Lunch, Meal Prep Candace Dorsey Lunch, Meal Prep Candace Dorsey

Beef Bulgogi Bowls

If you are wanting something quick and easy to make on your #sundaymealprep days, then look no further! For this recipe, you are simply creating a marinade with ingredients that most would have in their pantry and allow your protein to marinate as you assemble the add-ins for your bowl!

If you notice in the add-in ingredients, there is hardly any prep to this meal! For example, I like to use pre-washed organic spinach, this brand kimchi, and frozen cauliflower rice! That’s pretty much it!

 

Beef Bulgogi Bowls - A simple and nutritious low carb/high protein lunch meal prep! 

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Originally, I created this recipe for Emily Schromm’s April edition of Empress but since most of my followers want more meal prep recipes, you are getting this recipe, too! 

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If you are wanting something quick and easy to make on your #sundaymealprep days, then look no further! For this recipe, you are simply creating a marinade with ingredients that most would have in their pantry and allow your protein to marinate as you assemble the add-ins for your bowl!

bulgogi1.jpg

If you notice in the add-in ingredients, there is hardly any prep to this meal! For example, I like to use pre-washed organic spinach, this brand kimchi, and frozen cauliflower rice! That’s pretty much it!

bulgogi2.jpg

Now, let’s get to the recipe!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 


Beef Bulgogi Bowls - A simple and nutritious low carb/high protein lunch meal prep! 

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1.5 lb flank steak (can sub skirt or sirloin steak)

  • ½ pear 

  • ¼ cup coconut aminos

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger knob

  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seed oil

  • 1 tsp liquid smoke

Add-ins

  • 2 heaping cups spinach

  • 1 cup carrots (chopped)

For assembling the bowls

  • 3 cups cauliflower rice

  • 1 cup kimchi

  • 4 fried free-range eggs

  • Green onions

  • Sesame seeds

Directions

  1. In a blender or processor, add the pear, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, oil, and liquid smoke. Add blended ingredients to a large bowl. *If you do not have a blender, finely chop pear, garlic, and ginger and whisk all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. 

  2. Add the sliced beef to the bowl with the marinade and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate the beef for a minimum of two hours and up to overnight.

  3. When you are ready to cook the steak, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the beef strips and chopped carrots into the skillet. Pour in any remaining marinade also. Cook the beef and carrots, stirring occasionally until all of the marinade juices thicken and begin to caramelize. The beef will be coated with the sauce and will absorb all of the sauce flavors. 

  4. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or once the sauce has cooked down enough so it is just coating the meat pieces and the carrots are soft. For the last five minutes, add the spinach.

  5. Assemble the bowls: Divide the rice among four serving bowls and top it with the beef bulgogi. Top each bowl with a fried egg (optional), a portion of kimchi, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. 

Notes

  • If you are strictly paleo, you can sub out the sesame seed oil for avocado oil. 

  • This recipe is great for meal prep - if you are wanting to add an egg to your meal, simply fry an egg in the morning or boil an egg beforehand for an easier way to pack your lunch!

 
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Breakfast Candace Dorsey Breakfast Candace Dorsey

Tropical Papaya Chia Pudding

During the summertime, I want to eat all the tropical fruits - mango, dragon fruit, coconut, guava, pineapple, you name it!

But one of my favorite tropical fruits that I can’t seem to get enough of these days are papayas! Now, I have noticed that people don’t typically put papaya in their grocery cart. They either have no clue what to do with them or they don’t want to buy a large semi-expensive fruit and worry if they will like the taste or not. Well, I am here to give you the low down on this sweet tropical “nectar of the gods” fruit while providing my favorite go-to breakfast recipe!

 

Tropical Papaya Chia Pudding - A simple and nutritious breakfast escape! Meal prep, blood sugar stabilizer, and healthy fat friendly!

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During the summertime, I want to eat all the tropical fruits - mango, dragon fruit, coconut, guava, pineapple, you name it!

chia1.jpg

But one of my favorite tropical fruits that I can’t seem to get enough of these days are papayas! Now, I have noticed that people don’t typically put papaya in their grocery cart. They either have no clue what to do with them or they don’t want to buy a large semi-expensive fruit and worry if they will like the taste or not. Well, I am here to give you the low down on this sweet tropical “nectar of the gods” fruit while providing my favorite go-to breakfast recipe!

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Before I unpack the nutritional value, papaya - when eating ripe, is sweet and has a flavor comparable to a melon. If you pick unripe papaya, you may have little to no flavor at all. 

Tip: Papaya is fully ripe when it is bright yellow so look for papayas that are mostly yellow and a little green to fully ripen at home from the grocery store! Also look for firm, smooth skin, and heavy for their size. 

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Now that you know how to pick ripe papayas, here are the nutrition facts:

  • Immune system booster as it contains an absorbent amount of vitamin C.

  • When eating a balanced amount, papaya has a hypoglycemic effect on the body which decreases blood glucose levels. 

  • Plays a major role in fighting inflammation as it contains the enzyme, papain, which is a group of proteins that help regulate inflammation. 

  • Bloating or constipation issues? The high fiber and water content help to improve digestion by reducing bloating and easing constipation while encouraging regular bowel activity. 

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So now that we have established that papayas are pretty amazing, let’s dive into my go-to breakfast recipe - chia pudding! Even though we know that papaya is a fruit, it still contains an adequate amount of natural sugar. So to make sure we are balancing our blood sugar for the morning, we are pairing this fruit with protein and healthy fats that come from the chia pudding mixture. You can use any chia pudding recipe as the base for this recipe, but I like to #levelup with canned coconut milk, vanilla extract, and fresh ginger! The ginger is my favorite part if you like a more Thai inspired dish but if you don’t, that’s okay! Keep it simple with just vanilla extract. 

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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 


Tropical Papaya Chia Pudding - A simple and nutritious breakfast escape! Meal prep, blood sugar stabilizer, and healthy fat friendly!

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp chia seeds

  • ½ cup of canned coconut milk

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger (optional)

  • ½ cup papayas (diced)

Garnish

Shredded coconut flakes, fresh lime, bee pollen, raspberries, honey

Directions 

  1. Soak the chia seeds with minced ginger (optional), vanilla, and milk for at least an hour or overnight - stirring occasionally until a gel forms. You can make your chia seed pudding thicker or thinner by reducing/adding liquid. You can also use your favorite plant-based milk for this recipe as well! 

  2. Pour the chia seed pudding into 2 serving glasses, top with diced papayas and top with the garnishes. 

  3. Store in the fridge as a leftover, enjoy chilled or at room temperature. Great for breakfast, dessert, or a snack! 

Notes

  • Don’t have papaya? That’s okay! Use whatever tropical fruit that pairs well with ginger like mangoes, pineapple, kiwi. This recipe is very versatile and any fruit/topping combination will work as long as you have the chia pudding ratio right! 

  • Need more protein? Add a scoop of collagen peptides to the mixture and add ¼ cup more milk to the mixture. You can also drizzle nut butter over chia pudding when ready to eat.

 
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