Tag: MealPrep

Reasons Why You Should Meal Prep

Food

Meal Prep_1249

Before I moved to  South Florida, I lived for 10 years in Maryland.  During my last eight months living in Maryland, I became unemployed.  As I searched for a new job, I also had a lot of time in my hands.  What did I do to keep my sanity in check? I cooked and I worked out.  During that time I became friends with a new member from my CrossFit gym.  She approached me, and asked me if I was a chef because all the foods I post on Facebook were healthy and delicious.  Of course I am no chef, but I enjoy cooking.  She asked if I would cook for her family.  Create meals ahead of time so they could simply reheat during the week as she had no time to do so.  I accepted and every Sunday morning, I’d prepare three different meals for a family of four.

I looked forward to every Sunday, as not only did I enjoy cooking for them, but they were a great family as well.  Her daughter and son were just what I would call, the dream kids I’d love to have.  It was just a great experience cooking for them and giving me the privilege to do so.

Now that I live in South Florida, have a full-time job where commuting is involved, I learned from my favorite family, that I needed to prepare my weekly meals ahead of time.  Here is why:

  • It saves time from cooking after a long day at work, dealing with traffic, and coming home after working out.  Who has time to cook when you are hungry and exhausted? Not I!
  • I save money, as it prevents me from eating out for lunch or dinner.
  • I eat healthier as I only get from the grocery store all veggies, fruits, eggs and meats.
  • I do not waste food as I only purchase the groceries for the week (grocery haul on another blog).

As you can see, those are great reasons why I stick to meal prepping for the week.  Do you meal prep? Have you tried it? Has it worked for you? Feel free to leave a comment.  While I meal prepped, I cleaned, and wrote my blog for the week.  You can cook meals for the week in 3 hours or take your time throughout the day like I do, as I multitask.

My meals are done, packed, and ready for the week.  One motto I like to live by: “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”

Braised Purple Cabbage & Pan Seared NY Strip Steak

Beef, Food

At the age of 10, I would always watch my mother or grandmother cook.  I would always ask both if they would teach me to cook.  Every time I would receive the same response:  “you can learn by watching,” so I did.  I watched every time I was at my grandma’s house what she would do, and I engraved it in my memory over and over.  The same thing I would do when my mother cooked.

A year later, myself or one of my sisters after school, while waiting for my parents to arrive home from college, gave a smart ass response to my mother, when she said: “open the door.”  One of us replied:  “you have the keys.”  My mother and father, got back in the car and left us at home.  Haha! Not so funny now.  LOL

Well, my parents left us and we were hungry.  Here I am, only 11 years old and decided to go ahead and take matters into my own hands and cook for my sisters and I.  I seasoned the chicken and placed it in the electric oven we had.  I turned on the gas stove, and boiled the water, added oil and salt, and washed the rice.  Then in another pot, I made the beans.  All of this, the way my mom would make it.  My parents arrived home, and I told them that I cooked.  I was almost about to get my head chewed off by my mom, when she looked at the rice, beans, and chicken all cooked and ready to eat.

From then on, well, I’ve learned everything on my own, by experimenting, and making recipes my own.  I just “think” that maybe this ingredient and that ingredient would make sense and taste good together.  Don’t get me wrong, I have made mistakes in the kitchen by over seasoning (a funny story I’ll share later).

I love and enjoy cooking.  My greatest satisfaction is trying something new in the kitchen.  A new ingredient, a new recipe, from my traditional Puerto Rican food to other ethnic recipes.  I’m a bit of a foodie, so I’m always willing to try new foods.  It has helped increase my palate (taste buds) and increased my cooking experience.

Today, I decided to start a simple, easy, healthy, and grain free recipe.  Braised purple cabbage is one of my favorite in my list.  Steak, I do not eat it often and when I do, I’m always a bit hesitant on how long I should cook it.  I was always a well done steak person, and in the past few years, I began to like medium-well.  I think that is as raw as I’ll let it go.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe.  Please keep in mind, I do not measure when I cook.    Leave any comments if you try it and how it turned out.

Ingredients:

1/2 chopped purple cabbage

Balsamic vinegar

Water

Salt & Pepper to taste

NY Strip Steak

Instructions:

In medium heat in a pot add the chopped purple cabbage, water, and balsamic.  Cover with a lid, and let it steamed.  Once it no longer looks raw, add salt and pepper to taste.  Continue to cook and add more balsamic if you wish.  Cover with the lid and lower the heat on low and allow it to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes.

Season the steak the way you like it.  I used salt, pepper, smoke paprika, onion powder.  In medium to high heat, place a pan and allow it to get hot first.  Once it is hot, add a little bit of olive oil and place the steak.  Allow it to cook 3-4 minutes per side.

Once cooked, plate, and enjoy!  -Lily

BRAISED PURPLE CABBAGE - PAN SEARED NY STRIP STEAK_1243