ThePrep: 30-Minute Spring Dinners
Our column, ThePrep, has everything you'll need to make meal planning and meal prep as easy as can be. Sign up here to get a meal plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
The trees are quickly filling out with leaves here in Vermont and I'm so ready for it! All the new growth has me excited and inspired to make some fresh new recipes—a shift from the cozy pantry dishes I've been making. This week's meals are ready in 30 minutes or less and have that fresh spring flavor we're all craving. They're just the thing to welcome the warmer weather!
Your Meal Plan
Sunday's One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken starts this week off with a flavorful bang. This easy dinner uses lime juice, lime zest and spices like cumin and chili powder to add quick flavor, plus a hefty handful of cilantro—my favorite herb. Tuesday's Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce is a quintessential spring dinner, though I make it all year round because it's so delicious. Just thinking about the lemon-garlic butter that goes on top is making my mouth water!
Monday's No-Cook Black Bean Salad and Wednesday's Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach are tasty recipes I make a few times a month but the last two dinners in the line up are ones I'll be making for the first time, which has me excited. Thursday's Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad, with its dill and snap peas looks so fresh, and Friday's Sheet-Pan Poblano-&-Corn Chicken Fajitas, which comes together on a single sheet pan, is just the thing to wrap up the week. Enjoy!
Sunday: One-Pan Cilantro-Lime Chicken over cooked brown rice with Cucumber & Avocado Salad
Monday: No-Cook Black Bean Salad
Tuesday: Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce over cooked brown rice
Wednesday: Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach with whole-wheat baguette slices
Thursday: Lemon Shrimp & Orzo Salad
Meal-Prep Snack
Finding a snack that satisfies your craving for something sweet and salty, while providing the best fuel for your body and brain isn't always easy. But luckily, these energy bites check every box! I'm a big fan of pretzels, so I love that this easy meal-prep snack utilizes them.
Get the Recipe: Salted Peanut Butter Pretzel Energy Balls
Treat Yourself
We're planning to get all of our backyard furniture out of the garage this weekend and as a reward for the heavy lifting, I'll be making a batch of these vibrant Blackberry Margaritas. Pureeing the fresh blackberries with a little jam (the secret ingredient!) gives this drink additional sweetness, without having to make a simple syrup. And topping with lime-flavored sparkling water adds a nice effervescence.
Get the Recipe: Blackberry Margarita
I hope you all have a happy week, and if you have any questions or requests for future newsletters, please let me know by emailing ThePrep@eatingwell.com!
ThePrep | Week of 4/23/22 - 4/29/22