The deal at our house typically is that if I cook, my husband cleans (or vice versa). He’s got it easy lately as most of these recipes come together relatively simply, with minimal pots, pans or general trashing of the kitchen. Take it from me and make it simple on yourself – spend some time mixing up the sauces and dressings ahead of time and do the grocery shopping for 4 or 5 days at a time. There’s a lot of produce involved, so you can’t do it TOO far ahead but it’s nice to be able to make breakfast and lunch the night before and be able to put dinner together after work before you’re so starving you start eyeballing the cookie jar (which should have been emptied of all temptation anyway).
Notes from today:
• To see original recipes from Bon Appétit, click on the link for the recipe in the titles below. Any changes I’ve made are reflected in the recipes below.
• I switched up the dinner that was on the menu for tonight with the dinner for tomorrow night because my husband will be traveling tomorrow night and I thought he’d appreciate this selection more than the vegetarian option.
• Don’t make the mistake I made in not reading completely through the recipe prep on the dinner which needs marinading time.
• My breakfast and lunch shots were taken at my office with my iPhone. Muesli isn’t very photogenic apparently.
BREAKFAST
- 2 tsp unsweetened flaked organic coconut*
- ½ orange, peeled and chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice (squeezed from second half of orange)
- 1 Medjool date, pitted, finely chopped
- ½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 tsp cacao nibs
- *Ingredient Info: Unsweetened flaked organic coconut is available at natural foods and specialty foods stores.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out coconut on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Stir together chopped orange, orange juice, date, yogurt, and oats. Cover and chill overnight. Just before serving, top with cacao nibs and toasted coconut.
LUNCH
- 3-4 thin rye crackers
- 3-4 oz smoked salmon
- 1 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard Dressing
- ½ cup leftover Beet Salad with Caraway and Almonds
- Top crackers with sardines and mustard dressing. Serve with beet salad.
DINNER
- ¼ cup finely chopped lemongrass (approximately 1 stalk, outer leaves and root end removed, pale-green parts only)*
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped peeled ginger
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- Vegetable oil (for pan)
- 1 Tbsp finely sliced scallion greens (optional)
- *Ingredient Info: Lemongrass is available at Asian markets and in the produce section of some supermarkets. Canned unsweetened coconut milk is available at Indian, Latin, and Southeast Asian markets and many supermarkets.
- Pulse lemongrass, ginger, shallot, salt, and turmeric in a food processer, scraping down bowl as needed, until finely chopped. Add coconut milk and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Toss chicken with marinade, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Heat oven to 450°F. Shake excess marinade off chicken and arrange in a single layer on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Roast chicken 15 minutes. Heat broiler and continue to cook until chicken is beginning to turn golden brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Reserve 1 chicken thigh for Chicken, Mango, and Black Rice Salad.
- Serve chicken topped with scallion greens, if using.
- ¼ cup unsweetened flaked organic coconut*
- 1 cup black rice (such as Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice)
- 1 3″ lemongrass tip (optional)
- 1 2″ piece peeled ginger, sliced into 4 coins
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- *Ingredient Info: Unsweetened flaked organic coconut is available at natural foods and specialty foods stores. Black rice, also known as Forbidden Rice, is sold at natural foods and specialty foods stores and some supermarkets. Lemongrass can be found at Asian markets and in the produce section of some supermarkets.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread out coconut on a small rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes; let cool. Do Ahead: Coconut can be toasted up to 3 days ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature.
- Combine rice, lemongrass, if using, ginger, salt, and 1¾ cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 30–35 minutes. Remove from heat and discard ginger and lemongrass; fluff rice with a fork. Cover and set aside 5 minutes. Reserve ½ cup rice for Chicken, Mango, and Black Rice Salad. Serve rice topped with toasted coconut.
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 lb baby bok choy, rinsed, cut into quarters, with core intact
- 1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp. water and cover immediately. Cook 1 minute. Uncover and toss, then cover and cook until bok choy is tender at the core, about 3 more minutes.
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