Please tell me I’m not the only one who never gets tired of Mexican food?!

Pretty sure I’m not

I mean I can’t possibly be?!

It’s so quick and easy to throw together, the flavors are light, fresh and insanely delicious and um . . . hello tacos?!!!!!

I know, I know we just had Cinco De Mayo last week and if you’re anything like me you totally ate your body weight in Mexican food over the weekend #iregretnothing but, I figure one can never have too many quick and easy Mexican inspired recipes up their sleeve now can they?!

Plus, when I shared a pic of the original version I made of this dish on Instagram over the weekend you guys were pretty vocal about the fact that you wanted the recipe, asap.

So here I am, bowing to the masses . . .

The things I do for you

So, without further ado, allow me to present you with my ridiculously simple, yet insanely delicious, quick and easy DYI – grilled chicken burrito bowl.

Looking at these photos I can’t help but feel like they don’t really come close to doing this dish the justice it deserves.

As easy as they are to throw together and as humble as they look, believe me when I say they pack a serious flavor punch!

So many colors, so many flavors, so many textures, so much deliciousness your pretty little head my just explode!!!!!!!

Succulent, juicy, Mexican spiced chicken is pan seared served on a mountain of light a fluffy cilantro-lime cauliflower rice then topped with a light, fresh, tomato salsa, a few slices of avocado, a drizzle of the most amazing, creamy, dreamy, cilantro-lime crema and a few dashes of your fave hot sauce.

Hello flavor-town!!!!

Not only are these quick and easy DIY burrito bowls super simple to throw together and “get out of town” delicious, they get bonus points in my book because they also happen to be naturally gluten free, grain free and paleo friendly , they come together in less than 30 minutes are 100% meal prep friendly so you can make a double, triple, quadruple batch ready to have on hand ready to grab and go for the busy week ahead, and they are happily devoured by the whole family!

Deliciously winning on so many levels

All natural, quick and easy, deliciously simple, seriously flavorful, grilled chicken burrito bowls . . .

It’s like a little Mexican fiesta in every single bite!

Make them. Eat them. Love, love, love them.

Deliciously Simple, Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls
{Gluten Free – Grain Free – Paleo Friendly}

Makes 2 all natural, quick and easy, deliciously simple, seriously flavorful, grilled chicken burrito bowls

Ingredients –

For the chicken –

2 medium sized chicken breasts (could sub thighs if you prefer)

1 Tablespoon of Mexican seasoning

A squeeze of fresh lime juice

For the cilantro lime cauli-rce – 

3-4 cups of cauliflower, riced ( if you are unable to get pre-riced cauliflower it’s easy to make your own – just grate up cauliflower either using a trusty old box grater or process in your food processor for a couple of seconds. You could also sub regular rice or quinoa if you prefer)

1 teaspoon of coconut oil (or cooking fat of choice)

2 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro (coriander)

A squeeze of fresh lime juice (approx 1 teaspoon)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the cheats pico –

1/2 cup of baby tomatoes, diced

1 Tablespoon of finely chopped red/Spanish onion

A squeeze of fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the cilantro lime crema –

1/4 cup coconut cream (could sub coconut or Greek style yogurt)

2 Tablespoons of cilantro (coriander)

1 teaspoon of lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For serving –

1 large avocado, sliced

1 Jalapeno, sliced

A few shakes of your fave hot sauce

A handful of your fave plantain or tortilla chips

Method –

First let’s make the cilantro lime cream –

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until deliciously creamy and well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed then transfer into a small bowl, jug or mason jar and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Next up let’s make our quick and easy, cheats pico –

Place all ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Place in the fridge until your ready to assemble your delicious little burrito bowl.

Now, onto the chicken –

1 – Sprinkle both sides of your chicken with Mexican seasoning and give it a nice little massage to make sure its nice and evenly (and thoroughly) coated.

2 – Place a fry pan over medium high heat, drizzle with a little coconut oil (or cooking fat of choice) and cook chicken for 3-4 minutes each side until deliciously golden and cooked through.

3 – Once your chicken is cooked, squeeze over your lime juice and transfer to a plate (or chopping) board, cover to keep warm and allow it to rest while you cook your “rice” then chop it up into bite size pieces to serve.

Lastly, let’s make our rice –

1 – Place a fry pan over medium-high heat, add coconut oil (or cooking fat of choice) and  cauliflower rice and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not over-stir or it will go mushy) until cooked through.

2 – Once your rice is cooked, add cilantro (coriander), lime juice and season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Build your bowl –

Divide cauli-rice between two serving dishes, add chicken, avocado, pico + a generous drizzle of our dreamy, cilantro lime cream, a little extra cilantro (coriander), some sliced jalapenos’, a few dashes of your fave hot sauce and crumble over your plantain (or tortilla) chips if desired.

Enjoy xo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

Are you a fellow Mexican food lover? What’s your favorite dish?

Feel free to share recipes, or links recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your burrito bowl (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Deliciously Simple Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls {Gluten Free – Grain Free – Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

It’s Friday again already can you believe it?!

Not only is it Friday but it’s the first Friday in May?!

