Big Boy Breakfast Because It’s Almost Lunch

I went to bed hungry, which means I woke up hungry. I woke up at 6 am. Worked out from 9 - 10:30 am. I finally sat down to eat at 11 am. I was hungry, so I started with this.

Crock pot chicken, crock pot beets, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, boiled broccoli, chopped red onion, and chopped red cabbage. I put on a dressing made of olive oil, fig balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sriracha, dijon mustard, pickle juice, and salt.

But after finishing it I was still hungry and I knew I had a long day of packing ahead of me, so I had this.

Overnight chia (2 tbsp of whole milk yogurt, 2 tbsp of chia, 1/2 cup soy milk), coconut flakes, ground flaxseed, frozen blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans.

I’ve recently been thinking about the advice of “eat a big breakfast, and taper the rest of your meals throughout the day.” I think this is bad advice for the majority of people. Most people nowadays sit behind a desk for their work. And, most people fail to get the daily recommended amount of exercise each day (which still wouldn’t be enough to justify a big breakfast). Between those two factors, desk jobs and not exercising, I think it’s foolish for most people to eat a big breakfast.

Big breakfasts are reserved for people who perform manual labor, or who are professional athletes. In other words, people who need and are going to use the fuel. For the rest of us, eat a normal sized breakfast. Today was an exception for me, but on most days I go for 3 equal sized meals, and minimal snacking on fruit and nuts.

Cheers to your practice.

Lunch: Chicken and Berry Arugula Salad

I had a big bowl of fiber last night. A lot of beets and brussels sprouts. Too much of anything is a bad thing and so I woke up with an aversion to fibrous vegetables. Instead my body craved something light.

I put together this salad for lunch: arugula, sautéed mushrooms, chicken, blueberries, raspberries, avocado, tofu, red onion, almonds and walnuts.

These ingredients still pack a fiber punch, but it’s much milder than what a bowl of beets and brussels sprouts will do to your stomach. The nuts and arugula are more gut clearing than gut filling.

I finished the dish with 1 tbsp of olive oil, red wine vinegar, fig balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and a few pinches of sea salt.

I did an intense leg workout right before, so the little bit of fructose from the berries is enough to stem that sugar/carbohydrate craving my depleted body is feeling. Cheers.

Salmon Lentil Bowl!

Lentils, wild salmon, tomato, avocado, red onion

Lentils. I have a bulk mix of red and green lentils. Depending on what you buy, the cooking time will vary. Check the packaging. These instructions are based on my mix.

Rinse 1 cup of mixed lentils and let them soak for 60 minutes. Add 3 cups of water or vegetable brother to a pot. Add the lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, covered. Taste for tenderness before removing from heat.

Strain the lentils and return them to the pot.

Wild Salmon. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat both sides of the salmon filet (or filets if cooking multiple) with olive oil. Place the filet skin up on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Add a pinch of salt (or two) to each filet and black pepper. Cook for 8 minutes (longer if desired). 

Assemble. Add one ladle of lentils. Add one filet of salmon. Top with 1/4 sliced avocado, 1 small slice tomato and one slice of chopped red onion. Add two pinches of sea salt, 1 tbsp of olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste.

Buon Appetito!!

Lentils and Meatloaf

Lentils, ground beef patty, brussels, mushrooms, avocado and red onion.  

Lentils. I have a bulk mix of red and green lentils. Depending on what you buy, the cooking time will vary. Check the packaging. These instructions are based on my mix.

Rinse 1 cup of mixed lentils and let them soak for 60 minutes. Add 3 cups of water or vegetable brother to a pot. Add the lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, covered. Taste for tenderness before removing from heat.

Strain the lentils and return them to the pot.

Beef Patty. Bring a pan large enough to fit the meat to med-high heat, add a tbsp of olive oil. Use 1 lbs of 100% grass fed and finished or pasture raised ground beef. In a mixing bowl add the ground beef, 6 pinches of salt, 6 pinches of black pepper, 2 tbsp mustard, 2 tbsp Primal Buffalo Sauce, 1 egg (beat it before adding it), and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs. Mix it all together.  

Make 4 equal size meatballs using your hands. Add each meatball to the pan individually and flatten until each resembles a hamburger. Cook for 4-5 minutes undisturbed and then flip for another 4-5.

Brussels. Set a pan to medium-high heat. Cut the stems off and quarter or halve them (if bigger). Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Add brussels to the pan. Add a splash of water to the pan and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Toss and cover for another 5.

Mushrooms. Organic baby bellas are good. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, and add them to the preheated pan. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another five. 

Assemble. Add 1/2 cup cooked lentils to the bottom of a bow. Chop one patty into bite size pieces. Add a handful of brussel sprouts and a handful of mushrooms. Add 1/4 sliced avocado, and one slice chopped red onion. top with red wine vinegar and two pinches of sea salt.

