Recipes

I want to share this grilled venison fajitas recipe with you because it is delicious and healthy and didn’t take long to prepare at all. 

I believe very strongly in sourcing high quality, healthy foods, and knowing how to cook for yourself and your family. There’s nothing wrong with going out to eat or buying prepared meals, but I think it’s vitally important now to look at where your food is coming from, and know how to prepare it. 

Also, protein is vitally important to the human body, especially if you lift. This is another great way to get enough protein in your diet.

Related: bookmark this chicken recipe to try, too.

I am lucky that I live in Texas and have lots of friends who hunt. They are happy to share and trade meat. I also buy meat packages from 1915 Farm here in Texas and Stay Classy Meats in Montana. Both are fantastic! (I am not sponsored or affiliated with them).

Ingredients

• Juice from 1 lime
• Juice from 1 orange
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds fajita meat from my friend Therk of HD Motorsports, and processed at Republic Butcher
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 onion if you like onions, sliced
• Tortillas
• Sour cream
• Cheese
• Sliced tomato or pico
• Avocado sliced

Marinade and Veggie Prep

Mix the citrus juices and olive oil to make a marinade. I marinated the fajita meat 2 hours, but you can marinate up to 10 or so.

Pre-heat the grill. 

While grill is heating, saute the peppers and onion. You can do this in a cast iron on the grill, or on a griddle plate if you have one. 

Remove the meat from the marinade and dry it off. Sprinkle brown sugar on the meat. 

When veggies are done sautéing, in about 10 minutes, remove and keep warm. I like to use the little side burner for this.

Related: check out some other spice options to enhance your meals.

Grill the Venison

Increase the heat on the grill. 

Add the meat and sear approximately 3 minutes per side. 

Let the meat rest 5 minutes after you remove it from heat. When you are ready, load your tortilla with meat and all your fixings: sautéed veggies, sour cream, cheese, tomato/pico, and avocado.

Enjoy! 

After you’ve made your grilled venison fajitas, try some other grilled meats like steaks. I put two different methods of cooking steak head to head: check it out here, “Can Steak on the Stovetop be as Good as on the Grill?”

Training Programs

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, exercise! Try jumping into The Garage Squad, which includes barbell work and some gym machines, or The Home Team, which is work that can be done at home with a few dumbbells. See both The Garage Squad and The Home Team here on Train Heroic!

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Smoked chicken and green beans and potatoes are a hit in this recipe.

My new favorite way to make chicken is to smoke a whole chicken. Smoking gives an extra layer to the flavor, but you can always do this in an oven too. Whether in the smoker or an oven, a whole chicken and some vegetable sides provide protein and nutrients for days, and is not as work intensive as you’d think. In fact, the most time consuming part is preparing the vegetables, which is something you can easily substitute with quicker options.

This meal will feed at least 4 immediately. If you have leftovers, you can pair with salad for an easy healthy meal.

Prepping and Smoking the Chicken

To prep the chicken, I cover it in olive oil and spices. That’s it. I have been using Traeger’s Fin & Feather rub, which is flavored largely with garlic and paprika. The whole chicken then goes in the oven or grill on 375 until the meat reaches an internal temperature between 160 and 165. This will take the better part of an hour.

Prepping the Sides

After the chicken has gone in, wash the green beans and snap the ends. Wash the new potatoes and add to the green beans. Chop one clove of garlic into small pieces and set aside. Cut 2-4 slices of bacon into 1 inch square pieces. Dry the beans and potatoes, and cover in olive oil and chopped garlic. Spread the vegetables onto a pan lined with parchment or butcher paper. Place the bacon pieces on top of the vegetables.

