It is said that Albert Einstein, the famous physicist, bought several versions of the same grey suit because he wanted to save brainpower on choosing an outfit each morning. I feel the same way about creating meals most days, and I’d love to put it on automatic pilot. So, I prep my kitchen like one of my favorite restaurants.
This prep could be the most manageable menu ever. Most restaurants have limited items, and most people like a minuscule number of items on that menu. I’m using Poke because it is one of my favorites. But this plan works on almost any restaurant menu.
Mix Up Your Favorites
Sticking with Poke, I would start with the “Base” and make some of my brown rice, noodles, and chips staples. I would choose tuna, salmon, shrimp, and tofu as my go-to protein. It may take a while to find the best selection of the proteins. I like mixing fresh, canned, and frozen to optimize options and cooking times. Tin fish or glass noodles are good stand-ins. Some options are quick, and others take a little more time.
The Starches and proteins could be decided on for taste and timing. For example, Brown rice usually takes longer to cook, while noodles are faster. Shrimp and tuna are similar, though neither takes too much time to prepare. Marnades with the sauce of your choice and a quick toss in a hot skillet work for most of the proteins listed. Before cooking, I would take the time to crust the tuna with sesame seeds or dust the shrimp in a fine spice. Premade fish that can be warmed up is also an option.
Mix in Premade
Your local grocer has many of Poke’s salads premade. I like to make a cucumber salad and have it on hand. Imitation crab is cheap and easy. You can pick up seaweed at the grocer as well. I like to make a spinach salad with a similar taste and consistency. I’ll include the recipe below.
Spice it up With Veggies & Sauce
I would take cilantro, green onion, cucumber, pineapple edamame, kale, and sometimes corn in the mix-in options. These can also be a mix of frozen fresh and homegrown options. Use a few of these options in one meal one night and mix up others another night for variety. The sauces that bring everything together are an excellent addition to any kitchen. It’s hard not to want them all, and if you like Poke, I’d be surprised if you still need to get a few of them.
Sesame oil
ponzu
spicy mayo
sweet chile
sriracha
wasabi shoyu
shoyu
house
The delicious toppings are similar, and since you can use them in so many dishes, they may be already around your house.
avocado
ginger
wasabi
masago
crispy onion
crispy garlic
sesame seeds
furikake
The ease of coming home knowing you can put together a deliciously simple meal is worth the effort. Simply layer your starch with protein and vegetables to make a great meal. You can cut your veggies or purchase them precut. The choice is yours.
This premeal prep is the best I can think of once you have bought the sauces, condiments, and staples. It is healthy, simple, and delicious. If a friend surprised me with a poke bowl, I would be happy no matter what was in it. So, even if you still need some items, you should always have enough to make an excellent meal.
Prepped meals are easy, cheaper, and healthier. Sign up for emails to get the breakdown on other restaurants in the future.
Spinach Salad Recipe
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