Is cooking one of the last things you want to do
when the weather's nice out?
Today I'm going to share an easy meal prep plan
that will help you make the most of your summer
while still enjoying plenty of delicious food.
Hey guys, welcome back to my channel.
It's Taylor from the Girl on Bloor.
I'm all about sharing easy meal prep strategies
so that you can save time, money and stress.
Meal prep is my secret weapon
when it comes to spending less time in the kitchen.
The less time you have to spend inside, the better!
Today, I'll be showing you how to make five
of my favorite summer recipes
and how to prep all of the ingredients
beforehand to save time on cooking each night.
We'll be making Hasselback fajita stuffed chicken,
street corn Cajun chicken tacos, chimichurri chicken,
meal prep chicken souvlaki bowls
and the best-ever BBQ shrimp.
With the right prep ahead checklist,
you'll save tons of time and money
so you can feel organized going into the week ahead,
but you won't have to spend
your whole Sunday afternoon meal prepping either.
Now before we get started, I wanted to mention
that I've got you covered
with a full prep ahead checklist
and grocery list for this meal plan
all in one handy blog post
so you can follow along with this video,
so be sure to head to the link in my description
to check that out.
Before I show you how to make each recipe,
we're going to tackle the ingredient prep first.
I like to prep as many ingredients
as possible on a Sunday
so I don't have to spend as much time cooking
during the week.
That way, all I have to do is pull the prepped ingredients
out of the fridge and cook them.
This usually cuts your cooking time in half,
and the ingredient prep itself only takes
about an hour with minimal dishes to clean up.
The best part is that you get
to eat fresh meals each night
instead of eating leftovers all week long
as with traditional meal prep.
Now, I find it's easiest to split everything up
into categories including grains, veggies,
sauces and proteins.
I always make a list ahead of time
so that I can work as efficiently as possible.
First up, we're going to prep the grains
since they take the longest to cook.
The only grain you need to prep
for this week's meal plan is the quinoa
for the chicken souvlaki bowls.
So, for the quinoa, add half a cup of quinoa,
one cup of water and a pinch of salt to a rice cooker
or a pot on the stove top and cook
until the liquid has absorbed.
I prefer to use a rice cooker
because all you have to do is dump everything in
and press start.
While the quinoa's cooking, you can move onto the veggies,
starting with the street corn for the Cajun chicken tacos.
Just a note: since I'm only cooking for one,
I'm cutting today's recipes in half.
If you've watched my videos before,
you know that I recommend altering my meal plans
according to how many people are in your household,
so if you live alone,
then cutting recipes in half will still give you
that variety without any food waste.
Most recipes serve 4, so by cutting them in half,
you get one serving for dinner, and one serving for lunch.
Okay, let's get back into the prep
with that little disclaimer out of the way.
You're going to soak two cobs of corn
in a bowl of water for 15 minutes,
then brush the corn with some olive oil
and grill them on the BBQ
or bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees.
I don't know about you,
but corn is one of my favorite summer veggies.
It brings back so many memories of summer backyard BBQs.
When the corn is done cooking,
let it cool then cut all the kernels off the cob.
Toss the kernels in a large bowl
with a quarter of a cup of sour cream,
two tablespoons of feta cheese,
half a tablespoon of lime juice,
half a tablespoon of chili powder,
one clove of minced garlic,
one tablespoon of chopped cilantro,
a quarter of a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper.
Now you've got your street corn.
Store that in the fridge in a large bowl with a lid,
and you're all set.
All you'll have to do is take it out
of the fridge the night you go to cook the tacos.
You can also pre-cut any toppings for your tacos
while you're at it.
I personally like to dice up some bell peppers
and red onions,
but you can use whatever veggies you're craving
and stick them in a container with a lid.
Next up is the veggies
for the meal prep chicken souvlaki bowls.
Chop up half a zucchini, a quarter of a red pepper,
a quarter of a yellow pepper
and half a red onion and store them in a large container.
