meal prep weekend | stocking the pantry + spanish chorizo tomato stew from the feed zone cookbook & veggie pearl couscous
Welcome to Meal Prep Weekends series! I opted to launch this regular feature of meal preps to help those with intense schedules who struggle to fit healthy cooking into their agendas. Whether work, family, training, or all aforementioned dictate the passage of your time, I wish to help stock everyone’s fridges with fulfilling and EASY foods that require minimal fuss and maximum flavor.
I started truly meal prepping a month or so ago to help J and I reach quickly for lunches during hectic hours. Lunch is my least favorite meal and I often scrounge up random assortments of nibbles and throw them in a bowl or on a plate – J has less time in the midday, usually only an hour to get his bearings before returning to the desk, so it makes more sense to have premade options on hand. I quickly found that spending an hour or so in front of the stove and seeing 7-8 laden, compartmented storage containers satisfied the homemaker in me thoroughly.
General Meal Prep How-To
While I can’t say I follow “rules” when choosing a combination to create, I do keep an eye on balance with regards to my food groups of choice. Generally, I stick with 4-5 oz protein, 1 cup grain (rice, couscous, quinoa, etc), and 1-2 cups veggies. We eat very carb-focused meals since both of us are training for the Big Sur Marathon, so these proportions can be modified based on your dietary needs. Whichever way you spin it, I’d recommend making the brunt of your meal the vegetable portion. Of course, these are not hard and fast guidelines – sometimes I add in a fun treat or a more unique main dish – but it’s a good place to start.
I myself do not eat meat, so for my preps I often use tofu, seafood, faux meats, or eggs as my protein source. I’m eager to experiment with other sources like tempeh down the road, but those four are my most familiar.
It is helpful for new meal-prep scientists (i.e. you!) to stock the pantry and cabinets with some essentials, ranging from spices to canned goods to grains, and the fridge with favorite fresh staples. Over time you’ll likely narrow your interests quite handily, and of course new ingredients will find their way into your shopping carts. Next week I’ll outline fresh foods I nearly always have ready to cook, but for now I’ll relay my must haves for the cabinets and countertop.
The Meal Prep Scientist’s Grocery List
Part 1: Pantry
Keep in mind this is a very general list, and varying cuisine preferences may require foods not mentioned. However, this rotation is constantly in use in my house and I keep spares in reach whenever I remember. Let me know if I missed anything you absolutely love!
Spanish Chorizo Tomato Stew + Veggie Pearl Couscous
I used the Feed Zone Cookbook’s stew recipe as my main for this past week’s lunches. I highly recommend anyone purchase Feed Zone: SkratchLabs, a popular sports nutrition company based out of Colorado that I use all the time on my longer runs, created the book as a means to relay quick, nutritious, satisfying recipes. You can buy it on Amazon or on Skratch’s website.
While I do not have the permissions to share Skratch’s exact recipe (none of this post is sponsored, by the way), I found several accessible ones that are remarkably similar and equally adaptable. Skratch, and the recipes below, use pork chorizo, but I use Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo in place to keep my portion meatless.
- Spanish Chorizo Stew from Good Housekeeping. I’d double the recipe for 7 meals.
- Chicken and Chorizo Stew from Williams-Sonoma. You can sub the white wine for broth if you wish.
- Chorizo Chicken Chili from The Kitchn.
How I portioned my prep containers:
- Protein: 4 oz chicken (for 5 prep containers) + 1/3 package firm tofu (for 3 prep containers)
- Stew: 2 cups per container (for 8 containers)
- Couscous: 1 cup per container (for 8 containers)
Below I shared my simple recipe for veggie-laden pearl couscous using the common mirepoix soup mix!
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry pearl couscous
- 5 cups water
- 4 tsp better than bouillon mushroom base (or any base desired)
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large saucepot on the stovetop. Stir to combine. Heat to boiling, then lower heat to a simmer and cook 10-20 minutes, checking often, until couscous and veggies are tender.
- *Dried seasoning options to try: thyme, oregano, basil, paprika, garlic, or sage – or any combination thereof! Start small, maybe 1/4 tsp at a time, until you find your perfect balance.
