Sometime on the weekend I like to prepare whatever I can ahead. There are several things you can do. This week for example I know I’m making a couple dishes with ground beef, so I can go ahead and brown a couple pounds of ground beef.

I want to make som pico de gallo for some lunch wraps, and I want to chop some fresh vegetables to have them on hand for snacking and salads. I’m also planning two rice dishes and I like long grain and brown rice so I’m going to cook it ahead.

What are some other things you can do to prepare ahead for a busy week?

• Make some homemade vegetable, chicken or beef stock and freeze it in ice cube trays to use later.
• Chop vegetables and fruits for salads, stir frys, casseroles, smoothies and desserts.
• Parboil or bake potatoes and sweet potatoes ahead, or slice them and put them in water. They’ll keep for several days in the fridge.
• I also like to do my baking on the weekend when I have more time, you can make corn muffins, pizza crusts, breads, or desserts ahead and even freeze them if you’re not using them for a few days.
• Mix up homemade salad dressings and marinades.

Do you do any weekend preparation or meal planning to make your weekly meal prep easier? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks.

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Menu Planning the Weekend Prep

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Post from: Blisstree

Healthy Video Addiction

Chef Schlow’s restaurants include Alta Strada, Radius, Via Matta, and Great Bay.

*Chef Michael, do you have some meal planning tips?  Do you start with a theme or a main dish and build around it?
 

When planning a meal for that (hopefully) soon to be special someone, regardless of the economic climate, a few things are important to consider.  First, you’re inviting a woman into your home, so make sure it looks like a grown up lives there. Little things like cloth napkins, a few lit candles, soft lighting, and a clean house will go a long way, even if you lack prowess in the kitchen. Oh, and for gods sake, make sure there’s toilet paper in the bathroom; in fact, go one step further fellas and make sure it’s actually on the holder.

 
*In terms of budget, would you please give a couple of examples of low-cost, but still impressive dishes?
 

If you’re not super comfortable in the kitchen, plus on a budget, go with one pot dishes so you’ll stay focused on your girl.  
 
Bruschetta or crostini are really easy first course (its basically fancy toast topped with something delicious like fresh mozzarella or mushrooms with lemon and mint), that, ora great vegetable salad with some shaved Parmigianino. I’d suggest something like shrimp risotto for the main course, its easy, impressive, and won’t break the bank.  Plus, the woman in your life knows you really care if you’re willing to stir 20 min for her dinner.
 
Dessert, if you get that far, you should stick to the “simple is better formula”. Don’t bake. Trust me, don’t.  Buy some great stuff, like all the makings for strawberry shortcake, do a little assembling and take all the credit.
 

*Is it best to keep it simple so that you are relaxed or is this the time to bring out that knock-her-socks-off entree?
 

When it comes to the menu, keep things simple, but tasty.  You’re already way up on the scoreboard by simply inviting her over to your clean, perfectly lit, toilet paper stocked place…..now you’ve got to feed her!

Plan on 3 courses and she’ll be all yours.  The trick to a relaxed, successful meal is to pick 1 of the 3 courses as the showstopper, but remember, creative is not synonymous with complicated, so keep it simple.

Thanks Chef! 

Okay, guys, grab your “Kiss the Cook” apron and get to work. You’ve got a lucky lady to feed.

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Chef Schlow’s Recession-Proof Date Advice

How do you plan your dinner menus?

My method seems so complicated when I write it out but it’s what’s worked best for me over the years! I usually start to write down dinner ideas a couple of days before payday, which is every two weeks, and I write down enough dinners for two weeks’ worth. I use little notebooks for this and usually refer back to past menus for ideas. I try and make sure I write down the cookbook and the page number if applicable, and more often than not I have to hunt around online for a recipe I know I’ve used before but can’t find in my big folder of loose recipes!

Then I go and pull out the cookbooks and recipes that I need and add what ingredients I don’t have on hand to a list. I usually have a separate piece of paper that I write down things I need to check on when I’m done, usually for stuff I’m not sure how much I have left or if I even have any at all. When I go through the cupboards to check from the list that’s also when I write down things I’m about to run out of, etc.

My biggest issue has always been sides! I’m not good at picking side dishes unless it’s green beans from a can or my new lifesaver – bags of frozen vegetables that you leave in the bag when you pop it in the microwave. Occasionally I’ll think to do biscuits or something with potatoes, but I don’t usually do that until dinner’s almost done anyway and there’s not enough time.

Do you have a method for dinnertime madness?

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Mom’s Meal Planning