SUNDAY MEAL PREP: CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN MEAL
The past week was hectic, but I’m delighted with myself for making sure that my weekly meal prep is set up. Although I’m only preparing four days’ worth of one recipe, It’s been an enormous help and drastically decreased my need to take something out amid the chaos. With the meal preparation, I have a meal “to go” that I prepared myself! Woot! This week, I’m bringing the summer/southwest flavor with this easy Cilantro Lemon Chicken Recipe.
This week, I’ve made my incredibly cheap Cilantro Chili Chicken Drumsticks with traditional Taco Rice and a simple mixture of black and corn beans. If you’re trying to reduce the amount of refined carbs you consume and calories, consider swapping off this Taco Rice for Chili Roasted Sweet Potatoes, which you can be baked in the oven while the chicken is baking.
The corn-based mix and black beans included in this recipe are incredible because of the frozen and fire-roasted kernels purchased from Trader Joe’s that I still had from my freezer. I can’t even describe the flavor this “fire-roasted” bit adds. It’s truly incredible.
However, I am aware that not everyone has access to the Trader Joe’s store or frozen fire-roasted corn kernels; however, you can use regular frozen corn kernels or even eliminate the corn altogether and only buy two cans of black beans. I would also suggest searching to purchase “seasoned” canned black beans that usually cost the same as regular black beans but contain their spices cooked into them, which means it’s less effort.
For more details on meal prep, how it is done, and why you should do it, look at my Meal Prep 101, A Beginner’s Guide to Making and Portioning Meals, and my complete budget-friendly Meal Prep Archives.
SUNDAY MEAL PREP: CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN MEAL
I rinsed and drained the black beans from a can that is approximately 1.5 cups. I combined it with a similar amount of frozen fire corn kernels I had roasted. I added a little salt and a light dusting of cumin and kept it as. I knew I would be adding fresh green onions from my taco rice to the top and the lime wedge taken from Cilantro lime chicken drumsticks that I would squeeze over the entire box, and I didn’t feel that the beans and corn required anything else. The recipe yielded about 3 cups from the mix, and I put around 3/4 cup of it in each lunch box.
NOTES
I have new containers! Although I love using my new Windows reusable Ziploc container, they weren’t a rectangular-sized option for meals in the past, and for some meals, I’d prefer an extended rectangle. I decided to test the new window glass container. They feel very well made. The lids fit exceptionally well; even though the covers are plastic, they’re BPA-free. The exterior features a nice steam vent that can heat up, but I generally keep my lids on top, loosely latching and slightly cocked for a similar result. The containers are somewhat more significant than I anticipated. However, I believe they’ll be a great fit. Additionally, they were in a set of four, precisely what I was looking for.
Its Cilantro Lime Chicken recipe makes about 4-6 drumsticks, contingent on the quantity you purchase in a set. The pack I bought had five this time, meaning I’d end up with one leftover drumstick. I gave it to me as an additional in one of the containers, or you could enjoy it as part of a dinner. I’m not sure that freezing bone-in, cooked meat does that well in reheating. It takes a long time for the bone part to get heated.
The rice is, however, eaten to freeze. Taco Rice is a great option for freezing. The Taco Rice recipe makes about 6 cups, so you can give each meal prep container 1.5 cups rather than a cup and use it all within four days, or split two more cups and freeze as soon as possible. Rice must cool rapidly after cooking to minimize the risk of food poisoning. So make sure you portion it, cool it down completely, and then transfer it to freezer bags for storage.