Buon Appetito!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti, meatballs, beets, broccoli, mushrooms, avocado, red onion

This dish has a lot going on. I wanted pasta, but I also wanted to balance the carbohydrates to limit my glucose spike, so I added a bunch of fiber and fat to the dish. It worked. My glucose remained steady. Try this dish. 

Spaghetti. Follow instructions on your package. We used Rao’s. A good choice because it only contains two ingredients: durum semolina flour and water. Cook time is 11 minutes if choosing this pasta.

Meatballs. Bring a pan large enough to fit the meat to med-high heat, add a tbsp of olive oil. Use 1 lbs of 100% grass fed and finished or pasture raised ground beef. In a mixing bowl add the ground beef, 6 pinches of salt, 6 pinches of black pepper, 2 tbsp mustard, 2 tbsp Primal Buffalo Sauce, 1 egg (beat it before adding it), and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs. Mix it all together. 

Make 4 equal size meatballs using your hands. Add each meatball to the pan individually and flatten until each resembles a hamburger. Cook for 4-5 minutes undisturbed and then flip for another 4-5.

Or, use this recipe.

Beets. Buy 3-4 loose organic beets. Remove the skin. Cut them into quarters (1/8s if they’re large). Place in a pot, add water so covered by 1-2 inches of water. Add two pinches of salt. 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 60 minutes.

Broccoli.Chop two broccoli crowns into bite size pieces. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and let cook for 3 - 5 minutes (taste test before removing from water). Once strained, add the broccoli back to the pan, add two pinches of salt and a tbsp of grass-fed butter, and mix.

Mushrooms. Organic baby bellas are good. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil. Slice the mushrooms, and add them to the preheated pan. Leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then toss and let sit for another five. 

Assemble. Add a handful of pasta. One beef patty or beef square chopped into bite size pieces. One and a half beets, chopped. Handful of broccoli. Handful of mushrooms. 1/4 sliced avocado. 1/2 slice of chopped red onion. Top with red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 2 - 3 pinches of sea salt!

Buon Appetito!!

Lentils and Chicken

Green and red lentils, chicken thighs, onion, sea salt and olive oil!

Lentils. I have a bulk mix of red and green lentils. Depending on what you buy, the cooking time will vary. Check the packaging. These instructions are based on my mix.

Rinse 1 cup of mixed lentils. Add 3 cups of water or vegetable brother to a pot. Add the lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, covered. Taste for tenderness before removing from heat.

Strain the lentils and return them to the pot.

Chicken Thighs. Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a touch of cayenne pepper. Add a little water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes.

Assemble. Add 1 - 1.25 lattles of lentils to a bowl. Chop up 1 - 2 chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Chop 1 slice of onion. Add everything to the bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of sea salt.

Buon Appetito!

Chicken Peppers and Onions

Chicken, broccoli, peppers and onions, zucchini and garlic, avocado and red onion

Baked Chicken Thighs. Buy a pack of organic free range chicken thighs (pasture raised is best if you can get it). Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chicken thighs into a Pyrex. Coat them lightly in enough olive oil so they don’t stick to the dish. Add a pinch of salt to each one (each side), black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and a touch of cayenne pepper. Add a little water to the dish. Leave them right side up. Cook at 425 for 20 minutes. 

Broccoli. Chop two broccoli crowns into bite size pieces. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add broccoli and let cook for 3 - 5 minutes (taste test before removing from water). Once strained, add the broccoli back to the pan, add two pinches of salt and a tbsp of grass-fed butter, and mix.

Peppers and Onions. Bring a pan to medium-high heat. Chop 1 slice of onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 jalapeño pepper. Add to the pan with 1 tbsp olive oil and two pinches of salt. Cut out the core of three peppers (red, yellow and orange) and slice into 1/8 inch strips. Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 pinches of salt. Add to the pan once the onion, garlic, jalapeño combination starts to give off an aroma. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes depending on how you like your peppers, flipping every 5 minutes.  

Sautéed Zucchini. Bring a pan to medium heat. Chop one slice of yellow onion and two cloves of garlic. Add to the pan with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and two pinches of salt. Chop a zucchini in half down the middle. Then chop the halves in half length wise. Then cut into bite size (1 inch) pieces. Toss in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and two pinches of salt. Once the garlic and onion are fragrant, add the zucchini to the pan. Add a splash of water and cover. Let cook for 3-5 minutes. Uncover and flip, then cover again and let cook for an additional 3-5 minutes (until done).

Assemble. Chop up 1 - 2 chicken thighs into bite size pieces and add them to your bowl. Add a handful of broccoli, a handful of peppers and onion, and a handful of zucchini. Slice a 1/4 of an avocado, and chop a 1/2 a slice of red onion, mix together. Dress all ingredients with red wine vinegar and fig balsamic vinegar to taste, and two - three pinches of sea salt.

Buon Appetito!!