May 10

Meal Prep Ideas - episode 2

Updated: Jul 1

Welcome to my Meal prep where I will show you how prepping ones will give you a variety of meals for the next 4 days.

In this serious I will be showing you how meal prepping for a few hours on one day a week, will allow making 3 - 4 different meals throughout the week with minimal time and effort.

HOW I START MY MEAL PREPPING

After buying my ingredients, I clean my fridge before unpacking the ingredients and restocking the fridge.

I refilled any cupboard staples that were low, including oats and quinoa.

Unpacking anything that comes in plastic wrapping or containers - This will all be recycled.

Fruit such as bananas are also kept on the counter, but seasonal apples, berries and oranges I prefer storing in the fridge.

Potatoes are washed and stored in a cupboard

Garlic, fresh tomatoes and onions are stored in a bowl on my kitchen counter.

THIS WEEKS MEAL PREP INCLUDED

Cooked quinoa, roasted bell peppers and courgettes and made a batch of my lemony hummus.
A big bag of baby leave spinach, which I washed, spun dry in a salad spinner and transferred to an airtight container - this will be used in smoothies or added to my main meals.
Fresh blueberries and blackberries: washed them and let them dry in the sieve for about 20 minutes. Transfered them to an airtight container. These will be added to breakfasts or salads.
Apples and Peaches: Rinsed and ready for snacking or to be added to breakfasts or salads
Fresh herbs - I wrap them in wet paper towels (make sure the ends of the stems are wrapped in the towel) and store them in an airtight container. They will keep for days.
Four different flavours overnight oats have been mixed and are stored in the fridge. See this post for the breakfast ideas.
Most fresh produce is rinsed, pat dried and stored.

THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS

QUINOA

One of our local shops sells locally grown Quinoa, which I really love. They have a light and a dark Quinoa and today I used the dark variety.

WHAT IS QUINOA?

It's a gluten-free whole grain, very nutritious and packed with plant-protein, rich in antioxidants and high in fiber...just to name a few benefits.

HOW TO COOK QUINOA

Make sure to rinse the quinoa under cold water before cooking, to remove any dirt and it also helps remove the bitterness from the grains.

One cup of quinoa needs one and a three-quarter cups of water to boil. I don't add any salt.

Simmer with the lid on and cook for about 15 minutes. There shouldn't be any excess water to drain, but also make sure the quinoa doesn't burn. If the quinoa is not cooked yet to your liking, simply remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid and let it steam for a few more minutes until the quinoa is fluffy.

If there is any access water, drain the quinoa through a sieve and let it sit for a bit before fluffy the quinoa with a fork.

HOW TO USE

Use it as you would use rice or other grain.

Season the cooked quinoa with salt, black pepper, a bit of lemon juice and enjoy it as it is.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE QUINOA

You can substitute the quinoa with pearled spelt or wild rice.

HERE ARE FEW RECIPES USING QUINOA

The second item

ROASTED VEGETABLES

Today I used red and green bell peppers and few large courgettes (zucchinis).

Cut them into large bite size pieces (as they will shrink when they roast). Drizzle them with a bit of olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper or any of your favourite seasonings.

Roast them in the oven at 200C for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until the are soft and starting to caramelize.

Let them cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge, until needed.

These will help you save time during the week or on busy days.

A FEW WAYS USING THE ROASTED VEGETABLES AND QUINOA

RECIPES WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

HUMMUS

On todays menu: my lemony hummus, which I make almost every week.

Its as simple as blending cooked chickpeas, juice from a lemon, tahini, garlic, cumin and sea salt. Blended until silky smooth before transferring to an airtight container and stored in the fridge.

This will keep 3 - 4 days in the fridge.