Meal Prep: No Oven, Mostly Grilling

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Breakfast Orange Pineapple Overnight Oats - oats, orange zest and juice, pineapple, milk, honey, vanilla

Lunch (or Dinner) - Green Goddess Chicken Thigh Bowls - chicken thighs, quinoa, onion, cabbage, radish, green goddess dressing

Dinner (or Lunch) - Grilled Zucchini Salad with Skirt Steak - skirt steak, corn, tomatoes, arugula, zucchini, balsamic dressing

Grocery List - click for a downloadable PDF version of the grocery list

• Baking Goods

• Honey - 1 teaspoon, plus to taste

• Vanilla -  to taste

• Vanilla Protein Powder - 4 scoops (optional)

• Grains, Beans, Rice

• Quinoa - ¾ cup (dry) 

• Rolled oats - 2 cups 

• Dairy Products 

• Milk of choice - 4 cups (1 quart)

• Plain yogurt - ½ cup 

• Fruits and Vegetables 

• Corn - 4 ears 

• Cherry or Grape Tomatoes - 1 pint 

• Arugula - 1-5 oz bag 

• Zucchini - 2 medium 

• Lemons - 4

• Red onion - 1 

• Cabbage (any color) - 1 small head 

• Radishes - 1 bunch 

• Herbs - 1 ½ cups (just eyeball it) - any combination of cilantro, parsley, basil, chive, dill, scallion, mint

• Shallot - 1 small 

• Garlic - 1 head 

• Orange - 1 

• Pineapple - 1 cup chunks 

• Herbs, Spices, and Pantry

• Salt - preferably Kosher salt 

• Pepper - preferably freshly ground 

• Onion powder - 1 tablespoon

• Garlic powder - 1 tablespoon 

• Olive oil - 1+ cups 

• Balsamic vinegar - ¼ cup

• Dijon mustard - 1 teaspoon

• Proteins* - adjust portions to your nutrition and health goals

• Chicken thighs - 1 ½ lbs 

• Skirt steak - 1 ½ lbs

Meta Recipe: Prep All 3 Meals at Once 

1. In a medium skillet over high heat, bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa, return to a boil, drop to a simmer, cover, and let cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork then move out of the skillet to cool. 

2. While the quinoa is cooking, make the marinade for the chicken. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and place in the refrigerator until you’re ready to grill.

   TIP: You can also marinate the chicken the night before. 

3. Wash all of your vegetables and shuck corn (if still in its husk.) Slice zucchini in half and salt the cut sides. Let sit for 15 or so minutes then pat dry. Remove steak from the refrigerator and let it come up to room temperature slightly. 

4. Preheat your grill to medium-high on two-thirds of the surface area and medium-low on the final third area. Prepare the tools you’ll need to grill, including clean dishes or baking sheets for your cooked vegetables and proteins to land. 

5. Once the grill is preheated, generously salt and pepper both sides of the steak. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place the chicken and steak on the medium-high areas of the grill. Brush the corn and zucchini with olive oil and place on the medium-low area of the grill. 

6. Monitor everything on the grill, rotating occasionally, and remove as they finish cooking. For the corn, look for light charring all the way around. For the zucchini, cook until browned and fork tender. For the chicken, you’re looking for white, opaque skin all the way through and an internal temperature of 165°F. For the steak, the temperature will depend on how you like it cooked:

   rare: 120–125°F; medium-rare: 130–135°F; medium: 140–145°F; medium-well: 150–155°F; well done: 160–165°F. 

7. Once everything is cooked, turn off your grill and return inside. Let everything cool while you finish prepping the rest of the meals.

8. In the bowl of a food processor, combine herbs, shallot, cloves, yogurt, and lemon juice. Blend until fully combined. To thin the texture, add a little more lemon juice and/or water and continue to blend until desired texture is achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. 

9. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon, honey, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. 

10. Prep the rest of the ingredients for both salads. Thinly slice the red onion, cabbage, and radish for the chicken bowls. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the zucchini into ½” pieces. Place the corn in a bowl, with the stem side down and hold the top of the corn with your nondominant hand. Using a downward motion, slice the corn off the cob. The bowl will catch everything! 

11. Slice the steak against the grain into ½” pieces. Do the same with the chicken thighs. 

12. Either package the ingredients separately or combine the salads as follows. The proteins can also be stored separately if you want to reheat them. 

    Arugula, corn, tomatoes, zucchini, steak; balsamic dressing on the side

    Quinoa, radishes, cabbage, onion, chicken; green goddess dressing on the side 

13. Finally, make the overnight oats. In four separate containers, combine oats, protein powder, honey, vanilla, orange juice and zest, and milk. Stir to combine and top with pineapple. Refrigerate overnight. 

REHEAT INSTRUCTIONS

All three of these dishes will be best enjoyed COLD. If you would like to reheat the proteins accompanying either salad, microwave on 50% power for 1 minute, then in 30 second intervals, also at 50% power, until desired temperature is reached. 

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS

The chicken and steak can each be sealed in separate, airtight containers or bags and frozen; the chicken will last up to 9 months and the steak will last up to 12 months as long as they are packaged correctly.

To defrost the chicken or steak, move the protein from the freezer to the refrigerator at least one day in advance of when you plan to cook it (it can take 24+ hours to defrost.) By defrosting in the refrigerator, the proteins stay at a temperature that is food-safe and prohibits bacteria growth.

What’s Left Over?

