VEGETARIAN MEAL PREP!

Yes, if you are a vegetarian, you too can meal prep! It’s not just for meat eaters and gym junkies 🙂 AND, the best part is, if you’re NOT a vegetarian, you can also make this meal prep! You don’t have to eat meat 3 times a day, guys.

 

Make meal prep easier with these stackable containers: http://amzn.to/1rlgip8

You can get that amazing 2 sided cutting board here: http://amzn.to/1ST5KtF

Need a scale to measure your food? This is the one we have: http://amzn.to/1SvHDiu

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12 oz. box quinoa
30 oz (900g) black beans
14 organic eggs
1/2 red onion
olive oil
salt/pepper
1 bag spinach
4 avocados
2 lemons

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MACROS per container:
Calories: 443
Fat: 15
Carbohydrates: 55
Protein: 22

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1. Make the quinoa
2. Boil water and poach eggs
3. Mix the quinoa with black beans, diced red onion, olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Slice the avocado and lemons
5. Add raw spinach, 2 eggs, half an avocado and piece of lemon to each container
6. BOOM!
7. Watch us LIVE: http://www.nom.com/fitcouplecooks

Let’s be friends!

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If you would like some information on our private nutritional coaching, shoot me an email at chefstef6@gmail.com! I help people in need of better athletic performance, better sleep, more energy, healthy aging and weight loss.

Enjoy guys!!!

Stephanie

Meal Prep!

So you probably hear about this meal prepping thing all the time, but if you’ve never tried it, it can sound intimidating. This video is to help you learn the basics. You can make 7 full meals, for $3.50 each, in less than an hour! It saves you time, money and DEFINITELY helps you stay on track with your fitness or health goals. It’s simple to bring one to work, to the gym, on the go, or wherever you need it!

 

Here’s what you need at the grocery:

2 cups brown rice
coconut oil
980g chicken (approx 6-7 breasts)
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 cloves garlic
salt/pepper
2-3 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
assorted spices of your choice

Let us know how it comes out!

ONE POT PAD THAI!

You all know how much I LOVE making one pot meals! I’m all about ease in the kitchen… which includes ease in the clean up! I saw the Buzzfeed version a few months ago and couldn’t believe how many extra bowls and things they used, but still called it one pot. It also looked very time consuming because they would cook the noodles, take out of the pot, cook the egg, take out of the pot, cook the chicken, take out of the pot. You get the idea. Not to mention they used weird ingredients like sriracha and shallots!

So, I was determined to make my own, REAL one pot pad thai! I made the traditional version with shrimp and tofu. AND IT IS FREAKING DELICIOUS! Let me know if you try it!!

ONE POT PAD THAI VIDEO TUTORIAL!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbls sesame oil
2 oz firm tofu, diced
3 scallions (spring onions) diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 egg
1/2 lb uncooked shrimp
1 tbls fish sauce
1 tbls coconut sugar
1 tbls sesame oil
1 tbls soy sauce
8 oz thai rice noodles
1.5 cups water
Optional Toppings:
Peanuts
Lemons
Limes
Cilantro
Scallions

Macros for the ENTIRE pot:
Protein: 96g
Carbs: 204g
Fat: 22g

1. Dice the bottom part (the white part) of the scallion and the tofu. I found that using extra firm worked better. (You can leave it out if you don’t like tofu. It just blends right in, can’t even taste it. Good source of extra protein.) Heat sesame oil in a pot and saute the tofu, scallions and crushed garlic.
2. After about 2 minutes, push those ingredients to the side and add the egg. Let that cook for a minute and then using your spatula, scramble it around. After it’s cooked, mix the egg in with everything else already in the pot.
3. Throw in the raw shrimp. The edges will start to turn pink. When they do, mix everything together. (No worries if they haven’t fully cooked yet, they will definitely be cooked after the water boils.)
4. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and coconut sugar to the pot. Stir everything together. (No need to stir them together before adding to the pot. Save a bowl!) We used coconut sugar because it is unrefined, low glycemic and healthier for you than plain old white sugar.
5. Add the noodles and water. (Yes, the noodles will be sitting there in no liquid. Trust the process 😉 ) Cover with the lid and put the flame on high. After about a minute, the noodles will start to get softer and you can gently push them down into the water. Cover again. The water will start to boil and then you will be able to stir the noodles together with the other ingredients.
6. While you wait for that, prepare your toppings. Dice the cilantro, chop the peanuts, slice open the lime (or lemon) and dice the top part of the scallions.
7. Once the water has been totally absorbed, your meal is ready! Plate it up and add the toppings! Should only take about 8-9 minutes from the time you put the raw noodles into the pot for it to be done.

