Brussels sprouts, apple and pomegranate salad

Picture from Smitten Kitchen

I was in charge of providing the "vegetable" dish at our Thanksgiving day meal. I recently came across a beautiful picture on a friend's social media page with the recipe titled "Brussels sprouts, apple and pomegranate salad." I quickly bookmarked the recipe as I knew it would be a nutritious and flavorful dish, providing a pop of color to the Thanksgiving day table.

While the dish was well-received, I failed in snapping a picture of my final dish. So that is why I have the picture from the actual recipe featured above. Well, I did capture this picture of Campy at the head of the table where you can also see my dish.

I hope you enjoy my modification to the dish (for the actual recipe, click on this Smitten Kitchen link.). To help save time, I recommend to purchase your Brussels Sprouts already chopped and to buy a container of pomegrante seeds. This dish took me a while to make but it was worth it. But next time around, I'd consider going with a few short-cuts. :-)

Ingredients

• 1/2 large red onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups brussels sprouts (shredded)
• 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (a large one)
• 1 large Honeycrisp apple (chopped)
• Juice of a lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Make the pickled onions: Combine red onion, wine vinegar, lemon zest and salt in a small bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. 
2. Combine brussels sprouts, pomegranta seeds and apple together in a large bowl. Toss with the pickling liquid. 
3. Combin lemon, honey and olive oil in a small bowl (or mason jar), give a shake and pour on salad (to your liking) when ready to eat/serve. 
4. Enjoy!

Pomegranate Kale salad with Lemon Tahini dressing

If you are looking for tips to eating healthier or getting your diet back on track after overeating, I have one best tip for you: Meal Prep.

Before you start another busy week of life, set aside time today to prepare a few meals (or meal components). Let's get real - when you are completely exhausted, pressed for time, hungry and tired, the last thing you want to do (and will do) is spend time preparing a meal. This is why prep is key. Do the extra work now so that later, it's easy to properly nourish and fuel yourself.

I prepared a delicious salad for Thanksgiving and thought it would make the perfect prep/plan ahead salad for your upcoming week. The best part is the dressing!

Pomegranate Kale salad with Lemon Tahini dressing

Ingredients
Salad
6 cups rinsed and chopped kale
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
1 large mango, chopped (or 2 small pears)
1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup tahini
3 tbsp GF tamari sauce
3 small cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp cumin

1/4 cup water

1. Mix together kale, pomegranate seeds, fruit of your choice (mango or pear) and pistachios in a large Tupperware container. 
2. In a food processor or blender, mix together ingredients for the dressing.  Pulse into smooth and creamy. 
3. Pour the dressing into a glass jar. 
4. When you are ready to eat your salad, serve yourself a hefty portion of the salad and pour dressing (to taste) over the salad. 
5. Yum! 

For a balanced meal, I suggest to combine this salad with a protein of your choice and a starch/whole grain.

If you are in need of more breakfast/lunch/dinner ideas, check out my book Essential Sports Nutrition for athlete-friendly recipes. We are currently offering a Trimarni Holiday Special. 

Let's eat! Trimarni sushi, pomegranate banana bread and more!

Pomegranate smoothie
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 large orange (without peel)
1 large celery stick (chopped)
1/2 large banana (very ripe)
1 tsp ginger chopped
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup  milk
1/3 cup greek yogurt (Fage 0% plain)
Small handful spinach
1 tsp cinnamon
~25g protein powder
10 ice cubes
water to meet consistency needs.

1. Blend ingredients for 90 seconds to make a smoothie meal that is thick enough to eat with a spoon. 

Zucchini pomegranate banana bread
2 bananas (very ripe), mashed
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup skim milk
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch all spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup zucchini (shredded)
1 cup pomegranate seeds.
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup oat flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8 x 1 1/2 inch pans with non stick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients except flour and mix well.
3. Add the flour until evenly combined.
4. Pour batter in one pan until 3/4th filled. Pour leftover batter in other pan (will make a thinner bread for pan #2).
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes. 

