Welcome to another edition of Cook Once, Eat Thrice. In case you missed it, check out this slow-cooker sesame orange chicken from last week. As I shared in my previous post, I've been spending much time in the kitchen developing both gluten-free AND dairy-free recipes for my clients. Personally, not adding cheese to my creations has proven to be most challenging so far. I want to take a moment to give a shoutout to a couple of fellow RD bloggers, Gretchen and EA, who I had the privilege of meeting at the inaugural Blog Brulee Conference last year. I've been gaining sooo many inspirations/tips from their gluten free blogs and have been recommending them to all of my clients. You, too, should check out their work if you haven't done so already.
In any case, let's dive right into how this grilled chicken shawarma can be transformed and enjoyed 3 different ways during the week.
Game Plan:
Over the weekend or whenever you find time
- Make grilled chicken shawarma and tahini sauce
- Roast cauliflower florets (I seasoned them with turmeric and ginger)
- Clean and chop vegetables - tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, parsley
- Cook a batch of quinoa
- Cook up a big batch of chickpeas (and freeze whatever you're not using). Here's what I do once every month. You'll never want to buy canned beans again.
Meal #1
Grilled chicken Shawarma with a drizzle of tahini sauce served alongside quinoa and roastsed cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
Tahini sauce:
- ½ cup tahini sesame seed paste
- 3 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice more if necessary
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lukewarm water or more for desired consistency
Instructions
To make the chicken: Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the chicken and use your hands to coat each piece. Let marinate at least 4 hours (overnight preferred). Heat the grill (I used a grill pan) over medium-high heat and cook for 6-8 minutes (depending on the size of your pieces) or until cooked through.
To make the sauce: Place all the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Add the water a little at a time to form a smooth, creamy sauce. More water may be needed depending on the thickness of your tahini paste. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice as necessary. Plate the chicken, drizzle tahini sauce on top and serve alongside rice, salad, pita bread, etc.
Nutrition
Meal #2
Arugula salad with chickpeas, grape tomatoes, walnuts, cauliflower, and orange slices. I suggest thinning out the tahini sauce you made earlier to drizzle over the salad.
Meal #3
Mediterranean quinoa salad. In a bowl, mix together quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, parsley, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add sliced avocado and the chicken (no need to reheat).
As you can see, all these meals can be on the table in <5 minutes if you follow the game plan. Once you get in the habit of meal prepping in advance, you'll find that eating healthfully throughout the week is a breeze!
Past Meal Prep Inspirations:
- Cook Once, Eat Thrice Part 1: Slow-Cooker Sesame Orange Chicken
- Meal Prep Friday - 5.8.15
- Meal Prep Friday – 5.1.15
- Meal Prep Friday – 4.24.15
- Meal Prep Friday – 4.17.15
- Meal Prep Friday – 4.10.15
- Meal Prep Friday – 3.27.15
- Meal Prep Friday – National Nutrition Month Edition
- How to build the perfect mason jar salad
- Meal Prep Friday 2.27.15
- Meal Prep Friday 2.20.15
Savita @ ChefDeHome says
Hi Min, thanks for sharing the link on FB..It is an awesome recipe and I'm sure adding it to the roundup. Also, wanted to say, you have an awesome blog! I'm loving a lot of your recipes. I wanted to email you but could not find your email id on your blog. You have my id now 🙂
Min says
Thank you so much, Savita, for your kind words! So happy to connect with you. And your email brightened up my day ;).
selene says
So nice of you in sharing your recipes ! Great website , thanks ! Will definitely try them !
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
This chicken shawarma sounds so flavorful yet totally doable during the week! Thanks for the inspiration of healthy yet delicious dinners friend!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I've never tried chicken shawarma before.. but is sure looks and sounds super delicious and flavorsome. I always love reading your cook once eat thrice posts too.. so unique and creative!
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Rebecca @BeTrulyNourished says
yum! I need this in my life. Love love love shawarma