This week I was all about the stove top for my meal prep.

I was feeling like having something warm and gooey.

The days in Seattle are a mix of crazy wind and rain, then sunny and clear. But the one constant is that it is a bit chilly. So all things warm, gooey, and quick to make in a pot on the stove sounded just right.

Here is what I prepped this week:

• Chana Masala + riced beet and celery root (any tough veggie would work- carrots, rutabaga, sweet potato)
• Brown rice
• Mushroom and Greens Sauté
• Cacao Chia Seed Pudding
• Instant Pot stew (prepped and ready for when I make it mid-week)
• Bananas, washed greens, and oranges for smoothies each day

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Here is what I did:

1. I started by making the chana masala. It can simmer on the stove for a bit, so once everything was cooking, I was ok to forget about it. (Recipe below)

2. I peeled, spiralized, and riced (threw it in a food processor for about 10 seconds) the beet and celery root while the chana masala was cooking. These veggies will act as rice this week. Riced veggies are a great way to get more veggies into your diet and are more flavorful than regular rice.

3. Along with riced veggies, I wanted some brown rice to warm with scrambled eggs in the morning, or to have with the mushroom and greens sauté. I rinsed a cup and a half of brown rice, added it to a pot that had a little less than 3 cups of water in it, covered it with a lid, brought it to a boil, then turned it down to a simmer for about 25 minutes. You know how to make rice… 🙂

4. Once the chana masala was done, I threw that in the fridge and, using the same pot, made the mushrooms and greens saute (recipe below). The winters in Washington can leave us Pacific Northwesterners seriously lacking Vitamin D. Mushrooms are one of the few non-animal sources of Vitamin D for us to ingest, so upping our mushroom intake during the winter is important.

5. Toward the end of my meal prep I made a big bowl of Cacao Chia Seed Pudding. I whisked together 1/2 a cup of chia seeds, 2 1/2 cups of almond milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of cacao powder (cocoa works too) in a medium bowl. I topped the bowl with a lid and put it in the fridge. This solidifies in 30 minutes and is good for about 4 days. It literally takes 2 minutes to make. Great with toppings like berries, almond butter, or homemade granola.

6. The last thing I did was wash and chop up some potatoes, carrots, celery, an onion, and sage. I put them all together in a large bowl with a lid and placed it in the fridge. I took out some beef stew chunks from the freezer to thaw. Mid-week I will mince some garlic and throw these ingredients along with some water and spices into the Instant Pot for about 40 minutes on high. It will be great for dinner that night or lunch for the rest of the week!

This entire process took me only 90 minutes!

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Here are my meal options for the week:

Breakfast:

• Cacao Chia Seed Pudding
• Scrambled eggs and veggie rice for a fried rice meal
• Greens, banana, orange and berries smoothie
• Fried eggs on a bed of greens and rice

Lunch/Dinner:

• Chana masala with veggie or brown rice
• Mushrooms and greens saute with veggie rice, brown rice, or a sprouted tortilla
• Instant Pot stew with veggie rice or brown rice veggies
• Large greens salad with a cup of Instant Pot stew

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Chana Masala + Riced Veggies Recipe

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

Chana Masala

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• Handful of chopped cilantro

Riced Veggies

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large, hard vegetables like celery root, sweet potato, rutabaga, or 1 butternut squash, peeled, spiralized, and riced in a food processor

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute for a few minutes, until the onion turns translucent.
2. Add the garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and stir, cooking for about 2 more minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and lemon juice. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and add the chickpeas. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Place a separate pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and let it warm for 1 minute. Add the riced veggies and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it has softened. Remove from the heat.
5. Stir the yogurt and cilantro into the chickpeas. Add salt to taste. Serve on a bed of riced veggies!

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Mushroom and Greens Saute Recipe

Makes about 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon coconut or olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 handfuls of mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 oz parmesan cheese grated
• Salt and pepper
• 2 handfuls of greens (spinach works great!)
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms soften.
3. Add the coconut milk and the parmesan to the pan and stir. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. Add the greens to the pan and stir until they just start to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley and remove from heat.
5. Check the seasoning and add salt if needed. Serve with rice, flat bread, or a tortilla!