Italian roast chicken

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Something fancy

It’s been a busy few weeks; I’ve been keeping my meals simple and relying on freezer staples while operating in survival mode. I have a little bit of breathing room now and an intense craving for something fancier for dinner.

Italian roast chicken tray

Fancy but easily

In my book, fancy doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen boiling to death over a hot stove. This recipe delivers a very fancy meal with minimal effort; it is all cooked on a single tray, which makes it perfect.

The roasted garlic is the star of this meal for me. The bed of garlic under the chicken means you get great flavour throughout the meat, while the roast garlic cloves have a deep, rich flavour that complements the rest of the dish.

The quick prep and hands-off cooking mean you can get on with other things and come back to a perfectly roasted chicken that can satisfy any desire for a fancy dinner. 

Dinner ready without effort

While living in survival mode, I try to make life easier for myself by multitasking so that life admin and essential tasks don’t take away from much-needed rest and relaxation. In the spirit of multitasking, I combined a trip home from the office with a pit stop at the supermarket to get everything I needed for my fancy dinner and did the prep (putting everything on a tray) while I waited for the kettle to boil. Knowing I would be ready for dinner after my workout, I smashed dinner in the oven before heading downstairs to throw around some weights. By the time I finished my workout, the chicken was ready for the foil and baking paper to be removed, and there was plenty of time for me to shower before sitting down to a flavourful, filling and fancy dinner.

Italian roast chicken recipe

Italian roast chicken ingredients

Ingredients 

  • 2 large tomatoes thickly sliced
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic bulb peeled and bruised
  • 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1.6 kg chicken
Large chicken

Take a large baking tray.

Take a large baking tray.
Take a large baking tray.

Place one garlic bulb on the baking tray.

Place one garlic bulb on the baking tray.
Place one garlic bulb on the baking tray.

Lay the chicken on top of the garlic.

Lay the chicken on top of the garlic.
Lay the chicken on top of the garlic.

Spread out the onion next to the chicken.

Spread out the onion next to the chicken.
Spread out the onion next to the chicken.

Add the remaining garlic bulbs on top of the onions.

Add the remaining garlic bulbs on top of the onions.
Add the remaining garlic bulbs on top of the onions.

Add the tomatoes on top of the garlic.

Add the tomatoes on top of the garlic.
Add the tomatoes on top of the garlic.

Drizzle the vinegar and olive oil over the chicken and vegetables.

Drizzle the vinegar and olive oil over the chicken and vegetables.
Drizzle the vinegar and olive oil over the chicken and vegetables.

Place the rosemary sprigs on top of the chicken and the vegetables.

Cover the baking tray with baking paper.

Cover the baking tray with baking paper.
Cover the baking tray with baking paper.

Cover the baking paper with foil.

Cover the baking paper with foil.
Cover the baking paper with foil.

Bake for 1 hour.

Check the chicken to make sure the meat is cooked and the juices are running clear before removing the baking paper and foil, this will depend on the size of the chicken.

Check the chicken to make sure the meat is cooked and the juices are running clear
Check the chicken to make sure the meat is cooked and the juices are running clear

Return the chicken to the oven uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.

Return the chicken to the oven uncovered for another 20 minutes
Return the chicken to the oven uncovered for another 20 minutes

Slice the chicken, squeeze out the garlic and serve while hot.

Slice the chicken, squeeze out the garlic and serve while hot.
Slice the chicken, squeeze out the garlic and serve while hot.

Italian roast chicken

  • Servings: 6
  • Rating: ★★★★★
  • Print

This one tray meal a great option for busy week nights or an action packed weekend.



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 2 tomatoes thickly sliced
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 1 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic bulb peeled and bruised
  • 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 1.6 kg chicken

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/ 400 degrees F.  
  2. Take a large baking tray.
  3. Place one garlic bulb on the baking tray.
  4. Lay the chicken on top of the garlic.
  5. Spread out the onion next to the chicken.
  6. Add the remaining garlic bulbs on top of the onions.
  7. Add the tomatoes on top of the garlic.
  8. Drizzle the vinegar and olive oil over the chicken and vegetables.
  9. Place the rosemary sprigs on top of the chicken and the vegetables.
  10. Cover the baking tray with baking paper.
  11. Cover the baking paper with foil.
  12. Bake for 1 hour.
  13. Check the chicken to make sure the meat is cooked and the juices are running clear before removing the baking paper and foil, this will depend on the size of the chicken.
  14. Return the chicken to the oven uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the skin is golden brown.
  15. Slice the chicken, squeeze out the garlic and serve while hot.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 349 calories; 14 g fat; 9 g carbohydrates; 53 g protein

