The 90 Minute Week! November 14th | 11:30 am

Description
Smart Meal Prep to Save Money, Reduce Waste & Take Back Your Time

Weeknight cooking gets expensive and exhausting when every dinner starts from scratch.

Join us in the Monarch Culinary Studio for a chef-led demonstration focused on one of the most useful skills in any kitchen: planning and preparing food efficiently.

In this class, we’ll show you how to use approximately 90 minutes of focused prep to create the foundation for a week of flexible, satisfying meals. Rather than preparing five identical containers of food, you’ll learn how professional kitchens think in components—proteins, grains, vegetables, sauces and garnishes that can be prepared once and used in different ways throughout the week.
The result is less waste, fewer impulse purchases, easier weeknights and food that still feels fresh.

The Weekly Menu

Monday — Lemon & Herb Roast Chicken
Crispy potatoes, roasted seasonal vegetables and herb yogurt

Tuesday — Mediterranean Grain Bowls
Herbed grains, roasted vegetables, sliced chicken, quick pickles and herb yogurt

Wednesday — Maple-Miso Salmon
Grain pilaf, roasted vegetables and maple-miso dressing

Thursday — Crispy Chicken Flatbreads
Warm flatbread, pickled vegetables, greens and herb yogurt

Friday — Clean-Out-the-Fridge Fried Rice
Remaining grains, vegetables, herbs and proteins transformed into a completely new meal

Techniques Demonstrated
During the class, we’ll explore:

• Planning a weekly menu around overlapping ingredients
• Building a smarter grocery list
• Choosing economical proteins and cuts
• Portioning and preparing proteins for the week
• Batch-roasting vegetables efficiently
• Preparing grains for multiple applications
• Making versatile sauces, dressings and quick pickles
• Cooling, storing and reheating food properly
• Sequencing prep so several components cook at the same time
• Understanding what should—and should not—be prepared in advance
• Reducing food waste through intentional menu planning
• Repurposing leftovers into completely different meals
• Freezing strategically without sacrificing quality

You’ll also learn some of the same planning principles professional kitchens use to control food cost and manage prep efficiently—including one of the most important:

An ingredient should have more than one job.
This class is designed to help you stop thinking about meal prep as five pre-cooked dinners and start thinking about it as a flexible system that makes the rest of your week easier.

One grocery shop. One smart prep session. Five completely different dinners.

Important Notes

• Guests must be 19 years of age or older to consume alcohol
• Government-issued photo identification may be required
• Please advise us of dietary restrictions in advance
• Menu substitutions may be limited due to the nature of the experience
• Seasonal ingredients may vary depending on local availability
• All ticket sales are final