This was only the second time that I've made risotto in my life. I'm not going to lie, it's kind of a pain in the ass. It's definitely easy to make, it just takes a while. But it's SO worth it. You'll feel fancy when you eat it, I promise. Once you learn the process, it's the exact same every time. The only thing that changes are the flavors or the add ins that you want to include. This time, I made it with onion, garlic, mushrooms and a bit of spinach for some pop of color. My favorite part about making this dish is that it tastes like there's a million pounds of butter in it. I didn't use one hint of butter. WIN!

Here's what you'll need: 

• 1 1/2 cups of risotto (arborio rice)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 Vidalia onion
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 lb mushrooms
• 1 1/2 cup chopped spinach
• 4 thin sliced chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4-1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (more or less depending on your preference. I used about 1/3 cup)
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Fresh lemon to taste

Here's what to do: 

• Chop everything first to get that out of the way!
• Heat 2-3 tbsp of olive oil in a LARGE saucepan on medium heat
• Add in mushrooms, onions and garlic
• Sautee until onions are just about transluscent
• Add in rice and stir to coat with olive oil. Let it cook until it has a golden color and looks a little translucent
• Add in the white wine and stir constantly until the wine is fully absorbed
• Here comes the pain in the ass part: add in chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time. Once your 1/2 cup is dissolved, add the next 1/2 cup and repeat until the full 6 cups are absorbed. Keep stirring throughout.
• While the rice is cooking, heat a medium pan with cooking spray on medium heat.
• Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook about 3 minutes on each side.
• Once the chicken stock is absorbed in the rice, turn off the heat, add in chopped spinach and parmesan.
• Now you're ready to eat! I squeezed a bit of lemon on top of mine for some freshness.

Enjoy!

- Rach

I've got two recipes to share! A burger with melted mozzarella and bacon paired with a spinach, berry and beet salad with an olive oil honey glaze for the dressing. Sounds fancy? It's really not. With the 4th of July coming up this weekend, I'm feeling rather festive lately and wanted to make something fun and different than I usually make for dinner. I stopped by Trader Joe's after work today (note to self: avoid going to Trader Joe's Monday afternoons at 5:45 p.m. at all costs) and the cheese section was calling my name. I have been craving cheese like crazy lately and I never splurge and buy fresh mozzarella, so it happened.

Burger Ingredients (for one serving):

• 1 lean ground beef patty
• Hearty slice of mozzarella cheese
• 1 slice of bacon (cooked)
• Lawry's seasoning salt (to taste)

Directions:

• Spray small pan with cooking oil
• Season patty with seasoning salt
• Cook on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes each side
• Place mozzarella on burger once flipped
• Let cheese melt, remove from heat and garnish with crispy bacon

For the salad:

• Toss together spinach, sliced strawberries, beets and blueberries (EASY!)
• I suggest adding walnuts or pine nuts to this as well. I loved it as is, but an extra little crunch would be delicious.

Dressing (makes 2 servings):

• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp greek yogurt (I use full fat)
• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions:

• Heat oil and honey over medium heat in a small saucepan
• Once oil starts to bubble, take the saucepan off heat and whisk the mixture
• Pour oil and honey into a bowl and add the yogurt and salt
• Whisk until you get a creamy consistency

Plate everything and enjoy!

I think I'll have to make these burgers again on Saturday!

- Rach

Happy Friday!! Yet again, this week absolutely flew by. It was full of the usual intern, work, class, teach and repeat schedule. On Wednesday night, I went with some friends to try the new Blaze Pizza that just opened and it was AWESOME. You can customize all the toppings on your pizza and the best part is that they don't even charge for extra toppings.

This morning I attempted to go to a 6:15 a.m. cycle class, but it was completely full! I used to be a lot better about signing up for early morning classes and I've been a bit slack about it lately, so I wanted to share a few tips to help you if you are trying to switch your workout routine to the morning. Unfortunately, I couldn't do cycle, but I ended up still getting a great workout, which I'll share in my next post! And came home to make a delicious smoothie:

Spinach, banana, strawberries, pineapple, Sunbutter, vanilla protein, coconut water & honey!

How to become an early riser:

Getting a workout in first thing in the morning sounds so great, doesn't it? You get it out of the way, it wakes you up and you have the whole entire rest of the day to be productive, but I know that it is not as easy as it sounds. However, working out early in the morning jump starts your metabolism, energizes you and even helps your brainpower.

1. You need to get a good night sleep. This is the absolute most important thing for me when it comes to hearing my alarm go off at 5:30 a.m. I know that this can sometimes be hard with school, work and all of the other obligations that we have going on, but if you can promise yourself throughout the day that you will be in bed by at least 10:30 p.m., that gives you a solid seven hours.

2. Lay your gym clothes out the night before. When you turn your alarm clock off and open your eyes to see your gym clothes ready for you, it makes it a bit harder to just roll over and go back to bed. It is motivating to know that you were so ready for an early workout the night before, so why back out at this point?

3. Plan your workout the night before.Whether that means signing up for a fitness class or having a workout written out, already having a game plan takes the thinking out of it. Chances are you might still be half asleep when you get to the gym!

4. Eat something small before. Although this really is a personal preference, I find that if I eat a small something before an early morning workout, I get a lot more out of it. I'll eat half of a banana and some peanut butter and it's not enough to weigh me down, but enough to give me a burst of energy that I need! This definitely takes some trial and error. I used to refuse eating that early because I just couldn't really stomach it, but I would find that 15 minutes into my workout, I felt ready to fall right back asleep! Again, this is totally personal preference and you will find what works for you!

5. Ease into it. This is crucial. It's not easy to jump right out of bed and get a solid workout, but like anything, practice makes perfect! Start out doing one or two early morning workouts per week and see how you feel throughout the day. I bet you that your energy levels will be a lot higher than if you didn't rise and grind.

It's all a process! These are just some things that help me a lot when I know I want to get in my workout before the sun. There's no right or wrong way or time to workout and it's all about what works best for you and your schedule.

Rach