mealprep – The Ardent Cook

Miso Ginger Meatballs

Miso Ginger Meatballs are little bombs of umami flavor perfect for adding protein to any meal or serving as a delicious appetizer. Made using just 8 ingredients and baked in the air-fryer or oven, these meatballs are quick to whip up and great for meal prep, if that’s your thing. You may consider doubling the recipe if you’re feeding a larger family or adding them to lunches for the week, as this recipe makes approximately 15 meatballs.

Ingredients needed to make Miso Ginger Meatballs

As mentioned, you only need 8 ingredients to make these meatballs, and many of them are pantry staples. Here’s the list:

85/15 grass-fed ground beef
Fresh garlic
Fresh ginger
Soy sauce or tamari
Rice vinegar
White miso
Salt
Black pepper
Scallions (optional, for serving)

Tools used to make Miso Ginger Meatballs

To make these meatballs, you’ll really only need a few kitchen tools. The mandatory items you’ll need are as follows: cutting board, sharp knife, measuring spoons, mixing bowl, and an air fryer OR rimmed baking sheet (if using oven method). If you’d like to make your life slightly easier, I’d also recommend a #40 cookie scoop (this fits about 1 1/2 tbsp) to make sure each meatball is the same size, as well as a microplane or citrus zester for grating the garlic and ginger. Both of those items are completely optional, however. That’s all you need to make delicious meatballs in no time!

How to make Miso Ginger Meatballs

This recipe is as simple as combining all the ingredients, shaping the meatballs, and baking. It’s really that easy. No eggs, no breadcrumbs, no fuss. There is one caveat, which is that you really should use 85/15 ground beef. The fat ratio is very important to achieving juicy meatballs without adding extra ingredients, so don’t go any leaner than that ratio. I beg!

If using an air-fryer, I like to line the basket with parchment and bake the meatballs in two batches so they get nice and crispy outside while staying juicy inside. Adding all the meatballs at once would make for a crowded air-fryer and soggy, not crispy meatballs. If using the oven method, it’s helpful to line the baking sheet with parchment to minimize sticking, but you could also just spray your pan very well to avoid this issue.

Once baked, I let them cool slightly before topping with scallions (and sometimes cilantro) and devouring. They’re so delicious!

Looking for other make-ahead recipes for meal prep and beyond?

Try these ideas from The Ardent Cook!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Celery Salsa

Instant Pot Lemongrass Pork Bowls

Harvest Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese, and Golden Raisins

Recipe Ingredients

1lb 85/15 ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

½ inch piece ginger, minced or grated

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

3 tbsp white miso

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

Scallions, optional, for serving

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the air-fryer or oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the air-fryer basket or sheet tray with parchment paper.
Combine all ingredients except scallions in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Using a #40 cookie scoop, or a large spoon, scoop approximately 1 1/2 tbsp of the meat mixture into your hands and roll to form a meatball. Repeat until all the meatballs are formed.
If air-frying, bake the meatballs in two batches. Lower the temperature on the air-fryer to 390 and cook for 9 minutes, then repeat with the second batch.
If baking, add the meatballs to the prepared sheet tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches at least 155 degrees and the meatballs are beginning to brown on the outside.
Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired, and serve hot. Enjoy!

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Harissa Chicken Chopped Salad

Harissa Chicken Chopped Salad is a healthy main-course salad that still feels hearty and keeps you full. Loaded with crisp veggies, salty feta, and slightly spicy harissa chicken thighs, this salad is perfect for a weeknight or busy weekend meal. To save even more time, you can buy pre-marinated harissa chicken thighs from everyone’s favorite grocer, Trader Joe’s, or try my delicious copycat recipe, available here. I love topping this salad with a quick homemade lemony herb dressing (details included in recipe), but if you aren’t in the mood to make your own, I would highly recommend a store-bought ranch.

