Week4: Dealing with doubt and lack of self-belief

A really important message in here! (when you plateau & feel ur not making progress, that’s when most people fail) you just have to keep believing and keep going!! If we made huge progress everyday we would all be bigger than the BFG lol its the tortoise that wins the race

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How many of us have turned up at the gym and felt intimidated, or a bit flat about how we look? How many of us have looked in the mirror and thought, ‘Is this making any difference?’ Or, even, how many of us have been at the gym and wondered if anyone has looked at us and said to themselves, ‘I wish I looked like them?’ This is where I’ve found myself this week.

I’m now at the end of the 4th week of Alex Crockford’s second #CrockFit body transformation programme, #GymFit2. It was definitely my best week so far: I loved every workout, my food and water intake have pretty much been on point, and I’ve taken no alcohol at all for more than a week. My definition is coming along (a little), and I’m less bloated than usual, probably as a result of all of the above. Yet, I’m still doubting…

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Parsnip & Broccoli Soup

“a quick simple way to greens in your tummy in this wonderful winter soup”

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tbs Coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
4 Parsnips, 3 1/2 peeled and chopped & 1/2 thinly shaved & saved for later)
350g Broccoli florets
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
900ml Vegetable stock
ground black pepper

Method

Heat 2 tbs of oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and sweat onions for 2 mins.
Add the chopped parsnips (not the shavings), broccoli and garlic to the pan and mix.
Cover with stock and simmer for 25 mins. Remove from the heat.

Using a liquidiser or hand held blender, blend the vegetables and stock into a smooth paste. TIP: you can use a Nutribullet or Ninja etc.. for this process but allow the mix to cool before blending as the heat/steam will cause the lid to pop off leaving an awful mess! (I found out the hard way)

Heat remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the parsnip shavings until crisp and golden.

Pour the soup back into a pan, season with pepper and heat until barely simmering. Remove from the heat, serve and garnish with crispy parsnips.

“Add more stock and less veg for a slightly thinner soup, use less stock and roughly chop the veg for a slightly rougher texture“

Fabulous Fish Soup

“This dish takes me back to a lovely evening meal on the beaches of Mauritius where I popped the big question to my fiancé!  …. she said yes then and she says YES every time I make this soup” 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tbs Coconut oil
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
900ml Fish stock
4 tbs Tomato paste
200g Skinless Salmon fillets, cut into chunks
200g Cod fillets, cut into chunks
8 Jumbo King Prawns
30 Prawns
25 Clams
handful chopped chives
ground black pepper

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat, fry the garlic for a few seconds until it begins to brown then add the stock and tomato paste giving it a good mix. Bring it to a simmer and cover with a lid leaving it to gently simmer for 12 mins.

Add all your fish/seafood and cook uncovered for about 4-5 mins until the fish is cooked and the clams have opened. (Discard any shells that don’t open)

Serve with a pinch of pepper and scattering of chives.

 

“The beauty of this dish is you can mix it up each time by adding other seafood, mussels, scallops etc… its also great to portion up and re-heat later”

 

Chilli Salmon & roasted veg

“This fishy favourite of mine tastes great hot or cold”

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Salmon fillets
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 a sweet potato
1/2 courgette
1 red pepper
4 tbs of coconut oil
1/2 lemon

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Peel your sweet potato and chop into 1 inch chunks, add the courgette chopped into 1 inch pieces and a finely sliced pepper, mix in a bowl with 4 tbs of melted coconut oil and 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Once all the veg is evenly covered distribute over a baking tray and put in the centre of your oven for 20 mins turning after 10 mins.

Take your salmon fillets and sprinkle over the remaining pepper and chilli flakes before adding to the oven to cook for 15 mins.

Garnish with a lemon wedge.

“if you like spice then add paprika to your veg mix before placing it in the oven“

Chorizo scrambled egg & avocado salsa

“Bring a twist of Latin America to your morning with this easy 8 min breakfast”

Serves 1

Ingredients
(Avocado salsa)

1/2 avocado diced
4 cherry plum tomatoes diced
1 spring onion thinly sliced

(Scrambled egg)

2 large eggs
1 cup of baby spinach finely chopped
3 inches of chorizo sausage diced
1/2 tsp of coconut oil
pinch of pepper

Method

Place all the salsa ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together, leave to one side.

Heat 1/2 tsp of coconut oil in a frying pan and 2 eggs, spinach, chorizo and pepper.
Mixing with a whisk, stir the scrambled egg for about 30 seconds then remove from the heat.

“If you are feeling hungry then add more egg whites to the pan this will help add more protein and less fat while filling you up”

 

 

 

Tuna steak & Broccoli puree

“when you’re in need of fast easy PROTEIN this is the perfect tasty solution”

 

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 x Tuna Steak

Sesame seeds

250grms broccoli

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

10 x Cherry plum tomatoes

1 cup of spinach

2 slices lemon and 1/2 tbs of lemon rind grated.

2 tbs almond flakes

1 tbs coconut oil

1/2 tsp Pepper

Method

Roughly chop your broccoli and garlic and boil in a pan of water for about for 15 mins.
Then drain and add both to a food possessor along with 1/4 tbs coconut oil and 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes.

While the veg is boiling you should take the tuna steaks, rub a pinch of pepper on and cover in sesame seeds.

Heat 1/4 tbs coconut oil in a pan and fry tuna steaks for 3-4 mins on each side depending on how rare you like it.

Chop the cherry plum tomatoes in half and add to a hot frying pan with 1/2 tbs of coconut oil, then chuck in the spinach and lemon rind.

Garnish with lemon and almond flakes before serving.

Paleo Pancakes with Apple & Bacon

“Inspired by trips to pancake houses in Amsterdam this is my awesome Paleo version of a favourite treat”

Serves 1

Ingredients (pancake mix)
1/2 banana
1 eggs
1/4 Apple GRATED (Braeburn is a good choice)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/tsp raw honey/maple syrup

Ingredients ( topping)
3/4 apple SLICED
1 bacon rasher (un smoked)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp raw honey/maple syrup

1 tsp coconut oil
1 tbs Almond yogurt

Method
In a mixing bowl add the banana, grated apple, cinnamon, eggs and honey. Mix well until a paste is formed and leave to one side.

Put 1/2 tsp of coconut oil in a frying pan and heat on a medium heat, when pan is hot add sliced apple and bacon and fry until apple is slightly brown. Remove from heat.

In a medium sized frying pan heat 1/2 tsp coconut oil on a medium heat and pour in your pancake mix. Cook for about 1-2 mins then flip and cook other side.

Place pancake on a warm plate and arrange the apple and bacon pieces evenly. Drizzle 1/2 tsp of raw honey over the pancake and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Add almond yogurt to the middle.

“For those with a sweet tooth use maple syrup or add more raw honey at the end.”