Seared Tuna Nicoise with Lemony White Bean Mash

Hi everyone!

     I have been itching to have a homemade ahi tuna medium rare meal!!  Look what I found … I am such a happy girl right now!!!  During my weekend of new salads I stumbled upon this recipe.  I will warn you, my mom did not like this recipe.  She said it was too bland for her … I love beans and the beans are a big part of the meal.  If you do not like beans I suggest you sub those out for quinoa.

  
{I hope you enjoy the salad}


Enjoy!

BREAK

Let's get started!!

.:: INGREDIENTS ::.

Seared Tuna Nicoise ::

3 large eggs

1.5 cups quartered small red potatoes

1 cup haricots verts, trimmed {French green beans}

2 tuna steaks {6-oz}

½ tsp kosher salt, divided

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbl EVOO

3 tbl red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2/3 cup halved grape tomatoes

¼ cup pitted and quartered nicoise olvies

Lemony White Bean Mash ::

1 can {15 oz} cannellini beans

3 tbl chopped celery

2 tbl chopped fresh parsley

1 tbl fresh lemon juice

2 tsp EVOO

¼ tsp kosher salt

.:: Seared Tuna Nicoise ::.

Place eggs in a large saucepan.  Cover with water to 1 inch above eggs.  Bring just to a boil.  remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 min.  Drain; cool in ice water 5 min.  Peel eggs; cut each egg into 4 slices.

Place potatoes in pan; cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 12 min.  Add beans {green beans}, and cook 3 min. Drain; plunge beans into ice water for 1 min. Drain well.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray {I used coconut oil} Sprinkle tuna with ¼ tsp salt and pepper.  Add tuna to pan, cook 2 min on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Cut thinly across the grain.

Combine remaining salt, oil, vinegar and mustard in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add tomatoes and olives; toss.  Divide eggs, potatoes, beans and tuna among 4 plates; top with tomato mixture.

.:: Lemony White Bean Mash ::.

Place 1 can rinsed and drained cannellini beans in a bowl; mash with a fork.  Add celery, parsley, lemon juice, EVOO and salt; stir to combine.

{Serve the tuna on top of the lemony white bean mash}

Seared Tuna Nicoise ::

SERVES :: 4

CALORIES :: 311

FAT :: 14.7g

PROTEIN :: 25.7g

CARBS :: 16.8g

FIBER :: 2.4g

CHOL :: 175mg

IRON :: 2.7mg

SODIUM :: 596mg

CALCIUM :: 68mg

Lemony White Bean Mash ::

SERVES :: 4 {serving size ½ cup}

CALORIES :: 65

FAT :: 2.7g

SODIUM :: 142mg

TIP: To have this recipe ready in 40 minutes the game plan is as follows – while the eggs cook cut the potatoes, green beans and tomatoes.  Cook potatoes.  Sear tuna. Make vinaigrette. Prepare mashed beans.  Start potatoes in cold water to cook them evenly.  Shocking beans in ice water sets their color and texture. 

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.:: FOOD ::.

RECIPE :: COOKING LIGHT

ISSUE :: August 2012

Roasted Garlic Brussels Sprouts and Asparagus

Hi everyone!


     I drove over to Fresh&Easy after my hair appointment today.  I wanted to purchase a few items I could prepare the night before for my lunches as well as something that could double as a dinner dish for work.  I saw some brussels sprouts and asparagus.  Roasting it will be - yum!  I have wanted to try some brussels sprouts topped with hemp seeds for a while now; I was extremely excited to roast these brussels!!


{you can find Hemp Seeds at Whole Foods}



Enjoy!

Healthy Wheat Germ Banana Orange Smoothie

Hi everyone!


    Today is a special day!!!  The healthy banana orange smoothie is finally here to enjoy!!!  I made another one today and wanted to share it with you all.  Have you been waiting a long time for me to post this?


{feel free to add ice for a chilled version}

     
Enjoy!

Week 3 Day 2

Hi everyone!

     Didn't it feel great to see some progress yesterday?  Let's take that motivation and put it into our workout for today.  Here we go!

{During these workouts I used a 4 pound weighted ball I purchased from Target.  I do not have the Ugi ball}

{Purchase HERE}

{Week 3 Day 2 HERE}

.:: Teeny Bikini Workout ::.

.:: Rock That Ass! Workout ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

Week 3 Day 1

Hi everyone!

