Protein Pasta Salad

I normally am a bit leery of items that have protein seemingly shoe horned in.  But I was looking for a carb-ier lunch this week that would still make my protein macro and these yellow boxes were staring me in the face.  Also I wanted something a bit less labor intensive after chopfest 2018 last week. 

Makes 4 servings, 540 cals, 73g carb, 13g fat, 37g protein per serving

1 box (7 servings) protein pasta (I used bow ties)
several handfuls basil left from last week
Juice of 2 lemons
3-4 oz of really good Parmesan cheese
1 package (4.5 servings) turkey peperoni
1 package (5 servings) frozen chopped broccoli (thawed)

Salt water and boil pasta as per directions, then drain/rinse and let it cool.  Portion out the broccoli, torn basil leaves, shaved or grated parm, turkey pepperoni (I cut this up in stacks w kitchen shears, but  you could leave whole if you like) into your tupperwear.  Add pasta, season with lemon juice, add a bit of salt/pepper if you want, seal, and shake.  Done.  Can be nuked or eaten cold/room temp as you like.

Larb (ish) Salad

This started with an attempt to make the standard weightlifters meal prep of chicken/brown rice/broccoli less boring, ran into my craving for this awesome meat salad from the thai place up the block, and somehow ended up here.  6 servings at 430 cals, 29g carb/17g fat/41g protein.  6g of fiber. nice chunk of potassium.  (Maybe a bit much sodium but, thankfully my blood pressure is low normal so....) More than a days worth of vit A and C, and 25ish% of both calcium and iron.  Not bad. Also, it tastes really freaking good. 

This recipe is 80% cutting things up, sorry not sorry, if you don't feel like chopping everything then don't make this this week.

Meat Component:

2 lbs ground turkey - could use chicken, but the salad this is based on uses pork and turkey gets closer to that, flavor wise.  I used 1 pkg 99% lean and 1 pkg 93% lean bc I was shopping in a post work fuge state.

1 pkg frozen steam in bag brown rice (thawed), or 2 servings leftover cooked brown rice

1 bag riced cauliflower - I used some that had broccoli and carrots in it also for variety

1 pkg white mushrooms - about 10 of them

1 long hot pepper, diced (seeded or not as you please)

1 handful basil leaves, chopped

 2 tbl coriander seeds

2-3 tbl chopped mint

2-3 green onions, yes also chopped

2 tbl sesame oil

3-4 tbl fish sauce 

Lemongrass - I used 1 tbl paste from a tube, if you have fresh avail use that

Juice of 1 lime

4 tbl peanutbutter (use the natural stuff that is just peanuts and salt) or a palmful or two of chopped peanuts

Put 1 tbl of the sesame oil in a wide bottomed pan over medium head and add the rice.  Stir infrequently and let the rice toast while  you start chopping up half the kitchen.  When you can really smell the rice/sesame oil then add the cali-rice and stir a bit more to incorporate it, then take that out of the pan and set it aside.  

Add 2nd tbl of sesame oil, the white mushrooms and hot pepper, and your fish sauce.  Saute until mushrooms start to reduce a bit then add your meat.  Put lemongrass, coriander seeds, and peanutbutter/peanuts in at this point.  When meat is cooked through, turn off head and add back in rice mixture.  Also add the green onion, mint, basil, and lime juice at this point and stir well to incorporate them while everything is still warm.  

Salad Component:

1 head napa cabbage, shredded

1 large english cucumber, quartered and chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch mint, chopped (minus the bit you put in the meat)

1-2 handfuls of basil, chopped

1 jalapeno - seeded or not as you wish

red pepper flakes to taste

juice of 3 limes

salt - you are sort of making quick pickles so you want some salt here, but use more or less to your taste/sodium requirements 

Just mix everything, you did enough work w all the chopping up.

Serve the meat on top of the salad, maybe don't mix them already in your meal prep containers.   You've got lunches for the whole week + one serving to taste test right now.  The salad component will get more pickle-ish as the week goes on. 

Banana Protein Bread

Not quite as delicious as straight up banana bread... not quite as nutritious as a totally boring version. This compromise is a pretty perfect breakfast, tho.

4 overripe bananas you should maybe not of bought so many of last week
1 cup greek yogurt (I used 2%)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 container (about 2 cups) almond butter (peanut butter would work too but be less neutral tasting)
3 scoops vanilla protein powder (or chocolate) (or all plain but add some vanilla extract)
2 scoops unflavored protein powder (if you are less bothered by fake sugar taste you can use 5 of flavored stuff)
1 tbl or so cinnamon
1.5 cups oats
pinch each salt and baking soda

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix first 5 ingredients until they are well combined.  Fold in the rest, do not overmix.  Put into a baking pan (I used a silicon 8x8 cake pan) and bake approx 30 mins (more if using a deeper pan, less if using muffin tin).  For 12 servings comes out at 300ish cals, 30g carb, 14g fat, 18g protein, more if you add things like chocolate chips or walnuts or other things that might taste good in there.

"Caprese" Salad Pasta

This is a light, incidentally vegetarian, mealprep lunch for a busy week. 4 servings come out to 425ish cals, 60g carb, 20g protein, 12g fat.

