I haven’t done a food post in forever! Maybe I oughta! My food game is a bit different now-a-days, but it’s working for us. Here’s my process for the big Sunday evening meal prep. This takes just about 2 hours and saves me on busy days. I pull out the components, mix & match on a plate and heat in the oven. We are eating BETTER and FASTER than any restaurant or drive thru. Guaranteed!

My usual prep is 2 protein choices, 1 low glycemic index carb source and a TON of veggies. Most of my veggies are roasted in the oven until slightly carmelized, but, some are raw (tomatoes, jicama (!!) green onions, cucumbers, baby peppers, avocado, etc.)

First, we need PRODUCE! In my hometown we have an Adequate Walmart (it’s technically a Super Walmart, but…) and a local chain, United. United has great produce so I’m there once or twice a week. Pick things in season and to your preference. Don’t be afraid to try something new. My faves are:

Broccoli (always!)

Cauliflower

Brussels sprouts

Butternut squash

Purple potatoes (or sweet ‘taters, fingerlings or plain ole white)

Zucchini or yellow squash

Okra

Garlic (at least 1 full head) – slightly different prep!

I wash my produce in a 10:1 ratio of filtered water to apple cider vinegar. I do a double batch (=20 cups H2O + 2 cups ACV) in the small side of my sink and let everything soak for about 15 minutes to clear any debris, pesticide, etc. Then, let it air dry. This works best to wash the day before so everything is nice & dry before cooking.

Meanwhile, I have thawed 3lbs of ground meat (typically 2lbs venison + 1lb of beef or pork). Season, combine and shape into patties. I do 3.5oz for myself and 6.5oz for my hubs.

While he’s running the grill (masterfully!), I’m loving on the veggies. I use 2 large baking sheets (Nordic Ware half sheet pans) and cover with parchment paper. On my big cutting board, I cut the clean/dry veggies into fairly even sizes and place on the parchment covered pans. Oven temp is 425 and pre-heated. When placing the veggies, make sure they are not crowded or overlapping. I spray liberally with a coconut oil cooking spray and sprinkle with pink salt. I re-use the lined pans and just trade out my cooked veggies with new ones, keeping 2 pans going at once. It’s fast bulk cooking!!

To roast a head a garlic, remove any dirt and the outermost papery shells. Leave the innermost ones intact. Slice a sliver off the top of the head to just barely to open up *most* of the cloves, not big enough to sacrifice much of the garlic. I know most people use a drizzle of olive oil on the garlic for roasting, that’s certainly an option, but I just wet with water and wrap in alumimum foil to make a packet. This packet will stay in your oven at least 2 rounds of the longer cooking veggies. It will turn soft and lose any “harshness” and it’s just delicious. I put it in my soup. More to come on that…

While this magic is happening in the oven, you have some blocks of time to cut and store baby peppers, jicama, green onions, cucumbers, carrots, or whatever your preference is on raw snacking vegetables. This is also when I make farro or wild rice. Begin by chopping your aromatics (garlic, onion, shallot, celery, carrot, bell pepper or mushrooms) into a small dice and place in a medium pan with “some” fat of your choice. I’ll use Kerrygold butter, bacon fat or coconut oil and just a teaspoon or so. Let the aromatics give off some water and soften a bit before adding your grains. Then, add chicken stock (not water!) and some Himalayan pink salt, bring to boil, reduce to simmer and lid. For this batch I used 1 cup wild rice, 3 cups homemade chicken stock and 1 tsp. pink salt. My starter veggies were baby bella mushrooms and 1/3 diced onion. Go crazy! Use what you have and what you like. Cabbage, greens and really any vegetable can hide easily in rice or grains to amp up flavors and fiber content. The trick is to chop them small and cook well.

Another make ahead staple in our house is butternut squash soup. I use the squash, cauliflower and roasted garlic and blend with about a quart of chicken stock until smooth, more or less stock to achieve desired consistency. The immersion blender works great but you can use a traditional jar blender, too. Taste for seasonings and add salt to personal preference.

By now, there’s been enough time that my grill master has cooked the patties and chicken thighs. The veggies are cooled and stored in large containers.

All that is left is to make crockpot chicken overnight. Stay tuned for that post! ♥