Portabella and Broccoli Egg Cups- PLUS! Big Red Bowl Meal Prep

With regionals over I thought I was taking a step back and not competing as much, if at all.... then it hit me. If we are wanting to expand our family this is my last "season" for who knows how long. Obviously I will want to make a come back, but with the thought of watching from the sidelines becoming more real I am starting to mentally struggle to accept it. Therefore, when invited to join a team last minute this past weekend I had to say yes! We knew we wouldn't win, but it was a fun day- I even pr'd my full clean during the clean complex (1 full clean + two 2 front squats) so I can't be mad about that. In hindsight I shouldn't have worked out so hard Friday and that would've helped my first two events, but when you finally feel good doing bar muscle ups you have to keep going, right?

This week for meal prep we kept it simple and it was done almost entirely off Costco supplies- including the veggies. Matt is busy landscaping the front of the house, I started power washing the fence around the pool so we could stain it, and then with the competition on Sunday I was low on time.

I call this my BIG RED BOWL meal prep because all three recipes used my large bowl and I just rinsed it between them and kept going. All the meat I chop into bite-sized pieces so I can prep easy or make meals/salads during the week without getting a cutting board out.

What I made:

- Stir-fry veggies
- 3 lbs Flank Steak
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 1 Package Chicken Sausage
- 12 Egg Cups
- 30 Kofta-Meatballs
- 4 Cups (uncooked) Rice
- Lots of Roasted Broccoli

Meal ideas

- Chicken/Steak + veggie + peanut butter + soy sauce
- Sausage + Rice + Broccoli
- Mealballs + Rice + Hummus + Broccoli
- Egg Cups + Avocado

Here's how I did it:

Stir Fry Veggies-

As I am chopping I put them in my big bowl so I can dump them into the pan when ready and keep my cutting board clear.

 - 2 Bunch of Asaparagus, cut in 1 inch chunks
- 2 Bell Peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 Small, Sweet Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 8-oz Package Sliced Mushrooms
- 1 Large Bag Green Beans, trimmed in 1 inch pieces

In a large Wok or frying pan, heat a little bit of oil over medium high heat. Add the veggies and stir frequently until cooked- less than 10 minutes. Near the end I add a bit of soy sauce and black pepper.

Flank Steak Marinade

(I marinate mine over night in a plastic bag set inside my big bowl in case it leaks)

- 3 lbs Flank Steak
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/3 Cup Soy Sauce (coconut Aminos)
- 1/3 Cup White Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2-3 tsp Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes

After marinating over night, I grilled the steak outside on my grill until it was medium-well... then let it rest before slicing.

Chicken-

Grilled with the steak, seasoned with lemon pepper and garlic salt.

Chicken Sausage-

Grilled.

Kofta Meatballs

- I only had beef so I used no pork... here is the original recipe: 
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Pork (or another lean meat like lamb, or even more beef)
- 6 Garlic Cloves, grated using a microplane
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, grated
- 1/4 Cup+ Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 2 Tbsp Ground Coriander
- 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 2 tsp Salt
- 3 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (less if you don't like spicy)
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. Combined all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands until just combined.

2. Roll into 1.5-2" sized balls and place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your balls.

Portabella and Broccoli Egg Cups

(Makes 12)
- 3 cups Sliced Portabella Mushrooms
- 3 Cups Chopped Broccoli 
(neither of these need to be exact- just roughly chopped)
- 8 Eggs
- Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Over medium to medium-high heat, saute the mushrooms and broccoli until the broccoli is bright green and the mushrooms are tender. About 5 minutes. Set them aside to cool.

2. Crack the eggs into a big bowl and whisk. Add the veggies and salt and pepper.

3. Using a non-stick muffin pan, or one sprayed with olive oil, pour about 1/4 cup of the egg mixture. 

Bake 18-20 minutes until they puff up and are firm in the center. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 146
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9 g	14 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	12 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 248 mg	83 %
Sodium 107 mg	4 %
Potassium 415 mg	12 %
Total Carbohydrate 5 g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	6 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 12 g	24 %
Vitamin A	28 %
Vitamin C	55 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	10 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Eating like a Kid- Fish Nuggets and Tarter Sauce

You know what is fantastic? Life seems to eventually work out. A year ago I was not in a good place mentally, struggling in a bad relationship and just overall down. I was probably not being the best mom or teacher I could be because I was distracted. My weight was plummeting because I wasn't eating enough (I am an under-eater when stressed while some have the opposite problem) and because of that my workouts were suffering. Fast forward to now and I don't remember a time when I have ever been so happy. 

Matt is more than I could have asked for in a partner and probably the most thoughtful person I have ever met...

Work is going well. I am the alternate for our gym's CrossFit Regional team...

Charlie is fantastic...

 We adopted an 8-week old chihuahua/dachshund/rat terrier named Annie... 

AND I got engaged! I am so gushy with happiness I annoy myself. 

Ok, food. I am not going to lie... this recipe was made because during meal prep I was trying to think of something Charlie would eat too. Turns out Matt and I both thought it was delicious so we made it two weeks in a row for ourselves because Charlie was one and done on both- but don't worry child, we will try again! 

Fish Nuggets

- 1 lb Tilapia Filets (or Cod)

- 1/2 tsp Salt

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

- 1/4 tsp Paprika

- 1/3 Cup Arrowroot Powder

- 1 Egg

- Water

- 1 Cup Gluten-Free Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)

- Olive Oil Spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and prepare a cookie sheet with either parchment or a non-stick jelly roll pan. 

