BDHQ Eats - Summer Salmon and Citrus Salad

What a mighty alliterative title. A bit of a tongue twister too. Well, believe me friends, the meal I'm about to throw down will spin your tongue into a twist too, in the most delightful of fashions.

When I think summer cooking I think fresh, flavourful and fast. I love cooking, but don't want to be spending an onerous amount of time sweating it out in a steamy kitchen. I whipped up this baked salmon and fennel, grapefruit and avocado salad in about 30 minutes. There's not a lot of prep, so just get the salmon in the oven, and toss the salad together while it bakes.

Please note that all measurements are approximate, and you may want to adjust to suit your taste. This made enough for me for two meals.

Baked Salmon with Almonds and Goat Cheese

1 small salmon fillet
spritz of olive oil *
1/4 tsp honey
1/8 tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp sliced almonds, crushed fine
1 tbsp crumbled goat cheese
pepper

Place salmon fillet skin side down on a parchment lined baking dish. Spritz with olive oil. Drizzle with honey, then dust with mustard powder and a little pepper. Coat with crushed almonds and crumbled goat cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

While salmon is baking, prepare the salad.

Fennel, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

1 ruby grapefruit, peel and pith removed
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin**
1/2 large avocado, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup watercress

1/6 cup fresh orange juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
1.5 tbsp olive oil or flax oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp hemp hearts
1/2 tsp raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp black sesame seeds

Cut between grapefruit into segments by slicing between section membranes.

Place watercress on plate and spread fennel on top. Arrange grapefruit and avocado slices on top.

Whisk orange and lemon juices, oils, honey, orange and lemon peels, ginger, sesame oil and mustard powder together. 

Drizzle with dressing, and garnish with seeds and hemp hearts.


* My olive oil sprayer is one of my most used kitchen tools. I've had this one for close to a decade. Super handy, fairly cheap, and almost always available at Winner.

** If you have a mandoline, this would be a good time to bust it out. You want that fennel thin like an Olsen Twin. 

Nicki's Protein Pancakes

These have been mighty popular around BDHQ in the last week. SO yummy and full of protein and most importantly, super easy for even Lovisa to make :)

1/3 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup egg whites
splash of vanilla

Whir with a blender til smooth (or use an immersion blender). Cook just like a pancake. Hot pan, quick spray of Pam, flip when edges are dry and bubbles form. Top with berries or natural peanut butter and banana. You can make 3 smaller pancakes or one giant one. EAT UP!!

Cooking lesson at the Oak Bay Bistro

The Oak Bay Bistro opened their doors for a private healthy cooking lesson for our Biggest Winner group. Chef John Waller taught the group a few super yummy dishes that could be easily recreated at home.

Chef Waller bought most of his ingredients at Costco & The Root Cellar and the tuna was purchased at Finest At Sea (FAS) in James Bay.




Our first dish, shown by BDHQ owner Michele Shorter above, was a chicken lettuce wrap with peanut sauce and pickled veggies. So yummy! Chef Waller showed us how easy it was to pickle veggies and it really put a fresh spin to the wraps.

Pickling Liquid
1 cup piping hot water from tap
½ cup rice wine vinegar (can use white vinegar to make it more sour)
6 Tablespoons white sugar
2 ¼ Teaspoons kosher salt
Combine and pour over vegetables in a jar and let sit for minimum 1 week for best flavour
Veggies will keep for at least 1 month.
We used grated daikon and carrots for our wraps.


Wrap garnish
Peanut Sauce (see recipe below)
Iceberg lettuce leafs (could use any lettuce, romaine, butter lettuce, etc..)
Cilantro leaves
Cucumber slices
Pickled carrots & daikon
Toasted Pistachio Sesame Salt:
* Toasted sesame seeds 4 parts
* Kosher salt 1 part
* Light pulsed in a food prep (ie. Cuisinart)
Crushed Avocado:
* Crush Ripe avocado
* Splash lime juice
* Drop of honey
* Salt & pepper
* Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Peanut Sauce

1 cup natural peanut butter
8 garlic cloves
2 Thumbs of ginger
8 Tablespoons honey

1 Bunch cilantro

Juice 4 limes
4 Tablespoons of Sambal Hot Sauce
* Combine all in food processor
Then add...
1 cup Tamari Wheat Free Soy Sauce
8 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Next was an amazing seared tuna steak resting on top of a delicious quinoa salad. I can't WAIT to make this again at home. This flavorful dish is packed full of protein and could be eaten for lunch or dinner.

