A Week of Delicious Dinners
Here we go! The doors to my online cooking school are open for one week only. Find all the info here, I hope you’ll join me and hundreds of other students! It’s a serious deal at only $27/month, and I’ll teach you everything I’ve learned from teaching 20 years of cooking classes and writing for food magazines such as Cooking Light and Sunset.
This Spring, I have two online cooking class series I’ll teach: Sheet Pan Suppers (a 5-day class full of dozens of delicious dinners) and Smart Basics I (a 6-week series to make you a more proficient cook). The best way to make sure you’re on the email list for my online classes is to sign up for my free Whole30 recipe eBook. We’re also excited to start our Friday cooking classes at Kitchenette, my teaching kitchen near Round Top, Texas. More details to follow.
SUNDAY
I’m teaching a cooking class for my online membership group tonight (homemade flatbread, labneh and a smoked salmon appetizer, plus a Tuscan farro soup). My kids requested brisket, so we’ll have PLENTY of leftovers after this dinner. I’m making a low and slow slow cooker brisket, which is easy and hands off. My oldest has recently gotten into making bread, and she’s making these sandwich rolls for our BBQ brisket sandos.
MONDAY
I’ll tuck away Sunday’s Tuscan farro soup for a meatless dinner. Serve with a colorful salad and call it a night.
Tuscan Farro Soup
This soup is equally delicious with barley instead of farro, or add cooked rice at the end to keep it gluten-free. Sometimes I make it with the addition of a ½ pound of sautéed mild Italian sausage, which adds great flavor. Serves 6-8.
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium leek, cut in half, washed well, and thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, cut in half, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced thin
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cauliflower florets or riced cauliflower
- 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup pearled or quick-cooking farro
- One 12-ounce bunch Swiss or Rainbow chard, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces (or spinach or kale)
- 1 Parmesan rind (optional, omit to keep dairy-free)
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional, omit to keep dairy-free)
In a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the leek, fennel, celery, carrot and cauliflower. Salt the vegetables well with kosher salt. Sauté until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the stock, farro, Swiss chard, Parmesan rind (if using), bay leaf salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the farro is tender; about 30 minutes.
When the farro is soft, remove the bay leaf and Parmesan rind and discard. Add the parsley and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning for salt if necessary. Garnish with grated parmesan (if using), a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and course sea salt.
Special Equipment:
5- or 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot
TUESDAY
This casserole is a deconstructed version of cabbage rolls, which I love! If you don’t feel like making the rice, you can use precooked frozen rice available at most grocery stores. I use a rice cooker to make rice, which is super easy.
WEDNESDAY
Chicken Milanese sandwiches with basil-lime mayo sound delish. I’ll have mine over an arugula salad with super simple salad dressing.
THURSDAY
Sheet pan fish and chips with tartar sauce and steamed broccoli and lemon wedges on the side.
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