I’m not going to waste time with a big preamble. You know the menu. You know what to buy to make it work. Here’s how you pull it off.
Sunday
Quick Prep
You’ve got just two things to do today to get ready for the week:
First, cook up those chickpeas—these instructions include options for the stovetop, the slow cooker, and the Instant Pot. I love the IP, since I never remember to soak beans ahead and the pressure cooker lets you skip that step. Refrigerate it with the cooking liquid.
Second, before you go to bed tonight get your chicken marinating. (Using tofu? No need, since it soaks up sauce so quickly.)
Monday
Chicken (or Tofu) Adobo with Rice and Broccoli
If you’ve never had Filipino adobo before, you’re in for a treat. It’s nothing like the thick, smoky-spicy Mexican sauce you’ll find canned with chipotle peppers. This Food Network recipe is a super-simple version, where all you do is transfer the chicken and marinating liquid to a big ol’ pot on the stove to braise for 45-50 minutes. For a tofu option, it’s even quicker: Cut the block into cubes and brown them in a large skillet, then add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.
Cook a double-batch of rice, since you’ll need some for Friday. My favorite way is the Instant Pot (you’re going to hear that a lot in this newsletter) but if you don’t have one, my second favorite is to cook it like pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water—not quite as salty as for pasta—and add 2 cups of rice. Boil for 8-10 minutes, until it’s nearly tender, then drain and return the rice to the pot. Cover and set aside for 5-10 minutes. You can do this when you first start cooking the chicken, since it’ll stay hot for a good stretch. Then you’ll have time (and brain power) to steam some broccoli when the chicken is just about ready.
Now, the leftovers: Pull the meat from the bones of the remaining thighs and refrigerate. (Freeze the bones for chicken broth! Put them in a freezer bag, and just keep adding until you’ve got enough.) Refrigerate the extra rice, too.
Tuesday
Pasta e Ceci with Italian Bread and Optional Carrot Sticks
Smitten Kitchen has a really easy version of this classic Italian dish—hers only serves two, so remember to double it! Use about half the chickpeas you cooked on Sunday; it’s fine to eyeball it. This is optional, but I like to use the chickpea-cooking broth in place of half the water.
If you’ve got picky eaters, set aside some plain chickpeas for them before adding to the pot. Serve with Italian bread, warmed up if you feel fancy, and carrot sticks if you feel obliged to offer a vegetable side.
Wednesday
Chicken Lo Mein
Leftovers Lo Mein is a super-flexible, kid-friendly dish. It’s more of a technique, really, and the version at Simply Recipes walks you through it. The adobo chicken meat works beautifully here, since it’s already soy-scented. My adorable son won’t eat anything that’s all mixed together, so I usually hold out some sesame-oiled noodles and cooked chicken for him.
Thursday
Jammy Eggs and Feta Flatbreads with Herbs and a Green Salad
Breakfast-for-dinner is always a popular option around here. This Epicurious recipe is a slightly shmancier version, in which you mix not-quite-hard-boiled eggs with mashed feta, lemon juice, and oil before spreading on toasted flatbreads and showering with tender herbs—chop some cilantro and scallion greens for that. Picky eater adaptions are pretty obvious for this one: Keep some eggs and/or cheese separate, and a flatbread too. Note that this recipe also serves two, so you’ll need to double it.
To flesh this out into a fuller dinner, make a salad with chopped romaine hearts, carrots, cucumber, and scallions. Toss it with olive oil and lemon juice.
Friday
Cheater’s Chana Masala with Rice and Naan
I’m sneaking one of my own recipes in here—it’s from my cookbook, Parents Need to Eat Too. Drain the rest of the chickpeas for this (set some aside for picky kids), and reheat the rest of the rice and flatbreads to serve it with.
And that’s it! You’ve made it all the way to Friday. I’m really proud of you.
Let me know how it goes, please—just respond to this email. And I realize this plea is going to get repetitive, but I hafta add: If you’re finding The Family Plan useful, please show it some love on social media, in parents’ groups, among friends. Like Ms. Wendy used to say in my son’s pre-k, sharing is caring.
Enjoy the weekend!
Debbie