Albacore Tuna Marinade
1 Part olive oil & 2 parts balsamic vinegar
Juice & zest of lemon
Fresh Herbs: basil, parsley & dill
Salt & fresh black pepper
Pickled vegetable
4oz pc Grilled Albacore tuna on BBQ or grill pan (season with salt & pepper) and plunge into marinate
Top with thin daikon sticks

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 Garlic cloves minced
1 Shallot
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of chili flakes
Pinch fennel seeds
Optional: 1/4 tsp. salt

1. Lightly toast the quinoa in a cooking pot, add olive oil, shallot, chili flakes & fennel seeds.
2. Add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp. salt if desired
3. Bring to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer
4. Cook for 15 minutes
5. Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on
6. Fluff quinoa gently with a fork and it's ready to serve

Quinoa Garnish
Shaved fennel
Hemp hearts
Fresh dill
Cut cherry tomatoes
Basil
Parsley
Lemon juice
Splash olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Baked Apple Dessert
Use a good cooking apple. We used Pink Lady apples.

Cut apple in half and remove the seeds. Put in heat proof baking pan that will hold juices in, not a flat tray.
ADD:
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup apple juice plus more for Baking
1 cinnamon stick
¼ cardamom
¼ allspice
¼ ground ginger
• Combine in pot
• Heat to reduce and reconstitute the cranberries
• Let cool
¼ cup nuts chopped & toasted- pecans, almonds or what you prefer
1 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• Combine to cranberry mixture

To finish
• Spoon mixture into apples
• Drizzle apple juice into pan
• Cover with foil and bake 45 min at 350 degrees or until tender

BDHQ-over 1 month check-in

JACQUELIN GREEN, 45
It’s hard to put into a few words how my first month of my BDHQ-over has gone. I have lost 8 ½ pounds and 10 inches, which feels incredible! It has been amazing, awesome, challenging, hard, fun, and a huge step on my journey of transformation. I’m definitely not a small woman, so getting my body (and my mind) to actually work out 5 or 6 days a week has been tough – I have never worked so hard in my life! I'm realizing I am actually capable of doing things that I thought were no longer possible. That is exciting! The trainers at BDHQ really are the best – they are equal parts encouragement and motivation, with a little bit of “you want me to do what??” thrown in! I definitely would not be able to do what I have been doing without them. Thank you! In fact, everyone at BDHQ has been fabulous. The friendly smiles and comments of encouragement, the laughs when we sweat together, and the suggestions for how to make that piece of chicken look and taste good for the 10th time this week!! It is a great community of people who care about their health and fitness, and about encouraging each of us to be the best we can be. I feel so lucky to be able to be a part of it all, and am looking forward the challenge and triumphs the rest of this year holds!

Bust : down 1.5 inches
Belly: down 4.0 inches
Hips: down 2.5 inches

Thanks again – it has been amazing so far – you guys are the BEST!

JESSICA GRANT, 27
Well, the first month into my BDHQ-over is complete and it was a hard but an amazing month. It was hard in the sense that it was physically demanding, but let’s be honest, BDHQ did tell me “every workout is your hardest!” It shouldn’t have been a shocker, but oh boy was it ever!

The trainers at BDHQ pushed me harder then I thought possible this month and I’m grateful. I was amazed at the things I could do when they pushed me. I was also amazed how that little voice inside my head saying that “I can’t” got quieter and quieter as the month went on. Initially, I couldn’t do a regular push-up without dropping to my knees and now I can do 5 in a row. Those little gains that I’m making is what keeps me going on the days that are difficult and I’m having issues with motivation or making the right choices. I am realizing that these gains need to be recognized and appreciated along this journey, so I can see the positive changes happening in my life.

So this month, I’ve lost 7 lbs and 10.5 inches so far. I am very pleased with this progress and want to do even better by my next big weigh-in. Luckily I am surrounded by great people at BDHQ and have no doubt that I’m in the right environment to do just that! I can’t wait to see where the BDHQ-over takes me next!

CHEF JOHN WALLER, 42
Hard to believe its been a month already. Never thought I would be doing workouts 6 days a week, but I am! I tried spin class and I have never sweat so much in my life and I work in a kitchen, cooking in front of stoves. BDHQ is truly a awesome place. It really has changed everything I do. I get up at 6:30am to go to the gym, then I eat breakfast, then go to work. The workouts are hard and they push you, but for me it is about changing my eating habits. The one word that rings I my ears when ever I think of eating as Michele tells me a lot is 'protein'. I have noticed that I have an increased amount of energy and feel way more alert. I have lost weight and feel stronger. When I first arrived I could barley do 8 sit-ups now I can do over 40. All the trainers and the people who workout there really make you feel like they care about how you are doing. I cant wait to see what the sculpt me into in a year. If I feel this good after a month the rest of the year is going to be even better.
Thanks BDHQ - you guys rock!

