I’m always asked how do I prepare for the week. I’ve thought about how to do this in writing. I think writing combined with a vlog would be best.
Typically, I look in my pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what I already have in stock. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. I almost always have lentils, chick pea pasta, and a good olive oil if I need to make a dressing on the fly.
Then I think of what I have a taste for. I like to think of various cuisine flavors because it helps me think of what I want to cook. Indian is delicious but the most complicated to make and often requires multiple ingredients that may have to be special ordered. Asian influenced flavors are easier and usually very quick to pull together. Many of their ingredients can be found at a good international grocer. Latin flavors take some thought because I have to rethink how to do them vegan. Most times, it’s simple but the more complex dishes take thought and planning. This time of year we crave heavier foods that heal the soul. Soups, one-pot meals, and baked dishes are our faves. Our little owner gets bored every few weeks and I have to put a spin on an old classic.
On Friday evenings I begin thinking about what I want to eat, I jot things down Saturday and shop on Sundays. I utilize my slow cooker and oven to maximize cooking and chilling. I mean, who wants to stand over the stove for hours? Ummmm, not I. So I bake, roast, and steam a lot. Anything I can do to drop it and rock it, I’m good. I clear a good space on my counter (anyone else accumulate random things on their kitchen counters? Just me, okay!) and line my containers and/or BPA free reusable freezer/storage bags. When the food is done cooking, I put it in the containers and refrigerate. Simple! The hardest part is thinking of what you want to eat. The first month may be easy because it’s easy to think of that many new foods on the fly. Once you’ve been doing it for a while ANDDDD if you get bored with foods easily, it will require a little more thoughts and research.
I have a good ole time recreating meals. I don’t enjoy eating out much anymore. Just thinking about what ingredients are in my foods make me cringe. If it’s a mom and pop shop that I’m familiar with, they get all my coins. Major chains, nah. It is very easy to make three different meals with only one or two varying ingredients. What I mean is you can buy 10 items per week and make a months worth of food from each week’s purchase. If you have specific allergies or disgusts, a little more thought and time is necessary. If you’re vegan or plantbased like me (and anti-soy, anti-faux meats, anti-processed foods) you may spend a little more time finding new recipes. It takes me about 3-4 months per cycle of excitement to boredom. I change with the season My winter recipes usually gets me through winter with no problem and so on.
If you want me to share some examples of how I prep, let me know and I’ll show it on my YouTube channel.