a really simple meal plan v.28
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Maillard reaction
10 min read
The meal plan includes skillet-seared steak and roasted pork shoulder. Understanding the Maillard reaction explains why browning meat creates such complex flavors and why high heat cooking techniques produce superior results.
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Al pastor
10 min read
The article references 'al pastor enchiladas' as a remix of leftover pork. Readers would find the history fascinating - al pastor originated from Lebanese immigrants bringing shawarma to Mexico, which evolved into this iconic dish combining Middle Eastern and Mexican traditions.
The holiday season is in full swing! So for this month’s meal plan, we’re blending the specialness of the season with the fact that it’s often filled to the absolute brim with events, to-dos, and travel. These recipes take minimal effort yet yield special, crowd-pleasing results. We have a cozy vegetarian soup, a skillet steak dinner, a set-it-and-forget-it winter feast, and upgraded-leftovers enchiladas in store. Plus, a fabulous prep-ahead salad that will keep you full (and full of nutrients!) all week.
Cook your way through this plan from start to finish, or pick a couple recipes to make this week — either way, we hope it helps you decide what’s for dinner!
As always, we’ve pulled together a grocery list organized by aisle. Each recipe now has its own color code, so if you want to skip or swap a dinner, you’ll know which ingredients to cross off — no brainpower required.
These recipes are written to feed between four and six people (each meal will note its specific yield), so scale up or down depending on your household. Halve a recipe if you’re cooking for one or two, or double it if you’re feeding a big crew. You can always copy and paste our grocery list into a new Google doc if you want to tweak it.
This meal plan is designed to flow in order, but, of course, shuffle meals around as you’d like!
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PREP-AHEAD SALAD: souvla-inspired chicken salad
A fresh, filling, nutrient-packed salad that requires zero cooking.
MAKE IT LAST: Swap the romaine for chopped cabbage or another head of kale — they will hold up better throughout the week.
INGREDIENT SWAP: Use parsley instead of chives in the dressing to keep your grocery list short.
HOW TO STORE IT: For the freshest tasting salad each day, store the prepped components separately: all your greens, fennel, and pea shoots in one airtight container; shredded chicken in another; and prepped fruit in a third. Keep your pickled onions, cheese, nuts, and dressing separate until serving, too. Assemble your individual serving and toss with a bit of dressing just before you eat — it’ll only take a minute since you’ve already prepped everything! If you’re packing a salad to take with you to work, go ahead and toss the greens, fruit,
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