Meal Plan #2, May 25th
Spring dishes FTW!
Hi,
Welcome to this week’s meal planning experience. If you want to know what we’re doing here, please read the manifesto in the first edition. In short:
WORKDAYS DINNERS | 4 PORTIONS | SEASONAL | QUICK | LEFTOVERS
Other than that, please consider these wise words from Tamar Adler, one of my gurus when it comes to sensible cooking:
I know salt is being vilified nowadays because we are, truthfully, eating too much of it and it affects our cardiovascular health, but I believe that if we took our salt from homemade foods - seasoning them properly to get tasty dishes - instead of pre-packaged, ultra-processed food, we would have much more delicious (and reasonably priced) lives.
Now, let’s cook!
Meal Plan
Monday: French Onion Tart + Salad
Tuesday: French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad
Wednesday: Ottolenghi's Lamb & Pistachio Patties (Meatballs) With Sumac Yogurt Sauce
Thursday: Easy Mediterranean Baked Fish
Friday: Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli
Shopping List
Recipes
Monday: French Onion Tart + Salad
40 minutes
1 pâte brisée (pie crust)
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
6 oz (180 g) smoked bacon, cut into strips
1 1/2 oz (40 g) gruyère cheese, grated
Instructions are here.
Mama Te’s Sensation Salad
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 medium lemon, juiced
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 head romaine lettuce
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
If you double the quantities, you’ll have lunch on Tuesday too. Don’t mix the salad leaves with the dressing, do that just before having lunch.
Tuesday: French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad
40 minutes
2 eggs, hard-boiled
2lbs (900g) new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1lb (450g) green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
12 black olives
4-5 sprigs fresh flat parsley, stemmed and chopped
4-5 sprigs chives, chopped
For the vinaigrette:
1/3 cup (75ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
2 tbsp (30ml) white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped capers
1 tbsp chopped black olives
This dish can be a main for dinner and the leftovers can be a side dish the next day for lunch, next to a piece of steamed salmon, grilled chicken breast or grilled halloumi.
Wednesday: Lamb & Pistachio Meatballs With Sumac Yogurt Sauce
15 minutes
For the sumac yogurt sauce:
1 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the lamb and pistachio patties:
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1 1/4 cups arugula
1 onion, quartered
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1 pound 2 ounces (500g) ground lamb
3 tablespoons olive oil
These are excellent when reheated, so feel free to make more and take them to work in a sub or a flatbread, with some salad.
Thursday: Easy Mediterranean Baked Fish
35 minutes
4 fish fillets (mackerel or some other fatty fish)
6 sprigs thyme chopped
3 sprigs rosemary chopped
2 teaspoon oregano dried
4 teaspoon parsley chopped or dried
8 garlic cloves minced or chopped or 4 teaspoon paste
2 teaspoon basil chopped (optional)
2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 cup olives pitted
2 medium onions diced
2 zucchinis diced
Save leftovers and eat them in tacos next day at lunch.
Friday: Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli
20 minutes
1 to 1.25 pounds flank steak, sliced into thin strips, no more than 1/4-inch thick
¼ cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 to 2 teaspoons ginger, or to taste (fresh or dried is okay, use less dried than you would fresh)
½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (recipe calls for 150g or 3/4 cup, it is absolutely not necessary to put that much sugar)
4 to 6 cups broccoli florets, dependent on preference for broccoli
2 to 3 green onions, sliced into 1/4-inch long segments
red pepper flakes, optional and to taste
sesame seeds, optional for garnishing
This goes really well with simple white rice or with mashed potatoes and it also reheats well, so you can make two side dishes and use one for dinner and one for lunch.