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Batch Cooking For Beginners

As a mom trying to juggle the long hours of running a business and taking care of my young children, I constantly felt exhausted and completely unmotivated to nourish my body with a healthy meal. Too frequently I found myself grabbing lunch to go, which got expensive quick. At dinner time, I’d eat scraps of chicken nuggets or sometimes nothing at all. Sound familiar?

I was running on fumes all the time because I wasn’t fueling my body with the nutrients and calories it needed to sustain my busy schedule. For me, the solution was plain and simple: Meal Prep!

My approach to meal prep developed as I was working as a personal chef. A married couple that I worked for loved my cooking, but they did not love eating the same meals on repeat. Instead, they challenged me to come up with a program of semi-prepped ingredients that they could mix and match based on what they felt like eating. As it turned out, this same approach worked best for all the families I cook for, including my own!

Now, I focus on batch cooking a few key ingredients that I can mix and match into different meals for ultimate flexibility. This includes various grains, proteins, sauces, and veggies that are peeled, diced, and ready to roll. Follow along with me for weekly plans on what to cook and how to pull it all together. Your future self will thank you! Here are my 5 Rules for getting started with meal prepping:

  1. Anything you can prep for the week is better than nothing. You don’t have to make a complete meal. Anything you can chop, portion, or marinate will save you time. Don’t have enough time to knock out a fancy quinoa salad for lunches? Try slicing up carrots and cucumber to portion into containers with pita bread and hummus for an easy grab-and-go snack that will save you when hunger strikes.
  2. Start with one meal. It can be really intimidating to think about prepping every meal for your week in advance. Instead, start out small to get into the groove. Pick the meal you struggle with the most and focus on that first. Is it a challenge to get breakfast in your system every morning? Try prepping some overnight oats or freezer breakfast burritos you can easily grab on your way out the door. Is lunch your weakness? How about prepping pita pockets with chicken salad or mason jar pasta salads that keep beautifully all week. Repeat after me: “No more sad desk lunches!” Struggle with getting dinner on the table for your family each night? If you prep some freezer meals once a month that you can dump into the crockpot on your way out the door in the morning, your family will think you’re a superhero come supper time.
  3. Prep smarter not harder. It’s so much more efficient to make a double batch of one thing than to cook two entirely different things. My weekly plans focus on ways to save you time (and money, bonus!) by cooking one ingredient that can do double duty for you throughout the week. Think shredded chicken you can use in enchiladas AND in smokey bbq pulled chicken sandwiches. Or a big batch of instant pot quinoa that you can have on hand for southwestern stuffed peppers AND a fresh strawberry tabouli salad. You get my drift.
  4. Keep it fresh. I have a few tricks up my sleeve on how to keep the food you’ve prepped in advance tasting like it’s super fresh. Fresh herbs, a squeeze of bright lemon juice, or a pop of peppery arugula work wonders to bring your pre-cooked chicken breast back to life. Learning the best way to store and reheat your ingredients so that they don’t dry out which is a huge game changer. Stick with me and I’ll teach you what you need to know!
  5. I get by with a little help from my friends. You don’t have to make every little thing from scratch. The sky is the limit when it comes to short cuts you can take with premade ingredients. If you don’t enjoy chopping, take advantage of the pre cut veggies like diced carrots and onions that you can find at the grocery store. Did you make homemade falafel? Bravo! Congratulate yourself by buying a container of tzaziki so you can pull together weeknight gyros in a pinch. The point being, there’s absolutely no shame in using some good quality store bought ingredients to help give you a leg up on your meal prep.

I hope these tips help you as you start, or restart, your meal prep journey! Baby steps are the key here. I challenge you to pick at least one thing to make ahead. My favorites are hard boiled eggs, brown rice, and pesto. From there, slowly build by adding another item to your weekly plan, like salad dressing or shredded chicken. I’m with you every step of the way so don’t hesitate to reach out with questions! Happy meal prepping!

