YKGrub · Sunday the 27th, after the brunch · ~50 min · By station, not by day
Mon 28Brunch leftovers
Tue 29Za’atar salmon, farro
Wed 30Tofu stir-fry
Thu 1Lauki chana dal
Fri 2Mahi-mahi parchment
Sat 3Mussels
Sun 4Use-up
The 27th is a brunch day. This session is short on purpose — about 50 minutes, and the fridge is already half full. Do it late afternoon, not before.
Instant Pot, back to back ~50 min, 8 hands-on
Load, walk away, unload, load the next. The active time really is just loading and unloading.
Farro (Tue dinner + Mon/Wed lunch bowls)
1 cup dry + 1¾ cups water. High pressure 10 min, natural release 10. Drain any excess, spread on a tray to cool. The week’s only anchor grain, 1 cup dry across two meals — at the cap, not over it.
Chickpeas (lunch bowls Mon–Thu)
1½ cups dried, soaked overnight Saturday, water to cover by 2 inches. High pressure 12 min, natural release 15. Salt after. If the soak did not happen, open two cans and skip this — do not pressure-cook them unsoaked and hope.
Eggs (Tue + Thu lunches)
1 cup water, 6 eggs on the trivet. High pressure 5 min, natural release 5, ice bath 5. Refrigerate unpeeled — they keep far better and peel easily on the day.
Oven, one run at 425°F ~30 min, 5 hands-on
Broccoli + cauliflower (bowls Mon–Wed) — florets, olive oil, salt, one pan.
Carrots and any leftover squash (Thu bowl) — ¾-inch pieces, olive oil, cumin, salt, second pan.
22–25 min, flipped halfway.
Two pans, not one. A crowded pan steams instead of browning.
Shred and chop ~12 min
Kale (Mon–Thu bowls) Stem and tear 2 bunches, 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, massage 2–3 min until it softens. Holds all week and gets better with time.
Cabbage (Wed stir-fry + Sat salad) — shred half a head thin. Bag it.
Carrots (bowls + stir-fry) — shred 4. Bag it.
Quick-pickled red onion (bowls + Fri fish) Thin-slice half a red onion. Pour over ¼ cup red wine vinegar + ¼ cup water + 1 tsp sugar + ½ tsp salt. Ready in 30 min, holds all week.
Dressings, three jars ~8 min
Lemon-tahini (Mon + Wed bowls) 6 tbsp tahini · 5 tbsp lemon juice · 5 tbsp water · 1 grated garlic clove · ¾ tsp salt. It seizes before it loosens — keep whisking.
Lemon-Dijon (Fri fish + Sat salad) 5 tbsp olive oil · 3 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp Dijon · 1 tsp dried oregano · salt, pepper, garlic powder.
Slice 3 min
Cucumbers (Mon–Wed) — slice 2. Leave Thursday and Saturday’s whole; sliced cucumber weeps after two days.
Mid-week, Wednesday night ~12 min
The things that would be sad by Friday.
Roast fennel and bell peppers (Fri + Sat) Olive oil, salt, 400°F, 20 min, single layer. Roasted Sunday they are limp by Friday; roasted Wednesday they are still good on Saturday.
Slice the remaining cucumbers (Thu + Sat)
Move a frijoles freezer portion to the fridge (Sun)
Day-by-day assembly
Mon 28 — brunch leftovers Grab: hash trays · celery salad · labneh · granola Hash at 425°F for 10 min to bring it back. Everything else is cold. 12 min, no cooking
Tue 29 — za’atar salmon with tomato-feta farro Grab: salmon · the cooked farro · cherry tomatoes · feta · arugula · za’atar · lemon One pot. Baby’s plain farro and a flake of salmon out before the za’atar. 25 min
Wed 30 — tofu & veggie stir-fry Grab: tofu · shredded cabbage and carrots · bok choy · ginger-soy jar · rice Press the tofu while the rice cooks. Baby’s plain tofu and vegetables out before the sauce. 20 min
Thu 1 — lauki chana dal Grab: snake gourd in place of the lauki · chana dal · soya chunks · ginger-garlic · rice Instant Pot. Baby’s portion out before the salt and chilli. 35 min, mostly the pot
Fri 2 — mahi-mahi in parchment Grab: mahi-mahi · the pickled onion · Wednesday’s roasted peppers · lime · lemon-Dijon jar Baby’s plain fish out of the parcel before the pickle. 25 min
Sat 3 — minimalist mussels Grab: mussels · shallot · stock · lemon · sourdough · cabbage and lemon-Dijon for the salad Not the baby’s dinner — give her bread and something from the salad. 20 min
Sun 4 — use-up Grab: the thawed frijoles · whatever grain, greens and dressing are left Not a recipe on purpose. 10 min
Any lunch bowl Grab: farro · chickpeas · massaged kale · roasted veg · pickled onion · a boiled egg · a dressing jar Layer grain, greens, veg, protein, dressing. 3 min
Storage, in the order things die
Brunch leftovers — Tuesday. Day 2 by Monday, which is why Monday cooks nothing
Labneh and compote — Wednesday
Sliced cucumber — 2 days. Hence only Mon–Wed get sliced on Sunday
Roasted broccoli and cauliflower — Thursday. After that they go soft; 5 min in a hot oven revives them once
Massaged kale — all week, better on day 3 than day 1
Farro, chickpeas, eggs (unpeeled), dressings, pickled onion — all week
Shopping
Produce
2 bunches kale, 2 bunches chard or a bag of spinach
Half a head of cabbage
2 heads broccoli, 1 cauliflower
6 carrots, 4 baby bok choy
2 fennel bulbs, 3 bell peppers
4 cucumbers, 1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 lauki — Indian grocery
1 red onion, 2 yellow, 1 head garlic, ginger
Parsley, cilantro, 6 lemons, 2 limes
Protein
Salmon ~¾ lb, mahi-mahi ~¾ lb
Mussels, 2 lb
Firm tofu, 1 block
6 eggs, feta
Pantry
Farro, 1 cup
Dried chickpeas 1½ cups, or 2 cans
Chana dal ¾ cup, soya chunks ½ cup
Tahini, soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon
Rice, 1 loaf sourdough
Spices
Nothing. Za’atar still is not in the house — sumac, sesame and dried oregano stand in, all three on the shelf.