Getting ready for a festival is an exciting time, but it often leaves little room for meal planning. Our meal prep for festival guide will help you enjoy stress-free and delicious eating, letting you focus on the fun.
Things You’ll Need:
Skewer Sticks
You’ll need skewer sticks for the Cajun Chicken Skewers recipe. These could be wooden or metal, depending on your preference. If you’re using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning while grilling.
Food Processor
A food processor is essential for the Vegan Festival Falafel Bowl recipe. It’s used to blend chickpeas and other ingredients to a smooth consistency. Ensure that the processor has sharp blades and a decent motor for effective blending.
Cornbread Mold
For the Sweet & Spicy Cornbread, you’ll need a cornbread mold. This could be a silicone mold or a metal pan with cornbread-shaped sections. Make sure it’s properly greased before pouring the batter to avoid sticking.
Piping Bag
You’ll need a piping bag for the Churro Bites recipe. The bag should come with a star-shaped nozzle for that traditional churro shape. Make sure it’s sturdy, as the dough will be quite thick.
Meal Prep for Festival – Easy Recipes
Below are four easy meal prep recipes for festivals…
Recipe 1: Spicy Cajun Chicken Skewers
Ingredients and Preparation
For the Spicy Cajun Chicken Skewers, gather chicken breast, Cajun spice mix, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Start by washing the chicken breasts under cold water. Pat them dry with a paper towel before cutting them into 2-inch cubes.
Marination
In a separate mixing bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of Cajun spice mix, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice to create a marinade.
Submerge the chicken pieces in the marinade, ensuring they are fully coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours for the flavors to meld.
Grilling
After the marination period, remove the chicken from the fridge. Preheat your grill over medium heat. Carefully thread the marinated chicken cubes onto your pre-soaked or metal skewer sticks.
Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until the chicken is fully cooked and has nice grill marks.
Storage
Once cooled, these skewers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. They will last for up to 2 days.
Read more meal prep topics here – Meal Prep for Every Situation: Your Ultimate Guide
Recipe 2: Vegan Festival Falafel Bowl
Ingredients and Preparation
For this bowl, accumulate chickpeas, parsley, garlic, onion, cumin, salt, and olive oil. Drain and rinse 2 cups of chickpeas if you’re using canned.
Blending and Frying
Put the chickpeas, a bunch of parsley, 3 peeled cloves of garlic, and half a peeled onion into the food processor. Blend until you get a crumbly mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and salt to your liking. Form this mixture into small, flat patties.
Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the patties until they turn golden brown on both sides.
Assembly and Storage
Assemble the bowl by layering cooked rice at the bottom and topping it with vegetables of your choice and the freshly made falafels. Store this bowl in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will last for up to 3 days.
Recipe 3: Sweet & Spicy Cornbread
Ingredients and Preparation
The cornbread needs cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs, jalapenos, and honey. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease your cornbread mold generously to avoid sticking.
Mixing and Baking
In a large mixing bowl, blend 1 cup of cornmeal, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 cup of sugar. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of milk and 2 beaten eggs. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while mixing. Finally, fold in finely diced jalapenos to your liking.
Pour the mixture into the greased mold and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Drizzle some honey on top while it’s still warm for added sweetness.
Storage
Once cooled, store the cornbread in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Recipe 4: Churro Bites
Ingredients and Preparation
For the Churro Bites, assemble water, butter, salt, flour, eggs, and sugar. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Dough Making and Piping
Boil 1 cup of water in a saucepan and add 1/2 cup of butter and a pinch of salt to it. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in 1 cup of flour to form a dough.
Allow this dough to cool slightly. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Fill your piping bag fitted with a star nozzle with this dough. Pipe small portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Baking and Coating
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until they turn golden. After baking, roll the bites in granulated sugar while they are still warm.
Storage
Once they have cooled down, these churro bites can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Conclusion: Meal Prep for Festival
Festivals are a time for joy, and nothing complements that as well as good food. With this meal prep for festival guide, you can focus on the festivities while enjoying tasty and satisfying meals. Enjoy your festival!