Ingredients needed to make Harissa Chicken Chopped Salad

My recipe for Harissa Chicken Chopped Salad includes some of my favorite veggies to add to a salad, but don’t let me stop you there. In my experience, the more a salad has in it, the better it gets. This would also be delicious with some halved cherry tomatoes, a different kind of cheese, fresh corn, roasted broccoli, etc. The options for customization are endless! Here’s the full list of ingredients for the salad:

Romaine lettuce
Harissa chicken thighs (recipe here)
Cucumber
Carrots
Radishes (I love watermelon radishes in this salad)
Avocado
Feta cheese
Pomegranate arils
Crispy chickpeas
Cilantro

If you also want to make my favorite easy dressing that compliments this salad perfectly, here’s what you’ll need:

Tahini
Dijon mustard
Lemon juice
Cilantro
Salt and pepper

Tools used to make Harissa Chicken Chopped Salad

This salad comes together using the most minimal of kitchen tools. All you need is a few kitchen staples and you’re ready to eat! I used the following tools to make this salad happen:

Large cutting board
Chef’s knife
Large mixing bowl or serving plate
Small mixing bowl, optional if making homemade dressing
Measuring cups and spoons, optional if making homemade dressing
Whisk, optional if making homemade dressing
Air fryer, optional if making homemade crispy chickpeas

How to make Harissa Chicken Chopped Salad

This dish is as simple as chopping and plating. If you plan to make your own harissa chicken thighs using my recipe, you’ll want to do that as the first step. The chicken thighs don’t take very long as they’re absolutely worth the effort, trust me!

You’ll begin by chopping everything you need for the salad, including the lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, avocado, and cilantro. Add it all to a large mixing bowl or serving plate, crumble the feta and sprinkle the pomegranate arils on top, then add the crispy chickpeas. You can make these using a simple recipe for Air Fryer crispy chickpeas, available here, or just grab a bag of them already made from the store.

To make the lemony herb dressing, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Alternatively, you could add all ingredients to a food processor or high-speed blender for an even smoother consistency, but I personally enjoy the texture of the chopped herbs in this dressing. Both methods are excellent and the flavor remains the same!

Slice the chicken and add it to the salad, then drizzle all over with the lemony herb dressing (or dressing of your choice)! It’s so good and the perfect hearty salad for any day of the week.

Looking for other simple, healthy recipes?

Try these ideas from The Ardent Cook

Honey Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

Instant Pot Lemongrass Pork Bowls

Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Recipe Ingredients

2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

Harissa Chicken Thighs, cooked and chopped (store-bought available at Trader Joe’s, or homemade)

1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced or shredded

Handful of assorted radishes, thinly sliced

1 avocado, quartered

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup pomegranate arils

1/2 cup crispy chickpeas (store-bought, or homemade)

1/8 cup cilantro, chopped, for serving

For the Lemony Herb Dressing

⅛ cup tahini

Juice and zest of 1 whole lemon

1 TBSP dijon mustard

⅛ cup finely chopped cilantro

3 TBSP water, or more if thinner consistency is desired

Salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe Instructions

Combine the chopped lettuce, cucumber, carrots, radishes, avocado, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl or arrange on a serving plate. Crumble the feta and scatter the pomegranate arils and crispy chickpeas on top.
Make the dressing, if using. Add the tahini, lemon juice and zest, dijon mustard, cilantro, water, salt, and pepper to a small mixing bowl and whisk until combined.
Slice the chicken and arrange it on top of the salad. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately. To store in the fridge, do not dress the salad. Leftovers keep very well undressed in an airtight container, with the dressing added once you are ready to eat. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Lemongrass Pork Bowls

Now that I finally bit the bullet and bought an Instant Pot (albeit I got it for half price on Facebook marketplace), I truly can’t believe I lived without one. It’s not that it can do anything magical that I can’t do in a pot on the stove, it’s just the fact that it goes so. much. faster. What would normally take over 2 hours takes like…. 15 minutes?!

I will admit I was extremely nervous to use this. Something about the pressure had me totally wigged out, like I’d open the lid and pork would shoot across my kitchen. Let me state this disclaimer: as long as you allow for 10 minutes of natural release (or longer, if you’re doing something else), you will be completely fine to let the remaining pressure release via the quick release function. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, continue reading this recipe, which will explain everything.

