- Recipes
Power Hour Meal Prep
Sheela Prakash
Sheela PrakashSenior Contributing Food Editor
Sheela is the Senior Contributing Food Editor at Kitchn and the author of Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food. She received her master's degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy and is also a Registered Dietitian.
updated May 26, 2022
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When you think of Mediterranean-style meals, lush, colorful, feel-good food is top of mind. As we finally dig our heels into a long-awaited spring and summer, this vibrancy is exactly what we’re craving, and exactly what this Power Hour celebrates.
In about two hours, you can meal prep a week of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that are not only centered around the wholesome Mediterranean diet, but also rich with flavor and brightness. Most meals take advantage of seasonal produce favorites, such as asparagus, peas, radishes, and arugula — they’re sure to make you forget about the long months of winter behind you. Here’s how to tackle this meal prep plan.
Meal Prep Goals
- Breakfast: A ready-to-eat option that’s light yet satisfying.
- Lunch: Vegetable-focused choices that have enough protein to power your afternoon.
- Dinner: Simple, spring-foward meals that are easy to pull off.
- Nutritional Goals: A Mediterranean diet-inspired week that’s full of feel-good vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and beans (plus an end-of-the-week pasta dinner with a glass of wine!).
Meal Prep Plan Snapshot
- Feeds: 2 adults
- Prep Time: About 2 hours
- Meals Covered: About 80% (no set weekend meals, but there will be leftovers from Friday’s dinner)
- Weeknight Cooking Required? Moderate (10 to 30 minutes of simple cooking and reheating)
Meal Plan
Breakfast
- Spinach and Feta Egg Casserole
Lunches
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Leftover Chickpea and Feta Salad
Dinners
- Socca Pizza with Ricotta and Spring Veggies
- Salmon Patties
- Marinated Chickpea and Feta Salad with Spring Veggies
- Salmon Pita Pockets
- Garlic Butter Pasta with Asparagus and Peas
Shopping List
This week’s shopping list is a mix of Mediterranean diet staples like fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans, and healthy fats.It assumes cooking basics like olive oil, salt, and pepper are already on hand.
- Produce: 1 yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 6 ounces baby spinach, 1 head garlic, 1 large bunch fresh dill, 2 large English cucumbers, 1 large bunch fresh parsley, 4 lemons, 2 shallots, 1 large bunch radishes, 4 ounces sugar snap peas, 1 avocado, 1 large romaine lettuce heart, 6 ounces baby arugula, 1 pound asparagus,
- Refrigerated: 1 1/2 dozen large eggs, 1 quart whole or 2% milk, 8 ounces feta cheese, 4 ounces herb and garlic goat cheese, 1 small container whole-milk ricotta cheese, 1 small chunk Parmesan cheese
- Freezer: 1 bag frozen peas
- Pantry: Dijon mustard, quinoa, 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, pitted Kalamata olives, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, chickpea flour,farro, 1 can chickpeas, 4 (6-ounce) cans wild salmon, mayonnaise, 1 pound dried bucatini or other long pasta
- Other: Whole-wheat pita bread
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Power Hour: How to Get the Prep Done
- Make the egg casserole. While the oven heats to 375°F, prepare the egg casserole and bake according to recipe instructions. Cool completely.
- Prepare the quinoa salad. While the egg casserole bakes, make the quinoa salad according to recipe instructions.
- Cook the farro. Make the farro for the chickpea and feta salad.
- Marinate the chickpeas and feta. Prepare the marinated chickpeas and feta according to recipe instructions.
- Make the socca batter. Whisk together the chickpea flour, water, garlic, olive oil, and salt for the socca pizza in a medium bowl.
- Refrigerate the prepped items. Cover the egg casserole, quinoa salad, and socca batter with plastic wrap. Store the cooked farro and marinated chickpeas and feta separately in airtight containers. Transfer everything to the refrigerator.
A Week of Spring-Inspired Mediterranean Meals
Breakfast
Enjoy a square of egg casserole rewarmed briefly in the microwave. Stuff it inside half of a split pita, if desired.
Lunch
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad: Enjoy a portion of quinoa salad cold or at room temperature.
- Thursday, Leftover Chickpea and Feta Salad: Finish of the rest of Wednesday night’s dinner salad.
Dinner
- Monday, Socca Pizza with Spring Veggies: Use the prepped socca batter to make the socca pizza according to recipe instructions.
- Tuesday, Salmon Patties: Make a full recipe of salmon patties. Enjoy half with a quick side salad of arugula tossed with lemon juice and olive oil and save the rest for Thursday’s dinner.
- Wednesday, Marinated Chickpea and Feta Salad with Spring Veggies: Assemble the salad using the prepped farro and marinated chickpeas and feta. Save leftovers to enjoy for lunch the next day.
- Thursday, Salmon Pita Pockets: Reheat the leftover salmon patties in the oven. Whisk together a bit of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise to make a quick Dijonnaise. Spread the Dijonniase inside split pita pockets and fill with the salmon patties, cucumber slices, and a handful of arugula.
- Friday, Garlic Butter Pasta with Asparagus and Peas: Cap off the week by popping open a chilled bottle of rosé, cranking up your favorite playlist, and making this fast and fancy spring pasta!
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Power Hour Meal Prepis the series where we help you put it all together. We show you how to eat well during the week with an hour or two of Power Hour prep over the weekend. Every plan is different; mix and match to find your own personal sweet spot.
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