Featured Post: Meal of the Week #MOTW

Hey ya'll!

The Measuring Cup Blog will feature a weekly Meal of the Week #MOTW. #MOTW is designed to help you meal prep for the week, as well as give you go-to meal ideas. Having your lunch prepared is a powerful tool - you are in control of what you eat at work and school, and will rarely want to snack on random stuff. #MOTW will serve as a useful resource for measuringcuppers. See my Instagram account here, where you can also connect with me. Feel free to suggest a #MOTW!

Coconut Milk* Curry/Stir Fry and Brown Rice 
Ingredients:
1 can of organic coconut milk, vegetables (such as broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower), chili peppers, curry powder or turmeric, onions, ginger, fresh cilantro, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.
Method:
Grease the bottom of a pot with coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.  Add the diced onions and ginger and let them sweat for about 3-5 minutes.  Add your spices to the mix. Next, add the coconut milk, adding a little bit of water to thin it out a bit. Add your vegetables. Steam for not more than 10 minutes - you still want your veggies to have a nice bite to them. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy an utterly delicious meal. 
Brown rice - boil rice, uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes.  I find brown rice is more filling, so I only need about 3/4 cooked up to feel full. I typically serve half a cooked cup per meal.
*Coconut milk is high in saturated fat.  When I make this dish, I ensure that I get at least 4 meals out of it because of the high calorie content.  I immediately portion into different storage bowls. 

Quinoa salad.
Ingredients:
Quinoa, black beans, scallions, sweet corn, poblano peppers, cherry tomatoes, cumin seeds, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil, and feta cheese.
Method: Cook the quinoa with lots of cumin seeds and smoked paprika. Set aside. In a pan, using extra virgin olive oil ("evoo") and a little more cumin seeds, char poblano peppers, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, and the white part of the scallions (in no particular order). Next, add all ingredients to the cooked quinoa. Add the green part of the scallions, feta cheese, lemon juice, and freshly cracked black pepper to the mix. Enjoy warm or cold.

Quinoa salad.

Grilled sweet potatoes, chicken breasts, and steamed broccoli. 
Method: Cut sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, paprika, and evoo. I usually season mine with either the aforementioned, but I recently discovered "Agashe" from ThePantrySpices. Agashe has taken over my sweet potato grilling, because it's so delicious and not overpowering. 
Chicken breasts - cut to desired chunks, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, rosemary, and a little bit of thyme. Pan sear in evoo, letting it char a little (can you tell I like a lot of my food slighly charred?) Turn sides and cover the pan, letting it cook in its juices for another 7 minutes. All done. 
Broccoli - steam, don't boil. 

Steamed and semi-mashed black eye beans with a local tasting sauce, grilled mackerel and grilled plantains. 
Method:
Beans - soak and let absorb water before steaming. This helps to soften the beans and reduce flatulence. 
For a local tasting sauce that won't interfere with your clean eats, bleach a little bit of palm oil for your sauce. Blend roma tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, and scotch bonnet peppers ,then sieve to let water drain - this also helps to use a lot less oil, as the excess water sometimes calls for more oil. Season the sauce however you like - I usually use maggi, salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
Mackerel - freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, black pepper, a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, and a tiny dollop of butter for a beautiful finish. 
Grilled plantains - slice plantains, place in oven on low "broil" setting and let cook for 35-40mins. Watch your plantains cook evenly with that tiny bit of brown  you're looking for. No oil needed.