Happy Wednesday. Today, I have reader faves and a few ideas to inspire your meal plans for the rest of the week.
Midweek Update
Is anyone else tired this week? I’m exhausted! But still cooking a lot nonetheless. Yesterday, I tried my hand at a spumoni upside-down cake, and I can’t WAIT to revisit it. So delicious. I made it with a maraschino cherry caramel and a layer of maraschino cherries, a chocolate cake layer, and a pistachio cake layer. I wish I had more pistachio flavor, but that will easily be corrected in the next round. I also want to find a way to make it thicker. Because I halved my standard cake recipe to make chocolate and pistachio, each layer was a bit thin.
I’ve also been working on a new tomato sauce recipe. I’ve been loving mirin in my sauce after I read a thread somewhere about someone trying to recreate a tomato sauce they had in Japan. A few suggestions pointed to mirin, and I decided to give it a try. I don’t know if it’s similar to what the poster had in Japan, but it’s delicious. Mirin is a sweet rice wine, so it softens the acidity of the tomatoes without adding too much of a sugary flavor profile. I’m very excited to refine the recipe further!
For now, let’s get into some reader faves and a few more ideas to keep you cooking through the week.
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READER FAVES
Baked Chicken with Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Thank you so much, Vivian! I bet bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts added even more flavor. So happy you enjoyed it!
Lemon Chicken Couscous Soup
Thank you, Shelby! So thrilled this one is on the list! As far as meal prep, I don’t think you need to change too much. The pearl couscous may get a little soggy, so if you’re hoping to have several days of meals, I might opt for barley instead of pearl couscous. You can substitute the barley 1:1 for the pearl couscous.
Lemon Pepper Pork Chops
So happy this recipe is already a hit for folks! And your version of it looked delicious, too!
Irish Guinness Beef Stew
Thank you so much, Bryce! So happy this was a 10/10. The prunes really do take this beef stew over the top!
MORE IDEAS
I’ve got stew on the brain.
Chickpea and Sausage Stew
This chickpea and sausage stew strikes the perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and savory. It’s a comforting and filling midweek meal option.
Stewed Beans with Manchego Cheese
This recipe for stewed beans with manchego cheese is a rich, comforting bean stew topped with crispy mushrooms.
Beef Barley Stew
This beef barley stew recipe epitomizes comfort. It’s a thick, velvety, stick-to-your-ribs stew.
That’s all for Midweek Meals! I hope everyone has a great rest of the week, filled with lots of tasty food. If you make one of my recipes, please drop a comment on the post to let me know how it turns out; I’d love to hear from you! You can also respond directly to this email! Byeeeeeeee! 💖💖
-kylie
And if none of these recipes caught your eye, use the link below to view all my recipes.
Looking to incorporate more vegan dishes into your meal plan? View all the plant-based recipes I post on Exploring Vegan!