Equipment

  • Roasting tin
  • Baking paper 
  • Aluminium foil
  • Measuring cups
  • Scales 

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Workout of the week 24 June 2016

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Week three of my new training program

It is week three of my new training program to help me get out of a bit of a funk and regain some of the fitness and strength I’ve lost over the last few months. 

The aim of my new training program is to enable me to:

  1. Exercise every single day.
  2. Rebuild my base fitness level.
  3. Rebuild strength and muscle mass.
  4. Set regular goals to show progress.

This has been my third week of training, and it’s been another mixed bag, with the work front feeling mentally draining and me feeling exhausted. For the second week in a row, I’m writing this post on a flight home, this time from Blenheim after two days locked in a meeting room, poring over documents for a project. Once again, I’m trying to have fun on the flight home. It’s times like these when I do wish I could sleep on planes.

With this being my second week of travel and sleep deprivation, I’ve been feeling flat and a little grumpy about my training routine being disrupted. While I’m making adjustments where I can, it’s hard to work around fatigue and keep going as planned. Despite this, I’ve managed to stick with my plan to increase the weights I use by 5%, though it wasn’t as easy as I’d expected. I’m hoping that some good-quality rest will help with my fatigue, improve my capacity to lift more in the next few weeks, and mean less muscle soreness.

What have I been doing?

Each week, I will share one of the workouts I’ve done here so you can see the program and exercise details.

This week I’ll be sharing the upper body focused strength training session, along with my warm-up and cool-down.

Day 4 – Upper body focus strength training 

Activations and warm-up

Band pull-aparts 10 
Downward dog to cobra 10
T spine rotation 10, 5 each side
Thread the needle 10, 5 each side

2 rounds

  • 10 push ups
  • 10 mountain climbers
  • 10 walking lunges
  • 10 sit-ups
  • 10 pull ups

Workout

Barbell bench press 3 sets 8 reps 50%
Pull ups 3 sets 8 reps 50%
Seated dumbell press 3 sets 12 reps 50%
Lat pull down 3 sets 12 reps 50%
Treadmill 30 minutes 50 -70% of max heart rate

Cool down

Childs pose 2 sets, 30 seconds
Supine twist 2 sets, 30 seconds each side
Cross body shoulder stretch 2 sets, 30 seconds each side
Cat cow stretch 2 sets, 30 seconds
Figure 4 stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Pigeon pose2 sets, 30 seconds each side

Workout disclaimer

I share my workouts to show what I do, not to tell you what to do.  

I post my workouts using percentages of my max lifting capacity rather than stating the weights or speeds I use. Everyone is different and has different levels of fitness and capability. Your body is yours alone. If you want to start working out, I recommend spending some time with a personal trainer to get you on the right path.  

When working out with weights, remember your one-rep max is yours alone; finding the weights that are right for you is important. If you decide to try a workout, find out which weights you should use first. 

Caesar salad dressing

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Caesar salad is one of my favourites, this dressing is easy to make and will finish off your Caesar salad just right.

Make your own

If you are like me and try to avoid mass-produced processed foods, the best option is to make your own. When you make your own, you control which ingredients you use and how much or how sweet you want it to be. Once you have a go at making your own and realise how easy it is, you will never go back to store-bought again.

Sauce without sh*t

It is a sad fact that you can find sugar in pretty much every mass-produced food item. If you stop and read the back of the bottles of sauce and salad dressing, you will find a scary amount of sugar in sauces and dressings that you don’t need it in. The first dressing I learned to make at home without any sugar was the classic Caesar salad dressing. The dressing can be created in just a few minutes using easy mayo and some simple pantry ingredients. Learning to make your own dressings means you won’t get caught out by shit-filled dressings or stung for extra cash to buy ‘clean’ versions at your local health food store.

Give it a go and enjoy the fresh dressing that will keep in the fridge for up to a week (if you don’t use it all first).

Caesar salad dressing recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. easy mayo
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 3 anchovy fillets
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

For a food processor

Set aside the olive oil.

Put all of the other ingredients into a food processor.

Turn on and pulse the ingredients until everything is smooth and creamy.

While the food processor runs, slowly drizzle the oil through the chute. Take your time pouring the oil so that it emulsifies properly.

Store the dressing in the fridge; it should keep for about a week.

For a stick blender

Place all of the ingredients into a jar or container with the oil as the last ingredient.

Put the blender stick all the way to the bottom of the jar.

Pulse to break up the anchovy fillets, then blend until everything is smooth and creamy.

Caesar salad dressing

  • Servings: 10
  • Rating: ★★★★★
  • Print

Caesar salad is one of my favourites, this dressing is easy to make and will finish off your Caesar salad just right.



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. easy mayo
  • 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 3 anchovy fillets
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions

  1. For a food process
  2. Set aside the olive oil.
  3. Put all of the other ingredients into a food processor.
  4. Turn on and pulse the ingredients until everything is smooth and creamy.
  5. While the food processor runs, slowly drizzle the oil through the chute. Take your time pouring the oil so that it emulsifies properly.
  6. Store the dressing in the fridge; it should keep for about a week.
  7. For a stick blender
  8. Place all of the ingredients into a jar or container with the oil as the last ingredient.
  9. Put the blender stick all the way to the bottom of the jar.
  10. Pulse to break up the anchovy fillets, then blend until everything is smooth and creamy.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 121 calories; 13 g fat; 1 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein

Equipment

  • Food processor or stick blender
  • Spatula 

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Chicken Caesar salad

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Master the basics

Eating clean gets a lot easier once you have mastered a few essential recipes. This recipe is basic; not like basic unicorn basic, more like beard and flannel basic. Back to the point (which isn’t Unstable unicorns), having basic skills and recipes in your arsenal means you will never be left with only Uber Eats as your weeknight options. Once you master this recipe, the possibilities are endless.

Always make friends with salad

In my book, salad is something to get excited about; it is an amazingly fresh meal full of endless possibilities, not limp lettuce, sad dressing and soggy tomatoes. I’m one of those strange people who could happily eat salad for every meal. There was a time when proposing a salad for dinner would lead to groans, but not anymore. I can eat salad as much as I like and make it a star attraction on my plate.

Protein maxed classic

I try my best to pack in protein at every meal, which isn’t always easy with a salad. I love a good Caesar and think adding some chicken is a great way to boost protein without taking away from the salad’s flavour. This is my take on the classic Caesar salad. It is portioned for one person, but can easily be increased to feed more people. If you are using this recipe for meal prep, make the salad and keep the dressing on the side to add just before eating. This will prevent the salad from becoming soggy.

Chicken Caesar salad recipe

Ingredients

  • 200g chicken breast, cooked
  • 1 egg, hard-boiled
  • 2 pieces streaky bacon, cooked
  • 100g cos lettuce leaves, chopped into 4 pieces
  • Shaved parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp. Caesar salad dressing
  • Rating: ★★★★★
  • Print

“



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 200g chicken breast, cooked
  • 1 egg, hard-boiled
  • 2 pieces streaky bacon, cooked
  • 100g cos lettuce leaves, chopped into 4 pieces
  • Shaved parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp. Caesar salad dressing
  • 2 anchovy fillets – optional

Directions

  1. Place the cos lettuce into a bowl or onto a platter.
  2. Slice the egg, chicken and bacon and layer them on top of the lettuce.
  3. Drizzle the Caesar dressing over the top.
  4. Mix gently to cover the cos
  5. Add the shaved parmesan cheese and anchovies before serving.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 244 calories; 10.5 g fat; 3.3 g carbohydrates; 30.3 g protein

Equipment

  • Knife
  • Chopping board
  • Mixing bowl or platter 
  • Scales

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Workout of the week 17 June 2016

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Week two of my new training program

It is week two of my new training program to help me get out of a bit of a funk and regain some of the fitness and strength I’ve lost over the last few months. 

The aim of my new training program is to enable me to:

  1. Exercise every single day.
  2. Rebuild my base fitness level.
  3. Rebuild strength and muscle mass.
  4. Set regular goals to show progress.

