Socca by Nicole Lewis

This is a garbanzo bean flour “flatbread” that originated in the south of France. The method below requires cooking the socca in a cast iron skillet in the oven.



· Preheat your oven to 550 or 575.

· Mix 1.5 Cups of water, 3 Tbl of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt together in a large bowl.

· Next gradually whisk in 2 Cups of garbanzo bean flour (Bob’s Red Mill makes this and I usually find it at Ocean Stat Job Lot. If not there, you can order it online or check Whole Foods).

· The batter should be blended without lumps and should look creamy.

· Once the oven has preheated, place the iron skillet in the oven for about 5 minutes.

· Once the skillet is heated, take it out and working quickly, add a drizzle of olive oil to it and move it around to coat the skillet evenly.

· Pour some of the batter into the center of the skillet and then put in the oven.

· Cook for 5-10 minutes (this will vary on your oven and oven temp. I usually cook mine for 7-9 minutes at 550).

· Take out the skillet and flip the socca. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Socca should be golden on both sides with maybe a little brown around the edges.

· Repeat with the remaining batter but make sure you add oil to coat the pan each time before pouring the batter.

· Depending on the size, you can use the socca as a base for pizza or other toppings. You can also eat it by itself, use as a base for dips or as bread for sandwiches.



A few notes:

· You can really experiment with this recipe. Feel free to add other seasonings and spices. I like to add about 1-2tsp of dried rosemary to my batter. The rosemary and garbanzo bean flavor really complement each other.

· You can also cook this in a skillet/frying pan on the stove top. I would recommend a medium-high cooking temp and watch closely.

· You can leave the batter out for a period of time as well….or in the refrigerator. Some recipes recommend letting it sit for a few hours.

· I like to top my socca with avocado, tomato, black bean and corn “salad.” I just mix those four items together with salt, garlic powder and red wine vinegar (I just add all ingredients to taste) and the put it on top of the socca.

· Another topping I like is Swiss chard and shallots sautéed in olive oil and salt.

KALE CHIPS by Nicole Lewis

·  Preheat oven to 325.

· Get one bunch of curly kale (I think the curly works best for this recipe but feel free to experiment with other varieties).

· Wash and cut/break kale into 1-2 inch-ish bites.

· Put cut kale in a bowl and drizzle about 1-2tsp of olive oil. Start off with less and then add more if needed.  I’ve learned the hard way that it’s easy to over oil it and you end up with soggy kale chips…Ick!

· I like to salt the kale next but you can also hold off and salt when they come out of the oven. I like to use sea salt.

· Toss the kale with the olive oil (and salt) until the kale is well coated. I work the olive oil into each piece of kale using my hands. You can tell when the kale pieces have been nicely coated as it will have a glossy green color to it.

· Then place the kale in a single layer (very important) on a parchment lined cookie sheet (or two).

· Bake kale for 10 minutes. Then take kale out and toss a bit making sure you put them back in a single layer.

· Bake for another 10 minutes but maybe check it a few minutes prior. Take out, eat and enjoy!



A few notes:

· You want the cooked kale chips to have a dark, dark green color to them. Some pieces will have some brown on the ends (that’s fine) but you do not want them to be totally brown. If that’s the case they got over cooked.

· It took be a few tries to get these right so keep trying if you mess them up a few times.

· You can also add other seasonings and flavoring to the kale. I like to add 1-2tsp of apple cider vinegar as another variation (add in along with oil step). Other suggestions: sesame seeds, herbs, gomasio…have fun and experiment!

January Newsletter ~ STRENGTH

Greetings,
Are you ready to find your inner strength? To learn how to push through obstacles that you didn’t think were possible? Are you tired of letting things happen to you rather than making things happen? My training philosophy is to train you to be proactive with your life, stop being a spectator and letting things slide by. The potential in all of us can be astounding, if you are ready for that read below:

I usually start my quarterly emails with all the information about classes and times but this New Year I would like to discuss inner STRENGTH with you. Everyone has it, you just need to learn how to tap into it when it matters the most.

2011 has been one of the most challenging years of my life. I lost my mother in October to cancer and as you know, she and I were extremely close. She was diagnosed in December of last year and for 10 months she and I battled this horrible illness together. So, what does this have to do with fitness? I have found that all my physical training had prepared me for one of my hardest jobs and that was helping my mother pass into the next world. Yes, I was strong enough to pick her up out of bed, wash her, carry wheelchairs and get her to the oncologist office. But my true strength came when I didn’t think I had any left, looking into her eyes and being brave enough for the both of us…that is true strength.

Do lunges and squats give you “true strength”…maybe not, but it sure as hell starts there. Training hard, working your body past the comfort zone, trains your mind to withstand discomfort. The mind cannot discern whether it is physical or mental, they both hurt. When you challenge yourself physically, your “mental muscle” (the mind) learns how to channel that stressor (whether it is physical or emotional) and becomes stronger. It is the triad of your very being; physical, mental and emotional strength. This helps you with life’s challenges whether it is weight loss, personal growth, relationships or work related. Come with me as we pass into 2012 and find true, inner STRENGTH.

THE SWEATSHOP WILL BE OPEN MONDAY JANUARY 2nd ~ 9:30-10:30 FOR GROUP TRAINING. COME AND WORKOUT WITH ME FOR THE FIRST TRAINING OF 2012!

*NEW! QUICK FIRE TRAININGS!
30 minute class of Metabolic Workouts
Wednesday 9:30-10:00 - $40.00 for 4 trainings. Classes start January 11th.

GROUP TRAININGS:
Monday and Thursday 9:30-10:30 & Wednesday 4:00-5:00 –
$12.00/pr class if you sign up, $15.00/pr class for drop ins.

SEMIPRIVATE TRAININGS:
Monday and Wednesday 7:00-8:00AM (small group of 2-5 people) $25.00

PRIVATE TRAININGS:
Contact me for times and price options. Rshean22@aol.com

Meet me at The Sweatshop and let’s build some STRENGTH.
You never know how Strong you are until Strength is all you have left.

PS: on a happier note are my grandkids, they make my life a better place.
Alex Drovatzekas 18 months (Whitney)
Reece Clinton 10 weeks (Ryan)
Baby Girl Shean 29 weeks due 3/26 (Peter)


~Rob
www.yourtrainercalling.com