Korean style spicy tofu. You can have a container marinate for a couple days or you could eat it right when you make it
Soft Tofu
Gochujang
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds
Green onion
Buy a rectangular package of soft tofu. Slice it into rectangles about 1/2 inch thick. Prepare a marinade of the oil and gochujang and lather it onto the tofu. Add salt to taste. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Hey, from the UK. Maybe it’s different here?
Lather:
Verb
1.form or cause to form a lather.
"soap will not lather in hard water"
2. cover something with liberal amounts of (a substance).
"she lathered a slice of toast with butter"
Also British. I can’t find the second definition in any of the major dictionaries.
Cambridge dictionary:
lather
verb [ I or T ]
UK /ˈlɑː.ðər/ US /ˈlæð.ɚ/
to produce a lather from soap, or to cover something or someone in lather
slather
verb
to spread something thickly on something else:
She slathered lotion on/all over her body.
She slathered her toast with butter.
https://wikidiff.com/lather/slather
Grain salads with lots of vegetables. I'm using farro, and have two in my fridge right now. One with two red/orange peppers, cucumber, lightly steamed asparagus, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, chickpeas, and feta cheese, dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. The other has edamame, chopped broccoli, quick fried zucchini, a red onion and a red pepper, with a sesame soy garlic chili sauce.
Next week I'm going to try a black bean/corn salad.
I have about a gallon of quinoa, feta, steamed cauliflower and green beans, green onions, kalamata olives and cucumber in a lemon vinaigrette for the next couple of days.
Picnic staple in our house growing up was a cold cooked rice salad tossed with chopped gherkins, celery, carrots, chunks of tinned salmon, in a curried mayonnaise dressing.
Okay this reminded me.. I make a lentil salad that slaps. Cook whatever lentils then add small diced veggies. It's really whatever your pallet likes but I recommend a base with parsley, lemon, red onion, cucumber and just a lil evoo. Add ins: bell pepper, jalapeno, corn, beans, fresh peas, you name it. It usually disappears before I have a second helping. Love your idea of artichoke hearts and olives!
I’m adding protein to my diet and made a huge grain salad yesterday! I just googled “top vegetable proteins” and shoved them all in a big pile. Aduki beans, chickpeas, lentils, edamame, etc.
The taste is pretty neutral and satisfying so you could dress it up however you want. I made a creamy lemon feta dressing and added pomegranate seeds, red onion, and cucumber.
we go through buckets of chickpeas in this house, we both love them and i need protein. sometimes when we're lazy we'll make a chickpea salad: either just straight out of the tin with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, cumin and maybe some veggies or other spices, or with kale, red onion, cukes, red pepper, feta, whatever else we have around + some vinaigrette! so good, based on the suggestions in this thread i'm gonna get some lentils and farro to add in, too
Yes I’ve just discovered this mode of eating and it’s so versatile! Lots of combinations to try.
Do you used canned chickpeas or dehydrated? Seems like the dehydrated are much cheaper but a bit more work. But if you prepped a huge pile, you could freeze the rest. I’m considering making up bulk protein grain piles with no dressing or extras and freezing them to use as salad bases.
that is SUCH a great idea, i wish i had a bigger freezer! we use canned pretty much exclusively in part because we can pop one open and eat immediately, but i've been wanting to get dried ones for awhile and try out using them, especially as i've read those are a bit better for hummus. they stay looming at me from the bean shelf, daring me to buy them and leave them sitting unopened in my cupboard for a year
You'd have to do some research or talk to a dietitian, but my research indicates that high fiber/high protein grains are okay in moderation with lots of vegetables and protein. Fat also slows the digestion of carbs and smooths out glucose spikes. I prefer olive oil and natural fats like olives, eggs, avocados, and cheese. My husband is on the verge of T2 diabetes, and I'm hoping to lower his A1C through diet first.
So, "a grain, a green, and a bean" is a pretty good starting point. I also stock up on chicken breast when it's on sale, and marinate (oil, vinegar, and spices) and bake it, so we have a quick tasty protein that can be added to green salads, grain salads, and low carb wraps.
They're basically all the same. I try for 1C dried grain to 1 lb veggies, with a protein added in. I'm one of those people who doesn't measure, so it's pretty much by taste. The quantities for the grain below are dried, then I prepare it according to the package, adding bouillon for extra flavor.
For what I have in the fridge, this is what I threw in:
2C farro, 2 sweet bell peppers, chopped, a bundle of asparagus chopped and lightly steamed, an English cucumber, chopped with the skin on, half a red onion diced, a can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained, about a 1/3C sliced kalamata olives, and a 6-oz container of feta crumbles.
The dressing is a basic vinaigrette is 1/3C olive oil, the juice and zest of one lemon, salt, pepper, 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, and basil, or whatever other herbs. I use garlic paste and mixed Italian herb paste that's sold in tubes by the produce.
The second is, 2C farro, 12 oz frozen shelled edamame, 16 oz frozen chopped broccoli, (both steamed until not frozen) 1 zucchini chopped and fried in oil with garlic paste, (an experiment, but I couldn't tell - I'm going to steam it next time) 1 red pepper chopped, and half a red onion chopped.
The soy chili sesame garlic sauce is around 1/3C soy sauce, a Tbsp each of garlic chili oil and tahini, a tsp of toasted sesame oil, and 1/2-3/4C rice vinegar with 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. I tinker with it so nothing is too overwhelming.
Quinoa doesn't really soak up dressing, but farro does, so I'll double the dressing to keep it from getting too dry if it's not going to get eaten within 24 hours.
I made it.
It's basically [this quinoa salad recipe](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/quinoa-salad/) with the vinaigrette doubled because while quinoa doesn't really soak up liquids, farro does.
I also use [herb paste in tubes](https://www.gourmetgarden.com/en-us/products#Paste) because it's easy and they stay fresh for quite a long time in the fridge - I just dolloped in garlic and Italian herb pastes. But it's the lemon that really makes it, I think.
I make some version of this almost monthly and it is an absolute fave. Peanut sauce & usually change it up between some mix of rice or various noodles, sautéed veggies, and/or chicken. Hits every time.
Homemade all the way. easy to adjust depending on your pref. Costco pb is a personal fave if it’s accessible to you- not as sweet as main brands. also became a big fan of PBFit recently bc it’s less sweet, better macros, and easy to control the consistency.
1/4 c. pb. 1 1/2 tb rice vinegar. 1 tbsp sesame oil.
1 tbsp honey. 2-4 tbsp soy sauce. Few dashes fish sauce.
1+ tbsp sambal chili paste (sriracha works too).
Juice 1-2 lime wedges.
1/3 c. hot water (+/- depending on pref)
^ This is a good base ratio I’ve figured out and just adjust for desired thickness, spice, tang, etc. the hot water makes it easy to dissolve/blend thicker pb
Lentil salad: Precooked brown lentils, frozen spinach, goat cheese or feta, Italian dressing, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. Mix and eat hot or cold. Obviously thaw the spinach and squeeze out the water first.
Dang, I gotta try this with the dried cranberries. My similar go to is pre cooked lentils, pre made bruschetta (Trader Joe’s) and throw in some feta or goat cheese.
It's funny that's how I was introduced to them my Grandpa liked them with saltine crackers and yellow mustard! That's still how I love them! My mom liked cream cheese instead of mustard but still...and honestly I have/could eat them plain out of the can if necessary!
I'm not into the smoked oysters so much my mom loved them and even my seven year old will eat them straight out of the tin. I wish I did, it's weird cuz I love clams and mussels but not oysters. Everything bagels are the goat lol is non dairy cream cheese any good or it's just cuz of dietary restrictions?
1 lb Chopped broccoli or broccoli slaw with almonds, red onion, dried cranberries and 2 or 3 grilled chicken breasts. I make a dressing with
3 parts olive oil
3 parts mayo
1.5 parts rice vinegar
1 part dijon mustard
.5 part honey
Garlic powder salt and pepper
Good for 3 or 4 meals
Yes. Cut up relatively small. You can blanche in boiling water for 30 sec to a minute and ice bath to stop cooking, but it wont make it more tender, just more green. It's supposed to be super crunchy.
