Meal Prep 101

I used to have a love/hate relationship with meal prepping. I am a total PLANNER! I love to scroll through pinterest, find yummy recipes I can transform into healthy creations, and then actually sit down and write out my meal plans for the week. However, then came the hours spent in the kitchen- cutting veggies, cutting fruits, baking chicken, cooking ground turkey, quinoa, roasting chickpeas, the WHOLE WORKS. Not to mention, when I say i'm a messy cooker, i'm talking water boiling over on the stove, oils from the sauté pan finding way to the counter, stovetop, and usually me... & don't get me started on the juices from the fruits and veggies! Holy DISASTER ZONE.

But, wait. Then something miraculous happened. I learned to LOVE those hours spent in the kitchen. I embraced my messes because I knew they were apart of my plan for SUCCESS. I knew in order for me to have a semi-sane week of clean eating, meal prepping was a must- therefore the hours spent in the kitchen, ALSO a must!

How did I get to that point you ask? MINDSET. I decided if I was going to spend those hours in the kitchen cooking each week, I needed to take full advantage of that time & find a way to keep it exciting! I started listening to personal development podcasts, uplifting music (yes, I am definitely one to dance around the kitchen like a crazy person!), & various webinars that would enhance my KNOWLEDGE. Hello, knowledge is POWER! Who doesn't love the feeling of being POWERFUL??!!

So, here is my meal plan I created (based off of the 21 day fix beachbody program) & the recipes are to follow!

Left to right we have: Oatmeal bake, grilled chicken, steamed veggies, roasted chickpeas, turkey meatballs, brown rice, quinoa, fruit salad, blueberries, sliced strawberries, boiled eggs, and lasagna roll-ups

 

 

Sesame Crusted Seared Ahi Tuna

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of yellowfin tuna — always do you best to use wild caught tuna. It’s more expensive, but you’ll avoid high concentrations of heavy metals, chemicals and other contaminants that are found in most farmed fish. Wild caught tuna tastes better and has more omega-3’s, too.
• 1 tbsp. black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
• Salt + pepper
• 1/2 avocado
• A bed of Spinach
• A drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• Coconut oil — you can also sear it in olive oil.

 

Directions:

(1) In a small bowl or Tupperware, combine the black + white sesame seeds with a healthy dose of cracked pepper and sea salt (a few shakes should do). Mix everything vigorously until it’s evenly distributed.

(2) Firmly press the tuna into the sesame seed mixture. Carefully flip it over to coat the opposite side, and then fill in any gaps with a spoon — the seeds will easily stick to the tuna. It should look like this after the first side is crusted

(3) Throw 1 tbsp of coconut oil into a skillet and place it on high heat. Coconut oil is more stable at high temperatures than other oils and gives off a complementary flavor. Olive oil works, too.

(4) Once the skillet is hot, cook the tuna for about 1 minute per side. Continue to flip it until all sides are golden brown. 1 minute will sear the outside, but keep the inside rare and tender (similar to sushi). Feel free to cook it longer if you like it less rare.

(5) Slice the seared tuna into 1/2 inch cuts.

(6) Slice the avocado.

(7) Take a large plate and cover it with a bed of spinach. Arrange the tuna and avocado on top so that it looks delicious. Drizzle the entire dish with balsamic. *My favorite is the Traditional 18 year Aged Balsamic from Emerald Coast Olive Oil!*