Cooking the Green Beans and Potatoes

When the chicken is done, verify that the meat is at an internal temperature of at least 160. When the chicken is removed, bump the heat to 400 degrees. When it is ready, put the vegetables in the oven or smoker for 20 minutes. Check at 20; add 3-4 minutes if the vegetables are not yet golden brown.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 2 ounces olive oil
• chicken spice rub
• 1 pound green beans
• 1 pound tri-color or new potatoes
• 2-4 slices bacon
• 2 ounces olive oil 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Chicken as a Protein Source

Chicken is a great source of protein. A 3-4 ounce serving will give you a little over 30 grams of protein, which is a great goal for a meal. Can’t get enough chicken? Try this One Pan Chicken Recipe.

Need a change from chicken? This trout recipe is delicious, and this venison fajita is something new and fresh to throw on your grill!

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This one pan chicken and vegetable dish is simplicity in a delicious meal. It requires a few minutes of prep, but cooks in one easy step. I love starting with a first course, which in this case is salad. You can serve the salad immediately if you have guests who are ready to eat, or save it for mealtime. 

This recipe follows what I consider the formula for a healthy meal: protein as the foundation of the meal, and sides and water added. I encourage you to aim for 30 grams of protein per meal. You can adjust for your individual needs, of course, but this offers you a great way to get closer to your ideal protein intake per day.

Salad

• spring mix salad 
• 4 oz feta cheese
• 2 bell peppers
• olive oil

Main Course

• 6-8 pieces of chicken legs and thighs 
• new potatoes
• brussels sprouts
• olive oil
• Italian seasoning
• salt
• pepper

Prep Time

As always, wash your salads and vegetables. Throw the salad, sliced bell peppers, and feta cheese in a large salad bowl. 

Chop the Brussels and small potatoes in half. Place them in an oven safe pan and coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

In a shallow dish, pour some olive oil and Italian seasoning. Dip the chicken in to cover each side, and then place on the vegetables. Salt and pepper to taste. Slice a lemon, and squeeze over the whole dish. Put them lemon in the dish to cook as well. 

One Pan Chicken

Cook on 400 for approximately 40 minutes and ensure the chicken has reached 165 degrees internally. Finish with a broil for 3-4 minutes. 

Let cool until desired temperature and enjoy your one pan chicken!

Want a recipe that’s not the same ole, same ole? Try these venison fajitas or this citrus salmon.

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My usual diet consists of red meat and veggies so I decided to mix it up with grilled trout. I call this recipe Texas Trout. I prepared this like I would salmon, with garlic, seasonings, and a bit of butter. Trout looks very similar to salmon and cooks just as deliciously, but has a slightly different flavor which is fun to experiment with.

Ingredients

For pre-entree snacking: 

• 2 bellpeppers, the more colorful the better 
• hummus
• pita chips

For the main course:

• trout 
• 2 lemons
• mushrooms
• 3 oz butter
• salt & pepper
• 3 cloves garlic2 cedar planks
• olive oil

For kebab sides:

• mushrooms 
• 3+ bellpeppers
• kebab sticks

“Prep” Your Appetizer

Number one pro tip of the kitchen: have an appetizer. Hangry is not a good look on anybody, and as a host, I never want to make anyone wait in hunger. New recipes tend to take me longer than I expect, so appetizers to the rescue. It might be overkill to call this an appetizer, but for snacking, I opened a pack of hummus, pita chips, and sliced some bell peppers. Vóila.

Trout & Sides Prep

On to the main course. Soak the cedar planks and kebab sticks for 30 – 60 minutes before grilling. Soaking longer will not hurt them, so put these in a pan of water first.

Wash and dry the bell peppers and mushrooms. Chop the mushrooms in half and bell peppers in 1-2 inch chunks. Mix in a bowl with an ounce or so of olive oil so they are evenly coated. Optionally sprinkle with sea salt. Set aside while the kebab sticks continue to soak. 

Slice one of the lemons and mince the garlic cloves. 

Remove the cedar planks from their soak and lay the trout across them. Top the trout with a bit of olive oil, the garlic cloves, pats of butter, and finally the lemons. 

Skewer the kebabs with the mushrooms and bell peppers. 

Grill Specifics

Once the grill is heated to approximately 400 degrees, begin the trout and kebab grill. 

