Getting a wholesome dinner on your table at a reasonable hour can be difficult. So, I decided to see if I could turn a few hours of productive meal prep into a work-week's worth of delicious, nutritious dinners.
I picked five crowd-pleasing meals that were suitable (or easily adaptable) for those with a gluten intolerance or dairy allergies, and that could also be easily substituted for vegetarians or vegans. I also chose recipes that could be made in customizable portion sizes, with ingredients commonly found in your pantry, that are inexpensive to buy. Here’s my menu:
Monday: Ginger Beef Stir Fry with Colourful Veggies and Rice
Tuesday: Marinated Pork skewers with Greek Salad and Roasted Potatoes
Wednesday: Coconut Chicken Curry with Chickpeas and Rice
Thursday: Black Bean and Corn Chili
Friday: Bacon Mac n Cheese Casserole
(scroll down to find my recipes!)
Photo Credit: Keddy Pavlik
The whole adventure went much smoother than I anticipated! I did all of my shopping at Quality Greens Farm Market because it was a one-stop shop for everything I needed from veggies to canned foods to dairy, and they are conveniently located right next to T-Bones where I can get high-quality meats for my recipes. I started shopping at 10 a.m., and was completely finished cooking all of the meals by 2:15 p.m. Finished cooking, and cleaned up in the kitchen! Nothing short of a meal prep miracle!
Photo Credit: Keddy Pavlik
The trick is to be as efficient with your time as possible. Write down all of the groceries you need, and check them off while you’re at the store so that you don’t forget anything. Then, think about how to be as efficient as possible in the kitchen. The first things I do are preheat the oven, do all my mise-en-place, (which includes chopping all the vegetables I’ll need before starting to cook, and opening all the canned goods I’ll be using).
With this done, I make sure I have cooking oil and salt and pepper nearby, and I get going! Start things that will take longest first — like the potatoes, rice, chili, and the curry — so that those can sit while you work on other things. Try to clean little bits as you go as well so that your end cleanup isn’t a real chore.
Photo Credit: Keddy Pavlik
The whole thing cost me under $100, and I was able to make at least 5 meals for 4 people. That’s less than $5 per delicious meal! Depending on what you already have at home, how many people you’re feeding, and whether or not you choose to make these meals vegan or vegetarian, will affect how much you spend on groceries. However, I can safely say that you will get out of it more than you put into it, and that feels like a #kitchenwin to me.
My batch of chili could have easily fed 10 people, and we had leftovers of almost everything (which we enjoyed for lunches on the following days). I don’t recommend keeping things in the fridge longer than three days, so I actually froze the Thursday and Friday meals after I made them. I put the chili into two freezer bags to freeze flat (makes them easier to thaw out) and put the Mac n Cheese in an oven-proof casserole dish so it can go straight into the oven for dinner on Friday.
Photo Credit: Keddy Pavlik
Planning out and executing your weeks' menu will help you meet your nutrition goals and help eliminate a bit of stress from your life. If you can get your family or your partner involved too, it’s even more fun!
That being said, when I do it by myself, I crank the tunes and have a little dance party while I cook. Make it fun, and #Treatyoself to the organizational bliss that comes with a fridge full of meal prep!
Ginger Beef Stir-Fry
For the stir-fry sauce, whisk together:
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons white or rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cooking wine (optional)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup sugar, or another preferred sweetener (honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc)
pinch of chili flakes (optional)
2 tsp cornstarch
With a splash of oil, fry over medium heat the following:
1 sliced onion
½ a thinly sliced red pepper
½ a thinly sliced yellow pepper
4 Tablespoons of minced gingerroot
4 large garlic cloves, minced.
After a couple minutes, add in:
about 1 cup of broccoli florets, cut small
1 carrot shredded or chopped
When the broccoli is tender, add in your sauce, and cook until the sauce is bubbling and thickened. Pour all your veggies and sauce into a container.
In the same pan, add your stir fry beef. I recommend about .5 lb per person of sliced sirloin steak, but your butcher might have pre-sliced beef ready for you. The lovely staff at T-bones let me pick the steak I wanted, then cut it up for me! If you’re vegetarian/vegan, you can substitute firm tofu or another plant-based protein. When the beef is browned on both sides, it’s done. Add to your veggie mix, and garnish with sesame seeds. Done! *Note: you can swap out or in any veggies you like! Mushrooms, bok choy, cabbage, and green onions all work wonderfully too. Just make sure to keep the garlic and ginger for flavour.
Greek Pork Skewers with Greek Salad and Roasted Potatoes
Potatoes:
Cut your potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces, and toss in oil, salt and pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes. They’re done when they’re golden brown and fork tender. Note: don’t crowd the potatoes on the pan, or they won’t brown nicely!
Skewers:
Cut centre-cut boneless pork chops into 1-inch cubes, and skewer them onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. Allow for approximately 5 lb or 200g per person. Place all of the finished skewers into a sealable container, and pour the marinade ingredients directly over the top:
the juice of 1 lemon
a few splashes of olive oil
a generous seasoning of garlic powder, seasoning salt, oregano (dried or fresh) and pepper
Ensure all the pork pieces are coated in seasonings, and keep in the fridge until ready for dinner. To cook, you can bake for approximately 15 minutes at 375 degrees, or grill, broil, or fry for 5 minutes a side.
Photo Credit: Keddy Pavlik
Greek Salad:
½ red pepper
½ yellow or orange pepper
½ pint of cherry tomatoes
½ cucumber
4 ounces feta cheese
handful Kalamata olives (optional)
juice of 1-2 lemons
splash of olive oil
pepper
1 tablespoon oregano (fresh or dried)
½ minced red onion
Roughly chop the peppers and cucumber, and slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Add to a container, and crumble in the feta. Mix in the olives, if using, and pour the dressing ingredients directly over top. Toss, and keep in the fridge. Immediately before serving, finely chop your red onion and mix into the salad (adding red onion earlier to the salad can make the salad too pungent!).
Coconut Chicken Curry
This is a great, easy recipe, but I chose to tweak it by using chickpeas instead of potatoes, and I added 2 tablespoons of minced gingerroot when frying the onion and garlic. I also like adding 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and a squeeze of lime juice to the sauce!
Photo Credit: Keddy Pavlik
Black Bean and Corn Chili
This recipe is sweet and simple, but I like to bump mine up with a few more ingredients. I add ground beef, diced carrots, and peppers, and some more spices: 3 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce adds great flavour, and I usually add kidney beans too because I usually have a can handy. I also like using crushed tomatoes instead of diced! Customize this recipe based on what you have in your pantry, and how you like your chili to taste.
Bacon Mac n Cheese Casserole
If you’re not into bacon, you can easily make this recipe without it! Plain Mac n Cheese is definitely just as good. If you’re looking to bump up the protein content without meat, you can add peas for a delicious Mac n Peas!
Photo Credit: Keddy Pavlik
