Superbly rich and flavourful, you won't mind that this Bolognese doesn't contain any meat. Plus, when it’s paired with al dente gluten-free pasta and emulsified to make a deliciously rich sauce, you’ll look forward to eating this vegetarian meal prep every time.

Lentil Bolognese

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Superbly rich and flavourful, you won’t mind that this Bolognese doesn’t contain any meat. Plus, when it’s paired with al dente gluten-free pasta and emulsified to make a deliciously rich sauce, you’ll look forward to eating this vegetarian meal prep every time.

Superbly rich and flavourful, you won't mind that this Bolognese doesn't contain any meat. Plus, when it’s paired with al dente gluten-free pasta and emulsified to make a deliciously rich sauce, you’ll look forward to eating this vegetarian meal prep every time.

Lentil Bolognese

Before this recipe, I’d made countless lentil Bolognese recipe attempts and the lentil’s chewy texture and earthy flavour came through in every. single. one. And I wasn’t a fan. 

Then I learnt about brining and honestly, this extra step makes ALL the difference. 

Brining is the process of submerging food in a salty liquid (brine) for a while to season the food, while enhancing tenderness and flavour.

And let me tell you, brining works wonders on lentils… 

It helps them retain their shape, while making them softer AND creamier, so that when they are paired with the caramelised layers of this superbly rich and flavourful Bolognese sauce and al dente gluten-free pasta, it truly creates a delicious vegetarian meal prep that you’ll look forward to eating every time. 

Superbly rich and flavourful, you won't mind that this Bolognese doesn't contain any meat. Plus, when it’s paired with al dente gluten-free pasta and emulsified to make a deliciously rich sauce, you’ll look forward to eating this vegetarian meal prep every time.

Meal Prep and Lentil Bolognese…

How long will this be good for? 

This lentil Bolognese is good (safe to eat and still tasty) when stored in the fridge for up to four days, you could probably stretch it to five days and it would still be okay to eat.

How can I reheat it? 

Microwave:

  • In a microwave-safe dish, cook the lentil Bolognese in the microwave, for approx. 3 minutes on high (stir midway through) or until desired temperature is reached. 

Handy Tip… Sometimes pasta meal preps can get a little bit dry because the pasta soaks up the extra sauce when the meals are stored. To fix this, add a tablespoon or two of water, pop it back in the microwave to cook for another 30 seconds, then stir thoroughly to combine. 

Stovetop:

  • Place lentil Bolognese into a saucepan and add 2 TBSP water per serving. Over a medium heat, stir the lentil Bolognese frequently, until mixture starts to boil, then remove from heat and enjoy.  

To freeze or not to freeze?

This lentil Bolognese can be frozen, although the gluten-free pasta will break up and be far softer after thawing. When you want to eat it, simply reheat in the microwave or on the stove as per above, until the desired temperature is reached. 

Happy meal prepping! – Linda 

Superbly rich and flavourful, you won't mind that this Bolognese doesn't contain any meat. Plus, when it’s paired with al dente gluten-free pasta and emulsified to make a deliciously rich sauce, you’ll look forward to eating this vegetarian meal prep every time.

Lentil Bolognese Recipe 

Recipe Notes:

  1. Brown lentils can be substituted for green lentils, French lentils, black lentils or Puy lentils. Red or yellow lentils do not hold their shape and are therefore not recommended for this recipe.
  2. If you do not have a food processor, pureeing the diced tomatoes can be skipped, however, it will lead to a slightly chunkier sauce.
  3. If you are not celiac or gluten intolerant, substitute gluten-free pasta with normal pasta.

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Recipe inspired by and adapted from: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/deliciously-rich-lentil-bolognese/ 

High volume zucchini noodles and light evaporated milk make this creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta meal-prep super filling, creamy and something you’ll look forward to eating, time and time again.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

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High volume zucchini noodles and light evaporated milk make this creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta meal-prep super filling, creamy and something you’ll look forward to eating, time and time again.

High volume zucchini noodles and light evaporated milk make this creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta meal-prep super filling, creamy and something you’ll look forward to eating, time and time again.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

Zucchini noodles (zoodles) have a bad rap. Most recipes produce watery and soggy zucchini noodles because they haven’t been prepared properly earlier so when they are added to the recipe, they never hold the sauce and tend to be disappointing. 

BUT with proper preparation, zucchini noodles are a great addition to a pasta dish, because they bulk it up to make it more satisfying and voluminous, while blending in seamlessly.

How to properly prepare zucchini noodles

  1. Julienne the zucchinis 
  2. Place julienned zucchinis in a colander, sprinkle with sea salt and mix well. Set aside to rest for 15 – 30 minutes over a sink to drain off excess moisture.
  3. Squeeze the julienned zucchini with a paper towel against the sides of the colander to release any additional moisture, toss to loosen and repeat the process, until minimal liquid comes out. 
  4. Pour the hot starchy pasta water (or plain boiling water) over the zucchini noodles, to blanch them and rinse off excess salt. 
  5. Mix thoroughly to combine with pasta and sauce
  6. Serve and enjoy! 

Why use light evaporated milk instead of cream?