Sloooowwwww down 2017!!!!!

But, here we are, another fabulous Fri-Yay is upon us and you know what that means . . .

. . .  it’s time for another round of fit Friday fun!!!!

Today I’m sharing a short, sharp total body workout that you can get in and get done in around 20 minutes a what do you say, are you up for it?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with the right combination of exercises you can have an awesome workout in next to no time at all, and that my friend is what we are going to do today!

Today’s workout is called full body fiesta with very good reason, although it’s made up of just a handful of familiar exercises, believe me when I say you will be feeling the burn from top to tail!

In today’s workout we are going to do 6 exercises that incorporate most of your major muscle groups, I’m talkin’ quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, lats, delts/shoulders, chest, biceps and abs/core which means you get serious bang for your workout buck!

Just because your workout is short doesn’t mean it’s not effective, trust me. When you’re done with this workout, your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing, metabolism firing and have you feeling, strong and energized ready to take on the rest of the day!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

6 exercises – Deadlift – Bent Over Row – Bicep Curls – Over Head Press – Squats and Triceps Extensions – we will aim to do 8 reps of each exercise and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, got it?

Nothing overly complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective total body workout.

I’m not allocating any specific rest breaks in today’s workout but I want you to listen to that beautiful body of yours and rest as needed.

Anytime you feel like you need to take a break to catch your breath and grab a little drink then by all means please do so, and take all the time you need. However, if possible try to wait until you get to the bottom of each round to do so but, do what you gotta do, OK?!

Catch your breath, grab a drink then get straight back into it, deal?

Grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

 20 Minute Full Body Fiesta

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now for our bonus smoothie recipe . . .

In honor of Cinco De Mayo (and I because I had a serious craving for a killer iced chocolate) I thought we could have ourselves fun and festive, Mexican inspired smoothie today.

How does a nice tall, light, fresh, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, seriously chocolatey, creamy. dreamy, delicious, nutritious Mexican Mudslide sound?

Did you know that research shows that cayenne pepper has been known to boost metabolism as well as support weight loss, aid digestion, promote heart health and reduce muscle and joint pain?!

Seriously, how cool is that?!

I promise this smoothie doesn’t taste spicy, that cheeky spoonful of tahini (or you could use cashew butter if you prefer) not only makes your smoothie extra creamy and all kinds of delicious but, it helps to balance out that richness of the chocolate and tones down that little kick of heat so what you’re left with is a sneaky yet powerful nutritional boost and a subtle, gentle belly warming hum of deliciousness.

It really is simply divine, the perfect way to treat yo’ self and refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours on this fabulous Friday.

Oh and I should probably mention that not only does our fun and festive, seriously chocolatey smoothie taste like an absolute dream but, it also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly – so much to love I tell you

Trust me, you want to get in on this!

Mexican Mudslide
{Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly}

Makes 1 ice cold, light, fresh, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, creamy, dreamy, delicious, nutritious, seriously chocolaty Mexican mudslide that has a cheeky little kick of heat.

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

1 teaspoon of vanilla (or 4-6 drops of vanilla cream stevia – I like to use Sweet Leaf Stevia )

1/2 an overripe banana (preferably pre-frozen)

1 Tablespoon of cacao

1 Tablespoon of Tahini or Cashew butter

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

A pinch of Cayenne pepper (more or less to taste. FYI – I used 1/2 of my 1/8th tsp)

1/2-1  cup of ice – more or less to reach desired consistency

Optional but recommended for serving –

Cacao nibs – I use actually this cacao crunch by Power Superfoods

Coconut Flakes

Chili flakes if your feeling extra fiesty

Method –

1 – Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

2 – To serve, pour into a chilled glass or mason jar and garnish with a cacao nibs, coconut and chili if desired.

Note – You could also add in a scoop of protein powder (chocolate, vanilla or unflavoured would work well in this recipe) and some great lakes gelatin for an extra boost of protein if you’re into that kinda thing – do what you feel baby

Enjoy xoxo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go –

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

What’s your favorite way to refuel after a workout?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this smoothie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Fit Friday Fun – A 20 Minute Full Body Fiesta Workout & A Mexican Mudslide Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

Ready?

Ok hold on to your sombreros Amigos, here we gooooooo –

1 – Loaded Mexican Baked Sweet Potatoes – GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

2 – Healthy, Homemade Taco Salad Lettuce Wraps – GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

3 – Sweet and Saucy Mexican Spiced {Slow Cooker} Shredded Chicken
GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

4 – Mexican BLT Sliders – GF – Paleo

5 – Mexican Spiced {Slow Cooker} Chickpea Lettuce Wraps – V-GF

6 – Mexican Meatloaf Muffins – GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

7 – Avocado and Black bean Quesadillas – V – GF

8 – Sweet and Spicy {Slow Cooker} Ginger Jalapeno Pulled Pork
GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

9 – Healthy, Homemade Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa – V – GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

10 – Mango Pico De Gallo – V – GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

11 – Sweet and Spicy Strawberry Salsa – V – GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

12 – Lemon and Lime Wholewheat {Baked} Donuts

13 – Pina Colada Smoothie – V – GF – Paleo

14 – Lemon Lime Iced Green Tea – GF – Paleo – Whole30 Compliant

15 – Berry Mint and Lime Mojito – V – DF – Paleo

__________________________________________

Question of the day –

What’s your favourite mexican dish?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make any of these fun, festive recipes for your cinco de mayo celebration (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) make sure you snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post 15 Deliciously Simple, Secretly Healthy, Fun & Festive Recipes to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo first appeared on Better with Cake.

