How I Cook a Week's Worth of Healthy Food in 1 Hour
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This one’s is a little different. As usual, I’ll give you the recipes (keep reading for those), but this post is about the process of how to cook 4-5 days worth of healthy lunches and dinners for two people, in about 60 minutes.
This process is one that Lorn and I use often. Usually it’s brought on by over-embibing on vacation or just being too busy or tired to cook nutritious food. My answer to that is to just cook a BUNCH of healthy food and keep it in the fridge for easy reheating throughout the week. This is your guide on how to do that along with 8 recipes to show you how you can combine those foods into meals you’ll actually be excited to eat. We’ll talk about the cooking methods for each component to fill your fridge in just about an hour and keep dishes to a minimum while you’re at it.
First, we’ll start with your ingredients and grocery list:
INGREDIENTS/SHOPPING LIST:
PROTEINS:
2lbs/1kg Boneless skinless chicken breast
2lbs/1kg of Skin on Norwegian salmon
VEGGIES - each cut into large bite sized pieces:
2 heads of broccoli
1lb/.5kg brussel sprouts
1.5lb/1kg thick cut carrots
2 large bunches of kale or chard (leaves cut into pieces with stem end thinly sliced)
CARBS:
600g rice (I like medium grain calrose)
1.5lb/1kg potatoes (i’m using red baby potatoes), cut into large bite sized pieces
2 med-lrg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
MISC INGREDIENTS AND PANTRY/FRIDGE ITEMS:
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Arugula (2-3 clamshells)
Roasted red bell pepper
Pepperoncinis
Marinated olives
Feta cheese
Pickled red onions (RECIPE: https://youtu.be/QLX6wCDWrIc?t=443)
Grainy mustard
Balsamic vinegar
Shredded cabbage (i buy the bagged coleslaw mix or you can slice your own)
Sushi ginger
3 avocados
Roasted seaweed or furikake
Kimchi
Sesame seeds
Corn tortillas (or tortillas of choice)
Pickled jalapenos
Lime
Garlic powder (or garlic)
Onion powder
Chili flakes/red pepper flake
Honey
SAUCES and CONDIMENTS
When it comes to sauces and condiments, I say don’t be a hero. It’s OK to use store bought sauce as long as you find sauces you like that aren’t terrible for you. I typically look for a short list of ingredients that I can (mostly) pronounce and a low sugar content. I’ve linked to the sauces I usually keep in my fridge below, but you do you. If you’d like to make your own, I’ve linked to my recipes for each below with the exception of the chili crisp. I reco just buying that one.
Korean inspired gochujang sauce
Here’s a storebought version that I like
My recipe to make your own: https://youtu.be/olK8IrYgS0c)
Teriyaki sauce
I use Kevin’s brand
Make your own with my recipe (RECIPE: https://youtu.be/hsoMyZt-ebk)
Sesame ginger salad dressing
I use Primal Kitchen brand
Make your own from my recipe (RECIPE: https://youtu.be/_LTZBBIq0t4)
Pesto (RECIPE: https://youtu.be/WBv2v61rN08)
Chili crisp
I usually use this brand, but momofuku makes a good one too
Tomatillo salsa (RECIPE: https://youtu.be/69mgaaK6E48 )
I don’t have a favorite store bought version and usually make my own. Here’s that recipe.
INSTRUCTIONS
Boil a very large pot of water. Add a lid to the pot to speed the time it takes to boil.
Preheat oven to 425F/220C.
Lay out chicken onto a parchment lined sheet tray and season with salt and pepper.
Lay the salmon onto a parchment lined sheet tray skin side down, and season with salt and pepper
Bake both the chicken and salmon at 425F/220C
At around the 15 minute mark, check the Salmon. It’s done cooking when the internal temp reaches 130-140F/55-60C.
The chicken should be done after cooking for between 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the breasts. They’re done when the internal temperature reaches 150-160F/65-70C
Eat immediately or transfer salmon and chicken to wide, flat storage containers in the fridge (lid off) to cool.
Salt the now-boiling water well and add in chopped broccoli. Cook for about 90 seconds or until the broccoli has softened, but still has a little bite to it. Transfer the broccoli to a wire rack to drain. Then into paper towel lined containers for storage in the fridge.
Add the carrots into the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes until just tender, but still a little snappy. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
Add the kale to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to drain then load into paper towel lined storage containers.
Add the brussel sprouts to the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to drain then load into paper towel lined storage containers.
Increase oven temperature to 475F/245C.
To cook the rice, combine 800g water with 600g rice and a very large pinch of salt. Stir and set to cook on the white rice setting. Store in a container or two in the fridge until ready to use.
Slice potatoes in half. Replace the parchment paper from one of the protein sheet trays with a fresh sheet and add on sliced potatoes. Add a generous squeeze of olive oil and a large pinch of salt. Toss on the sheet tray to coat and arrange potatoes cut side down.
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into bite size cubes. Replace parchment paper from the second protein sheet tray with a fresh sheet and add diced sweet potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and toss to evenly coat.
Add both trays of potatoes into the oven to cook at 475F/245C. Cook for about 25 minutes until roasted, tender, and charred around the edges. Transfer potatoes into paper towel lined containers and store in the fridge.
If you’d like to make your own sauces, i’ve linked to recipes for all of them (except chili crisp) above
COMBINING INGREDIENTS INTO MEALS
SIMPLE MEDITERRANEAN SALAD:
Arugula
Roasted red peppers, chopped
Pepperoncinis
Marinated olives
Feta, crumbled
Pickled red onions
4oz/100-120g chopped chicken
Balsamic vinaigrette: grainy mustard, aged balsamic, and olive oil (mixed or shaken together)
SUSHI INSPIRED SALAD:
Arugula
Raw shredded cabbage
Blanched broccoli
Sushi ginger, chopped
4oz/100-120g cooked salmon
Avocado, chopped
Roasted seaweed or furikake
Sesame ginger dressing
KIMCHI RICE BOWL
Rice
Cooked carrot
Cooked brussel sprouts
Cooked kale
4-6oz/120-170g chicken
Microwave the items above then top with:
Kimchi
Gochujang sauce
Roasted sesame seeds
SALMON TERIYAKI BOWL
Rice
Cooked broccoli
Cooked brussel sprouts
4-6oz/120-170g salmon
Microwave the items above then top with:
Teriyaki sauce
Chili crisp
SIMPLE CHICKEN ENTREE
1 Chicken breast
Cooked Broccoli
Cooked potatoes
Heat ingredients above, then drizzle with pesto
SIMPLE SALMON ENTREE
1 Piece salmon
Cooked kale
Cooked sweet potatoes
Heat ingredients above, then drizzle with pesto
CHICKEN TOMATILLO TACOS
Wet tortillas under water then warm them through in a nonstick pan
Add 2 oz/60g chopped chicken (per taco)
Crumbled feta
Tomatillo salsa
Pickled jalapenos
Arugula
FISH TACOS
Wet tortillas under water then warm them through in a nonstick pan
Weekday guac
avocado mashed with a squeeze of lime juice & a pinch of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chili flake
2oz Heated flaked salmon (per taco)
Raw shredded cabbage mixed with a pinch of salt, honey, lime juice, and olive oil
Tomatillo salsa
Pickled red onions