Grilled Cantaloupe + Speck and Smoked Paprika & My Recent Health Nut Status

 

For those of you that follow me on Facebook and Twitter I’m sure you’ve seen how freakishly health nutty I’ve become. Insanity and Asylum workout videos have me sequestered in the basement sweating my eyeballs off and generally looking like a gnarly, hot beast in spandex. As crazy as they are though I absolutely love every heart-pumping second of it. I can’t remember a time in my life where I’ve felt so good and motivated.

At the start of this I exercised like mad, which pretty much meant 6 days a week of hardcore cardio + strength with some rest days scattered in between but continued to eat like normal– which meant anything and everything that sounded good at the time, including but not limited to: lots of cheese, meat!, desserts at 10pm, dark heavy beer like every night, and sticky chicken wings. Despite stuffing my face like a holiday bird, I was still seeing mad results from the workouts but not as much as I should have been considering. So…

I changed my eating routines and habits and what do you know: I slimmed and toned down within 2 weeks. I kid you not. I cut a lot of dairy out of my every day eating– things like cow’s milk, cheese, yogurt. I loaded up my plate heavily for breakfasts with fiber and protein-rich things like beans, egg whites, LOTS of veggies and fruits and whole-grain goodies. My lunches were way more substantial with fresh veggies and fruits and lean proteins– things like grilled salmon, tofu, or lean chicken. I snacked on nuts. And my dinners fared a lot lighter with emphasis on a good-for-me protein and vegetables.

Truth of the matter is: I LOVED what I ate every day and felt so good preparing and eating it that it made my every week food planning so exciting!

But I don’t want you to think I’m a square and only eat this at this time and hour and if not I go to crazy town. Not at all. I still indulge and don’t restrict myself of things when and if that hunger strikes. I still adore my sticky chicken wings.

And so because of this recent lifestyle switcheroo I plan on adding lots more healthful recipes in the hopes of revving up the blog’s and your appetite. Some snippets (albeit grainy and horribly lighted– sorry my phone camera can be a little unyielding at times) of what’s graced my plate the last few weeks:

 

— porcini mushroom tortellini in herb butter with sugar snap peas, baby spinach greens + parm: so maybe not terribly uber-healthy with the giant pat of butter swirled in there but look at all those veggies! :-p

– Egg white tortilla with cauli, beet greens, yellow peps. And lots of Cholula.

– Roasted sockeye salmon tacos with tomato-kiwi salsa, feta cheese, and whole grain tortillas

– Chile and cumin-spiced black beans with wilted arugula + Cholula, feta, and a fried egg

 

Expect to see lots more of those kinds of goodies within the next few weeks. But until then…

Let’s talk cantaloupe! I’ll be completely up front with you: this was a total throw-what-you-got-in-the-fridge-together-and-hope-for-the-best kind of deal. Classic Steph move, right? I had a Costco-sized tray of speck, the smoked prosciutto you see draped over the cantaloupe, a dash of feta and a dream of good eating that inspired me to fetch the ripest melon I could find and make this happen. Whipped this up for a light appetizer lunch over the weekend and was delighted at how sweetly savory it tasted together. Don’t be intimidated– it looks fancy and posh and too prim for it’s own good but underneath it all, she’s wholesome and totally honest.

Treat yourself good.

 

Grilled cantaloupe + speck and smoked paprika

Makes a solo appetizer or light lunch for 1

 

Canola oil, for spraying pan

3 sliced wedges fresh cantaloupe, seeded

A squirt of lime juice

3 thin slices speck or traditional prosciutto

Feta cheese crumbles, a tiny sprinkling

Sour cream, a dollop

A pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish

 

// Grab a medium-sized fry pan or grill pan and spray with canola oil. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Place the cantaloupe on it’s side in the pan and leave alone for about 45 seconds – 1 minute or until grill marks appear or is slightly golden. Flip the cantaloupe on the other side and leave for another 30-45 seconds.

Arrange cantaloupe on a plate and squeeze a tiny bit of lime juice over the top. Drape sheaths of speck over the cantaloupe and then sprinkle feta cheese over it. Dot with a smidge of sour cream and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Enjoy right away.

 

Make it yours: 

*Drizzle honey over the top for added sweetness

*Add toasted pistachios for buttery crunch and pop of color

*Use goat cheese in place of feta for a tangy slant

*Swap smoked paprika for cayenne for a spicy kick