In this issue:

• Letter from the editor

• Let’s get cooking

• Plan one: Chicken

• Plan two: Ground beef

• Plan three: Plant-forward

• Other resources

• Saying “yes” to dessert

Reviving a trend from the past

Dear Readers,

It’s not unusual for me to find ideas for future newsletters while I’m researching another topic. This week is the perfect example.

While writing a past issue of Tapestry, I came across a forgotten cooking trend — “cook once, eat all week.” The brainchild of best-selling cookbook author Cassy Joy Garcia, this 2017 method takes the guesswork out of meal planning. And it saves time in the kitchen and allows for a variety of flavor profiles and dietary preferences. 

The recipes in this issue serve four people, so if there are fewer of you at the dinner table, you’ll have leftovers or food in the freezer to save you from cooking one night.

I look forward to sharing three basic weekly plans and hope you’ll share your ideas and photos of what you prepare!

Bon appétit,

Pam Miller

Editor-in-Chief

Let’s get cooking

The idea behind this method is straightforward and lets you customize meals to your taste and diet. Even though these recipes serve four, you may end up with leftovers or bonus meals in the freezer if you’re feeding fewer people.

This cooking method starts with three main components: a protein, a starch, and a vegetable (or several). You’ll use them to create three distinct dinners over the week. Nothing is reheated as a finished meal. Instead, the cooked components become the ingredients each night, re-seasoned and reassembled into a dish that tastes nothing like the previous one.

Below are three versions of the plan: one centered on chicken, one on ground beef, and one entirely plant-forward. Choose the one that fits your week, or mix and match components.

Plan One: Chicken

Serves: 4 | Prep-day: about 1 hour | Each dinner: 15 to 20 minutes

The Base

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 1 cup farro, uncooked

• 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

• 3 large carrots, cut into coins

• Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°. Arrange the chicken thighs on one sheet pan and the cabbage and carrots on another. Drizzle both with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Roast the chicken for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through and easy to shred. Roast the vegetables for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are browned.

3. Meanwhile, cook the farro according to package instructions in well-salted water. Drain and let cool.

4. Shred the chicken. Store the chicken, farro, and vegetables separately in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.

Day 1: Lemon-Tahini Chicken Grain Bowl

Add

• Farro, shredded chicken, roasted vegetables

• 2 tablespoons tahini, juice of 1 lemon, 1 small garlic clove (grated), water to thin

Method

1. Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and enough water to make a pourable sauce.

2. Warm the farro and vegetables. Top with chicken and a generous drizzle of sauce.

Day 2: Chicken Shawarma Flatbreads

Add

• Shredded chicken, warmed

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, stirred into the chicken while reheating

• Flatbreads or pita

• Plain yogurt, thinly sliced red onion, and any quick-pickled vegetables you have on hand

Method

1. Reheat the shredded chicken in a skillet with the spices until warmed through and lightly crisped at the edges.

2. Warm the flatbreads. Fill with chicken, a spoonful of yogurt, onion, and roasted vegetables from the base.

Day 3: Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup

Add

• Remaining chicken, farro, and vegetables

• 4 cups chicken broth

• Juice of 1 lemon, 1 egg (optional, for a creamier broth)

Method

1. Bring the broth to a simmer with the remaining chicken, farro, and chopped vegetables.

2. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice. For a richer, creamier broth, whisk the egg with a ladle of hot broth before stirring it back into the pot.

Plan Two: Ground beef

Serves: 4 | Prep day: about 1 hour | Each dinner: 15 to 20 minutes

The Base

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

• 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, halved

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed

• Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper on one sheet pan; roast 30 to 35 minutes, until fork-tender.

2. Toss the green beans with olive oil and salt on a second pan; roast 15 to 18 minutes, until blistered in spots.

3. While the vegetables roast, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Store the beef, potatoes, and green beans separately in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.

Day 1: Shepherd's Pie Skillet

Add

• Beef, potatoes, and green beans

• 1/2 cup beef broth or water

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (optional)

Method

1. Roughly mash half the potatoes with a splash of broth; leave the rest whole.

2. In an oven-safe skillet, warm the beef and green beans with the broth. Top with the potatoes and cheese, if using.

3. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the top is golden.

Day 2: Beef and Potato Hash With Fried Eggs

Add

• Beef and potatoes, roughly chopped

• 4 eggs

• Hot sauce, to serve

Method

1. Crisp the beef and potatoes together in a hot skillet with a little oil, pressing down occasionally, for about 8 minutes.

2. Fry the eggs separately, then slide on top and finish with hot sauce.

Day 3: Crispy Beef and Potato Tacos

Add

• Remaining beef and potatoes, chopped small

• Corn tortillas

• Salsa, lime, and chopped cilantro

Method

1. Crisp the beef and potatoes in a hot, well-oiled skillet until the edges brown, about 10 minutes.

2. Warm the tortillas. Fill them with the beef and potato mixture, salsa, a squeeze of lime, and cilantro. Serve the green beans alongside.

