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waitihavetomakedinner · 2 months ago

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Protein, Veg, Carb, Sauce

How to Meal Plan

Protein, Veg, Carb, Sauce: the Formula for a Complete Dinner

It is often hard to make a balanced meal, especially when you live alone and don't really have the time to cook a four course meal for six people. So how do you make sure you don't end up eating chicken tenders and french fries for every meal? You have to develop a formula for every meal that works for you every time, that you can switch around enough to not get bored. My method for this is the Protein, Veg, Carb, Sauce; perfectly interchangeable and un-fuck-uppable.

Step 1: grab a protein from your fridge/freezer and cook it in a skillet until crispy/golden/done. Options include:

Chicken: diced up into bite sized cubes, or as whole chicken breast, super versatile, can be used in cream-based sauces, indian dishes, thai dishes, soups, etc. but does not often do well in tomato based sauces (though that can be up to personal preference, some people love a chicken parm!)

Ground beef: great for tomato based sauces, hamburger helper, does not do as well in cream-based sauces

Pork tenderloin: diced up into bite sized pieces does very well in southeast asian style dishes, japanese dishes, or can even be thawed and breaded for little pork tenderloin nuggets

Breaded chicken tenders: frozen foods are your friend, and if you find a chicken tender that you enjoy, that is a great protein option!

A block of firm/extra firm tofu: tofu is a super versatile protein option, and can replicate most of the proteins above with little effort. The key thing to remember with tofu, so it doesn't just end up tasting like tofu, is to press the water out before using (you can do this by putting it between two cutting boards with something heavy on top, with paper towels on either side to soak up the liquid). The longer you press it the drier it will be, so if you want something resembling ground beef, press it overnight in the fridge, but if you want something closer to chicken or pork, you can press for closer to a half hour. After it is done pressing, marinate your tofu in the sauce you are cooking with, to let it absorb the flavors before cooking off.

Silken tofu: this is almost an entirely different product than firm tofu, so treat it as such! Silken tofu does best in soups or on its own, and is incredibly delicate so should not be pressed before use. Though it has more limited uses, it is a complete protein that is fantastic by itself, highlighted by a good sauce (something like chili crisp, sesame oil, or just soy sauce can be enough!) This is a great option for low effort meals, because you can sometimes find it shelf stable and will keep for a while, perfect for when you don't want to cook at all.

Or whatever your favorite protein is! Find what you like and stick with it; just be sure you are eating complete proteins, which include all 9 essential amino acids. I like to freeze my proteins (except for tofu, which tends to not freeze well) to last longer, and that way you can buy your meats on sale, cut them up and freeze them in 1 pound ziplock pouches, and pull them out whenever you want to use them!

Step 2: grab a portion of frozen veggies and pop them in a bowl with just enough water to cover, then in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Options include, but are not limited to;

Green peas: work especially well in creamy pastas, indian sauces, and as a separate side

Broccoli: best as a side, in creamy pastas, or in cheesy sauces

Tomatoes: works in most applications where you would use a tomato based sauce, ex. Marinara, butter chicken, chili, etc. (tomatoes typically don't come frozen, but canned tomatoes are great for sauces if you can’t keep fresh tomatoes in your kitchen. They can be added to meals without cooking beforehand, and will break down relatively quickly if given a rough chop)

Cauliflower: works great in creamy or tomato pastas, in indian or thai dishes, on its own, (or even roasted in the oven/air fryer)

Carrots: literally wherever, carrots are a very distinct flavor so can add a different vibe to whatever you put them in

Mixed Veggies: whether its stir fry veggies with peppers, onions, and snow peas, or standard mixed veggies with carrots, onions, and corn, these mixed frozen veggies are a great way to get multiple different vegetables into your diet

And the list goes on! Feel free to put whatever veggies you like, the more color the better! Different veggies have different vitamins and minerals, so it's a good idea to have as many different colors of vegetables as you can in your diet in any way you can.

Step 3: pick your Carby poison (not actually poison, carbs are so good for you, don't let health influencers lie to you) and cook it according to general/package instructions

Rice: frozen, ready rice, steam in-bag, in a pot or in a rice cooker, rice is great! If you are cooking it in a pot, rinse your rice very well, then fill the pot until the water is just about 1 fingernail length (about ⅓ to ½ an inch) above the rice. Set the pot to boil, but once it does, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until all the water is gone. This takes some work to master, so don’t be afraid to add a tablespoon of butter to prevent the rice from sticking- plus it makes the rice taste great!

