Itasca Meal Planning 101: High Protein Breakfast, Lunch & Supper Guide #6

Overnight Pumpkin Chia Protein Pudding

Our fitness trainer recommended this recipe which emphasizes high protein.  It is simple, delicious, and a quick & convenient breakfast or snack option.

Ingredients:

3 scoops vanilla protein powder

1 can pumpkin

7.5 Tbsp chia

3 c unsweetened milk (cashew, oat, almond, coconut, Fairlife, etc)

3 tsp vanilla

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/4 tsp sea salt

Optional toppings:

Diced apples

Chopped pecans

Cinnamon

Sea salt flakes

Instructions:

1.)  Combine ingredients.  Divide into 3 jars.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, stir before serving.

2.)  Add toppings if desired

Steak Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 oz cellophane rice noodles OR rice OR cauliflower rice

1/4 c tamari

Toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp molasses

1 Tbsp honey

1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 # lean steak cut into thin strips

1 onion, cut into 1/4" wedges

10 oz shittake mushrooms (we used dried and rehydrated them, purchased at Hugo's)

1 c carrots, shredded (we purchased organic shredded carrots from Wal-Mart)

10 oz fresh spinach or mixed power greens (we doubled the recipe and used both types of greens)

1 Tbsp corn starch

Chili garlic sauce, optional (we currently have Lee Kum Kee Chili Garlic Sauce but prefer Huy Fong Sambal Oelek, just not able to find that locally currently; had been available previously at either Coborn's or Hugo's; we have not tried other brands since Cascade and I only recently have developed a taste for spicy food!)

Chili crisp/crunch, optional (we are currently using Momofuko Chili Crunch which we like better than Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp)

Sriracha, optional

Gochujang, optional (this is the first type we have ever tried, we purchased P.F. Chang's Korean Style Red Chili Hot Sauce from aisle A11 at Wal-Mart)

Instructions:

1.)  Rehydrate mushrooms if using dried

2.)  Heat water for pasta or rice, then cook according to instructions.

3.)  Prepare sauce by combining, tamari, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, garlic, molasses, honey, vinegar, and corn starch.

4.)  Place steak in a separate bowl and toss with 2 Tbsp sauce from step 3

5.)  Heat 2 tsp oil in large skillet or small pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion when oil shimmers and saute for 2 minutes then add carrots, saute for 2-3 additional minutes; then add marinating meat and cook until meat is mostly done, stirring frequently.  Add mushrooms and cook until rewarmed.  Add sauce, stir to combine.  Add spinach, fold in a handful at a time, stir until wilted, then add more.

6.)  Serve over rice pasta, rice, and/or cauliflower rice and add whichever sauces to your desired "heat"!

Teriyaki Skillet

We made this mid-week; it has been adapted from a recipe in Delish magazine.  Cascade and I loved it and look forward to our lunch leftovers.  Chris thought it was just okay...

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice or cauliflower rice or both (Cascade and I really like the parsley garlic riced cauliflower at Aldi or the regular organic at Wal-Mart)

Sea salt

Olive oil or cooking spray

1/2 c sour cream (optional)

2 Tbsp sriracha

1 Tbsp black strap molasses

1 Tbsp honey

1/3 c tamari (coconut aminos or soy free tamari may be substituted)

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 bunch scallions (aka green onions), sliced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced ginger

1# lean ground meat (we doubled the recipe and used 1# ground turkey and 1# ground beef)

4 c broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces (I use both the florets and peel and chop the stems; I separate the stems from the florets as they require a longer cooking time)

2 c shredded carrots (Wal-Mart sells organic shredded carrots)

1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:

1.)  If using sour cream, mix sriracha and sour cream; put in fridge until serving.  Water may be added to thin the sauce if desired.  If you are dairy free just add sriracha to your taste at the end or at it to the entire batch of sriracha or add it to the sauce in the next step.

2.)  In a 2 cup measuring cup, mix 1/2 c warm filtered water, molasses, honey, tamari, cornstarch, vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic and ginger.  (The sriracha could easily be added to this step if you are skipping the sour cream.)

3.)  In a large skillet (we used a pot since we doubled it) over medium high heat, heat oil or cooking spray.  Brown meat until halfway cooked then add sauce along with white portion of scallions and broccoli stems and carrots and continue cooking until veggies soften.  Add broccoli florets and cook until fork tender.  Add scallion greens and sesame seeds.

4.)  Serve over desired amount of rice (or cauliflower rice if you are low carb/keto) along with sour cream/sriracha sauce.  I suspect this would freeze well.

 Rachel Oppitz, ND

&

Jaclyn Rebekah Roberts, NBC-HWC, CIHC