Meals With Monet: Weekly Meal Plan #18

It’s truly beginning to look a lot like Christmas – Happy Christmas Eve! We hope you are celebrating and having a wonderful Christmas time! 

I know that the holidays can be overwhelming and once Christmas is over there’s not much planning, cooking, trimming, or anything you want to do. So we’re ticking off one more thing on your to-do list and giving you a meal plan for the week! This week, we have cozy, semi-healthy meals for you to enjoy with all of your family!

Grocery List

Monday: Sheet-Pan Cashew Chicken

Thank you Pure Wow for the recipe!

Ingredients

• ½ cup soy sauce

• 6 Tbsp honey 

• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar 

• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seed oil 

• 3 garlic cloves (minced)

• 2 tsp freshly grated ginger

• 1 red bell pepper (chopped)

• 1 orange bell pepper (chopped)

• 1 red onion (chopped)

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces)

• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews

• Cooked brown or white rice (for serving)

• Chopped fresh scallions or chives (for topping)

• Toasted sesame seeds (for topping)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. 

2. In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. 

3. Place the bell peppers and onion on a baking sheet and cover them with half the sauce. Toss well and roast it in the oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place the chicken in the bowl and cover it with the remaining sauce. 

4. After 15 minutes, push all the vegetables to one side and place the chicken pieces in the marinade on the baking sheet. Add the cashews as well. Roast until the chicken is cooked through. This should take 12-15 minutes. 

5. Toss everything together on the sheet before serving. Serve over rice and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds.

Tuesday: Whole Roasted Cauliflower Turmeric Soup

Thank you Oh Carlene for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 + ¾ lb. head cauliflower 

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 2 Tbsp kosher salt 

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion 

• 1 Tbsp butter 

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic 

• 1 Tbsp flour 

• 1 tbsp turmeric 

• 1 cup whole milk 

• 3 cups chicken stock 

• Red pepper flakes (for topping) 

• Freshly ground black pepper (for topping)

• Fresh thyme (for topping)

•  Baguette or other bakery bread (cubed, tossed with olive oil, and toasted)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the leaves and the inner core of cauliflower while keeping the florets together in a whole head shape. Rinse the head and pat it dry. Coat all the sides with olive oil and rub it all over the surfaces. Season with kosher salt and place it in the seasoned cast iron skillet with a few sprigs of fresh thyme and cover with tin foil. 

2. Place the skillet in the middle rack of the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the foil once 30 minutes have passed and continue cooking for another hour. Once the cauliflower is golden brown and tender, remove it from the oven to cool. Remove the thyme. 

3. In a large pot, add the butter and olive oil with the onion over medium heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the onions are fragrant and soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until it’s fragrant. Add the flour and stir. Cook for 1 minute and pour in the milk while stirring. 

4. Bring the mixture to a simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the turmeric and broth and stir. Add the cauliflower head and break it into pieces. Cover and cook on low for about 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is extra tender. Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. 

5. Serve and top with red pepper flakes, salt, freshly ground black pepper, extra thyme, and toasted bread.

Wednesday: Cheesy Brussels Sprout Pasta with Grainy Mustard

Thank you Platings and Pairings for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 12 oz. bucatini (or linguine) 

• 2 Tbsp olive oil 

• 3 cloves garlic 

• 1 lb. brussels sprouts

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter

• ¼ cup mustard

• ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

• 1 lemon 

• Lemon wedges (for serving)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it’s al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. 

2. While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the brussels sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re tender and browned — about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Add an additional 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining brussels sprouts. 

3. Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Once it’s melted, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the pasta, brussels sprouts, reserved leaves, mustard, Pecorino Romano, and ½ cup pasta water as needed until you reach your desired consistency. 

4. Turn the heat off and stir in the lemon and zest. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Thursday: Spicy Chicken Soup

Thank you Tastes Better From Scratch for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 4 cups water 

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes

• 3 tsp onion powder

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

• ½ onion (chopped)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)

• 3 tsp chicken bouillon paste

• 8 oz. salsa 

• 14.5 oz. canned diced tomatoes (undrained)

• 4 oz. tomato sauce

• ½ Tbsp sugar

• 2 Tbsp chili powder 

• 1 tsp cumin 

• 15 oz. canned corn (frozen or drained)

• 16 oz. can chili beans 

• ¾ cup sour cream 

• Cilantro, shredded cheese, and avocado for garnish

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder, and bouillon. 

2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Move the chicken to a plate and shred it. 

3. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until it’s slightly browned. 

4. Stir in the salsa, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, chili powder, cumin, corn, chili beans, shredded chicken, and 3 + ½ cups reserved water. Simmer for 30 minutes. 

5. Stir in the sour cream. Taste and add extra salt or additional seasonings if needed. 

6. Garnish with cilantro, cheese, avocado, crushed tortilla chips, or whatever you’d like!

Friday: Garlic Butter Steak Bites

Thank you Platings and Pairings for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

• 1 + ¼ lbs. Steak (cut into 1-inch cubes) 

• 3 Tbsp butter

• 4 garlic cloves 

• Salt and pepper

• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley

Mustard Dipping Sauce:

• ½ cup sour cream 

• 1.4 cup mustard

• 1-2 tsp hot sauce 

• 1 clove garlic 

• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Prepare the creamy mustard dipping sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until it’s ready to serve. 

2. Add the olive oil to a large skillet over high heat. Once it’s hot, add the steak and season well with salt and pepper. 

3. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until it’s golden brown. If your skillet isn’t large enough, do it in batches. 

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer, stirring to coat the steak bites in the garlic butter sauce. 

5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with creamy mustard dipping sauce.

Are you so excited about this week’s meal plan? We hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season and enjoy the meals! What theme should we do next? Comment below!

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