Black Rock Adventure Itinerary!

RATES:

Studio Lodge with 1 king size bed
single occupancy - $449 / person
double occupant - $325 / person

1 Bedroom Lodge with 1 king size bed and a pull out sofa and kitchenette
Double occupancy - $375 / person

Both include daily continental breakfast, buffet lunch on Saturday, $10 voucher per person for restaurant, all scheduled workouts and 15% off all spa services (book in advance)


*Schedule is subject to minor changes as we iron out the details...


Friday, March 2nd

8:30pm Check in at Black Rock Resort. 596 Marine Dr, Uclulet, BC
7:30 - 8:15pm “Ground Down” Stretch from a day of travel with this gentle Vinyasa Flow Yoga class with Maria Fillione
8:30 - 9:45pm Evening get together “Meet and Greet” your fellow adventurers’ over some light refreshments

Saturday March 3rd

7:15am Bootcamp with BDHQ’s Michele Shorter. This outdoor class will get you pumped for the day. All levels welcome!
8:30 - 10am Breakfast buffet available
9:00 - 10:15am Pilates Power flow This is a moderately vigorous practice yoga practice infused with Yoga/Pilates instructor extraordinaire Maria Fillipone
11:00-12:30am Bikram style class without the hot room with Ken Mayes of Victoria Bikram
1:00 - 4:00pm Free time - Surf lessons, Spa (additional cost and number sensitive so sign up ASAP) or explore Black Rock, rest or go into Uclelet!
5:00 - 5:45pm Goal setting facilitated by Michele Shorter of BDHQ. Michele has been a successful entrepreneur and health educator for over 15years and was recently profiled in Douglas magazine’s Top Ten Business Leaders to Watch campaign.
7:00pm Dinner in the Black Rock Ballroom
8:00pm - 11ish Get your party on! Be casual or dress up a bit; up to you, but let’s dance and mingle (cash bar)

Sunday, March 4th

6:30-7:15am Trail run to the beautiful surrounding areas of Black Rock Resort with Michele Shorter
7:30-8:30am Bikram Yoga Posture Clinic with Ken Mayes
8:45-9:45am Straight up Pilates with Maria Fillipone
9:00-11:00am Breakfast buffet available
Check out of Black rock Resort and either make your way home feeling invigorated, relaxed and amazing or…1-4 optional Surf or Spa (additional costs and availability apply) and then make your way back home!

Register at Bikram Yoga Victoria by email: info@bikramyogavictoria.com

BDHQ-over Winner stories...

Here are the 3 stories that won us over. They are 2 weeks into their new workout program and have been giving 150% so far. We couldn't have picked better winners! Check back monthly for updates from all three.


Jacquelin Green, 45:

When I was a younger woman, I was very active and healthy. After having 4 kids in 6 years, I never really lost the baby weight, and my life was consumed, in a good way, by my kids. Having two boys with autism can be challenging and there was not a lot of ‘me’ time available. I morphed into the fat, funny girl (or maybe better described as stout and sarcastic!) but I really miss the feeling of having a strong and healthy body. I’m tired of providing shade for 3 people when I stand in the sun! A few years ago, I trained and ran the TC 10k and the Royal Vic 8km. I felt amazing and promised myself that I would someday run a half marathon. That is still a goal. Since then however, I didn`t just fall off the exercise wagon, I jumped off to follow the ice cream truck! It is always easier to put other people`s needs before my own (and that ice cream is so good!). I work with very vulnerable pregnant and parenting young women. It’s a stressful job, which I love, and I spend a lot of time encouraging these amazing young moms to care for themselves and to take risks to reach their goals. I think perhaps it is time that I did the same. I am definitely ready and committed to making the changes and working hard to get healthy and fit. I really want to be around for a long time to enjoy my kids, and I want to be a positive role model for the girls I coach and the moms I support. Most importantly, I want to do this for myself - to reclaim the fit person hiding under the size 22 pants.



