What to cook for dinner this week:
- Cider Braised Pork Chops with Agrodolce and Roasted Vegetables
- Pan Fried Chicken Thighs with Honey Chili Glaze
- Chili Glazed Chicken Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- Thai Curry Shrimp and Rice
- Thai Pork and Noodle Soup
If you’re not familiar with this blog, here’s the basic idea:
Using some of the same ingredients in multiple dishes throughout the week is the key to getting delicious, wholesome, good for you, home cooked meals on the table several nights of the week. The recipes in each 5-day meal plan include some prep-work for another meal later in the week.
Each meal is designed to build on the previous night’s efforts. A little = a lot.
*This meal plan is based on a family of 4, with a couple of meals making more than 4 servings so that you have some leftovers for lunches, etc.
Day #1: Cider Braised Pork Chops with Agrodolce and Roasted Vegetables
1. Mix up a batch of Pork Chop Dry Rub and Thai Chili Seasoning.
2. Make a batch of Agrodolce, a sweet and sour Italian condiment that will be spooned over tonight’s pork chops and used in Chicken Salad on Day #3. You can prepare it while the pork chops roast, or up to 5 days in advance. Serve half with tonight’s pork chops and reserve the rest for Day #3. *Don't discard the lemon after zesting; save it to squeeze the juice over Roasted Vegetables.
3. Cook approximatly 2 pounds of Roasted Vegetables. Serve half with tonight's Pork Chops and reserve the rest in the refrigerator for the Chicken Salad on Day #3. (Roast even more veggies if you like. I love having roasted or sautéed vegetables on hand to munch on throughout the week.)
4. Roast 6 Pork Chops. Serve 4 for dinner tonight. Cut the meat from the bones of the remaining 2 pork chops and cut into bite size pieces. Pack into a freezer zip top bag and freeze for safe keeping to use in Thai Pork and Noodle Soup on Day #5.
5. Cook 2 1/2 Cups of Wild Rice. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooked wild rice for Chili Glazed Chicken Salad on Day #3. Serve half of the remaining rice with tonight's Pork Chops and reserve the remaining half for Pan Fried Chicken on Day #2.
If you’d like to get a jump on meal prep for the rest of the week:
1. Prepare a Basic Vinaigrette, following the variation beneath the recipe for Chili Vinaigrette. Store the vinaigrette in a jar or other covered container in your refrigerator. You’ll use it for Chili Glazed Chicken Salad on Day #3.
2. Wash and dry the salad greens you purchased for Chicken Thighs on Day #2, and Chicken Salad on Day #3. Store the greens in a zip top bag or covered bowl in the refrigerator.
3. Make the marinade for the chili glazed chicken on Day #2 and put the chicken in to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
4. The broth for the Pork and Noodle Soup on Day 5 can be prepared in advance through step #2. Refrigerate until ready to use. Making the broth in advance will mean that cooking the soup on Day #5 only takes about 20 minutes.
Cider Braised Pork Chops
Thick cut smoky braised pork chops coated in a sweet and spicy apple cider glaze, served over wild rice and topped with agrodolce, a sweet and sour Italian condiment that adds a shock of flavor to everything it touches.
*Be sure to cook 2 extra pork chops and reserve the meat for Thai Pork and Noodle Soup on Day #5.
*Also remember to cook 2 cups of Wild Rice and reserve half for Pan Fried Chicken on Day #2.
Agrodolce ~ Sweet & Sour Italian Condiment
The delicious sweet and sour Italian condiment that makes everything tastier. Spoon half over tonight's pork chops and reserve the rest for Chicken Salad on Day #3.
Roasted Vegetables
How to make perfect oven roasted vegetables. Roasting any variety of vegetables is quick, easy, and delicious with this simple formula. Roast 2 lbs of Vegetables; serve half with tonight's pork chops and reserve the rest for Chicken Salad on Day #3.
Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce
Tart, crisp apples suspended in tender vanilla spice cake with a crunchy sugar topping and creamy vanilla custard sauce.
Day #2: Pan Fried Chicken Thighs with Honey Chili Glaze
This simple dish packs some serious flavor and will be on the table in under an hour – less, if you put the chicken in to marinade yesterday.
Follow the recipe to cook 12 pieces of chicken, reserving the meat from 4 pieces and all leftover honey-chili glaze for Chicken Salad and Roasted Vegetables on Day #3.
Pan Fried Chicken Thighs with Honey Chili Glaze
Chicken thighs are marinated in lemon and chili garlic sauce, seared on the stove top, covered in a honey chili glaze and then roasted. Serve over a bed of greens and wild rice, drizzled with more honey chili glaze.
Be sure to cook 12 pieces of chicken and reserve the meat from 4 pieces (plus all the leftover glaze) for Day #3.
