Time Saver Recipes | Meal Plan Menu
This week’s meal plan is all about utilizing savvy time savers that make our great meals come together fast each night!
This week, and every week, we are excited to do one of the things we love best: help make your life so much easier while simultaneously bringing you healthy, delicious meals! By utilizing our “cook once, eat twice” dependencies outlined below, you can enjoy plenty of extra time stoking the fireplace and cuddling up with a good book or movie to escape the cold outdoors.
Our meal plan menu this week features warming dinners with stunning flavors from India, Japan, Italy, and Hawaii. With several ingredients that can be prepared up to 5 days in advance, your weeknight dinners can be on the table in a matter of minutes.
“Sometimes it’s really difficult to cook because I don’t get home until almost midnight most nights, so it was a huge blessing this week to have some super fast and simple meals already prepped that only took a tiny bit of work to get them on the plate.”
– Katheryn D. (Member since June 2016)
All meals come with gluten-free, Paleo, and vegetarian options, as well as a grocery list and optional weekend prep steps.
On the Menu
MONDAY | Indian Frittata + Green Salad with Curried Chickpeas
Since Indian curry and frittatas are both incredibly delicious, we decided to make a fun and uniquely exciting combo! The magic starts with a balanced mixture of eggs, milk, ghee, veggies, and classic Indian spices for a warm and satisfying frittata. This low calorie recipe (less than 370 cal per serving!) includes a salad with curried chickpeas and a creamy lemon yogurt dressing for a healthy green finish.
This naturally vegetarian and gluten-free frittata is easy to make Paleo by omitting the milk and replacing the salad with our delectable Baked Okra Fries with Curry Aioli.
TUESDAY | Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs with Garlic Broccolini & Coconut Quinoa
When we first introduced Teriyaki Meatballs to our meal plan menus, it became a fast favorite for our community, as it was delicious, flavorful, and family-friendly. This week, we’re bringing them back with a twist! Instead of plain steamed rice, we pair this turkey teriyaki meatballs recipe with decadent coconut quinoa. Served alongside roasted broccolini, this meal will have you coming back for seconds and thirds.
To make this recipe gluten-free, simply substitute in GF panko breadcrumbs and Tamari. To make it Paleo-friendly, use almond meal, coconut aminos, and cauliflower rice. If you want a meatless meal, you can enjoy this week’s Teriyaki Mushroom and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry with a fried egg and coconut quinoa.
WEDNESDAY | Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs & Orzo Pasta
Leftover turkey meatballs from Tuesday’s Teriyaki Meatballs dinner get a totally different flavor profile in this Italian-inspired soup. With onions, carrots, chard, orzo pasta, and a dash of Italian spices, you can have a deliciously warming soup in just 25 minutes!
For those staying away from gluten, all you need to do is use Tuesday’s gluten-free meatballs and you’re good to go. For those on the Paleo diet, simply replace the orzo pasta with sliced mushrooms. For the vegetarians among us, swap out the meat for protein-rich white beans and enjoy a tasty side of toasted baguette smothered with cheesy herb butter.
THURSDAY | Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin with Pineapples, Bell Peppers & Coconut Quinoa
This Hawaiian-inspired skillet meal is quick and easy to make! In only 25 minutes of active cooking time, you’ll be able to enjoy pan-seared pork tenderloin, bell peppers, and pineapple, all served over coconut quinoa. Topped with our community’s favorite teriyaki sauce, the entire dish is the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
This delicious meal is easy to make gluten-free with the swapping of soy sauce for Tamari. To make it Paleo-friendly, simply use coconut aminos and substitute the quinoa with cauliflower rice. For our vegetarian recipe, make pan-seared tofu “steaks” that pair beautifully with our beloved teriyaki sauce.
Smart meal planning ideas come with every weekly menu. The smarts listed below are only a portion of the meal prep tips we include to help you make the most of your ingredients and your time. Join our community to get the full benefits of our meal plan service every day!
Meal Planning Smarts
Efficiencies:
To make your life so much easier this week, we made sure that you can cook once and eat twice several times!
- First, a double batch of teriyaki sauce and coconut quinoa made on Tuesday gets used up on Wednesday and Thursday in unique meals.
- Second, doubling up on meatballs allows you to enjoy Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs one night, and makes Wednesday’s Italian Wedding soup come together quickly and simply.
Make-Aheads:
- Make your teriyaki sauce and quinoa up to 5 days ahead and this week’s meals will come together super fast. They will store well in the fridge.
Leftovers:
- This week, you can bring the classics back by using leftover meatballs to make traditional spaghetti and meatballs.
- If you’ve never tried quinoa fried rice, now is the time! Use your leftover coconut quinoa to make a healthier and protein-rich fried rice.
- If you want to save your leftovers for later, many of our ingredients this week freeze particularly well, such as frittata, meatballs, cooked quinoa, broccolini, soup, pork tenderloin, and chopped bell peppers. To know how long each ingredient will last in the freezer, download our All-in-One Freezer Guide for the best freezing smarts.
We do more than create meal plans. We create memories around the dinner table.
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