This weekly meal plan is going to require a little extra effort at the beginning of the week—but once you bite into the crackling skin of pork belly (and taste the spicy–sweet meat), you'll need no convincing that it was all worthwhile. After Monday, dinner will be easier than ever: you'll be tossing together a last-second soup, a surprising sandwich, and a mid-week fish dinner you'd never believe was so easy to pull together.
GROCERY LIST:
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 quartchicken or vegetable stock
- 2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups white jasmine rice
- 2 teaspoonsbaharat,ras-el-hanout, or otheraromatic spice mix
- Honey
- Mayonnaise
- Brown mustard
- Sriracha
- 1 bagKettle Chips
- 2 heads garlic
- 2 medium shallots
- 6 to 12 green or red Thai chiles
- 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 6 medium Persian cucumbers
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce
- 1 (4–5-pound) skin-on, boneless pork belly
- 4 (6-ounce) skin-on, boneless red snapper fillets
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1 block or package feta cheese
- 4 ciabatta or other sandwich rolls
- 4 (12-ounce) bottles hard apple cider
Monday:Crispy Skinned Pork Roast and Veg
Get a head-start on the work week by fully salting apork bellyon Sunday (or up to two days earlier) forthis simplified version oflechon kawali, a celebratory Filipino pork dish. Roast the meat on Sunday and make the cider-honey reduction (feel free to skip the pan-deglazing, the reduction is flavorful without it), but stop before turning the oven up to 450º and put the meat in the fridge overnight—you'll proceed with the final crisping-of-the-skin step tomorrow.
As soon as you get home on Monday, crank the oven up to 450°F and pull the roasted pork out of the cold fridge. While the oven reaches temp, toss together a side dish inspired bythis recipe: combine trimmed, halvedBrussels sproutswith1 1/2 tablespoons oiland1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread them onto one side of a baking sheet and then repeat withcarrotsthat have been cut into bite-size pieces. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes (at the same temperature as the pork is fine), then give them a gentle toss. Continue to roast until browned and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer half of each veg to one large bowl and toss with1 tablespoonof thechile vinegarand1 tablespoonof thecider-honeysyrup from the pork belly recipe. Taste and add more vinegar, if desired. Put the remaining vegetables away for later in the week. Serve the pork (which will probably take about 25 minutes to warm through and crisp up) over the glazed veg with more of that spicy vinegar.
Tuesday:Keep It Simple Vegetable Soup
Grab yesterday's roasted Brussels sprouts and tip them into a pot with2 cans of chickpeas(with or without the liquid),1 can of diced tomatoes, and1 quart of chicken or vegetable stock. Bring the whole thing just to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or reduce until it's to your liking. Taste and season. Serve topped with a crumbling offeta cheese.
Wednesday:Snappy Snapper
Today is not the day to stand over a hot stoveworrying about crispy skin. Instead, start dinner by making a double batch ofcilantro-lime riceand then rubsnapper filletswith a fragrant spice mix and roast them skin-side-up in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. While the rice and fish both take care of themselves, toss thin slices ofcucumberwithshallots,lemon juice(or some of Monday's spiced vinegar),cilantro, andsalt(make a double batch of those cucumbers too, while you're at it, and save half for tomorrow night's dinner). Serve the fish over the rice, topped with the cucumber salad, and stash leftovers in separate containers in the fridge.
Thursday: Carrot Sandwiches
Inspired by Kat Sacks'sbutternut squash sandwichesandcarrot hot dogs, I'm proposing Carrot Sandwiches. Split those sandwich loaves down the center and toast them, slather on somemayoandbrown mustard, and then pile on Monday's roast carrots, a little bit of Wednesday's cucumber salad (leave some for tomorrow), some feta cheese, and a few leaves of crisp lettuce. Toss someKettle chipson the side and dinner is ready.
Friday: Wrap the Week Up (in Lettuce)
Tonight's meal is inspired by Koreanbo ssäm. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Place leftover pork belly (without the skin) in a roasting pan with a few tablespoons of water. Cover with foil and rewarm until hot, 20–25 minutes. Grab any remaining cilantro rice, cucumber salad, cilantro sprigs, cider-honey syrup, and chile vinegar, then separatelettuceleaves into cups and make sure to grab theSriracha. Place everything on the table and pile it all together for unbelievable end-of-the-weekly-meal-plan lettuce wraps that your family won't soon forget.