What's wrong with uncooked broccoli? I live in Canada and veggie trays are super popular. Raw carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower are usually included with some sort of dip. People eat it at most parties.
So I love using
* [Kenji's peanut sambal dressing ](https://www.seriouseats.com/spicy-peanut-noodle-salad-with-cucumbers-red-peppers-recipe)
* Din Tai Fung's [spicy wonton sauce ](https://whattocooktoday.com/spicy-wonton-sauce.html) for noodles
* Or you can use ATK's [Liang Mian](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/16214-liang-mian-chilled-sesame-noodles) recipe
* NYT [soba salad ](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012786-soba-salad)
* [Satay sauce ](https://www.seriouseats.com/spicy-peanut-sauce-recipe)
Ham salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, fresh fruit cut and ready to eat, salad vegetables prepped and ready to add to green leafy vegetables, and cucumbers and sour cream
[this](https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/05/pasta-salad-with-roasted-tomatoes/) is literally the best pasta salad ever created and it gets better as it sits in the fridge.
the tomatoes and the dressing both seem meh on their own but trust the process.
Slow baked tomatoes are incredible. Normally I don't much care for leftover pasta salad (dressing tends to compromise pasta texture IMO) but am going to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
i def adore slow baked tomatoes but the tiny ones tend to get weird and bitter. i was pleasantly surprised how the final product came out the first time i made it. cuz i tried a tomato and was like OH NOOOO.
I like to spend an hour or two chopping and roasting veggies so I can eat them all week- sometimes cold, on a salad, or roasted as a side.
If I'm feeling grains that week I'll cook some quinoa or barley or both and mix em up (and toss in some hemp seeds once the grains are cooled). To flavor ill use chicken stock and some butter or olive oil and hella chopped herbs. Like healthy rice a roni. I've got a huge chive plant at the moment so there is almost always chives and parsley or dill.
NYT cooking has an AMAZING sardine salad recipe I'll prep, maybe sub out a can of tuna for one of the cans of sardines. So good, get those omegas.
Sometimes I'll get a rotisserie chicken, or marinate a block of tofu in boiling salted water and soy sauce, then sliced and baked into nuggets.
All of those things or a combo on mixed greens make work lunches and dinner throughout the week super easy.
Also, microwaved corn on the cob is delicious when the corn is good and is done in 4 minutes. Check our americas test kitchen for instructions but really I do 2 ears steamed in husk for 4 minutes.
Bean salads
My favorite:
Red onion, red bell pepper, celery, parsley, pickled banana pepper rings, jarred roasted red pepper, salami (I prefer spicy, but you do you), mozzarella (the logs or the balls, not shredded), canellini beans, chickpeas. [Feel free to add other veg. Sometimes I add cucumber and carrots.]
Chop all the veg, meat, and cheese. Drain and rinse the beans.
Make a dressing of red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano. Whisk together and pour over the other ingredients. Stir to combine.
Holds up great in the fridge. Full of fiber, veggies, protein.
Egg salad, destructured club sandwich (keep ingredients in deli cups and compose when hungry), daikon and apple salad (2 part shredded daikon to 1 part shredded apple, salt and sugar to taste ; you can squeeze out the juices and let it lightly ferment over 24-48 hours), tuna-onion-white bean salad (Italian classic)
Philly Hoagie Dip. If I'm using it all right away for a potluck I add the lettuce. If I'm using for meal prep I'll add the lettuce day of. Good as a salad, topping for toast/crackers or in a hoagie.
I’ll premake pasta and make alfredo on the fly with precut onions and garlic, heavy cream and parm. You can do basically the same thing with cherry tomatoes to make a red sauce dish as well.
Actually just found in an old comment!
My recipe is-
-1 lb pasta
-sesame oil 3 tablespoons
-Rice vinegar 3 tablespoons
-soy sauce 4 tablespoons
-Peanut butter half a cup
-brown sugar 2 tablespoons
-ginger 1.5 tablespoons (I buy the tubes or jars but you can do fresh too)
-garlic 5ish cloves
-chili crisp 2 tablespoons
-black & toasted sesame seeds about 2.5 tablespoons
-salt/pepper/chili flakes to taste
-chopped green onions on top/chopped peanuts if you please. Just don't refrigerate the peanuts or they get soggy
Basically whisk it all together, make your noodles, then mix. I save 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for right when the noodles are done. The ingredients are kinda expensive all at once but once you got em you're good
Sandwiches and wraps. I always keep salad, prepped mushrooms, cheese, olives and tomatoes in the fridge, so it takes literally 1 minute to throw one together.
Also have frozen fish and chips on hand, which are ready in 10 minutes in the air fryer with no prep required.
I'm a big fan of recreated American style Chinese food. (To keep the "omg it's not real Chinese food police off me)
Mushu Chicken, Mongolian Chicken, Wonton Soup etc.
Mushu is super simple too, just stir fryed cabbage/chicken + hoisin sauce.
Burrito bowls are an easy go-to for me, they're easy to throw together and require minimal cooking. I usually use some combination of the below:
* Cooked quinoa
* Black beans (season with chili powder)
* Corn kernels (season with salt, black pepper, and oregano)
* Roasted diced sweet potato (season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cumin)
* Cherry tomatoes
* Red onion, sliced thinly
* Salsa verde
* Sour cream (or plain greek yogurt)
* Fresh lime
my husband really likes cowboy caviar. its black beans, corn, chopped onion and bell pepper, tomato, chicken baked with adobo seasoning, cilantro, avocado, in a light lime vinaigrette. serve with corn chips
me? ill just stick to peanut butter and banana on wheat bread.
I've been obsessed with making a version of [this dan dan noodle recipe](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dan-dan-noodles-12245144). it's awesome hot but it's equally as awesome as cold leftovers.
tips & changes i make:
- over my weekend, while making another meal i'll prep the chili oil and the peanut sauce and keep in the fridge. i chop the bok choy (or i buy pre washed baby bok choi). i also mince garlic & ginger & other veggies for the stir fry at the same time so it's all prepped and ready to go for quick dinner during the week.
- if i make the chili oil myself i use [a different recipe](https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-make-chili-oil/), and mostly use gochugaru pepper flakes due to household preferences. i add shallots & garlic and a bunch of other stuff. otherwise i just buy chili crisp.
- i use whatever wine or alcohol or vinegar i have on hand.
- we add green onions (whites go in stir fry along with ginger & garlic, greens on top after cooking), sometimes shredded carrots, and sometimes mushrooms, broccoli, whatever else we have lying around.
- i make it with a pound of ground pork and a full package of Hakubaku brand ramen, plus a ton of bok choy. it turns out to be a LOT of food.
- i love to put lime juice and cilantro on top if we have them.
if my vegetarian roomie joins us, i sauté bok choy with ginger & garlic & veggies and add small amount of mushroom better than bullion plus the wine & soy sauce, and add an egg or two on top of their bowl for protein. this would be awesome cold as well.
Just chopped up toasted bread, cucumber, tomato, pickled red onion, mixed with arugula, olive oil, S&P, lots of fresh basil and topped with burrata and balsamic glaze. Add meat if you want more protein. Super easy and really good.
Any of the lettuce cup veggie + sauced meat dishes, as long as you keep the various prepped ingredients separate. If you can microwave some bo la lot or leftover kbbq, or even get fancy with a kettle and a bowl and do a rice wrapper, you’re golden. I know that’s a tiny bit of hot prep, but no stove.
Any of the mama-love Japanese or Korean lunch boxes. Onigiri is great with tuna or chicken salad.
Somen with tsuyu.
Pre-mix some chive and lemon zest cream cheese, get your mandoline ready for that cucumber, tea sandwiches in a couple minutes. Don’t pre-make tea sandwiches, it’s a soggy/stale weird experience.
Steak salad. Or marinated tempeh salad. Or chicken salad salad. Just be sure to have crunchy bits like toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds on hand to counteract the squish from the cold protein. You could put these in lettuce cups instead of tossing a fancy salad, too.
Do you have access to garden space? Even a balcony or communal plot? Grabbing a handful of mint or a half-dozen cherry tomatoes on your way in from work makes a quick dinner so much better.