These Instant Pot Lemongrass Pork Bowls are loaded with bright flavor from the lemongrass and fresh veggies. They are customizable based on the vegetables you have on hand and it’s easy to swap out the brown rice base for whatever base you want. If I can give you one tip, it would be to absolutely make the easy pickled red onions. They totally make this dish in my opinion, and they only require a little bit of forethought and prep work to have homemade pickled red onions for days.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do, and I look forward to sharing more Instant Pot recipes with you all in the future!

Ingredients needed to make Instant Pot Lemongrass Pork Bowls

These bowls are made using lots of fresh ingredients, which is one of the reasons I love them. The recipe includes amounts for 4 servings, so this is great for a small family or to have prepped leftovers for later in the week. You can always halve the amounts listed in the recipe if you only want 2 servings! Here’s what you’ll need:

Brown rice
Pork tenderloin
Fresh garlic
Lemongrass paste
Shredded carrots
Cucumber
Pickled red onion
- Red onion
- Red wine vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
Jalapeno
Cilantro
Sesame Chili Vinaigrette
- Rice vinegar
- Honey
- Fresh lime juice
- Ground ginger
- Sesame seeds
- Toasted sesame oil
- Chili garlic sauce (or Sambal Oelek)
- Salt

Tools used to make Instant Pot Lemongrass Pork Bowls

As the title of the recipe suggests, you need an Instant Pot to make this recipe in the time specified. If you don’t mind spending a little extra time, you could also do the pork in the oven roasted low and slow to get it to the perfect shredded consistency. I’d highly recommend the IP version, however, to make this a quick weeknight meal. Other than the Instant Pot, you’ll need a large cutting board, sharp chef’s knife, small saucepan, mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, and a whisk.

How to make Instant Pot Lemongrass Pork Bowls

The majority of the work for these bowls happens behind the scenes in the Instant Pot, which is great. To start, you’ll want to make your pickled red onions so they have time to cure while the rest of the meal cooks. Bring the vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil and stir until everything has dissolved. Pour over the sliced red onions in a glass jar or tupperware container, and set aside.

Next, sear the pork on all sides using the sauté feature on the IP. You may need to work in batches to avoid crowding, then you’ll transfer the seared pork back into the pot along with the garlic, lemongrass paste, water, and a little salt and pepper. Set it to manual high pressure, then set the timer for 32 minutes. Keep in mind the whole thing will take longer than 32 minutes, as the pot needs time to pressurize as well as time to naturally release after cooking. Total time in the pot is about 50-60 minutes.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily make the pork in the oven. Simply follow the steps above to sear the pork, then roast in a Dutch oven (or similar oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid) at 350 for 1-2 hours, until the pork shreds very easily.

While the pork cooks, you’ll thinly slice all of the vegetables and cook the rice (if not cooked ahead of time). You can also make the dressing- simply combine all the ingredients and whisk until mixed. Once the pork is finished, shred it using two forks and toss it back in with the juices, then assemble. Layer the rice, shredded pork, sliced veggies, and fresh cilantro, if using, then drizzle all over with the sesame chili vinaigrette. Easy as that!

Looking for other easy weeknight bowls?

Try these other recipes from The Ardent Cook!

Curried Pumpkin Chickpeas with Cucumber Raita

Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

Ponzu Greens and Grains Bowl

Recipe Ingredients

2 cups brown rice or quinoa, cooked

2 pork tenderloins, about 2-2.5lbs total

½ cup water

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup lemongrass paste

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup thinly sliced cucumber

½ cup pickled red onion

one medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt

1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped, packed

½ cup sesame chili vinaigrette

¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
Juice of ½ lime
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp sesame seeds
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
¾ tsp chili garlic sauce (or sriracha)
¼ tsp salt

