A Comforting Meal Plan
The great thaw of 2021 has begun. I shared my thoughts here and here if you want an update. My son and husband are back home after being stuck in Utah and Florida when the Houston airport shut down, so all is right in my world. We are exhausted, wish we owned Sparkletts (there’s a water boil notice in effect), the house is a mess but we’re getting back to normal.
If you missed my pantry posts during Covid, I’d highly suggest revisiting and getting stocked up when you can. There are so many pantry meals you can make with a well stocked larder.
Hang in there, Houston friends (and everyone, really). If you need anything, please reach out. And if you’re able, please donate to the Houston Food Bank, Kids Meals, Brighter Bites, Homemade Hope, PX Project or Christian Community Service Center. My church, St. Luke’s United Methodist, has a drive through food donation drop every Saturday from 9am-12pm. There are other amazing organizations helping out, so leave a comment if you have a suggestion!
SUNDAY
I defrosted two quarts of vegetable minestrone that were tucked in my freezer. It will make for a healthy, no fuss dinner. Follow my recipe for kale white bean minestrone or “any vegetable” soup.
MONDAY
Pantry pasta. I’m either making the recipe I posted in the comment here or most likely this version with linguini. I have a video of how to make Cacio e Pepe (this was my first virtual cooking class about a year ago, quality is not so great!). Let’s cook a big batch of roasted veggies on the side. We have cauliflower, broccoli, fennel and brussels that could use roasting — I’ll toss them with extra-virgin olive oil and salt; roast at 425 for 45 minutes.
TUESDAY
Chicken enchiladas using shredded salsa verde chicken and Siete cassava tortillas. Microwave the tortillas for 20 seconds to make them more pliable and cover with a damp towel while filling. Bake, covered with Hatch mild green enchilada sauce or this homemade sauce, and grated cheese, for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
WEDNESDAY
In my cooking class tonight we’re making cauliflower hummus, my favorite kale salad and sheet pan chicken thighs. You can follow my spatchcocked chicken recipe for the thighs and add almost any veggies to the pan! Just cut them in same size pieces.
THURSDAY
Tonight is my last Zoom check-in with my meal planning students. We’ve been together for five weeks, learning how to meal plan (and strategize) like pros. If you’d like to get on the waitlist for when I teach this weeknight dinner class again, I’d love to have you! To celebrate, we’re making cocktails and one of my favorite appetizers tonight (that’s turned into a viral pasta dish). I’m planning to put a chicken in the slow cooker earlier today that we can nosh on for dinner and have for quesadillas and soup all weekend long.
FRIDAY
Exciting things happening today! The doors to my cooking school site are open to welcome new members! I’ll be doing a behind-the-scenes live to show you the cooking school (on Facebook and Instagram) and I’m here to answer any questions. Get on the waitlist early so you’re notified right away! Check my Instagram on Friday for more info. And btw, I’m getting takeout tonight!
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