5/25/25: this weeks nutrient dense + prometabolic meals✨ (recipes, grocery list, printable menu template + no waste!)

(PS: I’m making this week’s free in case there were any of you on the fence of trying my prometabolic + nutrient dense meals that is normally just for paid subscribers! I swear, just try one recipe and you’ll be hooked. I also use the same ingredients in many recipes so it keeps the grocery list cheaper)

Hey guys!

I’m so excited for this week’s meals. I did something a little different-usually, I just list the recipes I’m making and decide day-of what sounds good.

But this week, I actually assigned meals to specific days.

I don’t know why, but it feels way more organized? And I also love that we’re all on the same little schedule together. So if you want to double anything for leftovers, you’ll know exactly when to do it.

I’m also cooking less overall. Now that the weather’s nice, I want to be outside more and in the kitchen less. So this plan makes that possible without sacrificing nutrient dense from-scratch food that makes you glow from the inside out.

Last week was such a grounding, yet energizing week. I stayed home, read a lot, and somehow ended up being so productive. My TikTok is doing really well since I’m feeling SO creative!! And I made huge progress organizing literally almost every drawer in the house. I want another week of effortless productivity.

So I'm doing another “cocoon” week: hydrating, skin treatments, organizing, journaling, sauna, making content, baking, working on my medicinal makeup line, walking, listening to affirmation tapes, and pouring my energy into what feels good. And now, dinner’s already planned each day so I don’t have to think about it. Being organized takes a little more effort up front- but I love seeing how it frees up my life.

Btw- let me know what you think of this format!!! And if I should keep it for future weeks.

(*PS: this time of year I serve most of my meals with either a handful of arugula or peeled carrot ribbons, and drizzle them with EVOO, sea salt, pepper, and a splash of balsamic. I just crave a salty crunchy bite of freshness with everything!)

Okay, so some notes before we get into it!

• All of my meals are pro-metabolic, seed oil free, and targeted to help heal the gut, speed the metabolism, and deeply nourish your body.

• Every week I’ll include a variation of quick + easy recipes, as well as some that take a bit more time that are perfect for fun cooking nights and hosting.

• At the end, I also have a list of quick meals you can make with leftover ingredients to make sure nothing goes to waste!

• I always opt for everything raw, grassfed + finished, pasture raised, wild caught + organic when possible. I don’t want to write organic, grassfed, etc. before every ingredient because it’s way too repetitive!

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Monday + Tuesday night:

Grassfed Carne Asada Tacos

Cook time: 20 minutes!

Every time I walk by a taco truck in nyc, it smells incredible. I went down a deep dive and found out that taco trucks use oregano and cumin to season their meat and that’s why it smells so incredible. These tacos taste just like those!

1/4 steak is about 30g of protein, which is what I aim for per meal. If you are planning to make this tuesday night as well, double if you need to! This recipe is enough for 1 night feeding 2-4 people.

Ingredients:

Steak:

• 1 lb grassfed skirt steak, chopped

• 1/2 white onion, chopped

Marinade:

• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/2 bunch cilantro - stems and leaves

• 1 lime

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1.5 tsp dried oregano

• 2 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)

Toppings and Extras:

• organic corn tortillas - warmed

• cilantro and white onion - finely chopped and mixed together

• lime wedges

• guacamole

Steps:

1. Chop your steak and onions into small cubes and place them in a bowl. Mix your marinade ingredients, then pour over the steak and onions, tossing everything to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or let it marinate overnight for even more flavor. Usually while I let it sit, I’ll make a quick guacamole!

2. When ready to cook, heat a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the steak in batches, until it’s cooked through. Transfer to a clean plate and let it rest for 5 minutes.

3. Serve with warm corn tortillas, fresh salsa, lime wedges, guacamole, and plenty of diced onion and cilantro.

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Wednesday + Thursday Night:

Sourdough Grassfed Bolognese

Time: 30 minutes

As far as *hands on* time goes, this sauce is pretty quick, however it DOES take 2-3 hours to simmer, but here’s why it’s so worth it: It makes ALOT of sauce, so make this one day, get a few boxes of this sourdough spaghetti, and enjoy for many meals! It’s so delicious, nourishing, and worth it.

