Week of Healthy Meal Prep: June 24-28

You could complicate things if you wanted to, but why bother when the simple way tastes so great? Not counting salt, pepper, and oil, this recipe contains just six ingredients—and tastes like a million bucks. That’s because the lightly seasoned chicken releases all its chicken-y goodness into the skillet, where onions, garlic, kale, and chickpeas lap it up so that none of the rich poultry flavor goes to waste. If you can, purchase air-chilled and/or organic chicken thighs. Since chicken is the star here, you want the best you can find. 

Mellow, slightly sweet, and devoid of the overt fishy flavor that’s polarizing for so many, cod is a widely favored fish that’s perfect for pairing with a show-stopping sauce or topping like this tomato-balsamic jam. Diced pancetta provides a salty counterpart to the sweet onion, tomatoes, vinegar, and honey and gives the jam complexity. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired. Round out the meal with some brown rice.

This reigning leafy green is jam-packed with vitamins A, C, and K. Kale’s fibrous greens maintain integrity even in long-cooked soups and braises, but we also love it raw in salads. Just be sure to massage the leaves until they start to soften and tenderize. A few quick pickled carrots and a judicious dribble of creamy almond sauce completely transforms this dish into a hard-to-put-down dinner. Make it a regular in your #meatlessmonday rotation.

This marinara is a fantastic way to incorporate vegetables into a meal. Not only will adults love it but kids will, too! You can easily make it on a weekend, and reheat for a quick weeknight meal. It serves six, so keep leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.

In under 20 minutes, you can serve up perfectly cooked salmon fillets—with irresistibly crispy skin—and a hefty serving of lightly dressed vegetables. The peas and asparagus blanch briefly to retain their crunch and keep their flavors vibrant. No need to thaw the frozen peas; they’ll thaw almost immediately when they plunge into the boiling water. To keep things on track, follow this order: Put water on to boil, then heat the skillet and get the salmon cooking. Blanch the vegetables and make the salad dressing as the salmon cooks.

A splash of coconut milk adds richness to silken tofu, the mousse's secret ingredient, while whipped egg whites give volume in place of heavy cream. Dates lend natural sweetness with notes of caramel and honey. Don't give in to temptation too soon—the mousse needs to chill at least 8 hours to set properly. Serve chilled with fresh berries.