What to cook this week: My meal plan

Doc is having a minor health issue right now that limits his diet — including no fruits or vegetables. It’s very weird and disconcerting for him, and it also means that there are a LOT of fresh vegetables in our fridge right now that Jamie and I need to eat soon.

I thought I’d share my meal plan for the week — not that you necessarily care what we are having for dinner, but maybe it will give you some ideas should you need them this week, or any week. I have chicken on the menu three times, which is unusual for me since I have a very tenuous relationship with it stemming from pregnancy (I wanted to throw up even thinking about chicken), but it is on Doc’s diet right now, so it’s going to be a clucking awesome week.

Sunday: Sweet and Sour Chicken, Veggies, and Rice

• A rotisserie chicken from Costco
• Steamed rice in the Instant Pot
• Sautéed briefly in oil: a red and a green bell pepper cut into big chunks, an onion cut into big chunks, a handful of canned pineapple chunks
• Sweet and sour sauce: pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, thickened with cornstarch

Monday: Vegetarian Pasta Bar

• Pasta (probably bow ties, my favorite) with a choice of toppings:
• Grape tomatoes, cut in half
• Asparagus, briefly sautéed in oil
• Butter microwaved with some minced garlic
• Grated parmesan cheese (vegan cheese for Jamie)
• Garlic toast
• And maybe some leftover rotisserie chicken for the meat lovers in my family

Tuesday: Chicky Nuggs ‘n’ Taters

• Chicken nuggets (frozen, from Costco — we like the Just Bare brand)
• Russet potato chunks, air fried with oil, garlic, salt, pepper
• Green salad (romaine, radicchio, diced orange bell pepper)
• Lemon Caesar dressing

Wednesday: Fend For Yourself

This is our weekly opportunity to eat up leftovers, have a cheese ‘n’ crackers ‘n’ fruit night, make a sandwich, or do whatever. The main thing is, everyone fends for themselves and I don’t cook for anyone but me.

Thursday: Chicken Taco Salads

• Citrus-marinated chicken breast from Aldi (it’s pre-minced so it cooks really fast)
• Green salad, cheese, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, tortilla chips (see my taco bar post from a few weeks ago for the details)

Friday: Air Fryer Salmon, Rice, Cabbage

• We have salmon portions in the freezer, that are super easy to thaw and then pop in the air fryer with a spritz of oil, pepper, and salt
• Going to try this garlic rice recipe
• And some shredded green cabbage

Saturday: Pizza Night

• Food processor pizza dough (I use this recipe; sometimes instead I get the pre-made dough from Trader Joes or Jimmy’s Food Store)
• We typically use a jarred pizza sauce for Doc and Jamie; I like straight-up tomato paste spread thinly
• A light sprinkling of mozzarella cheese and a bit of parmesan (vegan mozzarella for Jamie)
• Garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes to season
• Doc and Jamie typically top their pizzas with green olives, pepperoni, onions, and bell peppers. I usually have bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, pineapple, and occasionally a sprinkle of bacon or diced ham
• I have a big list of mix and match pizza ideas in this blog post from earlier this week that may come in handy