It all started with my healthy, homemade Asian style BBQ sauce – you guys that stuff is the goods! Seriously, it something I always make sure I have on hand, we eat it allllll the time.

I like to call it my magic sauce because I can get my daughter to eat pretty anything if I put a teeny, tiny little dot of that deliciously magical BBQ sauce on it. #parentingwin

But, as delicious as it is, we are not here to talk about my Asian style bbq sauce although, if you haven’t made it yet you really should get on that, it’s kind of life changing  #justsayin

Anyway, moving on . . .

So, after my healthy, homemade Asian style BBQ sauce came my creamy, dreamy, 2 minute {paleo} garlic and dill dressing which, I don’t know if you know this or not but, that stuff is awesome-sauce and I use it on errrrrrrrry-thang. I seriously can not get enough! (see  here, here and  here )

But again, as amazing as it is, we’re not here to talk about my creamy, dreamy 2 minute {paleo} garlic and dill dressing either.

What I do want to tell you about is this seriously incredible roasted almond jalapeno pesto.

Oh.

My.

Word.

You guys, did you hear me?!

ROASTED ALMOND AND JALAPENO PESTO!!!!!!!!

You guys, this pesto . . .

It’s light, fresh and deliciously nutty with a cheeky kick of heat!

A delicious little twist on a much loved classic!

It’s seriously so good I want to eat it on alllll of the things

Our vibrant base is made with a combination of spinach and coriander (cilantro) along with a good pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Next, we kick things up a notch by adding in one feisty little jalapeno’ then, we cool things off by adding a touch of zesty freshness with a cheeky squeeze of lime.

Spinach, coriander, jalapeno and lime, all good things right?!

But, those roasted almonds is where the magic happens.

I was going to just add them in raw but, there is something truly incredible about the depth of flavor that develops when you roast those nutrient rich, gloriously golden, gems of deliciousness and roasting them was definitely the right call here!

Yes, it will mean you have to wait an extra 5-10 minutes before you can get that pesto into your belly but, believe me, it’s totally worth it.

I mean, have I ever steered you wrong?

Not yet my friend and certainly not today!

Just quickly before I leave you to go get your pesto on, I feel like I should mention that I only added one little teaspoon of coconut oil into this recipe because;

1 – I just adore the flavour of it. The touch of coconut oil adds subtle sweetness which I think really helps to balance out the earthiness of our aromatic base. It really just bring the flavors of this pesto together without compromising the taste at all.

The last thing I wanted was for this pesto to taste oily or have an overwhelming taste of coconut. So I just used 1 teaspoon for flavor and texture and then added 1 Tablespoon of water to bring it together to my preferred consistency which brings me to my next point.

2 – I like my pesto to the nice and thick, I like to be able to use it as a dip or a spread and I find that adding more oil leads to a much thinner (read runnier) pesto and I find that it doesn’t seem to “stick” to whatever I want to serve it with very well.

That being said if I want to drizzle it as a sauce over burgers and things (like this) I simply thin it out with a splash of water but, do what you feel people, each to their own. I just wanted to put that out there.

So, this pesto . . .

It’s all natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, deliciously nutty and seriously addicting.

It’s super easy to make using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and comes together in a matter of minutes.

It also happens to be naturally vegan, gluten free, dairy free, paleo friendly and 100% Whole30 compliant but, most importantly, it’s downright delicious and you need it in your life, asap!

Eat it straight up by the spoonful, stir it into some scrambled eggs, spread it on some avocado toast and maybe add an egg or two and some bacon because, bacon, and have yourself a killer breakfast.

Use it to dip some veggies in for a seriously awesome afternoon snack, stir it through some zucchini noodles, smother your face chicken in it, or steak, or fish, or or protein of choice, drizzle some over your burger, or some deliciously simple, perfectly roasted pumpkin or crispy oven fries . . . as you can see the possibilities on how you can enjoy this little pot of deliciousness really are endless.

However you choose to use it you really cant go wrong!

All natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, deliciously nutty, seriously addicting roasted almond and jalapeno pesto;

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Roasted Almond & Jalapeno’ Pesto {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}

Makes approximately 1 cup of light fresh, deliciously nutty pesto with a cheeky kick of heat.

Ingredients –

2 cups, firmly packed, baby spinach – washed and rinsed

1/3 cup Coriander (cilantro)

1/4 cup raw almonds

1 large jalapeno (I use fresh), finely sliced (with or with seeds depending on how feisty you like things, more or less to taste)

1 Tablespoon of lime juice – from approx 1/2 a lime

1 Tablespoon of coconut oil, melted and cooled.

Salt and pepper to taste

Method –

1 – Pre-heat your oven to 175’C (350’F)

2 – Place your almonds onto a lined baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant.