-Katie Clack

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Lunch is served! And thanks to the work I did over Lunch is served! And thanks to the work I did over the weekend, it only took 3 minutes to toss this all in a container to take to work with me! So much tastier, nutritious and more affordable than any lunch I would have bought while on the road too. šŸ™Œ

Buddha grain bowls are the best way to use ingredients you have on hand in a creative way! This one is a bed of quinoa topped with roasted carrots, beets, tofu, avocado, beet hummus and feta.

Since I already prepped everything else, all I had to do was slice up the fresh avocado.  I don’t think it gets any easier than that! 

Do you have a favorite buddha bowl combo?

#tofurecipes #tofulover #beets  #roastedbeets #beethummus #hummuslover #roastedveggies #avocadolover #avocadošŸ„‘ #quinoarecipes #quinoabowl #buddhabowl #buddhabowls #grainbowl #nourishbowl #whatiateforlunch #mealpreps #healthyrecipes #healthyrecipeshare #eattherainbow🌈 #mealprep #mealprepideas #mealpreppin #batchcooking #mealprepsunday #mealprepsundays #mealprepmondays
Anyone spend their day dreaming about what they’ Anyone spend their day dreaming about what they’ll have for lunch or dinner?  My goal is to create meals that you’ll be looking forward to all day! These Mediterranean Swiss chard and sun dried tomato quinoa patties over romesco sauce are a meal you’ll crave allšŸ‘šŸ»dayšŸ‘šŸ»long!

We make the quinoa on our prep day so we have it to make buddha bowls for lunches.  I like to go ahead and make the quinoa patties ahead of time while I’m at it because I know I won’t have the energy at the end of a long work day. 

Then, when meal time comes, I can quickly roast the asparagus in the oven while the quinoa patties fry up in a skillet.  BOOM! Another dinner that’s ready in 10 min and devoured just as quickly. šŸ™Œ This means more time for an after dinner park or bike session to enjoy the beautiful weather this week! ā˜€ļø

Let me know below if you’d like the link to make this creamy and vibrant romesco sauce that will add a punch of flavor to any dish! šŸ’„

#romesco #weeknightdinner #weeknightdinners #quinoarecipes #quinoalover #asparagusseason #asparagusrecipes #swisschard #sundriedtomatoes #vegetariandinner #vegetarianrecipes #springrecipes #personalcheflife #vegetarianrecipe #mediterraneandiet #mediterraneancuisine #easydinner #easydinners #whatiatetoday #whatiatefordinner #foodblogger #mealpreppin #mealpreppinglikeaboss #simplespoonfuls #prettyfoodtastesbetter
Time for a new meal plan! šŸ¾This spring inspired Time for a new meal plan! šŸ¾This spring inspired menu was so light, easy and deliciously satisfying.  You can click the link in my bio for the full breakdown on how I attacked batch cooking all these ingredients.  And if there’s a dish that sparks your interest, you can always just skip ahead specifically to that recipe. 

Moving forward, I’ll be making a more conscious effort to highlight seasonal produce  in my meal plans.  After all, not only are they more nutrient dense, flavorful and affordable, they are better for the environment too. 

So for this plan, I decided to highlight Swiss chard! 🄬 Not only is it packed full of vitamins K, C and A but it has a hearty texture, mild flavor, vibrant and colorful stems, and is wonderfully versatile!  For this meal plan we use the Swiss chard in: 
-Swiss chard, prosciutto and feta egg bites
-Swiss chard and sun dried tomato quinoa cakes
-Swiss chard, white bean and sausage soup

I essentially make one big batch of sautĆ©ed chard and use one cup for the egg bites, one cup for the quinoa cakes and the rest to build the soup.  One prepped ingredient becomes the base for three tasty meals.  Remember, this is all about cooking smarter and not harder! šŸ’Ŗ I intentionally don’t use it in *every single meal* because you want to be excited about seasonal produce, not burnt out by over doing it. 

These are the ingredients we will prep for this plan:
-quinoa
-beets
-romesco sauce
-roasted carrots
-crispy tofu
-pickled veggies (carrot, cucumber, red onion, and daikon)
-sauteed Swiss chard

Check out my stories to see how these ingredients came together to make 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, and 4 dinners for the week! šŸ™Œ. I’ll be sharing each of those meals as the week goes on. 

