This week’s menu plan is a good exercise in rolling with the punches. I’ve got exams on Tuesday and Wednesday, which means that my mind has been on studying and prepping, as well as taking care of as much work as possible before exam days so that my mind can turn exclusively to rest and review. I was also under the weather this past weekend, which means that I didn’t prep and plan with the usual enthusiasm.

Still, I got enough done. I was especially grateful for my freezer this weekend, as I found myself unexpectedly at home on Friday and Saturday nights (I was supposed to be in D.C. for a baby shower) without any groceries. It was so great to dive into a frozen batch of my roasted tomato basil soup with rice–especially since I wasn’t in the mood to cook! The itch to cook returned tonight, and I made a sweet potato and cauliflower chowder that was delightful (and which I’ll have to share at some point).

Here’s what’s on the schedule:

Batch Cooking Staples:

•Quinoa (I prepared it for the quinoa and fennel salad, and I just made extra for weekday lunches)
•Black beans (had planned to make them from scratch; opened up two cans from my pantry instead!)
•Delightfully green tahini dressing

Recipes:

•Butternut squash and chickpea curry (recipe coming to the blog on Wednesday!)
•Cauliflower and sweet potato chowder
•Quinoa, fennel, and pomegranate salad with cashew cheese (recipe to be shared soon)

And here’s the dinner schedule:

Sunday/Monday: Cauliflower and sweet potato chowder / Leftover pumpkin skillet cornbread / Big salad with delightfully green tahini dressing
Tuesday/Wednesday: Butternut squash and chickpea curry / Brown rice / Steamed broccoli and/or salad with delightfully green tahini dressing
Thursday: Quinoa, fennel, and pomegranate salad with cashew cheese / Acorn squash soup (if I have time to make it — if not, simple roasted acorn squash)
Friday: Private cooking lesson for a nutrition client — will probably eat what we make!
Saturday: Date night with Steven

Looking forward to the eats, many of which I plan to share. For now, I wish you a great start to this week. As always, happy to answer any prepping/planning questions you might have!

xo