I’ve been thinking of you.
Last night you made adobo, maybe for the first time. I heard from some of you before the big cook, with questions about pan size, cooking time, and whether it really was enough liquid to braise all that chicken. (It should’ve been! Let me know if you had problems.)
It occurred to me that if one person is asking a question, it’s likely others are wondering the same thing. Just in case you’re too shy to reach out, here are answers to the big questions I’ve received so far:
Re: Shopping List
Where are the recipes?
Initially I thought the recipe links should come with the instructions, but I heard from enough folks who want a sneak peek to change my mind. Starting this week, they’ll be sent with the shopping list.
Wondering if it’s possible to subdivide the shopping list to indicate which ingredients are for which days/meals. As I don’t have kids every day (and therefore don’t cook full meals when they’re not around), I am more likely to pick and choose days from your newsletter than to do the whole thing.
After “where are the recipes?” this was the most common question. And it’s a toughie! Because so many ingredients are used in more than one dish, breaking them out by recipe would lead to a lot of duplication—not to mention you’d be hitting the produce section five times instead of once. Another reader suggested color-coding, but that also wouldn’t work for ingredients with multiple uses. I’m thinking about a solution! Suggestions are welcome.
Re: Meal Plan
Why cook the chickpeas instead of using canned?
Because the idea with planning ahead is, you’re setting yourself up for an easy week! Canned is terrific when you’re in a pinch and need to get dinner together quickly, but if you’ve planned ahead homemade costs less and tastes better. You can always skip cooking them yourself if you prefer. I also keep cans on hand and use them regularly.
Clarification on tofu: there are no specific instructions for using tofu with the lo mein. How do you suggest we prepare it? Season on Monday as you would chicken and just hang onto it, or is there no need to season it since it will soak up the lo mein sauce flavors, in which case one should just open a fresh package on Wednesday? And would you cube and pan fry it? Long strips? Serve it soft without frying?
Friends, I messed up. I totally forgot to address tofu lo mein! Here’s the deal: Use the second package. Drain and press it dry between two layers of paper towels, then cut into cubes (or strips—that’s up to you). Pan-fry in a glug or two of vegetable oil until browned, then remove from the pan and proceed with the recipe. Add it back in at the end, when you add the sauce.
I’m not sure if I’ll do a Q&A post like this every week. That’ll depend on how many questions I get! But if you’re ever uncertain about how to handle something, or have a suggestion to make this newsletter work better for you, don’t hesitate to reach out. Just reply to any email. I may not respond immediately, but I won’t leave you hanging.
Next up: The shopping list for next week, with recipe links.
Until Thursday,
Debbie