Exciting times ahead — we are less than four weeks from Thanksgiving. My new 2021 Thanksgiving ebook will be available early next week to help you plan a memorable holiday meal. I’ll also be repeating my popular bootcamp, Entertaining with Ease, starting Tuesday. It’s a joyful, hands-on course that’s distinct from my Thanksgiving bootcamp and includes winter-friendly recipe options to get you fully prepared to host this season. Friends can use code EWE100 for $100 off the course.
Below is a simple, flexible dinner plan for the week with serving ideas, swaps for seasonal produce, and prep tips to make entertaining and weeknight cooking easier. These recipes are designed to be approachable and flavorful — a great way to practice techniques before the holidays and to keep weeknight dinners stress-free.
Meatless Monday: Sugar snap pea and quinoa salad with tofu. For cooler months I’ll swap snap peas for cauliflower or another hearty fall or winter vegetable. Add a quick sauté of additional vegetables if you want a warmer, more substantial salad. This recipe is protein-rich and makes great leftovers for lunch.
Tuesday: Deconstructed stuffed cabbage casserole. Serve with a simple green salad if you want extra crunch and freshness. You can easily make this vegetarian by swapping lentils for the meat, and it reheats beautifully for easy next-day meals.
Wednesday: Lemony chickpea soup with an arugula salad with persimmons, beets, and burrata. This combination balances warm, bright flavors with creamy, seasonal produce. The soup is comforting and light on the stomach, while the salad adds texture and color to the plate.
Thursday: Easy Chinese chicken, steamed rice, and blanched or roasted broccoli. This is a straightforward weeknight favorite: quick to prepare, family-friendly, and easy to scale up if you have guests. Roasting broccoli with a drizzle of oil and lemon zest brings out a deep, caramelized flavor.
Friday: Pizza night! Use my homemade pizza dough recipe and bake pizzas on a preheated pizza stone at the highest temperature your oven will reach — I use 500°F convection. Pizza night is a great time to involve family members in topping choices and to use up odds-and-ends from the fridge.
Saturday Brunch: Green goddess quesadillas from page 127 of Quicker Than Quick. These are bright, herb-forward, and perfect for a relaxed weekend brunch. Serve with a simple yogurt or salsa verde for dipping.
Sunday: Mediterranean fish stew. A light, fragrant finish to the week — serve with crusty bread or a bowl of steamed grains. The stew is forgiving and can accommodate a variety of firm white fish and shellfish, depending on what’s fresh.
Make-ahead and prep suggestions to simplify your week:
- Sunday: Cook quinoa, make dressings and vinaigrettes, blanch cabbage leaves, brown ground meat, and cook dried chickpeas if you’re using them instead of canned.
- Monday: Assemble the cabbage casserole so it’s ready to bake or reheat later in the week.
- Wednesday prep: Cut broccoli into florets and store them in the refrigerator so they’re ready to steam or roast.
- Thursday: Make pizza dough in advance if you prefer, or keep the dough refrigerated for an easy Friday pizza night.
Small prep steps like chopping vegetables, making dressings, and cooking grains in advance will reduce evening stress and free up time for family and guests. Many of these meals are adaptable: swap proteins, use seasonal produce, or double recipes for convenient lunches.
I love seeing your recreations of my recipes on Instagram. If you make any of these dishes, please tag me @pamelasalzman and use #pamelasalzman so I can see your photos and share in your cooking adventures.
My cookbook, Quicker Than Quick, is currently discounted for the first time on Amazon. If you have a minute, I’d be so grateful if you could leave a review—reviews really help others discover the book. And if you’re curious about my earlier work, take a peek at my first cookbook, Kitchen Matters, for more approachable weeknight ideas and kitchen tips.