Recipe Instructions

Make the pickled red onions. Thinly slice onion and add to a large pickle jar or heat-safe container. Bring the vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Let cool for 3 minutes, then pour over the onions to cover. Set aside.
Cut the two tenderloins into 2-3 equal pieces and season on all sides with salt. Turn instant pot to the normal sauté function and sear pork. You may need to work in batches.
Once seared, transfer the pork to a plate and add the lemongrass and smashed garlic. Stir for 30 seconds or so, until very fragrant, then add water to deglaze the pot. Add the pork back in and set to manual high pressure, then set the timer for 32 minutes. Allow for natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release to completely depressurize the instant pot.
Shred the pork using two forks, then return it to soak in its juices. Assemble the bowls by dividing the ingredients amongst four servings. I like to have a bowl each for dinner, then have two leftover for our lunches the next day. Layer the rice, shredded pork, sliced veggies, pickled red onions, and cilantro (if using). Drizzle all over with the sesame chili vinaigrette and enjoy!

Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls were inspired by a seasonal salsa I picked up at Trader Joe’s this past week. I wanted to create the feeling of a Tex-Mex-style bowl but with flavors of fall. This salsa was the PERFECT addition. Featuring cast-iron sirloin steak, crispy spicy broccoli, goat cheese, and pepitas, these bowls are healthy, filling, and remind you of crisp weather.

Ingredients needed to make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

To make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls, you’ll need the following:

Olive oil
Rice
Sirloin Steak
Broccoli
Goat cheese
Roasted, salted pepitas
Ground cumin
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
Trader Joe’s Fall Harvest Salsa (seasonal- see picture below)

Tools used to make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

These bowls couldn’t be easier to whip up, making them perfect for a wholesome weeknight dinner. The only special piece of equipment needed is an oven-safe skillet. I prefer to use my cast-iron for the best sear, but any oven-safe pan will work. Here’s the one I use most frequently. In addition to a great skillet, you’ll need the following kitchen tools:

Large pot (to cook rice)
Chef’s knife
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Rimmed sheet pan

How to make Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

I love these bowls because of how quickly they come together. The hardest part is cooking the rice, which is where you’ll want to start, as it takes the longest. After the rice gets going, you’ll season the broccoli with cumin, garlic, and cayenne, then roast them for 15-20 minutes until crispy. The steak takes no time at all, and gets seared on the stovetop for a couple minutes each side, then finished in the oven with the broccoli.

As for the assembly of the bowls, simply arrange the broccoli and sliced steak over the rice, crumble the goat cheese, drizzle the salsa over, and finish with pepitas! It’s so simple and makes enough to serve four. I’m typically only feeding Jeff and myself, so I love saving the other two bowls for a meal prepped lunch for the next day. It’s so delicious!

Looking for other hearty bowls?

Give these recipes a try from The Ardent Cook archives!

Pulled Buffalo Chicken Bowls with Blue Cheese Celery Slaw

Ponzu Greens and Grains Bowl

Red Curry Pulled Chicken with Turmeric-Lime Rice

Recipe Ingredients

1 ½ cups white rice (dry)

3 cups broccoli florets (from 1 large head)

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt, plus more for seasoning steak

One 1-1 ½ lb sirloin steak

½ cup roasted, salted pepitas

2oz goat cheese, crumbled

1 cup Trader Joe’s Fall Harvest Salsa

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium pot with a lid, combine 1.5 cups white rice with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir, and cover the rice. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.
While the rice cooks, roast the broccoli. Spread broccoli into an even layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Season with the cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast for 15 minutes until the broccoli is tender and florets are beginning to brown and crisp.
Heat a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Season the steak on all sides with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and swirl in the pan. Add the steak. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Transfer pan to the oven and let the steak finish cooking for another 7-9 minutes until it reaches medium. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the steak should read between 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit. Let steak rest on a plate for at least 10 minutes before slicing it against the grain.
Assemble the bowls. Spoon rice into the bottom of each bowl and divide the broccoli between them. Add a few pieces of sliced steak to each bowl, then top with crumbled goat cheese. Spoon 1/4 cup of Trader Joe’s Fall Harvest Salsa over each bowl, and top with pepitas. Serve bowls immediately, or store in air-tight containers for up to 4 days in the fridge for easy prepped meals! Enjoy!