In the meantime, I challenge you to pick a seasonal ingredient yourself to weave into at least three dishes you’ll make this week.  Share with me below, what will it be? šŸ¤”šŸ‘‡

#mealplan #mealplans #batchcook #batchcooking #mealpreps #mealpreppin #mealprepideas #mealprepmondays #mealprepmonday #mealprepsunday #mealprepsundays #mealpreprecipes #healthymealprep #healthymealideas #healthyrecipesideas #healthyrecipeshare #healthyrecipes #foodporno #whatiatetoday
This roasted tomatillo salsa verde is such a good This roasted tomatillo salsa verde is such a good addition to your warm weather snack rotation if you love chips and salsa as much as I do! 

I’ll be posting a how-to video with the recipe later this week so you can consider this a sneak peak.  Be warned, it makes a huge batch! I like to take some and use it to make shredded chicken verde for tacos or enchiladas, so delish! 

For the last meal plan, I drizzled this tomatillo salsa verde over breakfast burritos and southwestern cauliflower rice bowls. 

So while you wait for the full recipe to drop, tell me: Are you team red salsa or green salsa? 

#salsaverde #salsaroja #tomatillo #tomatillosalsa #tomatillos #roastedtomatillosalsa #homemadesalsa #mealpreppin #batchcooking #batchcook #mealpreps #mealprepinspo #mealprepsunday #mealprepsundays #mealprepmondays #mealprepmonday #easyrecipesathome #easyrecipes #simplespoonfuls #healthyrecipeshare #whatimade #chipsandsalsa #feedfeed #feedfeedvegan #food52 #foodphotographer
Happy Monday! I hope y’all had a great Easter! T Happy Monday! I hope y’all had a great Easter! This week I’ll be staying fueled for lunch thanks to these lentil bowls with roasted potatoes, green beans, hard boiled eggs and some crumbled bacon.

For these lentil bowls I love a good balsamic dressing with a touch of honey to drizzle on top.  A sprinkle of fresh herbs like dill, parsley or chives will help bring this lunch to life. 

Simple, nourishing, fresh and hearty, this bowl delivers!

Curious, what was your favorite dish out of last week’s meal prep plan I posted?  I love hearing your thoughts! šŸ‘‡šŸ™

#lentils #lentilrecipe #buddhabowl #buddhabowls #hardboiledeggs #hardboiledegg #baconlovers #baconmakeseverythingbetter #lunchonthego #saladsofinstagram #saladforlunch #lentilsalad #healthylunch #healthydinner #healthylunchideas #easylunch #easylunchideas #wfhlife #wfhlunch #simplespoonfuls #whatiatetoday #whatiateforlunch #saladfordinner #mealpreps #justeatrealfood #mealprepideas #mealprepmonday #mealprepmondays #mealpreppin #mealpreplikeaboss
Meal Prep Tip! Take one ingredient and prepare it Meal Prep Tip!  Take one ingredient and prepare it two separate ways.  Or as I like to call it, cooking smarter not harder.šŸ’Ŗ

For example that could mean taking a sweet potato and roasting half and spiraling the other half.  In this instance, I made a double batch of cauliflower rice and then split it into two. 

For the first half, I folded in lemon zest and garlic and served that with yesterday’s pistachio crusted salmon.  For the other half, I mixed in lime zest and fresh cilantro.  That become the base for this burrito bowl.  I topped it with some of our prepped black beans, a dynamite corn and red pepper mix, roasted tomatillo salsa, leftover shredded chicken, bright cherry tomatoes and creamy chunks of avocado. šŸ„‘šŸ…šŸŒ½šŸŒ¶

I’ll take cilantro lime cauliflower rice over plain ol white rice any day of the week!  Especially when it’s topped with all this deliciousness.  Do you agree?  Washed down with a bubbly Topo Chico and I’m one happy girl! For example that could mean taking a sweet potato and roasting half and spiraling the other half.  In this instance, I made a double batch of cauliflower rice and then split it into two. 

