Chock full of Lynsie’s favorite Vie recipes, enjoy this plan on us this week and don’t forget to share the link with family & friends. Happy Birthday to Lynsie and happy summer to all of you!
Use this plan at any store you like this week, and don’t forget to head to our Past Meal Plans section of the site to peruse hundreds more amazing Meal Plans.
Your Weekly Menu
Mains Bang Bang Shrimp Curry, Pork Chops with Bleu Cheese-Date Spread, Vietnamese Meatballs with Vermicelli & Fruit Salad, Vegan Burrito Bowl with Jackfruit & Chipotle-Avocado Mash
Sides Caramelized Onion and Lima Bean Grain Salad, Miscellaneous Spice Green Beans
Soup Tortellini and Sausage
Your Recipes
MAIN Bang Bang Shrimp Curry
Prep 10 mins
Cook 30 mins
Total 40 mins
Author lynsie
Yield 4-6 servings
We had this dish recently at a restaurant and fell in love. It’s not spicy, but full of flavor and so fun to eat altogether in one big bowl!
The combination of subtle Thai curry, coconut milk and zucchini sticks with plump shrimp was just to die for! This curry is easy to bring together quickly and can even be made in advance.
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, sliced into slivers
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp peanut oil or coconut oil
2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 cup peanut butter (unsweetened, can be smooth or chunky)
1 can coconut milk
1-2 cups chicken broth or water, as needed
2 Tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
2 cups rice, your choice
1 lb shrimp
1/2 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1/2 bunch green onions (scallions), rinsed and chopped
1 lime, sliced into wedges
1 cup toasted peanuts, crushed
Instructions
- Begin by cooking onion, ginger, garlic and Thai red curry paste in oil for 5 minutes, or until ingredients are softened and fragrant.
- Add peanut butter, coconut milk and stir to combine and create a smooth sauce. Add chicken broth or water as needed to thin to desired consistency for curry (should be slightly pourable but still thick for serving over rice).
- Add soy sauce, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, keeping in mind that you’ll be serving with a spritz of fresh lime juice as a garnish.
- Simmer sauce for 20 minutes.
- While sauce is simmering, make rice according to package instructions.
- During the last few minutes of cooking time, add the shrimp to the curry to poach (cook in liquid).
- Prep your cilantro, green onions and lime.
- Serve curry once shrimp are “bouncy” and opaque/bright pink.
- Enjoy with bang bang curry over rice, garnished with a sprinkling of cilantro, green onions, lime juice and crushed toasted peanuts.
Courses main
MAIN Pork Chops with Bleu Cheese-Date Spread
Prep 10 mins
Cook 20 mins
Total 30 mins
Author matt
Yield 4-6 servings
I’ve been making pork tenderloins stuffed with bleu cheese and dates for years, but when chops were on sale one week I thought how hard can it be to adapt? I recommend buying a high quality bleu cheese – get the cheese monger to help you out. A great choice is the Bleu D’Auvergne, but just about any bleu/gorgonzola/stilton will probably work. You want something with some softness to it so that it will melt a little on top of the hot pork chops. If you have to buy the crumbled stuff in a container you may find it’s a little dry and have to add some cream cheese to the spread to get it to hold together.
Ingredients
4 boneless pork loin chops
6 oz bleu cheese
12 medjool dates, pitted and thoroughly chopped
½ Tbsp coarse ground black pepper
1 red D’anjou pear
8 oz salad mix of your choice
Black pepper vinaigrette:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or similar)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
½ tsp brown sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Remove pork chops from fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking to come closer to room temp. Liberally sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Combine chopped dates, bleu cheese, and black pepper and stir everything around to lightly incorporate. If your bleu cheese is on the drier side, you may need to use a small amount of room temperature cream cheese to incorporate. You will use half of the spread on the pork and half on the salad.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and begin searing pork in olive oil. You may have to work in batches if your pan is not large enough. For chops that are about 1 inch thick, sear for 2-3 minutes per side for medium pork, or 4-5 minutes per side for a more well-done cut. Keep in mind that the pork will continue to cook if you let it rest 10 minutes, and that overcooking pork will really dry it out.
- Remove pork from heat and set aside to rest. While the pork rests, you will slice the pear and assemble the salad dressing. Slice the cheeks off the pear and discard the core. Lay the cut sides down and slice very thin, lengthwise pieces. Aim for about ⅛ inch thick.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk together. Add the salad mix and the pear slices and toss to combine.
- Plate the salad and pork. Drop a small ball of the cheese spread on top of each chop. Then use your fingers to pinch small pieces of the spread on top of the salads.
Courses dinner
MAIN Vietnamese Meatballs with Vermicelli & Fruit Salad
Prep 15 mins
Cook 25 mins
Total 40 mins
Author lynsie
Yield 4-6 servings
One of our favorites here at Vie for its simplicity, freshness and nutritional value! The meatballs are so easy to make and really impart such a vibrant flavor.
Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
½ lb lean ground beef
½ cup hoisin
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp soy sauce
1 can water chestnuts, drained *optional
1 pkg vermicelli rice noodles (or any type you choose)
1 head bibb lettuce, washed and leaves left whole
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bag sprouted greens *optional
1 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp agave or honey
1 pinch red pepper flakes
½ tsp soy sauce
1 pkg blackberries
1 watermelon, cut into quarter-sized pieces
Instructions
- Begin by combining beef, turkey with hoisin, ginger, garlic, 1 tsp soy sauce, and water chestnuts. Let sit for 20 minutes in the fridge or overnight to marry ingredients.
- Cook vermicelli noodles until al dente (pouring boiling water over them in a bowl and soaking until tender often does the trick).
- Cook meatballs by pan frying them and serve over vermicelli noodles overtop bibb lettuce and sprinkle with red onion, tomatoes and sprouts.