The Ardent Prep: Caramelized Onion, Kale, and Goat Cheese Bowls with Homemade Balsamic Glaze

This is the third recipe in The Ardent Prep series “Chicken, Rice, and Caramelized Onions.” To visit the original blog post, click here. To see the other two recipes in this meal prep series, click the links at the bottom of this page. I hope you enjoy this delicious and easy recipe!

Ingredients

Remaining prepped rice

Remaining 1/3 prepped chicken

Remaining 1/2 prepped caramelized onions

1-2 heads kale

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 16oz bottle Balsamic vinegar

1 4oz log goat cheese, crumbled

Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a medium skillet, pour entire bottle of balsamic vinegar and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until liquid amount has reduced by two-thirds and the vinegar is thick, resembling a glaze, approximately 12 minutes. The liquid should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
Remove stems from kale and roughly chop the leaves. In a medium skillet, saute garlic in 1 TBSP olive oil until fragrant. Add kale and stir to coat in the olive oil and garlic mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook until kale is wilted.
Assemble the bowls. Add rice to the bottom of a bowl and top with sliced chicken, caramelized onions, and the sauteed kale. Top with goat cheese crumbles and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Store remaining balsamic glaze in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Drizzle over roasted vegetables, use as salad dressing, or enjoy as a topping on pizza. Enjoy!

Chicken Cheesesteak Skillet

Turmeric Ginger Coconut Curry

The Ardent Prep: Turmeric Ginger Coconut Curry

This is the second recipe in The Ardent Prep series “Chicken, Rice, and Caramelized Onions.” To visit the original blog post, click here. To see the other two recipes in this meal prep series, click the links at the bottom of this page. Note that there are no caramelized onions used in this recipe. The onions are used in the other two meals. I hope you enjoy this delicious and easy recipe!

Ingredients

2.5 cups prepped rice

Approximately 1/3 prepped chicken breast, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 16oz can full-fat coconut milk

1-2 heads broccoli, cut into florets

Cilantro and lime wedges, if desired, for serving

Instructions

In a medium skillet, heat 1 TBSP olive or coconut oil over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno*. Saute until fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.
Add turmeric and stir to coat the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno mixture. Allow the spice to “bloom” by cooking it in the hot pan for about 30 seconds. Then, add entire can of coconut milk.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened and glossy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a separate pot, steam broccoli florets, approximately 6 minutes or until tender.
Assemble bowls. Add rice to the bottom of a bowl and top with sliced chicken and steamed broccoli. Spoon curry sauce over the top of the bowls, using as much or as little as you like. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, if desired. Recipe will yield about 3 adult-sized bowls.

*for added heat in this recipe, leave seeds in jalapeno. Alternatively, add crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to taste.

Chicken Cheesesteak Skillet

Caramelized Onion, Kale, and Goat Cheese Bowls with Homemade Balsamic Glaze

The Ardent Prep: Chicken Cheesesteak Skillet

This is the first recipe in The Ardent Prep series “Chicken, Rice, and Caramelized Onions.” To visit the original blog post, click here. To see the other two recipes in this meal prep series, click the links at the bottom of this page. I hope you enjoy this delicious and easy recipe!

Ingredients

2.5 cups prepped rice

Approximately 1/3 prepped chicken breast, cubed or shredded

Approximately 1/2 prepped caramelized onions

2 bell peppers, any color, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

1/4 pound American Cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and slightly browned, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, until fragrant.
To the skillet with the peppers and garlic, add rice, chicken, and caramelized onions. Fold ingredients together and spread into an even layer in the skillet. Taste for salt and pepper, and add accordingly.
Cover rice mixture with sliced American cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly golden. Enjoy!

Turmeric Ginger Coconut Curry

Caramelized Onion, Kale, and Goat Cheese Bowls with Homemade Balsamic Glaze

The Ardent Prep: Chicken, Rice, and Caramelized Onions

Happy Easter everyone! I’m spending today with endless cups of coffee, a nature walk, and a free spiral-cut ham that we got on rewards from the grocery store (no shame here). One of the positives of this quarantine for me has been the opportunity to fully immerse myself in Spring and all that this season has to offer. I think Spring is often overlooked because of our desires to get out of the cold weather and move directly into summer, but it’s really one of my favorite seasons! I’m thankful for the opportunity to slow down a bit and watch the flowers bloom.

