Lunches and dinners

thai basil meatballs with peanut sauce

Servings: 4-6

Meatballs:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey or chicken

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 1/2 cup basil, finely chopped

• 1 tsp. ginger, grated

• 1 tbsp. coconut aminos

• 1/2 tsp. fish sauce

• 1 tsp. onion powder

• 1/2 jar (4 oz) of green curry paste (green curry is spicy, so adjust for your preferences)

Peanut Sauce: 

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (check for sugars)

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/3 cup cup water

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce

• 1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger or ½ tsp. ground ginger

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Garnish:

• Peanuts, chopped & roasted 

• Red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a large bowl combine all meatball ingredients thoroughly. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll meatballs into 1-1.5 inch balls and place on baking sheet.  Bake until browned, approximately 15-17 minutes.

For peanut sauce, combine ingredients in a small blender. Blend until smooth and serve with your meatballs.

Serve with your favorite “unlimited foods” veggies and about 1/4 to 3/4 cup brown rice for each serving! Top with chopped roasted peanuts and additional red chili flakes if desired! Enjoy!

Instant Pot Zucchini Noodle Pho

Servings: 4-6

Quick Pho Broth:

• 3 onions diced  

• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced 

• 2 star anise 

• 3 cloves

• 1/2 tsp. coriander 

• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 

• 8 cups vegetable, chicken or beef broth 

• 3 Tbsp. coconut aminos 

Protein and zoodles:

• 4-6 zucchini, spiralized

• 1 lb. sirloin steak, thinly sliced

Toppings:

• Bean sprouts

• Fresh herbs (mint, basil, cilantro)

• Sriracha 

• Lime 

• Scallions

• Soft Boiled Egg 

Directions:

Add all pho broth ingredients to an Instant Pot. Secure lid and make sure steam nozzle is switched to off. Using manual setting, pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. It will most likely take 10 minutes or so to preheat, then 4 minutes for the actual cooking time. While broth is cooking, thinly slice steak against the grain. You will be cooking the steak with the high heat of the broth, so be sure it’s very thin. Freezing the steak until semi-hard ahead of time will make slicing it easier. Release pressure and wait a couple minutes for steam to release and check pressure gauge to ensure it's safe to remove lid before doing so. Strain ingredients using a fine mesh colander and set broth aside. Meanwhile, assemble zucchini noodles in bowls, then top with broth. Add steak strips and desired toppings. The broth should be hot enough to cook the raw steak strips. If not, reheat the broth or saute the steak quickly in a saute pan, before serving.

Slow cooker option: Add all ingredients except for toppings and zucchini noodles to slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours. Strain contents and add in toppings and zucchini noodles to broth. Enjoy!

chicken corn chowder

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, cooked & shredded (see note) 

• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (moderate glycemic index, so 1 cup is ok)

• 2 tbsp coconut oil unsalted butter

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped in large florets 

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed, minced

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tbsp lime juice

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

• 6-8 cups vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 1/2 cup nut milk of choice 

• 1/3 cup coconut cream

• Sliced chives, roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion, corn, and jalapeño. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until somewhat softened. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in lime juice and vinegar. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the oregano, cumin, paprika, cauliflower and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender enough to pierce through with a fork. 

Remove from heat. Stir in milk and coconut cream. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a stand blender to blend half of the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir chopped chicken into smooth soup and garnish with chives and/or cilantro.

Coaches tip: Cook the chicken breast in advance in a slow cooker to be ready to go or buy an organic rotisserie chicken, remove the skin, and shred to save time! 

