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Tag: meal prep

Sunny Side Up with Broccoli and Sweet Potato

I love having breakfast for dinner and eggs are my last minute dinner sidekicks. I roasted the sweet potato the other day, so this came together pretty fast. Plus, I got a tiny dose of resistant starch from cooking it and then letting it cool for at least 8 hours, but they really don’t take that long to bake. If you wanted to, you could start it from raw in the pan. Just be sure to adjust your heat and cook time accordingly.

Breakfast For Dinner, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 3, 2021

If I am turning the Ninja or the oven on anyway, sometimes I sneak in a little “meal prep in tiny steps” to get ahead on my list. Look how well that little sweet potato nestles in between the chicken breasts, each in their own silicone bread mold.

The unseen heroes of this dish are the 1.5tsp of avocado oil that I used in the pan and my cutting board that I use as a lid. The first teaspoon went in the pre heated pan for the cooked sweet potato and raw broccoli. I am a lover of broccoli all ways and I like it really crunchy, so cooking it this way works for me. You could roast it or use a microwaveable bag from the freezer. Once the broccoli was super bright green, I added another 1/2tsp for cooking the eggs. I covered it again for a few minutes so the eggs would steam a little. I was in the mood for pretty runny eggs today, but I get how some people think that’s yucky. I, personally, think the yolk is super delicious with the sweet potato, but to each their own. Cook to your liking, always! I just wish I got a little more color on the sweet potato, though….ah well, it’s a note for next time. 🙂

A crowded pan at the midway point, The Condo
Atlantic Beach, FL – August 3, 2021

Quinoa Kale Veggie Bowl

Ingredients: Quinoa, Dinosaur Kale, Cremini Mushrooms, Tomato, Roasted Purple Onion, Kerrygold Butter

Quinoa is such a protein packed grain that I love to keep it stocked in a few places. In the pantry, obviously, but also in the fridge and freezer. Plus, it’s one of those ingredients that is almost better when made in bulk. Then I portion it into single serving containers and stash some in the fridge and some in the freezer. You can cook it in water, but I usually use stock for a little extra in the flavor department. I tend to buy the organic, sprouted variety so I don’t have to “worry” (read:plan for) rinsing and soaking the quinoa. Make sure to check the package cooking directions to see if yours have been rinsed. Mother Nature has given quinoa a bitter protective coating, saponins, so better safe than sorry. The first time I made it, I didn’t know about that part…trust, it’s much tastier when you prep it correctly. 🙂 If I can’t buy it sprouted, soaking quinoa takes no effort, just a bit of planning. I think it tastes better when you soak it. Really getting rid of the saponins that coat it and allowing the grain to breaking down a bit in a little salted, acidic water makes it taste nuttier and seem fluffier, in my opinion. So, I cover quinoa that I have rinsed under tap water in a very fine sieve with about 2 inches of filtered water, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and some sea salt. I let it sit, covered, on the counter overnight. I rinse it thoroughly the next day…until the water runs clear thoroughly…and then I cook it. Soaking it decreases the cooking time and the amount of liquid needed significantly so it was a bit of an adjustment for me when I started doing it. Like most things, there are pros and cons to soaking grains and a big Google hole to fall into if you are interested. There is a ton of conversation kicking around out there about the effect it has on digestion and nutrient absorption, but what I really enjoy about the process is the product.

For this one, I sautéed some sliced cremini mushrooms in a little butter for a few minutes before I added some leftover roasted purple onion and a Roma tomato. I let everything get warmed through before I added the dinosaur kale into the party. As a bonus, most people absorb a little more of the lycopene from tomatoes if you put a little heat to them. Once the kale was wilty, I added in my pre-cooked quinoa and let everything become a team over medium low heat for a few minutes. If you are pulling from a meal prepped fridge, quinoa bowls come together super fast and the combinations are eternal.