Pre prep your julienned vegetables for spring rolls with peanut sauce and let everybody dip their rice wraps and customize. Once the home grown tomatoes are ready, panzanella, gazpacho and bruschetta. 3 Bean salad, macaroni salad. Chickpea salad sandwiches, tofu/chicken salad in a wrap.
I make Cabbage Ramen salad weekly during the summer, and we eat it with all sorts of leftover proteins and additions as the mood strikes.
We also make what was going around as the "Jennifer Anniston" salad a lot.
We keep things on hand for "grown up lunchables" as well, whatever cheeses and meats sound good added with veggies and dips and crackers.
Rice bowl think inspired by a local poke place, I usually microwave a quarter to half cup of rice, but with some sauce it's fine cold., add in salad greens, then top with various things in the fridge, fake crab, tuna, cucumber, seaweed salad, quick-pickled cucumber, edemame, sauces, just whatever seems like it would fit and taste good.
Greek chicken salad with red grapes. It is delicious! I strip a rotisserie chicken and double the amounts of everything else in any of the recipes online. We keep a big bowl in the fridge during the summer for a quick light and tasty lunch/dinner. Put on bread, hamburger buns, or a tortilla roll up. Also yummy over salad greens.
My families macaroni salad. It's a meal all by itself.
It's just a pound of cooked macaroni, either cooked shrimp (and other seafood) or diced ham, diced pepperoni, etc. Add in plenty of chopped garden veggies like red and yellow bell peppers, a bit of onion if you like it, seeded and chopped cukes, chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced celery, crookneck squash, green onions... basically if you can eat it cold, it's good in this salad!
Now mix in enough mayo to just hold the salad together, don't drench it! Then stir in half a bottle of good italian dressing, chopped parsley and some basil.
It's even better then second day!
Potato salad with a ton of eggs, ham cubes, cheese cubes, bell pepper bits
and black olives or a fruit like apples.
Sandwich
Egg salad for sandwiches
Devilish eggs
Three bean salad in vinagrette - it should last a week
tomato salad, cut up tomatos, onions, garlic in a vinagrette, same it last a long time.
Chia seed pudding. I love it with canned coconut milk and cardamom. I don’t sweeten it but if you want sweet - go for it. I get the milk up to a simmer, turn it off and soak the freshly ground cardamom seeds for an hour or two to infuse flavor. Then mix in chia seeds, a little vanilla and refrigerate.
Pasta salad. I make an antipasti one that gets better as it sits. Cubed ham salami and provolone, shaved parm, pasta, balsamic vinaigrette, tomato, red onion, and every olive/pepper/pickly thing I have on hand. I also throw in romaine but if you're offended by soggy lettuce don't do that.
Don't forget about cold soba. You can buy the dipping sauce premade, otherwise there's a bunch of recipes out there. Top with sliced scallions and radish.
You can add any leftover protein too if you like.
I keep bagged chopped salad in the fridge plus a few containers of fresh raw veggies from the market. I prep a variety of proteins each weekend. That way, we can all have a salad that suits our tastes without having to heat up the kitchen.
I usually cook carbs (potatoes with peppers and onions, ranchero beans, maybe some quinoa or farro) in a big batch. Throughout the week I can put them in bowls as a base, use as filler for tacos, etc. Even better if there’s a meat ready in the fridge like a rotisserie chicken or cut up roasted tri tip.
For me it's either fresh whole foods or the most preserved shit you can find. I can't stand frozen prepped food that's supposed to be healthy, but I'll eat ramen noodles and canned soup lol
Beans and rice. It's cheap and easy. Once a week I pressure cook beans in green chili/ water and just eat it with rice when im grazing the fridge for food. If I'm feeling fancy I'll dice a tomato to throw in but I guess a can of rotel while it's cooking would be similar.
Toast with butter and jam. Self explanatory. Preferably sourdough. Takes effort tho.
Pickles and cheese
Any fresh fruit. Cherries, grapes, strawberries, and blubes are all perfect right now and all you gotta do is put them in a bowl
- **Lentil salad**: I love cooking off lentils and mixing with finely chopped red pepper, carrots, Persian cucumber, onion, and celery and doing a red miso and maple syrup dressing with avocado oil.
- **Korean potato salad**: riff on the American version but it’s roughly mashed and add in diced carrots, cucumber, apples lots of hard boiled eggs and also… ham. It’s delicious. You can use regular mayo but kewpie is sublime. I like to also add in Greek yogurt to up the protein.
- **Kani salad**: Kani (fake crab, I’m Korean, lol),finely julienned cucumber + carrots. I use sesame, agave, a touch of sriracha, vinegar and mayo. I love wrapping it up with some gim (seaweed).
- **Greek Quinoa Salad**: quinoa, cucumbers, onion, olives, tomatoes, feta dried oregano and lots of parsley with a lemony red wine vinaigrette.
I like to make a whole jar of doctored spaghetti sauce. I only make the amount of pasta I need, and put the leftover sauce in the fridge. When I want the leftovers all I need to do is boil some more pasta.
I just really hate the texture of reheated pasta, so this was an awesome realization for me.
Other things I like to make large quantities of are potato soup (usually pretty cheap to make and also simple), taco meat and chili verde. And if you have an air fryer it can open up a lot more options for reheated food. Things like pizza and fried chicken come out almost as good as when it was fresh.
You can load up a pasta salad with healthy veggies and beans for protein. I like to use fusilli or similar pasta with olives, artichokes, white beans, onion, garlic, celery, roasted peppers, and feta cheese; pair it with a red wine or balsamic vinaigrette and some fresh oregano and cracked black pepper.
Cold sesame peanut noodles are good, too. My go-to recipe is simple; chunky peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger for the sauce with whatever noodles you've got and topped with sesame seeds and green onions.
Marinated veggie salad. Zucchini zoodles, any other vegetables you like sliced or diced. I mix up a dressing of olive oil,sesame oil, lemon juice and vinegar, herbs and red pepper with an emulsifier (sunflower lecithin) and throw all the veggies together. Marinade for a couple days. It keeps for about a week. Go heavier on vinegar as the moisture leaches out of your veggies it mellows your dressing.
Maybe I’m a fucking weirdo for this but I really like cold chilli but it’s gotta be a thicker chilli. I’ll usually add a bunch of hot sauce and some yellow mustard and just eat it cold.
English-style cold roast chicken cucumber and mayonnaise and watercress sandwich - alternatively cold roast pork mustard and apple; alternatively cold beef, horseradish and tomatoes alternatively cold poached trout & horseradish - with plenty of flaky salt & blackpepper with a side order of plain crisps
Chicken Pasta Caesar salad:
2C sliced Romain lettuce
6-8 oz pasta, cooked al dente (I use penne)
6 oz diced Chicken
Some cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
A few green onions, sliced
Basil, chopped, a few garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
4 oz Macedonian feta (it's creamier than other feta)
1/3 cup Caesar dressing.
Mix it all together. Got this from a cooking light magazine decades ago. Make it frequently.
Everything in a pot* add rice and water, boil and eat.
*of course, brown, boil and add cold as needed, use some spices and make it nice.
My favourite is if I have some ham - sauté onions, add rice and curry powder, fry for 2 min., add carrots fry for 1-2 min., add rice and water (1:2), boil 'till the rice is nearly done, remove lid and add diced ham and frozen peas. Let steam "dry".
Saw the Smitten Kitchen love in another comment and wanted to share this, which is a perpetual favorite: https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/02/sweet-potato-salad-with-pepita-dressing/
Good when the sweet potatoes and dressing are slightly warm and just as good cold for leftovers. Easy to riff too, I usually mix it in with arugula, use goat cheese in place of cotija, and pickled onions instead of scallions. Plus everything bagel seasoning. But just as good prepared as written or with any other modifications - could certainly work with a meat added! Surprisingly filling and plenty o' fiber.
Affordable and low calorie wasn't really a requirement here, but it always is in my house. Roasted chicken sliced or diced tomatoes, jalapeno, lite mayo or no-sugar bbq sauce, and cucumber on 100 calories thins from Aldie's. You gota make it right so the thins don't get soggy. I make about 15 of these at once and graze on them all week. Super low calorie and filling.