This has been my second week of training, and it’s been a mixed bag. The work front has been full-on, leaving me feeling very time-poor on the life front. I’m writing this post on a flight home from a day in Wellington for work. At least I’m doing something fun on the way home, right?

Despite work being crazy, I’ve been moving forward with my training, and I’m enjoying a program that’s easy to follow and doesn’t take up a huge chunk of my time. I know the next few days are likely to be challenging because of today’s lack of sleep. I will do what I can to stay on track and sneak in some naps to keep me going. 

While my energy levels have been good over the last week, which has helped keep my inner bitch in check, I know fatigue will make her even more influential and harder to put in her box. Wish me luck with her. I will probably need it.

What have I been doing?

Each week, I will share one of the workouts I’ve done here so you can see the program and exercise details.

This week I’ll be sharing the glute and posterior-chain focused strength training session, along with my warm-up and cool-down.

Day 2 – Glutes and posterior chain focus strength training 

Activations and warm-up

Banded standing clams 10 each side, foot forward and foot backward
Banded lateral walks 10 each side
Banded monster walks 10 each side forward and backward
Band pull-aparts 10 

2 rounds

  • 10 push ups
  • 10 mountain climbers
  • 10 walking lunges
  • 10 sit-ups
  • 10 pull ups

Workout

Barbell hip thrust 3 sets 6 reps 50%
Romanian deadlift3 sets 8 reps 50%
Glute kickbacks 3 sets 12 reps 60%
Kettlebell swings3 sets 15 reps 60%
Treadmill 30 minutes 50 -70% of max heart rate

Cool down

Standing quad stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Straight leg calf stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Kneeling hip flexor stretch 2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Hamstring stretch 2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Figure 4 stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Pigeon pose2 sets, 30 seconds each side

Workout disclaimer

I share my workouts to show what I do, not to tell you what to do.  

I post my workouts using percentages of my max lifting capacity rather than stating the weights or speeds I use. Everyone is different and has different levels of fitness and capability. Your body is yours alone. If you want to start working out, I recommend spending some time with a personal trainer to get you on the right path.  

When working out with weights, remember your one-rep max is yours alone; finding the weights that are right for you is important. If you decide to try a workout, find out which weights you should use first. 

Broccoli chicken salad

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Trying to meet everyone’s needs

For years, I spent a lot of time trying to make everyone happy with the meals I put on the table, but it was never easy. For many years, I had to work around a very limited list of foods that everyone would eat, and then there were the silly requirements, like not wanting cold food unless it had a sauce on it, or anything with any spice at all. For a long time, I would spend hours in the kitchen making multiple meals to keep everyone happy; it was exhausting. 

Broccoli breakthrough

After many years of trial and error, there was a breakthrough in broccoli. When my youngest stepson finally decided that he liked broccoli (or baby trees, as he called them) and would eat it without making faces or complaining, I took full advantage. How many recipes can you develop with broccoli, you may ask? The answer is a lot. This salad was one of the first recipes I managed to get everyone to eat and enjoy so much that they asked for it again. I know, right? Hard to believe.

Making things I love

While this recipe was born from trying to make everyone else happy, it is actually one that makes me happy. Now that I am making meals for one, I try to make ones I can happily eat for a few days without getting bored. I’ve been spending my Saturday mornings doing meal prep, and this recipe has been in my rotation over the last few weeks. I can make a big bowl, and it does me for lunch and dinners for a few days and never gets old.

Broccoli chicken salad recipe

Ingredients

Broccoli chicken salad ingredients - chicken breast, broccoli, red onion, bacon, sunflower seeds, raisins, easy mayo and coconut vinegar
Broccoli chicken salad ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp. raisins
  • 2 rashers bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/3 cup easy mayo
  • 1 tbsp. coconut vinegar
Broccoli chicken salad
Broccoli chicken salad
Broccoli chicken salad
Broccoli chicken salad

Broccoli chicken salad 

  • Servings: 8
  • Rating: ★★★★★
  • Print

A fresh salad that is full of flavour and texture



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp. raisins
  • 2 rashers bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/3 cup easy mayo
  • 1 tbsp. coconut vinegar

Directions

  1. Instructions
  2. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and make sure that everything is well coated.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 375 calories; 18 g fat; 7 g carbohydrates; 43 g protein

Equipment

  • Knife
  • Chopping board
  • Mixing bowl
  • Spoon
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Workout of the week 10 June 2016

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Week one new training program

Last week, I shared that I was going to reset my training program to get out of a bit of a funk and regain some of the fitness and strength I’ve lost over the past few months. 

