This week’s menu is chock full of favorites. Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese, for starters. And my go-to Winter Chopped Salad. Plus, Sticky Pretzel Cereal Bars! I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.
Tomato Soup and Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese
Tomato soup and grilled cheese is the kind of comfort food I loved as a kid. The soup is creamy, but without the standard heavy cream (secret ingredient: olive oil). It gets its thickness using a trick from the Italian school of cooking (blending in a slice of stale bread). And the grilled cheese is done panini-style using a waffle iron. Head to IG on Wednesday, where you’ll find a demo of this comforting combo.
Oven Baked Vegetarian Tofu Parmigiana
I’ve heard from many of you that this has been a great gateway for your family to embrace tofu. It’s breaded and baked until crispy and then layered with sauce and cheese. Add steamed or roasted broccoli and dinner is done. Leftovers are tasty a day or two later.
Umami Chicken
This is simple cooking using pantry basics that requires very little work for the cook. You can pair it with anything you’d like: any grain, salad or vegetable — fresh, frozen, canned or otherwise. The extra sauce in the bottom of the pan can be used to flavor the sides you choose.
Fish Sliders with Creamy Caper Dressing
Using store-bought breaded fish fillets is a huge time and energy saver for these fish sliders. Shredded cabbage and a simple creamy caper dressing add great texture and flavor. These crispy sweet potato “fries” make a picture-perfect side.
Slow Cooker Pork Tinga Tacos
Cooking pork low and slow in a crock pot with a serious hit of chipotle is an excellent starting point for weeknight tacos. From there it’s a matter of gathering your best taco fixings with a salad or street corn on the side.
Flavorful and Flexible Chopped Winter Salad
This recipe may be new to the blog, but it’s a longtime staple in my house. Enjoy it for lunch or as a dinner side dish. Add diced chicken (this slow cooker method is a good one) to make it a main dish supper. It will last a day or two in the fridge, which makes it a great leftover for lunch.
Sticky Pretzel Cereal Bars
This is the perfect after school snack, even if school is right in your own living room. It’s crunchy, salty, and sweet all at once, with enough good stuff in there to keep everyone satisfied until dinner.
SHOPPING LIST // WEEK 4
Tomato Soup and Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 large clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch red pepper flakes
One 28- ounce can diced unsalted tomatoes
One 3/4- inch thick slice crusty French or Italian bread
8 slices whole-grain sandwich bread
6 ounces grated sharp Cheddar cheese (or other favorite cheese)
Olive oil for brushing the waffle iron
Oven-Baked Tofu Parmigiana
14 ounces extra-firm tofu
3/4 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
1 ¾ cups marinara sauce
1 cup lightly packed shredded Mozzarella cheese
Umami Chicken
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 chicken legs and thighs , bone-in, skin-on (about 3 pounds)
10 large cloves garlic
1/3 cup soy sauce (or gluten-free Tamari)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
Steamed brown rice
Fish Sliders with Creamy Caper Dressing
16 ounces breaded frozen fish fillets
1/3 cup non-fat Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoon capers
2 teaspoons pickle relish
1 teaspoon ketchup
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 slider buns
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
Pickled jalapenos
Slow Cooker Pork Tinga Tacos
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 large tomato
One 7-ounce can tomatillo salsa (or about 1 cup tomatillo salsa)
2 cloves garlic
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce, from canned chipotle chiles
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
One 2-to 2 1⁄2-pound boneless pork loin roast
12 6-inch corn tortillas
Flavorful and Flexible Chopped Winter Salad
3 cups crunchy raw winter vegetables in any combo (pick at least 3 types, such as carrots, fennel, celery, radishes, jicama, daikon, kohlrabi)
3 cups shredded crunchy lettuce/cabbage
2 crisp apples, such as Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith
½ cup roasted nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, or walnuts
½ cup flavorful hard cheese, such as Parmesan, Pecorino, aged Cheddar, aged Gruyere
2 tablespoons minced chives or 3 sliced scallions
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sticky Pretzel Cereal Bars
1 cup rolled oats
1 ¾ cup “O” cereal, such as Barbara’s or Cheerios
1 cup salted pretzel sticks
⅓ cup roasted peanuts or other chopped nuts
⅓ cup dried cranberries
½ cup organic brown rice syrup
¼ cup peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
½ cup dark chocolate chips