Meal Plan // Week of February 5, 2024

This is one of those weeks where my meal plan is not the easiest to share with you all! They are from cookbooks I own, websites I subscribe to or just plain made up because I need to use up some food I have.  And one of them I feel I need to test one last time before sharing because I want you to love these tried and true recipes as much as I do – I’d never want you to waste your time, money or dirty up your kitchen for no reason! That said, this is what my family is eating this week and I hope you enjoy a dish or two as well.  If you’re not able to use these exact recipes, I hope this plan serves as inspiration for your own meal planning.  They are a nice balance of healthy dishes that are perfectly cozy for these chilly days this week. 

This week’s meal plan:

Spicy Garlic Soba with Greens – This is a great weeknight easy meal that my family really enjoys.  Also makes great leftovers. If I have some roasted chicken or leftover chicken of any kind I’ll usually add it for some protein.  Sometimes just adding frozen edamame does the trick. Sorry but the recipe linked is behind a paywall and the one I use is from Christopher Kimball’s wonderful cookbook Tuesday Night’s.  I’m happy to help get the recipe to you if you’d like to make it. 

Lemony and White Bean Soup with Turkey and Greens – A NYT Cooking favorite of ours. This has been a staple for us this fall and winter.  Hearty and meets all my needs for a healthy meal of protein, fat, fiber and greens.  The leftovers are amazing and a good squeeze of lemon is key.  I follow the recipe for the most part but sometimes add some extra greens and another pound of turkey- the dark meat (the only kind of turkey I buy).  It’s just delicious and my kids eat it right up, especially on a cold day in the mountains! Again, highly recommend a subscription to NYT Cooking but if you would like to make this recipe please let me know.  Here is what you need if you’d like to grocery shop for it:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 bunch sturdy greens, such as kale, broccoli rabe, mustard greens or collard greens
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste
• ⅛ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• ½ pound ground turkey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup chopped fresh, soft herbs, such as parsley, mint, dill, basil, tarragon, chives or a combination
• Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Chicken, Cheese and Black Bean Taquitos – No recipe really but I have some shredded roasted chicken to use up so I figured crunchy taquitos were a good idea. Preheat the oven to 400 (or use airfryer). Briefly warm some tortillas so they are pliable, brush one side with avocado oil.  On the other side add shredded chicken, cheese and black or refried beans.  Roll tightly and place seam side down on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.  Try using a toothpick to hold together if needed. Bake until golden and crunchy. Serve with salsa and guacamole

Chicken, Chickpea and Veggie Red Curry I’ve made dozens of versions of this dish and finally landed on the one that is the tastiest of them all. The best part about this dish is you can use any veggies you have on hand or need to use up – this dish often gets made in my house when I need to clean out the refrigerator. In the winter I’ll often add roasted sweet potato or kabocha squash (pumpkin) and in the summer I’ll use zucchini and eggplant. A great healthy year round meal that my family loves every single time I make it. I often serve the curry over some jasmine rice but the teens in my house go for double carbs and also request a side of toasted garlic butter naan! Oh to be a teen…

PS: Super Bowl menu coming in a few days! I’d hate to see Taylor sad but I’m looking forward to a big 49er win! 

Cheers,

Christina