Low-Heat Meal Prep

It's hot! We hit 118 several days last week, and the heat has not let up much this week. People in our geographical area have experienced power outages, and the city sent out an e-mail asking users to conserve energy between 3 and 8 pm by using less appliances that take a lot of power (as dishwashers, ovens, etc.). Meal prep is part of our current way of life, but given the heat and the city's request, I needed to do things a little differently. That led to this low-heat meal prep.

What is low heat? Well, since we keep our house at 80 degrees already, that meant meals that created as little heat as necessary to make. The oven was definitely off limits, and I wanted to use the stove as little as possible. Additionally, I wanted meals that could be eaten cold, or reheated with little extra energy output. 

Here is what I came up with:

Breakfast:

Carrot cake overnight oats (No cook/raw)

Stove-top granola (Not pictured)

Lunches:

Mexican chicken and vegetable bowls (Chicken cooked in the Instant Pot; eaten cold)

Sandwiches (Not pictured)

Dinners:

Ricotta/asparagus pasta salad with ham (Stovetop; eaten cold)

Spicy black bean and caramelized onion tacos (Stovetop; eaten cold)

Snacks:

Apples (Not pictured)

Bananas (Preferably frozen; not pictured)

Baked oatmeal (based on this recipe by Budget Bytes; eaten cold)

*I cooked this in the microwave for 14 minutes verses 45 minutes in the oven based on GE's microwave recipe conversion ratio.

Carrot sticks (Not pictured)

Cheese sticks (Not pictured)

Peanuts (Not pictured)

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Could I have reduced or eliminated stove-top cooking for this prep? Sure! I could have made raw meals, or solely used the Instant Pot, but this worked. I made the no-cook recipes at night, and spent a few mornings with the stove and voila, done!

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Readers, what are your favorite low-heat/no cook recipes? What do you eat to help survive the summer heat? Please share in the comments section.

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*For more inspiration, see Work Week Lunch's "Cold Lunch Ideas" blog post or no-reheat meal preps.

Healthy Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal Cups

I am having a bit of a heyday with baked oatmeal cups made with almond butter. Almond butter is seriously a game-changer! Take a look at these healthy gingerbread oatmeal cup beauties!

I adapted this recipe from Kristine's Kitchen to up the fruit content (via applesauce) and eliminate the sugar. I am not anti-sugar at all, I just feel better when I do not eat it at breakfast.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c oats
1 t ginger
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 c applesauce
1 c water
2 T almond butter
1 t vanilla

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Grease 12 cupcake tins. (I used coconut oil.)
3) Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
5) Add wet ingredients to dry and stir.
6) Bake at 380 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7) Allow muffins to cool in the pan before removing.

I put my muffins in the freezer after they cooled and pop out a few when I need them. They are good partly frozen, but then again, I like all my baked goods that way!

Craveable Chocolate Oatmeal Muffin Cups

Returning to physical therapy means early mornings. I decided I'd rather sleep in and eat breakfast in the car than get up early. That meant figuring out an on-the-go breakfast. I've been craving chocolate, and you know I like oatmeal. So I searched for a recipe and found these chocolate breakfast oatmeal cupcakes from Chocolate Covered Katie. I subtracted some sweetener, substituted some and came up with these delightful and satisfying chocolate oatmeal muffin cups.

The dark cocoa in these muffins makes them slightly decadent. The applesauce adds sweetness without overpowering. Almond butter adds protein and satisfaction. It's a pretty good combination. So without further ado, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 c water
2 T almond butter
1 1/2 T vanilla

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 380 degrees.
2) Grease 12 cupcake tins. (I used coconut oil.)
3) Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
5) Add wet ingredients to dry and stir.
6) Bake at 380 degrees for 25 minutes.
7) Allow muffins to cool in the pan before removing.

I put my muffins in the freezer after they cooled and pop out a few before I leave in the morning, but how you eat them is up to you!

30 Days of Oatmeal: Pumpkin Almond Butter Mug Cake

Here's something different for you: a mug cake/microwave baked oatmeal recipe. This recipe features pumpkin and almond butter and cooks up quite nicely. (Make sure to add enough liquid, though!)

This recipe isn't sweet, so feel free to add in a teaspoon of maple syrup if you like.

Ingredients:

1/3 c quick cooking oats
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 c pumpkin puree
2-4 T milk or water

Directions:

1. Grease a small cup and add oats and spices. Stir to mix.
2. Add pumpkin puree and 2 T milk water. Stir. If mixture is dry, stir in more liquid 1 T at a time.
3. Microwave three minutes.
4. Let cool for two minutes and then dig in!