One Pan Dish: Ground Turkey- Butternut -Coconut Hash (Dinner in less than 15 minutes)

Meal prep is one of those things you know you “should” do…but sometimes it feels so daunting—especially when cooking or recipe-following is not “your thing.”

However, time and time again, you vow, “I’ll prep more next week” when you frequently come home, open up the fridge and all you see is a carton of eggs, raw broccoli, salad greens and carrots, salsa, maybe some frozen beef in the freezer and a can of tuna, uncooked sweet potatoes or rice grains in your pantry.

SAME OL’ SAME OL’

Hmph.

You settle for another night of scrambled eggs and spinach with some salsa on top, thinking, “Next week. Yes, next week…”

And the beat goes on.

I get it. Even as a nutritionist meal prep is not at the top of my radar every week with many other things I’d rather do on my weekend.

However, guess what…it doesn’t have to be.

I’m talking: SIMPLE but delicious meals made in less than 15-20 minutes (the time it takes you just to park in Whole Foods parking lot in downtown Austin for some hot bar takeout).

Instead of feeling like I have to full-on prepare EVERYTHING to eat for the week in one fatal swoop , I am more of a “prep as I go” kinda girl (things taste better fresh anyway).

Generally I’ll make double the portion to have breakfast or lunch the next day and, voila: meal prep made easy.

The best part?

 You don’t have to cook anything elaborate or really even follow a recipe.

While I often am inspired by cookbook favorites or blog posts of “professional chefs” (ie. Bloggers who live in the kitchen), for the most part, create my own versions of meals with my favorite meats, veggies and spices thrown together.

My most recent invention?

Ground turkey-butternut squash-spinach-coconut hash.

Ground Turkey- Butternut -Coconut Hash

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey (or bison or grass-fed beef)
• ½ can coconut milk (lite or full-fat)
• ½ lb. diced butternut squash (time save tip: buy pre-diced. Trader Joe’s sells in a little baggie for $2.99!)
• 2 HEAPING handfuls leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, “Power Greens” mix)
• Vietnamese Cinnamon (Saigon Cinnamon), 1-2 tsp
• All Spice, ½ tsp.
• sea salt & pepper, to taste
• ghee or coconut oil

Directions:

1. Spoon a dollop of ghee or coconut oil into a pan on medium-high heat 
2. Brown ground turkey until almost fully cooked
3. Add in squash, coconut milk, greens and spices

   
   4. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover

   5. Allow to cook down, until squash softens and greens wilt. Stir occasionally. About 8-10 minutes. 

   
   6. Boom.

OH THE POSSIBILITIES

You should try it!

And while you’re at it, consider the possibilities for other one-pan dishes. Here are a few ideas to get the wheels (in your head) turning:

• Ground meat  or chicken+ taco seasonings + summer squash

• Sweet potatoes + flaked salmon + greens with coconut flakes on top

• Ground bison + zucchini noodles + diced canned tomatoes + Italian seasonings + olives

The sky is the limit.

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