Please let us know if you try it!!!
Did you watch our video? What do you think… easier than Buzzfeed?!

Have a great week!!! Send us a picture if you make it! You can see our social media links below 🙂

Stephanie and Adam

Let’s be friends!
SNAPCHAT: fitcouplecooks
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/classychefstef
INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/fitcouplecooks
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/classychefstef
PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/classychefstef
If you would like some information on our private nutritional coaching, shoot me an email at chefstef6@gmail.com! I help people in need of better athletic performance, better sleep, more energy, healthy aging and weight loss.

Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart

How could it be that this delicious, sea salt caramel chocolate tart is GUILT FREE?!?!?

Oh, you know. Chef Stef magic 😉

Caramel:
13.5 oz coconut milk
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar

Crust:
1 and 1/2 cups almonds, ground
pinch sea salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Ganache:
3 oz dark chocolate
4 tablespoons coconut milk

1. Add the coconut milk and coconut palm sugar to a pot. Stir together and bring to a boil. Make sure you watch it so it doesn’t boil over!! Stir again and then let it simmer for about 45 minutes.

2. Now let’s work on the crust. Beat one egg and mix in the almond flour. You can save money and make your own by grinding up whole almonds. Add the coconut oil and the sea salt, then mix together until well combined. Press into a pie dish or any round baking dish you have.

3. Remember to stir your caramel every once in a while!

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once it comes out, let it cool for 10 minutes before you pour in about one cup of caramel. Place in your fridge for as little as 30 minutes – or can also do overnight!

5. When that’s ready, you can start working on the chocolate ganache part. Melt the coconut milk, If you don’t have a double boiler, you can do a makeshift one like I did! Add in the chocolate and stir. It will only take less than a minute to melt and turn into the ganache so don’t walk away from it.

6. Take the dish out of the fridge and then pour the chocolate on top. Spread it around to make an even layer. Place back in your fridge until the chocolate is hardened and you’re ready to serve! The easiest way to cut through the chocolate on this bad boy is by running your knife under hot water first, wipe off the water, then slice. Easy as pie! Ha! Get it?

7. Drizzle any leftover caramel on the slices so it looks all super fancy 😉

   

Enjoy!!! PLEASE let me know if you try it out!! Send me a pic to one of my social medias!!

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/classychefstef

INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/classychefstef

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/classychefstef

PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/classychefstef

BLOG: http://www.classycookinwithchefstef.wordpress.com

Stephanie

The BEST Healthy Pasta Casserole!

This was supposed to be my birthday lasagna… and it turned into an amazing birthday pasta casserole because all 3 of my grocery stores didn’t have brown rice lasagna noodles! (Gluten free) This is a great, simple dish to prepare for a large group, or, great for meal prep! You can totally put this in the freezer in individual servings. Great for gluten free or vegetarian guests! A healthier version of lasagna for sure. Feel free to substitute the pasta for lasagna! I made it in layers so it can easily be switched!

For 12-16 servings, you’ll need these ingredients. Feel free to chop them in half!

36 oz pasta

16 oz raw spinach

1 egg

16 oz of ricotta

1/2 tsp salt/pepper

1 onion

3 green squash

4 cups mozzarella

Handful of fresh basil

48 oz tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Put a large pot of water up to boil for pasta. In another pan, heat up the olive oil and saute the spinach.
2. Once it has cooked down, you need to drain the liquid. Put the spinach in a colander and use a spatula to  squeeze it out.
3. In a bowl, beat an egg, add the ricotta cheese and mix together.
4. Add the spinach, salt and pepper, and mix until all ingredients are well combined.
5. When your water boils, add the pasta and cook al dente.
6. Cut up the opinions, add olive oil and saute in the same skillet you used to cook the spinach.
7. Slice your zucchini thin and saute with the onions.
8. When your pasta is al dente, drain it and put back in the pot. Make sure to add a bit of olive oil so it doesn’t stick together.
9. Once the zucchini has cooked down, add in the sauce. Stir together and cook for a few minutes
10. Now we build. First layer is 1/3 of the pasta, next is the sauce, fresh basil, half of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella, and half of the zucchini.

