Friday, February 8, 2013

Exercise of The Day - Cossack Squat


Ever heard of the Cossack Squat?

It is "a lateral squat movement that develops dynamic flexibility in the hips, groin and hamstrings, as well as ankle mobility. It also develops specific strength in the quads, glutes and hamstrings, as well as core strength and stability." (from www.defrancostraining.com)

They are relatively easy to execute, yet challenging enough to give you a good burn. You can do them anywhere, any time, with or without any equipment. Try it today!


http://www.exercise.com/exercise/cossack-squat


Pan-seared Venison

My oldest son had a birthday recently, and he wanted a dinner of moose or caribou. Hard to find in the city, so we settled for venison. I found this butcher who sells venison meat - 40$ for a pound of venison tenderloin. OUCH!  But O-M-G was it ever GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. I highly recommend venison meat - it's lean, full of iron, tender and flavourful. Try the following recipe (from epicurious), and taste for yourself! I omitted the cherries and used red currant jelly instead of black currant jelly. Results were DELISH!

From: Epicurious.com



Pan-Seared Venison with Rosemary





INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 (1-lb) venison tenderloin
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
  • 3/4 cup fat-free beef broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons black-currant jelly

preparation

Grind 1 teaspoon rosemary with coriander seeds and garlic with a mortar and pestle to make a paste, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon oil.
Pat venison dry and put in a bowl, then rub with paste. Season well with pepper, then cover and chill 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat until hot, then add remaining teaspoon oil, tilting skillet to coat evenly. Season venison well with salt, then brown, turning once, about 6 minutes total.
Transfer skillet to middle of oven and roast venison until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into center registers 125°F, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a plate and cover tightly with foil.
Add wine and cherries to skillet and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Stir together broth, water, cornstarch, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary in a bowl and add to skillet. Simmer, stirring, until mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in jelly and salt and pepper to taste.
Cut venison into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with sauce.

nutritional information

Each serving about 196 calories and 3 grams fat

Sweet Potato Fries

I LOVE sweet potatoes. Roasted with other veggies such as carrots, potatoes and garlic, they are almost like candy.

My kids, however, HATE them. They use to love them when they were babies, but now, you couldn't catch them eating them. Which is too bad considering how good they are for you.

I found the following recipe and decided to try it anyway. I was going to make my kids eat at least a piece. Guess what? THEY FINISHED THE BOWL. They LOVED them!

So here it is! The only thing I omitted was the cheese. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly! SO GOOD!

From:

http://thescienceofeating.com/2012/01/29/garlic-rosemary-sweet-potato-fries/


Garlic & Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries


Ingredients:

  • 2 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled & cut into strips
  • 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 1 Tbsp Rosemary, minced
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
  • 1/8 Tsp. Sweet Paprika


Directions:
  • Heat Oven to 425 degrees.
  • Combine rosemary, garlic, salt and oil in a bowl and stir until you make a paste.
  • Cut the sweet potato into “fry-like” strips and toss into the oil mixture.
  • Using your hands, thoroughly coat each fry with the garlic and rosemary mixture.
  • Lay the fries out on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet, and leave room between fries (if fries overlap, they will end up steaming instead of roasting.
  • Bake for 12 minutes, remove, flip fries and bake for another 12 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with a little more salt, parmesan, pepper, and paprika.
  • Remove from oven and serve.
Nutrition Facts: (Serves 4)
  • 137 Calories
  • 6g Fat
  • 16g Carbs
  • 3g Protein