Bye week one, hello week two, look at you!
Well, we have one week under our belts for the OTF transformation challenge and the clean eating weekly program. I have to say that it actually went really well. I felt satisfied and full, as did the rest of the bunch. However I have to be honest and I can’t lie and say I didn’t miss my wine and chocolate, because I did, like a lot, but that just goes to show the need to cut back on those two vices.
Even though the meals were great, I did tend to get a bit bored with the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day. To combat that boredom I decided to make two different meals for lunch this week. Dish one is a take on a chicken Arab bowl from my favorite lunchtime restaurant, Tahini, and dish two is an Italian medley with meatballs, zucchini, Parmesan and spaghetti in a marinara sauce. I think varying lunches from one day to the next will keep our tummies and heads happy.
For breakfast I decided to go with an egg option to pack some protein first thing in the morning, especially since we work out at 5 am and after a sweat session both the hubs and I are ready to eat. This simple one pan dish has everything you need to start the day; a great combination of protein, fat and carbs to keep you full and going strong all morning long.
Lastly I had to come up with a snack that is nutritious, but still delicious and helps curb my sugar cravings. I made a no-bake oatmeal protein powder energy bar with a sweet no refined sugar topping. These bars travel great and are sure to please.
Wine to pair?
With the meatballs I’d definitely stick with the Italian theme and go with a Chianti. I’d go with a Beaujolais for the chicken or (surprise surprise) a nice earthy Pinot Noir.
I was really close to not writing my post because I was devastated at the loss of Kobe Bryant today. He was an amazing basketball player and Los Angeles Laker that I looked up to and try to emulate in my my life as an athlete. However, I always used to say, “What would Kobe do?” when I needed inspiration or felt too tired to keep going. In the spirit of Kobe Bryant I felt almost obligated to finish this post and update my blog with this week’s meal. So even though I’m sad at the loss of the greatest athlete I’ve known, I know he would continue on even in dark times. So this post is dedicated to the black mamba who changed the life of so many for the better, mine included.
Ingredients:
Egg Bake
18 eggs whisked with salt and pepper
1/3 bag of 28 ounce bag of frozen hash browns with onions, garlic, and white pepper.
1 to 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese
1 lb of italian sausage
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute Italian sausage until no longer pink and cooked through. Set aside. In a bowl whisk eggs add salt and pepper to taste. Spray a 9 X 11 glass pan with avocado or cocnut spray. Place sausage, cheese, and hash browns in pan and pour over whipped eggs. Top with more cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and cut into individual pieces.
Meatballs
2 lbs of ground beef
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/2 Italian parsley bunch chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups of panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoons of ground pepper
2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
2 eggs whipped
2 zucchini spiralized into noodles or sliced thin if you don’t have a sprializer
2 cups of Spaghetti pasta cooked according to box directions
Parmesan cheese
1 can of 28 ounce can of San Gimignano crushed tomatoes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients through the eggs in a bowl until well incorporated, but don’t over mix. Roll into balls and place on olive oil line sheet pan. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Mix tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 2 teaspoons of dried oregano. Prepare tupperware with pasta, zucchini, and meatballs. Top with marinara sauce and cheese. Enjoy!
Oatmeal Protein bars
2 cups of oats blended into flour with food processor
1/2 cup of oats
1/2 cup of protein powders
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of maple syrup
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of unsweetned chocolate
1/4 cup of maple syrup
Process oat in food processor until blended into a flour. Place flour in bowl and mix in protein powder, cinamon, and salt. Place peanut butter and maple syrup in microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds at a time until melted and blended. Pour in vanila and mix with flour and protein. Add 1/2 cup of oats. Mix and press into an 8 X 8 square parcment lined pan. Place in refrigerator to harden up. Place chocolate and syrup in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds at a time until melted. Pour over bars and spread out. Place in refrigerator to harden. Cut into 10 bars and keep in refrigerator until ready to enjoy.
Chicken bowls
The chicken bowls are the same as last week but I made a different dressing to go with the meal.
1 16 ounce jar of Thanini
2 bunches of cilantro
1 large lemon juiced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup of water or more to thin out as needed
Place all ingredients in food process and blend. I have an immersion blender and put all ingredients in a large mason jar and blended; either works well. Enjoy on chicken bowls or really any protein or rice blend.
