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Meal prepping is all about making life easier, right? Well, part of that for me is packing things in a way that allows an easy heat and eat for me at the gym! There is some assembly required with these because I like a lot of ‘stuff’ on my bowls, but it’s still a pretty simple lunch!

The carnitas recipe I’m sharing is an instant pot version because my life basically revolves around my instant pot now, but you could also go with a basic crockpot version using the same spices and ingredients!

 

INGREDIENTS – This made 4 bowls for us

Carnitas

Olive Oil for browning meat
3-4 lbs pork shoulder chopped into smaller chunks
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp pink salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp coconut sugar (optional, but tasty)
2-3 cinnamon sticks – 3-4 inches long
2 oranges, halved
1 lime
1 cup water

Rice Mixture

2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 yellow onion – diced
1 bell pepper – diced
1/2 cup corn – I used frozen corn and just defrosted it
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp cayenne for heat – optional
juice from 1 lime

Toppings
Sliced avocado
Sliced jalapeno
Salsa
Plain Greek Yogurt
Green Onions
Additional limes

INSTRUCTIONS

Carnitas –

Mix the spices together in a small bowl and rub evenly over the pork pieces. Heat instant pot on saute’ setting and add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil.

Once hot, add meat. Brown meat for a couple minutes per side, completing in batches if necessary. Remove and set aside.

Change the instant pot setting to manual pressure cook and add the water, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom from browning the meat.

Add the meat back in and squeeze the juice from both oranges and the lime over top. Toss the cinnamon sticks in and give everything a quick stir.

Secure the lid and make sure the venting valve is closed. Set the timer on high pressure for 40 minutes. Allow to naturally release for another 15 and then vent the lid.

While the pressure is releasing, turn the oven to high broil and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Remove the meat from the instant pot and shred in a bowl. Then add the meat to the prepared baking sheet. Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the edges begin to get crispy. Remove, sprinkle with a little more salt if you prefer and squeeze lime juice on top!

Rice

Cook rice according to the package. You’ll need about 2 cups cooked.

In a large pan, heat a little olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute’ for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to soften. Lower the heat and add the corn, cilantro, salt, pepper, and rice. Stir well to combine. Squeeze lime juice on top. Adjust seasoning as desired!

Divide the rice into 4 bowls. I used rectangle pyrex containers and did half rice, half meat and put the lid on. I prep all the toppings as well (except for the avocado – I cut that fresh 🙂 )

Reheat, top it with your favorite goodies, and serve with tortillas or chips to your liking!

 

So, to be completely honest, I really didn’t know what this was going to be when I started cooking, but I’m thrilled with the result. This was very much an effort to make a quick, easy, nutritious, and filling meal for dinner on a weeknight. I just started chopping and dumping things in a pot and this is what came out! Mexican Gumbo is about the best “name” I could come up with, but if you make it and think of something better to call it, let me know!

The whole thing took less than 45 minutes for me. Using a rotisserie chicken saved some time and effort, but you could just as easily cook some chicken breast or thighs if you wanted. Enjoy y’all!

INGREDIENTS

Olive Oil for cooking
1 bell pepper – any color – diced
1/2 onion – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 jalapeno – remove seeds and ribs – diced
1 7 oz can diced green chilis
1 14.5 oz can fired roasted diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans black beans – drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup rice
2 lbs (approximately) cooked shredded chicken – I just used a rotisserie chicken and shredded it up in the pot!
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 TBS chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

To top
Avocado
Green Onions
Sliced jalapeno
Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Tortilla Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

If you aren’t using a rotisserie chicken, cook your chicken and shred to go into the pot later.

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, green chiles, black beans and all the spices. Stir to combine well. Cook for about a minute or until fragrant. Next, add the broth. Bring the mixture to a low boil and add the rice. Add the shredded chicken and stir to mix all of the ingredients well. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the rice has cooked.

It should be a pretty thick mixture, but if you prefer it to be a bit thinner you can add some more broth. Taste and adjust salt & pepper as desired.

