A Very Simple Meal Prep Equation
grain + roasted veg = easy lunch or dinner
It’s 5:15am Thursday morning and I’m sitting on my couch in a fuzzy robe and slippers, sipping coffee with a sleeping cat next to me. Good morning!
I didn’t exactly choose to get up this early, but I think I’m genetically programmed to wake when it’s still dark.
I could’ve used a little more sleep, but my early start on the day is erasing my anxiety about getting everything done. Between work and family and other obligations (plus the things I really want to do) life is busy and the calendar is full.
For the most part, it feels good to be busy. The socializing and celebrating this time of year is fun. It also feels exhausting and overwhelming at times.
As my 8 year old wisely says, “I need chill-out time.”
To feel good, we also need to keep ourselves fed and nourished. I’m not so much talking about your whole family right now, I’m talking about you.
One simple strategy I use to keep myself fed and nourished during the week is cooking one grain and one batch of roasted vegetables.
I often combine the grain and the roasted vegetables for a lunchtime grain bowl or salad. It can also turn into a quick dinner when the kids are eating something else (ramen or mac n’ cheese) and my husband and I crave something healthier.
This type of really basic meal prep is simple but also kind of life-changing. You will always have something healthy in your refrigerator to grab for a quick meal. You’ll eat more veggies. You’ll feel like you’re taking care of yourself.
Here’s how you do it.
Next time you’re at the grocery store, grab a package of either barley, farro or quinoa.
Get out your Instant Pot.
Follow one of my easy recipes below and learn how to cook barley, farro or quinoa. Basically, you just combine the grain with water and salt, seal the lid on the Instant Pot and press a button.
Fill two sheet-pans with quickly chopped up vegetables tossed in olive oil and salt. Anything goes here, it’s a good time to use up old veggies in the fridge. I often roast zucchini, broccoli, bell pepper and onion. Maybe some sweet potato or squash.
Roast the veggies at 425 degrees until they are done to your liking (25 to 45 minutes).
Keep the grain and the veggies in separate containers in the fridge. Combine them throughout the week for a quick lunch or dinner.
When you’re filling your Tupperware container for work or your bowl for dinner, you can add more flavor in lots of different ways.
Add fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, salad dressing, crumbled feta, olives, etc…
You can drizzle soy sauce or coconut aminos over the grain.
You can add a fried or scrambled egg.
You can add a can of garbanzos or other bean.
You can also add leftovers to your grain bowl that accumulate during the week, like meat, tofu, pasta, a scoop of stir-fry, whatever.
You can make a quick wrap with pita bread and hummus.
You can swap out the grain and pair Instant Pot orzo or another small pasta with the roasted vegetables if you’re feeling more carby.
The Recipes
Instant Pot Quinoa (white or red)
I find quinoa to be tricky on the stovetop. Either it burns to the pot or turns out too mushy. But in the Instant Pot, it turns out perfectly almost every time. The quinoa still has texture and fluffs up nicely.
How to Cook Farro
Farro has nutty, earthy flavor and chewy texture, especially if you cook whole grain farro instead of pearled farro. Either way, I love farro in cold salads. It also adds nice texture to soup if it isn’t overcooked. It’s a good all-around grain and probably the one I cook the most.
How to Cook Barley
Barley has a fairly soft but hearty texture and mild, earthy flavor. It’s filling and versatile, a great addition to soup and stew and also quite yummy combined with a scrambled or fried egg.
Dinner Last Week
I’m always curious about what other families are eating. Aren’t you? Here’s what my crew ate last week.
Monday: Trader Joe’s shrimp burgers on buns (they’re okay, not amazing) with Trader Joe’s french fries (delicious) and sautéed zucchini on the side.
Tuesday: Instant Pot pinto beans, grated cheese, tortillas, guacamole and chips
Wednesday: Spicy peanut pork noodles from Fromscratchfast.com and roasted broccoli
Thursday: Pasta and jarred sauce, sautéed mushrooms and zucchini
Friday: Chicken sausage, sautéed cabbage, canned corn. This was a real "it’s the end of the week and I’m too tired to cook” kind of dinner.
Reading
You know when the library suddenly fulfills several books in your queue at once? That’s what I’m up against right now.
That one at the bottom, A History of Oregon and Washington has been on my nightstand for about two years and I will finish it eventually. Maybe.
This is the third time I’m trying to read A Gentleman in Moscow because everyone seems to love it, but once again I’m finding it to be really slow going. Should I keep going?
The author of Wildcat lives in my neighborhood and her child went to preschool with mine, although we never spoke. So I’m guessing that her main character’s best friend, “the queen of Eastside Los Angeles” is not me. But maybe I make a cameo as the tired mom at preschool who always wore a baseball hat at drop-off? We’ll see.
Lessons in Chemistry I’m really looking forward to and A Long Petal of the Sea finally lets me check Isabel Allende off my to-read list.
What are you reading right now? I’d love to know!
That’s it for this week. I hope you all find time to vote, vote, vote this weekend or on Tuesday the 8th. Make it happen!
Jenny