Check in 7 minutes to turn the kebabs and check on the trout. It will likely take 5-7 more minutes. 

Serve with a half slice of lemon to squeeze on the trout before dining.

If you try this, please let me know how it goes! I think you’ll love it!

Related: One Pan Chicken and Veggies recipe

Reach Your Protein Needs

This recipe is a fantastic way to get quality protein without a bunch of extra calories. How many grams you take in will depend on your serving size, of course. You’ll get about 35 grams in 6 ounces of this trout. How much protein do you need? An easy estimate is about 30 grams per serving, but read here for more details: How much protein do you really need to eat?

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I love a good steak, and I put to the test if a steak on the stovetop can be as good as a steak on the grill.

Very often, people mistake “lifting coach” and “studier of exercise physiology” with “judgmental food snob.” 

I will explain: I’ll help you with your workouts. I’ll help you lose fat; it’s not rocket science. But I won’t ask you to eat only chicken and salad the rest of your life. 

I won’t judge you for wanting good food. 

I won’t judge you for having a beer. 

I want you to enjoy cooking and eating your food. 

I want your food to support your physical activities! 

Now that we have that settled, I hope you better understand why I cook good, hearty meals that aren’t only “diet food”. Steak on the grill is my favorite, and I have it at least once a week. It’s so delicious, and so easy to throw on sides.

Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak

What would I do if I didn’t have a grill, like most of my apartment-living life? I made it my goal to prepare a steak on the stovetop that is just as delicious as a steak on the grill. 

This Southern Living recipe called Cast Iron Cowboy Steak is the perfect experiment. I made it twice, once followed to a tee (well, almost), and once modified to cook inside. 

The original recipe recommends you use a cast iron skillet on the grill. On Round 1, I used the cast iron skillet on the stove top. No grill. Round 2, I followed directions. Both were delicious, but which was best?? Below is Round 1.

Round 1: Steak on the Stovetop

Set oven to 400. 

Put on music. My pick is Motown radio. The Shirelles? Yes, please. “Will you still love me tomorrow?”

Grab your drink of choice. 

Put on apron. Non negotiable. Do it. 

Wash potatoes and place on aluminum foil that has been lightly coated with vegetable oil. Put potatoes and empty cast iron skillet in the oven.

Set timer for 40 minutes for potatoes.

Set timer for 10 minutes for skillet.

While you are waiting for then skillet to heat, apply salt and pepper to both sides of steak, chop thyme, garlic, and wash vegetables and salad. 

When the 10 minute timer goes off, use TWO pot holders to remove the skillet from the oven and put on the stovetop. It’s hot! Set the flame to high. 

Put the oil in the skillet, and spread around. Add the steak, and set timer for 6 minutes. If you have a splatter screen, now is the time to use it. And don’t make fun of me for the apron. It’s a human-sized splatter screen. Also, my mom made this one for me and I love it.

Six minutes on one side with top halfway on. 

When 6 minutes has passed, use tongs to hold steak on edge, fatty side, for 1:00. Then cook the steak 4 minutes on other side. For about 2 minutes, while tilting the skillet, spoon the butter, thyme and garlic mixture on top of steak. 

Take the steak off the heat and let it rest while you dress up that potato and throw the salad together. Time to dig in!

Lessons Learned

The recipe called for 10 minutes on each side, but I had a thinner steak than they called for so I felt like that would be too much. I dropped it to 6 minutes, and it was still a little too well done for me. 

The butter, thyme and garlic mixture was savory and delicious!! It was a tad heavy on the garlic, though, so I will adjust that down next time. 

Round 2: Cast Iron on the Grill

I followed the directions and used the cast iron on the grill this time. I prepared everything the same way, except I skipped the garlic and added Montreal Steak seasoning. Couldn’t resist throwing some mushrooms on the grill too. 

Five minutes on each side and one minute on the fatty edge was still a little too done. It had amazing flavor which I enjoyed even more without the overpowering garlic. 

