the saucy rabbit Meal Plan for Oct 28-Nov 3

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1 This meal plan feeds 3 if you follow as is. Keep in mind, each dinner technically serves 6 but we eat leftovers for lunch. Also each breakfast can be easily scaled up or down to suit your needs. All underlined text are links you can click on for recipes the saucy rabbit Meal Plan for Oct 28-Nov 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Zucchini Bread & Blistered Peppers None Asian Chicken & Green Veggie Sauté w/ Fried Eggs Apple & Cheddar Scones w/ Grapes Pepperoni Pizza Vegetables Apple & Cheddar Scones w/ Plums Pepperoni Pizza Vegetables Leftover Roast Chicken, Root Veggies, & Kale Leftover Beef Cheeks, Mashed Potatoes, & Peas Leftover Orange Chicken, Broccoli, & Sweet Potatoes Leftover Shepherd s Pie & Spinach Leftover Halloween Party Leftover Garlic Soup & Kale Salad Potato, Leek, & Chorizo Soup w/ Sourdough Beef Cheeks, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes, & Peas Orange Chicken, Broccoli, & Roasted Sweet Potatoes Lazy Shepherd s Pie & Sautéed Spinach No Sweat Halloween Cocktail Party Garlic Soup & THE Kale Salad Potato, Leek, & Chorizo Soup w/ Toasted Sourdough Take Out

2 Sunday Zucchini Bread & Blistered Peppers This is finishing up the last of the zucchini bread from last week. For the peppers: Get a cast iron pan on high heat and throw in 1 / 2 lb sweet snacking peppers. Cook for just a couple minutes, tossing frequently, until blistered and starting to soften. Season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Odd combo but it s what I had leftover in the fridge Leftover Chicken, Root Veggies, & Kale Beef Cheeks, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes, & Peas Although they may be a hard cut to find in some places, beef cheeks are a great inexpensive alternative to short ribs. I served dinner with a bottle of 2012 Tribute (a Bordeaux-style blend) from Browne Family Vineyards. Gotta love a meat and potatoes kind of meal every once and awhile!

3 Sunday Beef Cheeks, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes, & Peas Serves 6 or 3 with lunch leftovers 2 beef cheeks, about 1 1 / 2 pounds Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, smashed & peeled 2 carrots, chopped 2 leeks, cleaned & chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 1 / 2 cups red wine 3 1 / 2 cups beef stock 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes 4 tablespoon butter 4 ounces goat cheese (garlic-herb is nice here) 1 pound frozen peas 1) Cut each beef cheek into thirds and season with salt and pepper. 2) Grab a Dutch oven and place on high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, throw in the meat and sear until well browned. Flip over, reduce heat to medium-high, and sear the other side. Remove to a plate. 3) Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the now empty pot and throw in the onion and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes before adding the carrots, leeks, and tomatoes with a hefty pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4) Throw the beef cheeks in a single layer on top of the veggies then pour in the wine. Simmer for 10 minutes then add 3 cups beef stock. Let it come up to a bubble before covering and reducing the heat to low. Cook for / 2 hours or until extremely tender, keeping everything at a gentle simmer. 5) When the beef cheeks are just about done, throw your potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until very tender. Drain, return to the pot, and throw in 2 tablespoons butter, goat cheese, and 1 / 2 cup stock. Mash however chunky you like your potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more stock if you prefer a looser mash. 6) When the beef cheeks are done, remove to a plate and set aside. Strain what s left in the pot, tossing the veggies. Return the strained liquid back to the pot and cook on medium-high heat to reduce for about 10 minutes. Throw in 1 tablespoon butter and cook for another minute. Add the beef cheeks back to the pot and cook until the liquid has glazed the meat, about 15 minutes. 7) During the final 15 minutes, throw the peas into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain, return to the pot, toss in 1 tablespoon of butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 8) Serve the beef cheeks over the mashed potatoes with plenty of sauce drizzled over the top and peas alongside. Original recipe: Beef Cheeks from Basque Country

4 Monday None That s not entirely true. I was too stuffed from dinner to eat breakfast but I fed my family and odd meal of bananas, graham crackers, and a fried egg. You can eat whatever you like! Leftover Beef Cheeks, Mashed Potatoes, & Peas Orange Chicken, Broccoli, & Roasted Sweet Potatoes See the next page for the recipe. Don t forget to throw your sweet potatoes into the slow cooker early in the day! You can also roast the sweet potatoes in the oven with the chicken. Cube the potatoes and season with olive oil/salt/pepper and bake for 40 minutes, stirring when you add the chicken for the last 20 minutes. To keep this meal paleo, you can replace the butter on the potato with ghee or olive oil