3 – Once your almonds are toasted place them, along with all remaining ingredients into your food processor or blender and process until well combined.

If you’d like to make a thinner pesto add a touch of water (or neutral flavored oil) a Tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Pesto should keep well stored, covered or in a sealed air tight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. It can also be frozen (for up to 3 months) in a ice cube tray, then transferred to a ziplock bag in single servings ready to grab and go as needed.

Enjoy xo

__________________________________________

Question of the day –

Are you a fellow pesto lover? What’s your favorite way to eat it?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your pesto (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Roasted Almond & Jalapeno’ Pesto {Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

I’m going to keep this short and sweet for you today people because today has been one of those insanely busy days where nothing has gone according to plan.

Everything I had to do has taken 10 times longer than expected, and then there was the fact that my server was down for most of yesterday which totally threw me off track!

Total first world problem I know but still annoying none the less!

Anyway, there was no way I was going to let Cinco de Mayo come and go without sharing this quick and easy, insanely delicious loaded Mexican baked sweet potato recipe with you.

Oh you guys are going to love, love, love this!

Succulent, juicy, turkey breast is combined with smoky, spicy Mexican seasoning (along with an extra sneaky serve of veg) then loaded onto a soft and tender baked sweet potato and finished with a light fresh tomato salsa then drizzled with a dreamy avocado cream!

So much flava flave it may very well just knock your socks off!

They are quick, easy, hearty, healthy, succulent, juicy, light, fresh, crispy, crunchy, smoky and sweet with just a cheeky kick of heat – a delicious little flavor bomb!

Oh and they also happen to be gluten free and paleo friendly but most importantly they are insanely delicious, something the whole family will just adore – what more could you ask for?!

Make them. Eat them. Love, love, love them.

Loaded Mexican Baked Sweet Potato {Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly}

Makes 4-8 quick, easy, hearty, healthy, succulent, juicy, light, fresh, crispy, crunchy, smoky, sweet loaded Mexican baked sweet potatoes with just a cheeky kick of heat

Ingredients –

4 medium sweet potatoes

For the Mexican taco filling –

250g Turkey breast mince (could sub chicken/beef or pork if you prefer)

1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

1 large carrot, grated

1 large zucchini, grated

1 small red (Spanish) onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Mexican seasoning

A squeeze of fresh lime juice (I used 1/2 a lime)

For the tomato salsa –

3/4 cup of baby tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro (coriander) , finely chopped

1 jalapeño (more or less depending on how hot you like it)

salt and pepper to taste

For the avocado “cream” –

1/2 large avocado

1 Tablespoon of coconut yogurt (could sub coconut cream or milk of choice)

A squeeze of lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Method –

1 – First we want to cook those golden delicious sweet potatoes, you can do this however you prefer I like to do mine in the oven that way I get that nice crispy skin but you could totally just do them in the microwave if you prefer it’s totally up to you.

If cooking in the oven simply pierce them a few times with a fork, toss in a little coconut oil, season with salt and pepper and pop them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or foil and roast those babies at 175’C (350’F)  for 30-40 minutes (this may vary depending on their size) until cooked through.

While your potatoes are cooking let’s make our filling –

1 – In a large frying pan over medium high heat sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms along with your zucchini and carrots until tender (approx 2-3 minutes)

2 – Add turkey along with your Mexican seasoning and continue to cook, stirring frequently until cooked through.

3 – Add a cheeky squeeze of fresh lime juice then stir to combine.

4 – Turn off the heat, cover and set aside until ready to serve

To make the salsa –

1 – Place all ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary

Now let’s make that avocado cream –

1 – Place all ingredients into your food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy or you could just pop it all in a bowl and give it a good mash with a fork and a little elbow grease, totally up to you.

Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary, feel free to add a little extra yogurt or milk to reach desired consistency.

To serve –

1 – Slice your sweet potato in half and use a fork to press down in the center to flatten them out a little, slightly fluffy/mash a little of the filling as you go. This helps to make a larger surface area for us to pile on our tasty toppings.

2 – Spoon a generous amount of your taco filling (I’m talking a good 1/2 cup) onto your sweet potato, top with salsa, and then finish with a nice drizzle of our avocado cream and an extra sprinkling of coriander (cilantro) along with a few shakes of your fave hot sauce.

Enjoy xo

_________________________________________

Question of the day –

What are tasty treat will you be feasting on this Cinco de Mayo?

Feel free to share recipes or leave links to recipes in the comments below and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make these loaded sweet potatoes (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Loaded Mexican Baked Sweet Potato {Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

You know what that means?!

It’s time for another round of fit Friday fun!!!!

And let me tell you, we are going to have ourselves some fun today because today I’m sharing a short and sharp total body complex that you get done in less than 20 minutes!

Wait, wait, don’t let the fact that I just used the word complex put you off, I promise there is nothing complicated about this workout at all.

Let me explain –

In a complex, we simply use the same piece of equipment throughout the entire workout.

And, in general we would aim to complete one complete round of our workout before putting our chosen piece of equipment down, unless of course you need to rest.

