My Chef’s Guide To Week Night Meal Prepping

Add rice to a rice cooker bowl and wash it until the water runs almost clear.

Add enough water to cover the rice up to the first knuckle of your finger. Place in the rice cooker and start cooking.

Once cooked, fluff the rice and season with Japanese spice mix (Togarashi), lime zest, and lime juice.

Mix the seasoning through the rice, adding it in two stages to ensure it's evenly distributed.

Transfer the seasoned rice to a container, label it, and allow it to cool completely before refrigerating.

Soak the black beans in water overnight in the fridge. The next day, rinse them well until the water runs clear.

Place the rinsed beans in a pressure cooker with plenty of water. Add a big pinch of salt, bay leaves, a whole peeled onion, and crushed garlic cloves.

Secure the lid and cook on low pressure for 25 minutes.

Once cooked, release the pressure, drain the beans, remove the bay leaves, and transfer to a container. Let them cool completely before refrigerating.

Place salmon fillets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt, ground fennel, and ground white pepper.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (374°F) on fan-forced setting for 8-10 minutes. Aim for a medium-rare finish as it will cook further upon reheating.

Once baked, transfer the salmon to a container and let it cool completely before storing in the fridge.

Season chicken breasts with olive oil, Old Bay seasoning, and salt.

Grill the chicken on a hot grill to get good char marks on both sides.

Transfer the grilled chicken to a baking tray and finish cooking in the oven at 190°C (374°F) until the internal temperature reaches 68-70°C (155°F).

Once cooked, place the chicken in a container, label it, and let it cool down before refrigerating.

In a hot pan, break up the ground beef and let it brown without stirring to develop color.

Season the beef with salt and Ras el hanout spice blend.

Continue cooking and breaking up the meat until it's fully browned. Do not overcook.

Transfer the cooked ground beef to a container, label it, and allow it to cool before storing.

In a bowl, combine peeled and deveined prawns with olive oil, salt, and Tajin seasoning. Mix well to coat.

Heat more olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add the prawns one by one and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until they turn pink.

Turn off the heat and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, then toss to combine.

Transfer the cooked prawns to a container, label, and let them cool completely before refrigerating.

Core a cabbage and shred it very finely using a peeler or knife.

Weigh the shredded cabbage. For every 1kg of cabbage, add 20g of cooking salt. Massage the salt into the cabbage thoroughly to draw out the liquid.

Add caraway seeds to the cabbage and mix. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Pack the cabbage and all of its liquid tightly into a fermentation jar, pressing down firmly to remove air bubbles.

Place fermentation weights on top to keep the cabbage submerged. Put on the lid, fill the airlock with water, and let it ferment for 3-4 weeks.

Prepare the zucchini by slicing off the ends, cutting it in half lengthwise, then into quarters, and slicing on an angle.

Sauté the zucchini in a hot pan with olive oil. Season with salt and ground cumin. Cook until it has some color but is still firm (al dente).

Add the first batch of zucchini back to the pan, turn off the heat, add a splash of sherry vinegar, toss, and transfer to a container to cool.

Cut yellow squash into wedges. Sauté in a hot pan with olive oil, salt, and ground coriander until colored. Deglaze with apple cider vinegar.

Cut red capsicum into strips. Sauté in a hot pan with olive oil, salt, and paprika. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and cut into pieces. Sauté in a hot pan with olive oil, salt, and lemon myrtle. Finish with a splash of coconut vinegar.

Cut corn kernels off the cob. Sauté in a hot pan with olive oil and salt until lightly charred. No vinegar needed.

For fresh spinach, wash and dry it thoroughly before storing in a labeled container.

For a quick pickled red cabbage, finely shred the cabbage and toss with a pinch of salt and coconut vinegar.

For fresh cucumber, cut it into quarters, remove the seeds to prevent it from getting soggy, and slice.