Dinner Recipes, Winter Meal Plan #10

What to Cook for Dinner this Week:

1.) [sg_popup id="6380" event="click"]Niçoise Salad with Bacon and Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette[/sg_popup], 2.) [sg_popup id="6383" event="click"]Short Rib Fried Rice[/sg_popup], 3.) [sg_popup id="6386" event="click"]Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage[/sg_popup] and [sg_popup id="5981" event="click"]Simple Roast Cabbage[/sg_popup],  4.) [sg_popup id="6389" event="click"]Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry with Coconut[/sg_popup], 5.) [sg_popup id="6392" event="click"]Couscous Veggie Bowls with Butternut Squash and Sausage[/sg_popup], 6.) Cocktail: Pepper Blossom

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.

Like every other meal plan on this blog, this week’s recipes are designed to make healthy, delicious, home cooked meals every night of the week much easier with each meal building on the previous night’s efforts. A little = a lot.

Cook Two or Three Meals Instead of Five: Five home cooked meals in one week is not feasible or desirable for everyone. If two or three is more your style, Days #1, #2, and #3, OR Days #4 and #5, work well together, one meal building from the next.

Meal Prep, Day by Day

Day #1

What’s for Dinner Tonight: [sg_popup id="6380" event="click"]Niçoise Salad with Bacon and Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette[/sg_popup]

For me, “Day #1” is usually a Sunday, and it’s the day with the most heavy lifting when it comes to meal prep for the rest of the week. Whatever day of the week you choose as your “Day #1”, here’s your meal prep task list:

• Make some Pomegranate Molasses. Pomegranate Molasses is nothing more than pomegranate juice that's been cooked with a bit of lemon juice and sugar until it thickens into a syrup. It's extremely simple to make, but can also be purchased. (If you decide to purchase it, the Eat Well brand is pretty good.) You'll use Pomegranate Molasses in tonight's salad and in Short Rib Fried Rice on Day #2. 
• Make some Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers. You'll need about 1 cup of peppers for this Nicoise Salad, but these peppers are so delicious that you might consider making extra. They'll keep in the refrigerator for weeks and are fantastic on all different kinds of salads, sandwiches, and even with cheese and crackers. (You can also purchase Marinated Peppers. I recommend Botticelle Roasted Peppers.)
• If you're using fresh green beans, prep 1 cup extra (trim the ends and cut them into ½-inch pieces) and reserve them in the refrigerator for Short Rib Fried Rice on Day #2. (If using frozen green beans just make sure you have enough for both meals - 1 ½  cups for tonight and 1 cup for the fried rice.)

To get a jump on the rest of the week:

• Make Short Ribs. If at all possible, make the Short Ribs for Fried Rice (Day #2) in advance. They only take about 5 minutes of work before you throw them in the slow cooker or in the oven and let them do their thing. (If your slow cooker has a timer, you could even let them cook overnight.) Making them in advance will not only save you time tomorrow, it will allow you to refrigerate the sauce before using. The sauce can be quite fatty, but if you put it in the refrigerator for a few hours, the fat rises to the top and solidifies, making it easy to remove. Follow the recipe instructions to turn the cooking liquid into a sauce, reducing the liquid until you have 1 cup of sauce. Remove the meat  from the bone and shred. Refrigerate the meat and the sauce until ready to use. *Reserve the short rib bones in a separate container in the refrigerator. They will be used to enrich the sauce for Black Eyed Peas and Sausage on Day #3.
• Pre-cook rice: Follow the instructions in the recipe for [sg_popup id="6383" event="click"]Short Rib Fried Rice[/sg_popup] to cook the rice, refrigerating it until ready to use.
• Pre-soak Black Eyed Peas: Follow the instructions in the recipe for [sg_popup id="6386" event="click"]Black Eyed Peas and Andouille Sausage[/sg_popup] for pre-soaking Black Eyed Peas. After soaking, drain the peas and reserve in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use on Day #3.

Day #2

What’s for Dinner Tonight: [sg_popup id="6383" event="click"]Short Rib Fried Rice[/sg_popup]

If you haven't already made the Short Ribs, get those going as early in the day as possible. They'll take approximately 3-4 hours in the oven, 5 hours in the slow cooker on high, or 7-8 hours in the slow cooker on low.

Follow the recipe instructions to turn the cooking liquid into a sauce, reducing the liquid until you have 2 cups of sauce. Use 1 cup of sauce for tonight's short ribs and reserve the other cup of sauce for Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage on Day #3.

Remove the meat from the bone and shred. Use as much or as little short rib meat as you like for this dish, reserving any remaining meat for other dishes if you like. (You'll find a list of other recipes that use short rib meat right above the recipe. Short Rib Meat will freeze well - add it to an airtight container with some of the sauce and freeze for up to 3 months.)

*Reserve the short rib bones in a separate container in the refrigerator. They will be used to enrich the sauce for Black Eyed Peas and Sausage on Day #3.

• If you haven't already done it, follow the instructions in the recipe for [sg_popup id="6386" event="click"]Black Eyed Peas and Andouille Sausage[/sg_popup] for pre-soaking Black Eyed Peas. After soaking, drain the peas and reserve in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use on Day #3.

