It’s warm and sunny here in the Bay Area, giving us a glimpse of all that spring will be. So today and tomorrow, I am soaking it up because next week, the cold weather and rain will be back. This week’s menu is simple and focuses on the amazing flavors of winter. Yummy vegetables, a fantastic soup, and a comforting pasta dish make this weeks’ plan shine. And with the exception of the Bolognese ragu, everything is made in 30 minutes or less.

As always, I try to follow the FWTFL food cycle which means I go low carb Monday and Tuesday, and regular macro the rest of the week.

Enjoy the week!

Sunday

Marcella Hazan’s Homemade Tagliatelle with Bolognese Meat Sauce

Growing up, I had friends whose mothers would start a pan of pasta sauce on Sunday morning and I never understood why. Pasta sauce was pasta sauce, right? My mom and dad both worked outside our home and our bolognese meat sauce was ground meat, a jar of sauce, and a packet of seasoning. And it was delicious. It wasn’t until later in life when I decided to try my hand at this recipe that I learned the difference. OMG this is the absolute best pasta sauce. Seriously amazing. Like a 500 on a scale of 1 - 10. And while it takes some time to make, it is 100 percent worth it. Make this homemade Bolognese Meat Sauce. You will love it, your family will love it, and you’ll never buy another jar of pasta sauce again. Use any leftovers to make some lasagna. Seriously. Trust me that it will be the absolute best lasagna you will ever make.

Monday

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Looking for a dinner recipe that’s low on carbs and high on taste? Look no further than SkinnyTaste’s Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Feta. With 44g of protein and 7 carbs, this is a quick and easy Monday night dinner that will leave you satisfied. Remember to use the toothpick if needed to keep the chicken closed when baking. Yum!

Tuesday

Ground Beef Tacos

#TacoTuesday is a way of life in our house. And even though I’ll make fancier tacos (pork, chicken, fish), my kids prefer ground beef tacos with the crunchy shell. Go figure. These are super easy to make and take about 10 minutes. If you’re looking for a healthy alternative, you could use ground turkey, chicken, or pork.

Wednesday

Sheet Pan Broiled Salmon

Sheet pan dinners are the best when life is a bit crazy. And while we’re still in a shelter-in-place, the kids still have homework and there are socially distanced soccer practices and meetings to attend. That’s why I love sheet pan dinners. Load the pan with your favorite protein of choice and in-season vegetables, bake for 20 minutes, and dinner is served. Impressive! Wednesday I’ll be serving What’s Gaby Cookings Sheet Pan Salmon and it’s delicious! No broccolini? Use the veggie of your choice. I’ll be doing some brussel sprouts drizzled in balsamic. Yum!

Thursday

Black Bean Burrito Bowls

My kids love Chipotle and for the longest time they were getting burritos, however, I noticed recently that they were starting to get bowls and I thought “why aren’t we just making these at home?” so Thursday night we’ll be doing a make your own burrito bowl dinner. Meals like this are the best because you’ll have a number of toppings and everyone can make them to their liking. One of my kids doesn’t like black beans so instead, he’ll use a bed of lettuce. And if rice is too many bad carbs, replace it with cauliflower (or quinoa for more protein.) It’s also a great way to use any leftover protein you have from earlier in the week. A fancier, more delicious leftovers night! If you need a recipe, this one from Cookie + Kate is a good starting point.

Friday

Support Our Local Restaurants Night

In our community restaurants are closed for both dine-in and outside dining which means that restaurants are surviving solely on take-out orders. Once a week, we order take-out from one of our favorite restaurants and enjoy a night where nobody cooks. We sit all sit around the table, talk about the week we just wrapped up, and our hopes for the weekend. It’s one of my favorite ways to wrap up the week. This week we’ll be enjoying Fried Chicken from the Village Bakery (Fried Chicken Friday).

Saturday

Vegan Corn Chowder

By Saturday we’re expecting some rain and cooler temps so I’m planning soup for dinner. This is my favorite corn chowder recipe and instead of using heavy cream, it uses cashew cream. You’ll need to soak your cashews the day prior, so start then. Once you have the cashew cream (super, super easy to make), this recipe comes together quickly and is loaded with flavor. Sometimes I use the southwestern blend of frozen corn and add more peppers to make this a bit spicier so feel free to play with the flavors a bit for best results.