Good morning. I finally had my Christmas dinner last week, deep in the woods of Maine, with family for the first time in months. It was a grocery store feast: Eric Kim’s recipe for root beer ham, sautéed green beans, and some scalloped potatoes that are instant-thinly sliced baking potatoes topped with butter and sprinkled salt and black pepper, then topped with a Cheddar and Swiss mixture, and a healthy cup half-and-half, baked to bubbly and mottled with brown.
It was delicious food and a reminder that we don’t have to limit these kinds of feasts to holidays. You could absolutely eat turkey for dinner tonight, with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce and crushed Brussels sprouts. You could shrink a prime rib and eat it with baked potatoes and a large salad. At the very least and perhaps most delicious, you could put together this Baked Mushroom Wellington (above) simply because it’s deep winter and you want to bring joy to those you eat with. Chocolate chip cookies for dessert, please!
The rest of the week doesn’t have to be so involved.
Monday
For example, take a look at this creamy cauliflower soup with rosemary-olive oil. It’s a cinch to make, especially if you happen to have an immersion blender. Leftover rosemary olive oil is an excellent seasoning to have on hand later in the week for a celebratory lunch of cheese and bread.
Tuesday
I like a one-pot meal for weeknight dinners, and this chicken and vegetable donabe doesn’t disappoint, especially with the addition of a dash of yuzu kosho-spiked ponzu at the end. The Lakers will play against the Nets in Brooklyn at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, and if you’ve subscribed to NBA.com, you can watch with a bowl of food on your lap.
Wednesday
How about pork chops with mustard and jam for a midweek meal? There are only two ingredients in the sauce — mustard and fruit preserves — and they provide excellent coverage for the chops. What a new technique for: sear the meat hard on one side but not really on the other, to keep the center juicy. I like that.
Thursday
I love the warming Korean stew known as kimchi soondubu jjigae, and especially this vegetarian version with mushrooms instead of pork. Their meaty texture next to the silken tofu is aces high. The handicapper in me predicts that this dish will be a must for at least the rest of the season.
Friday
And then you can kick off the week with this Peruvian arroz con pollo verde, which calls for a great cilantro puree to cook with the rice and chicken. In addition, you make this salsa criolla, a seasoning that you may use liberally in the coming days. In Peru, it is made with fresh aji amarillo peppers, which are hard to find in the United States. But a combination of orange bell pepper and serrano chile offers similar flavor and heat. Enjoying!
