Summer has been summeringgg, which unfortunately means I have not been on my meal prep game at all. Every week I make ambitious plans to get back into it… but until that actually happens, I’ve been l…

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The straight cottage cheese on top of ground beef felt a bittt too gym bro-y for me and the whole thing was just kind of giving zero vibes 🥀

These street corn sweet potato ground beef bowls tho…are basically the brighter, prettier, elevated, better-in-every-way version of the above.

You still get the sweet from the roasted sweet potatoes and the salty from the taco ground beef, but the creamy, high-protein street corn plus all the fun toppings like avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime make everything feel so much fresher, cuter, and honestly just way more fun to eat. And hot girls eat healthy meals they’re actually excited about <3

This with an ice cold ginger lime Poppi was literally the highlight of my work days this week and I can confidently say... I will definitely be remaking these… immediately.

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I make these constantly throughout the summer because they’re such a universal crowd pleaser, ridiculously easy to throw together, and just objectively super cutie ᵕ̈

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I have a million mini wrap combos in mind already, but obviously had to start with the one and only: chicken caesar. There are few things the internet (including me) loves more.

Not only are these the cutest lunches ever, they’re also the easiest lunches ever… literally the same amount of effort as making a sandwich, but infinitely more fun and cute.

They’re also endlessly customizable:

• I used regular mini flour tortillas from Trader Joe’s, but if you’re a low carb girlie you could do low carb/high fiber street taco tortillas or just skip the tortillas altogether and do lettuce cups (… chicken caesar lettuce cups sound absolutely fire)

• If you’re a protein girlie, add some light cheese (this one low key has amazing macros) and use a greek yogurt caesar

• And if you’re a lazy girlie, 100% use pre-cooked grilled or rotisserie chicken

Then just sprinkle on some microgreens + parm (plus your fun drink of choice ofc) for the most effortless, chic desk lunch vibes <3

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Don’t get me wrong, I looove a good sandwich. But unfortunately, sometimes a giant sub in the middle of the day is a little too much if I’m trying to actually get sh*T done.

Enter: sub in a tub

It gives you everything a good sandwich does — crunch, salt, tang, protein — without the heaviness (aka the immediate need to take a nap at your desk after).

Bonus points because this was one of the easiest things to meal prep and it keeps really well. Just store the dressing separately so nothing gets soggy.

Highly rec pairing this with kettle chips + your fave fun drink for some peak work lunch vibes ✨

As always, the below measurements are just suggestions: add more of what you like, less/none of what you don’t like ᵕ̈

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I can never skip a Pepper Lunch video on my feed so I genuinely have no idea why it took me this long to actually make it. But I finally did recently after a long day at work when I was in desperate need of a little solo treat dinner. Not only was it insanely delicious, it was also insanely easy — aka my favorite kind of recipe.

All I did was pick up some steak from Whole Foods on my way home, throw in a zucchini that I needed to use up (and also bc a girl needs her fiber ᵕ̈), and the rest is basically just pantry staples: rice, corn, onion, and butter. Which means you can pretty much throw this together whenever you’re in need of a little pick-me-up.

Side note: I would definitely categorize this meal as a universal crowd pleaser (aka kid/picky-eater friendly). I mean… what is there not to like? It’s steak, rice, and corn topped with butter and honey soy sauce. So combined with how easy this is to make, pepper lunch is basically a goated group dinner meal. I made a double batch on a ski trip recently and it was such a hit. Everyone went back for seconds and thinks I’m some kind of masterchef, but in reality it was the easiest thing to throw together.

And you know I’m always about maximum brownie points for minimal effort ᵕ̈

ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked rice (~ 1 cup uncooked)

• 1 white onion, thinly sliced

• 1 lb thinly sliced beef1

• veggie of choice: 1 zucchini, diced (optional)

• ½ cup corn (frozen or canned)

• 1 tbsp butter

• 2 scallions, sliced (for vibes)

• sauce:

  • 4 tbsp soy sauce

  • 4 tbsp honey

  • 2 tbsp mirin or sake

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

steps:

1. In a large pan, heat a little oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and fragrant (about 2-3 mins).

2. Add the beef and cook until browned (about another 2-3 mins). Stir in half of the sauce and let it cook for another minute or two. (If you’re adding veggies, toss it into the pan now with the sauce and cook until slightly softened)

3. Pack the rice tightly into a bowl so it holds its shape. Make a hole in the center of the pan and flip the bowl of rice into the middle.

4. Top the rice with the corn, butter, and scallions and drizzle the rest of the sauce over the rice.

5. Let everything cook undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes so the rice gets a little crispy on the bottom. Mix everything together and enjoy ᵕ̈

p.s. if you’re a visual learner like me, I posted videos of said girl dinner and ski trip on my page if you want to follow along:

If you ever get bored of plain chicken noodle soup, lemon chicken orzo soup is basically her older, more sophisticated Greek sister: brighter, richer, and just as comforting. I especially love that this soup is both light yet super filling at the same time, thanks to the hidden triple protein situation: rotisserie chicken, bone broth, and chickpea orzo.

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It might seem intimidating at first, but I’ve made enough cheeseboards to realize that a few simple steps are all it takes to get a picture-perfect board every time and be the party MVP ᵕ̈

step 1: cheese

The first pain point of making a cheese board is probably what kind of cheese to even get bc there’s literally a million different types that exist. I get it. Just remember that all you really need is a variety in taste and shape.

For a smaller board, aim for 1 soft/creamy cheese (like brie or goat) and 1 sharper/firmer cheese (like cheddar or gouda). For a larger board, I usually do a wheel of brie and a few sharper cheeses in different shapes. For example: a block of cheddar that you can cut into cubes, another sharper cheddar that you can easily slice into rectangles, and a triangular cheese like manchego that you can cut into small wedges.

Different shapes make the board look way more intentional and “styled,” even though you’re literally just cutting cheese in different directions.

step 2: meat

For meat, I usually keep it simple and do a mix of prosciutto and salami. If you’re making a small board, a sample variety pack is perfect bc you get a little of everything without overbuying. When it comes to styling, this is what I do every time:

• Prosciutto river: just lay down loose slices of prosciutto in a flowing line across the board. It fills space quickly and looks impressive for basically zero effort.

• Salami zippers: fold a slice of salami in half, then in half again, and interlock it with another folded slice.

Pro tip: I usually sandwich the salami zippers between cheeses if possible — the tension helps hold them together so they don’t unravel.

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My formula for a skinny fried rice is literally just equal parts frozen fried rice, cauliflower rice, and protein. That’s it — 3 ingredients, 1 pan, zero effort or brain cells required. You know I’m all about easy girl dinners that have your carbs, protein, and veggies all-in-one, and this one is by far the easiest and my favorite.

You can switch up the combos endlessly,

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Since I live all the way across the country and nowhere near an Erewhon, I obviously had to recreate it myself so I can make it whenever I feel even remotely sick. This version uses a rotisserie chicken bc I’m all about maximum flavor for minimal effort. Definitely optional, but I typically also use the bones from the chicken to make homemade bone broth (instructions in the footnotes) for extra wellness points (and protein ᵕ̈).

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This version is for the lazy hotties who lo…

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This was my “spooky” spread I threw together after work for a last minute Halloween girls night with no prior planning and honestly, I thought it was just the right amount of spooky and cute ᵕ̈ and as usual, it was all super easy:

For a cute, simple, and chic halloween cocktail, I just went with a go-to hit amongst my friends: pomegranate margaritas. Since pomegranate juice is a super deep red it was the perfect witchy and “bloody” color for a spooky drink and I just rimmed the cups with some black sea salt for an extra hint of halloween vibes.

My go-to ratio for a foolproof yummy fresh margarita every time is always 1 part tequila, 1 part lime juice, 2 parts fruit juice. I will usually just batch a large pitcher so that my friends and I have drinks on deck all night with 2 cups tequila, 2 cups lime juice, and 4 cups pomegranate juice. Feel free to top off with a little sparkling water if you want to lighten it up/ add some bubbles!

Hot tip: if you’re ever hosting, I highly recommend stocking up on clear plastic cocktail cups. In my opinion, it is the easiest way to elevate a party. I don’t consider myself a high-maintenance gal, but I do have a strong aversion to solo cups as they literally have zero vibes and just scream frat-party (which low key triggers me ᵕ̈).

Also, if you can’t find pomegranate juice/ it’s out of your budget you can easily sub with any other juice that’s a deep red (cranberry, cherry, etc)!

With no direction in the grocery store and only 2 hours before my friends were coming over, I was about to resort to ordering pizza when I had a stroke of genius and realized that blue corn tortillas are basically nature’s Halloween food (no weird black dyes required). It was as if I received a download from the Halloween Gods themselves because once I had that thought, the rest of the menu pretty much came together on its own.

I decided to make Halloween Chicken Tacos aka just regular chicken tacos but with blue corn tortillas. And because you obviously can’t serve tacos without guacamole, I made my Chipotle Dupe Guac (guaranteed crowd pleaser) and a super easy Pico to go on the side. I just used my veggie chopper (so easy) for the Pico and last-minute decided to mix half of it with an equal amount of roasted corn from my freezer plus an avocado for the quickest corn and avocado salsa ever. Bonus points because with some blue corn tortilla chips (ty halloween gods) these also all doubled as the appetizers.

serves 6

• a pack of blue corn tortillas (or 2-3 tortillas per person)

• 2 packs of chicken thighs (about 5 lbs)

• 2 packets taco seasoning

1. season chicken with taco seasoning

2. in a hot pan over medium heat, add some oil and cook chicken for about 4-5 mins per side. let cool for 5 mins and chop up into bite sized pieces.

3. warm the tortillas (I like to char them over an open flame on the stove for 10-15 secs per side) and assemble tacos with chicken, shredded cheese, red onion, and cilantro + lime wedges on the side

Every time I make these chicken tacos, someone always comments on how it’s the best chicken ever which just makes me realize how much people don’t know about the hosting power of chicken thighs: they’re inexpensive, feed a crowd, and have just enough fat to stay juicy (aka impossible to overcook).

If you’re paranoid that your chicken is undercooked, just add it back to the pan after chopping it up and cook for a few extra mins until you no longer see pink. Chicken thighs are a beginner cook’s best friend.

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*this was taken after my friends went to town bc a. like I said, this guac is a guaranteed crowd pleaser and also b. my friends have no chill

Chipotle Dupe Guacamole:

• 8 ripe avocados, diced

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

• juice of one lime

• 1-2 tsp salt (add more if needed)

  optional, but I topped this with some black sea salt for some xtra halloween vibes

Easy Pico:

• 10 roma tomatoes, diced + seeds removed

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1 jalapeno, finely diced + seeds removed

• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

• juice of a lime

• 1-2 tsp salt (add more if needed)

Corn & Avocado Salsa:

• 1 cup Pico

• 1 cup frozen roasted corn (just run under water to defrost)

• 1 avocado, diced

• salt to taste

Living in a one-bedroom NYC apartment with very limited storage, I pretty much don’t even have the option to consider holiday-specific decor (with the exception of christmas obv) so anything decor related is usually serving double duty for me as something practical.

For pops of green and orange, I just filled my fruit bowl with some limes and persimmons from my fridge. Can’t get any more practical than that bc it’s literally food that you can eat later- no fake decorative pumpkins from HomeGoods needed (unless that’s your vibe ofc). I served the tortilla chips in a glass salad bowl and I know what you’re thinking: who just casually has a molcajete lying around? I personally love Mexico and the texture the stone adds to my apartment (I’m a neutral colors + texture girlie) so not only is it super cute but since guac is pretty much a universally loved food, it’s always being used when people come over.

So if you’ve ever thought hosting a cute girl’s night had to mean scrolling Pinterest weeks in advance for inspo, planning an elaborate menu, and buying a bunch of themed decor you’ll never use again- this is your sign that it doesn’t. Just a reminder that things can be minimal and low effort but still super cute ᵕ̈

Happy Halloween (and happy hosting) everyone <3

Luckily, I remembered I have free will and decided to recreate it (w a hot girl spin obv) by adding some protein and turning it into an all-in-one meal prep that I can eat all week. And can I just say… it’s been an absolutely wonderful week ᵕ̈

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My go-to formula for a Dense Chicken Salad (aka dense bean salad, minus beans, sub more tummy-friendly protein) is usually about 2/3 veggies and 1/3 protein with just enough dressing to cover everything. Fun add ins (like cheese/avocado) are totally up to your own discretion because in my opinion, there’s no such thing as too much cheese (or avocado).ᵕ̈

This week I just followed the above ratio using my fave veggies, protein, and dressing and ended up with my favorite meal prep to date: a Mexican Goddess Dense Chicken Salad. It had grilled corn (obv), baby cukes, red onion, juicy chicken thighs, thinly sliced radish for color and crunch, a little jalapeño and cotija cheese (for fun), all tossed together in Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing (the best dressing of all time).

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I’ve recently come to a very important realization: I thought I was a DBS girlie, but really it’s just the dense salad part I love (high-protein, high-veggie, super meal-prep friendly) and not so much the bean part (bc unfortunately… IBS). So I’ve decided that from here on out, my new DBS will be a DPS: Dense Protein Salad. Think chicken, steak, tuna, even pasta salads packed with lots of protein and tons of crunchy veggies tossed in yummy dressings.

To kick things off, I made my first Dense Chicken Salad in honor of the last week of summer: juicy peaches, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, baby cukes, basil, and mozzarella balls, all tossed in a bright vinaigrette and loaded with juicy chicken. And as always, my favorite hack is to toss these dense bb’s with a handful of mixed greens for the easiest instant chopped salad.

