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We're still in Mexico right now, but we're headed back home tomorrow. It's been a wonderful trip, and we've certainly caught the Baja bug. We're already looking at a return trip next February. Celebrating Theo's birthday here (on February 11) might become an annual tradition.
Although I will miss the sunshine and the daily trips to the beach, I am really looking forward to being back in my own kitchen. Here is our menu plan for next week. You can follow along on Instagram stories for additional tips and behind-the-scenes. In the meantime, have a great weekend!
Meatless Monday I have been craving shakshuka all week, so that's first on the menu when we're back. Shakshuka is simply eggs poached in a savory, cumin- and coriander-spiced tomato sauce. Make a double-batch of the sauce and freeze half so you have an easy meal in the freezer. I'm hoping to share my recipe on Monday, but if I get behind, here's a good one (obviously). It's best served with a hearty sourdough bread for soaking up the yolk and sauce.
Tuesday I never thought I'd say this, but I'm a little tired of tacos (for Taco Tuesday). But what I am craving is all the vegetables. One of our favorite easy weeknight meals is a stuffed baked potato piled high with vegetables. I'll share the recipe another time, but the concept is simple. Bake a potato and then hollow it out and mix the baked potato inside with a little salt, milk or Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese (I keep it on the lighter side, but you could totally go all out with an old-fashioned twice baked potato). Stuff that filling back into the baked potato and put it back in the oven until bubbly and warm and browned. Then top it with all the roasted/sauteed vegetables, like roasted peppers, shiitake mushrooms, sautéed kale with sliced garlic, roasted broccoli and cauliflower. Whatever you like. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, a little chile oil, some toasted sesame seeds, and it's a perfect easy dinner.
Wednesday When I was pregnant with Theo, I craved tofu pho all the time. I ate it at least once a week. After he was born, the cravings never really went away. I still have some version of pho at least once a week. Mine is not always authentic, but if you want a great pho primer, see here. Try the chicken pho, for starters. I'll post my easy version sometime soon.
Thursday We're coming home to sunny skies but cold temperatures, and chicken schnitzel feels like the perfect comfort food. This recipe is pretty similar to mine. I use whole wheat flour, whole wheat panko bread crumbs (or make my own) and as little olive oil (instead of canola oil) and butter as I can get away with. We'll have it with smashed potatoes and a nice green salad with some citrus.
Friday I strongly dislike foods that masquerade as other foods, like zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash 'pasta.' Neither of them qualify as pasta. They can be good--very good, in fact--versions of what they are, which is vegetables. But, they are not pasta. And that is why I am still stymied in coming up with another name for cauliflower pizza. Because a crust made from cauliflower is decidedly NOT pizza. But, it's also really good. And, amazingly, it's the most common variety of 'pizza' I make these days. So this Friday, we will be making cauliflower pizza to go with the new season of Homeland (watched On Demand). Typically, we top it with roasted tomatoes, maybe some roasted shiitakes, perhaps some sautéed kale or some fresh spinach, and a local scamorza. Top it with homemade chile oil and start the show. I haven't posted my recipe yet, but this one is close.
Saturday Elie pretty much stopped eating bread and most wheat products this year, which really threw me for a loop, since I had just started working on mastering whole grain sourdough breads (a lifetime endeavor, I know). But losing bread (and pasta) as a dinner option makes it much more difficult for me to meal plan, since those are two of my favorite food groups. But, as a result, I've learned to try new things. Burger bowls, for example. We roast potatoes (white or sweet) and a whole bunch of other vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, and more) and then layer those in a bowl with greens (kale is a favorite). Top with a burger and then more toppings--smashed avocado, chile oil, pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds, roasted tomatoes... The options are endless, and it's really quite good and satisfying. It's
Sunday Sunday is soup night. It's a warm, nourishing way to end the weekend and start the week. This week in Mexico, I tried a creamy poblano soup that my friend had ordered. I think I'm going to recreate that with a side of cornbread, with perhaps some sautéed shrimp. This looks like a good recipe, but I'll just substitute whole milk for the cream. For the cornbread, this is a very good recipe. Speaking as a native southerner (from Kentucky), no cornbread should ever contain sugar. You can leave out the bacon and substitute butter or extra virgin olive oil for the bacon fat. It will still be delicious.
And also stay tuned for my guide to Todos Santos, coming soon! xo
Photos by Matthew Land Studios.
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