Meal Prep 12/19/16

Hello there! As you can tell, I like routine and simplicity, because many of my meal plans look very similar :) I know that I feel my best when I stick to the foods that work for me, and keeping things pretty straightforward certainly helps with that! I'm still following a lower carb high fat plan, but with less of an intermittent fasting time frame, per the recommendation of my naturopath. Here's the lineup:

Breakfast: Protein Shake // 1 scoop Build protein by PureWOD and 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, mixed with Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk, Bulletproof Brain Octane, and ice. This week I have a couple with golden milk spices (see more here), one with matcha, and one with extra cocoa powder and peppermint! Worth noting: I've discovered that when I use my homemade yogurt in my shakes instead of the plain coconut milk, they taste like cheesecake, which is a total win in my book!!

Lunch: Beef Sausage with Greens and Roasted Veggies // The beef sausage links from US Wellness Meats are such a convenient start to an easy meal! This time I took the casings off, cut the links into pieces, and cooked them in my Le'Creuset. When they were done, I pulled them out but left the grease behind to cook the greens in. While all this was going on, I was roasting the yellow squash and daikon radish in the oven at 425 with a generous amount of ghee until golden! 

Dinner: Green Soup with Collagen Peptides and Avocado // I've had my eye on this soup by The First Mess for a while now. (Her presentation is stunning, so it's worth hopping over to her page just to see it!) I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, except I used homemade bone broth in place of the vegetable broth, doubled the greens, and started with pre-ground spices for convenience. I also added in some Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for a little bit of extra protein, and will be topping each serving off with a small avocado! 

Optional Snack: Artisana Coconut Butter 

And that's a wrap! Have a great week!

Meal Prep 12/12/16

Last week's meals were all from my freezer stash, so it was nice to get back into the kitchen this week! Each time I make a meal and have an extra portion, I freeze it in a single portion serving. I pull these out when I'm short a meal here or there, or just to mix in variety. Last week I had enough in my freezer to not have to do any cooking at all, which was perfect after a weekend out of town! I also needed to clear out some space since we brought back several pounds of Colorado elk meat from my parent's house in Texas. It doesn't get much more grass fed than that! 

Breakfast: Protein Shake // 1 scoop Build protein by PureWOD and 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, mixed with Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk, Bulletproof Brain Octane, and ice. Current favorite flavor: GOLDEN MILK! To the vanilla base, I add in 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a dash each of pepper and cloves. I've also been enjoying matcha shakes! And when I use the chocolate base, I add in an extra tbsp of cacao powder and a drop of peppermint essential oil. Seriously though, try the golden milk version. You'll love it!

Lunch: Pesto Pork Skillet // I started with the pork sausage from US Wellness Meats for even more flavor! I used two bags of organic baby spinach from Trader Joe's instead of the kale, and also added in 1.5# of chopped organic zucchini to increase the volume. This is one of my favorites! 

Dinner: Green Flatbread + Braunschweiger + Radishes/Cucumber // This combo is one of my "no-cook" go-to's. I buy the braunschweiger from US Wellness Meats (I also love their liverwurst), and find it to be a super convenient way to increase my intake of organ meats. You can find my original flatbread recipe here. For this batch, I used about 3 cups each of cilantro and parsley, 7 oz of wild arugula, 1/3 cup of sarifoods nutritional yeast, 1/3 cup hemp hearts, and 1/2 cup Go Raw sprouted pumpkin seeds. It's super nutrient dense, and I love the flavor! I like to add the fresh veggies to bulk up the volume a little bit. 

Optional Snack: Artisana Coconut Butter + Homemade Peppermint Chocolates // I could eat coconut butter by the jar, so these single serve packets are not only great for travel, but also for portion control! The homemade chocolates (not pictured) are simply equal parts cacao butter, coconut butter, and cacao powder, with stevia to taste. I added a drop of peppermint essential oil to this batch, because it's the season for all things peppermint! I usually have one after lunch and one after dinner, because I LOVE chocolate, and have some every day.

Another week prepped and ready to go! Excluding chopping time, this really only took me about an hour to prep my shake jars, set up my flatbread to dehydrate, portion the braunschweiger, and make the pesto pork!

