Week 3: We're Halfway There
(and livin' on a prayer)
Hi friends and Happy Friday! We are halfway through our 4-Week Cooking Habit series. The goal: get us all into the routine of making dinner a few nights a week to save some money and eat better.
How are you holding up? Have you gotten inspiration from the weekly menu plans and recipes? Does anyone besides me still listen to Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi?
Even if you aren’t cooking along with me, I’m so glad you keep coming back each week.
Now you may be wondering, what’s going to happen after this series ends?
Good news: You will have a month’s worth of meals that you can make again (or for the first time, lol) and mix and match with other recipes to make into a weekly menu plan. A refresher on how to do this is linked here.
Even better news: If you would like another month of menu plans with recipes in the near future, please let me know in the chat or send me a DM. I’d love to know what kinds of meals you’d like to see. We can do this again in the summer!
Looking ahead into April, we will be talking about make-ahead freezer meals (they aren’t just for moms with newborns and post-surgery peeps) and some Passover-friendly dishes. Plus, I have a few surprises for you.
Menu Plan
This week’s lineup includes two dinners composed almost entirely of pantry ingredients and one that requires an entire bottle of beer (who says menu planning isn’t fun?). The proteins featured are black beans, quinoa, fish, and beef. Dessert takes advantage of just-coming-into-season strawberries.
Crispy Black Bean and Quinoa Tacos
Sheet Pan Fish and Chips
Guinness Beef Stew
6-Ingredient Strawberry Shortcake (paid subscribers)
As a reminder, make these recipes your own. You can add more veg, leave out dairy, or garnish as you wish. No one is going to call the recipe police! This is your dinner coming out of your kitchen, so do what you want.
Here are this week’s meals.
Recipes
Crispy Black Bean and Quinoa Tacos
Serves 4
Total time: 45 minutes
These are my new favorite tacos! Two kinds of plant protein make these tacos delicious and so satisfying. You will not miss the meat. My youngest son, the one who pumps some serious iron at the gym, ate these, loved them, and had no idea they were meat-free. These tacos are gluten-free and easily adapted to be vegan by subbing in vegan cheese.
A couple of tips: 1) I buy pre-chopped adobo chilies in a jar (in the Mexican food section of the grocery store) which is easier than messing with an entire can of adobo chilies. 2) Don’t stress if the tortillas crack or break as you assemble the tacos. We are using notoriously inflexible corn tortillas, after all. The tacos will still hold together because cheese is here to save the day.
Ingredients:
⅔ cup red quinoa (white or tricolor is fine)
1 ⅓ cup water or vegetable broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups onion, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp chopped adobo chilies
1 can (14 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup water or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 corn tortillas
8 oz Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Garnishes: mashed avocado, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, salsa
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450F/230C. Move the oven rack to the middle position. Set out a rimmed baking sheet.
Bring water to a boil and pour in the quinoa. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove and cover.
While the quinoa cooks, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the salt, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic. Stir to coat the onions with the spice mixture and allow to cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices. You should smell them now!
Add the tomato paste and adobo and stir to combine. Dump in the beans and the water or broth. Stir to combine everything. Tip in the quinoa and stir again. The mixture should resemble taco meat filling. Remove from the heat.
Tip 2 tablespoons of olive oil onto the baking sheet and spread evenly. Warm the tortillas in the microwave by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and nuking for 30 seconds. They should be warm and steamy. Place the tortillas on the greased sheet and turn them over a few times to lightly coat them in oil.
Divide the black bean mixture into 8 portions and spread onto half of each tortilla. Sprinkle the other half with cheese and fold to make a taco. Place the cheese side down and black bean mixture side facing up so the tortillas will stay closed while baking.
Bake the tacos for 8 to 10 minutes, then flip over and bake for another 8-ish minutes or until tortillas are crisp and cheese is melty. Serve immediately with garnishes. Reheat leftovers in a toaster oven or oven on low until tacos are crisp again.
Sheet Pan Fish and Chips
Serves 4
Total time: 50 minutes
My husband and I love authentic fish and chips but there is no way I’m deep-frying anything during the week. However, this sheet pan wonder of a meal brings a similar vibe with just a handful of ingredients! Plus there’s no hot oil, stovetop splatters, or second-degree burns to worry about. Traditionally cod is used but I think you should use whatever fish you like. This baby kale salad would be a nice side dish.