I make tortellini salad. Cook tortellini and chill. Then, I add grape tomatoes, large diced cucumbers, and mozzarella cubes or pearls. When I am ready to eat, I add either kKraft zesty italian dressing or Isola cream of balsamic. It's yummy on hot days.
I also make salads in mason jars for quick individual meals (wettest[ dressing] to driest & lettuce on top).
Elbow macaroni, a cup or two of chopped celery, 1/2 cup sliced green onion, about a cup (to taste) sweet relish, mix with mayo and throw in a can of tuna. Salt/pepper etc.
Mix and match from the following (we do this *at least* twice a week for dinner):
- Sliced salami, mortadella, et al;
- paté with mustard and crackers;
- a hunk of good cheese;
- raw radishes, butter, and salt
- a hunk of fresh bread and butter;
- a handful of nuts;
- olives;
- some slices of crunchy vegetable or two with a dollop of aioli, hummus-bit-tahini, or greek yogurt with some raw chopped garlic mixed in ("a mock labne-ma-toum") for dipping;
- a piece of good fruit;
- dried fruit like apricots, raisins, or prunes.
And the obligatory glass of wine and some water.
We call it "cold table".
Look into Romanian salata de beouf. Within the community I’m from it’s most often made with chicken!
https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/beef-salad-salata-de-boeuf/
My favourite cold salads:
Two cans of black beans, two cans of corn, an avocado, a bunch of pickled jalapenos (chopped), juice of two limes, salt -- can add additional things to this like pickled red onions, pepitas, meat like carnitas goes great, eat on a bed of iceberg lettuce if you want more salad in your salad. If I'm adding pepitas, Iike to cook them in a small frying pan in some avocado oil with ground cumin, and use that for the dressing as well.
Iceberg lettuce salad with chicken of choice (sometimes I even use nuggets in the air fryer, rotisserie chicken is also great), cucumber, pepper jack cheese, pepperoncini, corn nuts, avocado, pickled red onions, sliced radish with homemade buttermilk ranch.
Cannellini beans, shallots macerated in red wine vinegar, roasted red peppers, a good soft mozzarella and good canned tuna in olive oil, salt and olive oil, maybe some lemon juice too. Could also add marinated artichoke hearts, capers, etc.
Pasta salad with Greek dressing (lots of lemon and oregano), cucumber, bell pepper (I don't like them raw so tend to cook them in a pan a little first, or use roasted red peppers), feta, olives, capers. My mom's friend makes a very popular pasta salad with sundried tomatoes, black olives and canned tuna.
Chicken fried rice, a batch costs nothing and is amazing warmed up. I make cold noodle salad with chicken, slaw and peanut dressing. There is commonly egg salad in my fridge
Super easy option that’s especially great for summer: coleslaw.
I get a bag of the pre-shredded mix (cabbage and carrots), and prefer a citrus poppyseed dressing. Lately have been using the California Pizza Kitchen brand one. Great easy side or snack, plus the shredded mix seems to last longer than regular bagged salads.
Hainanese chicken. Super easy prep since it's just lean (I use tenderloins to avoid woody breasts) poached in water, though I make a quick stock using better than bouillon, onion, scallions, whatever else is on-hand. I then use that stock to make the rice in an Instant Pot so there are no Bacillus cereus concerns with it being refrigerated for many days.
The real star of course, is the sauces. I make a scallion ginger sauce and a chili soy sauce (more ingredients than that, those are just the primaries, recipes abound). They make what would seem like a bland dish so freaking tasty. I fell in love with it when I had Rooster & Rice in CA.
Pasta salad with a ton of veg. I like a "greek" type one; orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, feta. It's good as is or you can add chopped, cooked chicken or even better, cold pork or chicken or shrimp souvlaki
I don't like microwaves at all, I will use it to heat up water for my wife's tea, but in that note I did work at Walmart for a time an then Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls slap. I always mixed the steak an the meat trio I believe it was with some Cholula Chili garlic
Korean style spicy tofu. You can have a container marinate for a couple days or you could eat it right when you make it Soft Tofu Gochujang Sesame oil Sesame seeds Green onion
Can you elaborate on this? I love tofu and korean stuff but have never done this before!
Buy a rectangular package of soft tofu. Slice it into rectangles about 1/2 inch thick. Prepare a marinade of the oil and gochujang and lather it onto the tofu. Add salt to taste. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
If you don't mind a little fusion, serving it over cold peanut or sesame noodles is divine on a hot day.
Thank you!! I will try this next week!
I think you mean slather. Unless the recipe also includes soap.
Hey, from the UK. Maybe it’s different here? Lather: Verb 1.form or cause to form a lather. "soap will not lather in hard water" 2. cover something with liberal amounts of (a substance). "she lathered a slice of toast with butter"
Also British. I can’t find the second definition in any of the major dictionaries. Cambridge dictionary: lather verb [ I or T ] UK /ˈlɑː.ðər/ US /ˈlæð.ɚ/ to produce a lather from soap, or to cover something or someone in lather slather verb to spread something thickly on something else: She slathered lotion on/all over her body. She slathered her toast with butter. https://wikidiff.com/lather/slather
[https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dubu-jorim](https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dubu-jorim) korean braised tofu is good too
Dubu jorim is the recipe a firm or extra firm tofu is best
Is there a taste difference between hard and soft tofu besides the texture? I want to start using it but have no idea where to start.
No taste difference! Just texture. Firm and extra firm tofu holds up much better without falling apart for cooking applications (like fried tofu!)
Taste? Nah. Just texture imo.
Japchae is another good one.
Grain salads with lots of vegetables. I'm using farro, and have two in my fridge right now. One with two red/orange peppers, cucumber, lightly steamed asparagus, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, chickpeas, and feta cheese, dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. The other has edamame, chopped broccoli, quick fried zucchini, a red onion and a red pepper, with a sesame soy garlic chili sauce. Next week I'm going to try a black bean/corn salad.
I have about a gallon of quinoa, feta, steamed cauliflower and green beans, green onions, kalamata olives and cucumber in a lemon vinaigrette for the next couple of days.
Last year I made this roasted corn and farro salad with a hot brown butter dressing ... yum!
omg that sounds amazing!
I got obsessed with farro last fall. It's so delicious! Not a cold dish, but farroto with butternut squash and sage is heavenly.
Picnic staple in our house growing up was a cold cooked rice salad tossed with chopped gherkins, celery, carrots, chunks of tinned salmon, in a curried mayonnaise dressing.
Okay this reminded me.. I make a lentil salad that slaps. Cook whatever lentils then add small diced veggies. It's really whatever your pallet likes but I recommend a base with parsley, lemon, red onion, cucumber and just a lil evoo. Add ins: bell pepper, jalapeno, corn, beans, fresh peas, you name it. It usually disappears before I have a second helping. Love your idea of artichoke hearts and olives!
Yes!! Same!!!
On my way to raid your fridge
I’m adding protein to my diet and made a huge grain salad yesterday! I just googled “top vegetable proteins” and shoved them all in a big pile. Aduki beans, chickpeas, lentils, edamame, etc. The taste is pretty neutral and satisfying so you could dress it up however you want. I made a creamy lemon feta dressing and added pomegranate seeds, red onion, and cucumber.
we go through buckets of chickpeas in this house, we both love them and i need protein. sometimes when we're lazy we'll make a chickpea salad: either just straight out of the tin with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, cumin and maybe some veggies or other spices, or with kale, red onion, cukes, red pepper, feta, whatever else we have around + some vinaigrette! so good, based on the suggestions in this thread i'm gonna get some lentils and farro to add in, too
Yes I’ve just discovered this mode of eating and it’s so versatile! Lots of combinations to try. Do you used canned chickpeas or dehydrated? Seems like the dehydrated are much cheaper but a bit more work. But if you prepped a huge pile, you could freeze the rest. I’m considering making up bulk protein grain piles with no dressing or extras and freezing them to use as salad bases.
that is SUCH a great idea, i wish i had a bigger freezer! we use canned pretty much exclusively in part because we can pop one open and eat immediately, but i've been wanting to get dried ones for awhile and try out using them, especially as i've read those are a bit better for hummus. they stay looming at me from the bean shelf, daring me to buy them and leave them sitting unopened in my cupboard for a year
[Chickpea anxiety](https://imgur.com/a/EkWSrrQ)
haha you have no idea how much this applies to my life, i am drowning in cans of chickpeas
That sounds delicious!