For the first half, I folded in lemon zest and garlic and served that with yesterday’s pistachio crusted salmon.  For the other half, I mixed in lime zest and fresh cilantro.  That become the base for this burrito bowl.  I topped it with some of our prepped black beans, a dynamite corn and red pepper mix, roasted tomatillo salsa, leftover shredded chicken, bright cherry tomatoes and creamy chunks of avocado.

I’ll take cilantro lime cauliflower rice over plain ol white rice in my burrito bowl any day of the week!  Especially when it’s topped with all this deliciousness.  Do you agree?  Washed down with a bubbly Topo Chico and I’m one happy girl! 

What’s an ingredient you would prep two ways?

#cauliflowerrice #cauliflowerrecipes #burritobowl #ricebowl #tomatillosalsa #tomatillos #easydinner #easydinners #easydinnerideas #easydinnerrecipes #avocadolover #healthydinnerideas #healthydinners #lowcarb #lowcarbdiet #lowcarbrecipes #lowcarbmeals #lowcarbdinner #mealpreppinglikeaboss #mealpreppin #mealprepday #simplespoonfuls #topochico
Winner winner salmon dinner! This might’ve been Winner winner salmon dinner! This might’ve been my favorite meal of the week! The pistachio pesto salmon from @thewholecook paired with lemony cauliflower rice and garlic green beans was the perfect marriage of flavors.

I prepped a batch of cauliflower rice on Sunday and took half of it and blended in lemon zest and a clove of garlic to amp up the flavor. Since the green beans were blanched ahead of time all I had to do was warm them up in a skillet with some more garlic and sea salt while the salmon baked in the oven. 

Salmon is something I prefer to cook fresh the day I’m going to eat it, not only for optimal freshness but because it cooks so quickly it’s not a huge timesaver to make it ahead of time. Also, if I know I’m going to be reheating it to eat it warm, I don’t want it to be overcooked and get dried out. The only time I’ll make it ahead in advance is if I know I’ll be eating it cold on something like a salmon pokĆ© bowl. 

All in all, because of the items that were prepped in advance, this meal came together in about eight minutes but felt like something truly special. I’m definitely going to be making this over and over again throughout the a spring and summer! 

#salmondinner #salmonrecipes  #salmonrecipe #cauliflowerrice #greenbeans #pistachios #mealprepideas #mealprep #mealprepping #mealpreppin #mealpreps #mealprepsunday #mealprepsundays #mealprepmonday #mealprepmondays #healthydinnerideas #healthydinners #eatinghealthyisfun #eatwithyoureyes #prettyfoodtastesbetter #whatiatefordinner #simplespoonfuls #thefeedfeed #easydinner #easydinners #quickdinner #quickdinnerideas #pescatarianrecipes #pescatarianlife #garliclovers
Fair warning: you’re gonna see a lot of breakfas Fair warning: you’re gonna see a lot of breakfast burritos on this account. 🌯 Not that I need to have an excuse for serving up these delicious wraps but there is a bit of a backstory there. 

In 2011 we opened a cafe and these breakfast burritos are what put us on the map.  They were stuffed with real ingredients and grilled to perfection on a panini press for a crunchy exterior.  Making these burritos takes me back to those days! 

We made a homemade tomatillo salsa that we served alongside the burritos so I made sure to include that in this week’s meal plan.  That recipe will be coming atcha later this week! 

For now, enjoy this tasty and filling vegetarian black bean, spinach and potato breakfast burrito! šŸ™Œ

Are you team veggie burrito or would you add bacon or chorizo? šŸ„“

#breakfastburrito #burritos #burritolife #burritolove #breakfastofchampions #breakfastnook #breakfastrecipes #vegetarianbreakfast #veggiebreakfast #plantbasedbreakfast #plantbasedrecipes #vegetarianrecipe #vegetarianmealprep #plantbasedmealprep #batchcook #batchcooking #tomatillo #tomatillosalsa #salsaverde #homemadesalsa #eatwithyoureyes #prettyfoodtastesbetter #homemadebreakfast #mealprepbreakfast #simplespoonfuls #mealpreppin #mealprepideas #mealprepinspo #thefeedfeed
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