390 Calories, 23 grams Carbs, 14 grams Fat, 45 grams Protein - Your welcome Spartans!

 

Diet & Exercise Tips for this Monster Monday

Two tips, tricks, tidbits... what have you.  

So healthy food doesn't have to be so horrible.  Almost everyone loves Ranch dressing aka 'white trash gravy.'  "Healthy" people have great intentions with salads and veggies but then kill those good intentions with salad dressing.  Regular salad dressing is horrible for you as it is dense in calories and fat, and I'm not even going recommend "fat free" that tastes curdled moldy and been in direct sun all day dressing.  (Although Fat Free Kraft Catalina tastes just like the regular one).  Some times I'll just squeeze a few lemons on my salad and it tastes great, no added calories OR guilt.  But your diet tip of the day is to buy Fat Free Cottage Cheese and a packet of ranch seasoning powder, carefully sprinkle it in and stuurr-it-up until you reach your desired taste - careful kids a little goes a long way!  Fat free cottage cheese is a good source of protein and only 70 calories per half cup.  Use it on your salad, or I love it with sliced bell peppers, celery, broccoli, carrots, or on thick slices of tomato with basil and fresh cracked pepper.

Cardio can be a real drag, but its essential when our diets are less than perfect.  It's also a great way to get our heart rates up and get into a fat burning mode.  When I first started my cardio I hated it, dreading those 'steps to nowhere.'  Now I love cardio (I know right?) and actually have to limit my cardio since I am trying to get weight and mass at this stage.  We all know music makes the time go by faster on the treadmill and elliptical, but we've known that since our seven favorite seven dwarfs sung to us 'Whistle while you Work...out?'  Here's my tip, most us of have smart phones nowadays and I advise you charge up your iTunes account and download music videos with strong beats or put a YouTube or Vevo app on your phone.  Videos give us something to watch AND listen to, faster beats make for keeping our tempo and spirits up, wickie-wickie-REMIX!  My problem is I get the occasional over the shoulder glance and smile from other gym patrons, then I realized "Oh-ma hell, I've been singing out loud... AGAIN."  For those of us with the A.D.D. lifestyle not only listening to the music, but watchin the videos keeps our eyes off the time, which at times seem like a soviet missile countdown... Huston there is no problem here.  Also, after setting your cardio timer on the machine try throwing a small gym towel over the digital clock so that you aren't tempted to watch the clock in misery.  Its good to mix up cardio, running outside (weather permitting), treadmill, elliptical, or bike.  To be honest I don't do the bike unless its a spin class, bikes are 'casual cardio' for me otherwise.  I love to run but get shin splints, (if you get shin splints tape around your arches and they will go away) and unless I remember to tape my high arches I just do the elliptical with a fast paced level 14, for at least 45 minutes. 

I leave you with these words as I have shenanigans with my name on them to attend to!

Be good,

Nater

Nater's Passive-Aggressive Portobello Chicken Recipe

Nater's Passive-Aggressive Portobello Chicken

Y'all better have these goods if you wanna play:

Medium Chicken Breasts (4 Boneless & Skinless)

Asparagus (8 ShockaZooloo Spears)

Yellow and Red Bell Peppers (1 Medium of Each)

Portobello Mushroom (1 Large Cap)

Minced Garlic (1 Teaspoon)

Light Mozzarella String Cheese (Two Sticks)

Creme of Mushroom Soup (Small Can)

Skim Milk (1 Cup)

Barbaric Meat Tenderizer

In preparation:  preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray small glass dish with cooking spray, cut the peppers and portobello mushroom caps into long strips, and then cut the asparagus in half.  Be sure to put on shoes comfortable for dancing. 

Now for the fun part, and the passive-aggressive portion or my recipe... pull out your meat tenderizer.  You can pick one up at your local torture chamber supply & rental shoppe (I got mine at Smith's for $6).  Use the teeth side, and just pound the hell out of the chicken, down to a 1/4 inch.  "Don't be scared, I've done this before.... show me your teeth!"  This action is not only to get out pent-up gym hostility and carb deprivation but its actually essential so that the chicken can be wrapped.  You can do this between two plastic sheets or wax paper, to minimizing the massacre. 

Sauté the the peppers, mushrooms, and asparagus in a skillet in medium heat with a tablespoon of extra virginous olive oil, (or EVOO as my friend Rachel Ray says) with a teaspoon of minced garlic.  To be honest, I triple the garlic but this all depends if you are eating alone or cooking to impress a hot date... I'd still triple it.  You can buy a 'lil jar of minced garlic in the produce section of any grocery store.  In a skillet on medium heat brown the garlic in the EVOO for about a minute before adding the veggies.  Sauté until veggies are 'al dente,' for those non parlare l'italiano, it literally means "to the tooth," wait, show me your teeth!?  But for all intensive purposes it mean 'slightly firm'... don't be naughty kids.  You can add salt and oregano, but I avoid the salt as I don't look so great rockin a 'sodium bloat.'  Let cool on a place for a couple secs.  

