I’m a big fan of meal prep. If I take the time to put food in the oven, I want to make sure I’m utilizing that time by cooking multiple things. I love to throw a couple of sheets of roasted vegetables in the oven with the meat; Broccoli and cauliflower are a family favorite. I also like to cook enough for more than one meal.
“No recipe” meals are perfect for evenings with limited prep time. Kids don’t want fancy ingredients and my husband and I don’t need added calories. Salt, pepper, olive oil and my favorite spice blend from Trader Joe’s work perfectly to season just about anything.
Another great time saver is pre-chopped vegetables and salad kits. This convenience comes with a price but is usually healthier and faster than take out. I’ll often buy whole grain brown rice frozen so I can quickly cook a small amount in the microwave. Farro is an ancient grain with more protein and fiber than rice and is another quick option.
My husband and I love to make bowls with vegetables as the base. In this case, we used roasted cauliflower and broccoli as our base with kale salad, farro and chopped lamb sprinkled on top. I added hummus to tie everything together.
Our kids prefer everything separated on their plate so we made a bowl for us and a plate for them. Cheese sprinkled on top makes everything on their plate more appealing.
“No Recipe” Meal Prep:
2 Racks of Roasted Lamb
I added salt, pepper, Everything Bagel Seasoning and Olive Oil and cooked until medium well (Cook fat side up at 450 for about 15 minutes. Rotate and cook an additional 15 minutes or more depending on the degree of doneness you prefer.) My kids loved the lamb. The little bone makes it kid friendly so they can just pick it up and gnaw on it. I made 2 racks so it would last for 2 meals.
Kale Salad
(add olive oil, salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice and massage for a few minutes. Raisins or cranberries are another great addition and a touch of honey amps up the kid friendly factor and cuts the bitterness)
(cook according to package instructions. I added salt and pepper, grass fed butter and grated parmesan cheese)
Broccoli and Cauliflower
(roasted with salt, pepper and olive oil at 450 with the rack of lamb at 450 for 20 minutes)