If you find yourself with an hour or two to spare on a Sunday evening, meal prepping is one of the most beneficial things you could do. Firstly, you can plan exactly how you want your diet to pan out for the rest of the week without risking any impulse decisions in the work cafeteria, and you also save a hell of a lot of time by not having to cook as much throughout the week.
I like keeping my meal prepping quick and simple. That involves throwing together some carbohydrates which I normally have in the form of quinoa or whole grain rice, vegetables in the form of boiled broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots or aubergine and protein in the form of chicken or tofu. But taste is also important, which is why I’ve been focusing on creating some marinades for the tofu or chicken. The below three can all be mixed together in the same bowl and I dip either the tofu or chicken into the marinades immediately before cooking, so there’s no waiting. If you do have the time, however, you can mix them together in a big sandwich bag and leave for a couple of hours for the flavors to soak through a little better – either way, they are going to taste amazing.
Zingy Pesto Marinade
Ingredients:
• Fresh basil leaves, 1 cup
• Olive oil, x2 tblspns
• Garlic cloves, x2
• Chilli flakes, 1 tspn
• Lime, 1
• Salt and pepper to taste
Spicy Cashew Satay Marinade
Ingredients:
• Cashew butter, x2 heaped tblspns
• Oregano, 1 tblspn
• Parsley, x2 tblspn
• Chilli flakes, 1 tspn
• Olive oil, x3 tblspns
• Lime, ½
• Ginger paste, 1 tspn
Cheat Chipotle Marinade
Ingredients:
• Olive oil, x4 tblspns
• Honey, x2 tblspns
• Garlic cloves, x4
• Chilli flakes, ½ tspn
• Lime, 1
• Paprika, 1 tblspn
• Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
1. For all marinades, add each mixture to a mixing bowl, and stir very well.
2. If using chicken, slit three lines diagonally across four fillets, dip the fillets in the marinade and place on a baking tray. If using tofu, do the same with the equivalent in weight.
3. Place the baking tray into an oven preheated at 180 degrees Celsius. Cook for 35 mins or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Turn the fillets half way through cooking and give the tofu a toss also after about 17 mins.
The Food Anatomist 