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1. KB Reverse lunge
2. Snatch R
3. Snatch L
4. Around-the-world KB swings
5. Single-Leg Deadlift R
6. Single-Leg Deadlift L
7. Side-crunch R
8. Side-crunch L
9. Weighted sit-up
10. Double KB Swings

And now for recipes!  This past Saturday I hosted a large dinner party for my family.  Along with accommodating my long list of food allergies, I also had to make the meal low-carb/sugar for my father who’s diabetic, low-salt for his wife who has high BP, dairy/gluten free for my sister-in-law (this is in line with my own diet too) and garlic-free for my brother.  Even more importantly, I wanted it to be FREAKING DELICIOUS to help show that you don’t have to eat crappy-tasting food just because you have a dietary restriction.  Also, since my family showered me with a ton of pie-making paraphernalia for Christmas, I made the meal Pie-themed.

Bring In The Pies!!

Paleo Shepard’s Pie (adapted from Elana’s Pantry and The Functional Foodie)

Ingredients – Makes ~1 large deep dish pie

• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 lb ground grass fed beef
• 1/2 lb ground lamb
• 1/4 lb ground pork (I used a mild chorizo sausage from my local butcher which gave it a nice kick)
• 1/2 lb uncured bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced mushrooms of your choosing
• 1/2 cup low sodium beef or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup red wine (I used a merlot)
• 2 tsp coconut aminos (can use Worcester Sauce if you prefer)
• 2 tbsp chopped mixed herbs (I used basil, oregano, thyme and parsley from my garden)
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 large heads cauliflower, trimmed, chopped and steamed until very soft (I used one white and one yellow)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp Earth Balance or Virgin Coconut Oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.  Add shallots and cook for another few minutes.
3. Add bacon and sauté until cooked, ~10 minutes (note: the bacon will not crisp, that’s ok).
4. Add the carrots, celery and mushrooms and sauté until soft (it’s ok of the carrots stay a bit firm), ~10 mins.
5. Add the meats, herbs, salt and pepper and sauté until browned.
6. Add the stock, wine, coconut aminos and a paprika.  Stir and cook down broth until it’s ~60% evaporated.
7. Meanwhile, add the cauliflower, coconut milk, Earth Balance/VCO, and a pinch of salt and pepper to your food processor and blend until it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes; this will not take long.  Taste-test and see if you need to add more salt and pepper.
8. Pour the filling into a pie plate and top with the cauliflower mash.  Add a pinch of smoked paprika to the top for decoration if you like.
9. Cook at 375ºF for 30 minutes, or until the inside is bubbly and the top is slightly firm.  Let cool for ~10 mins before serving.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (Gluten and Dairy free, no sugar added to filling)

Ingredients

Crust (and trust me, it’s GOOD, the non-gluten free folks loved it!):

• 1 cup Almond or Pecan flour (I was out of almond so I ground pecans in my Vitamix which worked out beautifully!)
• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour (my sister-in-law says next time I should try Bob’s Red Mill Shortbread Mix)
• 1/4 cup Coconut Palm Sugar (you can use cane sugar if you’d like, I’m just allergic to it)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ cup Virgin Coconut Oil (room temperature)
• 5-8 tbsp Cool Water

Filling (adapted from here):

• 2 1/2 cups chopped red rhubarb, fresh
• 2 1/2 cups de-stemmed, washed and cut strawberries (in larger pieces)
• 2 tbsp minute tapioca
• 1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance cut into small slices
• 1 egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Directions

Crust:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a mixer.
2. Add the coconut oil and beat until dough forms small balls.
3. Add the water one tbsp at a time while mixing until the dough reaches the proper consistency (it should hold together well but not be sticky).
4. Separate into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll out dough and add bottom crust to a greased and floured pie plate.

Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, tapioca, flour, zest and juice of lemon, dash of cinnamon, and vanilla.
3. Mix well in a large bowl and pour out into bottom crust.
4. Dot with butter.
5. Roll out top crust and top the pie (if you want to do the lattice design I did use a pizza-cutter to cut strips of the rolled-dough and a long spatula to carefully lift the crust from the counter to the pie).
6. Brush top of crust with beaten egg yolk.
7. Wrap aluminum foil loosely around the outside edge of the crust to protect the crust from burning.
8. Cook at 425ºF for 15 minutes, then drop the temperature to 375ºF and cook for another 40 minutes.  The crust should be golden brown and the filling should be bubbling.  I found the gluten free crust cooks faster than when using traditional flour so keep an eye on the pie so it doesn’t get over-cooked.  Cool before serving.

I’d love to know if you try my recipes or workouts.  Please pass along your feedback!  Now it’s time for a run!