+1 for cooked grain salads. Try wheat berries, an underrated foodstuff! (Also any ancient grains, Bob's Red Mill has many great options)
This sounds delicious. Are they low glycemic?
You'd have to do some research or talk to a dietitian, but my research indicates that high fiber/high protein grains are okay in moderation with lots of vegetables and protein. Fat also slows the digestion of carbs and smooths out glucose spikes. I prefer olive oil and natural fats like olives, eggs, avocados, and cheese. My husband is on the verge of T2 diabetes, and I'm hoping to lower his A1C through diet first. So, "a grain, a green, and a bean" is a pretty good starting point. I also stock up on chicken breast when it's on sale, and marinate (oil, vinegar, and spices) and bake it, so we have a quick tasty protein that can be added to green salads, grain salads, and low carb wraps.
Oh yes! I make a Farro salad I saw on America's Test kitchen. It has Macedonian feta...yum!
These salads and bowls are my favorite things to prep
Now that recipe I would love to see.
They're basically all the same. I try for 1C dried grain to 1 lb veggies, with a protein added in. I'm one of those people who doesn't measure, so it's pretty much by taste. The quantities for the grain below are dried, then I prepare it according to the package, adding bouillon for extra flavor. For what I have in the fridge, this is what I threw in: 2C farro, 2 sweet bell peppers, chopped, a bundle of asparagus chopped and lightly steamed, an English cucumber, chopped with the skin on, half a red onion diced, a can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained, about a 1/3C sliced kalamata olives, and a 6-oz container of feta crumbles. The dressing is a basic vinaigrette is 1/3C olive oil, the juice and zest of one lemon, salt, pepper, 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, and basil, or whatever other herbs. I use garlic paste and mixed Italian herb paste that's sold in tubes by the produce. The second is, 2C farro, 12 oz frozen shelled edamame, 16 oz frozen chopped broccoli, (both steamed until not frozen) 1 zucchini chopped and fried in oil with garlic paste, (an experiment, but I couldn't tell - I'm going to steam it next time) 1 red pepper chopped, and half a red onion chopped. The soy chili sesame garlic sauce is around 1/3C soy sauce, a Tbsp each of garlic chili oil and tahini, a tsp of toasted sesame oil, and 1/2-3/4C rice vinegar with 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. I tinker with it so nothing is too overwhelming. Quinoa doesn't really soak up dressing, but farro does, so I'll double the dressing to keep it from getting too dry if it's not going to get eaten within 24 hours.
Farro is easy to prepare, delicious, and whole grain. Lasts a while in the refrigerator, too
Do you make or buy the lemon vinaigrette? The farro salad sounds like the best thing in the world right now.
I made it. It's basically [this quinoa salad recipe](https://www.themediterraneandish.com/quinoa-salad/) with the vinaigrette doubled because while quinoa doesn't really soak up liquids, farro does. I also use [herb paste in tubes](https://www.gourmetgarden.com/en-us/products#Paste) because it's easy and they stay fresh for quite a long time in the fridge - I just dolloped in garlic and Italian herb pastes. But it's the lemon that really makes it, I think.
Thank you!
Soba noodles with chopped fresh crunchy veggies and a nice slightly spicy peanut sauce. Leftover shredded chicken if I’m feeling meat-ish.
I make some version of this almost monthly and it is an absolute fave. Peanut sauce & usually change it up between some mix of rice or various noodles, sautéed veggies, and/or chicken. Hits every time.
I usually serve it cold, with raw veggies (perfect hot weather meal), but now I’m inspired to change it up a bit!
What peanut sauce do you like to use? I'm always trying to find the perfect recipe and haven't come across a decent store-bought option!
Homemade all the way. easy to adjust depending on your pref. Costco pb is a personal fave if it’s accessible to you- not as sweet as main brands. also became a big fan of PBFit recently bc it’s less sweet, better macros, and easy to control the consistency. 1/4 c. pb. 1 1/2 tb rice vinegar. 1 tbsp sesame oil. 1 tbsp honey. 2-4 tbsp soy sauce. Few dashes fish sauce. 1+ tbsp sambal chili paste (sriracha works too). Juice 1-2 lime wedges. 1/3 c. hot water (+/- depending on pref) ^ This is a good base ratio I’ve figured out and just adjust for desired thickness, spice, tang, etc. the hot water makes it easy to dissolve/blend thicker pb
Lentil salad: Precooked brown lentils, frozen spinach, goat cheese or feta, Italian dressing, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. Mix and eat hot or cold. Obviously thaw the spinach and squeeze out the water first.
Dang, I gotta try this with the dried cranberries. My similar go to is pre cooked lentils, pre made bruschetta (Trader Joe’s) and throw in some feta or goat cheese.
They really brighten it up.
There's a lentil salad I have a recipe for that has shallots, a sherry shallot dressing, blue cheese, dried cranberries, and diced bacon.
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Henry and Lisa brand at Sprouts is a really good can of sardines
I laughed because my grandpa loved canned gefilte fish. I can still taste the disgusting slime
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It's funny that's how I was introduced to them my Grandpa liked them with saltine crackers and yellow mustard! That's still how I love them! My mom liked cream cheese instead of mustard but still...and honestly I have/could eat them plain out of the can if necessary!
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I'm not into the smoked oysters so much my mom loved them and even my seven year old will eat them straight out of the tin. I wish I did, it's weird cuz I love clams and mussels but not oysters. Everything bagels are the goat lol is non dairy cream cheese any good or it's just cuz of dietary restrictions?
Anything "Bar Harbor" is great! From the sardines and kippers to the Clam chowder
1 lb Chopped broccoli or broccoli slaw with almonds, red onion, dried cranberries and 2 or 3 grilled chicken breasts. I make a dressing with 3 parts olive oil 3 parts mayo 1.5 parts rice vinegar 1 part dijon mustard .5 part honey Garlic powder salt and pepper Good for 3 or 4 meals
Uncooked broccoli?
Yes. Cut up relatively small. You can blanche in boiling water for 30 sec to a minute and ice bath to stop cooking, but it wont make it more tender, just more green. It's supposed to be super crunchy.
What's wrong with uncooked broccoli? I live in Canada and veggie trays are super popular. Raw carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower are usually included with some sort of dip. People eat it at most parties.
Oh see I have all this and it is now this is dinner tonight. Thanks!
Enjoy. I wrote the recipe as "parts" so its scale-able. For that amount I would use tablespoons.
Update: we are eating it now, it's delightful. Totally going into the rotation.
okay so step 1: take a tortilla step 2: eat the tortilla standing in front of the fridge, in a pitch black kitchen, at 4am
* Cold soba noodles/sesame noodles in sauces * Satay and peanut sauce * Hummus / other chickpea dishes *Avocados/guac/ * Smashed cucumber salad
The sauces is the part I have a hard time with! Is there any chance you would part with a few sauce recipes?
So I love using * [Kenji's peanut sambal dressing ](https://www.seriouseats.com/spicy-peanut-noodle-salad-with-cucumbers-red-peppers-recipe) * Din Tai Fung's [spicy wonton sauce ](https://whattocooktoday.com/spicy-wonton-sauce.html) for noodles * Or you can use ATK's [Liang Mian](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/16214-liang-mian-chilled-sesame-noodles) recipe * NYT [soba salad ](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012786-soba-salad) * [Satay sauce ](https://www.seriouseats.com/spicy-peanut-sauce-recipe)
Ack sorry got my comment threads mixed up, will send you one shortly
Ham salad, chicken salad, tuna salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, fresh fruit cut and ready to eat, salad vegetables prepped and ready to add to green leafy vegetables, and cucumbers and sour cream
And pasta salad
[this](https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/05/pasta-salad-with-roasted-tomatoes/) is literally the best pasta salad ever created and it gets better as it sits in the fridge. the tomatoes and the dressing both seem meh on their own but trust the process.