Have a great week!  

Instant Pot Coconut Milk Yogurt

There was a period of my life where I had Greek yogurt, blueberries, and walnuts for breakfast every morning. Since then I've come to realize that dairy doesn't do me any favors, so I forego it 95% of the time, but I do still love the tart satisfaction of a thick creamy yogurt! In addition to the flavor and that texture that I crave, I also try to eat yogurt regularly for the benefit of the probiotics that it provides. Store bought dairy-free yogurt often contains added sugar or thickeners, however, which I try to avoid, not to mention the hefty price tag that it carries. I started making my own homemade yogurt a couple of years ago and it really couldn't be easier!

• 2 cans full fat coconut milk (I prefer Golden Star or Aroy-D brands for the creamiest results)
• Yogurt starter (I use this one by Custom Probiotics, one large scoop per batch // this one is good too) EDIT: I recently also did this with 1/4 cup Coconut Cult as a starter! 
• Optional: 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Instant Pot Version:

1. Pour the contents of both cans of coconut milk into the Instant Pot. Press the sauté function and bring the coconut milk to a boil, then hit cancel and allow it to cool to around 110 degrees. (Edit: lately I have been skipping this step and I don't notice a difference in the results!)

2. Stir in the maple syrup, if using, and the yogurt starter until well combined.

3. Put the lid on the pot and press the Yogurt function. Let it do its thing for 7 hours! I prefer to run two cycles back to back for a more tart and probiotic-rich yogurt, but you can stop the process whenever it tastes good to you. The longer it goes, the more tart it will be.

4. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate.

Oven Method:

1. Turn the pilot light on in your oven and set a thermometer inside. Most ovens maintain a temperature around 110 degrees with the pilot light on, which is what you're looking for.

2. Bring the contents of both cans of coconut milk to a boil in a saucepan on the stovetop, then allow to cool to around 110 degrees. 

3. In the meantime, sanitize a 1 quart mason jar. When the coconut milk is cool enough, add about 1 cup to the jar.

3. Add the yogurt starter and the maple syrup (if using) and stir thoroughly to combine, then add the rest of the coconut milk. Top with a loose fitting lid.

4. Place the jar in the oven overnight, or until yogurt reaches desired level of tartness, then transfer to the fridge for storage.

Notes: 

I have found that the finished yogurt will keep for well over a week in the fridge (I've kept it around for over two!). Instead of using yogurt starter each time, you can use about 1/2 cup of a previous batch of yogurt to inoculate the fresh coconut milk for a new batch. Lastly, depending on your coconut milk, sometimes the final product will separate; just shake before using. If the yogurt is too thin for your preference, you can thicken it up by stirring 1 tsp gelatin into 1/2 cup of the warm yogurt, then mixing this into the batch. 

Meal Prep 11/28/16

Lately I've been packing a lot more into my weekends, so my meal prep has been on the super simple side. More often than not, I prepare two "all in one" meals that include an animal protein and at least two veggies each. I also love to cook elaborate and creative dishes, but sometimes a "no-fuss" meal is exactly what I need to keep things easy! 

Breakfast: Protein Shake // I know I've been posting about these shakes for months, but I really love them, I feel great eating them, and they're super easy!! 1 scoop Build protein by PureWOD and 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, mixed with Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk, Bulletproof Brain Octane, and ice. Lately I've been adding in some peppermint to my chocolate shakes and some matcha to my vanilla ones to mix it up! 

Lunch: Creamy Chicken and Spaghetti Squash Casserole // First, I cooked the squash. Normally I cut it in half, de-seed, cook under high pressure in my Instant Pot for 7 minutes, then use the quick release function to release the pressure. This time I went the old school route and baked it cut-side down in the oven at 425 until tender. Either way, after the squash is done, scoop out the strands into a large bowl. I was using up some leftover pre-cooked chicken in this recipe, but if you don't have that, just cook some in the Instant Pot (12 minutes on high pressure), then shred! To the squash I added about 1 cup of chopped kalamata olives, 1 cup of Chosen Foods Mayo, and two bags of chopped fresh baby spinach (about 12 ounces). I mixed that all together, then spread about half of it in a layer on the bottom of a large glass baking dish. I topped that with the cooked chicken (just shy of 2#), added the rest of the squash mixture, then baked it at 400 until bubbly. It's not pretty, but it has great flavor! 

