Whoa Whoa Whoa. Where’s the butter and flour?
I know, I get it. I’ve set the bar pretty high when it comes to sweet, swirly, chocolatey, buttery, gluten. But every year in the springtime, Passover rolls around, the Seders are wrapped up, and the thought of no bread, pasta, toast, oatmeal, or pancakes is pretty daunting, especially when you have kids. You find yourself staring blankly into the fridge wondering “what am I going to eat?!” If you don’t know what I’m talking about, the feeling is adjacent to the blank stare you have when you’re gazing into your closet wondering “what am I going to wear?!”
In the past few years, I’ve actually learned to embrace the holiday wayyyy more than I used to. I love the thorough ‘Spring Clean,’ the lengthy Seder meal with the all the songs, plus it’s really great to switch up my eating habits, get creative, and go nuts with all the beautiful spring vegetables that are filling up the markets.
Of course, this Meal Prep is perfect year-round, especially for Paleo and Low-ish carb eaters. I don’t usually do strict meal prep, instead I just make a double batch, then we all live off of the leftovers for a couple of days. Same result but not as intentional, you dig? That’s all going to change right here. Passover is NO time to mess around, otherwise you’ll end up eating SO much matzoh, no thanks.
FIRST, make sure you have plenty of airtight containers. They don’t have to be fancy, but I actually really like the glass ones that have a snap on lid (I’m trying to reduce the use of plastic around here).
SECOND, keep the effort of each dish pretty simple! This means roasting tons of veggies, making a big pot of fluffy quinoa, cutting up a really big salad in advance, and hard-boiling some eggs.
THIRD, the SAUCES/DRESSINGS! The best thing you can do to make meal prep dishes taste amazing is have a few choices of super flavorful sauces at the ready. I always have jars of lemon-y garlic tahini, spicy green schug, and a balsamic mustard vinaigrette in the fridge. Even if you’re eating the same food a couple of times, you can switch up the sauce and it’s like a whole new meal!
How to Roast Veggies: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and trim the vegetables to about 1.5 inch size pieces. Place them on a rimmed metal baking sheet, drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive or avocado oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper, granulated onion or garlic, and maybe some spices like cumin or turmeric. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the edges are crispy and caramelized.
I use this method with almost EVERY vegetable, but some of my favorites include: brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, and green beans.
I also love to slow roast whole sweet potatoes, it’s so easy! I wash them and wrap them (with the skins on!) in aluminum foil, place in a baking dish and roast at 400 degrees F for about about 45 minutes. They get super soft, sweet, and a little caramelized.
The Best Salads to Prep: Stick with heartier greens like kale, cabbage, and romaine that won’t wilt easily (stay away from spring mesclun mixes, and softer butter lettuce). Add thinly sliced Persian cucumbers, celery, shredded carrot, radishes, scallions, parsley. Avoid juicy tomatoes in the prep stage, add them when you’re ready to eat. Place a damp paper towel over the salad, then cover with an airtight lid. This keeps the salad really crisp and fresh.
My Fav Lemon + Garlic Marinated Chicken Breast
I love this chicken breast because it’s sooo flavorful and juicy. I’m going to be making a big batch of this and tossing into salads, and over fluffy quinoa bowls.
- In a glass bowl, combine 7-8 minced cloves of garlic, 2 T of Dijon mustard, the juice of 1 large lemon, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1.5 tsp kosher salt, 3 T olive oil.Whisk thoroughly.
- Slice up 4 chicken breasts into 1/2-inch strips, and add them to the marinade, coating evenly. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Heat a large skillet (I love cast iron) over medium-high heat. Using tongs, place the chicken in the hot skillet. Try not to add too much of the juicy marinade so the chicken gets a nice golden sear in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
How to Make PERFECT Fluffy Quinoa Every Time!
- Rinse 1 c quinoa in a fine mesh sieve (don’t use a colander, it will go right through the holes! haha). Add 2 T of olive or avocado oil to a small pot over medium heat. Add the rinsed and drained quinoa to the pot. Add 1 tsp kosher salt and a few shakes of granulated onion. Stir often for 5 minutes until the quinoa is golden brown and toasty. Add 1.5 c water (beware! There will be steam!).
- Bring the quinoa back up to a boil, then cover, turn the heat down to low, and let cook for 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then let the quinoa steam for another 5 minutes with the lid back on! ***Toasting the quinoa in olive oil makes it taste kind of like fried rice and it’s sooooo good!
Lastly, I love having fresh fruit and berries cut up and ready to go! When food is easily accessible, you are so much more likely to grab it. I cut small bundles of grapes, slice pineapple and melon in big chunks, and put all the berries together.
Guys! I hope this was helpful, I know this is what I’m going to be doing over Passover to eat right, and make sure my family are fed well. Let me know what some of your favorite tips are when it comes to meal prep in the comments below!
xoxo – L