4 cups bow tie pasta
8 oz fresh motz balls
8 plum or campari tomatoes
1 bag spring mux, baby arugula, or spinach
1 lemon for juice
Salt, pepper (if not using arugula!) oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, etc to taste

While pasta cooks, portion your motz and tomatoes and arugula into containers, and season/squeeze lemon over. Split pasta into containers while still warm to wilt greens a bit if not using spring mix. Done. This is barely a recipe but makes awesome lunchez.

Lentil Curry (not daal)

This recipe starts with a frustrated cupboard cleanup/reorganization prompted by being unable to find my coffee...... nevermind everything else I seem to be hoarding against the zombie apocalypse I had 6 goddamn bags of dried lentils.  Looks like I need to use some of these up over the next few weeks..... I had been planning on making a big batch of chicken and veggie curry for this week's lunches so, veggie only curry, go!  (This is by no means an authentic recipe of any sort, but it borrows heavily from several.)  5  big servings come in at 325 cals, 70g carb, 5g fat, 27 protein. 

1lb bag dried lentils
4-5 cups raw spinach
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 bag (4-5 servings) frozen spinach
1 can peas (I like leseur, use whatever you like if  you have less impeccable taste)
1/2 a large sweet onion
1 jalepeno (or more or less, to taste)
1 bunch cilantro
2-4 cloves garlic
1 inch chunk of ginger
few stalks celery
2 tbl butter - but could use coconut oil to be vegan
spices to taste - tumeric, cumin, 'curry powder'
juice of one lemon

Build the base of your curry first.  Get the butter/oil melting and add the chopped onion, tumeric/cumin, jalepeno, garlic/ginger, cilantro, and celery (which is not part of the curry but..... I had it in fridge and somehow I can't fathom cooking lentils w out it, hush).  Once those have cooked down a bit, add the tomatoes (maybe you want to cut them up... I neglected to) and the spinach.  Put water in the pot to cover the spinach, then add your lentil and califlower.  (Don't add peas yet or they will turn to total mush!) Watch water level to keep lentils covered/happy but not drowning (we are not making soup) and cook 15-25 mins until they are tender, adding the peas when they are almost done.  Then stir in your curry powder and add your lemon for brightness right at the end. 

Lunch Lasagna

I want nothing more then I want comforting bowls of pasta lately, but, of course, my body does not appreciate this as much as my belly does.  This is a lasagna that will fall apart.. but it would of fallen apart in my lunch bag anyway... but will have the right flavor profile to fill this need.  With, ofc, some extra veggies in the name of smarter nutrition.

Makes 6 servings at just under 600 cals each, depending on pasta sauce used etc
1/2 a box lasagna noodles - precooked or not as you like (sorry Dad, I am an uncooked noodle heathen here myself)
6 servings sweet or hot or chicken italian sausage
1 jar good tomato sauce
1 jar diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 medium zucchinis, diced
few cloves chopped garlic
9 cups (yes, 9) fresh spinach
1.5 cups part skim ricotta
1 cup part skim motz (do NOT use non fat for either of these... low fat dairy tastes/acts enough like full fat to work.... nonfat is fucking plastic, not food)
4 tbl grated parm (more if not using the good stuff)
1 egg
nutmeg, salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, etc to taste

Cook noodles if you are not a heathen like I am/will notice the texture difference.  You want enough noodles for just 2 layers worth in a small lasagna pan (remember, we are not worried abt the fact this will fall apart, it is supposed to be yummy and fit your nutritional needs, you are sacrificing a bit of appearance to save some cals/carbs here). 

Wilt all the spinach, it should end up being about a cup or 2 when done.

Toss the diced tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchinis, garlic and sausage (removed from it's skin) into a pot and cook until sausage is heated through.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed, remembering that you are getting a shortcut on flavor by using premade italian sausage instead of ground meat.

Chop up your now wilted spinach and squeeze out all the water.  Mix with ricotta, nutmeg, egg, and parm.

Put your sausage mixture in the bottom of your lasagna dish (yes, no bottom noodles) and top w a bit of jarred sauce, then a layer of noodles.  Put a bit more sauce on top of noodles.  Now your Ricotta/spinach layer, with the motz on top of that.  Then more noodles, and the rest of your jar of sauce.

Let sit an hour or so before baking, if at all possible.  Then bake at 350 for about an hour.  Let cool, portion into 6 containers (or 5 containers for the week + one bowl for your lunch now).

New Years Day Double Chocolate Protein Muffins

When the cold light of new years morning leaves you hating the scale and determined to get back on track but you can't shake the memory of your awesome cookies from last night..... Here is the diet friendly version for breakfasts/snacks all week.  You're welcome.

2 ripe/overripe bananas

1 cup natural peanutbutter (can do almond butter or sun butter etc if you are allergic or dislike the taste of pb)

2 eggs

pinch each baking soda and salt

1 cup oats

3 scoops chocolate protein powder

splash vanilla

1/3rd to 1/2 bag semi/dark chocolate chips

Set oven to 350.  Smash bananas, mix in pb and eggs.  Add soda, salt, and vanilla at this point.  Stir in oats and protein powder, then chocolate chips.  Portion into muffin tin and bake for 12-15 mins.  I ended up with 16 muffins at abt 190 cals, 16g carb, 10g fat, 8.5g protein each.  No white sugar, no white four, plenty of chocolate taste, and a good way to use up some protein powder you thought maybe you could stand to just drink (you thought very wrong).