Lessons Learned

Thyme is a winner! I will be using thyme in my cooking more. 

I now have a great method of cooking steak inside should I ever need to. 

And the big question: can steak on the stovetop be as good as grilled? Maybe. Further studies are necessary.

More Recipes

Smoked chicken

Grilled venison fajitas

Vince Gironda’s egg shake

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It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday!! Are you ready for some football??? And some Super Bowl snacks?

I am! I love the big game, and I take great pleasure in the whole shebang: the athletes, the plays, commercials, the party, the food.

Food is complicated these days! People tend to fall in two camps: those who are watching what they eat, and those who aren’t. Many people are dieting or trying to lose weight, but let’s be real: people come to a Super Bowl party to eat!

Here are some great party snacks that can be easily modified into a lighter version that’s just as delicious. Psstt…. this is great not only for the Super Bowl, but for any party where you anticipate needing both lighter and heartier options.

The Menu

Grilled Shrimp Kebabs

Loaded Nachos

Guacamole & Veggies

Grilled Shrimp Kebabs

• 4 pounds shrimp, precooked gulf coast shrimp are my favorite 
• 1 ounce olive oil
• Cajun seasoning
• a few sprigs of cilantro, chopped

Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails on. 

Start the grill. 

Pat the shrimp dry and put in mixing bowl. Add 1 ounce of olive oil, Cajun seasoning, one minced garlic clove, and chopped cilantro to the shrimp. Mix ingredients until all shrimp are covered.

Skewer the shrimp in a horseshoe pattern. Place on the grill for about 2 minutes per side. 

Squeeze lemon juice onto the shrimp before eating. 

For a lighter option, enjoy them right off the grill. For a heartier option, dip in melted butter. 

 Loaded Nachos

• Chips
• Shredded chicken breasts 
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can black beans
• sour cream
• shredded cheese
• salsa

Nachos are not going to be the most diet friendly food no matter what, but a la carte style nachos can be acceptable. Add on shredded chicken and beans for protein, and cheese and sour cream for extra flavor. For the lighter option, choose black beans and go easy or skip the cheese and sour cream. 

Please note that these aren’t healthy/unhealthy options, just lower calorie. Refried beans have about 60 calories per serving fewer black beans, but neither is inherently unhealthy.

Guacamole

• 3 avocados 
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 2-3 teaspoons of cilantro, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 lemon
• Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning
• sea salt

For dipping in the guac:

• baby carrots
• 2-3 pretty bell peppers
• broccoli and cauliflower cut into bite size pieces

Add sliced avocados, chopped cilantro, garlic clove, salt and Tony’s in a bowl. Squeeze a lemon on top of the contents of bowl. Keep tomatoes separate for now. 

I use a knife to chop the avocados finely, then finish by smooshing them further with a whisk. I prefer this over a potato masher because it leaves avocado chunks rather than a puree feel.

When you are satisfied with the consistency of the guacamole, add the tomatoes in.

Find a great bowl to display all the pretty vegetables and chips in. Bonus points if its a themed football bowl.

Enjoy!

Try these Super Bowl snacks and let me know how they turn out for you! Let me know if you have other great recipes that can be modified for healthy options too. 

Shopping list for approximately 10 people:

• 5 chicken breasts 
• 4 pounds shrimp, I love the pre cooked gulf coast shrimp
• optional chicken broth
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 can black beans
• 2 bags chips
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 stick butter
• 2 or 3 pretty bell peppers
• 1 package baby carrots
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 3 avocados
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• small bunch cilantro
• wooden kebab skewers
• sea salt
• shredded cheese
• Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning
• 1 ounce olive oil
• salsa

More Recipes

If you are looking for some great recipes for non-party situations, try these regular but healthy and protein packed meals:

Grilled venison fajitas

One pan chicken and veggies

Texas trout

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Serves 2-3

This salmon and broccoli recipe requires a little bit of time – about half an hour- but it is high in protein, healthy, and deeelicious! Absolutely worth it! By being strategic about the food prep, you can time the salmon, broccoli, and rice to be hot and ready to eat about the same time.

