This Week on Better Plates: 6 Recipes Worth Saving
A week that starts with a jar of blueberry parfait and ends with a tub of vegan egg salad, and four of the six are built to make ahead.
Blueberry mint parfaits opened things Monday — yes, dessert first — and then the middle of the week went abroad. Vietnamese herbs and poached shrimp on Tuesday, a Mediterranean lamb burger Wednesday, Yunon’s chicken meatball glass noodle soup Thursday, and salmon over pearl couscous Friday. Protein never drops below 17 grams, climbing to 42 by Friday, before Saturday closes with a vegan egg salad that lands at 32. Most of this keeps in the fridge, which is useful information on a Sunday.
Blueberry Mint Greek Yogurt Parfaits — Monday
Dina Deleasa-Gonsar simmers fresh blueberries with maple syrup, lime, and a sprig of mint until the jam thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, then spoons it over honey-sweetened Greek yogurt in 11-ounce jars. She built it for the week ahead — portion it into individual jars on Sunday, or put it into one large bowl and let weekend guests build their own. If you’re out of lime, lemon juice works fine, and the jam still tastes like blueberry if you skip the mint.
Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 4–6 jars | Protein: 17g
Vietnamese Shrimp Salad — Tuesday
Two minutes of actual cooking, and it’s just poaching shrimp. Olivia Lam tosses them with cucumber, tomato, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and mint in a Vietnamese-style dressing — a side she describes as light yet satisfying. If you’re making it ahead, keep the dressing separate and hold the avocado back until you serve.
Cook time: 2 minutes | Serves: 4 | Protein: 18g
Lamb Burgers with Yogurt Feta Sauce — Wednesday
Three components, and the kalamata spread is the one that makes it. Dina’s patties get garlic, dill, cumin, and fresh parsley, then a feta-spiked yogurt sauce and chopped olives with parsley and oil layered on top. Skip the bun for butter lettuce or pita if you’d rather. Her tip: dimple the center of each patty so they cook flat.
Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves: 4 patties | Protein: 26g
High-Protein Chicken Meatball Glass Noodle Soup — Thursday
Breakfast doesn’t have to be sweet, Yunon argues, and this is her case for it — 28 grams of protein in a 300-calorie bowl of broth, Chinese cabbage, shiitakes, and glass noodles. Tofu in the chicken mixture is what keeps the meatballs soft. Make it for dinner and eat the leftovers the next morning.
Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 | Protein: 28g
One-Pan Herby Salmon and Couscous — Friday
Forty-two grams of protein and one pan to wash. Olivia Lam’s second of the week pairs seasoned salmon with pearl couscous run through with basil and dill — protein, carbs, and vegetables all cooked in a single dish. Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth if you’re pescatarian.
Cook time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 | Protein: 42g
Vegan Egg Salad — Saturday
Boiled tofu, turmeric, and a pinch of kala namak get you the eggy flavor without any eggs. Evann Ryan’s version makes six containers and gets more flavorful the longer it sits — spoon it onto sprouted bread, into a tortilla, or over cucumber slices (or just eat it straight out of the container with a spoon).
Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 6 | Protein: 32g