Jessica Grant, 27:

Saying that growing up and being overweight for 27 years has been difficult would be an understatement. I grew up in Northern BC surrounded by activity and the outdoors. However, at a young age I learned that over eating, hiding food, feeling bad about my choices was ‘normal.’ My family, teachers and coaches used to tell me that I would ‘always be big’ which played a damaging roll on the inside, though I rarely showed it on the outside. I played sports growing up but was always the biggest one on the team. At home, I learned about negative eating habits and body image, which I mimicked and still do to this day. At the time, I didn’t realize how unhealthy and detrimental it would be to me. Once I moved out and went to university, I saw what other people did. They ate healthy and exercised, among other things. I had not been to a gym to work out until I was 21. It was completely foreign to me and I didn't know where to start. I went and did the same exercise routine but rather inconsistently, and then went home and ate whatever I wanted. So all in all, I didn't get far in changing my overall health. After doing that for a while, I saw a TC10 running group near my place. I thought, why not?! I may have been one of the slowest in the group, but still managed to complete the training while going to school. At this time, I also participated in Weight Watchers online and was able to lose 20 lbs. I felt on top of the world. I felt so accomplished, healthy and just ‘better’ about myself. Then I went traveling and gained almost every single pound back because I guess I thought traveling was a free for all. I felt terrible about myself and my choices and reverted back to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Part of me is now fearful about losing the weight again, because people notice when you lose or gain weight and I felt like an absolute failure when I gained it back. After I finished up my nursing degree at University of Victoria and I set out on my career. Each day I help others heal and learn about their health issues. I hardly feel adequate telling them what they should do for optimal health, when I have a long road ahead myself. I love my job and all the people I get to meet and feel blessed at the rare opportunity nurses get with patients and their families. I give wholeheartedly to my patients each day and I wish I gave that energy and commitment to myself. I am learning more and more that taking care of me is the first step in being able to be fully present and care for each person that I encounter at work. I realize I have to change as I have dreams of having a family, a long life and career in caring for others. My feelings of self worth have wavered over the years, which make it difficult to get to the heart of my weight issue and to stick with healthy living. I need the help of others, like you at BDHQ, to create a space for me to grow and learn about living a healthy life. I know I have a lot of internal and external work to do over the next year throughout this process, but I am ready with open arms. You ask why I deserve this BDHQ-over and my answer is simple; I deserve someone to take a chance on me and believe that I can do it. I promise that if I am chosen, I will come with an open mind, open heart and do everything asked of me…oh yeah, and I will work my ass off!


Chef John Waller, 43:

They say 'never trust a skinny chef' so guess I am pretty trust worthy. I am currently tipping the scale at 230 lbs and have been at that weight for over 6 years. I’m 43 years old and looking to be a lean mean cooking machine. I think most people think us Chefs eat a healthy well balanced diet. This is not true in my case. With all the hours and stress, I tend to survive on caffeine and adrenaline. The funny part is I should know better. I’m no stranger to pushing myself to the limit, having done numerous competitions in Toronto as an apprentice under some of Canada’s top chefs. I am great at making other people happy through giving people what they want, is it now time to do the same for myself and have someone else push me to be fitter, stronger and more active. I find inspiration in all kinds of places and look forward to creating new dishes with a healthier spin to them. I certainly appreciate the good things in life. Working with a talented team in my kitchen, I’m the leader and mentor to their careers. I have no problem pushing them to see things as I do and showing them how to look at things in a new way. I imagine you all will kick my ass in the same way. I strive to be the best in what I do and feel so does the team at BDHQ. It’s the year of the Dragon and this FAT dragon needs to get fit. I am currently the Chef at the newish Oak Bay Bistro and was the Executive Chef at the world renowned Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino so am not afraid of seeking perfection and being pushed.

2011: A Year In Review

What a year 2011 was...where to even begin?

It started with some new crazy classes called The Burnout involving nothing but a car tire:
It was the 2nd Annual Johnson St Fest which was so amazing again with a great turnout of people to our classes. (L - R: Jenn Hanson, Christina Verhagen and Carol Morrison)

BDHQ had it's 3 year Birthday of our Johnson St location so we celebrated with a full day of free classes:

BDHQ trainer James Beckerley and his wife Jes had their first baby, Brownyn.

We have lots of new amazing staff on our team so 2012 is going to be better than ever at BDHQ!

BDHQ was named "10 to Watch in 2011" for local businesses in Victoria. It was such an honor to be chosen and even cooler that Michele made the cover of the magazine:

We can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us. I know it will involve a lot of sweat and hard work from all of our harcore clients who work so hard everyday with us. We love you all and thank you so much for the best 2011. See you all in 2012...