Are you tired of thinking about what you're going to do for lunch every day? Or dinner? Me too. We live in a fast-paced world that lends itself to opting for outside food. But with restaurant prices skyrocketing, it's time to look in our kitchens. Groceries are up too, I know. But if you shop smart and plan ahead you can keep your budget under control and most likely eat healthier too. So for this meal prep suggestion I give you garam masala tenders with garlic bok choy and squash. But first, a little about Meal Prep.
MEAL PREP: Planning Ahead Has Never Been Easier
So you want to plan ahead, do you? There are a couple of different ways you can do this.
- First, always cook with leftovers in mind. I do this frequently. I simply make more than I need for any given meal. You’re already in the kitchen cooking a meal. Why not make a bit more than you need? The leftovers go in containers and are eaten for lunches for a day or two.
- Second, you can approach meal prep by making specific meals just for lunches. Simply pack them into cute little containers that make you feel oh-so organized and efficient. I recently purchased four bento-box style meal prep containers. They each fit into their own zippable carry bag and I love them! But really, any container will do!
Benefits of Meal Prep:
- No more spending your hard-earned money on take-out food. The prices are getting so high it’s really not affordable to do this too often.
- Preparing food in your own kitchen means you know exactly what’s going in your food.
- If you are working from home, you don’t have to stop and make something new for lunch. Simply reheat your already-prepared food. This gives you more time to relax and really enjoy your break!
Now go forth and meal prep!
Garam Masala Tenders with Garlic Bok Choy and Squash
I love garam masala and I love bok choy and squash. So, if you also love these things then you will appreciate this meal prep idea. I have made the garam masala tenders many times and we love them. Super easy to make and very tasty! This is a great healthy option for lunch and it's filling but not heavy.
I swear it's so simple you won't believe it. Marinate the chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper and garam masala. Finely dice a couple cloves of garlic. Chop yellow summer squash into cubes. Chop some bok choy. Cook it in pans! That's it! And searing the chicken tenders on a higher heat will give them a wonderful golden brown color and a little garam masala crust as well. Squeeze some fresh lime to finish it off and you're done!
This one is a no-brainer in terms of a healthy and absolutely delicious meal prep option! I hope you give this one a try. It will not disappoint.
If you're looking for other chicken recipes which could also be turned into meal prep lunches, you should check out my cardamom chicken thighs with coconut raisin rice or my cheesy stuffed chicken breast with asparagus and tomato.
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MEAL PREP: Garam Masala Tenders with Garlic Bok Choy and Squash
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Description
Want a healthier lunch? I’ve got you covered with this easy, delicious and healthy meal prep: garam masala tenders with bok choy and squash.
Ingredients
- 12-15 chicken tenders
- 2 yellow summer squash
- 1 large head of bok choy (see note 1)
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- ½ to 1 whole lime, juice only
- Olive oil as needed for cooking veggies
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the marinade
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garam masala spice
- Salt and pepper to taste
NOTE: PREP TIME DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MARINADE TIME. CAN BE 1 to 24 HOUR MARINADE
Instructions
- Don’t forget to watch the video which shows all the step-by-step instructions.
- Start by prepping the chicken tenders. I do take the time to cut out the top of that white tubular tendon that sticks out of most chicken tenders, but it’s optional. Next, season the chicken tenderloins on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Put the chicken tenders in a large bowl and add the garam masala and olive oil. Mix thoroughly so all the chicken pieces are coated in the spice and oil. Fork the chicken then leave in the bowl or transfer to a Ziplock bag and marinate for 1 hour and up to overnight. I usually throw it in the fridge overnight.
- Finely dice the garlic.
- Cut off the top and bottom tips of the summer squash. Cut the squash in half widthwise, then in half again lengthwise. Cut into thick strips, then into cubes. Put squash in a pan. My video shows this well.
- Cut the bok choy slicing across widthwise and about one inch apart per cut.
- You’ll have two pans on your stovetop. PAN 1: Yellow squash (add a little olive oil here as well as salt and pepper to taste). Stir the squash around on low-to-medium heat then put the lid on. Cook for 5 minutes then remove lid and stir. I like my squash al dente so it should be almost done at 5 minutes. Cook yours to your desired tenderness.
- PAN 2: The other pan should be on low heat and have a little olive oil and the garlic. Maybe 1 teaspoon or so of olive oil to cook the garlic for a minute or two. Then add the chopped bok choy and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the book choy and let it steam for 3-5 minutes until the leaves are wilted. Remove the lid and give it a stir to make sure the garlic is well incorporated.
- Transfer your veggies to plates or bowls, wipe the bottom of the pans with paper towel (or not, your call) and use the same pans to cook the chicken.
- You can use one pan and cook the chicken in two batches, but why spend the extra time? Use both pans then it only takes about six minutes total to cook the chicken!
- Heat should be at medium-to-high heat to cook the chicken. Add a little olive oil to your pans if needed. The higher heat will give the chicken a nice sear and give us a little garam masala crust on the outside. Cook chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
- Squeeze a half or whole lime on the chicken. This really makes a difference so don’t skip it!
- Divide the food into four portions and into four containers. Refrigerate and take to work the next day! Or eat it while you’re working from home – more time to really relax and rest instead of running to the kitchen to find food for lunch!
Enjoy!
Equipment
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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T-fal Non-Stick Pans (set of 3)
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- I usually use baby bok choy, but they only had regular and it was a huge one. But remember, bok choy shrinks. It ended up being perfect for four portions. If you prefer baby bok choy just use that instead.
- For the garam masala. I have several great Indian markets near where I live where I usually pick this up. I have also noticed recently they are selling it in my local grocery store too. It’s a great spice and NOT spicy at all.
- The chicken tenders. I used two small packages and there were 15 total. Your package may be different. I only used three pieces for each meal prep container – which makes 12. I cooked them all anyway.
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