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Author: Anne

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

One of my ladies sent me this recipe for baked sweet potatoes. It is one of her family’s favorite recipes (even the kids eat it!). As I LOVE sweet potatoes, I was eager to try it out. It is simple, and aside from the smoked paprika – which I found at QFC – the ingredients are fairly straightforward. You really do need to use smoked paprika, it imparts and smoky but not too spicy flavor. In fact I’ve been adding it to everything from rice, chicken, beans…

Check out this recipe and let me know what you think.

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Chickpeas

Ingredients:

  • 3 Large sweet potatoes, sliced lengthwise into wedges (4-8 wedges each, depending on the size of your potatoes)
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes, divided
  • 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup plain (unsweetened), full fat yogurt
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 green peppers, trimmed, and thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, and grease both pans with one tablespoon of olive oil.
  3. In a large bowl, mix honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper flakes. Toss yams in the honey mixture and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika and salt, to taste. Toss chickpeas in olive oil and spices.
  5. On the first baking sheet, spread yams out on in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until nicely toasted underneath. Flip wedges over and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes, until soft. Turn the oven to broil and cook for one final minute, to crisp and brown the edges.
  6. On second baking sheet, spread out chickpeas. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, rolling around once or twice so that they cook evenly, until lightly browned and crispy on the outside.
  7. While your veggies are roasting, mix yogurt, remaining tablespoon olive oil, and lime juice together in a small dish, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Arrange sweet potatoes and chickpeas on a platter. Drizzle with yogurt sauce, sprinkle with onions, and remaining pepper flakes, and serve!

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Andalusian Gazpacho

Anybody else suffering from an abundance of tomatoes and cukes? Last weekend I was headed to a potluck so I whipped up this chilled summer soup. While there are lots of variations on this soup, this time I made the Andalusian version, and processed the veggies into a pureed “drink”, like a spicy smoothie.

tomatp gazpacho soup recipe

While this recipe is simple, there is quite a bit of prep (if you are interested in making sure all the cucumber and tomato seeds have been removed). I chopped all my veggies in batches, mixed everything together and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.

 

Andalusian Gazpacho

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups tomatoes, chopped and de-seeded (about 5-6 medium tomatoes)
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped
  • 3/4 cup red pepper, chopped
  • 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 small jalapeno
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. Gather all of the above ingredients plus a food processor or vitamix, a large bowl, a cutting board, and a sharp knife.

2. Place garlic in the food processor. Slice and seed the jalapeno (wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly after as these babies can burn!) and add to the food processor. Add a few spoonfuls of water (reserve the rest) and process this mixture until finely diced.

3. Now roughly chop the rest of your veggies so they will fit into the food processor, and working in batches process them so they are finely chopped but not liquefied, adding them to the bowl as you go.

4. One all the veggies have been added to the bowl add the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, Worcestershire, cumin and salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add more water if you would like a more soupy consistency. Chill for at least two hours and serve with a garnish of lime, or a slice of crusty bread.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see you medical professional for specific dietary advice. 

 

Learning Proper Pull Up Form From Rastafarians In The Park

If you have spent any time with me in the past six months you have probably heard me talk about my pull up goal. I am working on doing a proper pull-up (from hanging with straight arms, not jumping, overhand grip, shoulders down, pulling my face up higher than the bar, then all the way back down to straight arms in one smooth motion). My goal was to do one of these by my 43rd birthday (which was June 28 – mark your calendars for next year). It is now mid July and I am this close! I can jump, grab the bar and pull up, and I can do a chin up (underhand grip) from hanging, so I know that soon I will have it.

One of my clients recently brought me this New York Times article the author talks about his struggle with pull-ups, and how after running into some men at the park (not personal trainers by the way, just regular dudes) he realized he was doing pull-ups all wrong. What I love about his story is the way the men offered him corrections on his form. They seemed so sweet, as if they were genuinely trying to help him, not make him feel bad, or show him up.

The author realizes that in addition to correcting his form, he needs to strengthen all of his muscles, not just arms to effectively pull himself up. He writes:

“Novices rely too much on their biceps. A proper pull up is a yogic feat of concentration and grace. It’s possible only when multiple muscle groups are working in tandem: the biceps, the lats, legs, abs, and lower back”

What are your summer fitness goals and how can I help you achieve them?

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland, Oregon based licensed massage therapist and personal trainer. She works with her clients one on one and in small groups to aid in pain relief, build strength and reduce stress.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

One of my ladies brought this to a recent potluck (thanks Concetta!) and I loved it so much I am sharing it with you. The combination of smoky spices and bright colors offers a nice change from traditional potato salad. Loaded with fiber, B vitamins, and beta carotene, sweet potatoes pack a nutritional punch. Try this at your next BBQ and let me know what you think in the comments below…

Ingredients:
• 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Juice from one lime
• 1 tsp chipotle chill powder
• 1 tsp smoked sea salt*
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

 


Directions:
1. Steam potatoes: Fill a large pot with an inch of water and a pinch of salt. Place steamer basket in pot, and place potatoes into basket. Cover and steam for 7 – 10 minutes (until potatoes are just render when poked with a fork). Remove potatoes, spread them out on a large pan and chill.

2. Make dressing: Mix together mayo, lime juice, chili powder, salt, pepper, onion and cilantro.

3. Once the sweet potatoes have cooled, mix them with the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste. Chill for a few minutes and serve cold.

*I found smoked sea salt and chipotle chili powder at New Seasons. You may substitute regular sea salt if you like.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.