Day #3

What’s for Dinner Tonight: [sg_popup id="6386" event="click"]Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage[/sg_popup] and [sg_popup id="5981" event="click"]Roasted Cabbage[/sg_popup]

This delicious, comforting dish will use up the short rib sauce, bones, and rice you prepared earlier in the week. The recipe calls for approximately 21 ounces of Andouille Sausage; use half in this recipe and reserve the other half for Couscous with Butternut Squash and Sausage on Day #5.

*Slow Cooker Option: One reader left a comment on the original recipe that they had great success cooking this dish in the slow cooker. Start the dish on the stovetop; but instead of letting it simmer on the stovetop for a couple of hours, dump everything into the slow cooker and let it cook on low for about 6 hours.

Roast Cabbage: Save leftover [sg_popup id="5981" event="click"]Roast Cabbage[/sg_popup] for Cauliflower and Chickpea curry on Day #4.  You'll need 1-2 cups of chopped roasted cabbage.

If you can't find Andouille Sausage, substitute any variety of smoked sausage links including cured chorizo or kielbasa.

Day #4

What’s for Dinner Tonight: [sg_popup id="6389" event="click"]Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry with Coconut[/sg_popup]

If you have any leftover cooked rice from earlier in the week, this dish is your chance to use it up. Otherwise, plan on cooking some additional rice, according to the package instructions.

This is a vegetable based recipe, but it does call for a couple of anchovies. If you would prefer to make it 100% vegetable based, there are suggested substitutions for the anchovies listed in the recipe notes. 

Day #5

What’s for Dinner Tonight: [sg_popup id="6392" event="click"]Couscous Veggie Bowls with Butternut Squash and Sausage[/sg_popup]

This is one of my favorite dishes in the fall and winter and will use up the Andouille Sausage you cooked earlier in the week.

This Week’s Featured Cocktail: The Pepper Blossom

Recommended tools and equipment for the recipes in this week's meal plan:

• Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Skillet
• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 3-Quart Saucepan
• If cooking short ribs in the oven, it’s important to use a pan or baking dish that has a heavy bottom and conducts heat well. I recommend using a dutch oven or heavy stoneware baking dish like these from Le Creuset.
• If cooking short ribs in a slow cooker it’s nice to have one with a timer so you can set it and forget it, like this Slow Cooker from Cuisinart, which is what I use.
• Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 8-Quart Stockpot with Cover
• Mercer Double Diamond Knife Sharpener (Having a sharp knife is essential for cutting butternut squash)
• Nordic Ware Rimmed Baking Sheet
• Cuisinart MCP66-28N MultiClad Pro Stainless 12-Quart Stockpot with Cover

Suggested Recipes for the Baker:

• Lemon Berry Snack Cake
• Double Chocolate Muffins
• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls {with an optional overnight rise}
• Chocolate Fruit and Nut Shortbread Cookies

Shopping List, Weekly Winter Meal Plan #1o

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*Does not include ingredients for suggested baked goods or this week's featured cocktail.

• 5 - 6 large shallots (big enough for 1 & ¾ cup chopped)
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 limes (enough for 4 tablespoon juice)
• 1 lb new potatoes(small round potatoes)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 & ½ lb green beans (approximately 1 ½ cups), fresh or frozen.
• 1 medium size red onion
• 1 small jalapeño
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes 
• 8 cups Romain or Boston Lettuce
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• A 2 lb head of cauliflower (3-4 cups cauliflower florets)
• 1 head of cabbage
• 2 large carrots
• A 1 ½lb butternut squash
• A piece of fresh ginger, enough for 5 tablespoon grated
• 1 & ½ cups fresh cilantro
• 1lb thick cut bacon
• 3–4 lbs short ribs, bone-in
• 21 oz Andouille Sausage
• 3 anchovy fillets (optional, for cauliflower and chickpea curry. See recipe for substitutions.)
• ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 8 oz green curry paste
• 4 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 13.5 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
• 6 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 & ⅓ cup soy sauce
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 5 cups chicken stock + 1 ¾ cup chicken broth or water
• Croutons, for Nicoise Salad, prepared or Homemade
• ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 star anise
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 teaspoon real maple syrup
• 1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened (for cauliflower and chickpea curry)
• 1 can chickpeas (15 or 16 ounces)
• 5 cups jasmine or long-grain white rice
• 1 ⅓ cup pearl couscous
• 1lb dried black eyed peas
• ½ cup dried apricots
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 7 tablespoon butter
• ½ cup grapeseed or extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine (for Couscous Veggie Bowls)

To make Pomegranate Molasses: (If purchasing, you’ll need a total of ½ cup)

• 4 cups ( 1 liter/ 33.8 ounces) pomegranate juice
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup lemon juice

To Make Marinated Peppers: (If purchasing, you’ll need 12 ounces)

• 4 bell peppers, preferably a mix of red, yellow, and orange
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup white balsamic vinegar (or red or white wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
• about ½ cup of chopped fresh parsley
• ½ – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)