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Cook Once, Eat Healthy All Week: Vegetable Curry, Taco Bowls + More
Cooking extra food at the beginning of the week is the key to making my life way easier Monday through Thursday (Friday is takeout night!).
Cook Once, Eat All Week is here to help you prep the basics for healthy meals (lots of veggies, along with some grains and pulses) ahead of time, then give you the simple recipes to turn those ingredients into hearty, satisfying meals. Get the game plan below.
Shopping List
Produce
- 1 medium to large butternut squash
- 1 pound of carrots
- 1 medium bulb of fennel
- 1 head of broccoli
- Baby spinach
- Kale
- 1 avocado
- Eggs
- 2 white onions
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Cilantro or parsley
Pantry
- Oil of your choice
- Ghee or grass-fed butter (optional)
- 1 (14-ounce) can white beans
- 2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas
- Pre-made pesto
- Cumin
- Garam masala
- Curry powder
- Turmeric
- Cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
Sunday Prep
Ingredients
- Butternut squash, peeled, seeds scooped out and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Carrots, peeled, ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise and in half
- Fennel bulb, sliced into ½-inch thick pieces (green stalks and fronds discarded)
- Head of broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 bunch of kale, washed
- 1½ cups sorghum, dry
- 4 cups water
- Olive oil
- Salt
Roast vegetables.
1. Heat oven to 415°F. Oil a baking sheet, spread out fennel slices, and top with a sprinkle of salt. Repeat with carrots and butternut squash on separate baking sheets. (You'll most likely have to work in batches here.)
2. Roast the fennel for about 20 to 25 minutes. Roast carrots for 20 to 25 minutes. Roast butternut squash for 30 to 35 minutes.
Prep greens.
1. Steam broccoli florets in a steamer or in the pot with a lid and a small amount of water for about 3 to 5 minutes until desired tenderness. Season with salt.
2. De-stem the kale and cut into ribbons. I like to massage it with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
Cook grains.
I chose sorghum this week, but you can use quinoa, brown rice, farro — whatever you prefer; just cook according the package instructions.
Combine 1½ cups sorghum and 4 cups water in a pot with lid. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking, covered, for about 30 to 40 minutes until tender.
Make a stew or curry.
Using some of those vegetables you just cooked, make the curry (recipe #1) and/or the stew (#4).They're great for making ahead because they taste even better after they've had a day or two to sit in the fridge. See recipes below.
1. Vegetable Indian Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
- Oil of your choice or ghee
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- Salt
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 (14-ounce) can of crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash
- 1 cup steamed broccoli
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, to taste
- Cilantro, for serving
- Cooked sorghum or brown rice, for serving
Preparation
1. Heat a drizzle of oil or tablespoon of ghee in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add garlic, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric, and cook for 1 minute. Add the can of tomatoes, plus two cans' worth of water, and stir. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes.
3. Add chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes. Add butternut, broccoli, and cayenne pepper, and remove from heat. Let stand for at least a half hour before serving to let the flavors mingle.
4. Serve with a grain of your choice and fresh cilantro.
2. Pesto Bowls
Serves 2
Ingredients
- Kale, massaged with olive oil, salt, and lemon
- Roasted fennel
- Roasted butternut
- 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Cooked sorghum or grain of choice
- Steamed broccoli
- Pesto
- Olive oil (optional)
Preparation
1. Assemble vegetables, chickpeas, and grains in a bowl. (I prefer to warm up the ingredients at this point, but you can also serve at room temperature.)
2. Depending on the consistency of your pesto, you can add a little olive oil to it to make it thinner. Then drizzle it over the bowl.
3. Breakfast Tacos + Taco Bowls
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 avocado, mashed
- Salt
- Chili flakes
- Kale, massaged with a little olive oil and salt
- Roasted butternut squash, warmed up
- Roasted carrots, warmed up
- ½ cooked sorghum per bowl, warmed up
- Oil or ghee
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten in a bowl
- 2-4 tortillas, warmed or charred in a pan
- Hot sauce, to serve
Preparation
1. In a small bowl, mash avocado with salt and chili flakes.
2. For taco bowls, assemble kale, roasted vegetables, and sorghum in a decent-sized bowl.
3. For tacos, place kale and roasted vegetables on warmed tortillas.
4. Heat oil of your choice or ghee in a medium pan over medium heat. Add lightly beaten eggs. Cook, stirring with a rubber spatula for about 2 minutes, until eggs are just set. Remove from heat.
5. Top your taco bowls and/or tacos with scrambled eggs, mashed avocado, and hot sauce.
4. Winter White Bean + Roasted Vegetable Stew
Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients
- Oil of your choice or ghee
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- Salt
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash
- ½ cup roasted carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup cooked sorghum (or your grain of choice)
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped, to serve (optional)
- Cracked pepper, to serve (optional)
- Squeeze lemon juice, to serve (optional)
Preparation
1. Heat a drizzle of oil or a tablespoon of ghee in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add the chopped garlic, rosemary, and thyme to the pot. And cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Stir in white beans and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Over this time, I like to lightly mash some of the white beans against the side of the pot while stirring. This gives the stew its thicker, more stew-like consistency.
4. Add the roasted vegetables and the cooked sorghum to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes.
5. Serve with parsley, cracked pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
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