Cocktail Pairing: Mango Jalapeño Martini
If you like sweet and spicy flavor combinations, this is your cocktail. Mango vodka is infused with fresh jalapeño then topped off with orange liquor, sweet lime juice, and a dash of Campari.
Day #3: Chili Glazed Chicken Salad with Agrodolce and Roasted Vegetables
If you have people in your house who don’t believe that salad = dinner, you’re going to blow their mind with tonight’s meal.
And, thanks to the work you did on Day #1 and #2, tonight’s dinner will be on your table in under 10 minutes.
Chili Glazed Chicken Salad with Roasted Vegetables
It would be hard to pack more flavor into this chicken salad. Greens, wild rice, a variety of roasted vegetables, and strips of honey chili glazed chicken are topped off with a spoonful of agrodolce. This is not your typical chicken salad.
Cocktail Pairing: Cucumber Gimlet with Mint
A deliciously refreshing sour gin cocktail made with Rose’s Lime Juice, cucumber, mint, and sparkling water.
Dessert Pairing: Cherry Turnovers with Cream Cheese and Almonds
Cherry turnovers with a sweet dark cherry & cream cheese filling that’s wrapped in flaky puff pastry and topped with roasted almonds and almond vanilla glaze.
Day #4: Thai Curry Shrimp and Rice
If you made Thai Spice Mix earlier in the week, heaping bowls of shrimp and vegetables coated in a richly flavorful green curry sauce will be on the table in about 40 minutes.
Thai Curry Shrimp and Rice
Shrimp, bok choy, and cherry tomatoes are added to a rich green curry sauce flavored with coconut, cumin, Thai chili and lemongrass, then spooned over rice and seasoned with basil and lime.
Cocktail Pairing: Pepper Blossom Cocktail ~ Citrus and Jalapeño
Gin, St. Germain, grapefruit juice, sliced Jalapeño, and fresh basil come together for a deliciously balanced and refreshing blend of spicy, sweet, and sour.
Dessert Pairing: The BEST Blueberry Pie {with fresh or frozen blueberries}
The perfect blueberry pie is just the right amount of sweet and tart, bursting with fresh blueberry flavor, covered in a flaky, tender, sugary crust, and easy to slice and serve.
Day #5: Thai Pork and Noodle Soup
In the morning, remove the reserved cooked pork from your freezer (leftover from the pork chops on Day #1), and put it into the refrigerator to thaw. It probably won’t be completely thawed by the evening, but that’s ok. It will thaw completely when you add it to the hot soup.
If you prepared the broth on Day #1, this soup will come together in about 20 minutes. If not, it will still be on the table in under 40 minutes.
Thai Pork and Noodle Soup
Chunks of tender pork, vegetables, and rice noodles are simmered in a rich shiitake mushroom broth that’s flavored with lemon grass, cilantro and Thai spices.
Cocktail Pairing: The Perfect Manhattan
The Manhattan is well known for a reason. It’s delicious in its simplicity, requiring just three ingredients plus a some brandied cherries if you like.
Dessert Pairing: Melt-In-Your-Mouth Vanilla Sugar Cookies
These buttery little sugar cookies are soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, bursting with vanilla and rolled in flavored sugar or sprinkles.
Shopping List, Weekly Spring Meal Plan #1
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Print*Does not include ingredients for suggested baked goods or cocktails.
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 large yellow onions
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 2 lbs vegetables for roasting, any combination of varieties you like. Click here for suggestions.
- 7–9 cups greens such as kale, endive, spinach, or arugula – or any greens mix
- 3 heaping cups of bok choy – remove the leaves and chop the white stalks into 1-inch chunks
- 2 heaping cups of cherry tomatoes
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms
- 2 bunches of scallions
- 2 cups bok choy
- 1–2 cups sprouts or micro greens
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 3 or 4 stalks of fresh lemongrass
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- 8 fresh limes
- 6 thick-cut, bone-in pork chops, approximately 12-oz each
- 12 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
- 1 lb fresh or frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup roughly chopped almonds, skin on
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cups apple cider
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 1/2 cups Wild rice
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups long grain rice, preferably Jasmine
- 3/4 cup chili garlic sauce (should be in the Asian food isle)
- 4 oz green curry paste (about 8 tablespoons) + 1 additional tablespoon green curry paste
- 13-oz can coconut milk, unsweetened
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 8 oz pad Thai rice noodles
- 1 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 1/4 cups olive oil
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp peanut or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- Salt and Pepper
For the Thai Spice Mix (can also purchase a pre-blended spice mix):
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground dried hot red Thai pepper
- 2 tbsp dried lemongrass (see note)
- 2 tbsp lime zest (zest 1 or 2 small limes)
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 4 tbsp toasted unsweetened coconut, ground in a food processor or spice mill
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
For the Pork Chop Dry Rub:
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
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