Ingredients

• fresh salmon, 16 ounces 
• 1 head of broccoli
• Zatarains rice
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
• 1 lemon
• olive oil
• salt
• thyme
• rosemary
• salt and pepper
• aluminum foil or high temperature parchment paper
• Parmesan cheese optional

First, obviously, wash your hands. Repeat this a million times throughout the cooking process.

Then, preheat oven to 350. Gather all your ingredients on the counter so they are ready and easy to grab.

Line 2 pans with parchment paper for easy clean up, then layer with a thin spread of olive oil.

Broccoli

Wash head of broccoli, then shake and blot dry with a clean dish towel. The drier the better so the olive oil can coat the broccoli. On a clean cutting board, chop into bite size little broccoli trees, and evenly coat about an ounce of olive oil on all the pieces. Line out the little trees on one of the pans, with as much surface area as possible. A bunched up pile of broccoli won’t brown as well or taste as good.

Sprinkle with sea salt and Parmesan cheese if you’d like. Go ahead and put the broccoli in the oven, and set a timer for 15 minutes.

Related: want more veggie recipes?

Rice

Now measure out your rice and water in separate measuring cups. The package will have instructions, but you generally boil twice the volume of water as rice. Begin the water boiling in a covered pot. If you are needing to have fewer carbs for some reason, have less rice. I usually make more so I can have leftovers.

Citrus

Slice half of the orange into thin slices, and save the other half. Repeat with the lemon and lime, keeping the uncut halves on a little plate.

Salmon

Place the salmon skin side down on the other pan. Drizzle about half an ounce of olive oil on the salmon, then sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper. Finally, place the citrus slices in a pretty pattern on the salmon.

Put the salmon in the oven and check on the broccoli. The broccoli should need more time, so you can reset the timer for about 10 minutes, at which point both the broccoli and salmon should be near ready.

Your water should also be boiling at this point, so you can add the dry rice to the water. It’ll quit boiling with the addition of the rice, but will heat up again.

This leaves you with a couple minutes until the food is ready, if you have timed it all right. Don’t go too far from the oven because you’ll want to keep your eye on the rice. If you are kid- or otherwise responsibility-free during this break, it’s a good time to put the spices and leftover ingredients back up.

Salmon should be ready when it flakes easily and is a bit opaque in color. This ended up taking 12 minutes in my oven, so be ready to check it, poke it, and add a couple of minutes.

When the rice, broccoli, and salmon are done, arrange them in a pretty set up on your best dishes. No sense in holding back on the good stuff. Lay the salmon down first, and arrange the rice and broccoli on the side.

Squeeze the fresh lemon and lime halves on the salmon before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Half of this meal is approximately:

• Protein: 51 g 
• Fat: 10 g
• Carbs: 53 g
• Calories: 506

Leftovers? Pack it up over ice and have it for lunch tomorrow!

Make this and let me know how it turns out! Do you have other salmon and broccoli recipes? I love to hear how people make recipes their own. Let me know!

If you are still looking for new recipes, check out more of my favorites here!

Need a New Training Program?

All of this food writing is making me hungry, and ready to train! Do you need a new training program? Jump into one of my most popular classes or programs. See them all here at Train Heroic!

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Good morning, all!

What’s the best part of waking up? Folgers in your cup? Community Coffee, in my case, but also BREAKFAST! It would be hard to pick a favorite meal, but breakfast might top the chart.

Breakfast literally breaks the fast of sleeping, and prepares us for the day. I am not dogmatic enough to believe that every single of the 7 billion people in the world must have breakfast, or else he or she will become obese, infertible, diabetic, and cranky.

As a lifter, however, you must realize you are not like the general population. You need more protein than if you didn’t lift, you will do well to drink more water, and you will perform better if you eat with the intent to get effective workouts.

