'Mis en place' aka 'Meal Prep'

In french they call it ‘Mis en place’ also known as 'setting up,' we like to call it ‘meal prep.’

It means we plan out our steps to make the process easier and more enjoyable.

'Mis en place' is having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking.

If we’re talking meal prep basics we usually follow these few guidelines:

1. What would you like to cook this week? 
1. At home and in the 'kitchen' we like to choose seasonal local veggies and usually know what's available at the farmers market when we get there. We’ll plan a day early in the week or whichever your favorite farmers market is and have a a general shopping list
1. Choosing produce (check out our blog ‘Tips & Tricks for your farmers market pick up’)
1. Greens
2. Fruits
3. Veggies
4. Roots
5. Herbs
6. Eggs, meats & cheeses
2. Depending on your sizing for meals we usually choose 2-4 of the options listed, here are some examples
1. Greens (Kale, Chard, Arugula, Mixed Greens, Spinach, Bok Choi)
2. Fruits (papayas, bananas, mangos, tomatoes)
3. Veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, carrots)
4. Roots (taro, potatoes, uala)
5. Herbs & aromatics (a mix)
6. Eggs, meats & cheeses (If you desire)
2. Wash or store produce when you arrive home, check out the blog on ways to wash or store produce called ‘Tips & Tricks for your farmers market pick up’ 
3. Roast your veggies
1. Meal prep for the week by taking the veggies that can be roasted, set aside an hour or so to make them
1. Roasting tip - preheat oven 400’F 
2. Chop veggies similar in sizes
3. Toss veggies in olive oil and seasoning salt of preference
4. Place prepared veggies on parchment paper or a baking sheet, make sure to space out the veggies; they cook more uniformly when there's a bit of extra room around them
5. Place in oven for 20-40 min depending on the veggie
2. Veggies are good for up to a week or longer when refrigerated in a sealable container. Use these veggies in the dishes you create throughout the week
4. Boil Roots or prep grains
1. We try to go as local and organic as possible so we love taking the ‘root’ veggies and either roasting or boiling them too.
1. 'Roots'
1. Typically for roots like potatoes or Uala we will peel and 1/4 cut into 'oblique' pieces. 
2. 'Grains'
1. quinoa to add to anything, reference the boiling directions on the packaging, typically a 1:2 ratio for quinoa:water
2. rice
1. 1:1 ratio of white rice to water
2. 1:2 ratio of brown rice to water
2. Add your 'roots,' grains, and 'greens' to a salad or make a ‘Buddha Bowl’ with all your prepared ingredients
5. Sauces & dressings
1. The best part of meal prep is creating a sauce. We usually have 1 or 2 dressings pre-made ahead of time. These can last for up to 3 weeks depending on the recipe you use. Here’s one of our favorite dressing recipes, it’s seriously great on everything!