For example –

In today’s workout we are going to do the following exercise –

Deadlift – Bent-over row – Power clean – Push press – Squat

So, if you chose to use barbell, you would do 8 reps of the deadlift, 8 x bent-over rows, 8 x  power cleans, 8 x push presses, and then 8 x squats – move from one exercise to the next without putting the bar down and then we would take a full minutes rest (or as long as you need) before we repeat the entire sequence through for a total of three rounds.

One thing you want to keep in mind is what kind of squat you want to do, if you are using a barbell and wanted to do a standard barbell back squat you would need to remember to bring the bar down behind your head so it’s in the right position for your squats.

If you were wanting to do a front squat then simply lower the bar down onto your shoulders, under your chin. The same applies if you are using dumbbells or kettlebells too.

This means you need to think about how much weight you choose to lift, most likely you can deadlift more than you can clean or press so you are going to want to scale your weight accordingly.

Does that make sense?

Hopefully it does but, please feel free to hit me up with any questions OK?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with the right combination of exercises you can have an awesome workout in next to no time at all, and that my friend is what we are going to do today!

In today’s workout we are going to do just 5 simple exercises that incorporate most of your major muscle groups, I’m talkin’ quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, lats, delts/shoulders, chest, biceps and abs/core which means you get serious bang for your workout buck!

Just because your workout is short doesn’t mean it’s not effective, trust me. When you’re done with this workout, your heart rate will be pumping, endorphin’s flowing, metabolism firing!

So, here’s what we are going to do –

5 basic exercises – Deadlift – Bent-over row – Power clean – Push press – Squat – we will do 8 reps of each exercise (without putting out weight down if possible) and repeat the entire sequence through for a total of 3 rounds, got it?

Nothing complicated, basic movements done with good form for a short but effective total body workout.

We will move from one exercise to the next without putting out weights down then, once we have completed all reps of each exercises we will take 1 full delicious minute of rest and recovery – catch your breath, grab a drink then we get straight back into it and repeat for a total of 3 rounds, deal?

Grab yourself a weapon of choice – a set of dumbbells, a barbell, kettlebells, some resistance bands or any combination you like. Make sure you choose something appropriate for your strength but, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

Although, we want quality not quantity, always! Never compromise your form, ever! If your form starts to fail your done, got it?

Take your time, concentrate, focus and breathe through each and every exercise. You are strong, you are amazing, you have big energy! You’ve totally got this!

And because nothing makes a workout challenge more fun than getting a buddy to join you. Why not grab your BFF or a family member or your fave workmate and have them join you, power in numbers baby!

Don’t forget to come back and let me know how you did once you’re done. Either leave me a message in the comments below, or you can give me a shout on the Facebook page or tag me (@EmSwanston) on Twitter , or Instagram (@emsswanston) . I mean it, I wanna hear how you did!

Ok enough chit chat time to work –

 20 Minute Full Body Complex

As always make sure you are nice an warm before you start your workout – Run on the spot, do jumping jacks, jump rope, dance around your living room, anything to get you warm then it’s time to get serious.

Finish with a nice little cool down and stretch, maybe take a walk or something anything to help bring your heart rate down. Finish with a few of your fave stretches. Please don’t skip the stretch people, its like dessert for the body.

Now for our post workout refuel – Smoothies are a great option for your post workout refuel, they make it super easy for the body to absorb and digest those precious nutrients, they are seriously convenient, quick and easy to prepare and, a great option for those of us who don’t have much of an appetite post workout.

It’s so important to nourish and re-energize your body post workout, you want to make sure you give those muscles some fuel so that they can rebuild and repair themselves after working so hard.

In honor of Cinco De Mayo next week (plus I just have a serious craving for iced chocolate) I thought we could have ourselves fun and festive, Mexican inspired smoothie today!

How does a nice tall, light, fresh, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, delicious, nutritious Mexican Iced chocolate smoothie sound?

This bad boy is packed with protein, and low GI carbs will help refuel and re-energize that beautiful body of yours.

Plus the cheeky pinch of cayenne pepper we add into our smoothie today not only adds a deliciously subtly hum of heat to our decadent and rich, seriously intense little iced chocolate it also adds an extra nutritional boost.

Did you know that research shows that cayenne has been known to boost metabolism as well as support weight loss, aid digestion, promote heart health and reduce muscle and joint pain?!

I promise this smoothie doesn’t taste spicy, you really do just get this delicious little belly warming hum of heat – it’s so, so good!

Oh and FYI – this delicious little smoothie also happens to be vegan, dairy free and paleo friendly but, most importantly, it’s downright delicious.

Trust me, you want to get in on this!

Mexican Iced Chocolate Smoothie {Vegan, Dairy Free & Paleo Friendly}

Makes 1 ice cold, light, fresh, decadent, rich, subtly sweet, creamy, dreamy, Mexican iced chocolate with a cheeky little kick of heat.

