My husband and daughter just returned from visiting colleges in the Northeast and the Midwest and they have reported it is freezing cold over there!  The weather here has been rainy and cool, so I’ve included a couple of soups and warming recipes to keep everyone cozy until spring decides to show up.

Speaking of freezing, there are many foods that freeze beautifully.  Consider making a double batch of something that you can eat today and freeze for a busy day.  Sometimes if I am wondering if something can survive the freezer, I’ll ask myself if I can find it in the freezer section at the market. Foods that generally freeze well:

• cooked grains
• cooked legumes (beans and lentils)
• cooked sauces like tomatillo and marinara
• stocks, soups (some dairy-based soups and soups with fresh leafy greens don’t freeze as well), stews and chilis (check out this post for how to properly freeze liquids)
• marinated chicken and beef
• casseroles
• cheese
• cookie dough, baked goods, breads, pie dough

Happy cooking!

Meatless Monday:  Roasted vegetable and black bean enchiladas with tomatillo salsa

Tuesday:  Spinach risotto and sauteed shrimp

Wednesday:  Thai coconut chicken soup, veggie summer rolls

Thursday:  Melissa Clark’s Spicy Ginger Pork Noodles with Bok Choy (I’m going to sub dark meat turkey and add some mushrooms)

Friday:  Zesty lemon quinoa, whole roasted branzino (so easy, try it!), grilled or steamed whole artichokes (using the dipping sauce in the recipe or just make a balsamic vinaigrette)

Saturday:  Cauliflower soup, hummus and crudités, cheese or dairy-free cheese and baguette

Sunday:  Kale, mushroom and brown rice bake, green salad with Everyday Salad Dressing #1

 

Here’s what you can prep ahead:

Sunday

Roast veggies for enchiladas

Cook black beans for enchiladas, unless using canned

Make tomatillo salsa

Make stock for this week’s soups (homemade chicken, vegetable or bone broth)

Prep veggies for summer rolls

Wash kale for rice bake

Make rice and freeze for rice bake (don’t forget to defrost the morning of)

Prep cauliflower for soup

Roast garlic for soup

 

Here are all previous dinner planners.