Divide the veggies evenly and roll up in the tender breasts *chicken, which now should roll easily as we breath easily with no more aggression, secure with two tooth picks.  As a staple I have 'Light Mozzarella String Cheese' in my fridge at all times, they are made with skim milk and only 60 calories each.  You can half one of these and insert as well, its optional but I definitely recommend.  Bake for 30 minutes at the 375 degrees, until chicken is no longer pink.  While chicken cooks, warm up a small can of Creme of Mushroom soup with one cup of skim milk on the stove top.  Bring to simmer, then put on Low while the chicken bakes.  You now have time to do some kitchen countertop dancing while you wait for the chickie to bake.  Please see my 'Stripper Cop' video on Facebook if you need inspiration.  

Ding!  De-toothpick these babies and cut on the diagonal, sheerly for aesthetic purposes only ;)  Ladle a wee amount of creme of mushroom sauce over chicken, remember we are being healthy - don't go crazy here kids.  If you make "Nater's Passive-Aggressive Portobello Chicken" please let me know what you think and take a photo for me, since I was apparently too hungry to manage to take a good shot.  You can serve with brown rice, but I tend to go lower on carbs if you have this for dinner.  Nom-Nom-Nom!!  And do me a favor... moan "Oh Nater" after your first bite!

One Serving is 395 Calories.  13g Fat, 11g Carbs, 50g Protein - you're welcome.

Sit 'n Grunt Machine

On the Leg Press today, or the "sit n grunt machine" as I affectionately call it, I pressed 16 plates - comfortably doing 9 reps, 3 times.  That's 720 pounds, which is well over 4x the weight of El Nater, not bad for a lil guy who is all natural.  I can't wait to eventually max-out and commandeer all the plates in the gym ;)  


Wise Nater Words:  Never compare your weights to other peoples, there will always be someone who can lift more that you (but they may not look as great as you, haha) - just be proud of your own accomplishments and how far YOU have come!  One day at a time.


The moral of this story is I use to only do 4 or 6 plates, and now I can do 16... so perseverance and screaming profanities all pays off in the end ;)

ter•mi•nater  |ˈtərməˌnātər|

noun:  a person or thing that terminates something.

First of all, thanks Cy and Griff for the "Termi-NATER" call sign, its now the title of my new blog adventure!!  Here at the Termi-NATER Blog I plan to share my thoughts and tips on fitness and nutrition!  More specifically, loads of tips and tricks to drop weight and tone up, my favorite exercises, good healthily meal options and recipes that do not taste like sh*t, supplement advise, how to de-stress to better love your life, and the entire process broken down simplistically to blow our goals out of the water, from the perspective of someone who has seen both sides of the gym... and the scale.  

I could insert some cheesy one liners like "telling fat hasta la vista, baby!" or "leave the gym with the attitude - I'll be back!" but I just can't bring myself to do it.

I have many passions, one of them being a passion for great food, indulging in delectably palatable cultural cuisine ;)  As a result there was an expansion of my borders.  No longer in college, my activity level dropped and my stress level raised as I was stuck behind a desk 50 hours a week, working hard to pay a mortgage and two car payments.  I ate out 6 nights a week and it began to take its toll.  In addition to always eating out, I definitely have a mouth full of sweet tooths, or sweet teeth... that sounds weird, sweet teets?  Well no, that's something else entirely.  Regardless, I love me some sweets.  As a result over the last few years I have gained a passion for fitness and exercise, drunk on endorphins and feeling great as a result of diet and exercise.

I do have a reservations of posting my before photo, but I have to remember that it's not where we've been - it's where we are now and where we are headed that matters!  And if I'm able to help someone, then its all worth it.  I refuse to use the word 'After' as I am always work in progress.  To me 'After' implies, "Hey, I hit me goal!  Now I can slack off."  

Not only have I lost the weight once, but this Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, and it took all the kings men and all the kings horses, two ER surgeons, and a plastic surgeon to put me back together again.  During a stint in the ICU, weeks of bed rest, and months of physical therapy - I had gained weight as I laid like broccoli in chronic pain, as doctors wouldn't clear me to go back to the gym for several months.  But I did it again, loosing the weight and gaining back more muscle than I initially had.

The majority of all my best friends are personal trainers with advanced certifications and degrees, collegiate strength & conditioning coaches, fitness models, college athletes, and at the very least some very committed gym rats.  Some even posing as double and triple threats.  So along the way I've learned more tricks than a platinum blonde in a rabbit fur coat and fish nets down by the tracks.  I have an arsenal of knowledge, a plethora of great tips, and can relay it from the 'average joe' perspective.  Although my name isn't Joe, and I'm anything but average... but I'm sure you get the point.