Coconut Shrimp Bisque

As an American society we tend to look at rules as more of guidelines. Yellow light means slow down, but to 99% of us, we speed up. Sick days are supposed to be used when we're sick, but most of us use them to take the kids to the zoo. Legally we can't drink until 21, but.... you get the point!

Cooking on the other hand, should be viewed as guidelines, but most of us read recipes as if they are the be-all-and-end-all to the meal. I am here to tell you NO! Be as unruly as you want! Change the spices up, use a shallot instead of an onion, grill the chicken instead of broiling it, be bad! Really though, if a recipe calls for ingredients or a cooking style that you don't have or aren't comfortable with, change it up.

Coconut Shrimp with Vegeable Stir Fry



My brother posted a tip on his blog the other day that reminded me of a super good practice. It may sound totally obvious, but I think that way way too many of us ignore it anyway. I know I do. 

Nutrition Tip of the Day: Avoid Poisonous Things. Whether this be plant (ivy), animal (bear), grains/beans/processed foods/hydrogenated fats (wink, wink), or even some of the people in your life – the easiest way and best way to get healthy is to simply avoid them. This includes the cookie tray at work (my weakness – thanks to Doug Gable’s amazingly talented wife)! Or, in a lot of cases, a person who whenever they are near causes you stress – except your boss, that is. This can be a tough one! Below Mark Sisson outlines a sometimes poisonous food. Nightshades. How can you know if something is poisonous in your life? Give it the 30 day challenge! Cut it out completely for 30 days – then give it a reintroduction. Don’t feel well? Stressed? Sick? Tired? Etc? Then it is not a good choice for you. I can’t do some types of dairy – but maybe you can. I can eat tomatoes though so sometimes it works out. We heard from Katie yesterday about the reintroduction of bread into a little ones meal and what the affect was. Many of you have commented to me privately of similar feelings. My uber realtor Sharon (also a member here!) told me just Tuesday about the affect she had after a recent reintroduction of a food long removed from her diet. The stories are all the same. Just give it 30 days. That’s all I can ask. Do you have a story to share? Click Reply All or Comment and let us know!

So what do you think? This recipe below contains peppers, a nightshade, however I have no adverse affects from them. However I consistently poison myself everyday with a job that constantly undermines my desires and abilities. Unfortunately the 30 day trial is uber difficult to meld into the working environment...

Shrimp Soup

Have you ever heard the expression that some of the most important things in your life will happen when you least expect it? Has anything important or life changing happened to you lately? Are you too caught up in your "responsibilities" to notice...?

Sometimes you've got to stop and smell the roses. Don't get so caught up in life. Granted certain responsibilities are, well, responsibilities (like feeding the baby, walking the dog, putting gas in the car). But stressing about things like work, relationships, finances, the ozone layer... can really reek havoc on your body and mind. Dissect each situation one at a time. Remember that you are accountable for your actions, and you have the ability to affect each situation. And don't ever forget, live for you.

Shrimp Scampi over Cauliflower Rice

One thing I love about being young is that I keep learning new things. Now I know that we will consistently learn new things throughout our life, but the younger you are generally you are more open to new ideas and can absorb them quicker. And I'm not just talking about education (although that is something I am huge into). I am mostly referring to life lessons.

Over the summer I attended a conference; I met numerous great people, gained a lot of insight to the industry, and, most importantly, learned the value of accountability. It was a small part of one of the many presentations over the 3 days, but it really struck a chord with me.

Shrimp and Sausage Salad

I love cooking, but I must admit that I enjoy the opportunity to have my meals served to me on occasion. A nice, relaxed atmosphere, where I do not have to worry about anything but picking what to have someone else prepare can be a welcome change of routine. It is even better when it is on someone else's dime! So when work sent me to a trade show earlier this week I embraced the experience of eating out. Plus eating in a whole-foods fashion can be a fun endeavor amidst the conventional American diet found on most menu's today. However, that being said, it also enforces my desire to teach as many people as possible about the faults and pitfalls surrounding that diet.

Many American's are now coming around to having good intentions about their diet. Unfortunately, many of the "conventional wisdoms" that they believe are incorrect. Or at least wrongly understood. Take this for example:

Garlic and Paprika Shrimp Sauté

The other night my CrossFit box had a holiday party (fun WOD challenges, food, and bowling; pretty fantastic :) We all signed up to bring different goodies to the party which we wrote on the white-board at the box. Well, when I saw that Kitty was bringing shrimp rings, I started doing backflips! (in my head, haha!) I am a huge fan of shrimp. Basically, little bundles of delicious protein. Who can argue with that?! At the end of the night while packing up shop there were but a few shrimpys left. Knowing how much I love shrimp, Kitty twisted my arm really really hard and got me to take them home.

Now, I love shrimp cocktail. However, I also love warm dishes in the wintertime. And already cooked and peeled shrimp leaves the door open for plenty of ideas. I was in the mood for something garlicky and a little spicy/smoky... paprika!

Being Hungarian, I tend to add paprika to a lot of my dishes. Be careful, though, there are several different types of paprika. Paprika is made from dried red peppers and the flavor can range from mild to quite hot. Sweet paprika is the most commonly used and found in supermarkets, but you can also find hot paprika in most supermarkets and/or gourmet/specialty stores. If you like crushed red pepper you will probably like hot paprika. In the US most people use paprika as a garnish rather than in cooking (which is horribly upsetting; it has such great flavor! cook with it!). Paprika releases its flavor and red color when heated; add it to stews and soups, steam vegetables with it, or add it to oil before heating and sautéing vegetables or light-colored protein sources such as chicken, pork, white-fleshed fish, etc...

This recipe can be used a ton of ways such as an appetizer, side dish to another main meat, or main dish added to simple steamed veggies or cauliflower rice.

Garlic and Paprika Shrimp Sauté

The Food
- Shrimp (can use pre-cooked or raw)
- Coconut oil
- Minced garlic
- Paprika

The Method
Depending on the amount of shrimp, heat about one tablespoon oil per 10 shrimp in a sauté pan over medium heat
Drop in the garlic and sprinkle paprika to cover the oil (a little goes a long way)
Shake things up a bit until the garlic and paprika start to release their aroma
Add the shrimp (if using pre-cooked, heat through about 1-2 minutes per side. If using raw, cook about 3-4 minutes per side for medium sized shrimps until the shrimp has curled to a nice "C" shape)
Remove from pan (along with garlic, if desired!)

Enjoy :)