Summer Mantra: Cook Once, Eat Twice

Intern Laura Bartee takes the helm of Robinsbite with her Cook One, Eat Twice advice. 

The arrival of summer brings recreation, outdoor activities and vacations. But it also provides less time to prepare healthy meals at home. Using the mentality of cooking once and eating twice, it can be easy to make foods in bulk that can be re-purposed in different meals throughout the week. Since no one wants to eat the same meal twice, try these quick tips to provide unique meals using pre-cooked ingredients.

1. Grilled Chicken: Spend one day a week grilling chicken breasts, tenders, boneless skinless thighs or drumsticks seasoned with your favorite marinade or spice blend. Leftover sliced meat can be used in fajitas, on a salad or as a pizza topping.

2. Crock-pot Chicken: If you don’t own a grill, opt to cook chicken in a crockpot. Use any cut of frozen or fresh chicken including bone-in, boneless or even a whole chicken. Pour water or broth in your crockpot, add meat and cook on low for approximately 8 hours. The chicken will be tender enough to shred and can be added to burritos on whole wheat tortillas, or used for a sandwich night with either barbeque pulled chicken or chicken salad.

3. Prepared Vegetables: Roasted or grilled vegetables are easy, quick and keep for several days in the refrigerator. To roast, slice and toss any vegetable in olive oil, salt and pepper and cook at 425° F until tender. Or throw vegetables onto the grill next to the chicken to save time. Try sweet potatoes, broccoli, butternut squash or mushrooms. Add leftover vegetables to sandwiches, pasta salads or eat plain as a side dish.

4. Ready-to-eat Produce: Once a week wash and pre-cut your produce. This produce will be available to grab for snacks or for lunches throughout the week. Try grape tomatoes, snow peas or celery as dippers for hummus. Shred carrots or squash in your food processor to throw into soups or salads. Slice and refrigerate cantaloupe, kiwi or pineapple so it’s ready to enjoy anytime.

5.Pre-cooked Whole Grains: Instead of making one portion of grains, pre-cook a large batch of brown rice, quinoa or bulgur wheat either on the stove or in a rice cooker. Store grains in the refrigerator and serve on salads or mix in roasted vegetables for a simple side dish. These grains can also be eaten as a substitute for oatmeal in the mornings for breakfast.

Healthy eating can still be made a priority in the busy summers when you batch cook foods once or twice a week.

What are your tips for cooking once, eating twice?

Gotta Grill? Grill Once, Eat for a Week!

"I just don't have enough tiiiimmmeeee!" It's what I hear most often when it comes to eating healthfully. That doesn't mean going on a diet, it doesn't mean never going through fast food restaurants, it doesn't mean missing a meal with your family because you are going one directions and they are going 5 other directions. It means just what I said: Eating healthfully. This blog is about ONE WAY we can make it easier on ourselves to eat healthier when our lives seem out of control.

We make choices-at least 30 a day it seems-with regard to what we put into our mouth. I'm making a choice to sit on my computer and type this blog. I'm also grilling my vegetable for the week. Yep, the week. How many times have you said on your evening walks around the neighborhood "someone's grilling-I can smell it"? Why not do it all at one time? I've got the following on the heat right now:


Carrots-did you know you can grill them?
Red Bell Pepper
Green Bell Pepper
Onions
Garlic
Mushrooms
Beets

Some of these veggies will go with me tonight to a grilled dinner party. Some will go into a vegetarian pasta dish (hot) and some will go in a salad. This could be pureed and made into soup base or a sauce and they can also be toppings for pizza.

Here is the beauty of these veggies-they don't have to be prepped beautifully- a rough chop is all you need plus olive oil, salt and pepper. That's it. There is no need to dilute a beautiful ingredient with anything else. Trust me.

Next up on the grill today will be sweet potatoes (cut in rounds), corn and a test recipe of a Nutella and banana quesadillas. I'll also do chicken. Last week, I did enough chicken to feed 6 for a Memorial Day party and enough leftovers for the entire week. Where did that chicken go?
2 entree salads (chicken, cranberries, walnuts)
1 sandwich wrap
1 as is for my lunch protein
1 for baby food

Can I tell you how nice it was to open the fridge and see it all staring back at me? Yep, it took a bit of work and some extra time, but it is so well worth it. So many ingredients can be grilled-of course meat and other proteins-but think about pizzas, breads, desserts, fruits, side dishes (i.e. open up a can of beans, drain and wash, season and put in a pot on the grill-no need to fire up the stove top or the oven)

So does it take time? Yes. Does it take some planning? Yes. Does it take less time than I spend on my computer? Absolutely. Again, it's about choices. It doesn't have to be fancy-just good food for you and your family.

Gotta go check my grill---