The promise of a fresh start is enough to make anyone either get giddy at the prospect or go catatonic in the face of a growing to-do list. Either way, it’s important to have a filling meal. My plan of attack is to meal prep something that I can use in multiple different dishes. Get your sheet pans out because we are roasting some veggies.
Shopping list
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3-4 Squash
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3-4 Zucchini
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1-2 Sweet potato
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1 Onion
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Cherry Tomatoes
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Arugula
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Pasta
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Couscous
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Bread
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Pesto
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Salad dressing
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Hummus
Roasted veggies Basics:
Preheat your oven to 425. You’ll want to either grease a sheet pan or line it with foil. Dice everything so that they are a similar size. This will ensure that they cook evenly. Toss your vegetables in olive oil and spices. I like to use salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper, and coriander. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before storing the fridge. To reheat, I’ll either throw the veggies in a skillet with some oil or microwave for about a minute. You can also reheat them in an airfryer.
Recipes:
Roasted Veggie Pasta
Ingredients:
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Prepped veggies
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Pesto
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Cherry Tomatoes
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Tortellini or any pasta
Instructions:
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Cook your pasta following the directions on the box
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In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and your cherry tomatoes. Let your tomatoes cook down until they look jammy. This is also when I add my prepped roasted veggies so they can reheat while the tomatoes cook.
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Combine pasta, veggies/ tomatoes, and a spoon full of pesto.
This all comes together in about 10 minutes. I also like to eat the leftover cod and it is like a pasta salad!
Veggie Sando
Ingredients:
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Prepped veggies
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Hummus
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Arugula
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Cherry Tomatoes
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Bread ( I prefer Ciabatta)
Instructions:
I don’t heat up my veggies for this because it can make the sandwich a bit soggy. Sometimes, I’ll add a hard boiled egg and this becomes a breakfast sandwich. I typically like to toast my bread, but this sandwich is super customizable. Do whatever you want!
Grain bowl
Ingredients:
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Prepped veggies
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Arugula
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cherry tomatoes
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Couscous
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Salad dressing
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Optional: Chicken or any other protein
Instructions:
Again, this is super customizable! You can add just about anything and it will be good. One important note on storing any leftovers. I will store the couscous, vegetables, and protein together; but I keep the arugula separate. This makes sure your arugula stays crispy which is so important to create a meal with different textures.
These three meals are easy, quick, and don’t require a bunch of different ingredients. With a short shopping list and meals that save well, hopefully you can spend that extra time taking care of yourself. The new year holds so many, maybe too many, unknowns. With this, at least you know what’s for dinner this week.
