Prep Cook: Indonesian Gado Gado Salad, Alphabet Soup, Blackberry Cornmeal Cupcakes and More
Today is Friday! Instead of thinking about all the work we still have to do, let’s take a look at the Prep Cook menu for the coming week. We have tested recipes for a week for you, so you will spend your time and money on the most delicious ones. This week’s menu includes eggplant caponata, alphabet soup and more.
Everyone has a different schedule (and different tastes), so the menu is organized by meal, not by day. I ordered them to provide variety throughout the week, but you can skip meals you don’t like, or change them depending on how much time you have to prepare when you get home. If you really want to get ahead, set aside two to four hours on weekends to prepare the ingredients for the week (chop foods, mix sauces that will last, prepare foods that can be frozen, etc.).
Breakfast
Blackberry cornmeal muffins : I decided to make them because I have half a bag of frozen blackberries left from the moment I made the most popular smoothie on Pinterest (there are no blackberries in this recipe, and I bought a bag of mixed berries, so I chose blackberries because I love you so much). When reheating muffins, first cut them in half and then place them in the toaster (or microwave if necessary) to fully heat up.
- Difficulty of preparation: Easy
- Turn it up: Top with fresh whipped cream and basil for a sweet tooth, or yogurt for a savory flavor.
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Oatmeal Oatmeal : Filled, easy and quick to make, this is one of my favorite breakfasts when I need to cheer up without distracting my tummy rumbling.
- Difficulty of preparation: Easy
- Power it up: Add your favorite toppings like shredded coconut, chopped almonds, or dried fruit.
Whole Wheat Flax & Blueberry Pancakes : A fun and easy breakfast to set aside for the weekend when you have time to beat the dough and toast the pancakes.
- Difficulty of preparation: Easy
- Fortify it by adding a few toppings, such as chopped fresh fruit, toasted nuts, or whipped cream.
Dinner
Sicilian eggplant caponata : There are many ingredients in this dish, but you don’t need to cook most of them (you can buy pine nuts pre-toasted). I liked the flavor combinations here; Since Sicily is close to North Africa, this dish is inspired to some extent by Moroccan cuisine. I served mine with couscous, but any grain will do.
- Difficulty of preparation: Easy
- Turn it up: Cook it a day early and let it sit overnight to blend in even more.
- Add meat: Soft meats like chicken are best for a sparkling spice.
- Pack it for lunch: make sure you use an airtight container to keep the oil from leaking out.
Spinach and Hominy Enchiladas : This dish requires a lot of assembly, but it is good if you have three to five people for dinner (or you need a lot of leftovers). If you don’t have homi, you can substitute cannellini beans for it. I bought my salsa verde to speed up the process.
- Complexity of preparation: difficult
- Turn it up: Add three adobo peppers in cashew sauce to heat up
- Add meat: Place cooked ground beef in the filling.
- Pack it for lunch: Chop up the enchiladas before packing them to make lunch easier
Indonesian Gado Gado Salad : Great for hot weather, this refreshing salad requires a little preparation, but you don’t cook most of the ingredients. I chilled the rice noodles after cooking to make them a cold dish for a warm evening.
- Complexity of preparation: medium
- Power it up: Press on the tofu before pickling it (and marinating it for as long as possible) to absorb more of the flavor.
- Add meat: chop the chicken breast on the grill or in a skillet.
- Pack it for lunch: Keep the noodles separate so they don’t get wet.
Alphabet soup with fried broccoli with garlic , I wanted to cook it after the impulse buying pasta from wholesale stores. A simple combo that turned out to be delicious!
- Difficulty of preparation: Easy
- Strengthen this: Serve garlic bread on the side. So much garlic in one meal!
- Add meat: Add chopped sausage to the soup.
- Pack it for lunch: Use an airtight container to keep your soup from scattering all over the place.
Gnocchi with multicooker marinara and caesar salad : I don’t recommend making your own dumplings unless you already know how to do it. Instead, buy it ready-made and I’ll buy mine from Trader Joe’s. This is a good dish if you don’t want to cook a lot.
- Difficulty of preparation: Easy
- Power it up: put an extra clove of garlic in a salad dressing, dare you
- Add the meat: After the sauce is done, add the cooked ground beef.
- Pack it for lunch: you will need two airtight containers, one for the salad and the other for the gnocchi and sauce.
Portobello burgers with fries with matches and garlic , if you cook the potatoes from scratch, it is better for the night when you have time to cook anymore. If you buy pre-cut fries, this dish can be made quite quickly.
- Complexity of preparation: medium
- Turn it up by adding fresh toppings such as tomatoes or caramelized onions to your burger.
- Add meat: Substitute ground beef or turkey for mushrooms.
- Pack it for lunch: Don’t pack the burger until you’re ready to eat so the bun doesn’t get wet.
Orange pace with spicy fried zucchini i : Tempe need at least two hours to marinate, so put it in the marinade before you go to work. I combined my tempeh and zucchini and served with rice, but you can serve them separately if you like.
- Difficulty of preparation: Easy
- Power it up: sprinkle on furikake rice
- Add meat: replace tempeh with chicken
- Pack it for lunch: Keep the rice separately so it doesn’t get wet from the sauce.
Have you tried one of these dishes before? Do you have your own super tasty version? Share your tips and tricks in the discussion below.