From there, prep the veggies
for the Hasselback fajita chicken.
Thinly slice a quarter of a yellow,
red and green pepper along with half of a red onion
and set those aside.
You're going to stuff those
into the Hasselback chicken later on in today's prep.
I also love serving my Hasselback fajita chicken
with some roasted sweet potatoes,
so peel one large sweet potato
and chop it up into one-inch pieces.
Next up are the veggies for the chimichurri chicken.
Slice one cup of baby potatoes in half
and store the potatoes in a medium-sized bowl filled
with water, then slice up half a red pepper
and half a red onion.
And that's it for the veggies!
Now it's time to prep the sauces,
which I suggest storing in mason jars
to save space in the fridge.
First up is the chicken souvlaki marinade,
which uses staples you probably already have
in your fridge and pantry.
Mix together one tablespoon of olive oil,
one tablespoon of lemon juice, one clove of minced garlic,
half a tablespoon of oregano,
half a teaspoon of salt
and a quarter of a teaspoon of pepper
for this Greek-inspired dish.
Next, make the shrimp marinade,
which is one of my favorite marinades ever.
Mix together half a tablespoon of olive oil,
one tablespoon of lemon juice, two cloves of minced garlic,
half a teaspoon of dried parsley,
one teaspoon of Dijon mustard
and half a teaspoon of lemon zest.
Finish it off with half a teaspoon of salt,
a quarter of a teaspoon of pepper,
a quarter of a teaspoon of chili flakes
for a bit of kick and a quarter of a teaspoon
of dried basil, then stir it all together.
The last sauce to make is the chimichurri.
All you have to do is add half a bunch of washed parsley,
half a bunch of washed cilantro,
two tablespoons of olive oil,
half a tablespoon of red wine vinegar,
one clove of minced garlic
and a pinch each of salt and pepper
to a blender or a Magic Bullet.
Blend until smooth, then pour it
into a mason jar and stick it in the fridge.
Easy-peasy!
Okay, last on the list for ingredient prep is our proteins.
I like to do proteins last
so you don't contaminate your veggies with raw chicken.
This is going to be pretty quick;
the only protein you need to prep
is the Hasselback chicken.
Take 2 chicken breasts,
then create horizontal slits across them.
Make sure they are nice and wide and deep
so you can stuff your peppers and onions in,
then rub them with a bit of olive oil and taco seasoning.
You can use a store-bought taco seasoning
or make your own using a combination of chili powder,
garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
I like to make a big batch of taco seasoning,
then store it in my pantry so I always have some on hand.
From there, take the bell peppers
and red onions you sliced up earlier
and stuff them into the slits.
Stick the chicken breasts into a glass baking dish
covered with foil, pop them in the fridge,
and you're all set.
All you have to do is pull them out of the fridge
and stick them in the oven or on the BBQ
when you're ready to cook them.
I do suggest cooking these stuffed chicken breasts
pretty soon after prepping them,
so if you prep them on a Sunday,
make sure to cook them by the Monday or Tuesday,
depending on the expiry dates on the chicken.
And there you have it! Now all your food prep
for the week is done and out of the way.
Since everything's cut up, mixed and prepped in advance,
you'll only have to spend 15 to 20 minutes
each night actually cooking.
That leaves plenty of time for soaking up the sun
or relaxing outside.
It might seem like a lot of work right now,
but it doesn't take very long once you get into it,
and it's a total game-changer when it comes to meal prep.
Alright, now that the prep is finished,
I'm going to show you how quickly all
of these recipes come together.
As I mentioned before, each recipe makes two servings,
which is perfect for those living solo
or couples who prep lunch separately.
If you're cooking for a larger family,
you can find the full recipes with four servings each
in my summer meal prep blog post,
which is linked to in the description below.
That's where you can also find the written instructions
for the ingredient prep I just showed you!
Okay, diving into the recipes.
