Long Weekend Vibes
We’re smack in the middle of a long weekend and I’m about to feed hungry teenagers, so I’m making this quick. Have a great week, everyone!
P.S. Thanks to a friend’s recommendation of the French spy drama The Bureau, I will be less productive for the next week or so. Or maybe not because we’re smack in the middle of book marketing for Dinner is Done. A girl can dream!
SUNDAY
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. I tweaked it a bit for the stovetop, I’ll add an update to the recipe soon. It’s a bit of a shortcut recipe, similar to my Instant Pot version. I roast okra at 425 to sprinkle on top of the gumbo. Toss sliced okra with avocado oil and a little kosher salt and spread it in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast for about 15 minutes or until crispy and golden.
MONDAY
We spent the weekend at our farm near Round Top, Texas, and the town had that pre-show energy. I’m working on my own Round Top guide, but until then here’s this and this for background intel. Tonight I’m making “clean out the fridge soup” otherwise known as kale and white bean minestrone. Consider this recipe a template for what you have on hand. You can generally get away with almost any type of vegetable and if you don’t have white beans, leave them out. I need to fill my family with vegetables after a weekend of burgers, BBQ and Dorie Greenspan’s chocolate chip cookies.
TUESDAY
We have an evening meeting for my son’s eagle scout project (think good thoughts that he gets the green light to continue and knock this out!). In the interest of a quick dinner, I’ll throw together this Instant Pot Taco Soup. My family doesn’t love corn, so I’ll replace it with riced cauliflower and maybe some chopped zucchini, spinach or kale. Need that extra veggie quotient!
WEDNESDAY
In my Basics II group today, we’re covering brined chicken, chicken piccata, stock, and more. My students are bringing their own Instant Pots to make and take home shredded Salsa Verde Chicken, one of my favorite easy dinners. I plan to put a whole chicken in the slow cooker to show the class how simple it is to make a faux-tisserie chicken at home. Add some carrots and potatoes and dinner is done.
THURSDAY
We are hosting a group of junior boys for a meeting tonight, so I plan to make something early and serve cookies and drinks for the dudes. Luckily, I don’t need to feed dinner to a large group of teenage boys, so I’ll make my family something simple like the soba noodle stir fry in this article I did for the Houston Chronicle last year.
FRIDAY
Today I have a Paris-themed cooking class and tonight I do not plan to cook. Husband: Make a date night reso if you’re reading this! If you want a weekend project, make this Normany-style French Onion Soup. I’ll make a simplified version of the soup in my class today.
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