Weekly Meal Plan, Vol. 9

 

Welp. It was not on my editorial calendar to post a meal plan this week. In fact, today’s post was supposed to be a “Toiletries Checklist” as I know a lot of us were planning on heading out of town next week for spring break. But with the vast majority of us now staying put, I thought a meal plan just might be better received!

I tried to come up with a meal plan offering simple ingredients, ones we do not have to venture out for. So I hope most of these ingredients you will already have on hand in your fridge, freezer, fruit bowl and pantry. If not, all of these are adaptable!

WEEKLY MEAL PLAN VOL.9

For Link To All Recipes Click HERE

Monday

Broccoli Rice Black Bean Burritos. Use the recipe as your main base for black bean burritos versus traditional white rice. It is so flavorful and good! Missing the rice? Add it into the mix as well!

Cilantro-Lime Broccoli Rice

Ingredients:

1 small broccoli head with stalk

Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

2 scallions, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to tastes

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more to taste

1 lime, for squeezing

Directions:

1. Remove the tough woody parts from the broccoli stalks. Chop the remaining stalk and the florets into 1-inch pieces.

2. Place into a food processor and pulse until the broccoli is broken up into tiny rice-sized pieces.  This should yield about 2 cups.

3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and brush with olive oil. Add the riced broccoli, the scallions, garlic, cilantro stems, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute, until lightly warm but still bright green.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cumin, a squeeze of lime juice and black beans.

5. Fill burrito with broccoli rice and favorite toppings.

 

Tuesday

Creamy Lemon Pappardelle I ordered a variation of this when I was dining at Soto Soto in Toronto last weekend (God does that seem like a life time ago!). Since I have been home, I have been craving it. It’s a great pasta to bring into spring. If you have frozen peas on hand, prepare those and add them in as well! You can really use any long, thin noodle in your pantry!

 

Wednesday

Onion, Kale, Chickpea and Chicken Soup. We probably can all use a comforting chicken soup recipe this week! And honestly it looks just as good without the chicken too!

 

Thursday

15 Minute Garlic Butter Ramen Noodles. You know I would not let a meal plan go by without linking a recipe from Half Baked Harvest. Couple that with Ramen Noodles and I am sure I have an instant favorite here.

 

Sunday

Almond, Caper and Herb-Crusted Chicken Cutlets. Anytime I head to Costco, I pick up the latest copy of Milk Street. This chicken dish spoke to me and the two boys in my house absolutely loved it! Serve with rice pilaf and an arugula salad!

Almond, Caper and Herb-Crusted Chicken Cutlets-Milk Street

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sliced almonds, finely chopped

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Kosher salt & ground black pepper

Four 4-ounce chicken cutlets (about 1/4 in thick)

1/4 cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped (I used a 1/4 teaspoon of dry)

1/4 cup drained capers, finely chopped

6 tablespoons, neutral oil divided

Lemon wedges or Dijon mustard or sour cream for serving

Directions:

1.Combine the almonds, panko, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

2. Rinse cutlets (do not pat dry), season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the capers and dill, pressing to adhere.

3. Coat both sides of each cutlet with almond mixture, pressing firmly.

4. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add two cutlets and cook until golden brown on both sides.

5. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and wipe out the skillet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and oil.

6. Serve with lemon wedges.

Salad of the Week

All the Green Things Salad. My nod to St. Patrick’s Day this week and the start of spring! Play around with any greens you have on hand!

Snack of the Week

Chocolate Chip Energy Bites. It is s hard to keep the calories under control right now! Especially when it comes to sweets. So here is a healthy version of a sweet snack to reach for!

Bon Appetit!