Weekly Dinner Menu
September 21 - 27
June 15 - 21
Here in Berlin, we're getting our first wave of some hot weather. It feels like the spring is easily turning into the summer which means that veggie-forward dishes feel like the right thing to be eating now. In light of recent events in the USA, I've taken a look at my cookbook collection (both blogs and physical books) and realized that it was a place I was overlooking the true meaning of diversity. Although it's been quite international, the authors presenting the recipes have remained predominantly white. This week I'm featuring one of the first recipes that really pulled me in, from Jenné Claiborne's Sweet Potato Soul. It's an adaptation from it, but largely using the same ingredients she has in her cookbook. If you're vegan, looking to eat more plant-based, or have a deep love for southern food, I'd highly recommend Jenné's cookbook and Youtube channel, which I've been binging a bit.
Monday
I saw Padma Lakshmi share some recipes on her instagram feed. One was this incredible sounding coconut chutney and that flavor left me with a major craving. In the process, I landed on Maunika Gowardhan’s Keralan Cabbage Thoran recipe with some slight adaptations to include peas for protein and color. I liked the idea of a dosa, but didn’t have time to ferment the batter, so the lentil crepe here is a strong nod to Indian dosas.
Tuesday
Finding delicious protein options for meat-free tacos can be a bit of an adventure. I took some of the incredible flavors from last week’s taco recipe and swapped out the mushrooms for some unfussy dinner. We didn’t have corn tortillas so what you see in this picture are some homemade wheat tortillas.
Wednesday
The spring vegetables recipes originally comes from America’s Test Kitchen. I made some adjustments to include the kohlrabi instead of turnips because that’s what I had on hand, and the kohlrabi really shines in this dish. The salmon was added to round out the protein and pairs incredibly well with the veggies in this dish.
Thursday
This recipe is a riff on Priya Krishna’s Saag Tofu from her cookbook Indian-ish. I made it for the first time a while ago and it was SO excellent that I’ve been anxiously waiting to make it again. In an attempt to use less dairy recently, I tried to make a vegan paneer cheese.
It’s nothing like paneer, I’ll be the first to admit but it adds a creaminess to the dish that makes it work. Ro make this vegan, swap the ghee with coconut or a neutral oil.
Friday
Sofra bakery in Boston is an incredible gem of a cafe. This salad is inspired by their chicken shawarma, but with an everyday/health twist as it’s served over a bed of greens and the addition of the psyllium husks into the dressing boost up the fiber content. Feel free to make the dressing without them if you’d prefer.
Saturday
This recipe is based on Ottolenghi’s recipe for a cauliflower salad. To round it out as a full meal, I’ve added in chickpeas to the roasting stage to add some protein - seeing a trend in these recipes? If you don’t like fresh tomatoes, feel free to add those into the roasting stage as well.
Sunday
This green beans recipe is heavily inspired from Jenné Claiborne’s cookbook Sweet Potato Soul. I tried to keep the flavors of the dish, but added in some butter beans and cooked the dressing mixture. Sweet potato soul is incredible - not just because of Jenné's delicious recipes, but her writing feels so full of joy and enthusiasm for the food she cooks. Her storytelling is welcoming - both into her life and to veganism. If you’re looking to dabble with eating less animal products, you’ll want her cookbook in your kitchen.
Weekly Dinner Menu
September 21 - 27
Weekly Dinner Menu
August 24 - 30
Weekly Dinner Menu
August 17 - 23
Weekly Dinner Menu
August 10 - 16
Every Sunday evening, I send out a newsletter with the following week's dinner menu, and the seasonal produce featured. The newsletter is free, and I won't share or sell your email address.
If it turns out it's not the content you're looking for, you can easily unsubscribe with a link at the bottom of the email. This project was originally a way to wrap my head around the evolving seasonal produce in the supermarkets.
I'm so excited to share the journey and learn from you as I go along!
- Julia Feld