Happy Saturday! I have a serious question for you all. Do you plan your dinners? Do you take 10-15 minutes on the weekend to make a weekly meal plan? I promise it will make your week ahead run so much smoother. Let me know in the comments below if you’re a wishful meal planner, a mediocre meal planner or an expert meal planner. Enquiring minds want to know!
SUNDAY
My summer essentials Zoom class on pesto pea salad, turkey burgers and gluten-free berry crisp makes tonight’s dinner easy! It’s not too late to join me for this class! Check out the June calendar for menu and sign up details.
MONDAY
My vegetable drawers are groaning with CSA and garden produce. I’m planning to make a batch of spring stir fry. If you don’t have leek, asparagus and sugar snap peas, feel free to substitute green onions, broccoli or zucchini. The trick is to use what you’ve got! Follow this recipe for easy veggie stir fry.
TUESDAY
Speaking of CSA overflow, I have an abundance of cucumbers that need to be used. A cooking project awaits! Spicy pickled cucumbers are simple and such a treat. I’ve also been wanting to cure a side of wild Copper River Salmon that’s in my freezer. It will take 24 hours to cure, so save it for weekend bagels or on an open-faced tartine with goat cheese and pickled onions. This still leaves us nothing for dinner tonight, so why not make an easy batch of chicken lettuce cups and call it a night.
WEDNESDAY
I’m making strawberry galette on Instagram Live at 2pm central time! Join me! You can have your ingredients ready and cook along. For dinner, a breakfast-for-dinner bagel bar with our homemade gravlax from Tuesday. Set out cream cheese, capers, tomatoes, pickled or fresh red onions, finely diced or sliced hard boiled eggs, sea salt, pepper and lemon wedges. I’ll make a mixed green salad with super simple salad dressing to serve on the side. If you have younger kiddos who won’t want gravlax, let them make pizza bagels with a little Rao’s marinara, shredded mozzarella and pepperoni. Bake at 400-425 until cheese melts and is golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.
THURSDAY
I have a private Zoom cooking class for Chase Bank this afternoon, so I want an easy dinner! Since it’s grilling season, let’s take the mess outside. Honey hoisin pork tenderloin is so fast. Serve with spicy long beans (or sub green beans). Roasted sweet potatoes would be satisfying on the side!
FRIDAY
French dip sandwiches! Serve on a toasted hoagie roll with melted provolone or on cacio et pepe spaghetti squash. Simple steamed carrots on the side (or just cut some raw carrot sticks and call it a day!).
I’m afraid I fall into the wishful meal planner category! Thanks to you, I’m spending more time looking at my week ahead, along with what’s in my refrigerator, and planning at least a few meals at a time! Baby steps!
I’m basically a spur of the minute or day- ahead meal planner. Loved going to multiple grocery stores several times a week. But with the arrival of CoVid restrictions and caution, I’ve found myself struggling with planning meals and getting the needed ingredients for those meals.
Hi Marcia! I’m absolutely a meal planner. It cuts back on so much wasted time, food, and money. There are nights that it changes or meals get switched but I love meal planning. Since everyone in my family is home right now I plan breakfasts, DIY lunch fixings, and dinners. I look forward to reading your weekly guides!
Read this while I was sitting down to do our meal plan for the week. I’m religious about it.
Some weeks I plan, some weeks I don’t! You are definitely correct though that when you do plan, things are so much easier! I’ve started keeping a recipe “wish list” on my kitchen counter. Whenever I see a recipe on TV or online that I want to try, I write it down on a running list and I keep it out as my go-to when I need ideas.
Hello,
I am just discovering Martha Smart’s recipes.
Please Tell me if Ms. Smart has written a cook book, and where to buy it.if so.
Also, I have been trying to subscribe to her website;but cannot seem to be successful.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Cecile Ballard
Hi Cecile! Thank you for your kind words. No cookbook yet, but it’s definitely in the works for the next couple years.