Posted in December 2011

Chicken Shawarma Salad

One of the best parts about living in downtown Toronto (or any urban centre for that matter) is the street shawarma, which is oh so good. Sometimes however, we want to enjoy this meal from the comforts of our own homes (and hey, let’s face it, maybe a little less fatty too)! Enter this primal shawarma salad recipe, which is absolutely delicious! I used chicken breast (because it’s healthy and easy to work with), but you can try this with a variety of meats. We also created our own salad dressing because we found that just mixing olive oil with lemon juice was a little bland. Up to you! Now, I’m off on vacation for a week where I fully intend to bask in the sun and think about nothing but my beach volleyball score. I will report back after. Hope you all have wonderful, healthy, and happy Holidays! (:

Tagged , , , , , ,

Nikki Wears Nike (Shoes)

Thanks to a health credit that my mom gets through her work I had the luxury of picking not one, but two pairs of Nike sneakers for free last night! Trust me, I still cannot get over my good fortune. Now of course I had the choice of any brand of sneakers, but in my opinion Nike’s are just the coolest. Not only are they jam packed with technology, but the colours are so fun (and I am not beyond something as simple as this)! The pink ones (at the top) are from the Nike Free series, and are supposed to emulate a barefoot feel when running. Ultimately they build up your ankle muscles and train you to run “properly”, on your toes. The grey ones are from the Lunar series. These are a stability shoe, and are great for enduring lots of training. This pair also happens to be water proof (perfect for running through the long snowy winter). Here’s to adding a bit more pep to my step!

Tagged , , , , , ,

Chicken Tikka with Homemade Potato Chips

I got the recipe for the Chicken Tikka (above) from a Women’s Health article on protein packed meals. Though it looks a little bland in colouring, this meal is full of delicious flavour thanks to a yogurt-cashew coating that is packed with healthy spices. Making homemade potato chips is also a super easy, fun way to spice up an old staple. All you have to do is slice up a potato or yam into thin circles (I just used a knife since I don’t have any fancy tools), then coat the slices in vegetable oil, salt, and pepper, and bake in the oven until they look nice and crisp! We ate this chicken with an easy-to-make yogurt dip which also works really well with the chips. Enjoy!

Chicken Tikka with Yogurt Dip

Dip (serves 3-4): Mix 1 cup yogurt (I used plain organic 2% yogurt), with 1tsp minced garlic and some lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Chicken Tikka (Serves 4): Cut 4 boneless chicken breasts into 1″ chunks and marinate in the following for 30 minutes:

- 1/2 cup plain organic yogurt (I used 2%)

- 1/2 cup ground cashews (you can be a dweeb like me and grind these with a knife, or you can avoid sore arms and simply use a food processor)

- 2 tsp ground cardamom

- 2 tsp ground coriander

- 2 tsp minced ginger

- 2 tsp minced garlic

After marinating cook through until chicken is browned (the original recipe suggests grilling the chicken, but I pan-fried mine in canola oil). Serve with the yogurt dip.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Yogalosophy Kicks, Firms, and Tones your Butt in 35 Minutes

I absolutely adore yoga, however being in school I often find it difficult to incorporate a class into my busy schedule. Thankfully, I was directed to this incredible dvd after reading that Jennifer Aniston is an advocate (hey, girl’s in shape good shape)! Yogalosophy combines traditional yoga techniques with a whole lot of strength training, to give you an express full body workout. Mandy is frank, often sharing her personal “mantras” that ladies can really relate to (such as: “I have a great ass, I have a great ass”). I love popping this one in after a run…so much more fun than ordinary core work and stretching, and because it’s so fast-pased you really do break a sweat. I got mine on amazon for pretty cheap. Enjoy!

Tagged , , , , , ,

Fit Tip #4

Fit Tip #4: Just got in from a freezing cold run and want to keep the workout going? Use a hair dryer to blow dry your body warm, and get back to it!

High Impact Purchase

It’s a fact, most of us ladies need a little (or a lot) of extra support when we’re working out. Unfortunately sports bras can be pretty pricey. I have often found myself paying 50 dollars for a good quality bra, and I know I’m not alone. Multiply this by seven days a week and that’s 350 dollars! Enter the Nike compression sports bras. Not only do these come in an awesome array of colours, but they are super supportive, and ring you in at a comparatively cheap 35 buckaroos. A sales associate suggested that I buy a size down for added support, which I have found to be quite helpful (especially for super high impact sports like running). Hope this helps and happy running!

Tagged , , , , ,
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.