FITNESS FIESTA PRIZE WINNING RECIPES

HEALTHIEST DISH
by Judy Hubbard

BEETROOT, SALMON & MASCARPONE PATE 

12 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 oz. cooked beets, drained
5 oz. smoked salmon
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
ground pepper

Put in Vitamin in order.
Turn machine to Variable 1.
Increase to Variable 5
15 seconds
Chill
Best consumed within 24 hrs.

BEST APPETIZER
by Mary Lee Stein

GREEN CHILE CHEESECAKE with PAPAYA SALSA

Ingredients

1. For crust
   • 1-1/2 cupes finely ground blue corn chips (from a 9-oz bag)
   • 1 TB unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2. For filling
   • 8 fresh green chiles such as Anaheim or poblano
   • 1 1/2 cups sour cream
   • 2 large eggs
   • 1 pound cream cheese, softened
   • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
   • 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
   • 1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar (about 6 ounces)
   • 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill leaves
   • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
   • 1/2 tsp sale
3. For salsa
   • 1 (1-lb) papaya, firm but ripe
   • 2 minced garlic cloves
   • 1 medium  finely chopped red onion
   • 1 cored, seeded and finely chopped red bell pepper
   • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
   • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
   • 1/2 tsp salt
   • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

   • Preparation

     Preheat oven to 350°F.

   • Make crust:
   • (Put rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350)
     1. Stir together corn chip crumbs and butter in a bowl until evenly moistened.  Press mixture onto bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.  Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes.  Cool on a rack.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 F
   • Make filling:
     1. In a food processor blend sour cream and eggs. Add cream cheese and butter and blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in chiles, cheeses, dill, cilantro, and salt to taste. Pour filling over crust and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until center is just set. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on a rack.
   • Make salsa:
     1. Peel and seed papaya and coarsely chop (you will have about 2 cups). Stir together papaya with remaining ingredients in a bowl.  
     2. Serve cheesecake with salsa.
     
     COOK'S NOTES:
     Chiles can be roasted and peeled up to one day ahead.  Refrigerate, covered.
     The Cheesecake can be made up to one day ahead.  Cool completely, uncovered, then refrigerate, covered, and bring to room temperature before serving.
     
     
     BEST SALAD
     by Dega Schembri
     
     
     
     
     
     QUINOA-ADZUKI BEAN SALAD
     
     
     Ingredients:
     1 can of Adzuki beans, well rinsed in a strainer
     1 cup quinoa, rinsed (I use ¾ c white/regular and ¼ c red quinoa - it's prettier)
     1-1/4 cup water (or a mix of  1 c OJ or tangerine juice mix +1/4 c water)
     Generous pinch of salt
     Grated rind and juice of 1 tangerine or orange (I use this mainly for the dressing. Rind can be bitter, so I use it to taste, I don't always use all of the rind)
     1 tsp curry powder or Garam Nasala (I do a mix of the 2 if I have them both)
     1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
     1 tsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
     Salt to taste
     2 Tbsp golden raisins and currants or dried cranberries (I use ½ c golden raisins and 2 TB currants)
     2 carrots, peeled and diced
     1 small fresh zucchini diced
     2 scallions minced
     2 Tbsp minced parsley or more to taste
     2 Tbsp minced basil or more to taste
     ¼ cup lightly toasted sliced or slivered almonds or pistachios or pine nuts
     
     
     Preparation:
     1.      Bring water, half the tangerine juice and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
     2.      Fluff up the quinoa with a fork. Scoop it into a larger bowl.
     3.      In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, remaining tangerine juice, curry powder, olive oil and salt to taste. Drizzle over quinoa, tossing gently.
     4.      Add adzuki beans, tangerine zest, raisins, carrots, zukes, scallions, parsley, basil, nuts and adjust seasonings as needed.
     
     
     
     
     
     BEST ENTREE
     by Rebecca Milliken
     
     SPINACH CASSEROLE
     
     
     
     3 pounds fresh or 2 packages frozen spinach, cooked and drained well
     

     12 ounces small curd cottage cheese

     1/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

     2 eggs, beaten

     2 tablespoons flour

     
     

     4 tablespoons butter, melted

     salt, pepper

     
     

     Preheat oven - 300 degrees. grease 1-quart casserole

     Mix together all ingredients and put in casserole. Freeze at this point if you wish

     bake an hour ( longer if frozen). 

     
     

     Easiest dish in the world!!!! My go-to comfort food and good side or even main course for a dinner.
     
     

The Uninteded Benefits of Exercise - by Jenni Falconer

The benefits of exercise are well known. By doing as little as 15 minutes
of physical activity per day, you’ll be getting your body into shape, build
muscle, lose weight, and also limit your risk of developing a whole host of
serious diseases later on in life.

And if that’s not enough, then don’t fear, because exercise can do much,
much more for you, in ways you will have never have thought of before. In
this article, we’re going to do over some of the more subtle rewards
regular exercise can bring.

More Energy
For those people who don’t do exercise, you might think you have a point
when you question how exerting energy can actually result in ultimately
having *more* energy
<http://www.webmd.com/diet/20061103/exercise-fights-fatigue-boosts-energy>.
But make no mistake: spend a few hours in a gym each week and you’ll be
zipping around. Studies have shown that regular exercise is one of the best
ways to beat fatigue, and can be even more effective than caffeine and
energy drinks for waking people up. The next time you’re struggling to wake
up in the morning, don’t think an extra half hour of sleep will do it: head
down to the gym for a quick routine and you’ll be raring to go in no time.