Mixed greens salad w/ fresh fruit and pistachiosMixed greens with pistachios, pomegranate, avocado, raspberries, apples, orange pepper, chives, purple onion, edamame and Parmesan topped with olive oil and a side of bakery fresh bread.

Avocado Sushi
Wild rice (cooked)
Sauteed onions and mushrooms (in oven or skillet - tossed in a little olive oil) or raw
Avocado - chopped

1. Take seaweed "paper" and lay flat on plate.
2. On 1/2 of paper, spread with semi warm rice. Top with onions, avocado and mushrooms.
3. Roll seaweed into roll and enjoy. 

Taco saladMixed greens, avocado, onion, green and red pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, salsa, pinto beans and carrots topped with crumbles chips (from Miami 70.3 travel home stop at Moe's) and a side of cottage cheese.

Why I love my real food diet: It is not a mass marketed diet fad, temporary change or extreme approach. It's real food in a balanced way that fuels life and reduces risk for disease....and it tastes great!
Happy eating!

Pomegranate, apple and hazelnut pancakes and ginger strawberry smoothie

In the Trimarni house, we eat for fuel and for health. And most of all, eating is a happy time so we also eat for pleasure.

The same foods that fuel our active lifestyle, also keep our immune system healthy. Most of all, they are mostly whole and are found in a farm/garden so they also reduce our risk for disease.

There are no bad, off limit or temporary foods. We don't diet, cleanse, fast or do anything extreme wit the diet.

The only thing extreme about us is that we enjoy racing for 140.6 miles and Campy gets waaaaay too much love (but that will never stop).

We love whole foods that offer the nutrients that we need to support our healthy and active lifestyle.

We don't count calories, we count training hours. We enjoy the rewards of what a well-fueled, healthy and strong body allows us to do - year round - whether we are training for starting lines or moving for health gains.

We don't have a working scale. We eat for fuel, health and pleasure and after a few years of understanding our individual needs and best style of eating, we've discovered that it is possible for the body to take care of itself.

We don't believe in restricting food (especially whole foods) but instead, move the body more (ex. walking).

Whether we are enjoying the off-season, peaking for an Ironman or traveling the world, food enhances our life and doesn't control our life.

Why do you eat what you choose to eat? 

Ginger Strawberry Smoothie "meal"

10 ice cubes

30g protein powder (I used Solgar Whey To Go)
Dash of cinnamon
1 celery stick (chopped)
1/2 ripe banana
1 tsp fresh ginger (chopped or grated)
4 strawberries (stems removed)
10 baby carrots (mini)
1/2 cup Kale (Washed, chopped)
1/2 square 90% Dark chocolate
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water

1. Blend ingredients in 6 cup blender for 90 seconds (this will make more volume and a more frothy smoothie.

I use the Oster Fusion blender. 
2. Pour 2.5 cups in large cup and enjoy.

Makes 2 servings (5 cups total)

Pomegranate, apple and hazelnut pancakes

1/2 cup apple (shredded) - I used gala
1/2 cup rye flour (you can use any flour)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (I slice in half and then soak each half under cold water for a few minutes and then use a knife to cut pomegranate into segments and then pop out seeds with my hands into a bowl).
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 egg
1 tbsp hazelnuts
1 tbsp honey
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup 0% Fage Greek yogurt
1/2 cup Skim Milk
1/2 cup oats
2 tsp oil (for pan)

1. Heat large skillet to medium heat. Drizzle 1/2 - 1 tsp oil and spread around pan for even coating.

2. Mix ingredients in large bowl and stir until evenly combined.

3. Use 1/4 cup and pour batter onto heated pan and press down to make flat pancake.

4. Cook 4-5 minutes on one side (or until golden brown) and flip and cook other side for 3 minutes.

Makes 7 servings

I have not had time to figure out calories as I like to do for some of my creations where I actually measure ingredients for cooking purposes. I will notify everyone when I put nutrition facts on this blog. For now - enjoy mindful eating as I always do.