     This day is the day we compare our progress to Week 1 Day 1!! I will have the Week 1 Day 1 # before the Week 3 Day 1 # so you can easily see my progress.

{Week 1 Day 1 HERE}

{Week 3 Day 1 HERE}

.:: MY PROGRESS - BODYROCK ::.

1) Squat & Press - Using the Pink Sandbag {with 12 pound sand insert}

      Circuit 1: 20 - 21

      Circuit 2: 13 - 21

      Circuit 3: 14 - 22

2) Push-Up & Clean & Press - Using the Pink Sandbag

      Circuit 1: 7 - 13

      Circuit 2: 9 - 11

      Circuit 3: 9 - 6   

3) Tricep Dips

      Circuit 1: 19 - 25

      Circuit 2: 19 - 25

      Circuit 3: 20 - 26  

4) Abs

      Circuit 1: 23 - 33

      Circuit 2: 29 - 29

      Circuit 3: 25 - 31

{1 Circuit: Squat & Press, Push-up & Clean & Press, Tricep Dips, Abs}

.:: MY PROGRESS - BODYROCK FLOW ::.

Pose 1: Downward Dog

      *Heels on the ground now!!!

Pose 2: Pigeon

      *No Change

Pose 3: Dangling

      *No Change

Pose 4: Standing Back Bend

      *No Change

{click HERE to see a full explanation of each pose}

.:: WORKOUTS ::.

BODYROCK :: BodyRock.tv HERE

EQUIPMENT :: Purchase HERE

*I took most of the links from the BodyRock main page to make it easier for you to navigate

Quote

Blueberry Maple Oat and Flax Muffins

Hi everyone!


     Sunday turned out to be a bake day!  A friend of mine {same one who encouraged me to start this blog} and I tried out a recipe she found.  I do know she found this online but I do not know where.  I will not be able to give the person credit for the yummy muffins. 

     We did not want to use the all-purpose flour in this recipe so after some quick internet searching we found a replacement ratio of flour to oats.  We figured if the muffins did not bake correctly we could use another ratio and try it out again BUT the muffins turned out delicious!!  

Someone online used the ration of 1/3 cup oats for every ¼ cup flour 

{we used rolled oats}.

     We were not sure if the replacement would make the muffin dry or hard or if the oats needed to be ground or not … oh geesh … so we ground half of the oat replacement and kept the other half as whole rolled oats.  There was no other reasoning for this other than “let’s try it.”  The recipe called for ¾ cup all purpose flour so we used 1 cup oats {½ cup ground, ½ cup whole}.  We omitted the sugar and replaced it with a banana {this will end up being used to spread on the tops of the muffins before baking}, however; we did use some coconut palm sugar on 4 of the muffins for her son. 

{I hope you enjoy the muffins}


     Alright, let’s get started on this modified muffin recipe.  Let me know if you make changes, what changes you make and if you will make the muffins again!


Enjoy!

Week 2 Day 5

Hi everyone!

     Keep it up!

{Week 2 Day 5 HERE}

.:: The Avengers Workout! - Get ripped Fast !! ::.

.:: Sexy Bikini Body ::.

.:: Bikini Ready Yoga ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

Blazing Beets

Hi everyone!


    Today I decided that I needed to start adding juice back into my diet.  After my pilates workout I headed over to whole foods to pick up a couple things.  Lucky me - I saw a friend and planned a hike for tomorrow {early in the morning to beat the summer heat}.  Back to the juice … I love juicing beets and ginger!!  I decided I would purchase a few beets and see what I could juice with them. 


{follow me on Instagram @nikoliepolie }


     Beet Action: Antibacterial, antioxidant, tonic, cleansing and laxative. 

     Beet Uses: Vitamin A, enzyme betaine {nourishes and strengthens the liver and gallbladder}, and potassium.

     Buying & Storing Beets: Choose firm unblemished beets.  If beet greens are attached choose bright, glossy and crisp tops.  Store unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to one and a half weeks {cut off the tops when storing and treat tops as a leafy green}.

     For Juicing: Scrub under running water and leave skin on.  When juicing beets with the tops intact feed tops through the juicer first. 

Enjoy!

Week 2 Day 4

Hi everyone!

     How do you feel today?

{Week 2 Day 4 HERE}

.:: Burn ::.

.:: Killer Booty Sculpt Workout ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

Week 2 Day 3

Hi everyone!