Dinner: "Beef Tapa" Hash with Bok Choy // This dish was inspired by a Beef Tapa recipe I've seen floating around, but rather than buy a cut of beef, I decided to modify and use the ground beef from US Wellness Meats that I already had in my freezer. I cooked the beef in my Le'Creuset dutch oven until no longer pink, then added 1/4 cup coconut aminos, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1# of shredded radishes, and 1# of chopped bok choy. I simmered until the veggies were soft, adjusted the seasonings (added a little more fish sauce), then portioned it out for the week!

Optional Snack: Collagen Bar + Homemade Chocolate // Primal Kitchens Collagen bars are a go-to for me. Stay tuned for a giveaway coming soon, hint hint :) I also made a fresh batch of homemade chocolates. You can find the basic recipe in my 11/21/16 Meal Plan post! 

Another quick and easy week that clocked in at just under two hours, including roasting the squash in the oven! 

Have a great week! 

Meal Prep 11/21/16

I can't believe it's already the holidays! I love Thanksgiving and Christmas, and am looking forward to all the festive, cozy things that the season brings. Seeing as this will be a short week, I only need three days of food to get me through the work week. I didn't change much about my prep, however. I prepared dishes and portioned them as normal, I'll just have a few extra servings in the freezer to use at a later time! These are perfect for weeks when I have less time to prep, when plans change, or when I want a little more variety in my week. 

I'll do a post on my meal prep routine at some point...stay tuned!

Breakfast: Protein Shake // 1 scoop Vanilla Build protein by PureWOD and 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, mixed with Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk, Bulletproof Brain Octane, and ice. I also use the Rootz pre-workout energizing superfood before I go to the gym, which I LOVE!

Lunch: Ground Bison with Primal Kitchen Ranch, "Cheesy" Turnip Mash, and Bacon Braised Kale // I started by cooking up 1# of ground bison from US Wellness Meats in a large skillet, then added about 1/2 cup of Primal Kitchens new dairy-free Ranch dressing (DELICIOUS) to make a creamy sauce. It was a little on the runny side, so I mixed in 1 tbsp coconut flour to thicken it right up! For the turnip mash, I roasted about 4# of peeled and chopped turnips in avocado oil (again by Primal Kitchens) until golden. Then I blended them in my food processor with some coconut milk, SariFoods non-fortified nutritional yeast (one of my favorite flavor boosters), and Himalayan pink salt to taste! In the meantime, I sautéed some kale in bacon grease, sprinkled with smoked salt, then braised in bone broth in my Instant Pot until soft.  

Dinner: Sausage Soup with Zucchini and Spinach // I definitely made this up on the fly, but it turned out well! I started by browning 1# of the pork sausage from US Wellness Meats in my Le'Creuset dutch oven (this was given to me at my wedding 4 years ago and is probably my most used kitchen item!). When the sausage was cooked, I added in 1.5# chopped organic zucchini, 4 cups of homemade bone broth, and 2 bags of organic baby spinach. I let that simmer until the veggies were soft, adjusted the seasonings, and then portioned it into jars for the week!

Optional Snack: Collagen Bar + Homemade Chocolate // Primal Kitchens recently came out with two new flavors of their collagen bars, which I love!! They're balanced in terms of macros (about 15 gm each of carb, protein, and fat), and are full of gut healing collagen. You can try them out for yourself here! I also made some homemade chocolates this week to have after my meals, just for fun! The simple recipe is one part each of cacao butter and coconut butter and two parts cacao powder. I just whisk it all together in a saucepan over low heat and add sweetener to taste. I especially love adding a drop of peppermint essential oil (learn more in the "Work With Me" tab)! 

Excluding chopping (which my husband helps me with), this prep took just over an hour. Thanks for stopping by!