To kick things off,
we're going to make the Hasselback Fajita Stuffed Chicken.
We're cooking it Monday since the breasts are stuffed
and ready to go into the oven.
To start, preheat the oven to 450 degrees
and pull out the sweet potatoes you chopped up on Sunday.
Toss them with half a tablespoon of olive oil,
one teaspoon of chili powder, one teaspoon of paprika,
one teaspoon of garlic powder
and half a teaspoon of salt, then add them
to a medium-sized oven-safe dish.
Stick the dish in the oven
and roast the sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile you can cook the chicken.
Since you've already stuffed the chicken,
really all you need to do is stick it in the oven
or grill it over medium-high heat for 15 minutes.
When the 15 minutes is up, sprinkle a quarter
of a cup of shredded cheese over top.
I like using a pre-shredded Tex Mex blend
because it really plays
into those fajita-inspired flavors.
Stick the cheese-topped chicken back in the oven
or on the grill for another 5 minutes
until the cheese has melted, and then serve
with your sweet potatoes and your favorite toppings.
I love adding on some cilantro, sour cream and fresh salsa.
See how easy that was?
Just a bit of prep at the beginning of the week
can be a lifesaver after a busy day at school or work.
Okay, onto recipe number two.
These street corn Cajun chicken tacos
we're making next are going to bring a fun spin
to your Taco Tuesday.
They're packed full of amazing flavors
and are a great way to enjoy some fresh summer corn
on the cob!
Plus, who doesn't love tacos?
All right, since the corn is already prepped,
this dish comes together super fast.
You can make them on the BBQ or in the oven,
but I'm going to show you how to make it
on the grill today.
Preheat the BBQ to medium-high heat and coat half a pound
of boneless skinless chicken breasts
in half a tablespoon of olive oil
and half a tablespoon of Cajun seasoning.
If you don't have any Cajun seasoning on hand,
it's super easy to make your own using a blend
of chili powder, paprika, cumin,
garlic powder and salt and pepper.
Okay, once the chicken is seasoned,
add it to the grill or a 425 degree oven
and cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While the chicken cooks,
pull out the pre-made street corn
and chopped up peppers and red onion.
Brush six corn tortillas with olive oil
and stick them on the grill beside the chicken
for 2-3 minutes until they're nice and toasted.
You can also just microwave them
for a few seconds to soften them up.
Next, you're going to sauté the diced bell peppers
and red onions in a skillet with some olive oil,
salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes
until they've got a nice charred finish to them.
Remove the Cajun chicken from the grill,
slice it up and assemble your tacos with all the fixings!
Now you've got the tastiest summer tacos
that are ready in half the time.
You can store any leftovers separately
in the fridge then assemble your tacos fresh,
but honestly, these tacos are so good
that I doubt you're even going to have leftovers.
Okay, recipe number 3!
Next up is the chimichurri chicken,
which you can make on the BBQ, in the oven or in a skillet.
Chimichurri is one
of those quintessential summer seasonings,
and since you've already made the sauce,
it'll be ready in a snap.
Just cook your chicken, then add the sauce on top.
I like using four boneless skinless chicken thighs
for this recipe, but if you prefer white meat
or want to cut down on calories,
feel free to swap out the chicken thighs
for one boneless skinless chicken breast.
Just make sure to slice the breast thinly
in half lengthwise so that the cooking time stays the same.
Okay, so first, cook the chicken,
either on the BBQ for 10-12 minutes
or in the oven or a skillet for 12-15 minutes.
If you're making it on the BBQ,
make sure to flip it halfway through
so it cooks nice and evenly.
While the chicken is cooking,
you can make the baby potatoes
and veggies to serve on the side.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
and pull out the baby potatoes,
red pepper and red onion you prepped ahead of time.
Drain the water from the baby potatoes
and toss everything in half a tablespoon of olive oil,
half a tablespoon of lemon juice,
half a teaspoon of paprika
and half a teaspoon of garlic powder,
then season with some salt and pepper.