One of the biggest issues I have with any recipe is that there are almost always leftover ingredients, and without a plan for how to use them, these leftover items can often become food waste. Below are the anticipated “leftover” items from this meal plan and how they can be used! Depending on how much creative liberty you take with the recipes, the amount of leftovers you have may vary. This list will focus on the items with a short shelf life, like produce, dairy, etc.

• Plain yogurt - given the other leftover ingredients, blend up the yogurt with herbs and garlic for a spread that can add a little punch to either the chicken bowls or the steak salad

• Cabbage - honestly cabbage has a really long shelf life, so wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and it will survive for a few weeks at least. If inspiration doesn’t strike before then, thinly slice and toss with lemon juice for a quick slaw. 

• Herbs - see yogurt*

• Garlic - see yogurt*, or, garlic will keep for at least a few weeks if left at room temperature

Individual Recipes

Green Goddess Chicken Thigh Bowls

• 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs

• ¼ cup olive oil

• juice of 3 lemons

• zest of 1 lemon

• salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• ¾ cup quinoa

• 1 red onion

• 1 small head cabbage

• 1 bunch radish

For the green goddess dressing:

• 1 ½ cups of any combination of the following herbs: cilantro, parsley, basil, chive, dill, scallion, mint

• 1 small shallot

• 2 garlic clove

• ½ cup yogurt

• Juice of ½ lemon

1. In a large bowl, combine chicken thighs, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until you’re ready to cook the chicken (step 4).

2. In a medium skillet over high heat, bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa, return to a boil, drop to a simmer, cover, and let cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork then move out of the skillet to cool. 

3. Wash all of your vegetables and herbs. Thinly slice the red onion, cabbage, and radishes. 

4. In the bowl of a food processor, combine herbs, shallot, cloves, yogurt, and lemon juice. Blend until fully combined. To thin, add a little more lemon juice and/or water and continue to blend until desired texture is achieved. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. 

   • TO GRILL CHICKEN: Preheat your grill to medium-high on one-third of the surface area. Once the grill is preheated, remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the hot area of the grill. Monitor the chicken, rotating occasionally, and remove once the thighs are white, opaque skin all the way through and an internal temperature of 165°F.  

   • TO SEAR CHICKEN: Preheat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and remove the chicken from the marinade, adding to the pan. Cook 5-6 minutes then flip and continue cooking until it has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.  

5. Let the chicken rest then slice into thin pieces. Package components individually or assemble salad then store. Store dressing separately until ready to eat. 

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Skirt Steak

• 1 ½ lbs skirt steak

• 4 ears corn

• 1 pint tomatoes

• 1-5 oz bag arugula

• 2 medium zucchini

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• 1 garlic clove, minced 

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ¾ cup olive oil 

• Salt and pepper

1. Wash all of your vegetables and shuck corn (if still in its husk.) Slice zucchini in half and salt the cut sides. Let sit for 15 or so minutes then pat dry. Remove steak from the refrigerator and let it come up to room temperature slightly. 

2. Preheat your grill to medium-high on two-thirds of the surface area and medium-low on the final third area. Prepare the tools you’ll need to grill, including clean dishes or baking sheets for your cooked vegetables and proteins to land. 

3. Once the grill is preheated, generously salt and pepper both sides of the steak and place on the medium-high areas of the grill. Brush the corn and zucchini with olive oil and place on the medium-low area of the grill. 

4. Monitor everything on the grill, rotating occasionally, and remove as they finish cooking. For the corn, look for light charring all the way around. For the zucchini, cook until browned and fork tender. For the steak, the temperature will depend on how you like it cooked:

   • rare: 120–125°F; medium-rare: 130–135°F; medium: 140–145°F; medium-well: 150–155°F; well done: 160–165°F. 

5. Once everything is cooked, turn off your grill and return inside. Let everything cool while you finish prepping the rest of the meals. 

6. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon, honey, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

7. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the zucchini into ½” pieces. Place the corn in a bowl, with the stem side down and hold the top of the corn with your nondominant hand. Using a downward motion, slice the corn off the cob. The bowl will catch everything! 

8. Slice the steak against the grain into ½” pieces. Package components individually or assemble salad then store. Store dressing separately until ready to eat. 
   
   

Orange Pineapple Overnight Oats

• 2 cups rolled oats

• Juice and zest of 1 large naval orange

• 4 scoops vanilla protein powder

• 4 cups milk of choice

• Honey to taste

• Vanilla to taste

• 1 cup pineapple chunks 

1. Evenly divide all of the ingredients except the pineapple amongst 4 containers and stir to combine. Top each serving with ¼ of the pineapple then cover and refrigerate overnight.

NUTRITION DISCLAIMER 

As a classically trained chef, I am trained in food handling and preparation, including techniques for cooking, cooling, and storing food to avoid foodborne illness. My training is not nutrition-focused, and I am not, nor do I claim to be, a certified nutritionist, dietician, or medical professional in any capacity. Services rendered by, or products purchased from, Red Fennel kitchen are not intended to, nor do they claim to, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical diseases or conditions. Any meal plan, custom or otherwise, written by Red Fennel kitchen is done so solely with the intent of helping the client to manage multitasking when cooking multiple meals at once. By following a meal plan by Red Fennel kitchen, you agree that you are doing so at will and that you absolve Red Fennel kitchen and any of its affiliates of any outcomes. It is the responsibility of the client to act in the best interest of their own health.