Plan Three: Plant-Forward

Serves: 4 | Prep day: about 1 hour | Each dinner: 15 to 20 minutes

The Base

Ingredients

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets

• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges

• Olive oil, salt, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°. Toss the chickpeas with olive oil, cumin, and salt; roast on one sheet pan for 25 to 30 minutes, shaking once, until golden and slightly crisp.

2. Toss the cauliflower and red onion with olive oil and salt on a second pan; roast 25 to 30 minutes, until browned at the edges.

3. Cook the quinoa according to package instructions in salted water. Drain and let cool.

4. Store the chickpeas, quinoa, and roasted vegetables separately in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.

Day 1: Moroccan Grain Bowl

Add

• Quinoa, chickpeas, and roasted vegetables

• 1 tablespoon harissa stirred into 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or plant-based yogurt)

• Chopped parsley, if you have it

Method

1. Warm the quinoa and vegetables. Top with chickpeas and a generous spoonful of harissa yogurt.

2. Finish with parsley.

Day 2: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes 

Add

• Chickpeas, quinoa, and roasted vegetables

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, baked whole (40 to 50 minutes at 425°, can be done alongside the base)

• Tahini and pomegranate seeds or a squeeze of lime, to finish

Method

1. Split the baked sweet potatoes open. Fill with the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and quinoa.

2. Drizzle with tahini and top with pomegranate seeds or lime juice.

Day 3: Harissa Chickpea and Quinoa Soup (pictured above)

Add

• Remaining chickpeas, quinoa, and roasted vegetables

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon harissa or curry paste

• A handful of spinach

Method

1. Bring the broth, tomatoes, and harissa to a simmer.

2. Add the remaining chickpeas, quinoa, and vegetables. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the spinach just before serving.

Other resources 

From Claude AI:

Cook Once — Cassy Joy Garcia's Cook Once method 

The original source of the method: batch-cook a protein, starch, and vegetable and turn them into three distinct dinners. Two cookbooks' worth of weekly plans, plus a blog archive.

The Cook Once, Eat All Week Series

Where the method started as a free blog series before becoming a bestselling cookbook. Good for readers who want to try a few weeks before committing to the book.

Mix and Match Meal Prep

A looser, more flexible take on the same idea — bases, proteins, vegetables, sauces, and seasonings you combine differently throughout the week, good for readers who want fewer rules.

Meal Prep 101: A Beginner's Guide to Meal Prepping

A solid primer for readers newer to component-based prep, with links out to vegetarian and no-reheat meal prep categories.

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Discover Your Next Favorite

Designing your best life: Saying “yes” to dessert

This is a fun, foolproof ice cream technique that yields fantasy flavors with literally a flick of the wrist. I’ve made traditional flavors like mocha chip, as well as dreamy burnt caramel with toasted almond, and lavender blueberry with sponge cake, each made in a Mason jar, then shaken and stored in the freezer. 

Coconut cream can be used in place of heavy cream. To do this, place a 13.5- to 14-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator, undisturbed for 24 hours. This allows the cream to rise to the top and solidify. Spoon out a half cup of the cream for the recipe.

• Be sure to keep the leftover coconut liquid. You can use it as the liquid in the harissa chickpea and quinoa soup to add a subtle extra layer of flavor, in addition to:

• Curry: A good fit for the plant-forward plan in the newsletter. 

• Smoothies: A nice dairy-free liquid base, lighter than the full-fat version.

• Rice: Use it to cook rice or quinoa, thinned with a little water for a faintly sweet, aromatic side. 

• Oatmeal: Swap it in for some or all of the milk or water during cooking.

• Soups and braises: A splash adds richness to anything already leaning savory-sweet, like a lentil soup or braised greens.

• Baking: Use in place of milk in most quick breads or pancake batters.

• Freeze: Make coconut water ice cubes for future use.

And now for the ice cream lover’s dream come true, adapted from the Feel Good Foodie:

Ingredients

½ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

Chocolate chips, diced brownies, candy, peanut butter, crushed cookies, whatever your heart desires

Instructions

• Pour cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt into an 8-ounce mason jar. Add mix-ins.

• Cover the jar with the tight-fitting lid.

• Shake until the ingredients become thick and double in size, about 3 to 4 minutes. NOTE: You can use an immersion blender or electric mixer to speed up the process.

• Freeze for 2 to 3 hours, or until the consistency resembles soft-serve ice cream. To freeze for longer, top the ice cream with waxed paper before sealing.

_{The content provided here is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your health routine, and never disregard professional medical advice based on information you read here.}

_{We sometimes use AI for proofreading and research.}