If you answered my survey: THANK YOU! I was relieved to see that most folks like this Thursday-Saturday schedule. But enough of you asked to get the whole shebang on Thursday that I’m seriously considering it. And now, let’s look ahead…
I think this coming week may be my Italian-American husband’s least favorite seven days of 2019. My birthday falls on Sunday (oh hooray, a Jewish almost-Christmas baby)—which is also the first night of Hanukkah. That goes on for eight nights, of course. And in the middle, on December 24, comes his mom’s birthday. Yup, the two most important women in his life have birthdays two days apart, right before Christmas. By the time we hit Christmas Day, the poor man will be spinning so fast, he’ll bore a hole in the floor.
Our matzo-pizza family goes all in on Chrismukkah. With this most special of holidays in mind, I’m giving you a menu that offers the best of both religions’ food traditions.
Here’s the menu:
SUNDAY: If you’re vegetarian, you’ll want to make a double-batch of Epicurious’ Oil-Poached Tomatoes today. You’ll need them on Tuesday and Thursday.
MONDAY: Less-Oil Latkes with applesauce, sour cream, and an arugula-citrus salad. This is my own go-to recipe for Hanukkah. I lost a lot of weight a long time ago, and to help maintain that I found a way to honor the oily tradition without quite as much oil. Even if you’re not Jewish, who doesn’t love potato pancakes for dinner?
TUESDAY: Oil-Poached Tuna with Fennel and Orange from Food and Wine still gives us the oil, but also nods to the Feast of the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve. Serve that with a good baguette. You’ll add some extra tuna for later in the week. Vegetarians get to play with oil, too, with those tomatoes. You’ll use half tonight to top a ricotta-filled puff pastry tart, and save the rest for Thursday. Add a simple green salad with poached-tomato vinaigrette and you’re done.
WEDNESDAY: Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to do for Christmas Day. I’m assuming most of you have Christmas traditions, so I’m not giving you a full menu—just main dish suggestions. If you don’t already have a traditional main, Epicurious’ Old-Fashioned Ham with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze might become one. Vegetarians (and my fellow non-Christians) get a potential new fave, too, with Cookie + Kate’s Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash. Note that if you do need side dishes, I haven’t included anything in the shopping list—please plan accordingly.
THURSDAY: Your oil-poached leftovers make tonight’s dinner easy. Spaghetti with Tuna, Tomatoes, and Olives is another Epicurious recipe. If you’ve got tomatoes instead of tuna, they’ll work in this recipe, too! Serve either one with a tossed salad.
FRIDAY: Let’s keep tonight simple. Lentil Soup with (or without) Ham and Peas from Food Network lets you use up some of the Christmas ham—but if you don’t have any or you’re vegetarian, this soup is plenty filling without it. Add a loaf of good, crusty bread for dipping.
And here’s the shopping list:
Remember, an asterisk* indicates an ingredient for vegetarians only. And since this week is a little wacky, a carat ^ indicates an ingredient for meat-eaters only. Don’t forget: If you need side dishes for Christmas dinner, add the ingredients to this list.
Produce
4 large potatoes (about 1.25 lb.) (M)
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (3 to 4 medium) (F)
2 medium onions (M, F)
2 large shallots ^ (T)
3 heads garlic* (T, W)
1 (5-oz.) package arugula (M)
2 (5-oz.) packages baby greens* (T, Th)
2 fennel bulbs^ (T)
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley (T^, W*, Th)
1 bunch basil* (T)
1 bunch rosemary* (T)
1 bunch thyme* (T)
2 lb. plum tomatoes (about 12)* (T)
1 bunch cherry tomatoes^ (Th)
2 medium acorn squash* (W)
1 bunch scallions (W*, Th)
1 bunch carrots (Th, F)
1 cucumber (Th)
1 bunch celery (F)
1 orange, preferably organic (M, T)
1 blood orange^ (T)
4 lemons (M, T, W*, Th)
Apple cider^ (W)
Pantry
Salt
Kosher salt
Pepper
4 small dried red chiles^ (T)
Bay leaves^ (T)
All-purpose flour (M)
Baking powder (M)
Golden brown sugar^ (W)
Vegetable oil for frying (M, T)
Extra-virgin olive oil (T, Th^, F)
Applesauce (M)
Honey (M, W^)
Sherry vinegar (T, Th)
Dijon mustard (T, Th)
4 oz. whole grain Dijon mustard^ (W)
Quinoa* (W)
Dried cranberries* (W)
Raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)* (W)
2 oz. black olives, pitted (Th)
1 lb. thin spaghetti (Th)
1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (F)
1 cup dried yellow or red lentils (F)
Meat Counter
1 (10-lb.) smoked ham with rind, preferably shank end^ (W)
Seafood
1 one-inch thick tuna steak, about 1.5 lb.^ (T)
Dairy
Eggs (M)
Sour cream (M, F)
Puff pastry* (T)
8 oz. ricotta* (T)
6 oz. grated Parmesan* (W)
4 oz. goat or feta cheese* (W)
Bakery
1 baguette^ (T)
1 loaf crusty bread (F)
Freezer Case
Green peas (F)
Hoo boy, that took a lot out of me! I hope it makes your next week easier.
Watch for the plan on Saturday.
Debbie