Fruits and Veggies Monday: Sunday Meal Prep Action :)

I believe @pustblume shared some blood oranges a week or two ago that made me crave the jewel-toned, juicy beauties.  Luckily I was able to find a few as they are at the end of the season.  Whole oranges in general are quite healthy with their vitamin C, but the darker-fleshed blood oranges are packed with even more immune-boosting antioxidants.  I saved some to eat the whole flesh, but I bought enough that I could spare a few to make some delicious infused water and to use the zest and juice of another in my cabbage slaw.

They are definitely one of those fruits that is so pretty when you slice open.  It made my water just a bit colorful, as well.  I don't usually have any problem drinking plenty of water throughout the day, but it doesn't hurt to have some with a little flavor to feel just a wee bit fancy.  If I close my eyes I can pretend like I'm sitting at the spa. ;)

Besides those gems, this is some of the other fruits and veggies I got for meals this week.  I had a moment when I first grabbed everything to set out that I forgot what I had in mind for everything.  That's the beauty of cooking, though, you can make it up as you go if you end up without a set plan!  I always know I've got a basic idea of what I want to make, but since I've been meal prepping long enough now I allow for flexibility in my final products for the week.

Despite my seasoned prepping status, there are times I start to get a little overwhelmed when I want to get all of my cooking done at once.  I try to be as efficient as possible in not only my time, but also in saving myself from having to wash a ridiculous amount of dishes.  After pulling out all of my produce, I took a minute to figure out my order of attack to make the process as streamlined as possible.

I started with my cabbage slaw.  Cabbage is another one of those plants I am always in awe of it's beauty.  It's quite a humble and hearty vegetable, but packed with nutrition and so versatile.  After chopping up my slaw, I kept out my knife and cutting board to continue with the raw ingredients for another salad.  If you prep all of your vegetables all at once, it can be a big time saver.  Plus you'll get some nice chopping muscles. ;)

These little ruby bits of deliciousness went in a salad with the cucumber, raw broccoli, chickpeas, chopped olives and some balsamic vinegar.  We'll eat it as is over some of the dandelion greens and with fresh herbs from the garden added in, or I may also make a small batch of grains to serve with it.  I love a fresh salad, but sometimes need that extra filling boost from the cooked whole grains to make sure I'm getting enough calories to support my active lifestyle.

After I finished preparing my raw selections for the week, I moved on to a batch of roasted sweet potatoes and black bean burgers.  Those I was able to fit in the oven at the same time, once again making the most efficient use of the stove and my time.  Thanks for stopping by to see what's cooking in my kitchen.  I look forward as always to see what is going on in yours!

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