- Make rice vinegar sauce by combining rice vinegar, agave or honey, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour rice vinegar sauce over noodles and meatballs and serve with a side of fruit salad (combine blackberries and watermelon).
Courses dinnerPrint
MAIN Vegan Burrito Bowl with Jackfruit & Chipotle-Avocado Mash
Prep 10 mins
Cook 30 mins
Total 40 mins
Author lynsie
Yield 4-6 servings
Sometimes you’ve gotta live a little dangerously! I know, I know… not exactly living on the edge, but enjoying Jackfruit from time to time is fun because it’s just so amazing! You’ll find it in the can and can spice it up any way you like.
Ingredients
2 cups brown rice (or any grain you like)
1-2 cans jackfruit (quantity depends on family size)
1-2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 can tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, sliced
1 jar chipotle salsa
1 bag avocados (ripe), peeled, pitted and flesh removed with a spoon
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp salt
1-2 limes
1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
sour cream, as a garnish *optional, or choose a Vegan version
grated cheese, as a garnish *optional, or choose a Vegan version
1 bag tortilla chips
1 bunch cilantro, chopped as needed *for garnish
Instructions
- Begin by cooking grains according to package instructions. *For extra flavor, cook in any leftover stock.
- While grains are cooking, add jackfruit, chili powder, cumin and tomatoes to a small-medium saucepan and heat to warm through.
- While all of the above are working, make your Chipotle-Avocado Mash: combine chipotle salsa, avocado flesh, the minced shallot, salt, and lime juice to a bowl and mash with a fork to combine.
- When grains are cooked and Jackfruit is warmed through, get ready to serve!
- In each individual bowl, add grains then top with Jackfruit, sliced bell pepper, Chipotle-Avocado Mash, toasted pepitas, sour cream*, cheese*, and some tortilla chips on the side with a slice of lime and chopped cilantro.
Courses dinner
SIDE Caramelized Onion and Lima Bean Grain Salad
Prep 10 mins
Cook 25 mins
Total 35 mins
Author lynsie
Yield 8-10 servings
I made this dish as part of a local foods dinner and I just really loved how the flavors worked together to bring a true comfort food approach to this meal. Even if you think you don’t like lima beans, give this a whirl because when cooked in the right way, they are the perfect subtle vehicle to the sweetness of richness of the caramelized onions. Use leftover brown rice from your big batch this week to make this dish even heartier, but if you can’t eat grains, simply leave this ingredient out!
Ingredients
1 pkg frozen lima beans
3 vidalia onions, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grain of your choice, such as rice, pearled barley, bulgar, or quinoa.
Instructions
- If using, cook grains according to package directions.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron is ideal) add onions with oil over low heat. Cook onions until they’ve sweat a bit and reduced in body.
- Add sugar, stir to combine thoroughly and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, removing lid every 10 minutes to stir and prevent scorching. Add water as needed to keep liquid in the bottom of the pan (the water from the onions will be brought out from cooking and the sugar, however can evaporate if the lid is not airtight).
- While onions are cooking, prepare another medium saucepan by filling it with 1 inch water and bring it to a boil. Once at a boil, add beans and cover, stirring every so often to redistribute beans. Cook beans for 20 minutes, or until they are softened but not falling apart.
- Strain beans once cooked and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Serve over a bed of caramelized onions and cooked grains.
Courses SidePrint
SIDE Miscellaneous Spice Green Beans
Prep 5 mins
Cook 10 mins
Total 15 mins
Author matt
Yield 8-10 servings
Confession: I really like canned green beans in all their mushy glory. They remind me of elementary school cafeterias and simple southern cooking. However, this recipe can be prepared to your desired level of crunch, and I’ll admit that I usually go in the middle when I make it. Why “Miscellaneous Spice”? Because this is a great recipe to use up those random spices in your cabinet. Go and look, I bet there’s something in there: Cajun blend, Mexican blend, Herbes de Provence, Za’atar, Curry, etc. They all work, and you only have to be careful to check if the spice blend has salt already added to it, and compensate accordingly.
Ingredients
1 lb green beans
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Miscellaneous spice (see recipe description at the top for ideas)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Choose a pan that has a fitting lid.
- Saute green beans in just enough oil to coat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add ¼ cup water, vinegar, brown sugar, Miscellaneous spice, and salt if necessary. Cover with lid.
- Cook for at least 3 minutes and begin testing for doneness and monitoring the amount of water left in the pan, and occasionally stirring.
- Ideally the last of the water will evaporate when the green beans are done. Give one final stir to fully coat the beans in the “sauce” you’ve created.
Courses side
SOUP Tortellini and Sausage
Prep 10 mins
Cook 20 mins
Total 30 mins
Author matt
Yield 8-10 servings
This soup is another genesis from my son, which is a huge shocker because he doesn’t usually like foods that are too mixed. But tortellini is pretty kid friendly and he got to pick out the veggies that went in. I went with it because I knew it would be super easy to prepare! Success on all fronts! Pick your own sausage flavor – you pretty much can’t go wrong.
Ingredients
2-4 sausage links, sliced into small discs or half-moons
¼ red onion, thick diced
½ red bell pepper, thick diced
4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken stock
20 oz tortellini
1 cup snow peas
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat, begin sauteing the sausage in olive oil until browned. Remove from pan.
- Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add more oil as needed.
- Add garlic and saute 2-3 more minutes until garlic browns.
- Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Add tortellini and snap peas and cook according to package directions (about 5 minutes). While the tortellini cooks, taste the soup to evaluate the salt and seasoning. Some tasty potential additions include: Worcestershire sauce, a small dash of cumin, smoked paprika, hot sauce, etc.
Courses soup
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