The aim of my new training program is to enable me to:

  1. Exercise every single day.
  2. Rebuild my base fitness level.
  3. Rebuild strength and muscle mass.
  4. Set regular goals to show progress.

This has been my first week of training, and I have to say it was both good and bad. It felt good to get back to a more basic training pattern with lifting sessions that don’t take over an hour. Another positive is I haven’t been ridiculously sore (which makes a change), which means that I’ve felt like I had energy and could do more; I didn’t allow myself to do more, as that would defeat the purpose. The less positive has been the mental games that have come with kick-starting my fitness again. My inner bitch is loud at times, and it takes a fair amount of self-talk to put her back in her box so I can get on and do what needs to be done. I’ve managed to put her in the box this week (yay me), but I know she is there, and it will be an ongoing battle to keep her there. 

Goal for this training cycle

I’ve set myself the goal for this training cycle to complete two full weeks of training, then increase the weights I’m lifting by 5%. Normally, training programs increase weight by 10%, and I would usually do the same, but in this instance I want to ease back in and avoid overload, knowing I’m likely to struggle and feel defeated if I push too hard too soon. Over the next few cycles, I will stick with 5% increases over set periods to ensure a sustainable progressive overload.

What have I been doing?

Each week, I will share one of the workouts I’ve done here so you can see the program and exercise details.

This week I’ll be sharing one of my HIIT workouts, along with my warm-up and cool-down.

For some context, I put a lot of effort into my warm-up and cool-down for all workouts, and I’m always very careful to make sure everything is warmed up and working when I’m running. Over the years, I’ve been unlucky with injuries, and my legs aren’t what they should be thanks to:

  • a torn Achilles tendon, 
  • a torn lateral collateral ligament (LCL) that required surgery on my left knee, and
  • some missing (worn away) cartilage in my right knee.

While some days I spend more time on my warm-up and cool-down than I do actually working out, it is an important part of keeping my body in good working order.

Day 1 – HIIT treadmill training

Warm up

Hip circles10 each direction
Diagonal leg swings10 each side
Leg swings front to back10 each side
Banded hip abduction 10 each side
Banded hip extension10 each side
Banded hip flexor activation10 each side
Walking lunges 10 each side10 each side
Calf raises10

Workout

10 minutes walkingstarting slow, building to a brisk pace or a slow jog
10 rounds50m sprint with a 50m walk back
10 minutes walkingtake the time needed to recover from the sprints and maintain a pace that is gentle

Cool down

Standing quad stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Straight leg calf stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Kneeling hip flexor stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Hamstring stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Figure 4 stretch2 sets, 30 seconds each leg
Butterfly stretch2 sets, 30 seconds

Workout disclaimer

I share my workouts to show what I do, not to tell you what to do.  

I post my workouts using percentages of my max lifting capacity rather than stating the weights or speeds I use. Everyone is different and has different levels of fitness and capability. Your body is yours alone. If you want to start working out, I recommend spending some time with a personal trainer to get you on the right path.  

When working out with weights, remember your one-rep max is yours alone; finding the weights that are right for you is important. If you decide to try a workout, find out which weights you should use first. 

BLT salad in a jar

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Awesome in a jar

I live for easy meals, and this salad is one of the easiest things to make. It’s so tasty that it’s ridiculous.

Bacon, lettuce and tomato in a jar with a simple dressing. I love this salad as a take-to-work lunch option. On the rare occasion I have bacon left over from breakfast, I use it for this. Bonus points for a plastic-free meal when you use a big glass jar. 

I bought a larger-than-normal pack of bacon at the supermarket last week and wanted to use as much as possible before I had to think about putting it in the freezer. This is how I decided to use it. 