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. (about 3 small) Russet potatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 skinless white fish fillets, 4 to 6 oz. each
⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. lemon zest
Garnishes: chopped parsley, lemon wedges
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 F/218 C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside.
Cut potatoes into ½-inch wedges and drizzle with olive oil. Place potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine panko, butter, and lemon zest.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and skooch the potatoes over to make room for the fish on the sheet. Place fish on the pan and evenly divide the panko mixture over each fillet. Press down to adhere.
Return the baking sheet with potatoes and fish to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until fish is done and flakes easily.
Top with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Guinness Beef Stew
Serves 4 to 6
Total time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Don’t let the 3-hours needed to make this scare you. This recipe is about 1 hour of active hands-on time with the remainder not needing your attention at all. Read a book, take a walk, or watch an entire 2-hour movie while it simmers. Delicious on its own, with crusty bread (a good recipe is here), or served over mashed potatoes, this stew comes just in time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or any spring holiday, really. Leftovers taste fantastic the next day and reheat nicely.
Ingredients:
2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into hunky 2” cubes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz bacon, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
3 Tbsp flour
1 bottle (14.9 oz) Guinness beer
4 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
Directions:
Dry the beef pieces by blotting them with a paper towel, then sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides.
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add as many of the beef cubes that will fit but don’t crowd the pan. You will most likely need to do this in two batches. Allow the beef to brown before turning it over to brown the other sides. Transfer the beef to a plate and repeat with the rest of the cubes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon to the pot along with the garlic and onion. Cook for five-ish minutes until the bacon is starting to brown. Add the carrots and celery and saute for another 2 minutes.
Sprinkle on the flour and stir to coat the veggie mixture with it.
Tip in the beer and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan using a spatula. Add the tomato paste and broth, then stir to incorporate. Throw in the bay leaves and thyme.
Now, place the browned beef cubes into the pot and dump in any accumulated juices. Press the beef down so that it is submerged and liquid just covers it.
Lower the heat to medium-low or just at a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 2 hours. Remove the lid and allow to simmer for 30 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Dessert recipe, printable recipes, and shopping list are below for paid subscribers.
6-Ingredient Strawberry Shortcake
Yields 4 shortcakes
Total time: 30 minutes
This is a quick and yummy dessert that only needs six ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and strawberries. It is easily adapted to be dairy-free and vegan by subbing in full-fat coconut milk for heavy whipping cream.
For vegan whipped topping you will either need to make your own from a can of coconut cream or buy frozen DF whipped topping (CocoWhip is pretty good). I have not had success making vegan whipped cream from scratch so if you have done it and want to share any tips, please drop a comment in the chat!
Shortcake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Strawberries:
4 cups (2 one-pint pkgs) fresh strawberries
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp booze (optional)
Whipped Cream:
1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450F/230C. Move the oven rack to the center slot. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the shortcakes by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and sugar in a medium bowl. Tip in the cream and stir to make a shaggy dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces and lightly roll each into a ball shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. For smaller shortcakes, divide the dough into 6 pieces, shape, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
While the shortcakes bake, cut off the tops of the strawberries. Cut strawberries into either halves or quarters, depending on their size and how wide you want to open your mouth. Sprinkle the berries with sugar and stir to combine. If you want to add booze, now is the time to do it. Stir in 1 teaspoon of DiSaronno (almond liqueur), St. Germain (elderflower liqueur), or whatever you like. Let the strawberries sit to macerate. The berries will soften and the liquid released will become a syrupy sauce.
Make the whipped cream by tipping the cream, sugar, and vanilla into a bowl. Whip with a hand mixer or stand mixer until soft peaks form.
Assemble the shortcakes just before eating. Split the shortcakes into top and bottom halves. Spoon strawberries and syrup on the bottom half, then top with whipped cream and the top half. Add another dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Thank you for being a paid subscriber! I’d love to hear what recipes you’ve liked so far. You can comment below, drop a note in the Chat, or send me a DM.
Enjoy your extra goodies and see you next week!
Downloadable/printable recipes:
Crispy Black Bean and Quinoa Tacos
6-Ingredient Strawberry Shortcake
Shopping List: Week 3 Shopping List