The Fit Girl's Kitchen: On The Grill

Farro Arugula Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Feta

I had the honor and pleasure of spending this past Tuesday with my lovely friend Amelia, a talented photographer and fellow Bali yogini, as we took some pictures for my new website and company FitGirl Wellness.

Amelia's story is one of the most emotional and inspirational that I have personally known; she is also one of the strongest people I know.

Self portrait of Amelia from her website

I didn't really get to meet Amelia until we arrived in Bali, and after spending the first full day in silence, the remainder of our trip was spent really getting to know one another on a spiritual level. I knew that she had been diagnosed with cancer, was in the process of completing her chemotherapy treatments, and the doctors had just BARELY granted her clearance to take the trip. Her hair was just beginning to grow back, and her scars made it hard for her to practice like rest of us.

But she was there in the shala, every morning, wearing some earthy, airy fabulous scarf or tunic, camera in tow, poised to capture our practice when she had to take rest from her own.

Farro Arugula Salad with Grilled Shrimp and Feta

(measurements are guesstimated. I eyeball everything. Go with what looks good to you)
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 handfuls baby arugula
3/4 cup cooked farro
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Fresh lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dressing
Combo of Basil Infused Olive Oil and 18 Year Aged Balsamic from Oro di Oliva (any good olive oil and balsamic will do)

Shrimp
Pre-marinated and prepped cajun shrimp skewers from Whole Foods (buy them raw, cook right before eating or similar recipe here)

I made 1 cup of (uncooked) farro on Monday night and it made enough to incorporate into my salads for the entire week. Farro is a nutty, superfood grain that's chock full of fiber, magnesium and is classified as a "smart carb". I like to think of it as the orzo of the grain world.

Combine spinach, arugula, salt and pepper in large mixing bowl. Add in dressing to taste, then mix in cooked farro and feta. Squeeze fresh lemon on top.

While you are prepping the salad, grill the shrimp or sear on the stove using coconut oil over medium-high heat, 1-2 minutes per side. The shrimp are tiny, so they will cook in under 4 minutes total.

I try to keep this blog as authentic as possible, so buying the pre-prepped shrimp was a great time saver for getting this salad on the table in under 15 minutes. If you are making your own, make sure to soak the skewers first so they don't burn.

All in all, we were able to enjoy a fabulous lunch outside with some aged cheddar and fig spread, which we both agreed would have gone VERY well with a glass of wine...but alas, we had work to do.

Stay tuned for more photos from our day, including some fun beach shots which you will see in event and website promo in the coming months.

A HUGE thank you to the lovely Amelia Coffaro for sharing her talents and day with me.

(No thank you to our imaginary photo assistant, Shirley, who was completely worthless when we needed her for lighting adjusting/clothes pinning/holding things. She was literally replaced by a bag of poop.)

All images © 2014 Amelia Coffaro and FitGirl Wellness LLC.
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Last week I finally had some time to cook and try out some new recipes I'd been eyeing. I follow Chobani on Instagram (you should too!) and they always post the most delish looking recipes.

I decided to try their Lamb on the Barbie recipe which uses Chobani yogurt for the tzatziki sauce and it was hands down one of my favorite meals I've made on my grill this summer.

Super flavorful. I also added some fresh dill from our CSA to the sauce and it was perfection.

Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Chobani Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

Kebabs:

Approx 1 lb lamb fillet, cubed (ask your butcher to cube for you!)
2 medium zucchinis
1 large sweet onion
Grape tomatoes
Olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp dried oregano
- OR - Mediterranean Seasoning (I used one from The Spice House)
Salt and pepper
Whole wheat pita (optional)
Skewers (I used wooden)

Tzatziki:

1 small cucumber
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Fresh dill
1 Tbsp chopped mint
1 C 2% Plain Chobani Greek Yogurt
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Instructions

1. If using wooden skewers, soak in warm water for about 15 minutes to prevent burning.

2. Preheat grill on high.

3. Cut zucchini and onion in chunks and skewer with lamb cubes and tomatoes alternating. FGK Tip: Use double skewers for a sturdier kebab.

4. Stir in oregano and parsley with a generous amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush on kebabs before grilling and place aside.

5. Slice the top of the cucumber and grate it with a fine grater until you get about 1/4 to halfway down the cucumber. Add in any excess juice from the cucumber.

6. Combine the minced garlic, olive oil, salt, mint and yogurt. Mix well and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Chobani yogurt tzatziki sauce

7. Place kebabs on grill for about 2-3 minutes each side, time may be more or less depending on the cut of lamb.

8. Remove kebabs from grill and place on a plate to serve with tzatziki and pita. Enjoy!

I also served with a side of tabouleh salad that I picked up at our local market. Will definitely be making this again this summer!

Up later this week...I head to Allyu Spa for a chakra rebalancing session. What does that entail? No idea, but I'll be sure to share with you after.

#LiveHealthy

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I promised a recipe post for these amazing marinated lamb chops so here it is! We made these for Mother's Day and then I made them again for our Memorial Day weekend cookout, and they turned out great.

Ahh, the Weber Grill

Lamb chops are pretty similar to steak in taste, and the bone in the chop makes them stay very tender. The lemon juice in this recipe tenderizes the meat even more.

This recipe is also great for entertaining! (FGK Tip: Lamb can get pretty pricey, so if you are hosting more than four people, my mom swears by the lamb chops at wholesale bulk stores like Sam's Club. Anywhere else, you should expect to pay between $16-$19 per pound). I suggest getting 2 chops per person.

Greek Marinated Lamb Chops

(I suggest starting to let these marinate in the morning the day you are planning to cook. You can also do it the night before)

For the Marinade

Makes about 12 chops

1 large lemon (zested, then juiced)
~ 3/4 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, freshly minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
6 stalks fresh rosemary

For the Chops

12 lamb chops, ends scored (see below)
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Prep the chops by seasoning with salt and pepper and then scoring (or making a small cut) on four ends of the chop. This will prevent the meat from curling up on the sides when it's on the grill.

2. Coat a large dish with olive oil and add the zest of the lemon. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and mix into the dish with a fork or whisk.

3. Add the minced garlic and dried oregano to the dish and evenly distribute. Finally, add the rosemary stalks.

4. Add the chops to the dish, flipping once to evenly coat.

5. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for desired time. (FGK Tip - Make sure to take the chops out at least 30 minutes prior to cooking time to let them temper).

Grilling Tips

I like to cook with charcoal so we made these on a charcoal grill with a relatively high heat. You can also make them on a gas grill.

Be warned, the oil makes them really flame up once they are put on, so its best to flip them IMMEDIATELY to help burn off some of the oil.

About 4 minutes per side should produce a medium done-ness (pink on the inside).

Greek Marinated Grilled Lamb Chops

SO good. I paired these with my Red Quinoa Avocado Salad, a grilled kale and potato salad and grilled asparagus. (I really love grilling, can you tell?)