Week 2 Menu Plan and Recipes
(join the 4-Week Cooking Habit!)
Hi friends! And welcome to new subscribers. I’m glad you found your way here.
Our Southern California mid-September days are still sunny and hot, but the mornings and evenings are getting deliciously cooler. Fall is slowly creeping in and I’ve even turned on my oven this week.
Now with summer vacation gone and autumn upon us, have you found yourself suddenly busy? Distracted? Unmotivated to cook? Same.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a menu plan in place, shopping already done, ingredients on hand, and recipes at your fingertips so that dinner becomes an easy plug-and-play?
There is a solution!
Fall 4-Week Cooking Habit
How does it work?
Every Friday in September, there is a free menu plan with recipes for the following week. This gives you the weekend (or Monday morning) to shop for the ingredients.
Recipes include a variety of protein options including plant proteins, beef, chicken, lamb, pork, and seafood.
No one wants to be overwhelmed, so we are planning for three dinners per week leaving the rest of the days free and flexible for leftovers and dinners out.
You decide which three days you want to cook. I typically make dinner on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but choose whatever days work for you.
My hope is that we will make cooking dinner a habit again and along the way discover untapped cooking skills or rediscover ones that have been neglected.
The Fall 4-Week Cooking Habit is free for everyone.
Free subscribers receive one weekly recipe plus the menu plan.
Paid subscribers receive all the recipes plus the menu plan and a printable shopping list.
Did you miss Week 1 which featured Plant Protein Greek-style Gyros, Salmon with Brown Butter Sauce, and Banh Mi French Bread Pizza? Read Week 1 here.
Week 2 Menu Plan
This week’s lineup is simple and full of flavor. Proteins include pork, seafood, and eggs. Veggies like tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, and potatoes ramp up the vitamins, fiber, and freshness.
While one recipe does require awhile in the oven, it is hands off and you can go about your business while it cooks. The other two are easily under 40 minutes to make.
Week 2 Menu Plan
Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs. Easy, fall-off-the-bone ribs, no grill required.
Shrimp Tempura Tacos with Jalapeno-Lime Crema. A very Southern California mash-up of tastes: Japanese shrimp tempura meets Mexican style tacos.
Fall Niçoise Salad. Similar to the traditional French-style salad, but with a delicious autumnal vinaigrette made from maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.
Wine Pairing
Looking for a wine to go with this week’s menu? A good guideline for wine: drink what you like. I worked in the California wine industry for many years, but I’m not a wine snob. So, I’m going for pink wine on this one.
Dry rosés are a good match for salads, tacos, pastas, and even meats. Their dry acidity and fruity aroma complements a wide range of flavors and spices. I found this one at the local Costco warehouse.
Kirkland Signature Cotes de Provence Rosé. From France, it is a dry wine with some mineral and berry notes. Very easy to drink and just under $9 per bottle.
Recipes
Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs
Serves 4 generously
Time: 3-ish hours, mostly hands off
These easy to make ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender with a sweet and tangy sauce baked right on. No messing with the grill, no basting, and no babysitting necessary.
Once these ribs are in the oven you can “set it and forget it” until they are done. So, this leaves you free to go back to your Microsoft Teams meeting, read that article you’ve been meaning to get to, or do a load of laundry.
Convenient sides to serve with this are a fresh green salad, bagged coleslaw, or prepared potato salad from the deli case. Or no sides. Just eat the ribs. You’re an adult, you can do what you want.
Dry Rub Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
Ingredients:
3 to 4 lbs pork baby back ribs
Store-bought barbeque sauce (the Texan in me likes Stubb’s BBQ sauce)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 F/150 C. Move the oven rack to the middle slot. Have a rimmed baking sheet nearby and at the ready. Line with foil if you want.
Mix together all the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. On the underside of the ribs, peel off the silvery membrane. It should come off in one piece but you may need to get it started with a small knife cut. I use a paper towel for better grip while peeling. This membrane does not soften once cooked so removing it ensures the ribs will be tender.
Rub both sides of the ribs with the dry rub, using all of it. Place the ribs side by side on the baking sheet. Cover with foil.
Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover the ribs. I like to pour off the liquid on the baking sheet but you don’t have to. If you like your ribs glossy, spread on some barbeque sauce with the back of a spoon and place them under the oven broiler for just a minute or two. Otherwise, cut and serve with extra barbeque sauce.
Shrimp Tempura Tacos with Jalapeno-Lime Crema
Serves 2 to 4, depending on appetite
Time: 25-ish minutes
A perfect example of California Cuisine, these tacos marry two SoCal cultures: Japanese and Mexican. Crunchy shrimp tempura is tucked into soft criolla corn tortillas and topped with quick pickled onions and jalapeno-lime crema.