February 21-28 Meaplan

This weather is so gorgeous! I was in a winter hat and gloves a few days ago and today I got to sit in my yard and get a little sun on my face. So you’ll find that this week’s meals are part-winter/part-spring, because if Mother Nature can’t decide, then neither can I!
*Sesame Noodles with Cabbage and Pork Meatballs
A little Asian (and lighter) spin on spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs will be made with ground lean pork, scallions, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. And the noodles will be similar to Lo Mein with the addition of shredded cabbage.
*Zucchini Naan Pizza and Romaine Salad with Oranges
A vegetarian take on pepperoni pizza…I’ll thinly slice some zucchini into pepperoni-looking disks on my mandolin. And I’ll roast them and lay them on top of some whole grain Naan bread dressed with olive oil, feta, garlic, basil and mint. A simple tossed salad with orange segments and onions will help round out the meal.
*Blackened Pork Tenderloin with Mango-Avocado Salad and Cheddar-Corn Fritters
Mango and avocado slices will be tossed in lime juice, sugar and cilantro for a light and healthy side to make us feel better about eating these to-die-for-fritters. I’ve posted a non-recipe before for Plantain-Corn Fritters so I’ll use the same method but use a can of creamed corn instead of the plantains that I don’t have this week.
*Rosemary-Berry Chicken over Farro with Pine Nuts and Currants
A.O.C. had this amazing farro dish when I worked there and I’ll try to duplicate this dish at home and serve it with chicken thighs in a sauce made with strawberries and rosemary. If I can remember correctly, the farro is cooked (you gotta soak it first) until wonderfully chewy and nutty, then dressed with olive oil and tossed with toasted pine nuts and sweet currants. It’s delicious.
*Roasted Chicken Sausages and Stuffing with Figs and Bacon
I have a pack of organic chicken sausages in the freezer and a box of stuffing mix in the pantry leftover from all the free stuff I got around Thanksgiving. I really do secretly love boxed stuffing, it’s just so comfortably mushy! And I don’t think you have to save it for Thanksgiving, I mean I just discovered several boxes in my pantry that I’ll have to use up in some way or another. So for this dinner I’ll toss in some halved, dried figs and crispy bacon.
*Pot Roast and Roasted Broccoli
It won’t be pot roast season for too much longer… But I sure do love the stuff. I use chuck roast and for mine and add big chunks of potatoes and carrots halfway through the meat cooking time so they don’t become too mushy. And I have a head or two of broccoli that I thought would add a pleasant green to the plate.
-Get out there and enjoy this warm weather while it lasts and Happy Eating, Everyone!