Hello September!
Happy Labor Day but… I mean, can we say it’s practically December at this point lol I just feel that the Fall always goes by so quickly, but I’m definitely getting ahead of myself. The Farmers Market is still filled with some summer fruits but Fall staples like those yummy apples are trickling in... all of which to say this weeks menu definitely is a mix of Summer and Fall.
As a reminder, I publish easy, mostly gluten-free weeknight dinner menus on Sunday so that I know exactly what ingredients to buy and exactly what I’m cooking every night, which makes my weeknights so much easier. I also usually post school lunch menus for the week. Beyond making weekdays easier, the idea is that the more we eat and cook at home, the lower our exposure level too many harmful, environmental toxins; particularly hormone disrupting phthalates and PFAS chemicals (eating processed foods and eating out are our main sources of phthalate exposure!)
Per popular request, I included some lower tox alternatives to items that I will use in this week meal making at the end!
DINNER
Monday: Korean barbecue meatball bowls
Serving with quinoa but in theory should be rice (just trying to reduce our arsenic consumption by limiting rice to 1-2 times a week)
Tuesday: apple cider, glazed chicken thighs
Some of you might think it’s too soon but ever since I saw the apples turning up at the Farmer’s Market I’m feeling the need to start Fall recipes ... this I am serving with mashed potatoes
Wednesday: black beans & rice with a side of corn on the cobb
this was a staple in my Cuban household and can be served as a side or as a main plate. I found some corn in the cob at the farmers market, which are probably one of the last of the season, but you can always find organic corn on the cob in the freezer section of most grocery stores
Thursday: healthy, sesame chicken
Most kids like this simple recipe and I’m going to serve it with some soba noodles to try to avoid serving rice again ( rice has arsenic and even though we buy Lundberg rice, which is tested for having much lower arsenic levels there are still some levels so I always try to limit rise to one’s tops twice a week).
This is my favorite recipe, but you can certainly cut corners by buying premade tomato sauce and non-cooked lasagna noodles ( although if you happen to have time to make the sauce, this one’s a good one it just takes a minute). I might make two and freeze one to use on a rainy day in the future.
SCHOOL LUNCH
We use bento style school lunch containers for my preschooler and larger containers made out of stainless steel for my sixth grader. For the preschooler, items I usually send her with include: berries, tomatoes, cucumbers, kiwi, grapes, carrots and hummus, edamame, organic corn, green bean ( with some butter)... These are usually snack foods that we find travel well.
TUESDAY: high protein bento lunch: hard boiled egg, gluten free crackers, mozzarella cheese cubes ( I recently purchased a mozzarella cube from a regenerative farm/ Nourish Food Club and it is super tasty), sliced turkey, and fresh fruit
WEDNESDAY: pasta with green beans and parmesan. (we use Jovial gluten free pasta)
THURSDAY: falafels with carrots and hummus. (I buy falafels at my local Farmer’s Market)
FRIDAY: Greek inspired bento: hummus, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, pita bread and cubes of feta cheese... adding some of Thursday’s sesame chicken
SHOP THIS WEEK’S MENU
Cast iron pans
We have the No 10: https://tidd.ly/45BhLfV
We have the No 11 deep skillet with lid: https://smithey-ironware.pxf.io/LK3QrM