If you’re having this for multiple nights, double the recipe! You may even have extra leftovers which are incredible for lunches or frozen.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cup small dice yellow onion about ½ medium yellow onion

• sea salt to taste

• 1 cup small dice celery about 2 large celery stalks

• 1 cup small dice carrot about 2 medium carrots

• 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped

• ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes optional

• 1/2 lb grassfed ground beef

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup whole milk

• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 cup dry white wine Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

• 2 (28-ounce) cans of whole or crushed Italian plum tomatoes in their juices (see recipe notes) *if using whole, cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces with kitchen shears

• 2-3 parmigiano-reggiano rinds

• Sourdough Spaghetti

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Recipe:

1. Heat a large (roughly 5-Quart) heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onions and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Sauté the onions, stirring often, until softened and nearly translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and another pinch of salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute or so.

2. Add the ground beef, a generous pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a fork as needed, until nearly cooked through and no longer raw, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the milk and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until the milk has mostly cooked out, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the freshly grated nutmeg. Add the white wine and simmer until evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and parmesan rinds and stir mixture to combine. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat immediately to a very, very low simmer (*only a few and small bubbles on the surface of the sauce).

3. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for at least 3 to 4 hours, stirring every so often. Add a splash of water as needed throughout the simmer time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove and discard the parmesan rinds.Cooking Note: As Marcella explains, the simmer time can be broken up into various stages throughout the same day if needed. Simply remove the sauce from the heat, cover with a lid, and resume simmering later. Once you have prepared the sauce base, you can also transfer it to a slow cooker or Instant pot (set to low 'slow cook' mode) for an easy, hands-off simmer option.

4. For Serving: Toss with boiled cooked pasta – ideally finishing the al dente pasta in the warm sauce – until well-coated. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese on the side.

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Friday Night:

Thai Wild Caught Shrimp Noodles

Cook time: 20 minutes!

This is one of those meals that tastes like takeout but feels like a wellness ritual. It’s spicy, gingery, silky from the noodles, and I swear the sauce could double as a wellness shot.

Ingredients

DRESSING:

• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

• 1/2 inch ginger

• 1/4 tsp finely minced garlic

• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro/coriander stems

• 2 tbsp maple sugar or cane sugar

• 2 tbsp fish sauce

• 2 tbsp lime juice

• 1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil (melt it if it’s solid!)

RICE NOODLES:

• 1 carton of rice noodles

SHRIMP:

• Around 1/2 lb per person- I love argentian wild caught shrimp. I usually get them frozen!

• Grassfed Tallow

• 2 cloves garlic

• Sea salt

  OPTIONAL FOR PLATING:

• organic peanuts (I crush them)

• cilantro

• Lime slice

Instructions

1. Make the dressing
Blend together all dressing ingredients until smooth.

2. Cook the noodles
Bring filtered water to a boil and cook your rice noodles according to the package. Drain and rinse with room temp or cold filtered water to keep them loose and silky. Toss in your sauce!

3. Sear the shrimp
Pat your thawed shrimp dry. Heat a generous spoon of grass-fed tallow in a pan, then add minced garlic and the shrimp. Season with sea salt and sear just a few minutes per side until golden and juicy.

4. Assemble
Toss the rice noodles with as much dressing as you like (I go heavy). Plate, top with shrimp, and finish with crushed peanuts, a squeeze of lime, and a few cilantro leaves if you have them.

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Saturday + Sunday Night:

We may have friends over for dinner so I might be doubling this to have it for 2 nights! Remember, at least 1/4lb of meat per person per meal.

BONE BROTH BRAISED SHORT RIBS

• 3 Tablespoons Grassfed Tallow

• 1 yellow onion , diced

• 3 carrots , chopped

• 8 whole grassfed beef short ribs , bone-in

• 1/4 cup organic white flour (I use Kamut all purpose flour which is an ancient grain, from breadtopia!)