Ingredients –

1/3 cup coconut or Greek style yogurt

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 an overripe banana (preferably pre-frozen)

2 Tablespoons of cacao

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

A pinch of Cayenne pepper (more or less to taste. FYI – I used 1/2 of my 1/8th tsp)

1/2-1  cup of ice – more or less to reach desired consistency

Optional but recommended for serving –

Cacao nibs – I use actually this cacao crunch by Power Superfoods

Shredded coconut

Chili flakes if your feeling extra fiesty

Method –

1 – Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

2 – To serve, pour into a chilled glass or mason jar and garnish with a cacao nibs, coconut and chili if desired.

You could also add in a scoop of protein powder or some Great Lakes Gelatin for an extra boost of protein if you like.

Enjoy xoxo

Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you’re done – hit me up in the comments below via the Facebook page on Twitter or on Instagram

Now go –

and have yourself a killer day xoxo

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Question of the day –

What’s your favorite way to refuel after a workout?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this smoothie (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post A 20 Minute Full Body Complex + A Mexican Iced Chocolate Smoothie Recipe first appeared on Better with Cake.

Oh my word you guys . . . I have big news!

Huge news and I can not wait to tell you . . .

My good friends Bill and Hayley over at Primal Palate have just released a new ecookbook.

The best Paleo recipes of 2015.

This book is pretty much a collaboration of my fave Paleo food bloggers sharing their favorite recipes of 2015 along with some brand new, unseen, unpublished bonus recipes!

You guys know how much I love my cookbooks so seeing friends release such incredible work is always super exciting to me but this year it’s even more exciting because;

Not only have they put together one incredible resource of healthy, delicious Paleo friendly recipes for us all to use in our day to day lives but, they asked me to be a part of it!

Can you believe it?!

Me?! ( ← Insert super dorky happy dancing here)

The book itself is incredibly beautiful, the recipes are straight forward and easy to follow and the food photography  . . . wow!

Honestly, Bill and Hayley have seriously outdone themselves with this years publication and I’m not just saying that because they asked me to be apart of it but (*squeal*) I still can’t quite believe it?!

The book is huge – 476 beautiful pages and includes everything from an overview of ancestral/paleo style eating (including what foods to include and what to avoid), as well as basic shopping guide and sooooo many recipes . . . 192 deliciously healthy, family friendly recipes, each with their own photo, that also happen to be gluten, dairy and refined sugar free.

If you are new to the  Paleo / Primal / Grain-free way of eating, this book is a great resource to help get you started

The recipes have been created and shared by 32 seriously talented health, fitness and wellness experts, food bloggers and authors such as –

Alexis Kornblum from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen, Danielle Walker from Against All Grain, Hayley and Bill from Primal Palate, Joshua Weissman from Slim Palate, Julie Bauer from PaleoOMG, Steph Gaudreau from Stupid Easy Paleo and Vanessa Barajas from Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind just to name a few!

Like I said it there are 192 recipes that are divided into the following categories – appetizers, beverages, main dishes, sauces and spreads, side dishes, soups and salads and of course some incredible looking treats and desserts.

Whether your following the paleo style “diet” or not this book really would make an invaulable addition to your cookbook collection.

There really is something for everyone.

So whether you’re currently following the Paleo lifestyle, looking to transition into the paleo lifestyle or simply wanting add some new, delicious, nutritious recipes into your life then you need this book in your life.

For just $29.95 (USD) you get instant access to 192 delicious, nutritious recipes that are refined sugar free, dairy free, grain free and of course Paleo friendly.

Another really cool thing about this eBook , is that it’s totally a portable format and mobile-friendly. Download a copy to your phone, a copy to your tablet, and a copy to your home computer. Need a dinner idea in a hurry?

Browse the table of contents to view all of the recipes quickly and easily. Because it’s an interactive PDF document, getting around the eBook is just like getting around a website. A couple clicks takes you where you want to go in the eBook.

So much to love, you won’t find another resource like it! What are you waiting for?!

Let me know if you have any questions, if not – grab your copy today

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Please, please, please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make any of the recipes from this incredible book (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post The Best Paleo Recipes of 2015 eBook first appeared on Better with Cake.

Ladies and gentlemen I do believe it’s safe to say that my seriously drawn out, mind numbing, infuriatingly long lived, manky little sinus infection has well and truly left the building ← insert seriously dorky happy dancing and high fives for everyone!

I am beyond happy about this, honestly, I was starting to think the day would never come. But at last it’s here, Im feeling a million times better and I could not be more thrilled!

Hallelujah!

Now that I am feeling less like a walking zombie and more like my old self again it would appear that I have developed this outrageous craving for all things citrus.

It’s kind of slightly out of control, but just between you and me, I kinda like it.

Maybe it’s my subconscious attempt to bring a little summer back into my life because baby it’s cooolllllddddd outside!

Or, maybe it’s my body’s way of trying to stock pile all of that precious vitamin C in an attempt to prevent any further colds/flus!

Either way I’m totally ok with it.

Especially if it means I get to eat my bodyweight in this all natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, citrusy sweet, healthy, homemade pineapple-jalapeno salsa!

Oh my deliciousness, seriously you guys are going to love, love, love this!

Succulent, juicy, citrusy-sweet chunks of pineapple are combined with some finely sliced, spanish onion, a generous sprinkling of fresh coriander (cilantro), a cheeky squeeze of fresh lime and a little kick of heat from one finely chopped jalapeño pepper.

