This meal was seriously the bomb! By the end of the week I honestly contemplated just making it again for next week's meal prep. Plus, you know it's a good one when all your coworkers tell you how good it smells everyday. Anyways though, fairly simple recipe and all done in one pot (I used a large dutch oven). I threw the red onion and garlic in the food processor, then while those were sauteing I threw the brussels sprouts and kale in the food processor to shred too. If you are not a kale person, I recommend throwing them in the food processor too because you legit can't pick the kale taste out of the meal whatsoever. An easy way to get more vegetables and micronutrients into your diet. Of course you don't have to throw any of these ingredients in the food processor at all if you'd rather slice and dice them on your own, or just purchase them pre-cut. Besides that, I'm not sure what else I can say about this meal other then you must give it a try! 

Beef Bacon Plantain Hash
Ingredients:

• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 3 yellow plantains, peeled and chopped
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 lb. grass-fed ground beef
• 12-16 ounces shredded brussels sprouts
• 6-8 ounces chopped kale (I used a spinach and kale blend)
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus extra to garnish
• juice of 1 lime
• 1-2 avocados (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium/high heat until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside, reserving bacon grease in a small bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of bacon grease to the skillet and sauté plantains on medium/high heat for 5-6 minutes, or until golden/brown in color and softened. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Add another tablespoon of bacon fat and cook the red onion and minced garlic for 2-3 minutes, then add in the ground beef.
4. Cook beef and onion mixture for another 3 minutes until beef has browned, then add in brussels sprouts and kale.
5. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then cover pan for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until greens have softened.
6. Add plantains and bacon back into the skillet, along with spices, salt, lime juice and cilantro.
7. Turn off heat and top with avocado slices and extra cilantro, if desired.

​Original recipe found here

​I tend to like my chili and soup less liquidy and more meaty, but I really enjoyed this one as-is! All I did was increase the chicken amount to 2.5 lbs and I added three bags of frozen riced cauliflower at the end. I also did not use white sweet potatoes, but regular orange ones instead, and I should have followed the note below a little better. If you use orange sweet potatoes, dice into 1" chunks, or even slightly larger, because they do get extremely soft! I actually used the slow cooker for this one too, not the Instant Pot, and it always reminds me that I need to slow down. While the Instant Pot is faster, it also makes my meal preps a little more crazy since I'm rushing to get everything done. With the slow cooker you just throw it all in the pot early in the day, go do what you need to do, and come take care of it 4-8 hours later. It's the perfect meal prep helper and allows you to still take care of all the other things on your to-do list, or those other things you would rather be doing instead of meal prep. Anyways, this chili was light, delicious, and comforting, so I'll definitely bring it back once the colder weather starts to hit. 

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with Sweet Potato 
Ingredients:

• 2-2.5 lbs organic boneless chicken breasts
• 2 large white or Japanese sweet potato peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks about 3 cups*
• 2 cups homemade bone broth or sugar free broth/stock
• 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh jalapeños
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper more or less depending on your spice preference
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried cilantro or 1 tbsp fresh minced
• 1 tbsp organic ghee clarified butter
• 1/2 cup coconut cream**
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast - optional (I omitted this)

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and top with sweet potato cubes, broth, green chilis, jalapeño, onion and garlic, salt and all the spices (you will leave out the last 4 ingredients for now) Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours. I use a programmable slow cooker which makes timing things very convenient!
2. After the cook time is complete, remove the chicken to a large dish and set aside. Add the ghee, coconut cream, lime juice, and nutritional yeast to the slow cooker and stir well to combine.
3. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes.
4. During this time, shred the chicken with two forks, then add it back to the slow cooker after 20 minutes and continue to cook 10 more minutes on high.
5. Serve with avocado, extra cilantro or chives. Enjoy!

Notes:
*If you can't find a white sweet potato, a common orange one will be fine, just cut into 1" inch chunks since they're a bit softer.
**Coconut cream is the solid part in a can of refrigerated coconut milk. You can buy full fat coconut milk and use only the thick part, or purchase a can of coconut cream only.

​Original recipe found here

Anytime I get to eat steak all week is a great week! This one turned out tasting amazing and it was super easy to make, so it will most definitely become a go-to recipe for me. There was plenty of marinade left over too, which can be reheated (see step 6) and served with the meal. Hit up the grocery store on a Saturday, throw all the marinade ingredients into a mixer, and cover it over the steak overnight. Then, whenever you have time on Sunday, grill up the marinated steak and serve over your favorite salad blend, grilled or roasted vegetables, and baked or roasted potato. That is how you meal prep like a boss and eat good all week long! Just kidding, but really, eating better doesn't mean spending all day in the kitchen or eating bland foods. A little bit of planning ahead of time and you could set yourself up for a great week. This steak does have a hint of mustard flavor to it, so if you enjoy that taste then I recommend giving this recipe a try! 

​Paleo & Whole30 Marinated Flank Steak
Ingredients:

• 3 medjool dates pitted and softened if necessary by soaking in very hot water
• 2 tbsp water you can use the soaking water, if you want
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos*
• 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard (I used OrganicVille Stone Ground Mustard)
• 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar or preferred vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for spice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil (I reduced to using 2 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil)
• 1.5 lbs flank steak (I used just over 2 lbs)
• chopped fresh chives, green onion, or your favorite fresh herbs for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a high speed blender except for the olive oil, then once pureed, add the olive oil with the blender running on low.
2. Score the steak all over with a knife, place in a large bowl and pour all the marinade over the steak, turning to completely coat. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
3. Once ready to grill, preheated grill to medium high heat. Remove most of the marinade from steak, leaving a very thin coating. The rest of the marinade can either be discarded, or boiled into a sauce for the steak (see instructions below)
4. Place the steak on the hot grill and turn after the first side is browned with visible grill lines, repeat on the second side. Lower the heat to medium, cover the grill and continue to cook until steak is done to preference, turning once. I press the steak to determine if it’s “medium” but you can use a meat thermometer to be more precise.
5. Once done, remove the stead to a large platter and loosely cover with aluminum foil for 5-10 minutes to allow juices to distribute. Then, using a fork and long sharp knife cut the steak against the grain (opposite direction that the lines of the meat run in) in 1/2 inch slices on a slight angle. See this video for quick easy instructions showing how to do this.
6. To turn marinade into a sauce, bring it to a full boil in a small saucepan and allow to boil/strong simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add a bit of coconut aminos and a few drops of hot sauce and serve with steak
7. Serve steak with veggies, over salad, with sweet potato fries and with the sauce (or your favorite sauce)
8. **Note: Steak can also be made stove top in a large cast iron skillet.

Recipe Notes
*Gluten-free liquid aminos or soy sauce is a non-paleo/whole30 alternative

Original recipe found here