Tonight, my family will light the first candle on the menorah and eat a bunch of latkes. Maybe yours will, too. That ushers in the mad dash to December 25 for my matzo-pizza family. Even though we’re not going anywhere, like, ever, it still feels as if the next few weeks are going to be uber-hectic. So I’ll assume you’re experiencing something similar, and give you a meal plan that’s extra-easy, flexible, and quick. Only one dinner takes longer than 30 minutes to get to the table, but even that has only around 5 minutes of actual work—the rest of the time, your ravioli lasagna is in the oven. I hope this’ll make it easier for you to catch your breath amid all the hubbub.
Meanwhile, news flash: The Family Plan is gift-able! Substack, which powers the newsletter, has created a nifty option for you to send a gift subscription for my weekly plans to someone else for the holidays. You can include a gift message, and you can even schedule the date and time for the recipient’s notification—so it can arrive Christmas morning or the first night of Hanukkah or whenever you like.
Here’s the menu for next week:
MONDAY:
Egg Roll in a Bowl from Well Plated by Erin, with rice. Tonight we’ll use a couple bags of slaw to make this ridiculously easy dish. You can use whatever kind of ground meat you like, or crumble up some extra-firm tofu. Double the recipe and cook a double-batch of rice as well.
TUESDAY: 4-Ingredient Ravioli Lasagna from Two Peas and Their Pod. Using frozen ravioli to mock up a quick lasagna is one of my favorite tricks—I included instructions for a similar version in my cookbook. Serve it with salad, and expect to have leftovers for lunch.
WEDNESDAY:
Crispy Rice and Egg Bowl with Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette from Smitten Kitchen. I’ve included this recipe in a meal plan or two in the past, and for good reason: It’s super-flexible in terms of which vegetables you use, it’s inexpensive, and both the crispy rice and the ginger-scallion vinaigrette are amazing.
THURSDAY: Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw from Epicurious, with sliced avocado. I was alerted to this recipe by a friend, who called it “a super easy weekday meal.” Note that the recipe claims to serve 4 but only makes a total of 4 tacos. You’ll want to double it.
FRIDAY: Egg Roll Soup with crispy Chinese noodles and ginger-scallion vinaigrette. This is a no-recipe-required night. All you’ll do is put Monday’s leftover egg roll mixture into a large, heavy pot and add a quart of broth (chicken or vegetable). Heat it up, let it simmer for a few minutes, and taste—you may want to add another splash of soy sauce or sesame oil. And just like that, dinner’s ready. If you’ve got any of Wednesday’s vinaigrette leftover, stir some in!
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Here’s the shopping list:
Reminder: An asterisk * indicates an item for the vegetarian option.
Produce
1 lb. cremini mushrooms (M, F)
6 cloves garlic (M, F)
1 (4-5”) piece ginger (M, W, F)
3 large OR 4 small bunches green onions (M, W, Th, F)
1 bunch basil, optional (T)
1 bunch cilantro (Th)
3 (12-oz.) bags broccoli slaw OR cole slaw (M, Th, F)
3-4 large carrots (M, W, F)
Salad fixings (T)
2 Persian cucumbers OR red bell pepper OR other vegetable you enjoy raw (W)
1-2 avocados (Th)
2-3 limes (Th)
2 (14-oz.) packages extra-firm tofu* (M, F)
Pantry
Reduced-sodium soy sauce (M, W, F)
1/2 cup rice vinegar (M, W, F)
Sambal oelek OR other hot sauce (M, W, Th, F)
Sesame oil (M, W, F)
Crispy Chinese noodles (F)
Cornstarch or arrowroot (M, F)
Canola OR grapeseed OR safflower OR vegetable oil (M, F)
Olive oil (Th)
2 (25-oz.) jars marinara sauce (T)
2 (15-oz.) cans black beans (Th)
Ground cumin (Th)
32 oz. chicken OR vegetable broth (F)
Meat Counter
2 lbs. lean ground turkey, chicken, or pork (M, F)
Dairy
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (T)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (T)
2/3 cup crumbled feta OR cotija OR queso fresco (Th)
4-8 eggs (W)
Bakery
8 corn tortillas (Th)
Freezer Case
2 (30-oz.) packages frozen cheese, meat, or vegetable ravioli (T)
On Saturday, paying subscribers will get the details on how it all comes together.
Stay safe, be kind, wash your hands, and wear a mask.
Debbie
The egg roll bowl recipe was a huge hit! And I usually never buy pre-cut vegetables, but our coop did have broccoli slaw and I thought it was really great. Even my broccoli-hating partner liked it. Only down-side: I have a feeling the leftovers are not going to make it until the soup day, but that's ok, it's always great to have something delicious for lunch.
This may be a silly question, but my grocery pickup shopper gave me frozen tortellini instead of ravioli - think that would work okay?