There's loads of great recipes on that site, thanks for the link
SK is the site i always go back to. it's just so good.
I love smitten kitchen
Slow baked tomatoes are incredible. Normally I don't much care for leftover pasta salad (dressing tends to compromise pasta texture IMO) but am going to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
i def adore slow baked tomatoes but the tiny ones tend to get weird and bitter. i was pleasantly surprised how the final product came out the first time i made it. cuz i tried a tomato and was like OH NOOOO.
I have only used this method with plum tomatoes so will keep that in mind!
Oh my gosh this looks so good I love having it in the fridge for work so that would be great, totally going to try this one out!
All the great deli salads are perfect for summer.
yes these especially since its summertime in US
omg ham salad. i grew up in the south and moved away a long time ago. haven't had it in forever.
I like to spend an hour or two chopping and roasting veggies so I can eat them all week- sometimes cold, on a salad, or roasted as a side. If I'm feeling grains that week I'll cook some quinoa or barley or both and mix em up (and toss in some hemp seeds once the grains are cooled). To flavor ill use chicken stock and some butter or olive oil and hella chopped herbs. Like healthy rice a roni. I've got a huge chive plant at the moment so there is almost always chives and parsley or dill. NYT cooking has an AMAZING sardine salad recipe I'll prep, maybe sub out a can of tuna for one of the cans of sardines. So good, get those omegas. Sometimes I'll get a rotisserie chicken, or marinate a block of tofu in boiling salted water and soy sauce, then sliced and baked into nuggets. All of those things or a combo on mixed greens make work lunches and dinner throughout the week super easy. Also, microwaved corn on the cob is delicious when the corn is good and is done in 4 minutes. Check our americas test kitchen for instructions but really I do 2 ears steamed in husk for 4 minutes.
roasted veggies are also perfect on sandwiches & wraps!
Bean salads My favorite: Red onion, red bell pepper, celery, parsley, pickled banana pepper rings, jarred roasted red pepper, salami (I prefer spicy, but you do you), mozzarella (the logs or the balls, not shredded), canellini beans, chickpeas. [Feel free to add other veg. Sometimes I add cucumber and carrots.] Chop all the veg, meat, and cheese. Drain and rinse the beans. Make a dressing of red wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano. Whisk together and pour over the other ingredients. Stir to combine. Holds up great in the fridge. Full of fiber, veggies, protein.
Ceviche is my ultimate out of the fridge summer meal. It's cool, light, citrusy, and delightful in all other ways!
Egg salad, destructured club sandwich (keep ingredients in deli cups and compose when hungry), daikon and apple salad (2 part shredded daikon to 1 part shredded apple, salt and sugar to taste ; you can squeeze out the juices and let it lightly ferment over 24-48 hours), tuna-onion-white bean salad (Italian classic)
Do you have a recipe for the tuna-onion-white bean salad ? Sounds fabulous!👌
Tabouli. Cucumber salad. Slaws of all kinds.
3 bean salad
Orzo salad with peas, feta, scallions and lemon.
Philly Hoagie Dip. If I'm using it all right away for a potluck I add the lettuce. If I'm using for meal prep I'll add the lettuce day of. Good as a salad, topping for toast/crackers or in a hoagie.
Crown deli in Northeast Philly has THE BEST hoagie dip.
A pressed Italian sandwich/sub (ciabatta with fresh mozz, assorted meats, assorted antipasti vegetables, evoo and balsamic vinegar).
I like to do up extra muffuletta whenever I'm making them. Wrap them tightly to give them some compression and lunch is premade.
I’ll premake pasta and make alfredo on the fly with precut onions and garlic, heavy cream and parm. You can do basically the same thing with cherry tomatoes to make a red sauce dish as well.
I love cold Asian noodle salad https://amindfullmom.com/asian-noodle-salad/#recipe
Watermelon and feta salad, avocado/corn/tomato chunky salsa, macaroni salad with chopped green and black olives. Goat cheese with jam or honey.
Look up Korean banchan
Cold pasta with Italian vinaigrette, grated Parmesan, diced red peppers, black olives, and cold shrimp
Cold sesame noodles! So easy to make and you can have all the ingredients on hand at all times. I can share my recipe if you'd like
Please do share
Out in the country rn but I'll share when I get home tmrw!
Actually just found in an old comment! My recipe is- -1 lb pasta -sesame oil 3 tablespoons -Rice vinegar 3 tablespoons -soy sauce 4 tablespoons -Peanut butter half a cup -brown sugar 2 tablespoons -ginger 1.5 tablespoons (I buy the tubes or jars but you can do fresh too) -garlic 5ish cloves -chili crisp 2 tablespoons -black & toasted sesame seeds about 2.5 tablespoons -salt/pepper/chili flakes to taste -chopped green onions on top/chopped peanuts if you please. Just don't refrigerate the peanuts or they get soggy Basically whisk it all together, make your noodles, then mix. I save 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for right when the noodles are done. The ingredients are kinda expensive all at once but once you got em you're good
Yummm that sounds so tasty
Sandwiches and wraps. I always keep salad, prepped mushrooms, cheese, olives and tomatoes in the fridge, so it takes literally 1 minute to throw one together. Also have frozen fish and chips on hand, which are ready in 10 minutes in the air fryer with no prep required.
Pasta salad!!!!
I'm a big fan of recreated American style Chinese food. (To keep the "omg it's not real Chinese food police off me) Mushu Chicken, Mongolian Chicken, Wonton Soup etc. Mushu is super simple too, just stir fryed cabbage/chicken + hoisin sauce.
Olives, tomato, red onion and cucumber chopped; chilled cooked shrimp; feta; vinaigrette. Mix it all when you’re ready to eat and serve on naan.
Burrito bowls are an easy go-to for me, they're easy to throw together and require minimal cooking. I usually use some combination of the below: * Cooked quinoa * Black beans (season with chili powder) * Corn kernels (season with salt, black pepper, and oregano) * Roasted diced sweet potato (season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cumin) * Cherry tomatoes * Red onion, sliced thinly * Salsa verde * Sour cream (or plain greek yogurt) * Fresh lime
my husband really likes cowboy caviar. its black beans, corn, chopped onion and bell pepper, tomato, chicken baked with adobo seasoning, cilantro, avocado, in a light lime vinaigrette. serve with corn chips me? ill just stick to peanut butter and banana on wheat bread.
I’ve meal prepped cowboy caviar for like 5 weeks straight with no end in sight lol. It’s soooo good and healthy!
I've been obsessed with making a version of [this dan dan noodle recipe](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dan-dan-noodles-12245144). it's awesome hot but it's equally as awesome as cold leftovers. tips & changes i make: - over my weekend, while making another meal i'll prep the chili oil and the peanut sauce and keep in the fridge. i chop the bok choy (or i buy pre washed baby bok choi). i also mince garlic & ginger & other veggies for the stir fry at the same time so it's all prepped and ready to go for quick dinner during the week. - if i make the chili oil myself i use [a different recipe](https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-make-chili-oil/), and mostly use gochugaru pepper flakes due to household preferences. i add shallots & garlic and a bunch of other stuff. otherwise i just buy chili crisp. - i use whatever wine or alcohol or vinegar i have on hand. - we add green onions (whites go in stir fry along with ginger & garlic, greens on top after cooking), sometimes shredded carrots, and sometimes mushrooms, broccoli, whatever else we have lying around. - i make it with a pound of ground pork and a full package of Hakubaku brand ramen, plus a ton of bok choy. it turns out to be a LOT of food. - i love to put lime juice and cilantro on top if we have them.
if my vegetarian roomie joins us, i sauté bok choy with ginger & garlic & veggies and add small amount of mushroom better than bullion plus the wine & soy sauce, and add an egg or two on top of their bowl for protein. this would be awesome cold as well.
It's summer; pasta salad, vischisoue, Greek salad, potato salad...
*vichyssoise
Missed it big. Thx.