Pasta: package instructions are usually perfect for pasta, just make sure to salt your water! It doesn't have to be “as salty as the ocean” but a tablespoon or two of salt in 8 cups of water will do wonders for your pasta’s flavor. Play around with it, and eventually you will find the amount of salt that you like, then stick with that!

Potatoes: Potatoes are the most versatile food you can cook, and theyre actually pretty healthy depending on what you add to them! For a quick way to make potatoes from scratch, cut up about a half cup of potatoes, set them in a pot with cold water just enough to cover, add salt to taste, and bring up to a boil, then reduce to medium high (to prevent boiling over) and cook for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the potatoes look soft and a fork pressed into a chunk goes through without resistance. Then, drain, return to the pot, mash and add milk, butter, salt & pepper, and your favorite cheese, all to taste! The less milk you add, the thicker the potatoes will be, and the more butter you add, the richer they will taste.

Fries, tater tots, bread, etc.: Premade carbs are a great option, especially when you are making soup or dishes that don't pair well with a traditional carb (like a salad); just prepare according to package instructions, and add to your spread wherever it fits!

Step 4: Sauce it up! This is where you can get wild with it, and where most of your flavor is gonna come in. Jarred sauces are a great option, and nowadays there are countless options from cuisines all over the world, so go forth and get saucy!

Italian Sauces: Marinara, Vodka, Arribatta, Alfredo, the possibilities are endless! Now in my personal opinion, jarred alfredo can be pretty thick and gummy, as they need to add stabilizing starches and preservatives in order for the cream sauce to be stable. So, to counteract this, add a little cream or milk to thin out the sauce, then add parmesan or your favorite italian blend cheese to it for extra oomf- if you do not have the attention span to keep fresh cream in your fridge, you can mix a little spoonful of chicken bouillon (like half a teaspoon) in half a cup of hot water and add it to the sauce as well.

Indian Sauces: these can sometimes be a bit harder to find, but often if your grocery store does not have a dedicated “global flavors” aisle, you can find it in whatever health foods section your store has, or they may be tucked near the tortillas and salsa! It's important to know how to plus up a jarred Indian style sauce, because very often they are not going to be as good or complex as you are hoping. This is why it is a very smart idea to keep garam masala and curry powder stocked in your spice cabinet, and this is another sauce that can benefit from the addition of fresh cream or chicken bouillon to adjust the thickness and improve the flavor. Cream will also help with spice level, so if you accidentally pick up an extra hot tandoori sauce when you meant to grab the butter chicken, add cream and the fat in the cream will lessen the effects of the capsaicin. Opposite problem? Adding cayenne, sriracha, or gochujang, while none are strictly indian in origin, can give you the kick that you need much better than a vinegar based hot sauce.

Thai Sauces: Thai curries and satay sauces are very versatile when it comes to protein versatility, and can be modified in the same way Indian sauces can, though I recommend coconut milk instead of dairy-based cream, as the flavor of the coconut complements Thai flavors better. Trader joes makes some really good bottled curries, but they often need to have spices added as they can be more one-note than restaurant-grade sauce. Typical spices to add are cayenne, curry powder, and sriracha, all of which can be added to your own personal taste!

Mexican Sauces: salsa is your friend, and can basically be added to anything you want to make a dish more flavorful and complete. I like to add equal parts salsa and jarred queso blanco to chicken with a heavy shake of taco seasoning to make a quick Arroz Con Pollo when poured over rice, but you can also use salsa in a crockpot with some beef and fajita seasoning to slow cook into shredded beef for tacos or easy enchiladas! There are so many different variations of Mexican flavors that you can pull off with just salsa and some planning, so I will do a deep dive into that eventually as well.

Bottom Line: a balanced meal sometimes feels like an insurmountable task, especially when you’re low on energy/spoons/fucks to give, but giving yourself a system to plug and play whatever meal parts you have laying around is the best way to ensure you feed your body the way it deserves. Don't get freaked out by the act of “cooking” just think of it as throwing energy into the furnace that is your body in new and interesting ways. And when in doubt, a pizza or sandwich with any veggies you will tolerate is always an acceptable option!

#cookbook #cooking #writers on tumblr #meal planning #meal ideas

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