Bacon makes everything better

I firmly believe that bacon can make anything better, and having it for lunch can turn a bad day around. I made the most of my large pack of bacon by making this salad to see me through what promised to be a challenging week at work that would require something to perk me up at lunchtime. Suddenly, my horror week at work now has small breaks that include bacon-based happiness and a weekend with the promise of eggs fried in bacon fat. Seriously, what more can a girl ask for? 

While I would like to live on bacon alone, my macros require more protein than bacon can provide in a single sitting. For an extra protein portion, I like to add half a chicken breast to my salad. This recipe is portioned for two servings, so you can enjoy bacon two days in a row.

BLT salad in a jar recipe

Ingredients

BLT salad in a jar ingredients
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups cos lettuce
  • 2 cups iceberg lettuce
  • 1/4 cup easy mayo
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 2 tbsp. sour cream
  • Salt and pepper
Make the dressing and put some at the bottom of the jar
Make the dressing and put some in the bottom of the jar
Add the bacon to the jar
Add the bacon to the jar
Add the tomato to the jar
Next add the tomato
Finally add the lettuce to the jar
Finally add the lettuce to the jar
Shake and serve salad.
Salad ready for a shake and serve

BLT salad in a jar 

  • Servings: 2
  • Rating: ★★★★★
  • Print

This easy salad is a great lunchtime and simple to make ahead



Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

Directions

  1. At the bottom of a jar, mix the mayo, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
  2. Add the bacon to the jar, followed by the spring onions, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, and cos lettuce.
  3. Close the jar and store it in the fridge.
  4. Before opening it to eat, shake the jar to coat all the ingredients in the dressing.
  5. If you are fancier than I am, you can tip the jar into a bowl; you may need to scrape the dressing.

Nutrition

Per Serving: 239 calories; 20 g fat; 11 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein

Equipment

  • Mason jar
  • Fork or whisk
  • Knife
  • Chopping board
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.

Workout of the week 3 June 2026

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Finally hitting the bar again

It’s been a funny few months; my motivation for workouts has been almost nonexistent. I’ve still been moving my body every day, but I have been struggling to give it my all. I think part of the problem has been that I haven’t been enjoying my workout programme, and the demands of life have left me with very little energy to lift heavy things. In early September 2025, I had a bit of a rock-bottom moment that kick-started a restart of a healthier lifestyle and a completely clean-eating diet; part of that was committing to working out every day, no excuses. 

Going through the motions

While I may not have given up on working out, I do feel like I’ve been going through the motions and not making any progress; in some cases, I feel like I’ve been going backwards. My lifestyle shift had the wonderful bonus of changes in my body composition, like a huge reduction in body fat, but I haven’t been very successful in maintaining all of my muscle mass as I’ve dropped weight. This has meant my ability to lift heavy things has fallen off a cliff, and my ‘keep calm and carry on’ approach of just keeping up training has done nothing to help. So it is time for a change.

New programme, new me

I’ve decided to start a new training program, designed by me, to meet my needs and help me reach my goals. So, what will this programme do? Let me tell you.

  1. Exercise every single day. Over the years, I’ve learned that rest days are my enemy; days off from exercise tend to make me want to do less and can derail me quickly.
  2. Rebuild my base fitness level. I’ve let my cardio, mobility, and flexibility slip, so I’m going to gradually build back up.
  3. Rebuild strength and muscle mass. I want to get back to my 1 rep max records from early 2025 and increase my muscle mass over the next 3 months.
  4. Set regular goals to show progress. I’ll be setting monthly targets, so I have a sense of achievement on a regular basis.

Program structure 

I’ve designed a 4-week program for myself that combines mobility, flexibility, low-intensity steady-state cardio, high-intensity interval training, and strength training with progressive overload.

I know I have a jam-packed month at work, so I’m giving myself some flexibility to adjust the workout order as needed, but here is how I’ve structured the programme. 

MondayYogaTreadmill LISSTreadmill HIIT
TuesdayYogaGlute and posterior chain focus strength trainingTreadmill LISS
WednesdayYogaTreadmill LISSTreadmill HIIT
ThursdayYogaUpper body focus strength training Treadmill LISS
FridayYogaAbs focus strength trainingTreadmill LISS
SaturdayYogaLower body focus strength training Treadmill HIIT
SundayYogaUpper body focus strength training Treadmill LISS

Over the next 12 weeks, I’ll be following my program and posting about it here, mostly to make myself feel good about doing it but also to hold myself accountable.