• sea salt and pepper , to taste

• 1 cup natural dry red wine (such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir)

• 2 1/2 cups bone broth

• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

For the mashed potatoes:

2-4 organic potatoes

2 tbsp grassfed butter

Milk (I use grassfed raw A2 milk)

Sea salt

Instructions

For the short ribs:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large dutch oven or oven safe pot with a lid, heat one tablespoon of grassfed tallow over medium high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove veggies to a plate.

3. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and coat on all sides with flour. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pot and turn heat to high. Add ribs and brown on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove to a plate.

4. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bites of flavor. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

5. Add bone broth, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in tomato paste. Taste broth and add additional seasonings, if needed.

6. Add ribs, veggies, and (whole) sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot.

7. Cover with the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be very tender, nearly falling off the bone.

8. Remove the pan from oven and allow rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top of the liquid, before serving.

9. Serve ribs over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of gravy from the pot!

10. Store leftover short ribs in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days depending on the freshness of your ingredients.

Quick Mashed Potatoes Recipe (Do this after step 8 of the short ribs!):

1. Boil peeled, chopped potatoes in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes), then drain and mash with warm butter, milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.

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This Weeks Grocery List

*I always opt for everything raw, grassfed, organic. I don’t want to write organic, grassfed, etc. before every ingredient because it was way too repetitive! But just do the best you can!!

Meat and Seafood

• 1 lb grassfed skirt steak

• 1 lb grassfed ground beef

• ~1 to 1.5 lbs wild-caught shrimp (Argentinian, if possible)

• 8 or 16 bone-in grassfed beef short ribs

Dairy

• Grassfed butter

• Whole milk (preferably raw A2)

• Parmigiano-Reggiano (plus 2–3 rinds if available)

• Optional: extra cheese for topping bolognese or tacos

Produce

• 1 bunch cilantro (use stems + leaves)

• 2 white onions

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 large celery stalks

• 2 medium carrots

• 2–4 organic potatoes

• Garlic (at least 1 head—recipe uses 8+ cloves total)

• Fresh ginger (~1/2 inch piece)

• 1 lime + extra for wedges

• Optional: extra carrots or herbs for garnish/snacking

• Fresh thyme (2 sprigs)

• Fresh rosemary (2 sprigs)

  Pantry Staples (you probably have most of these!)

• Organic corn tortillas

• Sourdough spaghetti (enough for multiple servings)

• Rice noodles (1 carton)

• Bone broth (2.5 cups, preferably beef-based)

• Olive oil (extra virgin)

• Grassfed tallow

• Coconut oil (extra virgin)

• Organic white flour (Kamut or preferred ancient grain)

• Tomato paste (2 tbsp)

• 2 cans (28 oz each) of whole or crushed Italian plum tomatoes

• Fish sauce

• Maple sugar or cane sugar

• Sea salt

• Black pepper

• Smoked paprika

• Cumin

• Dried oregano

• Red pepper flakes

• Nutmeg (fresh if possible)

• Optional: organic peanuts (for shrimp noodles)

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Other Meals You Can Make with Leftover Ingredients!!

This is such an underrated part of the weekly menus. You know when you have to buy a whole container of something just to use a tiny bit- and the rest sits in your fridge until it goes bad? I created this part of the list so that never happens. These recipes are designed to help you use every last bite of what you buy- so nothing goes to waste and everything gets used up!

3. Leftover Bolognese Shakshuka

A rich, protein-heavy breakfast or quick lunch. Just simmer leftover bolognese in a skillet, crack in a few eggs, and bake or cover until set.

To Make:
Heat bolognese in a skillet with a splash of broth or water.
Crack 2–4 eggs over the top.
Cover and let cook until eggs are set.
Top with black pepper and any leftover parm.

Scoop up with toasted sourdough.

3. Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

A remix of the tacos + shrimp dishes.

To Make:

• Sear shrimp in tallow with garlic + cumin + salt.

• Toss shredded carrots, onion, and cilantro with lime juice and sea salt → quick slaw.

• Warm corn tortillas and layer in shrimp + slaw.

• Finish with lime and optional crushed peanuts for crunch.

That’s all for this weeks meals!! If there are any recipes you want to see, or if you’d like to see easier or more complex recipes- please let me know! I’m open to all the ideas.

Have the best week ever!!

XO -Valerie