This isn’t classy, but I’m never more happy than when I have that crescent roll veggie pizza in the fridge.
My fiancée is pickier than I am, so this is actually perfect to have on hand for her!
Just chopped up toasted bread, cucumber, tomato, pickled red onion, mixed with arugula, olive oil, S&P, lots of fresh basil and topped with burrata and balsamic glaze. Add meat if you want more protein. Super easy and really good.
Any of the lettuce cup veggie + sauced meat dishes, as long as you keep the various prepped ingredients separate. If you can microwave some bo la lot or leftover kbbq, or even get fancy with a kettle and a bowl and do a rice wrapper, you’re golden. I know that’s a tiny bit of hot prep, but no stove. Any of the mama-love Japanese or Korean lunch boxes. Onigiri is great with tuna or chicken salad. Somen with tsuyu. Pre-mix some chive and lemon zest cream cheese, get your mandoline ready for that cucumber, tea sandwiches in a couple minutes. Don’t pre-make tea sandwiches, it’s a soggy/stale weird experience. Steak salad. Or marinated tempeh salad. Or chicken salad salad. Just be sure to have crunchy bits like toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds on hand to counteract the squish from the cold protein. You could put these in lettuce cups instead of tossing a fancy salad, too. Do you have access to garden space? Even a balcony or communal plot? Grabbing a handful of mint or a half-dozen cherry tomatoes on your way in from work makes a quick dinner so much better.
Sushi, gazpacho, seafood cocktail, deli sliced meat and cheese, cream cheese (for bagels).
Tortellini pasta salad
Tortellini broccoli salad (cold) is amazing [recipe](https://www.fromvalerieskitchen.com/tortellini-broccoli-salad/)
Pre prep your julienned vegetables for spring rolls with peanut sauce and let everybody dip their rice wraps and customize. Once the home grown tomatoes are ready, panzanella, gazpacho and bruschetta. 3 Bean salad, macaroni salad. Chickpea salad sandwiches, tofu/chicken salad in a wrap.
Great post! I needed this
I make Cabbage Ramen salad weekly during the summer, and we eat it with all sorts of leftover proteins and additions as the mood strikes. We also make what was going around as the "Jennifer Anniston" salad a lot. We keep things on hand for "grown up lunchables" as well, whatever cheeses and meats sound good added with veggies and dips and crackers.
Frozen Normandy Veggie mix and canned spam. A little bit of oil in a pan, crisp up the cubed spam pieces. Add the veggies, season and eat. Amazing!
Pasta or bean salads. Chicken salad is good by itself or on a sando.
Cold rice noodles in spicy peanut sauce… 🤤 Toss with shredded/julienned carrots, cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, cilantro…
Rice bowl think inspired by a local poke place, I usually microwave a quarter to half cup of rice, but with some sauce it's fine cold., add in salad greens, then top with various things in the fridge, fake crab, tuna, cucumber, seaweed salad, quick-pickled cucumber, edemame, sauces, just whatever seems like it would fit and taste good.
Greek chicken salad with red grapes. It is delicious! I strip a rotisserie chicken and double the amounts of everything else in any of the recipes online. We keep a big bowl in the fridge during the summer for a quick light and tasty lunch/dinner. Put on bread, hamburger buns, or a tortilla roll up. Also yummy over salad greens.
Raw salad. Shredded purple cabbage , carrots , Brussel sprouts, green onion. Over soba noodles. Mix with a nice peanut sauce. Serve cold.
My families macaroni salad. It's a meal all by itself. It's just a pound of cooked macaroni, either cooked shrimp (and other seafood) or diced ham, diced pepperoni, etc. Add in plenty of chopped garden veggies like red and yellow bell peppers, a bit of onion if you like it, seeded and chopped cukes, chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced celery, crookneck squash, green onions... basically if you can eat it cold, it's good in this salad! Now mix in enough mayo to just hold the salad together, don't drench it! Then stir in half a bottle of good italian dressing, chopped parsley and some basil. It's even better then second day!
Potato salad with a ton of eggs, ham cubes, cheese cubes, bell pepper bits and black olives or a fruit like apples. Sandwich Egg salad for sandwiches Devilish eggs Three bean salad in vinagrette - it should last a week tomato salad, cut up tomatos, onions, garlic in a vinagrette, same it last a long time.
I smoke a few chicken breasts on Sunday. We eat a couple and bag the rest for meals through the week. Salads, wraps, bowls. It’s handy.
Chia seed pudding. I love it with canned coconut milk and cardamom. I don’t sweeten it but if you want sweet - go for it. I get the milk up to a simmer, turn it off and soak the freshly ground cardamom seeds for an hour or two to infuse flavor. Then mix in chia seeds, a little vanilla and refrigerate.
Pasta salad. I make an antipasti one that gets better as it sits. Cubed ham salami and provolone, shaved parm, pasta, balsamic vinaigrette, tomato, red onion, and every olive/pepper/pickly thing I have on hand. I also throw in romaine but if you're offended by soggy lettuce don't do that.
Kani salad is so good!
Dry brine meat.
Cold cuts, cheese, crackers, pickles and olives.
Don't forget about cold soba. You can buy the dipping sauce premade, otherwise there's a bunch of recipes out there. Top with sliced scallions and radish. You can add any leftover protein too if you like.
I keep bagged chopped salad in the fridge plus a few containers of fresh raw veggies from the market. I prep a variety of proteins each weekend. That way, we can all have a salad that suits our tastes without having to heat up the kitchen.
I usually cook carbs (potatoes with peppers and onions, ranchero beans, maybe some quinoa or farro) in a big batch. Throughout the week I can put them in bowls as a base, use as filler for tacos, etc. Even better if there’s a meat ready in the fridge like a rotisserie chicken or cut up roasted tri tip.
Hagelslag with peanut butter
For me it's either fresh whole foods or the most preserved shit you can find. I can't stand frozen prepped food that's supposed to be healthy, but I'll eat ramen noodles and canned soup lol
Beans and rice. It's cheap and easy. Once a week I pressure cook beans in green chili/ water and just eat it with rice when im grazing the fridge for food. If I'm feeling fancy I'll dice a tomato to throw in but I guess a can of rotel while it's cooking would be similar. Toast with butter and jam. Self explanatory. Preferably sourdough. Takes effort tho. Pickles and cheese Any fresh fruit. Cherries, grapes, strawberries, and blubes are all perfect right now and all you gotta do is put them in a bowl
- **Lentil salad**: I love cooking off lentils and mixing with finely chopped red pepper, carrots, Persian cucumber, onion, and celery and doing a red miso and maple syrup dressing with avocado oil. - **Korean potato salad**: riff on the American version but it’s roughly mashed and add in diced carrots, cucumber, apples lots of hard boiled eggs and also… ham. It’s delicious. You can use regular mayo but kewpie is sublime. I like to also add in Greek yogurt to up the protein. - **Kani salad**: Kani (fake crab, I’m Korean, lol),finely julienned cucumber + carrots. I use sesame, agave, a touch of sriracha, vinegar and mayo. I love wrapping it up with some gim (seaweed). - **Greek Quinoa Salad**: quinoa, cucumbers, onion, olives, tomatoes, feta dried oregano and lots of parsley with a lemony red wine vinaigrette.
Buddha bowls!
I like to make a whole jar of doctored spaghetti sauce. I only make the amount of pasta I need, and put the leftover sauce in the fridge. When I want the leftovers all I need to do is boil some more pasta. I just really hate the texture of reheated pasta, so this was an awesome realization for me. Other things I like to make large quantities of are potato soup (usually pretty cheap to make and also simple), taco meat and chili verde. And if you have an air fryer it can open up a lot more options for reheated food. Things like pizza and fried chicken come out almost as good as when it was fresh.
You can load up a pasta salad with healthy veggies and beans for protein. I like to use fusilli or similar pasta with olives, artichokes, white beans, onion, garlic, celery, roasted peppers, and feta cheese; pair it with a red wine or balsamic vinaigrette and some fresh oregano and cracked black pepper. Cold sesame peanut noodles are good, too. My go-to recipe is simple; chunky peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger for the sauce with whatever noodles you've got and topped with sesame seeds and green onions.