Add it all to a parchment-lined baking sheet
and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
If you're making your chicken on the grill,
you can cook the potatoes
and veggies in a foil packet alongside the chicken,
which is a great option if you want to cut down on dishes.
Once the chicken is done,
top it with that amazing chimichurri sauce you made earlier,
serve with the potatoes and veggies and enjoy.
If you're as obsessed with chimichurri as I am,
you can double up on this recipe
and freeze half the chicken
in the marinade in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for later.
It'll last in the freezer for up to 3 months
so you can pull it out
whenever you're craving a taste of summer.
Okay, the fourth recipe we're going to make
is the meal prep chicken souvlaki bowls.
These bowls are amazing for meal prep
and are a great option for work or school lunches.
You can also have them for dinner.
Everything comes together on the grill,
so you don't have to heat up your house with the oven.
Since you already have the quinoa,
veggies and marinade ready to go from Sunday,
all you have to do is stick everything on the grill.
Preheat the BBQ to medium-high heat
and marinate half a pound of chicken breasts
in that delicious souvlaki marinade you made earlier.
Let it marinate for about 15 minutes, then grill
for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While the chicken is cooking,
take out the pre-cut veggies
and toss them with half a tablespoon
of olive oil and some salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add the veggies to skewers, then stick them
on the grill for about 10 minutes.
If you're super organized,
you can add them on for the last 10 minutes
of the chicken's cooking time
so that everything finishes at the same time.
Once the chicken and veggies are done,
let them cool slightly, then dice up the chicken
and add everything to your bowls.
Top with a quarter of a cup of tzatziki et voila!
You can easily take them for lunch the next day
or eat them fresh for dinner.
If you're taking them for lunch
or reheating them for dinner the next night,
make sure to sprinkle some water over top
of your chicken before microwaving
so that the chicken doesn't dry out.
It'll also help you avoid
that dreaded leftover chicken taste.
Okay, you've seen 4 amazing, healthy recipes made easy
thanks to ingredient prep,
so to finish things off,
I'm going to show you how to make
the best-ever grilled shrimp.
This marinade is so freaking good
that you're going to want to make it over and over.
Since the marinade is already mixed together,
all you have to do is marinate, then cook the shrimp.
You can make this shrimp on the grill or the stovetop.
First up, you want to marinate
about half a pound of shrimp
in that yummy pre-made marinade for at least 15 minutes.
Then you'll want to preheat the BBQ to 425 degrees.
Once your shrimp is done marinating,
add the marinated shrimp to skewers.
Grill them for 2 minutes per side,
or saute for 4-5 minutes until no longer pink inside.
I like to serve this shrimp with some arugula
and store-bought garlic bread,
so cook your garlic bread according
to the package instructions while the shrimp is cooking.
Usually this can also be done on the grill.
Now serve and dig in!
And there you have it,
five easy summer meal prep recipes
that are ready in a flash with just a bit
of ingredient prep at the beginning of the week.
It's especially helpful during the summer
when you want to spend as much time outside
taking advantage of the warm weather,
These recipes I just showed you all make two servings
so you can make one for dinner
and one for lunch the next day,
so just be sure to store all your leftovers
in airtight glass containers
and sprinkle some water over top
of any meat before reheating so it stays nice and moist.
Okaym guys, now that I've saved all
that time on prep and cooking,
I'm going to head out to my balcony
and take advantage of this gorgeous summer weather.
Don't forget, I've got a prep ahead checklist
and grocery list for this meal plan
that you can download to follow along with this video,
so be sure to head to the link in the description
to check that out.
I hope you enjoyed this summer menu.
Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you follow it,
and give this video a thumbs up
if you want more ingredient prep plans from me.
I'm thinking I'll make spring,
fall and winter plans as well.
Okay, that's all from me for today.
Thanks for hanging out with me in my kitchen,
and I'll see you in the next video.