Using light evaporated milk instead of cream, helps makes this dish healthier by cutting down the overall calorie content of the dish, while still producing a super creamy sun-dried tomato sauce that tastes great.

Additionally, protein is more satiating than either carbohydrates or fats (further reading, click here), it makes sense to choose a creamy sauce base that is higher in protein. 

As light evaporated milk has 8g protein per 100ml, compared to traditional cream, which only has 2.3g protein per 100ml, the light evaporated milk is my preferred creamy sauce base, especially considering that the sauce taste or texture is not compromised!

High volume zucchini noodles and light evaporated milk make this creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta meal-prep super filling, creamy and something you’ll look forward to eating, time and time again.

Meal Prep and Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Pasta…

How long will this be good for? 

This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta is good (safe to eat and still tasty) when stored in the fridge for up to four days, you could probably stretch it to five days and it would still be okay to eat.

How can I reheat it? 

Microwave:

  • In a microwave-safe dish, cook the creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta in the microwave, for approx. 3 minutes on high (stir midway through) or until desired temperature is reached. 

Handy Tip… Sometimes pasta meal preps can get a little bit dry because the pasta soaks up the extra sauce when the meals are stored. To fix this, add a tablespoon or two of water, pop it back in the microwave to cook for another 30 seconds, then stir thoroughly to combine. 

Stovetop:

  • Place creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta into a saucepan and add 2 TBSP water per serving. Over a medium heat, stir the creamy sundried tomato chicken pasta frequently, until mixture starts to boil, then remove from heat and enjoy.  

To freeze or not to freeze?

As zucchinis are 95% water, they can become very soft and watery after freezing. Because the overall taste and texture of the dish would be compromised, I do not recommend freezing this creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta meal prep.

Happy meal prepping! – Linda 

High volume zucchini noodles and light evaporated milk make this creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta meal-prep super filling, creamy and something you’ll look forward to eating, time and time again.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Pasta Recipe

Recipe Notes

  1. When salting chicken, it is preferential to salt it 24 hours prior to cooking to allow the salt to evenly diffuse throughout the chicken. If you’re unable to do this, salt your chicken before preparing the vegetables or as early as possible prior to cooking.

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Craving Chinese food? Try this healthier take on popular classic sweet and sour pork. Juicy pieces of pork are marinated and fried until golden brown, then they’re paired with lots of tender-crisp vegetables and smothered in an aromatic, sweet and tangy sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pork

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Craving Chinese food? Try this healthier take on popular classic sweet and sour pork.
Juicy pieces of pork are marinated and fried until golden brown, then they’re paired with lots of tender-crisp vegetables and smothered in an aromatic, sweet and tangy sauce.

Craving Chinese food? Try this healthier take on popular classic sweet and sour pork. Juicy pieces of pork are marinated and fried until golden brown, then they’re paired with lots of tender-crisp vegetables and smothered in an aromatic, sweet and tangy sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Juicy pieces of pork are marinated to deliver maximum flavour and then pan-fried until golden brown. Preparing the pork this way helps to keep the calories lower than the traditional method of deep-frying, while still ensuring the pork is tasty and flavourful.

The vegetables are stir-fried to keep them crisp but tender. Bell pepper, carrots and pineapple are sweet, colourful additions to the dish, while onion and celery help bulk up the dish and add additional crunch. 

Then everything is smothered in an aromatic, sweet and tangy sauce and paired with a serving of jasmine rice to create a healthy and filling take on this popular Chinese takeaway dish. 

Craving Chinese food? Try this healthier take on popular classic sweet and sour pork. Juicy pieces of pork are marinated and fried until golden brown, then they’re paired with lots of tender-crisp vegetables and smothered in an aromatic, sweet and tangy sauce.

Meal Prep and Sweet and Sour Pork…

How long will this meal be good for? 

This sweet and sour pork is good (safe to eat and still tasty) when stored in the fridge for up to four days, you could probably stretch it to five days and it would still be okay to eat.

How can I reheat it? 

Microwave:

  • In a microwave-safe dish, cook the sweet and sour pork in the microwave, for approx. 3 minutes and 30 seconds on high (stir midway through) or until desired temperature is reached. 

Stovetop:

  • Place sweet and sour pork into a saucepan and add 2 TBSP water per serving. Over a medium heat, stir the sweet and sour pork frequently for 2 – 3 minutes, or until desired temperature is reached, then remove from heat and enjoy.  

To freeze or not to freeze?

This sweet and sour pork will be perfectly fine to freeze. When you want to eat it, simply thaw and reheat in the microwave or on the stove as per above, until the desired temperature is reached. 

Happy meal prepping! – Linda 

Craving Chinese food? Try this healthier take on popular classic sweet and sour pork. Juicy pieces of pork are marinated and fried until golden brown, then they’re paired with lots of tender-crisp vegetables and smothered in an aromatic, sweet and tangy sauce.

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Recipe Notes:

  1. When marinading meat, it is preferential to let it rest for 24 hours prior to cooking to allow the salt to evenly diffuse throughout the meat. If you’re unable to do this, marinade your meat before preparing the vegetables or as early as possible prior to cooking.

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Recipe inspired by and adapted from: https://thewoksoflife.com/sweet-and-sour-pork/