5 Monday You will need a slow cooker for the potatoes Orange Chicken, Broccoli, & Roasted Sweet Potatoes Serves 6 or 3 with lunch leftovers 6 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed 1 orange 2 cloves garlic, smashed & peeled 1 / 4 cup coconut aminos 1 / 4 cup sunflower seed/almond butter 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 teaspoons hot sauce (I use sriracha) 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper 1 / 2 teaspoon coriander Sesame oil 2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets 2 tablespoons butter, divided into 6 equal pieces 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 tablespoons chives or 1 scallion, thinly sliced 1) Throw the sweet potatoes into the slow cooker (they won t fit in a single layer and that s fine). Cook on low for 8-9 hours. 2) When you re ready to eat, preheat oven to ) Grab a jar or large cup and throw in the zest of the orange. Peel the orange and add the segments to the jar along with the garlic, coconut aminos, sunflower seed butter, tomato paste, rice vinegar, fish sauce, hot sauce, and arrowroot powder. Use an immersion blender to blitz everything into a smooth sauce. Set aside for now. 4) Grab a large pan and put on medium-high heat with a drizzle of sesame oil. Season the chicken thighs with the ginger, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, and 1 / 2 teaspoon pepper. When the pan is hot, throw in the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking dish that will snugly fit the chicken in a single layer. 5) Keep the pan on the heat and pour in the orange sauce. Cook, stirring, for a couple minutes until thickened then pour the sauce over the chicken. Throw into the oven and roast for 20 minutes. 6) Meanwhile, toss the broccoli florets into a pan large enough to hold em and add about 1 inch of water. Cover, bring to a boil, and steam until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain, return to the pot, and drizzle with sesame oil to taste. Season with salt and pepper. 7) To serve, divide the chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes between plates. Cut a lengthwise slit into the potatoes and plop in a bit of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish the chicken and broccoli with the sesame seeds and chives. Original recipe: Sticky Orange Sunflower Chicken w/ Sesame Broccoli from Well Fed Weeknights

6 Tuesday Asian Chicken & Green Veggie Sauté w/ Fried Egg See the next page for the recipe. Be sure to save half of the chicken-veggie mixture for breakfast on Sunday. You can plop an egg on top of almost anything and call it breakfast Leftover Orange Chicken, Broccoli, & Sweet Potato Lazy Shepherd s Pie & Sautéed Spinach See the next page for the recipe. This would also taste great with ground beef instead of lamb

7 Tuesday Asian Chicken & Green Veggie Sauté w/ Fried Eggs Serves 6 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 / 2 onion, finely chopped Salt and pepper 1 clove garlic, peeled & finely chopped 1 pound ground chicken 6 stalks of celery, thinly sliced 2 green bell peppers, diced 2 medium zucchini, diced 1 large handful cashews Coconut aminos Fish sauce 6 large eggs Sesame seeds, toasted pan to the heat. 4) Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and crack in the eggs, cooking in batches if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste and fry the eggs to your liking. 5) To serve, plop a fried egg onto the plated veggies and sprinkle with sesame seeds. If you re following the meal plan, be sure to save 1 / 2 of the chicken-veggie mixture for breakfast on Sunday and only fry 1 / 2 the eggs today 1) Grab a large pan on medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, throw in the onion and a sprinkle of salt and cook until starting to soften. Crumble in the ground chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until no longer pink. Remove to a bowl and set aside. 2) Keep the pan on the heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Throw in the celery and bell peppers with a sprinkle of salt and cook until just starting to soften. Stir in the zucchini and cook until all the veggies are softened to your liking. 3) Add the cooked chicken and cashew to the pan then stir in a couple shakes each of the coconut aminos and fish sauce. Cook until the chicken is heated through then taste for seasoning. Divide the chicken and veggies between plates and return the

8 Tuesday Lazy Shepherd s Pie & Sautéed Spinach Serves 6 or 3 with lunch leftovers 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets Olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 pounds ground lamb 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 / 2 cup broth or water Splash of Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons butter or ghee 1 pound baby spinach 1 handful parsley leaves, finely chopped everything else. 4) Get a large pan on medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining garlic. When the garlic starts turning golden, throw the spinach into the pan and toss until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5) While the pan for the spinach is heating up, grab a food processor and throw in the cooked cauliflower and butter. Blitz until smooth, scraping the sides if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 6) To serve, divide the cauliflower mash between plates and top with the lamb mixture with the spinach on the side. Sprinkle with parsley. 1) Throw the cauliflower florets into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until really soft, about 10 minutes. Drain, return to the pot, cover, and set aside. 2) Meanwhile, get a large pan on medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, throw in the onion and a sprinkling of salt and cook until softened. Crumble in the lamb, stir, and toss in the rosemary, thyme, and 1 / 2 of the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink. 3) Shove everything to the sides and plop in the tomato paste. Cook for a minute before stirring into the meat. Add the broth and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Simmer while you finish Original recipe inspiration: Deconstructed Shepherd s Pie from Well Fed Weeknights

9 Wednesday Apple & Cheddar Scones w/ Grapes See the next page for the recipe. I made these the morning of, however you can save time midweek by making them ahead and throwing them in the freezer. Simply reheat in a 350 oven for 10 minutes. I m not one for bready things at breakfast but these are amazing! Leftover Shepherd s Pie & Spinach No Sweat Halloween Cocktail Party I followed my recipe for this party. I also threw some Halloween candy out on the table although there s plenty of treats without them. The décor is up to you! We drank cocktails and watched a scary movie

