Sunday Coach's Corner

Meals To-Go
by Felipe Polanco

Big shout out to Murph who competed in the 2012 Northeast Master's Throwdown yesterday.  The wods were tough but Murph did well and is itching for the next throwdown, assuming Alice allows him to get some sleep.  

For those of you that haven't been to a competition, as a spectator or competitor, I suggest you try to go.  The energy is unreal, one that cannot be replicated in class.  The cheering, the motivation gained from family and friends and even the competitors is something I've never seen anywhere else.  If you're interested in going to a competition, either as a spectator or competitor, please let me know and we can work together on making it happen.  Awesome job Murph and thank you for motivating me!

Unfortunately, because of the weather, yesterday's Paleo Pot Luck was cancelled.  However, that doesn't mean I can't share a recipe or two with you, also as a continuation of last week's post: Cauliflower "Arroz con Pollo".  As some of you know, I am Dominican and I have rice and beans flowing through my veins.  My mom would disown me if she knew I had given up rice and beans but she'd at least let me back into the house with one taste of this dish.

Ingredients

• Entire head of cauliflower
• 2lbs of chicken, cubed
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Jalapenos to taste
• 1 cup to cup-and-a-half of vegetables of your choice
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 14oz can of diced tomatoes 
• tsp each of paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin

Heat some olive oil in a paella pan, sauce pan or the biggest pan available.  Making sure the oil is hot enough, add the chicken.  Once the chicken begins to brown (~5 min), add the garlic, onion, jalapenos, and other vegetables (frozen broccoli, mushrooms and peppers).  After another 2-3 minutes, add in the cauliflower, broth and the rest of the ingredients (a little longer if you're using frozen vegetables) and simmer with the lid off for approximately 10 minutes.  Throughout the simmering, make sure to stir well.  Once finished, pack some up for the day and you're ready to go!  The best thing about this meal is that this recipe makes anywhere between 4-6 servings.  Throw the rest in the fridge and you have lunch and dinner for a few days!  

This goes great with a side of avocado or a handful of nuts.  And for the vegetarians out there, you can easily substitute the chicken with some hard-boiled eggs on the side.  

Overall, the entire meal took about 40 minutes, most of that being prep work (mostly breaking apart the cauliflower).  If anyone has any suggestions as to handling cauliflower, please share!!

Bon apetit!!