1. Then another layer of pasta, sauce, basil, the rest of the ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and the rest of the zucchini. Top it off with pasta, sauce and the rest of the mozz.
2. Add some fresh black pepper to the top and cover the tray with tin foil.
3. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, take the tin foil off and bake for another 10 minutes.
4. Then, put the broiler on high to get the cheese toasty, leaving the oven open a bit so you can watch it. It will only take a minute or two.
5. 
6. Once it comes out, let it sit for a few minutes before cutting.

BOOM! Everyone will love it!!

Let me know how it comes out and if you made any substitutions!

Make it a great week,

Stephanie

Chocolate Cherry Mousse Tarts

These Chocolate Cherry Mousse Tarts will blow your mind. All natural ingredients, no chemicals, but without compromising the flavor! And, conveniently in a single serving portion. Make sure there are enough people around to eat the other ones, or you may accidentally eat a second one 😉

Ingredients for 4 tarts:
1/2 cup almonds
2 tbls coconut oil
1 cup cashew cream
12 cherries (cut in half and take out pits)
4 tsp cacao powder
Pinch salt
Honey to drizzle on top (optional)
ONLY use 1 tbls of water if your cashew cream is very thick. If not, don’t use water at all.

So I’ve been on a cashew cream kick. IT’S DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to attempt to make vodka sauce with it instead of using heavy cream!!! Not that I’m dairy free, but I do try to avoid dairy because of all of the hormones and chemicals in our poor cows 😦

If you missed the video on how to make basic cashew cream with just 2 ingredients, watch this!

After I made it and tasted it, my mind went crazy thinking of a million things to make with it, from totally sweet all the way to salty and maybe even spicy!

For this dessert recipe, here’s what you need to do.

1. First off, you need to make a batch of cashew cream!
2. Blend the almonds and coconut oil together. Press the mixture into the bottom of the tarts to make the crust.
3. Blend the cashew cream, cacao powder, cherries, and salt. If your mixture is SUPER thick, you can add a tablespoon of water. If not, leave it. You don’t want it too liquid-ey.
4. Pour into the tarts and feel free to drizzle some honey on top to sweeten it up a little. Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or, until they have hardened up like mousse!

Seriously guys, this was delicious. Take a pic if you make them! Enjoy!
Stephanie

Healthy Magic Brownies

The most delicious and moist, HEALTHY brownies! You’ll never believe the ingredients. Gluten free. Paleo. And only 100 calories a brownie! You have to try them to believe it!!!

Sorry I’ve been MIA for a month. I have been so busy! Not only was Adam here from Australia, but our theatre company has started again and directing/choreographing two shows takes an awful lot of time! Adam has now gone home to Australia. In the 3 months he was here, we visited NYC, D.C., Boston, and Philly, and we have created memories to last a lifetime. I’ve done more with him in 3 months than I have my whole life. It’s funny, you don’t experience things that are right in your backyard until you are showing a tourist around! 🙂

  

We were skyping late one night as I was creating this recipe. Instead of oil, I wanted to use a nut butter. He said, “how about peanut butter?!” Genius! The chocolate and peanut butter masks the flavor of the zucchini.

If you cut this 8×8 tray into 16 pieces:
Calories: 100
Fat: 6.5
Carbs: 8.5
Protein: 3

These amounts will make 16 brownies. (Or 9 bigger ones) If you want them thicker and fudgier, double the recipe and bake in the same pan. If you want the same height but more brownies, double the recipe and put in 2 pans! Or one big one 🙂

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shredded zucchini
2 tbls honey
1/2 cup organic peanut butter (or sub almond butter/coconut butter)
1/2 egg (just beat it and use half)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted

1. Shred the zucchini using a grater. 3/4 of a cup is only about 1 medium zucchini. Make sure you press the zucchini down in the measuring cup. Place in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the honey, peanut butter, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and egg. (Since you’re only using half an egg, beat it in a bowl first and then just pour in about half! See that, the recipe is just calling to be doubled. Who wants to only use half an egg!? 🙂 ) Stir together.

3. Melt the chocolate and add to the mix. Stir together until all ingredients are well combined.

4. Place in an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick. Mine were done at the 27 minute mark. Cook in the pan for a few, then take out using the parchment paper and place on a wire rack. Once they are completely cool, cut these babies up!

Let me know how they come out when you try them! Take a pic and post it on one of my social medias!!! All handles are /classychefstef

Have a BEAUTIFUL weekend!
Stephanie