A Week At A Time – Meal Ideas

Happy Sunday! Daylight savings begins, bringing extra evening light—perfect for creating some wonderful meals.

Losing an hour of sleep is a small price for longer evenings yielding more time to cook. On Monday, a good pasta is always a nice start to the week and One-Pan Creamy Bucatini with Pancetta & Peas is a delightful dish with hints of spring. Tuesdays are usually taco night, but these Breakfast Quesadillas are outstandingly simple and you can load them up with all kinds of Mexican toppings like guacamole, salsa, crema and fresh cilantro.

It’s supposed to start raining heavy on Wednesday and a big bowl of Italian Wedding Soup will surely hit the spot. The meatballs are tender and super flavorful — submerged in a light aromatic broth — I’m craving it already. Thursday evening requires something hearty and warm to get us to Friday and these Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Lentils are so satisfying. The flavors are rustic and savory – a dish you can eat over and over again.

On Friday night it’s time to unwind with a Vodka Grapefruit Rose Soda. It’s super quenching and appeals to all the senses. You can omit the vodka for a lovely mocktail — just increase the grapefruit juice. Saturday’s are for baking a Panne Forte — an Italian fruit cake (dare I say) that’s not like the American version at all. It’s nutty and chewy with flecks of dried fruit — just a slice with coffee or after dinner, and life is pretty close to perfect.

Monday