Hey there,
How are you? How about your kitchen? Mine is getting a big workout after an extended time off and it’s feeling really great. Last week, I found myself on a veggie sandwich kick, got really into homemade mango lassis, and served the Heirloom Tomato Pasta from Meal Prep Made Simple at a sweet little dinner party for two.
Speaking of Meal Prep Made Simple (see what I did there?), it’s on sale, but only until tomorrow. So if you’re thinking of grabbing a copy, now’s the time! Use code GENTLE for 10% off at checkout.
As is often the case in the New Year, there’s a bit of a discourse happening around meal prep at the moment. Meredith, a culinary school grad, personal chef (AKA professional meal prepper), and the creator behind wishbonekitchen made a series of videos with the hook “How To Meal Prep and Not Be Gross” that’s gotten a lot of traction. She’s essentially urging folks to stop meal prepping one dish and eating it for six or seven days straight. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this behavior “gross” myself, but it certainly is boring! And if there’s one thing I’m firmly against, it’s boring meal prep.
In fact, Abigail and I wrote Meal Prep Made Simple in an effort to highlight recipes and strategies to keep meal prep interesting.
So today, let’s talk about one of the key strategies we employ to prevent meal prep boredom: meal prep remixing.
Remixing is cooking a recipe, eating it one way the first day you made it, then turning it into something completely different the second (and maybe third!) time you eat it—maybe you whipped up some seasoned ground beef last night and ate it on tacos. You might remix it by using it as a nacho topping tonight, then serving it on top of a salad for lunch tomorrow. See how that’s a bit more fun than eating the same tacos three days in a row?
Abigail and I are so committed to not-bland-and-boring meal prep that we actually worked meal prep remixing into Meal Prep Made Simple in a formal way.
The book has five complete menus with recipes for each dish on each menu, of course. But we also include remix suggestions and instructions at the end of each menu so you can keep your meal prep as interesting as possible over the course of the week you’re enjoying it.
To better highlight meal prep remixing, I’m excited to share a little excerpt of Meal Prep Made Simple with you—our Coziest Comfort Foods Menu, along with all the remixes we suggest for the menu. Let’s take a peek!
Fun, right? I hope this concept makes you feel a little more excited about meal prepping! And if you’d like the actual recipes for the delicious dishes on our Coziest Comfort Foods Menu (along with four additional menus with recipes and remixes), you’ll find them in Meal Prep Made Made Simple. Use code GENTLE at checkout for your discount, but only until tomorrow, and happy (Gentle Jan!) meal prepping.
And that covers it for today. As always, wishing you a well-fed week ahead.
With love and a tip of my chef’s hat,
Erica
Want more? I’m so flattered! You can also follow me on Instagram or TikTok, or check out my tips-laden e-book collection. The newest addition, Meal Prep Made Simple, is available to order now!