Serve it up with avocado, jalapeno, greek yogurt, cheese, whatever you like!  Tortilla chips give a nice little crunch!

Dinner is served!

Salad or meatloaf ingredients?

Will you look at that gorgeous color?!

Baking pan set up

All done!

Whoever decided meatloaf and meatballs needed breadcrumbs… I disagree. They claim it’s a “binding agent” but in myexperience, the egg does a fine job of that and using vegetables gives it a lovely texture and keeps it moist! There is nothing worse than a brick of dried out meatloaf.. This is also a great opportunity to sneak in some extra veggies if you have a hard time with that! I outlined a couple of options for cooking in the instructions so do what you’re comfortable with.

As for the pre-cooked ingredients…. Is that not gorgeous! That basically looks like a salad before it gets mixed up with the meat and MY GOD that venison is beautiful! You know you’re getting really good quality meat when it has that beautiful rich color.

A little bit of planning needs to go into this because of the baking time, but it really is a very simple weeknight meal that will yield enough leftovers for lunch the next couple of days. We had this with an Italian salad and some green beans… dang we ate a lot of veggies!

Ok, enjoy guys!

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs Venison (Obviously I used Force of Nature because I’m obsessed)
1/2 medium yellow onion – finely diced
1 rib celery – finely diced
1 large carrot – grated
1 small zucchini – grated
1/2 cup kale tightly packed – stems removed and finely chopped
1 small bell pepper – any color – finely diced
2 large cloves garlic – minced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 large eggs
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 TBSP brown mustard
1 tsp pink salt1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dry rubbed sage

For the glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
1 TBSP Worcestershire
2 TBSP coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350. Wash, chop/mince/grate all the vegetables. In a large bowl, gently break up the venison being careful not to overwork the meat. This is important in keeping it from getting tough when it’s cooked. (This goes for all meats in meatloaf/meatballs)

In a separate bowl, mix all of the rest of the meatloaf ingredients until well combined. I started by mixing all of the vegetables first and then added the seasoning and wet ingredients. Once all of that is combined, add the desired amount to the bowl with your venison. I like my meatloaf to be totally packed, but that’s up to you. You still want it to somewhat hold together.

You have a couple of options for how to cook this. I have taken to just forming a “loaf” and cooking it on a baking sheet. I have found it cooks faster and I can drain any excess liquid or fat very easily. If you want to stick to a traditional loaf pan though, that is totally acceptable.

Mix the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl until well combined. Using about 1/3 of the glaze, spread a thin layer over the top (and sides if using the baking sheet method). Reserve the rest to serve with the meatloaf once it’s done. Baking times will vary depending on your method. For a baking sheet/pan about an hour should do it. It may take just a bit longer in a loaf pan or glass dish, but shouldn’t take more than 1:15. You can use meat thermometer to check the internal temp if you’re unsure.

Because I like to drain the extra fat/liquid, I checked it about 45 min in and drained it and then finished out the last 15 min.

That’s it guys. This packs in so much flavor, a ton of great veggies, and is super simple to make. Enjoy!

So, between a wedding and the Super Bowl last weekend I got some meal prepping done, but not enough to get us through the week and I had NO idea what I was going to post of this week’s Kitchen Adventures. We had another lovely week with a 30 degree drop which changed what I wanted to eat. I meal prepped lighter things like taco salad for earlier in the week, but today had me wanting something warm and hearty.

This afternoon, lasagna popped in my head… It’s been a really long time since I’ve made lasagna…  I like it, but I wasn’t really in the mood to do all the work to make it AND I wasn’t sure I really wanted all that cheese and pasta. I also thought about making another batch of some version of veggie soup… then…. Lasagna Soup came into my mind.

Y’all…. This is such a great alternate if you like lasagna. It’s not nearly as heavy. YOU control how much cheese goes in. I’m not a HUGE fan of the texture of ricotta so this was great because I could add just a little to my soup to get the creaminess and the flavor without going overboard! You also have the option of using a grain free or veggie based pasta if you like!

