From Our Kitchen To Yours: Meal Prep

Our new set features an open kitchen-living room floor plan and a modern aesthetic that reminds me of a high-end city apartment. In consideration of a busy city lifestyle, I was inspired to meal prep! That is, to get variety out of meal prep by using one simple protein to make three different meals, which can be mixed and matched to make lunch or dinner a little less of a hassle.

The protein I’ve chosen to use chicken. While I typically like to go for whole chickens and either use them whole or break them into the cuts that I’m looking for, we’re going to start with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Thighs are my go-to cut of chicken for a diverse set of applications. They’re easy, forgiving, packed full of flavor, and have a great texture.

I’m keeping these thighs flavor-neutral so that the meat can be steered in a few different directions. This protein will be used to make to make a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde, and a Kale Salad with Chicken and Lemon Vinaigrette.

Baked Chicken Thighs

You’ll Need:

 2 tsp olive oil   

½ yellow onion, minced   

 3 cloves garlic, minced   

1 tsp kosher salt 

Assembly

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and toss the chicken thighs in olive oil, salt, garlic, and onion. Arrange the thighs in a single layer on a baking sheet. The great thing about chicken thighs is that they contain a lot of connective tissue and fat, which means they can take a lot of cooking...so you don’t have to worry about overcooking them. Although you don’t need to be fussy or concerned with a meat thermometer, you definitely don’t ever want to eat undercooked chicken, so be sure they are fully cooked!

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

You’ll Need: 

Chopped chicken 

Teriyaki sauce 

Steamed Rice or Quinoa 

Pickled Carrots 

Sauteed Broccolini

Rice  

Using a rice cooker, steam a desired amount of white or brown rice, you could even use quinoa! Once cooked, stir to fluff.

Quick Pickled Carrots  

1lb carrots, peeled and julienned into matchstick size 

½ tsp kosher salt 

2/3 Cup water 

2/3 Cup white vinegar 

¼ Cup sugar 

Toss carrots with kosher salt and place in colander. Allow to sweat and drain for 20 minutes.   

In a saucepan, bring vinegar, water, sugar, and a dash of kosher salt to boil, remove from heat.  

Rinse the carrots, pack them into a jar, and pour vinegar mixture over them. Cool in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Store for up to two weeks.

Broccolini  

1 lb broccolini 

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1 tsp soy sauce 

1 tsp sesame oil 

1Tbsp. sesame seeds

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the broccolini. Sauté for about 5-10 minutes, adding soy sauce and sesame oil towards the end once the veggies are vibrant green and softened.

Assembly

In a bowl, add a scoop of steamed rice, top with sauteed broccolini, pickled carrots, and chopped chicken thigh. Drizzle with Teriyaki Sauce and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy! If packing for lunch later in the week, don’t add the sauce Teriyaki until you’re ready to eat!

Chicken Tacos with Salsa Verde

You’ll Need:  

Chopped, seasoned Chicken 

Taco Seasoning 

Tortillas  

Salsa Verde  

Cotija Cheese  

Cilantro

Taco Seasoning  

 2 Tbsp. chili powder,  

1 tsp cumin,  

1 tsp coriander,  

½ tsp dried oregano  

1 tsp olive oil 

Assembly

Chop chicken to a medium coarse texture. Combine dry seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and toss with chicken. Drizzle olive oil, adding more as needed, enough to lightly coat chicken. Prior to serving, reheat the chicken in a skillet until warm, just a couple of minutes.

Heat tortillas in a skillet and top with a scoop of chicken, add a dollop of salsa verde, and top with cilantro and cotija cheese to taste.

(Optional) Salsa Verde 

8 ounces green tomatoes (5 small) 

1 jalapeño pepper (seeds removed) 

3 garlic cloves 

1 white onion 

½ cup fresh cilantro 

½ tsp kosher salt 

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Assembly

Peel the garlic. Peel onion and cut into quarters. Hollow out jalapeño.   

If tomatoes are large, quarter them; leave whole if small. 

Broil green tomatoes, garlic, onion, and jalapeño on a baking sheet on high heat for four to five minutes until they begin to blacken. Rotate pan and flip veggies. Broil another four to five minutes.  

Place broiled tomato, garlic, onion and jalapeño into a food processor or blender. Pulse to blend. Add kosher salt, cilantro, and lime juice. Pulse again to desired consistency. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate.

Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

You’ll Need:

Chopped Chicken Thighs   

2 bunches kale   

1 Tbsp capers 

1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced   

¼ cup cherry tomatoes (halved) 

Feta Cheese, to taste   

Lemon Vinaigrette

Lemon Vinaigrette

¼ cup olive oil    

Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 3 Tbsp lemon juice) 

2 tsp honey    

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard    

¼ tsp salt (or more to taste)

Assembly

Coarsely rip or chop the Kale leaves and remove ribbing. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with kosher salt and half the lemon juice. Massage the kale for a couple of minutes, working the salt and lemon juice into the curly leaves. This will soften the kale to make it more palatable as a salad. Allow to rest for five to ten minutes. 

Using a stainless mixing bowl and a whisk, combine the olive oil, remainder of lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Drizzle in honey while whisking, add salt, and whisk until an emulsion is formed. Set aside.

Peel the cucumber and slice in half lengthwise, using a spoon deseed it. Cut into 1 centimeter slices. Add cucumbers to kale mixture along with halved cherry tomatoes, capers, red onions, and any other veggies you like.

Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, add chopped chicken to the top, and garnish liberally with feta cheese.

Having a modest-sized workspace doesn’t mean you can’t create amazing meals. With a little bit of planning, you can save time, money, and release your inner chef...even in a small space!