Lunch Meal Prep Ideas

Salsa Chicken Bowl: Chicken, Lime, Salsa, Rice, Avocado
Lemon Chicken Soup
Minestone Soup
Chili
Salad

Instant Pot Creme Brûlée

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
-1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3 Tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
-2 egg yolks

Directions:
1) Microwave heavy whipping cream for 45secs until hot but not boiling.
2) Whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, salt together.
3) While whisking the egg mixture add the whipping cream
4) Divide mixture between two 8 ounce ramekins. Cover ramekins with aluminum. Pour 2 cups of water into instant pot. Place ramekins on a rack and pressure cook for 13mins ( should be wobbly in the center) NPR for 5 mins. Put in fridge.

5) Dab off moisture with paper towel before applying sugar.

6) When set, top with 1.5 tsp of sugar and burn top with kitchen torch. 

Bao Bun

Ingredients:

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

¼ Teaspoon Baking Powder (4g)

1.5 Teaspoon Dry Active Yeast (5g)

2.5 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar (35g)

2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

2/3 Cup -1 Cup Warm Water (200g)

16 squares of parchment paper (4”x4”)

Directions:

1. Mix Yeast with 2/3 cups warm water and 1/2 tablespoon sugar.
2. Mix Flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons sugar in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Mix the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients, add extra 1/3 cup of water if necessary.
4. Form a bowl and knead for 10 mins. If sticks to palm of hands sprinkle with flour. 
5. Place ball of dough in lightly greased bowl and cover. Let rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
6. Punch down dough and knead a little. Divide into 16 pieces (40-50g). Roll out into an oval. Brush vegetable oil on the lower half and then fold in half so it looks like a taco. (Oil will make it open easily after it done cooking.)

Cream Puffs

No Fuss Pastry Cream Ingredients:
Makes 2 1/2 Cups

-1/2 cup sugar
-1/4 cup cornstarch
-Pinch of kosher salt
-2 cups whole milk
-4 large egg yolks
-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. 1.Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup; add to saucepan along with butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil 1 minute, still whisking; then remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
2. 2.Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of cream to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.

Cream Puff Ingredients:
Makes 22 Puffs

-1/2 cup (1 Stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
-1/2 tsp salt
-4 large eggs
-1 tsp sugar
-1 cup all purpose flour
-1 cup water

Directions:

1. 1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 2.In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and mix in flour with wooden spoon until combined. Put back over heat and continue to stir until a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
3. 3.Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to entirely incorporate egg after each addition.
4. 4.Transfer the pate a choux to a large pastry bag fitted with a 5/8-inch plain tip. Pipe 1-1/2-inch rounds onto each prepared pan or use a 1-1/2 inch scooper. Gently smooth the pointed peaks with a moistened finger, rounding tops to ensure even rising. Brush tops with reserved egg wash. Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Puffs can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day. (Tried baking at 425 for 10 mins and 325 for 20. 
5. 5.Transfer pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8-inch plain round tip. Insert the tip into the opening of each pastry, and pipe to fill with pastry cream. Serve immediately.

Ganache Ingredients:

- 2 oz semi- sweet chocolate chips
-1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. 1. Place 2 oz of chocolate chips in a small heat safe bowl.
2. 2. Heat cream (in saucepan or microwave) until it is just a simmer then remove and pour over chocolate chips. Let rest for 2 minutes then whisk until smooth sauce forms. 
3. 3. Dip the top half of filled and chilled cream puffs into chocolate sauce, allowing excess to drip off. 

Recipes adapted from Martha Stewart

Apricot Jam Burrito Hot Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP Oil
• 1/4 Cup Onion
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Jalapenos or different Pepper
• 1 Small Carrot Grate or 1/2 of big Carrot
• 2 tsp Garlic
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 Cup Apricot Preserves
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions

1. Add Oil, Onion, Jalapenos, Carrot, Garlic and salt to small saucepan over medium high heat. Cook until soft.
2. Add Apple Cider Vinegar and Apricot preserve, cook until combined
3. Blend mixture until smooth. Add water to thin until a consistency of your liking. 

Italian Meatballs

MAKES: 48 Two Tablespoon Meatballs
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 1 1/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1/2 Grated Onion (or 2 tsp Onion Powder) or blend in bullet
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 TBSP Dried Parsley (or 1/4 Fresh)
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning 
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano (or 1 TBSP Fresh)
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Put parchment on 9x13 pan

2) Combine all ingredients and mix by hand until fully combined.

3) Use a cookie scoop to make meatballs. 

4) Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Meat thermometer inserted into center of meatball 165F.

Note: double batch made 87 meatballs

Crepes & Cream

NEW CREAM RECIPE
Makes 1 1/4 cups

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cups whole milk
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3 TBSP Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. 1) Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk together milk and egg yolks in a glass measuring cup; add to saucepan along with butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Let boil 1 minute, still whisking; then remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
2. 
   

   2) Strain pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of cream to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Just before using, whisk until smooth.
3. 3) Just before using, stir pastry cream with a flexible spatula until smooth. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into pastry cream. 
4. 
   

CREPE RECIPE
Makes: 6-7 Big ones 12"
              12 Small ones 9"

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 TBSP Sugar
• 1 Pinch of Salt
• 3 Eggs
• 1 2/3 Cups Milk (room temp)
• 2 TBSP Melted Butter

Directions: 

1) Sift flour, sugar, salt into bowl. Whisk in eggs and half of the milk until all the lumps are gone. Add the rest of the milk and butter and whisk until combined.

2) Heat non stick pan to medium high heat. Wipe some butter in the pan. For 9" pan at 1/4 cup of batter or for 12" pan add 1/2 cup of batter to the pan and swirl it entirely around bottom of the pan. Can use crepe tool to help in 12" pan. Cook until underside is golden brown and releases from the pan about 1-2 minutes. 

3) Lift edge of the crepe and flip the crepe over. Cook just 30 seconds or so on the second side. 

4) Fill crepe with cream filling, nutella, and strawberries or any other filling like lemon and sugar or blueberry compote.

Note: Crepes can be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave.

OLD CREAM RECIPE
Makes:  

Ingredients:

Step 1 

• 1 Cup Milk
• 3 TBSP Sugar
• Pinch of Salt

Step 2

• 2 Egg Yolks
• 1 TBSP Cornstarch

Step 3

• 1TBSP Butter
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Step 5

• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 4 TBSP Powdered Sugar

Directions: 
1) In small sauce pan on Medium heat, combine milk, sugar, and salt. Cook until mixture comes to a simmer.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1/4 cup hot-milk mixture into egg yolk mixture. Continue slowly adding milk-mixture until it's all incorporated. Pour mixture back into saucepan and cook over medium, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil. Let boil, still whisking, 2 minutes. 

3) Remove pan from heat, add butter and vanilla and stir until butter melts and mixture cools.

4) Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of pastry cream to prevent skin from forming. Refridgerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

5) Just before using, stir pastry cream with a flexible spatula until smooth. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into pastry cream.