1. Cut the fish into 1.5-2" chunks. In three bowls, or plates, do the following: 1) Arrowroot powder, salt, pepper, paprika 2) Egg whisked with a splash of water (about 1 Tbsp) 3) Breadcrumbs

2. Like an assembly line: Dredge the fish in bowl 1, shake off the excess, dip into the egg mixture, dredge in the panko. Place each chunk on the cookie sheet. Spray with olive oil spray.

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are crispy and firm to the touch, turning half way.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 175
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3 g	5 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	4 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 96 mg	32 %
Sodium 408 mg	17 %
Potassium 23 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 11 g	4 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	1 %
Sugars 0 g
Protein 23 g	46 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	3 %
Iron	6 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Tarter Sauce

2/3 cup avocado oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1 egg

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Pickle Relish

Salt and pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients except the relish in a bowl and whisk until thick. (Side note: I put all the ingredients in a mason jar and use an immersion blender... same result in literally less than a minute and then if you have extra you already have a container to store it :) Hand mix in the relish and taste for more salt/pepper/relish. This can be stored in the fridge for 5 days and will thicken. 

Date-y Newton Bars

Since training has felt blah and all my friends are having success on a particular eating program I decided to make some changes and give it a try. I already eat what most would consider an extremely clean diet, but I am interested in the concept that you can get more out of your food by eating it at a certain time based on when you workout. I have tried Whole30 and that lasted like 2 days and have never weighed and measured my food in my life. So here we go RP Strength dieting... it is based on what time of day you workout and the intensity of the workout. So far it has been incredibly difficult with my schedule because I can't just stop in the middle of class and eat. I also don't like eating so close to my workouts. I also don't think I am eating enough because on the "base" program I have lost weight and don't feel very strong working out. That being said, I am going to increase my food, possibly moving to their "mass" program. I like measuring and weighing food- maybe that's the science teacher in me. What I have found most valuable, is the book about women and nutrition- particularly the macromolecules which I can actually use in my own classroom when I teach biochemistry.

Here’s an example day for me-

• Breakfast- protein, fat, veggie (no carbs) … eggs, broccoli, avocado
• 3-5 hours later- Meal 2- protein, fat, veggie (no carbs)… taco meat, lettuce, oil and vinegar
• 1-3 hours before I train- Meal 3- protein, less fat, carbs, veggie… rice, chicken, peanut butter, broccoli
• Workout… protein shake + workout carbs like Gatorade or tang
• Within an hour of working out- Meal 4 - protein, less fat, most carbs, veggie… same as meal 3
• Casein Protein shake before bed…

Here's my summary of what I am taking away from the diet thus far:

• The biggest mistake I was making in my diet before was not eating enough carbs. It was making me lean, but hurting my recovery and muscle growth because my body was using protein for energy (because that’s used before fat) and so by eating more carbs my body uses those and so I get to “keep” my protein which helps with muscle and recovery as stated above. 
• Protein timing does not affect performance and recovery, so long as protein intake is spread evenly through the day
• For training longer than 1 hour, carbs and protein consumed during training improves performance and saves muscle tissue from being broken down
• Carbs eaten in the several meals after training are much more likely to be assembled into muscle glycogen and to improve the next workout’s performance than they are to be stored as fat, especially compared to eating the same amount of carbs at other times of the day
• Carbs in the meal before training reliably improve performance
• Fat intake slows, by a considerable magnitude, the digestion and absorption of all other nutrients eaten in that meal
• Eat your meals spread evenly through the day
• Eat between 4 and 7 meals per day when you can
• Have most of your carbs pre, during and post-workout
• Have most of your fats in the meals of the day furthest away from your workouts

FOOD!!!

I have been looking for little sweet treats to satisfy my craving for something sweet once in a while and thought I could make a riff on a Fig Newton using dates! Since they are naturally sweet I didn't need to add any sugar/honey or anything to them! I think next time I will make them in a 9x13 pan so they are thinner and I can eat a "bigger" one for the same macros. 

Date-y Newton Bars

- 4 Cups Dried, Pitted Dates...separated! 3 cups and 1 cup

- 1/2 Cup Orange Juice

- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice (about 1/2 lime)

- 1/2 Cup Water

- 1/2 tsp Salt

- 1/2 tsp Vanilla (optional)

- 1 Cup Chopped Pecans

- 1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

- 1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats

- 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil

1. Boil about 2 cups of water, add the separated 1 cup of dates, set aside to soak. In a sauce pan over medium high heat, place 3 cups of dates, the orange juice, lime juice, water, salt and vanilla. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until it thickens and the dates break down- about 10 minutes. Let it cool while you prepare the crust.

2. In a food processor, add the pecans, coconut, and oats. Pulse until a "flour" is made. Add the oil, drain the 1 cup of dates you set aside, add those too and pulse again.

 At this point you should be able to press it with your fingers and it should retail its shape. Add a little more oil if it doesn't. 

3. In an 8x8, or a 9x13 pan if you want thinner bars, press the crust reserving about 1/2 cup. Place this in the freezer while you finish the filling.

4. Using the back of a spoon, or the food processor wiped out if you want a smoother filling, mash the dates as mush as possible. After the bottom crust has been in the freezer about 5 minutes pull it out and top with the filling. Sprinkle the reserved crust on top and press it slightly into the dates to make it stay. Put the entire pan in the freezer- it is easier to cut them when they are hard. I store mine in the freezer but storing them in the fridge would also work. Enjoy!

I cut mine into 36 two-bite squares:

Nutrition Facts
Servings 36.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 105
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6 g	9 %
Saturated Fat 4 g	18 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 1 mg	0 %
Potassium 123 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 14 g	5 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	8 %
Sugars 10 g
Protein 1 g	2 %
Vitamin A	1 %
Vitamin C	3 %
Calcium	1 %
Iron	2 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.