Maya's Menu - June 11th through the 15th

Hello, everyone! How's your week been? Hopefully it's bursting with wonderful food, energizing exercise, mindfulness, and everything that brings you joy. I know my week has certainly been grand. A few days ago, I attended a pool party with several of my friends. We played flashlight tag once darkness fell, and that was a blast! My friend Maddi (surely you remember Maddi?) and I hid under a pine tree, which was both a clever and extraordinarily painful spot. But now, the week on June 11th through the 15th has nearly come to a close. It's the weekend, and that means... (drum roll please)... it's time for a new edition of Maya's Menu! Below, you can find everything I ate during the week, including recipes and tips. Please note that in addition to what is listed, I often had a snack of bell pepper slices and baba ganoush. Oh, and tea. Lots and lots of tea.

Monday

Breakfast: Morning Arugula Salad

arugula, fried egg, olives, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 avocado, yogurt-based blue cheese dressing

Lunch: Roasted Tomatoes and Asparagus with 1/2 Baked Avocado

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and place washed asparagus on it. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake for about 20 minutes. For a special kick, I suggest some minced garlic, freshly cracked pepper, and grated Parmesan on top. When the asparagus has ten minutes left, place your tomatoes and halved avocado on a lined baking sheet. Ensure that the avocado has been pitted. Drizzle with olive oil. If your avocado is feeling temperamental and keeps rolling over, place it on a piece of aluminum foil shaped to the fruit. Put your tomatoes and avocado in the oven and bake with the asparagus for the remaining ten minutes. Enjoy!

Dinner: Sirloin Steak and Steamed Broccoli

Here is a superb link for grilling the perfect steak. My only suggestions would be NOT to use canola or vegetable oil. Instead, stick to avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. Avocado oil is the best when using high heat. However, this is primarily preference. Also, I suggest medium rare steak. Well done is just a crime. Salt and pepper your meat well. Wash your broccoli crowns, cut them into florets, and steam the veg for 4-5 minutes. Smother in butter and seasonings, and enjoy!

This is Friday's dinner, but the steak was prepared
the same way Monday and Friday - crazy salt and
pepper, and then grilled to medium rare.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Morning Arugula Salad

See above

Lunch: Salmon with Buttered Kale

I tried this recipe from the Bulletproof Blog this week, and it wasn't half bad. Salmon has become a rare treat for me; as it is so rich, I tend to lose my taste for it quickly. My only problem was with the buttered kale. I don't mind kale, but this stuff was extraordinarily bitter! I added LOADS of sriracha to disguise the nose-wrinkling tart flavor of the leafy green. To save time and reduce your dish load, I suggest purchasing pre-washed baby kale from your local grocer's. Next time, I think I'm going to try this with spinach. While I love sriracha, I think I'd need a little less on some good old spinach.

https://blog.bulletproof.com/a-simple-bulletproof-meal-plan-with-recipes/

Dinner: Loaded Sweet Potatoes

Wash your sweet potatoes. For one potato, microwave for about 7 minutes. When it has finished cooking, remove your potato from the microwave WITH GREAT CAUTION! It'll be a... HOT POTATO! Cut open and smother in butter. Add your toppings of choice; I'm partial to sour cream, diced bell pepper, pickled jalapenos, and salsa.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Chia Seed Pudding

Tuesday evening, combine 2 Tbsps of chia seeds, a little bit less than 1/2 cup of almond milk, and 1 Tbsp of monk fruit. Let the chia seed pudding bloom overnight. When you are ready to enjoy your breakfast, mix again, and top with unsweetened coconut flakes and salted almonds. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter if you want something extra and can handle the additional Omega-6's.

Lunch: Tuna Cucumber boats w/ nuts

The recipe for tuna cucumber boats is elsewhere on The Avocado and Me. It's definitely a favorite. Add a side of macadamia nuts, and you've got yourself one delightful luncheon! Have a cup of tea to make it a little bit more Downton Abbey - these are almost like "tea sandwiches," and they love to be paired with tea.

Dinner: Breakfast for dinner: zucchini slices, eggs, avocado, and smoked salmon

This one is pretty straight forward. Simply slice a few zucchinis, and saute in olive oil if desired. Cook a few scrambled eggs, and place them in a bowl. Top with your zucchini, 1/2 avocado per person, and a serving of lox. Sriracha is also a great addition. I mean, come on. When is it not?

Thursday

Breakfast: Eggs with roasted tomatoes and almonds

Fried eggs happen to be my absolute favorite! Top two with tomatoes roasted for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, and you've got yourself a flavor explosion. A handful of salted almonds provide an extra dose of healthy fats.

Lunch: Salmon with Buttered Kale

See my notes from Tuesday!

https://blog.bulletproof.com/a-simple-bulletproof-meal-plan-with-recipes/

Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Scallops with a Light Salad

My family purchased bacon wrapped scallops from Costco's frozen section. They were pretty darn yummy! The brand was J. Scott Foods, and one package came with five skewers. I did have to bake the skewers for five minutes longer than the package suggested; but then again, my dad is partial to well-done scallops. We served this with a simple romaine, sun dried tomato salad doused in a vinaigrette.

Here is the clafoutis I made on Friday.
As you can see, it is the tiniest bit runny. To prevent
this, I suggest not going over the top with wet berries,
and adding a few minutes to the cook time. 

Friday

Breakfast: Toothsome Chocolate Shake with Blackberries

My Toothsome Chocolate Shake can, like the Tuna Cucumber Boats, be found on the Avocado and Me! In fact, it just happens to be a very recent post. A scrumptious shake with a side of blackberries is certainly a great way to start the day.

Lunch: Olive Oil Zoodles with Chicken

I bought chicken breast tenders for this lunch, as they cook faster than whole breasts. With the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, the chicken needed only 17 minutes to reach a perfect internal temperature of 165 degrees. To whip up your zoodles, wash two zucchinis. Use a carrot peeler to make thick, fettuccine-style slices of zucchini. Stop when your carrot peeler reaches the seeds of the vegetable. Heat olive oil in a pan, and add your zoodles. Cook them until tender. Add cracked pepper, sea salt, and grated Parmesan. Top your zoodle bowl with chicken and enjoy! Marinated artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes may make excellent toppings to this dish.

Dinner: Steak with asparagus and Triple Berry Clafoutis

See my selected link for grilling the perfect steak from Monday. Roast your asparagus on a lined sheet for 18 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit with garlic, salt, pepper, and avocado oil. If you aren't burnt out on Parmesan yet, it is amazing on asparagus as well. I mean, what isn't Parmesan good on? The Clafoutis was very interesting indeed! A French dessert, it was very easy and almost like a fruit soufflé. I found mine needed a little longer in the oven, but other than that, this treat gets a stamp of approval.

https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/lchf/keto-triple-berry-clafoutis

Well, there you go my friends! I hope this week's edition of Maya's Menu encourages you to try out a new dish for the upcoming week. Do you have any meals that you think I should try? Please do let me know in the comments below!

I wish you the best. And to all of the dad's out there - happy (early) Father's Day!

-Maya

Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash, Photo by Alyson McPhee on Unsplash,

Epstein, Maya. Steak and Veg. Digital file, 15 June 2018, Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash,

Epstein, Maya. Clafoutis. Digital file, 15 June 2018, Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash