Back in January, I saw these viral pomegranate chocolate discs that use dark chocolate, coconut oil, and pomegranate arils. Using up different nuts and spices from my pantry, I’ve been making different versions of these as part of my weekly meal prep.

This version uses summer berries and sumac to make the most of farmers market produce. They’re a great after-dinner sweet treat. If you’re into experimenting, you can use different nuts. I’ve also swapped out sumac for chile powder for a bit of a sweet-spicy kick. If you’re looking to switch out the fruits, figs work well here, so do clementine segments. You’re looking for fruit that can stay whole on the disks so you don’t introduce excess moisture into the chocolate.

Summer Berry Chocolate Discs

Ingredients:

1/4 c milk chocolate

3/4 c dark chocolate

1/4 c pistachios

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp sumac

1 c summer berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries

1 tsp flaky salt

Make the Discs

To a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and coconut oil. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between each time you microwave, until the chocolate is melted and glossy—about 2 minutes.

To a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, use a teaspoon to drizzle a little of the chocolate mixture onto the sheet tray. Use the back of the spoon to spread the chocolate out into a circle. Repeat until you’ve filled the sheet tray.

Sprinkle the sumac over each disk. Top with pistachios and the berries. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt, and let set in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes up to an hour. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

I always love the idea of a meal plan and meal prep. It sets up my week with a fridge full of things I can and should eat. Where I often go wrong is the boredom that ensues after eating the same meal for the fourth time in a row. I’m also not great with leftovers. I’m not embarrassed to admit there’s a mysterious chicken dish that’s been hiding at the back of my fridge that I’ve intended to eat for at least three weeks now.

For me, though, the hardest part of any meal plan is the protein. Sometimes, you’re making 5 different chicken breasts 8 different ways. By the end of it, I’m both out on chicken and overwhelmed.

My solution? Use your prep day to make a BIG (and I mean B-I-G) batch of a particular protein, and use that as your base to create different dishes that can be used for dinners and lunch the following day.

For this first Prep Your Protein, we’re starting with keema. I’ve used ground lamb, but you can use any minced meat you’d prefer.

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The black currant concentrated syrup is originally from Bristol, England. In Malaysia, you can find it in vending machines, boxed in cardboard like High-C. For me, though, there’s something so nostalgic about that plastic bottle with the bronze cap.

I’ve been seeing a lot of spritz content this summer, and this version feels like the best of both worlds—an adult take on a fundamentally nostalgic memory.

Ribena Spritz

Ingredients

Cardamom Clove Syrup

10 whole, green cardamom pods

10 whole cloves

1 c sugar

1 water

Ribena Spritz

1 oz Ribena

1 oz cardamom-clove simple syrup

1 oz fresh lime juice

3 oz Procecco

3 oz. sparkling water

Make the Syrup

Using a mortar and pestle or a cutting board and the side of a knife, crush the cardamom pods enough to open them. To a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, cloves, and pods. Heat at medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Bring the pan off heat and let steep for at least 1 hour. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain syrup into an airtight container. Syrup can be stored at room temperature, in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.

Make the Cocktail

To a glass, add Ribena, cardamom-clove simple syrup, and fresh lime juice. Stir to combine. Add ice and top with Prosecco and sparkling water. Stir gently, garnish with a lime wedge, and enjoy.

Late summer Sunday mornings growing up at the Rama-Roy household on Laurie Road were a thing of magic. My mom would take bags of Lipton Black and simmer them over the stove with cardamom, ginger, and cloves as she prepped quick pakoras for snacks and sips. It was a time to slow down and chat. My brother would compete for the first pakora that came out of the fryer, and I’d always burn my mouth because I was too impatient for that first bite.

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