Let’s use this thread to share concise weekly dinner menus for each week in January. It’s helpful if you can include your location and how many people you are feeding. Links to recipes are always appreciated, and sources help. We all know plans can change, so it’s fine (practically expected) when your week gets rearranged from your posted plan. You may choose to report actuals for the prior week to share ideas with others.
January is likely to feature outdoor temperatures well below freezing here in Minnesota, so various soups and homemade breads are high on my meal-planning categories. Do you have a January meal tradition?
Here in sunny California the temps have plunged to the low 40s (in the wee hours of the morning). So my youngest dog is sporting a sweater, we have used the fireplace for the first time in two years, and we are drinking tea to keep warm. IK this does not compare with Minnesota winters, but for us this is still pretty cold.
On the menu this week:
Flatbread
Anchovies agua dolce (Farmer’s market purchase)
TJs truffles
Crispy potato latke appetizer (from a neighbor- I am excited to try this!)
Prime rib made using Kenji Lopez’ reverse sear technique
Sunday Suppers butternut squash and fennel soup
Lots of indulgences to keep us warm and comforted.
Oh, I loved your wish for us that our good days outnumber our bad. Adding to that, may all our days be filled with love and light.
Hot tea and warm food are great for fending off the chill. When your house isn’t insulated well enough and/or your heating system isn’t up to the task, any extended outdoor temp lower than 55 F is just COLD. We’ve never been quite as cold indoors as a night in a FL hotel when there were freeze warnings outside and rotating power outages never let the heaters fully warm the room.
Still nibbling on festive-ish leftovers, and am contemplating what to do with the last 1 lb. of WSU cheddar and 8 oz. of Velveeta. Still, we should see the last of the holiday food by the end of upcoming week. It’s been grand, but I’m looking forward to getting back to our usual routine and habits. There will be extra emphasis on emptying the freezers in time for garden harvest and fishing season, both of which will be here before you know it.
Cooking for two adults in the PNW.
FRI: Leftover tri-tip and mac and cheese. Salad.
SAT: An ad-hoc Italian Wedding Soup with orzo, Italian sausage, and kale. Focaccia.
SUN: Ramen with shrimp, and all the suitable leftover leftovers.
MON: Mediterranean-style lemon chicken with feta and olives. Roasted potatoes. Veg or salad TBD.
TUE: Chicken wings on the grill. Veggie sticks. Ranch.
Tue, January 1 was Chile Rellenos, roast chicken and Hoppin’ John. Fruit salad for dessert. I used 4 types of citrus (Clementines, blood oranges, cara cara and navel oranges, that I supremed) , russet apples, crimson crisp apples and bananas.
Thu, January 2nd will be a leftovers night. Fish stew left over from the 30th, charro beans from the freezer, Hoppin’ John, the last Chile Relleno, and black beans.
Fri, January 3 will be fish. I think simply baked, or roasted, since we had an a creamy English fish pie the Friday before Xmas, Seafood Newburg on Xmas Eve, and a version of Bouillabaisse on the 30th.
Sat, January 4th will be leg of lamb. Not sure how I will season it yet.
I really like this Bonny Stern Salmon recipe, especially when oranges are at their best. I often say I don’t like oranges in most things, but I like supremed oranges and Clementines in this recipe.
Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga, at least starting Sunday. Very excited to return to my kitchen! A culinary resolution I have this year is to eat beans at least once a week–maybe this way I can get through my massive supply.
Breakfast: Marzipan and plum muffins
Sunday, January 5: Sweet and sour pork chops, potatoes with pesto, salad, potentially some hazelnut crescents (Maida Heatter) since I’m still not tired of cookies
Monday: Macaroni and cheese with peas from Cook This Now
Tuesday: Chard and white bean stew
Wednesday-Thursday: TBD
Friday: Ginger-miso fish (whatever I find in my freezer); veg from the farmer’s market, rice
Have a good week, and stay warm! It’s going to get down to 20F/7C in Tennessee, so I can only imagine what it’s going to be like for our northern neighbors! Happy cooking!
I love those muffins, and have made them many times since the Ottolenghi cookbook came out, with plums from my tree. I do reduce the sugar in the batter a bit, and I also chop the plums smaller (after roasting) and put a lot more of them in the muffins.
The green bean salad on that page is also great, but doesn’t need as much oil as is written.
Half a plan for the partial week, reported as actuals:
Weds: takeout - Shake Shack for them, sushi for me.
Thurs: sheet pan chicken fajitas with rice and black beans because we ran out of tortillas. Salsa and cheese make everything good!
Fri: I defrosted some grouper (which, despite being vacuum-packed, got waterlogged) and “breaded” it with crushed potato chips, then pan fried. The thicker ends of the fillets were way overdone, though DH and DS said the thinner ends were fine. I also made SK’s perfect corn muffins with 1/3 C sugar (per my previous notes) - DH and I liked them, DS said he wished I’d made Jiffy box mix. They had frozen peas, I had frozen roasted veggies - sweet potatoes, parsnips, and maybe carrots? - which were an impulse buy from either Costco or BJs and were not great. Overall, I’m calling this dinner a 50% success rate.
Here’s hoping I find some cooking inspiration by tomorrow afternoon so I can plan for the coming week!!
Happy New Year to everyone from the now Cold! Twin Cities of MN but at least we saw a peak of the sun today. We made it through the holidays and are looking forwards to the normal routines. And then the dishwasher partied a little too much on NYE and is now throwing an error code “water tap” and beeping. Grr. At least it was after guests left and holiday baking season was mostly done. Some more ambitious plans are on hold until I don’t have to hand wash everything. Actuals and plans for 2 adults and 2 growing girls
Tues 31: NYE Underwhelming as dishwasher unwell and I was burned out from work. Frozen ravioli with purchased red sauce. Cookies
Weds 1: Take out BBQ as I picked up an extra work shift and dishwasher unwell and not feeling like cooking
Thurs 2: Lazy mommy’s fish tacos with store bought fresh mango salsa, black beans, coleslaw, guac
Fri 3: Big kiddo skates. Italian beef sandwiches (beef from freezer) with side salads
Sat 4: Tonight! Completion schedule just came out for Duluth in 2 weeks- Blurg. I should use some stuff up from the freezer Maybe zucchini fritters if they are still okay in the crisper.
Sun 5: Something from the freezer and much wine after the in-laws Christmas gathering which we will be skipping the meal as MIL doesn’t get the allergic to peanuts concept
Mon 6: Big kiddo gets braces! And she has skating. Soup for her, the rest of us TBD
Happy New Year Everyone! I’m hoping to get better about posting here cause I do better if I write out a plan. Unfortunately my elaborate cooking plans with multiple steps are on hold until the dishwasher heals. …
Cooking for 2 in MN. Actuals for this first week of January, ending today since the upcoming week will be in South Padre Island, Texas! Weather forecast keeps getting worse for there - Highs around 60 and rain showers daily M - F. Still, it will be 50 to 60 degrees warmer than here. And we’re hoping the SpaceX launch scheduled for Friday afternoon happens before we leave next Sunday. Saturday’s forecast is good, as of now.
They had frozen peas, I had frozen roasted veggies - sweet potatoes, parsnips, and maybe carrots? - which were an impulse buy from either Costco or BJs and were not great. Overall, I’m calling this dinner a 50% success rate.