10 Wednesday Apple & Cheddar Scones 2 apples, chopped into 3/4 inch chunks 1 1 / 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 / 4 cup sugar 1 / 2 tablespoon baking powder 1 / 2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes 1 / 2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded 1 / 4 cup heavy cream 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar Serves 6 6) Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush onto the scones. Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. 7) Throw the scones into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before eating. I roasted the apples the day before to save myself some time in the morning 1) Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment. 2) Throw the apples onto the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until dry (they will only be halfway cooked at this point). Let cool completely. Leave the oven on and put fresh parchment on the baking sheet. 3) In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 4) Grab an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and throw the butter, apples, cheddar, cream, and 1 egg into the bowl of the mixer. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the top and mix on a low speed until just combined. 5) Lightly flour your work surface and scrape the dough on top of it. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and use your hands to gently pat into a 6 inch circle. Cut into 6 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch or two between scones. Original recipe: Apple & Cheddar Scones from Smitten Kitchen

11 Thursday Pepperoni Pizza Veggies & Fried Eggs I followed my recipe except I used salami instead of pepperoni. Be sure to save half of the pizza veggies for breakfast on Saturday. No better way to start the day than a pizza you can legitimately call healthy Leftover Halloween Party Garlic Soup & THE Kale Salad See the next page for the recipe. I served this with my recipe for THE Kale Salad along with the other half of the baguette. It s not as garlicy as the name suggests ;)

12 Thursday Garlic Soup 1 / 2 baguette, about 4-6 ounces Olive oil 10 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 hefty tablespoon paprika 8 cups bone broth or stock Salt 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 large eggs, beaten Serves 6 or 3 with lunch leftovers soup to help thicken it. 5) Serve hot with THE Kale Salad on the side along with the other half of the baguette if desired. 1) Preheat oven to 450. When hot, throw the baguette in there and bake for 20 minutes or until so toasted it s close to being burnt. Remove and let cool completely before slicing the baguette into 1 inch chunks. 2) Grab a large pot and put on medium-high heat with 1/4 cup olive oil. When hot, throw in the baguette chunks, stir, and toast for a couple minutes. Most of the oil should be absorbed by the bread. Remove to a plate and set aside for now. 3) If needed, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot along with the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is turning golden then stir in the paprika. Pour in the broth and season with salt to taste. Bring to a boil and add the bread chunks. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, using a spoon to break up the bread. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you have stubborn bread chunks that won t break down, I recommend using an immersion blender. Be sure to not blend the soup completely smooth. 4) While stirring, pour the beaten eggs into the Original recipe: Garlic Soup from Basque Country

13 Friday Apple & Cheddar Scones w/ Plums See Wednesday s breakfast. This time I served the scones with sliced plums. I reheated the scones in a 350 oven for 10 minutes before serving. My plums were horrible :( Leftover Garlic Soup & Kale Salad Potato, Leek, & Chorizo Soup w/ Toasted Sourdough See the next page for the recipe. A couple weeks back I made Potato & Leek soup from the lovely Basque Country cookbook and although it was delicious, I couldn t help but think it was missing something. Adding the spicy chorizo makes this easy soup a complete meal and only takes a little extra work. I did not intend to have soup 2 days in a row it just worked out that way

14 Friday Potato, Leek, & Chorizo Soup Serves 6 or 3 with lunch leftovers 1 pound ground pork 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 splashes of red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1 / 2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 / 2 teaspoon dried thyme Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 6 leeks 1 pound potatoes, cut into 1 / 2 inch pieces 2 carrots, peeled & cut into 1 / 2 inch pieces Crusty bread, for serving 1) In a bowl, combine the pork, 2 cloves minced garlic, red wine vinegar, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 / 2 teaspoon pepper. 2) Grab a large pot and put on medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Crumble in the pork mixture and cook, breaking up the chunks, until no longer pink. Remove to a bowl, leaving any fat behind, and set aside. 3) Meanwhile, quarter the leeks lengthwise without cutting through the root end. Rinse well under running water to remove all the dirt and grime. Shake off the excess water and roughly slice. 4) After removing the cooked pork to a bowl, return the pot to the heat and add enough olive oil so there s about 3 tablespoons of fat total. When hot, throw in the garlic, leeks, and a hefty sprinkling of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. 5) Throw the potatoes, carrots, another sprinkling of salt, and just enough water to cover everything nicely. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. 6) Using a fork, smash a few of the potatoes to help thicken the soup. Stir the cooked pork back into the soup and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until all the veggies are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. 7) Serve with crusty bread on the side for dipping. Original recipe inspiration: Leek & Potato Soup from Basque Country & Chorizo from Well Fed 2

15 Saturday Pepperoni Pizza Veggies & Fried Eggs See Thursday s breakfast. I reheated the leftover pizza veggies in a pan on medium-high heat for just a couple minutes until heated through then topped with a fried egg. I love days where I ve already done all the work when it comes to cooking breakfast Leftover Potato, Leek, & Chorizo Soup Take Out We grabbed an Artichoke Pizza and House Salad from Walla Walla Bread Co and a couple of their awesome Oreos as well. I served this with a really delicious Dunkleweizen (it s basically a light stout) from Water Buffalo Brewery. Sometimes I just don t want to cook