Hummus and pita. Publix Southern style potato salad . I can slam a quart of that if I'm not careful.
Russian salad
Cold lentil salad with diced veggies, parsley, lemon, and olive oil. I make it every week, and it’s always a hit!
Kimchi
A torta, I always have Bolillos ready to eat at home, just cut it, mayo, cheese, ham, avocado and that’s it 🤤
Try maybe this website [KikuGPT](https://kikugpt.gom) it will generate you nice recipes based on what you have or like :)
Cowboy Caviar! I meal prep a batch and eat it all week, but I have to pace myself or I’ll devour the entire thing in no time
Marinated veggie salad. Zucchini zoodles, any other vegetables you like sliced or diced. I mix up a dressing of olive oil,sesame oil, lemon juice and vinegar, herbs and red pepper with an emulsifier (sunflower lecithin) and throw all the veggies together. Marinade for a couple days. It keeps for about a week. Go heavier on vinegar as the moisture leaches out of your veggies it mellows your dressing.
Maybe I’m a fucking weirdo for this but I really like cold chilli but it’s gotta be a thicker chilli. I’ll usually add a bunch of hot sauce and some yellow mustard and just eat it cold.
English-style cold roast chicken cucumber and mayonnaise and watercress sandwich - alternatively cold roast pork mustard and apple; alternatively cold beef, horseradish and tomatoes alternatively cold poached trout & horseradish - with plenty of flaky salt & blackpepper with a side order of plain crisps
Cheese. Usually I will go through the fridge and almost everything in there I can put between a tortilla and make a taco. So let's go with a taco.
I love Tabouli and use the recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^thingonething: *I love Tabouli* *And use the recipe from* *The Moosewood Cookbook.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca - simple pasta with anchovies, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and olives Kimchi fried rice
Chicken Pasta Caesar salad: 2C sliced Romain lettuce 6-8 oz pasta, cooked al dente (I use penne) 6 oz diced Chicken Some cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half A few green onions, sliced Basil, chopped, a few garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press 4 oz Macedonian feta (it's creamier than other feta) 1/3 cup Caesar dressing. Mix it all together. Got this from a cooking light magazine decades ago. Make it frequently.
Everything in a pot* add rice and water, boil and eat. *of course, brown, boil and add cold as needed, use some spices and make it nice. My favourite is if I have some ham - sauté onions, add rice and curry powder, fry for 2 min., add carrots fry for 1-2 min., add rice and water (1:2), boil 'till the rice is nearly done, remove lid and add diced ham and frozen peas. Let steam "dry".
Pasta salad. With lots of resh veggies in it.
Saw the Smitten Kitchen love in another comment and wanted to share this, which is a perpetual favorite: https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/02/sweet-potato-salad-with-pepita-dressing/ Good when the sweet potatoes and dressing are slightly warm and just as good cold for leftovers. Easy to riff too, I usually mix it in with arugula, use goat cheese in place of cotija, and pickled onions instead of scallions. Plus everything bagel seasoning. But just as good prepared as written or with any other modifications - could certainly work with a meat added! Surprisingly filling and plenty o' fiber.
Hard boiled eggs. Eat them simply with salt and pepper, add them to salads, etc. If you’re in the mood to get creative, make pickled eggs.
Affordable and low calorie wasn't really a requirement here, but it always is in my house. Roasted chicken sliced or diced tomatoes, jalapeno, lite mayo or no-sugar bbq sauce, and cucumber on 100 calories thins from Aldie's. You gota make it right so the thins don't get soggy. I make about 15 of these at once and graze on them all week. Super low calorie and filling.
esquites salad
I make tortellini salad. Cook tortellini and chill. Then, I add grape tomatoes, large diced cucumbers, and mozzarella cubes or pearls. When I am ready to eat, I add either kKraft zesty italian dressing or Isola cream of balsamic. It's yummy on hot days. I also make salads in mason jars for quick individual meals (wettest[ dressing] to driest & lettuce on top).
Taco dip?
Tabouli with restaurant style toritlla chips. I'll literally eat a pound of it. The Publix brand. It's the best.
How are leftovers ready to go? Theres still cooking involved. Ready to go to me means no cooking required. Quick grab…
I'm obsessed with Italian cold cuts!
Elbow macaroni, a cup or two of chopped celery, 1/2 cup sliced green onion, about a cup (to taste) sweet relish, mix with mayo and throw in a can of tuna. Salt/pepper etc.
Vietnamese spring rolls. Just need to cook the protein and julienne your veggies.
Mix and match from the following (we do this *at least* twice a week for dinner): - Sliced salami, mortadella, et al; - paté with mustard and crackers; - a hunk of good cheese; - raw radishes, butter, and salt - a hunk of fresh bread and butter; - a handful of nuts; - olives; - some slices of crunchy vegetable or two with a dollop of aioli, hummus-bit-tahini, or greek yogurt with some raw chopped garlic mixed in ("a mock labne-ma-toum") for dipping; - a piece of good fruit; - dried fruit like apricots, raisins, or prunes. And the obligatory glass of wine and some water. We call it "cold table".
My go-to’s are Zaru Soba (cold soba noodles) and not another cooking show’s pasta salad.
Pasta salad. So many variations.
Look into Romanian salata de beouf. Within the community I’m from it’s most often made with chicken! https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/beef-salad-salata-de-boeuf/
Greek pasta salad, two hard boiled eggs, and a large apple
My favourite cold salads: Two cans of black beans, two cans of corn, an avocado, a bunch of pickled jalapenos (chopped), juice of two limes, salt -- can add additional things to this like pickled red onions, pepitas, meat like carnitas goes great, eat on a bed of iceberg lettuce if you want more salad in your salad. If I'm adding pepitas, Iike to cook them in a small frying pan in some avocado oil with ground cumin, and use that for the dressing as well. Iceberg lettuce salad with chicken of choice (sometimes I even use nuggets in the air fryer, rotisserie chicken is also great), cucumber, pepper jack cheese, pepperoncini, corn nuts, avocado, pickled red onions, sliced radish with homemade buttermilk ranch. Cannellini beans, shallots macerated in red wine vinegar, roasted red peppers, a good soft mozzarella and good canned tuna in olive oil, salt and olive oil, maybe some lemon juice too. Could also add marinated artichoke hearts, capers, etc. Pasta salad with Greek dressing (lots of lemon and oregano), cucumber, bell pepper (I don't like them raw so tend to cook them in a pan a little first, or use roasted red peppers), feta, olives, capers. My mom's friend makes a very popular pasta salad with sundried tomatoes, black olives and canned tuna.
soup and sous-vide chicken breast
Chicken fried rice, a batch costs nothing and is amazing warmed up. I make cold noodle salad with chicken, slaw and peanut dressing. There is commonly egg salad in my fridge
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hdGrxm7PPQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hdGrxm7PPQ)
Super easy option that’s especially great for summer: coleslaw. I get a bag of the pre-shredded mix (cabbage and carrots), and prefer a citrus poppyseed dressing. Lately have been using the California Pizza Kitchen brand one. Great easy side or snack, plus the shredded mix seems to last longer than regular bagged salads.
Hainanese chicken. Super easy prep since it's just lean (I use tenderloins to avoid woody breasts) poached in water, though I make a quick stock using better than bouillon, onion, scallions, whatever else is on-hand. I then use that stock to make the rice in an Instant Pot so there are no Bacillus cereus concerns with it being refrigerated for many days. The real star of course, is the sauces. I make a scallion ginger sauce and a chili soy sauce (more ingredients than that, those are just the primaries, recipes abound). They make what would seem like a bland dish so freaking tasty. I fell in love with it when I had Rooster & Rice in CA.
Thanks so much!!
Pasta salad with a ton of veg. I like a "greek" type one; orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, feta. It's good as is or you can add chopped, cooked chicken or even better, cold pork or chicken or shrimp souvlaki
I don't like microwaves at all, I will use it to heat up water for my wife's tea, but in that note I did work at Walmart for a time an then Jimmy Dean breakfast bowls slap. I always mixed the steak an the meat trio I believe it was with some Cholula Chili garlic