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So to celebrate my favorite part of summer (and because corn season is still in full swing) I made a street corn dense bean salad for my hot girl meal prep. It’s loaded with lots of grilled corn (basically my favorite thing ever), green bell peppers for crunch (and fiber), beans (obv), plus scallions and a little cotija cheese (for fun ᵕ̈). Everything gets tossed in a creamy Greek yogurt–mayo dressing with lime, and it’s the perfect hot girl (late) summer meal/meal prep. Best eaten with avocado, tortilla chips, and a nice empty beach while everyone else is busy forcing fall!

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Also, I know hemp seeds and beans have protein, but I’ve just never been the kind of gal who can eat a carb free and meat free meal and be satisfied. So I decided to give this salad a little hot girl upgrade and turned it into more of an all-in-one meal situation with fluffy quinoa and grilled chicken. And because nothing kills my vibe faster than a recipe with a bunch of different (unnecessary) measurements, I streamlined the dressing so it’s just as (if not more) delish but with minimal effort ᵕ̈

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ingredients:

• 12 oz bag of chopped kale (about 1.5 bunches)

• 1 can white beans (like cannellini/great northern/navy)

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My formula for the best chicken salad has rotisserie chicken (a lazy girl’s best friend), greek yogurt (for creaminess and extra protein), a touch of mayo (for yuminess), extra celery for crunch (and also bc hot girls eat fiber), and as a salty-sweet girlie I love the little pops of sweetness from the grapes.

This is one of my favorite things to make for lunch. If I’m in the office, I usually pack a hot girl lunchable with some crudité and pretzels on the side. If I’m working from home, I love making myself a luxe little lunch of chicken salad lettuce cups topped with microgreens (for wfh vibes ofc) and some sparkling lemon water on the side ᵕ̈

ingredients:

2 rotisserie chicken breasts, diced or shredded (about 4 cups)

1 cup celery, diced (about 3-4 stalks)

1 red onion, diced (or whatever your fav is, green onions would be so yum)

1/2 cup red grapes, halved (or 1/4 cup dried cranberries)

1 cup plain greek yogurt (highly recommend whole or 2%)

2-3 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp white vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 tsp salt

black pepper

steps:

1. literally just mix and enjoy ᵕ̈

Every time I go, I try to get something new (mostly because if I were to get everything I wanted to try at once, I fear the total would literally be the price of my mortgage). This time I finally tried the pesto pasta and it did not disappoint.

Funny story: I always go with my best friend because she’s the only one who shares my unhinged love for overpriced gourmet food stores. She kept going on about how good the pasta was and I casually said “ofc it’s good, it’s mayo-coated pasta.” I will never forget the look on her face, mouth full of pasta, as she said, “Wait… this is mayo??” She was legitimately so upset after inhaling half the container and had assumed it was healthy just because it was expensive and from Round Swamp lol.

This of course inspired me to make a hot girl version that’s lighter and higher protein/veggie bc hot girls eat balanced meals. I kept the cherry tomatoes, mozz balls, and scallions like the OG, but added chicken for protein, arugula for some greens, and swapped all the mayo for an insanely delish greek yogurt pesto dressing. Also giving myself bonus points for using protein pasta ᵕ̈

ingredients:

• protein pasta, 1/2 box

• cherry tomatoes, halved, 2 cups

• grilled/rotisserie chicken, 2 cups

• scallions, chopped, one bunch

• arugula, 3 cups

• mozzarella balls*, 1 pack

• pesto dressing:

  • 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt

  • 1 cup basil leaves

  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

  • 3 tbsp pesto

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1 clove garlic

  • 1 tsp salt

steps:

1. cook pasta according to package**

2. make dressing by throwing everything into a blender

3. toss everything together w dressing and enjoy

notes:

*I like getting mozzarella balls that are the same size as the cherry toms bc I’m psychotic ᵕ̈ (if you’re also crazy like me, I believe they’re called ciliegine)

**for pasta salads, I cook the pasta for the max amt of time on the package bc it helps the pasta not absorb all the dressing and dry up as it sits throughout the week

If you’re a true lazy girl (no judgement) you could skip the dressing recipe and just mix pesto and greek yogurt together. Though I did try this last year (as I’m also a fellow lazy girl) and sadly it was not nearly as yummy as the recipe above. But shortcut lazy girl pesto pasta is always better than no pesto pasta.

As usual, all the measurements are just suggestions. My recipes are very hard to mess up and fully customizable— add more of what you like and less of what you don’t, it’s the best part about cooking for yourself ᵕ̈

For me, that’s usually Thai food. As much as I love to cook, I’ve always found Thai cuisine intimidating (bc its so epic ofc). It’s hard (for me) to get that balance of spicy, salty, sweet, and sour just right and there’s always a bunch of specialty ingredi…

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