If you want to follow along, feel free; just check out my disclaimers first. Everyone is different, and workout programs are not one-size-fits-all.

Workout disclaimer

I share my workouts to show what I do, not to tell you what to do.  

I post my workouts using percentages of my max lifting capacity rather than stating the weights or speeds I use. Everyone is different and has different levels of fitness and capability. Your body is yours alone. If you want to start working out, I recommend spending some time with a personal trainer to get you on the right path.  

When working out with weights, remember your one-rep max is yours alone; finding the weights that are right for you is important. If you decide to try a workout, find out which weights you should use first. 

Easy Hollandaise Sauce

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Make your own

If you are like me and try to avoid mass-produced processed foods, making your own is the best option. When you make your own, you control which ingredients you use and how much or how sweet you want it to be. Once you’ve tried making your own and seen how easy it is, you will never go back to store-bought again.

Master the basics

Eating clean gets a lot easier once you have mastered a few essential recipes. This recipe is basic; not like basic unicorn basic, more like beard and flannel basic. Back to the point (which isn’t Unstable unicorns), having basic skills and recipes in your arsenal means you will never be left with only Uber Eats as your weeknight option. Once you master this recipe, the possibilities are endless.

Something fancy for the weekend

I’ve been craving a brunch fix for a few weekends, so I decided to do something about it. I had a day off today, so I decided it was time for a nice little treat. Hollandaise sauce is the perfect opulent topping for poached eggs and crisp bacon. I was fortunate enough to be gifted a stick blender not long ago, so I had a go at making my hollandaise with that instead of my blender jug. After a bit of trial and error (very runny sauce), I landed on the perfect method for making thick, creamy hollandaise for my homemade Eggs Benedict.

Easy hollandaise sauce recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup ghee, melted
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • salt
  • pepper or cayenne papper

Instructions

Melt the ghee over low heat or in the microwave; it should be liquid, not boiling.

Using a stick blender

Place the egg yolks, lemon juice in a glass jar with some salt, and pepper.

Pulse the eggs to break them up.

Add 2 tablespoons of the melted ghee to the jar and blend until the ghee has emulsified.

Continue to add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the jar at a time and blend until you have a thick and silky sauce.

If you don’t have a stick blender here is an alternative method.

Using a blender

Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the blender.

Start the blender on low and run for about 30 seconds.

Slowly pour the ghee into the blender through the hole in the lid.

You must go slowly so that the emulsion does not separate.

When all the ghee is added and the sauce has thickened, you are finished.

Using a stick blender

Place the egg yolks and lemon juice in a glass jar with some salt and pepper.

Pulse the eggs to break them up.

Add two tablespoons of the melted ghee to the jar and blend until the ghee has emulsified.

Continue to add two tablespoons of ghee to the jar at a time and blend until you have a thick and silky sauce.

Easy hollandaise sauce

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Credit: Cath @ easycleaneats

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup ghee, melted
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

    1.Melt the ghee over low heat or in the microwave, it should be liquid, not boiling.
  1. Using a blender
  2. Place the egg yolks, lemon juice in the blender with some salt, and pepper.
  3. Start the blender on low and run for about 30 seconds.
  4. Slowly pour the ghee into the blender through the hole in the lid.
  5. You must go slowly so that the emulsion does not separate.
  6. When all the ghee is added, and the sauce has thickened, you are finished.
  7. Using a stick blender
  8. Place the egg yolks, lemon juice in a glass jar with some salt, and pepper.
    9. 10.Pulse the eggs to break them up.
  9. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted ghee to the jar and blend until the ghee has emulsified.
  10. Continue to add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the jar at a time and blend until you have a thick and silky sauce.

Nutrition

Per Serving:153 calories; 16.2 g fat; 0.1 g carbohydrates; 1.6 g protein

Equipment

  • Stick blender
  • Saucepan
  • Blender
  • Spatula  

Nutritional disclaimer

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients used and available in my area (New Zealand). The nutritional information is here to help you understand the recipe; I use MyFitnessPal to generate my estimates. For more accurate nutritional information, please use a nutritional calculator with the ingredients in your area.