Q&A: Ask a Kitchen Herbalist
Last week over on IG I shared a little behind the scenes peek at some meal prep I did for a private client.
I’ve been doing private chef work for over a decade and it’s truly such a joy to be able to make nourishing food for families.
During the pandemic, I really shifted out of this work to focus more on my online classes and content creation for brands.
Throughout my time of private cheffing I’ve learned a lot about being more efficient in the kitchen, menu and meal planning, and how to lean on seasonal ingredients.
I was surprised at how many of you reached out wanting to see more about the process and how I come up with weekly meals.
Right now with the change of season, you’re probably feeling called to switch up your routines and introduce more wild weeds, fresh herbs, and bitter vegetables showing up around you.
I know I sure am!
While it’s my job to be creative in the kitchen, I get into ruts around food, too. Coming back to these principles always helps me get ideas flowing.
So without further ado, here are my tips for creating nourishing meals when you’re short on time, creativity, or energy.
Herbal Meal Planning 101
RECIPE INSPO | Searching for recipe inspiration is key!! Feeling excited about what you’re cooking is important when you don’t always want to cook.
Flipping through cookbooks, blogs, or recent restaurant experiences might seems obvious but it’s always a good way to gain inspo.
Look for colors, textures, or ingredients you feel called to and go from there.
I love going to the farmers market on Sunday to check out what’s fresh and that gives me a lot of creativity for the week, even if I don’t have specific meals in mind.
Just going to the grocery store works too since it’s not always easy to imagine what’s ready to go and available.
MAKE A GAME PLAN | If you need more structure, refer to the table I shared a while back and pick a few veggies, proteins, carbs, and a dressing or dip to start building out meals.
For example if I’ve roasted some chicken, made a batch of French lentils, a simple dressing, and have a few vegetables on hand like lettuce, fennel, or potatoes, I know I have a few meals ready to go.
The main meal might be a dinner of roasted chicken with herby potatoes and a salad. Then, for lunch I could add those ingredients to a warm pita with some feta or parmesan and olives for a quick lunch. The next day I could make a quick coconut curry lentil soup (extra points if you use a homemade adaptogenic spice blend!) with the leftover lentils and serve it with a salad.
So, you can see how simple ingredients come together to make three different meals instead of just eating the same meal over and over again.
TIMING | I don’t do everything at once, so don’t panic about this part. You don’t have to spend hours prepping but rather, what I like to do, is prep as I go.
If I’m making a soup I’ll put on some beans or broth for the week at the same time.
Since I’m already in the kitchen, doing something extra doesn't feel so daunting.
If I’m working from home, I like to prep a part of dinner during lunch to remove a step later on. This really helps me to feel like I’ve got a head start.
STOCKING THE PANTRY | Having a stocked pantry is a game changer when it comes to making nourishing meals during a busy week.
While this can take some time to streamline and build out, you can start with a few of your favorite dried goods of all kinds.
Think grains, beans, canned goods, condiments, nuts and seeds, sweeteners, spices, and dried herbs to start.
When I’m doing weekly shopping, I like to grab a few pantry items to refill my “larder,” if you will. Instead of having to buy everything at once, I do it as I think of items or need to restock.
I could go on and on about organizing the “pantry.” Whether you have a luxurious walk-in, shelves, or cabinets to store your goods, knowing what you have and where it is will feel like such a huge support to your kitchen practice. Let me know if you want a post on this in the comments below.
HERBAL PREPS | A big part of saving time while also adding flavor and herbal support to my meals is by rotating my herbal preps. These are essentially pantry staples with your favorite medical herbs infused right in, saving you time and energy while enjoying the healing benefits of these herbs. I keep a few herbal preps in rotation depending on the season. Here’s a look at what I’m working with currently:
Milk Thistle & Sesame Salt Sprinkle - Packed with liver supportive milk thistle seeds, seaweed, sea salt, and toasted black sesame seeds, this is a great topping for eggs, porridge, dips, salads, grains and beans.
Adaptogenic Chili Crunch - A little spicy, smokey and crunchy this shiitake mushroom infused oil is easy to drizzle on savory dishes of all kinds and adds a little something special.
Herbal Bone Broth - I typically make broth every week during the cooler months and like to infuse nervous system supportive roots and digestive supportive spices right in. Obviously broth is a wonderful base for soups but adds tons of flavor to basic grains and beans in as well.
Lemon Balm Vinaigrette - Having an herbal dressing on hand is a staple in my kitchen. This one is a simple fresh lemon balm infused dressing for salads, wraps, or even using as a marinade for chicken.
LEFTOVERS | I’m a big leftovers fan, too. I like to make extra dinner to enjoy for lunch the next day and it’s a great way to not have to spend time in the kitchen when I’m in the middle of working.
That way I’m just reheating something vs having to make something from scratch while still feeling nourished.
For example, last week I had some leftover Miso Shiitake Risotto and make a simple green salad to go with for lunch. It felt like such a treat!
Don’t feel like you have to do any or all of these tips at once. Your schedule, how many people you’re cooking for, and dietary needs or preferences are unique, so finding a flow that is most supportive to you is key.
Get creative and experiment. And most of all find ways to make your time in the kitchen enjoyable. Our meals are medicine we eat three times a day, so why not make the most out of them when you can?
For more recipes and herbal kitchen inspo, check out the archive here.
Happy cooking!
xx- Sarah Kate
P.S. If you live in the Sonoma County area and need support with nourishing meals, I have an opening for a new private chef client. Please email me at sarahkate@thekosmickitchen.com to get in touch.