Why Breakfast is Important

Now, food is not only fuel. That term kind of bothers me, because we aren’t little untasting robots who refuel our body with an unmeaningful blend of macronutrients poured into our fuel tank. As you know, I’m southern. Meals are important to me!

That said, food can make or break a workout.

Many prep coaches advise fasted cardio in the morning. Competition prep is a whole different animal, and that’s a whole ‘nother blog post! But even competitors will tell you, you will have a better workout when you are not in a fasted state, so fuel your workouts properly to prioritize your workouts. If you are purposefully eating in a caloric deficit to lose weight, structure your meals through the rest of the day to reach your goal number of calories.

It is of utmost importance to eat so that you can get a good, hard workout! Eat at the right time so you can get the best workout for the best adaptation (i.e., results!).

Timing of Breakfast in Relation to Training

If you workout immediately upon waking up, you will not have  time for multiple meals before. In that case, have some carbs and protein even if it is a shake or smoothie, and even if it is a smaller amount.

If you are a mid-day exercise, you will have a better workout with a meal or two in your belly before you lift, so it will help you to begin with breakfast.

So here we go: here is the ultimate, easy to make, protein packed southern breakfast. I eat this every morning. The only exception is that I don’t always add avocado, either because I’m out and need to make a grocery run, or I choose to get all this meal’s fats from egg yolk.

The Ultimate Breakfast

Prep time: 10 minutes, if you’re good like me. Maybe 15 til it becomes habit.

Macros: Protein 31 g, fat 8 g, carbs 30 g. 316 calories total.

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How to love vegetables: a delicious roasted Brussels sprouts and Italian baked chicken recipe.

Fruit is proof that God loves us. I love fruit. It is so delicious, easy to carry, and requires no prep. I have to ration my fruit because I’d eat 15 pieces a day if I didn’t stop myself.

Vegetables, on the other hand… yuck. They require ranch dip or preparation, then end up soggy and smelly.  

As an adult, I have made a concerted effort to eat vegetables. The effort is well worth it for the payoff, especially for active people. After the trouble we go through to exercise, eat enough protein, and drink enough water, it makes sense to do everything we can to take care of our bodies in other ways.

Like eat vegetables.

After experimenting with many different vegetables, recipes, and preparation methods, I finally hit the jackpot: baked Brussels sprouts.  Half of you have probably done this before, but I just discovered it and cannot get enough.  

Add in a well seasoned baked chicken, and you’ve got a complete, healthy dinner.  Try this out and let me know how you like it!  I love to hear other people’s cooking tips and tricks!

Oven Baked Italian Chicken and Roasted Brussels Sprouts 

Serves 2

• 2 chicken breasts, not frozen
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• nonstick cooking spray
• Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• sea salt
• pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  For easy cleanup, line 8.5 x 12” pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts on foil and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil on chicken, coating both sides.  Sprinkle Italian seasoning and dried oregano on both sides of chicken.  Set timer to 30 minutes and place chicken in oven.

Thoroughly wash and dry Brussels sprouts.  Trim the end off and discard.  Cut the sprouts in quarters and place in large bowl.  Add 1 ounce of olive oil and a dash of Kosher salt, and toss to evenly coat all sprouts.  Add to oven.

Ensure chicken cooks to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Food thermometers are the safest way to cook, but if you do not have one, cut through the thickest part of the breast and be sure the meat is not pink.  Don’t hesitate to put it back in the oven for a few more minutes.

Brussels sprouts will be done in approximately 20 minutes.  They will be browned on the outsides, and outer leaves will be crisped.  Feel free to test 1 or 2 or 5 to see.    Coat with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese before serving.

1 serving (approximately 5 ounce chicken breast and half the sprouts) is 17g fat, 20 g carbs, 33 g protein, and 373 calories.

How Do You Love Preparing Vegetables?

Let me know – I’d love to hear your recipes and try them! Email me at kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

Want More Recipes?

Try these:

Texas Trout

Grilled venison fajitas

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