When it comes to food, I enjoy the finer things in life.
When it comes to preparation and food-sourcing, though, I literally have no funds or motivation whatsoever, and this has often left me having to over-spend in a last ditch attempt to feed my tum or bypass meals altogether. (Not healthy. Boo.)
This is where the beauty of meal prepping came creeping into my life. I soon learnt that if I put my adult hat on and planned in advance, I’d not only save a lot of time and money but I’d also feel guilt-free about having to dish out unnecessary day-to-day coinage.
It’s time to stop marching to the beat of your own hunger pains and spend wisely on nourishing, delicious and aesthetically-pleasing snaccs.
Enter food guru Tom Walton.
We asked Tom, chef and co-owner of The Bucketlist in Bondi and Deus Cafe in Camperdown, for some mouth-watering recipes that wouldn’t break the bank and, boy, did he deliver.
We checked the receipts – yep, the literal receipt – and Tom’s spending for both the below lunch and dinner meal prep options totalled $46. Given that the lunch and dinner recipes produce four serves each, that equates to just over $5 per serve. That’s some considerable saving.
2019 is the year of dreaming big, particularly when it comes to the pantry. Click on the lunch and dinner options below and we’ll take you to Tom’s affordable meal preppin’ that’s equal parts gram-worthy and replenishing. For more quick ‘n’ nutritious meals, take a peak at McCain‘s Oh My Veg range. Froth.
Lunch – Mexican Street Corn Chicken Burrito Bowls
Dinner – Szechuan Green Bean, Tofu & Egg Noodles
Lunch
Mexican street corn chicken burrito bowls
Makes 4 serves
You will need:
- 2 chicken breasts diced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp each ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika
- Salt, pepper
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked according to packet instructions
- 2 pkt Oh My Veg Mexican Street Corn
- 1 large avocado
- 1 lime
Method
- Preheat oven to 190°C.
- Cook the brown rice according to packet instructions.
- Marinate the chicken breast with the oil, spices and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the chicken over a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Microwave the Mexican street corn for 3 minutes then let stand for 2 minutes.
- Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl, add the lime, salt and pepper and mash with a fork. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve the rice topped with the Mexican street corn, cooked chicken and avocado when ready to serve.
Dinner
Szechuan green bean, tofu & egg noodles
Makes 4 serves
You will need:
- 375g packet of dried egg noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
- 250g firm tofu, large diced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 x pkt Oh My Veg Szechuan Green Beans or Oh My Veg Asian Miso Greens
- ½ cup sliced shallots (optional)
Method
- Cook the egg noodles according to packet instructions and drain. Refresh under cold water then drain well again. Place in a bowl.
- Place tofu in another bowl.
- Mix the soy, vinegar, sesame oil and seeds together. Then distribute over the noodles and tofu – mix both well to combine.
- Microwave the Szechuan green beans (or Asian miso greens) for 3 minutes then let stand for 2 minutes.
- Serve the egg noodles topped with the tofu, Szechuan green beans (or Asian Miso Greens) and shallots if using.