It’s light, fresh, citrusy sweet with a cheeky little hit of heat – a total flavour bomb that also happens to be naturally vegan, gluten free and paleo friendly and it could not be easier to make.

Simply chop up your ingredients, throw them in a bowl, give it a little stir and boomshakalocka, welcome to flavour town!

Eat it straight up by the spoonful, throw it on a burger, add it to your favourite salad or just grab a big ol’ bag of corn chips and go to town!

Light, fresh, salty, sweet and simply divine!

Oh and for my American friends – this salsa would be the perfect addition to your fourth of july festive feasting. Just switch the green chilli for red, throw in a handful of blueberries and there you have your red, white and blue baby!

Yes. yes, just yes!

All natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, citrusy-sweet, healthy, homemade pineapple-jalapeno’ salsa for everyone!

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Healthy, Homemade Pineapple-Jalepeno’ Salsa
Makes approx 2 cups of light, fresh, citrusy-sweet pineapple salsa with a cheeky little kick

Ingredients –

1 cup of finely chopped pineapple – preferably fresh but canned will work too

1 small red (spanish) onion very finely chopped

1 green jalapeño chilli pepper finely chopped – more or less to taste with or without seeds depending on how feisty you like your salsa

1/4 cup of coriander (cilantro) finely chopped

A squeeze of fresh lime juice – approx 1 tsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Method –

1 – Place all ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine.

2 – Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

3 –  Store in an air tight container in the fridge until you’re ready to devour serve – should keep well for up to 1 week but, mine has never lasted that long

4 – Serve it with your favourite salad, or on top of your favourite burger, or with chicken, fish, steak, tempeh, tofu,  or simply straight up by the spoonful or just grab a big ol’ bag of your favourite corn chips and go to town baby.

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

Are you fellow fruity salsa lover? What’s your fave flavour combination? Tell me, tell me . . . details please

Feel free to share recipes or leave links to recipes in the comments below and if you make this recipe make sure you snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page or tag me on Instagram or twitter – sharing is caring people

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The post Healthy, Homemade Pineapple-Jalapeno’ Salsa first appeared on Better with Cake.

You guys . . . this salad . . . I am well and truly lost for words . . .

It is so – seriously, insanely, unbelievably delicious that I can not even begin to find words that are descriptive enough, to come even remotely close to doing it the justice it deserves.

Seriously.

I can’t even . . .

Succulent, juicy, turkey breast is combined with smoky, spicy mexican seasoning (with an extra sneaky serve of veg) then loaded into a cool crisp lettuce leaf and sprinkled with all of the toppings in all of the land and devoured within a matter of seconds!

So much flava flave it may very well just knock your socks off!

You guys know I love me a good lettuce wrap and these bad boys are no exception.

I just adore the way the cool crisp lettuce leaf really allows the flavours of the spicy taco salad filling to just shine on through. Plus, they are super fun (aka slightly messy) to eat. If you have little ones (and not so little ones) at home they are going to love this style of eating!

Gah, you guys – I am so excited about this recipe, I seriously can not wait for you to try it. I just know you are going to love, love, love it.

I’m talking big time love and let me tell you why . . .

Our taco salad lettuce wraps are quick and easy to prepare coming together from start to finish in well under 30 minutes.

They also happen to be seriously healthy made with just a handful of real food ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and they also have the added bonus of being low carb, grain free and paleo friendly 

But most importantly they are insanely, and I mean I-N-S-A-N-E-L-Y, delicious!

They are hearty and healthy, light, fresh, crispy, crunchy, smoky, sweet with just a cheeky kick of heat – a delicious little flavour bomb!

The succulent, juicy, mexican spiced, veggilicious, savoury base is loaded into a cool crisp lettuce leaf then combined with a crisp crunch of shaved purple cabbage, a burst of tart fresh tomato and a subtle sweetness from those cute little corn kernels.

Then we finish things off with refreshing squeeze of lime, an aromatic sprinkling of (controversial) coriander, a little extra chilli, a dollop of coconut cream (could sub coconut even Greek style yogurt – or a nice drizzle of ranch if your feeling fancy ) and a few delicious chunks of creamy, dreamy avocado.

Oh and feel free to throw on a dash of your fave hot sauce if you’re feeling a little extra feisty, which I totally am

Hello flava flave!

Get. In. My. Belly!

And would you just look at all the delicious colour?!

Talk about taste the rainbow! Whoever said healthy eating had to be boring?!

Not this gal that’s for sure, not on my watch!

Light, fresh, crispy, crunchy, smoky, sweet, hearty, healthy, homemade taco salad lettuce wraps – a seriously delicious little flavour bomb!

Make them. Eat them. Love, love, love them

Healthy, Homemade Taco Salad Lettuce Wraps {Low Carb, Grain Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes approx 4 – Light, fresh, crispy, crunchy, smoky, sweet, insanely delicious, healthy homemade taco salad lettuce wraps.

