My quasi-vacation begins now, and I couldn’t be more excited. I wrapped up my final class of 2018, scheduled my last blog post for next week, and I’m nearly packed to head to New York with my family for Christmas. I call it a “sort-of vacation” because I’m deep into prep for my next book, which I’ll be shooting in a few weeks. Eek—so thrilling to be doing this again, and I promise the new book will be even better than the first. I may post updates from New York if you want to see how I manage cooking three meals a day for 15 people and still have fun. In the meantime, wishing you a very merry Christmas!
If you need ideas for next week’s dinners, here’s a handy planner to inspire your meal prep:
Monday (Christmas Eve): This is a large potluck at my aunt’s house for about 100–120 people. We always enjoy many fish dishes—linguine with clam sauce, baccala, stuffed clams, eel, octopus and more. For an easy, elegant fish option try Whole Roasted Branzino.
Tuesday (Christmas Day): My parents host dinner. We typically begin with a generous cheese board with nuts, salami and crudités. I’ll likely make my Italian 7-layer dip or the baked feta I demonstrated in my December classes. My mom makes chicken soup with tortellini and a roast beef tenderloin. We’ll also serve Cauliflower with Pomegranate Molasses, Puree of Broccoli, and Roasted Potatoes with Gremolata. I’m considering roasted carrots topped with a pomegranate‑pistachio relish. For dessert I’ll prepare Vegan Magic Bars and a Chocolate Bundt Cake with Peppermint Ganache. Merry Christmas!
Wednesday: Leftovers. I usually turn scraps into a comforting mushroom‑barley soup and add cubed leftover tenderloin—the kids love it. Another great option is a Vegan Cream of Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup.
Thursday: Shrimp with tomatoes, white beans and spinach served over cauliflower rice (see my cauli‑rice method).
Friday: DIY bowl night: slow cooker chicken tacos, black beans, rice, quinoa, lettuce, salsa, vegan queso, roasted Brussels sprouts, chipotle cauliflower and pickled onions (recipe in my book).
Saturday lunch: Wild rice salad—an excellent way to use leftover wild rice if you made the mushroom and wild rice soup.
Sunday: Homemade wood‑fired pizza night at my parents’ house. We serve pizza alongside an Italian white bean and tuna salad with capers (adapted from my cookbook; I’ll use jarred slow‑roasted tomatoes instead of fresh) and a vegetarian chopped antipasto salad.
What you can prepare ahead to save time:
Sunday
- Make marinades, sauces and dressings
- Wash and dry all vegetables
- Prepare gremolata
- Make Vegan Magic Bars
- Bake the Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Make the peppermint ganache (store separately and bring to room temperature before spreading)
Wednesday
- Cook wild rice
- Prepare the cream of mushroom soup
For more weekly ideas, check my previous dinner planners. I love seeing your takes on my recipes—if you make any of them please tag me @pamelasalzman and use #pamelasalzman so I can see your photos. To learn more about my online cooking classes, visit the classes sign-up page. If you enjoy my recipes, you’ll love my cookbook!