This meal prep series was inspired by feedback I got from you all on Instagram. The concept was to take a “base”, in this case chicken and rice, and come up with 3-4 quick, easy ways that you could change up that base throughout the week. While most of us do have more time now that we’re home, I think there is also a pressure to be even more productive than we would normally be in the office, and therefore meals get overlooked in exchange for a quick snack while you mute yourself on a conference call. The idea of this meal prep series is that you spend 30 minutes or so prepping your base, then an additional 15-20 minutes for each meal. I visualized a schedule that goes something like this:

Sunday: Prep base ingredients. Store in containers in fridge.

Monday: Make Chicken Cheesesteak Skillet for dinner. Store leftovers for lunch next day.

Tuesday: Make Turmeric Ginger Coconut Curry for dinner. Store leftovers for lunch next day.

Wednesday: Leftovers, if any.

Thursday: Make Caramelized Onion, Kale, and Goat Cheese Bowls with Homemade Balsamic Glaze. Store leftovers for lunch next day.

Friday: Leftovers, if any.

Alternatively, you could do your prep and make a meal all in one shot in the kitchen. It really just depends how you want to make this plan work for you. I will say that this isn’t a comprehensive, feed-your-entire-family-for-a-week meal plan. This is basic. You get roughly 2-3 adult-sized portions per meal, and if you live with boys, good luck making it last. However, if you live alone or with one other person, this is a pretty decent way to feed yourselves using simple, healthy ingredients with minimal effort during the work week. You can always feel free to bulk up these recipes even more by adding additional sides of vegetables or another side dish. The point of this recipe series if to provide a framework that is digestible, delicious, and open for interpretation!

The grocery list is provided to be used at the beginning of the week, with the assumption that you already have a few staples like olive oil, salt, pepper, and butter. You can certainly feel free to swap out any vegetables you don’t like, change up your protein, or use a grain alternative instead of the rice. Be mindful that your final product should be about 8 cups of whatever rice or rice alternative you are using, so take that into account when making a swap there! Seafood would be excellent in the Turmeric Ginger Coconut Curry or the Caramelized Onion, Kale, and Goat cheese bowls, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a swap for the Chicken Cheesesteak Skillet. Make this recipe your own and don’t be afraid to swap something interesting!

I hope you enjoy the first installment of The Ardent Prep. If this concept is well-received, I would love to make this a regular occurrence on the blog. Your feedback is always appreciated, and I’ve been loving seeing all of your recipe photos. It means the world! If you decide to make any of these recipes, don’t forget to share and tag me @theardentcook on Instagram!

Grocery List

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 knob fresh ginger, approximately 1 inch

1 head of garlic

1-2 large sweet onions

2 Bell peppers, any color

1 medium jalapeno pepper

1-2 heads of broccoli

1-2 heads kale

¼ pound sliced White American cheese

1 4oz log Goat cheese

1 16oz can full-fat coconut milk

White rice (4 cups dry)

1 16oz bottle Balsamic vinegar

Ground turmeric

Prep Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 30 minutes.
Cook rice according to package instructions. If using a grain alternative, be sure that your final products yields close to 8 cups. Each recipe calls for approximately 2.5 cups of rice, give or take.
While chicken and rice cook, melt 1 TBSP butter or other cooking fat in a medium skillet. Finely slice onion crosswise and add to the skillet along with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat onions in the butter, and saute over low heat until onions are slightly golden and resemble a jammy consistency, at least 20 minutes. Be careful not to cook onions any higher than low heat, at the risk of burning them.
If choosing to make one of the meals at this point, continue with instructions for those recipes, linked below. Otherwise, store all ingredients in separate containers in the fridge and use according to recipe instructions throughout the week. Enjoy!

Chicken Cheesesteak Skillet

Turmeric Ginger Coconut Curry

Caramelized Onion, Kale, and Goat Cheese Bowls with Homemade Balsamic Glaze