What to Cook for Dinner This Week:
1.) Niçoise Salad with Bacon and Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette, 2.) Short Rib Fried Rice, 3.) Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage and Simple Roast Cabbage, 4.) Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry with Coconut, 5.) Couscous Veggie Bowls with Butternut Squash and Sausage, 6.) Cocktail: Pepper Blossom
Reusing ingredients across multiple meals is the simplest way to get wholesome, home-cooked dinners on the table several nights a week. The recipes in this 5-day meal plan include small bits of prep that make later dinners quicker and more flavorful.
As with every meal plan on this site, these recipes are intended to make healthy, satisfying home-cooked dinners easier by having each night’s effort build on the previous night’s work. A little prep goes a long way.
Cook Two or Three Meals Instead of Five: If five dinners in one week feels like too much, pick Days 1–3 or Days 4–5. These groupings complement each other and let one meal feed into the next.
Meal Prep, Day by Day
Day #1
What’s for Dinner Tonight: Niçoise Salad with Bacon and Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette
Day #1 is often the big prep day — for many people that’s Sunday — and it’s when you’ll do most of the make-ahead tasks that save time later. Whether your Day #1 is Sunday or another day, aim to complete these items:
- Make Pomegranate Molasses. This is simply pomegranate juice reduced with lemon juice and a bit of sugar until thick and syrupy. You can make it at home or buy it. You’ll use it for tonight’s vinaigrette and again in the short rib fried rice on Day #2.
- Make Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers. You’ll need about 1 cup for the Niçoise, and extra peppers keep for weeks in the fridge and are great on sandwiches, salads, and snacks.
- Prep green beans. If using fresh green beans, trim and cut an extra 1 cup (in addition to what you need for tonight) and refrigerate for the fried rice on Day #2. If using frozen, make sure you have about 2½ cups total for both meals.
To get a jump on the rest of the week:
- Make the short ribs. If possible, cook the short ribs today for the fried rice recipe. They require very little active time before slow cooking or roasting. Making them in advance saves time tomorrow and allows you to chill the cooking liquid so you can remove excess fat. Reduce the liquid into a sauce (about 1 cup for storage), remove the meat from the bones and shred it. Refrigerate meat and sauce until needed. Reserve the bones separately; they’ll enrich the black-eyed peas on Day #3.
- Precook rice. Cook rice as directed for the short rib fried rice and chill it for tomorrow’s stir-fry.
- Pre-soak black-eyed peas. Soak the dried peas according to the black-eyed peas recipe instructions, drain, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for Day #3.
Day #2
What’s for Dinner Tonight: Short Rib Fried Rice
If you didn’t make the short ribs on Day #1, start them early today. Oven braising usually takes 3–4 hours; a slow cooker will take 5 hours on high or 7–8 hours on low.
Once the short ribs are cooked, reduce the cooking liquid into a sauce. You’ll want roughly 2 cups total: use 1 cup for tonight and save 1 cup for the black-eyed peas on Day #3. Shred the meat and use as much as you like in the fried rice, saving any leftovers in sauce for other meals or freezing for up to three months. Keep the bones separate for Day #3.
Make sure the soaked black-eyed peas remain drained and refrigerated until needed.
Day #3
What’s for Dinner Tonight: Black Eyed Peas with Andouille Sausage and Roasted Cabbage
Tonight’s comforting dish uses the short rib sauce, reserved bones, and leftover rice from earlier in the week. The recipe calls for about 21 ounces of Andouille sausage; use half tonight and save the remainder for the couscous bowls on Day #5.
Slow Cooker Option: This dish adapts well to a slow cooker. Start on the stovetop, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for about six hours.
Roast Cabbage: Roast extra cabbage and save 1–2 cups of chopped roasted cabbage to add to the cauliflower and chickpea curry on Day #4.
If Andouille isn’t available, substitute another smoked sausage such as kielbasa or cured chorizo.
Day #4
What’s for Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry with Coconut
If you have leftover rice, use it tonight. Otherwise, cook fresh rice according to package directions. This vegetable-forward curry includes a small amount of anchovy for depth, but the recipe provides vegetable-friendly substitutes if you prefer a fully vegetarian version.
Day #5
What’s for Dinner Tonight: Couscous Veggie Bowls with Butternut Squash and Sausage
This cozy bowl is a favorite in cooler months and uses the remaining Andouille sausage from earlier in the week. Pearl couscous, roasted butternut squash, and bright herbs make it a satisfying final meal.
This Week’s Featured Cocktail: The Pepper Blossom
Recommended Tools and Equipment for This Week’s Recipes
- Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Skillet
- Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 3-Quart Saucepan
- A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or sturdy stoneware baking dish for braising short ribs
- A slow cooker with a timer if you prefer set-and-forget cooking
- Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 8-Quart Stockpot with Cover
- A reliable knife sharpener (sharp knives make butternut squash and other prep easier)
- Rimmed baking sheet for roasting vegetables
- Large stockpot for braising and simmering
Suggested Recipes for the Baker
- Lemon Berry Snack Cake
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls (optional overnight rise)
- Chocolate Fruit and Nut Shortbread Cookies
*Ingredient amounts below are scaled for a family of four. This list does not include ingredients for the suggested baked goods or the featured cocktail.
- 5–6 large shallots (about 1¾ cups chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2–3 limes (about 4 tablespoons juice)
- 1 lb new potatoes
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ lb green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 small jalapeño
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 8 cups romaine or Boston lettuce
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 medium cauliflower (about 3–4 cups florets)
- 1 head cabbage
- 2 large carrots
- 1½ lb butternut squash
- Fresh ginger (about 5 tablespoons grated)
- 1½ cups fresh cilantro
- 1 lb thick-cut bacon
- 3–4 lbs bone-in short ribs
- 21 oz Andouille sausage
- Anchovy fillets (optional for curry)
- ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- Green curry paste (as needed for the curry)
- 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 13.5 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
- 6 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1⅓ cups soy sauce
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- Additional broth or stock as specified in recipes
- Croutons for the Niçoise salad (prepared or homemade)
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- Smoked paprika, garam masala, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric, ground ginger, crushed red pepper (various small amounts)
- Star anise (2–4 pieces)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons real maple syrup
- 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened for the curry)
- 1 can chickpeas (15–16 oz)
- 5 cups jasmine or long-grain white rice
- Pearl couscous (about 1⅓ cups)
- 1 lb dried black-eyed peas
- ½ cup dried apricots
- 2 large eggs (extra for baking or recipes)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 7 tablespoons butter
- Olive or grapeseed oil as listed
- Salt and ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine (for couscous bowls)
To make Pomegranate Molasses:
- 4 cups pomegranate juice (about 1 liter)
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
To make Marinated Peppers:
- 4 bell peppers (a mix of red, yellow, orange)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup white balsamic or wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- About ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
