The concept of meal prep (preparing multiple meals at one time for later consumption throughout the week) has become increasingly popular for busy people who do not have time to cook something fresh each day. Preparing lunches for the work week helps you cut down on the time you spend preparing lunches for work (and dinners for when you get home).
"Preparing food at home is healthier and less expensive than eating out."
You don’t have to go crazy preparing every single meal in advance, but adding some meal prep to your weekly routine could free up some of your precious time, and save some of your hard-earned money.
Here are a couple of easy recipes that (in my opinion) taste delicious, are relatively healthy, and are pretty easy to make:
Toasted Sesame Honey Teriyaki Ginger Salmon
INGREDIENTS
- 750 grams raw salmon (skin removed)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil*
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar*
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (add extra soy sauce if desired)
- 2 tablespoons honey (add extra honey if desired)
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped ginger
- 1 large red Thai chili pepper (remove seeds for less heat)
- 1-2 tablespoons toasted or raw sesame seeds
- 4 green onions, sliced (2 for recipe, 2 for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Slice salmon into preferred portions.
- In a large bowl or baking dish, combine olive oil, sesame oil and rice vinegar (or teriyaki sauce), brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, chili pepper, sesame seeds and whisk well until combined.
- Add salmon to the dish and coat well with sauce or place everything in a Ziploc bag, then refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Set your oven rack to the second-highest position in your oven and preheat the broiler in your oven.
- Remove salmon with kitchen tongs and place directly on the baking sheet.
- Reserve the remaining marinade.
- Place directly under the broiler. Cook for 5-6 minutes, depending on the salmon’s thickness, then remove and coat with reserved marinade (you can flip the salmon before coating if desired). Return salmon to the oven for an additional 5-6 minutes until opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Remember to keep an eye on your salmon and remove it if it looks like it is overcooking.
- Remove from the baking sheet with a spatula and serve immediately, with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and green onions as desired.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds ground turkey
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 bunches fresh thyme sprigs (equal amount as rosemary)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sumac (can substitute fresh lemon zest if desired)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 to 8 hamburger buns*
- Pick leaves off of rosemary and thyme sprigs. Chop rosemary leaves until about the size of the thyme leaves.
- In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, chopped rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, sumac (or lemon zest), salt, pepper, egg, and mix to combine evenly.
- Form eight 1/4 lb patties or six 1/3 lb patties.*
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. When oil is shimmering or sufficiently hot, add patties to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip patties and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes, or until cooked throughout.
- Serve patties on buns with desired toppings and condiments. These burgers go great with a little sriracha sauce and Gouda cheese!
by Ryan S