Anyway, this was quick to make and so insanely delicious. Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 LB Italian Sausage – I used FON Wild Boar and seasoned with Italian Seasoning
8-12 oz of pasta – I used a small penne veggie pasta
1-2 TBSP Olive oil
4 cloves of garlic – minced
½ yellow onion – diced
4 TBSP tomato paste
6 cups chicken broth
(1) 28 oz (or 2 14.5 oz) cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 cup mozzarella
Fresh basil – chiffonade
½ cup grated Parmesan
8 oz whole milk ricotta
Salt & Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and open the cans first because this recipe moves pretty quickly so you’ll want to have everything ready to go.

In one pot, start some water to boil. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the box. Drain and set aside. A little al dente is good for this because you’ll be adding it to a hot soup.

While the water is heating for the pasta, heat a tbsp of olive oil a large pot (as always, I used my enameled cast iron Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the meat – if using the Force of Nature Wild Boar, add 2 TBSP Italian Seasoning and brown, crumbling as it cooks.

Once browned, drain any excess fat or add more olive oil as needed and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften. Next, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Then, add the tomato paste and continuously stir for another minute.

Add the broth, bay leaves, tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and season with salt & pepper to taste. Bring the whole mixture to a boil, then stir, reduce to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until it begins to thicken.

While the soup is working, mix the ricotta, parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl and set aside. Chop the basil and shred the mozzarella (or open the bag… 😉 )

Finally, add the pasta and stir well! Serve in a giant bowl (or a normal sized bowl…) and top with a dollop of the ricotta mixture, shredded mozzarella, and basil. Enjoy.

Happy Wednesday! Meatballs have kind of become a staple for me because the base is so simple and you can get really creative with the flavors/sauces/etc… I also love making meatballs because you can sneak all kinds of goodies inside. I pretty much always have some kind of vegetable hidden inside them… cauliflower, carrots, zucchini… As long as its fine enough to roll nicely in with the meat, you can put just about any veggie inside them. This recipe actually has cauliflower AND apples inside the meatball!

This one is VERY easy and turned out so tasty that I ate 3 of them before Tim even made it home for dinner… This is something I would even consider taking as an appetizer or something for a potluck or a party or something, but last night I paired these with some roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato tots.

Also… my meat’balls’ almost never end up round haha! Maybe yours will be a little prettier than mine.

Give them a shot!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 large egg
1 medium apple – finely grated and pressed
1/4 cup (1 medium) shallot – finely minced
1/4 cup riced cauliflower
2 TBSP raw apple cider (don’t get “spiced” cider if you can help it)
1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pink salt
Thinly sliced green onions to top

For the sauce
1 cup raw apple cider
2 TBSP low sodium soy or coconut aminos
2 TBSP bourbon or whiskey of your choice – this is optional, but it does really change the flavor
2 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp arrowroot powder mixed equally with cold water to dissolve (may use tapioca starch or cornstarch)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400. Using a grater, grate the apple and using a cheesecloth or a clean dishtowel, squeeze the excess liquid out of the shavings. In a large bowl, add the apple, egg, shallot, cauliflower, cider, vinegar, mustard and seasoning. Mix well until combined. Add the ground turkey and mix until combined, but be careful not to over mix the meat. If it is too wet, you can add a little more cauliflower.

Mold into balls and place on a lined cookie sheet. I think I got 14-15 (1) inch meatballs. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through and slightly golden.

While the meatballs are cooking make your sauce. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix all of the sauce ingredients except the arrowroot powder mixture. Bring the mixture to a light boil. Lower the heat to low-medium and slowly, while continuously whisking, add the arrowroot mixture to the sauce. Continue whisking over low-medium heat until the sauce thickens. If it becomes too thick you can add a little water or cider.

Once the meatballs are done, you can add them directly to the saucepan to coat. Serve with thinly sliced green onion sprinkled on top and enjoy!

TL/DR: Wim Hof breathing techniques and cold training are definitely worth checking out for recovery and building grit.

