Meal Prep DIY Bowls

4.86 from 14 votes

Find some time on the weekend to meal prep these healthy, home-cooked DIY Bowls! Not only are they fun, but they can also save so much of your time and money. No more asking yourself what to cook for dinner after a long day!

Prep Time1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time3 hrs

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: green onion, ponzu

Servings: (= 2 meals for a family of 4)

Calories: 549kcal

Author: Namiko Chen

Ingredients

⭑ Sweet & Tangy Scallion Soy Sauce

6 green onions/scallions (130 g or 4.6 oz; or 1 Negi)
1 dried red chili pepper
1 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp sake
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
¾ cup soy sauce

⭑ Ponzu Sesame Sauce

✻ Baked Salmon

1.5 lb salmon
1 Tbsp sake
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
freshly ground black pepper

✻ Baked Tofu

16 oz extra-firm tofu
2 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch (for coating)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

✻ Pan-Fried Chicken

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp sake
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic (pressed/minced)
1 knob ginger (grated)
4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch (for coating)
4 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.) (for pan-frying)

✿ For DIY Bowls

carb of your choice (Please see the blog post)
veggies/mushrooms of your choice (Please see the blog post)
sauce of your choice (Please see the blog post)
garnish of your choice (Please see the blog post)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

① PREP (WASH, CUT, and MARINATE)

Veggies/Mushrooms: Rinse and cut vegetables to appropriate sizes. Clean and cut the mushrooms. This julienne peeler is helpful to save time julienning carrot and peeling cucumbers.
Salmon: Prepare the salmon by cutting into individual pieces and drizzle sake to remove unwanted odor.
Tofu: Wrap the tofu with a paper towel and press tofu with a heavy object on top.
Chicken: In a large bowl, put in the chicken marinade ingredients (except for potato/cornstarch and oil). Add the chicken and marinate until you're ready to cook (at least 30 minutes).

② BAKE #1 (A SHORTER COOKING TIME) + BLANCH

Salmon: Prepare a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil over the salmon and season it with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 ºF (218 ºC) for 12-15 minutes.
Veggies: Boil water in a large pot and boil the veggies until tender (2-4 mins).

③ BAKE #2 (A LONGER COOKING TIME) + PAN FRY

Tofu: Cut the tofu into small cubes.
Prepare potato/cornstarch and oil in each bowl. Dredge the tofu cubes, shake off excess starch, and coat with the oil.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper. Place the tofu and bake at 425 ºF (218 ºC) for 25-30 minutes.
Chicken: Coat the marinated chicken with corn starch and shake off any excess.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat (or medium heat on the professional stove). Pan fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until crisp and golden on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Don't flip until one side is done. Drain off excess oil on a paper towel.

④ BAKE #3 (IF ANY) + MAKE SAUCES

Veggies: Coat the vegetables of your choice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 ºF (218 ºC) for approx. 15-20 minutes (cooking time varies depending on the vegetables).
Ponzu Sesame Sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar.
Sweet & Tangy Scallion Soy Sauce: Slice the green onions. Remove and discard seeds from the red chili pepper and cut into small rounds.
Heat sesame oil and chili pepper in a small pot. When the oil is hot, add green onions and saute.
Add the sugar, rice vinegar, and sake.
Add the soy sauce and bring it to simmer to let the alcohol evaporate. Turn off the heat and set aside.
You can save the sauces in mason jars.

⑤ PACK INTO CONTAINERS

Pack each ingredient and dish in separate containers.

⑥ MAKE DIY BOWLS

Make bowls based on the eater's preference and drizzle sauce of choice.

Notes

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.

Nutrition

Calories: 549 kcal · Carbohydrates: 36 g · Protein: 47 g · Fat: 22 g · Saturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 155 mg · Sodium: 792 mg · Potassium: 945 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 561 IU · Vitamin C: 11 mg · Calcium: 62 mg · Iron: 4 mg