Meal Prepping!

Meal prepping is awesome! It saves times, it releases the stress of weekday cooking, and it saves money!!!

Given all of these tremendous benefits.... why don’t I do it? For me cooking comes easy and I am always finding ways to stream line meals. However, as business is on the rise and our creative days are abundant that means downtime days are few and far between. I can meal prep for others easily, meal prep for myself in the past has been a chore!

I am retraining myself to meal prep! I’ll share some recipes as I go. 

I Prep things that we eat, or are going to eat. That sounds like a no-brained but it’s not. You know how you have a really good meal idea and you know your gonna like, but when you put it on the table it appeals to no one? That is one of the pitfalls of meal prep!

Some things I currently meal prep, or layman’s terms, “make in bulk” are:

  • Veggie burgers (all types) 
  • Hummus
  • Soups
  • Breakfast sandwiches  
  • Breakfast Frittatas
  • Waffles
  • Muffins
  • Roasted Vegetables
  • Pasta dishes
  • Pizzas
  • Quesadillas
  • Starches (rice, quinoa, etc) 
  • Meats - if I am serving them  
  • Dips
  • Sauces
  • probably a lot more that I can’t think of right now  

I will have some recipes listed here on my blog, among other things, so relax and feel free to scroll through 😉

Ask Alexa: Meal Planning/Meal Prepping

Ask Alexa Question:

What can you recommend someone prepare for lunch daily that is easy, doesn't require a lot of work, and most importantly...HEALTHY?

Lexa’s extra:

In order to be easy and healthy you have to meal plan and meal prep. That’s the only way.... pick a grain to cook a big batch of, select a few vegetables, pick a protein (animal or plant based). Pick one day set aside 1-2 hours and get cooking. Get your containers, pack it up! Meals will last approximately 5-6 days depending on what you cooked. Vegetables and grains can last longer, animal protein no longer than 5 days.

An example of meal prepping:

1 cup dry brown rice ($1)
Bella mushrooms ($2-$5)
1 Head cauliflower ($2-$3)
1 lb broccoli ($2)
Rotisserie Chicken ($5)
Frozen corn - organic ($2)
Garbanzo Beans ($1)
Salsa ($2)

Total: $19*
Number of meals: at least 5
Total per meal: approx $4
Time investment: 1-2 hours —> turn on a movie or a Netflix documentary to watch while you prepare

*Total does not include pantry items (oil and seasonings, salt & pepper) or containers

Cost of eating out per meal $9-$15

Invest in yourself, your health and your wallet

Video Correction @1:22: not Tabbouleh it is Bulgur Wheat 😏

📹 Edreys Wajed

SWEET POTATO WAFFLES!!!

 

Grabbing something to eat on the go for me, is not easy.  When I stop somewhere to grab a quick bite all the offerings for breakfast are doughnuts, sugary muffins and pastries.  My diet does not include gluten or sugar, therefore, I am constantly on the hunt for recipes that I can just heat up in the toaster oven or pre-pack and go.

Introducing Oat Waffles, a cross between baked oatmeal, a doughnut and a crispy waffle - pretty awesome.  Give it a try and let me know what you think. 

Servings 8 Waffles (using a 1/3cup scoop) or 4-6 Waffles (using a 1/2cup scoop)

Author Alexa Joan

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 C (175g) Old Fashioned Thick Rolled Oats not quick - gluten free if needed (for this batch I added a little bit of Brown Rice Flour for crispiness... I am not sure what it did but I enjoyed the texture of the Waffles)
  • 1 1/4 C (305g) Nut Milk 
  • 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/2 C (125g) Cooked Sweet Potato (about 1 large)
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
  • 3/4 tsp Cinnamon ground
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions, including whether to oil/butter the iron or not (see note). Preheat the oven to 170F and place a sheet pan in the oven. (I have a belgium waffle maker which is why I used the 1/2 cup scoop)
  2. Make Oat Flour: grind your oats in a food processor until you create a powder/flour. 
  3. Pour your flour into a medium sized bowl and add your remaining dry ingredients (baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon).
  4. In a blender combine sweet potato, nut milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla, puree until smooth. 
  5. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until combined.  The batter will be thick. 
  6. Scoop out 1/3 C of batter and pour into the waffle iron. Bake until golden (according to manufacturer's directions). Mine take about 5-6 minutes to bake. Gently remove the waffles using a fork and place them on the sheet pan in the preheated oven. Finish baking the remaining batter.
  7. Serve with your favorite toppings. Maple Syrup, Whipped Cream, Berries, Toasted Pecans!!!
  • Feel free to add a sweetener if you would like.  I would say not more than 1-2 tablespoons for the recipe; especially if you are going to be adding toppings that are sweet. 

To Freeze: Allow the waffles to cool completely. I freeze mine on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Once frozen, stack one on top of another in a storage container or plastic gallon sized bag - freeze for up to 3 months. I like to freeze mine with wax paper or deli paper in between each waffle so it will not get freezer burned.  

From the Freezer: Bake at 300F for about 8-10 minutes or until warmed through or toast on the toaster setting in a toaster oven. Keep an eye on them so they don't get too dark.

Enjoy - Peace&Love

Waffles on their way to the freezer!

Waffles on their way to the freezer!