Happy Sunday!
After 8 months of using Substack, I think I’m finally getting the hang of this newsletter thing. I still have a lot to learn and improve, but I honestly can’t believe it’s already been 8 months and that I’m almost at 3,000 subscribers. That’s just wild to me. The fact that my recipes and weekly ramblings reach this many of you is something I’ll never take for granted. I’m so, so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for subscribing and reading these newsletters.
Alright, now let’s get into this week’s meal prep menu!
Breakfast #1: Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Muffins
Find the recipe here.
We’ve all heard of pumpkin cream cheese muffins, but have you tried carrot cake cream cheese muffins? Honestly, these are even better than the pumpkin version. It’s like a carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting, just in muffin form. I wasn’t sure if the cream cheese center would work out, but to my surprise, it baked perfectly. These were my mom’s favorite this week, but she also just loves carrot cake in general, so she might be a little biased.
Breakfast #2: Japanese Egg Sandos
Find the recipe here.
I know I make these all the time, but I can’t help it, I’m obsessed. I yearn for a proper Japanese 7/11 egg sando, but since I don’t live in a walkable town nor in close proximity to Japan, I have to DIY it. This time, I added a soft-boiled egg in the middle with ham and cheese. My parents love starting their mornings with something eggy, and these are super easy to prepare and perfect for grab-and-go breakfasts.
Lunch #1: Napolitan Spaghetti with Mini Corn Dogs
Find the recipe here.
Should we thank the American troops for this one? Perhaps. Or perhaps not considering they made my grandparents live and work in concentration camps in Hawaii. But I digress.
Napolitan pasta was invented in Japan after World War II when American troops left behind a surplus of spaghetti noodles and ketchup. Tomato sauce was too expensive at the time, so a Japanese chef took matters into his own hands and made a ketchup-based pasta. He named it Napolitan, after Naples, Italy. Italians might be offended, but this dish has since become a beloved classic in Japanese households and school lunches.
I paired it with mini corn dogs to make it feel like a nostalgic kids' lunch. Honestly, my parents are basically my kids with the way I’ve been feeding them, so it felt fitting.
Lunch #2: Vietnamese Caramelized Beef with Vermicelli Noodles
Find the recipe here.
I love making vermicelli bowls. They reheat well and are pretty simple to throw together. This version features lemongrass caramelized ground beef. It is sweet, savory, and refreshing. It’s kind of like my Korean ground beef, but with a Vietnamese twist.
You’ll see spring rolls in the photo, but fair warning, I wouldn’t recommend making them for meal prep. They don’t keep well and are best eaten fresh (a fact I forgot until my mom reminded me). This one was my personal favorite of the week, especially topped with fried shallots and scallion oil.
And that’s everything I made for meal prep this week! Again, thank you so much for subscribing. I still can’t believe these newsletters even get an opportunity to hold space in your inbox. Thank you for holding SPACE. I’m so grateful. See you all next week!
mwah!