I don’t like the cold. Let me say it again, loud and clear: I DO NOT LIKE THE COLD. I often joke that I’m Thai, and I grew up in Houston, Texas; therefore I’m built for hot, sweaty, humid weather. So, when I started hearing about this crazy Dutch guy named Wim Hof years ago, I thought, “Yeah, that’s cool, but I’ll never, ever do that.” Fast forward a few years, and there I was, voluntarily signing up for an in-person workshop.

 

Who: Wim Hof is probably best known for his extreme-cold adventures, like swimming underneath the ice, running half-marathons barefoot in the snow, and hanging out in tubs full of ice on the regular. They call him “The Iceman” for good reason. 

 

What: The Wim Hof Method includes the pillars of cold therapy, breathing, and commitment. I attended an in-person workshop the second weekend in January with nearly 40 other people at a Bikram Yoga studio in East Austin. It was led by Elizabeth Lee, a Level 3 Instructor, who was playful, professional, and best of all, practical. 

 

Why: While the WHM is still met with some skepticism, it claims to relieve symptoms of several diseases due to its effects on one’s physiology. However, within athletic circles, the touted benefits are improved recovery, increased sports performance, more energy, and a boosted immune system, among others.

 

Before attending this workshop, I watched the Vice documentary about Wim Hof so I’d have some idea of what to expect. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know that some footage seems a little over-the-top. Nevertheless, I decided to have an open mind about it and to give it a solid effort. After all, why pay money for an in-person workshop if I’m just going to act like a grumpy skeptic the entire time? 

 

The first portion of the workshop was on breathing. We jumped right into the practical application of it, and while I know a bit about breathwork and practice frequently, I’d never gone as far as this. We laid on the floor, and we deepened and sped up our breath for 10-15 minutes, and before I knew it, my hands started to curl up (T-Rex style), my face was going numb, and I felt my entire body start to buzz. It was nuts. In my head, all I could think was WTF, since I genuinely couldn’t believe that focused breathwork could make you feel so… well, high. Wim, being the character that he is, says that’s energy moving through your body and “getting the s*** out.” The lack of scientific explanation (hyperoxygenation) is probably one reason his methods are met with skepticism from many, but I’m touchy-feely enough to be okay with the layman’s version!

 

Then, segueing off of that breathing exercise, we started playing with “power breaths” and holds. Holds are when you take a big breath in, let it out, and hold there for as long as you can before having to take the next breath. We did a baseline measurement, and I got to 20 seconds before wanting to take another breath. To be fair, I was trying to do what felt natural without turning myself blue. We followed that with the breathing exercises and took three more measured holds, and I ended at 1:42, 1:51, 1:46. Again, all I could think was WTF.

Then came the part that had made me the most anxious in the week leading up to the workshop: the ice bath. We preceded it with 20 minutes in horse stance to get ourselves revved up and warmed up for the 32-degree ice-water (yes, they measured the temp exactly). I won’t drag this part out, but it was… really freaking cold (duh). If you want a good laugh, just watch the video of me freaking out and struggling to breathe for the first minute, and then eventually surrendering to it. I never got my arms into the pool because the bottom was slippery, and I was just trying to keep myself upright. In any case, once I’d settled in, it wasn’t so bad. I was totally invigorated and proud coming out of the tub, having toughed it out for a full two minutes. I even danced through the water a few more times to celebrate with my classmates!

 

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/WWlQgrSpOeA

 

The Takeaways: The big question coming out of this workshop is what I would do with what I learned. I am definitely going to learn more about the breathing exercises and their supposed benefits, so stay tuned for that. I’m still not fully certain how or why I should be creating a daily practice for this. As for the ice bath, I am 100% going to incorporate that into my recovery routine. There’s a reason athletes do ice plunges regularly! For me personally, the mental toughness is just as important as the physical recovery. The cold training will never be fun or easy for me, but I can almost guarantee it’ll be worth it. As a CrossFitter, I also know that doing hard things is almost always easier with friends, so be on the lookout for community cold-plunge days at CrossFit Austin!

 

Further Reading: The Way of the Iceman by Wim Hof and Koen De Jong and What Doesn’t Kill Us by Scott Carney are both on the bookshelf in the office at CrossFit Austin!