Feel Happier
Who doesn’t want to feel a little happier in life? Though the reasons why
aren’t yet fully understood, it’s known that exercise improves mood and can
also be used to treat conditions such as depression and anxiety. Scientists
believe that it’s to do with the feel good chemicals
<http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx> that are created when
we’re physically active. So when you’re using the treadmill or rowing
machines, know that you’re not just making sure your body is in tip-top
condition - you’re also taking care of your mental health, too, and
improving your happiness along the way.

Boost Ignored Areas Of Your Health
Our modern lifestyles are great for some things, and not so great for
others. One of the biggest factors is the food we eat, which all too often
fails to deliver the crucial vitamins and minerals we need. If our days
consist of driving to and from work and then sitting at home, we’re liable
to suffer deficiencies in crucial vitamins such as vitamin D and vitamin C,
which can have real health problems
<http://www.kwikmed.org/vitamin-d-deficiency/> if they go untreated. The
rise in vitamin D deficiency is getting so bad that it’s becoming an
epidemic in the United States.
<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states/>


But never fear, because the gym is here to help! The Harvard School of
Public Health found that those who exercised regularly typically have higher
levels of vitamin D than those who don’t
<http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/chomistek-exercise-vitamin-d-heart-risk/>,
and also had better cholesterol, while other studies have shown that those
who hit the gym are less likely to be struck down by common colds and
illnesses. Why? Nobody is quite sure yet, but somehow those hours in the
gym make your body better prepared to ward off niggling illnesses. In all,
these studies are giving exercise a pretty big thumbs up!

Improve Concentration
How far along in a book do you usually get before you toss it aside? How
about those long tasks in front of a computer - do you usually find
yourself taking more breaks than you’d like? And how about those long
drives?

Again, no one is quite sure why, but studies have shown that exercise can
give us a major concentration boost. It’s so effective, in fact, that some
schools actually use aerobic cardio in order to boost academic performance
and behavior. After a few weeks of regular exercise, you’ll notice that
you’re able to focus on the important tasks for longer and do them to a
higher standard.

And The Rest
As you can tell, there’s plenty of unintended benefits to exercise, far too
many to list here. To list just a few more: your skin will look better
<http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/Article/TMG9956550/464/diet-exercise-improve-complexion.html>,
you’ll have a better handle on your life (especially if you’re battling
addiction), and even your memory will improve.

In many ways, building muscle and getting the body you want are just a
small fraction of the benefits of joining a gym. Not will you look great,
but you’ll feel fantastic and develop traits that can be invaluable in your
day-to-day life. Now that’s special!

Fit and Festive - by Jenni Falconer

With Christmas and New Year's just behind us, many of us will still be in a festive spirit. And with shopping, socializing and snowy evenings in front of the fire on the agenda, it's easy to see how going to the gym can start to take a back seat. During the winter months many of us start to eat more and exercise less which can have a damaging effect on our weight and fitness levels. Research indicates that the average American will gain 2lbs during the Christmas holidays alone and more worryingly, they will fail to lose this come new year. Although you will be busy celebrating, there are still plenty of ways to keep fit and healthy over the Christmas holidays while still having a great time.

Winter exercise

Although the prospect of going out into the cold can seem unappealing, exercising in lower temperatures can actually enable you to burn more calories as the body works harder to keep you warm. You can also exercise for longer periods of time in cooler weather which also adds to your calorie loss. From ice skating to snowboarding, there are a lot of great winter exercises you can do during the colder months. Even going for a brisk walk in the snow can get your blood pumping and those feel good endorphins circulating – this can be good for mental health as well as physical health with many experts recommending light exercise as a good natural mood enhancer to fend off the winter blues.

Eat well and bank calories

It will come as no surprise that one of the main causes of Christmas weight gain is over indulgence of fatty foods and calorific beverages. Although Christmas is a time for celebration and enjoying meals and drinks with the family, it is important to do so thoughtfully if you want to battle the bulge. Be mindful of what you are eating – turkey, vegetables and Christmas pudding are fine but do you really need all of the accompanying trimmings, lashings of gravy and double cream as well? Similarly, choose your drinks wisely as drinking heavily can also contribute significantly to your calorie intake. Opt for spirits and slimline tonics over beers and liqueurs and remember to keep hydrated with plenty of water. It can also be beneficial to 'bank' some calories in the weeks leading up to Christmas with a little extra workout time per day and some short circuit training in preparation for those extra festive treats.

Yoga and meditation

Christmas is a notoriously stressful time of year. Whether it's last minute shopping, cooking preparations or entertaining the family, even the most relaxed person can start to feel the pressure when the big day arrives. Yoga and meditation are great workouts to start the day with over the Christmas period. On a physical level, power yoga in particular can be fast paced and strenuous enough to help burn off calories but any type of yoga will improve immunity and strengthen muscles. Mentally, the time out to focus on your breathing and just relax will give you chance to unwind, decompress and find calmness within. During this hectic time of year it can really make a difference to how well you cope under pressure and thus enhance your overall enjoyment.

Dance

Tis the season to be jolly and why not get into the party spirit by dancing along to your favorite Christmas songs. Aerobic dance is thought to burn over 400 calories an hour so whether you are at the office party or simply bopping along in your own kitchen, it is a great way to keep fit. With technology and exercise going hand in hand these days, you could add a dance mat or game to your Christmas list and enlist the whole family in the fun. Not only will it encourage them to exercise without even leaving the house, but it will bring everyone together in the spirit of Christmas.

Strength workouts

If you do manage to get to the gym over the holidays then it's important to prioritise your workout. One area you definitely shouldn't neglect is strength training as your muscle mass is usually the first thing to decline when you stop exercising. Over the holidays you might find you put a little weight on but this can easily be fixed with plenty of cardio in the new year. Once you've lost that muscle mass you will need to work hard to build it back up again.