Easy italian shrimp buddha bowl

Servings: 4

Buddha Bowl:

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 tbsp garlic, minced

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1 lb shrimp, cooked

• 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked

• 3/4 cup quinoa, cooked

• 1/4 cup dairy free pesto (recipe below)

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

• 1 avocado, diced

• Basil and parsley for garnish on top

Dairy-free pesto:

• 3 cups basil

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 1/2 cup pine nuts or pumpkin seeds

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions:

Add all pesto ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in large skillet, then add garlic and onion. Allow to sweat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium and add cooked shrimp, rice, quinoa, and prepared pesto, stirring together until everything is warm. Serve into four bowls (or store for later), then add tomatoes, avocados, basil, and parsley. Enjoy!

roasted southwest salad

Servings: 4-6

Roasted mix:

• 1 medium sweet potato, cubed 1/2" pieces

• 1 red bell pepper, cubed

• 1/2 yellow onion, cubed

• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped in bite size pieces

• 2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Salad fixings:

• 6 cups baby arugula

• 1/2 cup cilantro and or parsley

• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1 avocado, pitted and cubed

• Creamy chipotle dressing

Add protein:

• Top with 3-6 ounces of your favorite protein.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place all roasted mix ingredients onto cookie sheet and set aside. In small bowl, whisk together melted coconut oil, salt, cumin, and smoked paprika until combined. Pour over veggies and use hands or spatula to evenly distribute the flavored coconut oil. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until cauliflower is golden brown. When done, allow to cool 5-10 minutes.

In very large bowl, all salad fixings ingredients and toss together. Add cooled roasted veggies and stir together until combined evenly. Enjoy!

Salad: Choose your own adventure

Servings: 2

Step one: mix all the greens

• 1 cups baby kale

• 1 cups arugula

• 1 cups romaine, chopped

• 1 cup spring greens

Step two: Add the bulk

• 3-6 ounces of protein (chicken, tuna, salmon, etc.)

• 1/4 cup complex carbs (lentils, brown rice, quinoa, black beans etc.)

Step two: pick a couple of your toppings

• 1/4 of low glycemic fruits (strawberries, green apple, pear etc) *omit for Phase 2

• 1 tbsp of nuts and/or seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds)

• 2 tbsp hemp hearts

• 1/4 avocado

Step three: 1-2 tbsp of dressing

• Simple dressing (ALL phases)

• Zesty lemon pepper

• Ginger miso

• Sweet chiptole

Dressing options

Choose one dressing you would like to make, throw all of the ingredients in a high-speed small blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Store in jars and label for your refrigerator. Keeps for up to two weeks.

Most store-bought dressings are riddled with sugar and processed garbage. I highly suggest you read the labels and count how many ingredients there are. It’s mind-boggling! Get in the habit of making your own and have fun with flavors. There are so many great recipes out there. Just be sure that the vinegars you choose do not contain sugars (many contain maltodextrin, which is sugar!)

ginger miso salmon salad

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 can salmon or albacore tuna

• 4 tbsp ginger miso salad dressing (recipe above)

• 2 cups butter lettuce, chopped

• 2 cups red leaf lettuce, chopped

• 1/4 cup mandarin orange wedges

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

• sliced radishes, optional

Directions:

In small dry saute pan, add sesame seeds and almonds and toast over medium heat until golden. Careful not to burn! In a medium bowl, add all other ingredients and toss together until evenly coated with dressing. Sprinkle almonds and sesame seeds on top! Enjoy!

African peanut soup

Servings: 6-8

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 1 sweet potato, cut into 1/4'' cubes

• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

• 3 tbsp garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 tsp salt

• 6 cups vegetable broth

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)

• 1/2 cup tomato paste

• 1 cup baby kale, chopped

• 2 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• Hot sauce, if desired

• Chopped peanuts, garnish

• Fresh chopped cilantro, garnish

Directions:

In large pot or dutch oven, heat the coconut oil over medium heat until melted. Add the onion, sweet potato and, poblano pepper and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are softened and onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, fresh ginger, and salt, stirring together for another minute or two. Carefully pour in vegetable broth and stir together until combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat and cook for another 15 minutes. Reduce heat if needed in order to maintain a gentle simmer.

In a medium glass bowl, combine nut butter and tomato paste. Carefully pour in 2 cups of the hot broth from your soup pot. Whisk all together until smooth. Then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup. Add baby kale and chickpeas, and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until all ingredients have softened. You can serve the soup as is, or take an immersion blender and blend until barely thickened. I like about half of the soup blended and the other half keeping ingredients in tact. Serve with hot sauce, chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro on top!