It is always such a joy when my daughter comes home from college for a visit. We all really miss her and there’s nothing better than when our family is complete, especially around the dinner table. Without getting too personal, this same daughter is also eating a grain-free diet for a little while to help with some digestive issues. So my dinner plan for most of this week will be tailored to her needs while still being palatable to the rest of the family who is not grain-free.
You’ll start to notice a change in some of the ingredients used in the recipes as we transition into a new season with new produce. Yay! In my local farmers markets, I am seeing the beginnings of spring with asparagus, baby artichokes, peas and strawberries on the scene.
As usual, I am sharing a week’s worth of dinner menu ideas even though I don’t cook 7 nights per week, although I usually cook 5-6. Take what is interesting to you and fill in with favorites from your repertoire.
Meatless Monday: Baked falafel, whole wheat pita for the kids/lettuce for me, pickled radishes and onions (these need to be made at least a day ahead), tahini sauce, spinach salad with Everyday Salad Dressing #1
Tuesday: Whole roasted chicken with onions and fennel or slow cooker whole roasted chicken, spring salad with avocado, cara cara oranges, radish, pistachios
Wednesday: Stir-fried beef with cilantro and asparagus, cauli-rice or regular steamed rice (I made this cilantro-beef recipe many years ago from The Produce Bible and it’s delicious, unless you don’t like cilantro.)
Thursday: Turkey tacos, guacamole, salsa from the farmers market, Mexican black beans, cilantro-lime slaw
Friday: Spinach and quinoa salad with feta and dill, roasted shrimp (toss peeled and deveined large shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out in one layer on a sheet pan. Roast at 400 for 6-8 minutes.)
Saturday: Baked chicken cutlets alla parmigiana but using this caprese recipe for the cutlets and then baking with tomato sauce and mozzarella, roasted Yukon Gold potatoes (400 with olive oil, salt and pepper or a combo of olive oil and ghee, for 30-40 min) sautéed garlicky broccolini (blanche in boiling salted water for 4 minutes, drain. Saute garlic and a pinch of chili flakes in olive oil. Add blanched broccolini and sauté until warmed through.)
Sunday: Spring green minestrone and whole wheat naan-pizzas (buy whole wheat naan at the market, top with whatever you like and bake on a pizza stone or sheet pan at 425 until warmed though)
What you can do ahead:
Sunday
Make falafel mixture
Pickle radishes and onions
Make tahini sauce
Make all salad dressings for the week (Monday, Tuesday)
Salt whole chicken (do not salt kosher chicken)
Segment oranges for salad, if using
Wash herbs and salad greens (I keep herbs in glass jars covered with plastic produce bags in the fridge. Clean, dry salad greens I store in reusable Neat-os bags, but resealable bags work fine, too.)
Make taco seasoning for tacos
Make stock for Sunday’s soup and freeze. Here’s a recipe for chicken stock and here’s one for veggie stock.
Wednesday
Soak black beans for Thursday
Prep cabbages and carrots for slaw
Make dressing for slaw
Previous Dinner Planners:
Week of February 22nd
Week of February 29th
We don’t eat red meat very often but I made the cilantro stir fry last night and it was yummy! I added some sliced onions, red bell pepper and mushrooms to the pan after I stir fried my meat. The lime juice at the end was perfect. I loved it with the cauliflower rice. My family was not sure about the cauliflower but I keep making it for them. 🙂 There was just enough left over for my lunch today. I was still yummy!.
Haha! Sometimes I’ll do rice for the fam and cauli-rice for me. I haven’t made that dish in ages, but I am inspired to now. 🙂
As you know my situation…I’m doing grain free too. After already being mostly gluten and dairy free cutting out grains, beans and legumes isn’t easy. I got the rest of my supplements in the mail today so tomorrow is my first day being strict with healing my digestive issues. I’m not a big beef eater, but I have to admit having some grass-fed beef was pretty delicious!
There are pros and cons. Good luck!
Hi, Pamela- I love your recipes and aspire to cook like you every day. I’m currently planning a new kitchen, and am wondering if you think a 36″ cooktop with down draft vent and 30″ wall convection steam oven would suffice- if it were you. I also have 3 children and try to cook most meals…
I would appreciate your opinion!
Hi! What’s the configuration of the cooktop — how many burners? Griddle or grill? What are you used to right now?
Hi! Thanks so much for responding! It’s a wolf 36″ 5 burner- was considering 36″ Thermador range with griddle, but with the 5 configuration cooktop I could do grill pan over the 2 burners-
I went to showroom today and they highly recommend induction cooktop. The convection steam oven is only 24″ inside but they guarantee you can cook nearly everything (and perfectly!?)
Or could do 30″ wall oven below but may be overkill. I have a 30″ bertazzoni now, but the oven is so unpredictable. Thank you!
I love steam ovens and I have used induction at other people’s homes and it’s amazing. Takes a little getting used to. I’m not sure if I could only do one oven that I would do a 24″ steam oven. Just seems so limiting. But I am used to bigger and I cook for big groups.
Loving this!! Made split pea soup last week and husband said best soup I ever made.
Good job! Don’t stop now!
Thank you so much for these dinner planners. Can you say “Lifesaver!”? For the Parmesan style chicken, would you cook the cutlets first and then put them in sauce/cheese and bake so that they’re still crispy or is it ok to just bread them and bake it all together?
I would bake the cutlets first and then put sauce and cheese and then either bake or broil until the cheese melts. Alternatively, you can bake and turn the cutlets over and top with sauce and cheese and then finish baking.