Food Friends: Home Cooking Made Easy · Episode 328 · November 3, 2026 · 35 min

Meal Prep Like A Private Chef: Four Menus for Busy Weeks

What do private chefs actually cook for families during the week… and what can home cooks learn from it? In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on our client menus. These are the kinds of meals designed to work in real life, they’re flexible, flavorful, make-ahead friendly, and built to stretch into multiple lunches and dinners throughout the week. We’re also sharing the strategies we rely on in our own kitchens, and by the end of this episode, you’ll discover: How to build “mix-and-match” weekly meal plans that don’t feel boring Strategies for prepping proteins, sauces, and vegetables once and using them throughout the week 4 unique menus that feature some of our go-to dinners Tune in now to cook like a private chef in your kitchen! *** For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our free Substack here . And join us on our live monthly calls by upgrading your subscription to paid! *** SONYA: Menu #1 Main Dishes for Tuesday night (served fresh): Ina’s Perfect roast chicken (used rosemary instead of thyme), and rosemary garlic tofu like this , served with rustic mashed potatoes and arugula parm salad , lemon vinaigrette Mix and Match for the week: Soup/Stew for the week: Kitchri + toppings: sliced onion, sliced cucumber, hard boiled eggs Protein: Mediterranean-style marinated and grilled skirt steak A pot of brothy beans – made with pinto beans Sides: Crispy parm-roasted brussels sprouts Leafy greens Dressing : Homemade ranch Deli salad : Golden egg salad KARI Menu #1: Sunday Meal Prep: pot of black beans , pot of short-grain brown rice, marinate and bake or grill lime chicken , cut up mango and/or pineapple or fruit from the farmers market Sunday Dinner: Roasted fish (snapper, salmon, Arctic Char) with rice and roasted carrots and parsnips Monday dinner: Lime chicken with black bean and queso fresco salad with chopped zucchini jicama, red peppers, cilantro scallion, chile powder, and lime juice Tuesday dinner: Carrot and radicchio salad via The James Beard Foundation Leftover rice and beans make good burritos or tacos later in the week Sonya Menu #2: Monday Dinner: Roasted salmon with green herbs , saffron rice , and wedge salad Tuesday Dinner : Stuffed peppers – turkey stuffed peppers and vegetarian stuffed peppers with chickpeas and cheese Mix and Match for the week: Soup: Georgian tarragon soup Protein : Greek meatballs (you can also use 100% beef, or swap beef for chicken, and add crumbled feta if desired) Side: Cauliflower roasted with red onion and dates (used turmeric and black pepper instead of spice mix) Dressing: Tahini sauce Snack: Tzatziki and crudités Deli salad : Pepperonicin chicken salad , and a similar one that doesn’t require a subscription Kari Menu #2: Sunday Meal Prep : Slow cooker caramelized onions (for tomato soup) Tomato soup Early Bird granola , aka “Nekisia’s olive oil and maple granola” from A Grain of Salt Pot of quinoa Quinoa cakes and set aside ½ cup of quinoa for Erewhon greenies Erewhon “greenies”: Blanched or steamed kale and broccoli until bright green and crisp tender, add quinoa, hemp seeds, virgin coconut oil and sea salt Sunday Dinner: Honey garlic-glazed salmon with Erewhon “greenies” Additional meals during the week Quinoa cakes with herby salad, leftover greenies with a fried egg, tomato soup, granola with yogurt or over a smoothie bowl or in your frozen yogurt **** Got a cooking question? Leave us a message on our hotline at: 323-452-9084 For more recipes and cooking inspiration, sign up for our Substack here . Are you a local to Portland or planning a visit? You can now book a private farmers’ market tour with Sonya through Airbnb Experiences! Or order Sonya's cookbook Braids for more Food Friends recipes!