     Still keeping up with your exercise?

{Week 2 Day 3 HERE}

.:: Wicked Flexibility ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

Roasted Cumin-Lime Carrots

Hi everyone!


    While I was at the farmers market I came across purple carrots.  I have not been a fan of cooked carrots ever since I can remember.  I figured I should give them a try because not too long before I went shopping I stumbled upon a carrot recipe I wanted to try out.  The purple carrots seem to taste sweet to me and now they are a food I am going to incorporate into my meals more often.  Have you guys ever tried the purple carrots?


{I hope you like my Roasted Cumin-Lime Carrots}


     Carrot Action: Antioxidant, anticancer, protect arteries, expectorant, antiseptic, diuretic, boost immunity, antibacterial, lower blood cholesterol levels & prevent constipation. 

     Carrot Uses: Vitamin A, B, C, iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, cleanse liver, cleanse digestive system, help prevent formation of kidney stones, relieve arthritis, relieve gout, enhance mental function, decrease risk of cataracts & decrease risk of macular degeneration.

     Buying & Storing Carrots: Choose carrots without the tops because the tops draw nutrients out of the carrot {may remove the tops immediately after purchase}.  Choose firm, well-shaped carrots with no cracks.  Store unwashed in a cold & moist place for up to two weeks.


Enjoy!

Week 2 Day 2

Hi everyone!

     Workout, workout & workout!

{Week 2 Day 2 HERE}

.:: Knockout Summer Body Diet Workout ::.

.:: Hot Girl Six Pack Abs Workout ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

PowerCakes Chia Jam

Hi everyone!

     I found a fun, healthy and easy way to incorporate chia seeds into your diet.  I bought chia seeds a long long time ago and have been randomly sprinkling them on random foods.  I did not really know a “yummy” way of using them until {Guess What} I found PowerCakes!! She uses her chia seeds on just about everything.  I am really happy I stumbled upon her blog and her healthy power recipes!   

{you can see POWERCAKES Chia Jam HERE}

     I put a little bit of my yummy chia jam on top of cooked steel cut oats.  I also put non hydrogenated peanut butter, flax seeds and  cinnamon on my oats. {I tried coconut on my oats once :/ and I was not a fan}  Please stay posted for my new blog adventure!  I will try to post once or every other week.

Enjoy!

PowerBlock

Hi everyone!

     What do you use for weighted exercises?  I am recently no longer using my gym membership.  I was debating about purchasing some weights.  After a little research I realized I would be spending a lot of money for a handful of weights and a stand! Yikes!  I noticed that BodyRock uses a product called PowerBlock.  I figured it was a smart investment and I opted for these.  I did not want to pay for shipping so I researched some local retail stores inventories.  Luckily I found some close by!!

I ended up purchasing the U-33 Stage 1

.:: EQUIPMENT ::.

POWERBLOCK :: Purchase HERE

Week 2 Day 1

Hi everyone!

     Here we go …

{Week 2 Day 1 HERE}

.:: Steamy Sweat Workout ::.

.:: Fitness Is Sexy ::.

.:: Sexy Yoga Body ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

Week 1 Day 4

Hi everyone!

     Still keeping up with your exercise?

{Week 1 Day 4 HERE}

.:: My Body Rocks Workout! ::.

.:: Sculpt ::.

.:: Super Hot Yoga ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

Week 1 Day 3

Hi everyone!

     What did you do to workout today?

{Week 1 Day 3 HERE}

.:: Sexy Booty Curves Weighted Interval Workout! ::.

.:: Busting It Out Workout ::.

Let’s BodyRock!

Homemade Granola Bars

Hi everyone!


     This is my first blog, however; I am an avid blog follower and YouTuber.  I have been talking about beginning a fitness challenge for a little while now.  My friend wanted me to blog my challenge for motivation.  We have a little group of girls we share group text messages and pictures with so I thought why not share a blog with everyone.  Today I planned on starting the May 30 Day Challenge with bodyrock.tv but unfortunately I woke up with a migraine.  My body has not felt up to the challenge all day :( I made some granola bars instead.  Let me know if you make the granola bars too and what you think of them.


{you can see my Homemade Granola Bars HERE}


     Please stay posted for my new blog adventure!  I will try to post once or every other week, I am new to this and have yet to find what works with my schedule.


Enjoy!