Shakshuka

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Mobility/Prehab:

Bird dogs
Theraband routine
Gristle/Groiners/Samson stretch

Warm-up:

2 minutes Jump rope
10 Burpees
10 Jumping lunges
10 Sit up to Pike
20 Mountain Climbers

Agility:

3x 20 yard Partner Band Runs

Notes:  Partner One will Sprint 20 yards, while Partner Two stands behind and uses a band around Partner One’s waist to resist.  Rest 30 seconds, and then Partner Two will complete the sprint.  Continue alternating until each performs 3 sprints. 

 Conditioning:

Buy In :
200M Walking Lunge
-then-

4 Rounds for Time:
10 Knees to Elbows
15 MB Cluster (Clean to thruster) (20/14)
20 Clapping Pushups
25 Double unders
30 Abmat Situps
Perform 4/3/2/1 Rope climbs after each round.
-40 Min Time Cap

Notes:  Scale to allow for continual movement.  For knees to elbows, tuck your knees as high as you can and hold your standard! May perform clapping push ups on knees or using a band around the waist.  Perform 50-75 singles as needed for DU’s

Cool down:

Foam roll legs
Calf stretch
Cobra stretch
10 Wall extensions

Eggs poached in tomato sauce- delicious for breakfast! ..brunch…lunch…or dinner.  Shakshouka meaning “a mixture” in Arabic + root of the word meaning a vegetable ragout. Dish is of Tunisian origin.  Simple, quick, but full of flavor & nourishing ingredients. … Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 large bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• kosher salt, to taste
• 2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to heat preference)
• 4 – 8  tomatoes, depending on size, cored and coarsely chopped
• 4 – 6 eggs
• Handful of fresh parsley and/or chives, chopped
• **Optional but tasty: crumbled feta cheese
• **Optional 1 TBSP dry red wine. Heightens flavor- Tomatoes have a flavor compound that is released only when cooked with alcohol OR simply leave it out. 

Heat skillet/pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the olive oil, add the onions, bell peppers, minced shallot and salt generously over the ingredients. Lower the heat to medium- and let it cook, until softened.   When softened, add in the garlic,  until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Lower the heat to low and season with smoked sweet paprika, cumin, and crushed red pepper and again cook until fragrant.

When the spices are fragrant, add in the tomatoes and stir. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir, a simmer. While it is simmering, sprinkle with fresh parsley & chives & add in red wine (**optional- may add chicken stock instead of wine if additional liquid seems necessary, but simply omitting the alcohol works fine). Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened somewhat and the tomatoes are tender- sauce consistency.

Use the back of a spoon to make little indentations or wells in the tomato sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, drop the heat to low and cook until the eggs are as done as you like them. If you like them quite firm, you can add a lid to the pan to help them cook through and through. I prefer them when the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny. Garnish/sprinkle the pan with chopped fresh herbs- parsley/chives and (if desired) crumbled feta. Serve with one of your favorite sides. Suggested- Oven roasted asparagus.  yum.