My Plan for the Week Ahead
It’s been a quiet weekend around here. Sunday night I’ll clean out my fridge to prep for the week ahead and take care of at least one thing ahead of time. This “one thing” philosophy is my version of meal prep. I don’t like making whole dinners in advance, but I do like having certain things ready to go. Vinaigrette or ranch dressing, cut carrots or celery, a batch of pickled red onions, or mini frittatas for grab-and-go breakfast.
The “one thing” approach is something I teach in my 5-week Smart Meal Plan Formula course. I’ll be teaching it again this September, so jump on the waitlist for special discounts and bonuses just in case you want to join us.
And for my Houston people, sign up for my class with Bering’s on September 15! We’ll be outside grilling up an easy weeknight dinner. And I’ll teach you all my tips for simple gas grilling at home.
SUNDAY
Turkey burgers, coleslaw, and watermelon. To make things easy, buy a package of shredded coleslaw mix and make your own dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
MONDAY
Yellow lentil soup with tomatoes, spinach, and coconut milk. Before you skip this because you think your kids won’t eat it, hear me out. It’s delicious, fast, simple, and super satisfying. My kids love it. Well, my pickiest eater tolerates it, but that’s a win in my book.
Curried Lentil Soup
Serves 4-6
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, coconut oil or olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated on a microplane
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 cup red lentils or yellow chana dal, rinsed
- 1 14.5-ounce can crushed or chopped tomatoes and their juices
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus leaves with tender stems for serving
- 1 packed cup spinach leaves, chopped kale, or collard greens, center stem removed, the last 5 minutes the soup simmers
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and stir, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lentils and stir. Add tomatoes, a generous pinch of salt, and 2 ½ cups water, season with pepper. Add coconut milk to saucepan. Bring mixture to a low boil; reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally until lentils are soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Loosen up the lentil soup with more water if it’s too thick.
TUESDAY
Enchilada casserole. You can make the recipe as is, or use a pound of ground beef or turkey instead. I plan to use dark meat turkey and sauté it just like I make taco meat, so it’s nice and flavorful. You can still assemble this in under 20 minutes.
WEDNESDAY
I’m teaching a sheet pan wonton meatball dinner to my cooking school members. I cook them on a sheet pan with sliced carrots and baby bok choy. Serve them in a bowl over sushi rice or cauliflower rice. If you want extra greens, add some sauteed spinach tossed with a little sesame oil and soy sauce.
THURSDAY
Tonight we have an online “date night at home” class. We’re making sbagliatos (negronis made with prosecco instead of gin) steak fries, pan-seared rib-eyes, chimichurri, and Caesar salad. You can get TONS of my favorite cocktail recipes in my summer cocktail class bundle.
FRIDAY
Next week, I start my September Whole30. If you want to check out past Whole30 meal plans and all my Whole30 recipes, head here.
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