Ingredients –

250g Turkey breast mince (could sub chicken/beef/pork/tempeh)

1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

1 large carrot, grated

1 large zucchini, grated

1 small red (spanish) onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Mexican seasoning

A squeeze of fresh lime juice (I used 1/2 a lime)

For serving –

8 (ish) baby cos or butter lettuce leaves, washed and dried – at least 2 leaves per serve

1 small red chilli, sliced very finely

1/4 cup baby grape tomatoes, sliced

1/4 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup finely shredded purple cabbage

1 whole avocado

A dollop of coconut cream –  yogurt – primal kitchen foods ranch dressing

A dash of your fave hot sauce

A cheeky squeeze of fresh lime

Method –

1 – In a large frypan over medium high heat sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms along with your zucchini and carrots until tender (2-3 mins)

2 – Add turkey along with your mexican seasoning and continue to cook, stirring frequently until cooked through.

3 – Add a cheeky squeeze of fresh lime juice then stir to combine.

4 – To serve, spoon about 1/2 cup of meat mix per lettuce leaf and finish with a generous sprinkling of each of your toppings.

Enjoy

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Question of the day –

What is your all time favourite salad?

Feel free to share recipes or links to recipes in the comments below and when you make these lettuce wraps don’t forget to snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page or tag me on Instagram or twitter – sharing is caring people

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The post Healthy, Homemade Taco Salad Lettuce Wraps {Low Carb, Grain Free & Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.

Baby it’s cooooollllllllddddd outside!!

Just a few days into winter and all of a sudden the temperate has dropped dramatically!

No gradual, considerate, daily, decline giving you a chance to adjust to the change of season –  just bam – Ice, ice baby!

What do you say we stop, collaborate and listen spice things up a little by making ourselves a big ol’ batch of – all natural, quick and easy, healthy, homemade mexican seasoning?

Because who doesn’t love a good Mexican spice mix?

Answer = no one!

No one worth knowing anyways

Seriously though, I don’t think I have ever met a person who doesn’t like Mexican!

Have you?

Maybe I just know all the cool peeps who, like me, love to get their Mexican on?!

Anyways, I made us an insanely delicious, quick and easy, healthy, homemade Mexican seasoning that I just know you guys are going to love, love, love!

It’s all natural, made with just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and it comes together in a matter of seconds.

All you gotta do is bust open your dusty, I mean trusty, ol’ spice cabinet and you are half way there!

Once you have your spices in hand all that’s left to do is, throw them in a bowl (or zip lock bag) give them a little stir (or shake) and you are well on you are good to go.

I mean seriously, how easy is that?!

And soooooooooooo much flava flave it’s not even funny!

Our Mexican seasoning has an incredible aromatic, earthy depth of flavour thanks to the winning combination of garlic, onion, cumin and coriander.

A sprinkling of smoked paprika adds a touch of deliciously vibrant smoky-sweetness to the mix then, we lighten things up by adding a touch of dried oregano and finish off our feisty little flavour bomb with a cheeky pinch of chilli for a nice kick of heat!

Because Mexican, isn’t Mexican without a little heat right?

Minimum effort with maximum flavour is what I’m all about baby!

To use your incredible spice mix – simply season your meat or protein of choice with a good pinch of your freshly made spice mix and then go ahead and cook as you would, business as usual.

FYI – Once your meat is cooked, I highly recommend you add a cheeky little squeeze of fresh lime juice just before serving – life as you know it will never be the same!

In my humble opinion, this quick and easy, healthy, homemade Mexican seasoning is, dare I say, better any store bought variety I have tried over the years.

No weird/unknown ingredients, it’s not bland or overly salty which often happens with a lot of pre-made store bought spice mixes and it’s naturally, gluten free, vegan and paleo friendly. Plus, when you make it yourself it’s totally customisable.

If you’re feeling feisty and like your Mexican served with an extra kick of heat, no problem – just thrown in an extra spoonful of chilli.

If you’re trying to cut back on your sodium – easy, just leave out the salt.

Taste and adjust as you see fit – do what you feel baby, make it your own!

All natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, smoky, sweet, subtly spicy, healthy, homemade Mexican seasoning . . .

Old El Paso, eat your heart out

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it

Healthy, Homemade Mexican Seasoning
Makes approx 2/3 cup of all natural, quick and easy, light, fresh, smoky, sweet, subtly spicy, healthy, homemade Mexican seasoning

Ingredients –

1 Tablespoon of smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon of ground cumin

1 Tablespoon of garlic powder

1 Tablespoon of onion powder

1 Tablespoon of dried oregano

2 teaspoons of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of chilli powder (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)

1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt flakes

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method –

1 – In a small bowl or glass jar (or even just a zip lock bag would work) combine all ingredients and stir (or shake) to combine.

2 – Store in an air tight container (or ziplock bag).

3 – To use – Simply sprinkle/rub a little seasoning over chicken, fish or steak and cook as per usual.

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

What’s your favourite spice combination? 

Feel free to share recipes or leave links to recipes in the comments below and if you make this recipe make sure you snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page or tag me on Instagram or twitter – sharing is caring people

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The post Healthy, Homemade Mexican Seasoning first appeared on Better with Cake.