As an avid amateur anthropologist, I love to read other people’s menus and meal plans. It is fascinating to hear what other people are making. I often get a great of inspiration and ideas from these menus.

So, hey, why not post one of my own?

This menu was created for early spring in the Pacific Northwest, using mainly ingredients that are eco-friendly, local, and affordable in our area. As you’ll probably be able to tell, I did most of the week’s shopping at Uwajimaya, a Seattle area grocery store that caters mainly to our Asian neighbors and offers a huge variety of food from all over the world.

This week was busy for us as I jump through hoops for our upcoming move and new job while still being a full time resident. In addition, my partner received her second Covid-19 vaccination, which left her feeling under the weather for two days. Last, one of our vehicles decided to quit quite dramatically, so one weeknight was spent at the Honda dealership procuring another. Hopefully my menu gives you a few fun ideas for easy dinners of your own on some busy spring week.

Day 1: Crockpot lemon pepper chicken, toasted farro, and sautéed spinach

I promise the chicken was seasoned more than it looks; however I took the skin off to lower the fat and calorie content of my plate.

Crockpot chicken is an easy main dish as the days warm to temperatures too high for oven use in the late afternoon. It paired perfectly with the toasted farro from Josh McFadden’s Six Seasons cookbook (you’ll never make farro any other way once you try it!). I am loving this cookbook so hard that I plan to write a cookbook review in the future to share more about it.

Day 2: Tofu stir fry

I loaded up this stir fry with Chinese broccoli, cabbage, and pan fried noodles drizzled with a homemade sauce of liquid aminos, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. No recipe needed for the sauce: just mix the ingredients until they taste good.

I’ve found a simple stir fry is the easiest way to get a healthy and tasty meal on the table quickly.

Day 3: Kids cook: vegetable potstickers with rice and sautéed mini book choy

We try to let the kids cook at least once a week, partly because it helps them to build skills and partly because it’s a nice break. Although this once required a lot of adult involvement, my children are getting better at planning and making balanced meals on their own.

I made a creamy sauce to dip the potstickers in by mixing Kewpie brand’s Yuzu and Kosho dressing with mayonnaise. It was a spur of the moment decision but I completely recommend.

The baby bok choy shrank down to a tiny portion, so I’m glad there were vegetables in the potstickers as well!

Day 4: Mapo tofu

From fridge to table in about a half hour, mapo tofu is one of the fastest and easiest recipes to make. The complexity of flavors makes it feel like you spent a long time blending exotic spices. I like to make it with ground turkey instead of the traditional ground pork and serve it over rice. On this night we had a raw vegetable platter with a few dips on the side to keep it simple because my partner was under the weather from her second Covid-19 vaccination. When you run out of ideas for delicious spring vegetables, just cut them up and serve them with a homemade dip!

Day 5: Sausage, white bean, and kale soup

Every week we plan at least one “flex meal” to be used on that surprise night without time to cook. In the cooler weather typical of an early spring in the Pacific Northwest, we often choose crockpot soups for this purpose. Planning a flex meal for a busy night keeps us from ordering takeout every time some unplanned activity comes up.

Due to an unexpected car issue, my partner and I were out car shopping this evening with the kids home alone. I was glad we thought ahead and had this available for them. I returned home too late to eat dinner but I took a bowl to work for lunch the next day.

This is one of my favorite soup recipes because it is hearty and so easy to make. It is a complete meal in itself so there is no fuss needed to serve it. Best of all, it is freezer friendly. You can fry the sausage, boil the beans, and chop the veggies, then freeze in a reusable container. To use, throw the contents of the container into a crockpot with some broth and heat on high until you’re ready to eat.

Day 6: Homemade deep dish pizza

This is a fantastic way to use up vegetables on their last legs at the end of the week. I try to keep a few balls of frozen dough in the freezer for easy dinners, but we were out of dough this week. My teen son whipped up some pizza dough after school that was ready by dinner time.

Reflections on the week

This week was not as healthy as usual, with more fried foods and meats than we typically eat. I have no regrets; our menu was varied and full of bold savory flavors. While I usually try to avoid processed foods, this was a needed interlude. It was a hectic week for us so it was nice to have tasty options that are easy to prepare. I only visit Uwajimaya every 3 or 4 months because it’s not in a generally convenient location for me, but it’s always a treat when I do.